Mobile Bay Magazine - June 2017

Mobile Bay June 2017

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES

BALDWIN COUNTY ISSUE

CAP’N TOM Sonny Brewer and his pal, Tom Yeager, talk about a life well spent pg. 25 exploring our local waterways

Net Results A Day in the Life of an Alabama Shrimper

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GRASSROOTS FOOD ARTISANS & THEIR LOCALLY MADE EATS

OX KITCHEN

Get a taste of Fairhope’s “new South” casual eatery

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FEATURES JUNE 2017

VOLUME XXXIII / ISSUE 6

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Net Profits We chow down on Alabama shrimp, but do you know how it got to your plate?

49 CREWMAN MIKE CHEATWOOD SHOWS OFF JUST A HANDFUL OF THE DAY’S CATCH ON THE CAPT. SID SHRIMP BOAT / PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

Guardians of Our Waters

It takes a village — and a topnotch organization — to keep our Bay and beautiful environment safe and clean.

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The Gang’s All Here This bayside home is perfect for summers on the water and family visits that never end.

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The Serenity of Chris Knight An avid traveler puts his favorite scenes on canvas for others — and himself — to appreciate.

ON OUR COVER

Waterman Tom Yeager is a jack of all trades when it comes to enjoying life on the Eastern Shore.

PHOTO BY TODD DOUGLAS

 Meet the shrimpers at the dock to grab a pound or two of fresh catch, then head home to prepare Sally Stringfellow’s recipe for Pan-roasted Shrimp and Okra over Corn Consommé, page 34.

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DEPARTMENTS JUNE 2017

VOLUME XXXIII / ISSUE 6

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LEFT The Eastern Shore’s newest chic Southern food mecca is Ox Kitchen, located inside Windmill Market. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU RIGHT A flavorful feast of small plates made from local ingredients is a welcome sight for one group of Baldwin County friends. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

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Editor’s Note On the Web Reaction Odds & Ends Elemental Grass Beds Tiny submerged plants play an important role in our ecosystem.

18 Good Stuff Grassroots Pantry

These local artisans share their impressive products for sale.

20 Spotlight Andy Schmidt

It’s a comic book expert’s dream job: bringing a superhero to life.

25 Amazing Life Tom Yeager He’s the Eastern Shore’s ultimate waterman with stories aplenty.

30 Tastings Ox Kitchen

High-end casual Southern eats

32 Bay Tables Rooted in Local Flavor

A Baldwin County locavore celebrates with friends and favorite dishes.

38 The Dish 74 Bay Boy I’llNeeda

A mysterious woman takes up in the woods behind the Key home.

76 Ask McGehee Why is there now a sign reading “Duncan Place” at the Admiral Semmes statue?

This median has an unusual history.

78 In Living Color Snapper Catch, 1895 Over a century ago, fishermen still sought the red fish, preparing hook, line and sinker.

OUT & ABOUT 68 Highlights 70 On Stage & Exhibits 72 July Highlights

 The Mobile Bay Causeway has long been a hotspot for favorite local eats. This month, in The DIsh, MB asks our contributors to share their ultimate Causeway menu selections in the style of a traditional progressive dinner, page 38.

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Mobile Bay VOLUME XXXIII

No6

JUNE 2017

PUBLISHER T. J. Potts

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

ART DIRECTOR WEB PRODUCER

MARKETING DIRECTOR

SALES MANAGER

Stephen Potts Judy Culbreth Lawren Largue Breck Pappas Chelsea Adams Marie Katz Laurie Kilpatrick Abby Parrott Maggie Lacey

ADVERTISING

Joseph A. Hyland

Adelaide Smith McAleer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

ADMINISTRATION CIRCULATION Anita Miller ACCOUNTING Jody Chandler

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mallory Boykin, Sonny Brewer, Watt Key, Tom McGehee CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Clay Cook, Matthew Coughlin, Todd Douglas, Summer Ennis, Elizabeth Gelineau, Kathy Hicks, Jimbo Meador, Ted Miles, Elise Poché, Charles Siefried, Jennie Tewell, Hanlon Walsh ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICES

3729 Cottage Hill Road, Suite H Mobile, AL 36609-6500 251-473-6269 Subscription rate is $21.95 per year.

Subscription inquiries and all remittances should be sent to: Mobile Bay P.O. Box 923773 Norcross, GA 30010-3773 1-855-357-3137 MOVING? Please note: U.S. Postal Service will not forward magazines mailed through their bulk mail unit.

Please send old label along with your new address four to six weeks prior to moving.

Mobile Bay is published 12 times per year for the Gulf Coast area. All contents © 2017 by PMT Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Comments written in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ownership or the management of Mobile Bay. This magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. All submissions will be edited for length, clarity and style.

PUBLISHED BY PMT PUBLISHING INC .

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EDITOR’S NOTE BEHIND THE STORIES

Get even more local coverage this month on mobilebaymag.com.

I

f you’ve read MB for any length of time, you’ve been introduced to one of Mobile’s most beloved characters, wildly creative Renaissance man and former PMT writer Eugene Walter. In his oral biography “Milking the Moon,” Walter is described foremost as a man who lived life to the fullest with “more delights than regrets” — one who took chances and embraced new experiences and opportunities.

Likewise, I have decided to heed Mr. Walter’s advice.

After 10 years at Mobile Bay Magazine, I will bid adieu to my role as editor and begin a new chapter. Though my departure from this job I love is bittersweet, I am looking forward to taking the opportunity to spend more time with my children while they are still young and intend to continue freelance writing and editing for the magazine when time allows.

When we put this issue to bed, I will pass the red pen to the multitalented Maggie Lacey. She will serve as executive editor, alongside staffers Abby Parrott, Chelsea Adams and Breck Pappas who will continue to make major contributions to the magazine, telling the amazing stories of our people and places. In the art department, Laurie Kilpatrick and Marie Katz will keep on making the layouts as beautiful as always. I am beyond grateful for having had the opportunity to work with each of these gifted individuals and am blessed to call them friends.

As I say my goodbyes, I would like to thank publisher Jocko Potts, his wife Jane (retired), assistant publisher Stephen Potts and editorial director Judy Culbreth for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead the editorial troops as we share the best of the best of our area with our readers. This role has truly been a gift, and I treasure the memories of working with so many brilliant writers, photographers, artists, chefs and community leaders — you know who you are. (Go ahead and cue the orchestra music, yet I proceed.) Also, thank you to sales manager Joe Hyland and circulation director Anita Miller for constantly offering answers to my countless questions, wise words of advice and plenty of hilarious grandchild anecdotes. Most of all, I am grateful to two particular contributors whose names have never once appeared in a masthead — my husband, Bret, and my mother, Pat Wood. The two of you have been my biggest cheerleaders and supporters, my go-to sounding board and odd-hours proofreaders.

As I type my final editor’s note, my towheaded 5-year-old is doing cannonballs off the couch, his sleepy 7-year-old sister curled up, reading over my shoulder.

Today just so happens to be Mother’s Day, a fitting occasion to precede what will be my last week as editor. Looking back, my tenure here has been much like motherhood, filled with plenty of sleepless nights, lots of laughs, a few missteps and a whole lot of pride for the “baby” that our staff delivers to the printer each month.

Mostly delights, very few regrets.

It has truly been a pleasure, y’all! Until we meet again …

Lawren Largue EXECUTIVE EDITOR

lawren@pmtpublishing.com

PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

PHOTO BY JENNIE TEWELL

Farewell, Friends

WHAT’S ONLINE

Mo’ Shrimpin’ Find additional photos from this month’s “Net Profits” story. Plus, you’ll also get all the details on writer Breck Pappas’ impressive catch.

B.C. Bucket List A day over the Bay is a day well spent. We’ve rounded up a list of all the activities you need to try on the Eastern Shore this summer.

One-day-only Sale!

Whether your dad is a chef, football fanatic or local history buff, visit us on the Web on Monday, June 5, for special deals on local gifts for Father’s Day.

Here Comes the Bride Recently engaged? Share your proposal story, details about the big day and send a picture of the happy couple, and we’ll feature it online — for free!

RIGHT Congratulations to publisher T.J. “Jocko” Potts, second from left, on his recent induction into the Murphy High School Alumni Hall of Fame!

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MARK MCCULLINS, TEST PILOT FOR AIRBUS / PHOTO BY TODD DOUGLAS

REACTION

FLYING HIGH On April’s “The Amazing Life of Mark McCullins” Enjoyed reading the article on test pilot Mark McCullins. My husband and I are good friends of Mark’s parents, Edgar and June, and we always love hearing about Mark’s new adventures. The article was easy to read, interesting and informative.

- Louise Palmer

EASY BREEZY On April’s “Haute High Seas” So pretty! Iz, Rosemary and Casey all look amazing! Great job, Maggie Lacey.

I loved the story about the boat flags in memory of Austin. So sweet!

- Courtney Rosten Malouf Absolutely gorgeous!

- Michelle Epps

MUSTANG SALLY On Facebook’s “The Drive-In Generation” [I remember] Bob’s dealership on St. Joseph Street — got my first car there.

A canary yellow mustang.

- MaeBeth Chandler

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MARCH’S COVER FEATURING THE AEIKER HOME / PHOTO BY SUMMER ENNIS

GENTLY WAFTING CURTAINS On March’s cover I was reading your March issue and would love to know where the fabric was purchased for the window coverings. It is beautiful! I would love to use it in my own home. Thanks.

- Tonya Fleming Editor’s note: The delightfully colorful curtains in the Aeikers’ breakfast nook were made from the fabric Hothouse Flowers by Schumacher.

Jonathan [Aeiker] served as our contractor and renovated our mid-century modern home to perfection!

- Jessica Heffner Dyess

STOP BY AND DIG IN On April’s Tastings, Chuck’s Fish I’ve been anxiously awaiting this opening! Fingers crossed that with our notoriously fickle diners they become a long-term fixture to our Downtown food scene.

- Elizabeth Garcia Wonderful new option for fresh-caught Gulf seafood. I hope they’re able to add a Sunday brunch soon.

- Michael K. Sullivan

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text by CHELSEA ADAMS

POP QUIZ

ROLE MODELS In 2014, Chris Pratt starred in the Marvel blockbuster “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Pratt believes that two influential, 1980s-era sci-fi characters had a profound impact on his character, Star-Lord. Who were they?

A. Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley B. Spock and Malcolm Reynolds C. Han Solo and Marty McFly

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

JUNE 19, 1864 Raphael Semmes captained the CSS Alabama off the European coast in the 1860s with a mission to capture and damage Union ships. Semmes overtook more than 60 ships before docking in Cherbourg, France, to make repairs. While there, the Union sent the USS Kearsarge to overtake him. The two ships sailed out into the waters off the coast of France and, though Semmes found himself outgunned and outmanned, began what’s been called the “circle battle.” They sailed in circles around each other, firing cannons, until drifting back toward the French coast where, with significant damage and loss of life, Semmes was forced to wave the white flag.

Ask McGehee, page 76, has the scoop on the new historical marker near the statue of Admiral Semmes in Downtown Mobile.

D. The Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard Did you get it? Turn this page upside down to see who inspired Star Lord.

Then, turn to page 20 to learn about Andy Schmidt, the Bayside Academy grad who helped create the hero.

SAY WHAT?

“I worked my first fishing trip at the age of 16, and that put the hook in me right there.”

— MIKE CHEATWOOD, shrimper in Mobile Bay for more than 30 years

SOUTHERN RITES

Get an inside peek into the life of Gulf Coast shrimpers in “Net Profits,” page 41.

A YACHT TO BE THANKFUL FOR The Fairhope Yacht Club celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and it has certainly enjoyed a storied life. The club has definitely changed over the years, most notably after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the clubhouse and caused extensive damage to the property. The club came back bigger and better than ever, however, as did the newly designed clubhouse. In honor of the 75th Anniversary, the Fairhope Yacht Club has published a 144-page coffee table book featuring a history of the club, its legacy and environs in images. The book can be purchased via the club office.

Turn to page 25 to get to know the Fairhope Yacht Club’s four-time commodore and Mobile harbor pilot Tom Yeager.

PICTURE THIS

BILLY GOAT TRAIL This lovely, golden trail in Bethesda, Maryland, runs along the edge of the Potomac River just outside of Washington, D.C. Painter Chris Knight created this image to remember the secluded, quiet experience of hiking along it. “You feel as though you are a million miles away from anyone,” the Baldwin County artist explains.

He chose to paint the trail in autumn for the vibrant colors, adding, “I hope I did it justice.”

Baldwin County artist Chris Knight paints beautiful landscapes that capture something familiar yet new. Step in to MB’s gallery of Knight’s works, page 62.

C. In an interview, Pratt explained that his character, Star-Lord (or Peter Quill), would have been heavily influenced by the likes of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Marty McFly, which were characters in popular movies Star-Lord would have watched growing up before leaving Earth around 1988.

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ELEMENTAL

Grass Beds text by BRECK PAPPAS • photo courtesy of tropica.com

W

e’ve all heard it before — how the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay was once an endless meadow of underwater grass. How someone could pull 70 soft shell crabs from the grass beds in a night. But are these descrip-

HOLDING IT DOWN Underwater grasses improve water quality by stabilizing sediments and filtering out contaminants. They even reduce coastal erosion by dispersing the energy of waves and currents.

tions true, or are they just the nostalgic ramblings of a few old-timers?

Known in the scientific community as “submerged aquatic vegetation,” seagrass plays a crucial yet underappreciated role in the local ecosystem.

The grasses run from the Delta to the

Gulf of Mexico, nursing the Bay’s young and filtering our water. In fact, you can thank underwater grasses for that seafood you ate the other day.

Here, get the scoop on one of Mobile Bay’s most valuable players and the conditions that threaten its future.

LIGHTEN UP In order for seagrasses to thrive, roughly 15 to 20 percent of the light that hits the surface of the water needs to reach the grass leaves. By comparison, algae only require 1 percent of sunlight, which is why it’s common to see beds of algae even when seagrasses have disappeared.

BEGGERS CAN’T BE CHOOSERS

VARIETY SHOW The waters surrounding Mobile support a variety of aquatic vegetation, differentiated by size, complexity and tolerance to salinity. The main species to be found in the low salinity conditions of the Delta belong to the genus Vallisneria (grasses known as wild celery, tape grass and eelgrass). Widgeon grass is perhaps the most widespread, growing from the Delta all the way to the salty waters of the Gulf. Shoal grass, resembling lawn grass, resides in portions of the Gulf as far north as the Carolinas.

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Although technically an invasive grass species, Eurasian watermilfoil (or simply, milfoil) has proven to be a useful addition to the local ecosystem. Originally from Europe and Asia, the plant was introduced in North America many years ago and has spread far and wide. While efforts were once undertaken to eradicate the invasive plant, studies have shown that the grass benefits animals much in the same way as native species. As local Delta legend Jimbo Meador phrases it, “Any grass is better than no grass.”

BABIES“R”US Seagrasses serve as a valuable nursery for baby shrimp, crabs, fishes and other Bay critters. In fact, it’s estimated that more than 70 percent of commercially important species spend a part of their lives in submerged aquatic vegetation.

MOBILE’S UNDERWATER LAWN ◗ According to Ken Heck, a senior marine scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, it’s hard to say exactly how much underwater vegetation once thrived in our waters (seagrass populations weren’t mapped until 2002).

“The best estimate is that around half of the grass that used to exist in Mobile Bay and coastal Alabama has disappeared,” he says. The Eastern Shore in particular is said to have once supported a vigorous grass habitat. ◗ The biggest threat facing underwater vegetation is poor water clarity. With so much annual rainfall, Mobile is particularly vulnerable to the dangers of runoff. This means that, when it rains, sediments and pollutants are washed directly into our waterways over paved surfaces, rather than filtering naturally through the ground.

Murkier water equals less sunlight for underwater grasses. ◗ Besides providing a habitat for local creatures, grass beds are also a valuable food source. Manatees feed directly on the grass, but most animals feed on the algae that accumulate on the plant’s leaves. ◗ Underwater vegetation can be successfully transplanted and restored, but it’s not easy. “Transplanting doesn’t work too well,” Heck explains. “You’ve got to improve water conditions before transplanting, and that’s pretty tough to do.” ◗ Near Ono Island, researchers have devised a clever tool to encourage the regrowth of grass beds scarred from boat propellers. “Bird stakes,” essentially bird perches mounted on PVC pipes, are placed in areas that need rejuvenation. Birds rest on these perches and will, when nature calls, provide a healthy shot of fertilizer. MB

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GOOD STUFF

Grassroots Pantry Discover these seven delicious locally made treats and the busy hands behind the brands. text and styling by MAGGIE LACEY

ROSEMARY BUTTER COOKIES Handmade in Donna Hill’s Point Clear kitchen with rosemary from her own garden, these cookies pair perfectly with everything from a warm latte to a glass of rosé. They are sold in stores from New Orleans to Seaside, but locally you can find them at Mosley’s Meats, Pour Baby, Greer’s, Burris Farm Market and boutiques on both sides of the Bay. She also offers cheese straws and custom specialty cakes. $11 per bag Cake by Donna • cakebydonna@gmail.com

ALMOND CAKES The dense, moist almond cakes that were once only available by special order during the holidays are now on the dinner table year round.

Helen Milteer is baking up her special recipe each week and retailing them on the Eastern Shore at Living Well and Greer’s Downtown Market. Those in the know special order her spiced pecan cakes, too. Homemade has never been this easy! $10 for small, $20 for large Point Clear Cakes • Facebook: pointclearcakes

SMOKED TUNA DIP Elton Chavers and Jackie Windham, left, are using Southern pecan wood down in Bon Secour to smoke fresh, local tuna for this incredibly creamy spread. It is a menu option at popular restaurants all along the Gulf Coast, including The Hangout, Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, Tacky Jacks, Old 27 Grill and more. Pick up a pint for yourself at Mosley’s, Food Pak, Allegri Farm Market and Old Shell Growlers, among others. $5 per 6-ounce container LL’s Smoked Tuna Dip • 362-2277

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THE WORLD’S BEST SALSA More than just another condiment for taco night, this fresh homemade salsa is a vitamin in a cup!

Tony Ingram originally concocted his zesty Tex-Mex treat as a salad dressing, and now Tony’s Tejas Salsa, made in Mobile, is adding olé to dinner tables across the Southeast. Pick up a pint at Whole Foods Market, as well as Piggly Wiggly, Virginia’s Health Foods, Food Pak and more. $5 per pint Tony’s Tejas Salsa • tonys-tejas-salsa.com

GINGER WATER Mobile native Anna Luce began mixing her fresh tonic after years of observing and experiencing firsthand the impact that natural remedies, such as ginger, can have for those battling an illness or hoping to avoid them in the first place.

A natural antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, her ginger water also shakes up nicely with a little vodka and lime. Find it through Naturally Strong with Nonie at Windmill Market, Food Pak and FOY. $12 per four pack Take Root • 454-2782

HEIRLOOM GRITS, FLOUR & CORNMEAL The Lipscomb family has painstakingly resurrected their great-great-great-grandfather’s heirloom “Indian corn” seed stock, which first came to Magnolia Springs in 1875. A handful of seeds were frozen in the 1980s, but twin brothers Jarred and Joshua Higginbotham, right, recently brought them back to life. They now grow fields of colorful heirloom corn. Bayou Cora stone-milled grits retail at Baldwin County farmers markets and their new Foley storefront at 209 S. Alston St. $4 per bag Bayou Cora Farms • bayoucorafarms.com

GINGER-CITRUS KOMBUCHA These dark amber bottles are intended to protect more than 2.2 billion live and active cultures from the light of day. Kombucha is an ancient fermented probiotic tea made with bacteria and yeast that develops a delightful effervescence. Wild Magnolia, handcrafted by Fairhope’s Amanda Webb, is slightly fruity with just the right sweetness. Find it at Local’s in Fairhope or at area farmers markets. $4.50 per 12-ounce bottle Wild Magnolia • Facebook: wildmagnoliakombucha

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SPOTLIGHT

ANDY SCHMIDT

FOUNDER OF COMICS EXPERIENCE

text by CHELSEA ADAMS • photos by CLAY COOK

VOLUME XXVIII/ISSUE 1

Not all heroes wear capes. A Bayside Academy graduate, who helps bring comic crusaders to life, resurrected a story that enthralled the world.

“I am Groot.”

Who would have thought that a character who only ever uttered three words would become iconic? Certainly not Andy Schmidt — and he helped

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bring that character to life. “The fact that people know who Star-Lord is now and there are shirts in Wal-Mart that say ‘I am Groot’ on them is kind of ridiculous to me,” Schmidt admits in awe. “And I had some part in that.”

Back in 2004, when he was an editor at Marvel Comics, he had an idea: He wanted to bring an old, forgotten comic back to life. Not everyone thought it could succeed, but Schmidt pitched it anyway.

Some skepticism notwithstanding, he got his wish. “Annihilation,” the reboot that would ultimately become the popular “Guardians of the Galaxy,” was born. (Well, reborn.)

The comic “Guardians of the Galaxy” dates back to the 1970s, but none of today’s ultra popular movie characters existed in them. Schmidt and his team labored over the project, bringing the characters and stories out of obscurity. “‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was such a poor seller at that point that Marvel didn’t even want to use the name,” he shares. “So we had to call it something else and grow it again. So ‘Annihilation’ was the project that led to the new ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’”

In 2014, years after he’d left Marvel, Schmidt got a phone call at his home in Kentucky. The blockbuster was premiering in Los Angeles, and as one of the core team members who brought these characters to the forefront, he’d scored a ticket to the red carpet. As he brushed elbows (“more like spotted from across the way,” he clarifies) with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, there was only one review he cared about.

“Going to that movie, I was nervous.

I’d spent all this time away from my wife working on these projects and this was like, ‘This is what you get.’ So I’m sitting there next to her just thinking, ‘I really hope she likes it.’ During the opening scene, when Star-Lord is running through the cave singing, I looked over, and she was laughing. I felt a lot better.”

This story truly encapsulates Schmidt: persistent, personable, outgoing, and — even after having his name attached to mega comics such as “Star Trek,” “X-Men” and “Captain America” — humble.

A Storied Career It all started one summer during college when Schmidt took an internship at Marvel in New York. “I’d always had a writing bug and when I went to college, I thought I might go into filmmaking.

My brother is the one who mentioned that Marvel had an internship program, and I’d always wanted to live in New York. So those two things went hand in hand,” he shares. A few years later, he would return as an assistant editor and work his way up to editor.

“The editor’s role is often hard to describe,” Schmidt explains, “but it basically has two functions. The bare bones function is you’re a project manager for about 20 projects a month.

The much more interesting and fun part of the job was the creative aspect. We would talk with the writers and artists about the storylines, what ideas we had, and projects would come up in a variety of ways.”

In 2007, after working on projects, such as “The Avengers” and “Iron Man,” he left Marvel and decided to take a year off. He took on the role of stay-at-home dad with his wife and newborn, and he launched his own business, Comics Experience.

The online school guides comic enthusiasts through every aspect of the business, from art and storytelling to marketing and publishing. Comics Experience even has a publishing line for students to submit their books.

“For me, it’s exciting to be working with new, innovative projects and then also be able to work with characters I’ve loved since I was a kid,” he says.

Schmidt then spent a few years at IDW Publishing, then at Hasbro, working on the relaunch of G.I. Joe, as well as branding for movie tie-ins of “Star Trek” and “Transformers.” Eventually, he decided to solely focus on Comics Experience and freelance consulting. So he said goodbye to the corporate life and hello to full-time business ownership.

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“Comics Experience combined my love of comics and my love of teaching.

I have worked with a lot of big name guys, but I really enjoy helping cultivate new talent and assisting them at getting their feet in the door,” he shares.

In 2016, Schmidt returned to his alma mater, Bayside Academy in Daphne, to be inducted into the Bayside Hall of Fame. “I got to have a discussion with a select group of students [while at Bayside for the induction ceremony]. That was the best part,” he says with a chuckle.

And for him, seeing the changes on campus and reconnecting with the school was great, but it was the chance to meet the next generation that stuck out to him. “The absolute high point was when students presented me with an award that they had designed and created themselves. The award from the school was nice, but a lot of real work and thought went into the one 22 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Andy Schmidt’s home office in Kentucky plays host to colorful comics and books, as well as geek-tastic Funko Pop figures of the comic characters he helped shape.

He sits among the framed covers of his favorite comic books and projects. Standing in the corner is a cardboard cutout of Rocket Raccoon from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” film.

from the students. I hung that one in my home. That was really moving and so unexpected.”

Comics Experience definitely reigns supreme as his favorite project to date.

But if he had to pick a second? “I think my favorite is the ‘Annihilation’ project that led to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’

That project and I started out together, and we went our separate ways. And it flourished, and I flourished, so we’ve got this parallel thing going on. I can look over there and say, ‘It’s pretty cool that I worked on that.’” MB june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 23

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AMAZING LIFE

Tom Yeager With stories aplenty, this Mobile Bay waterman certainly lives up to the title. text by SONNY BREWER photos by TODD DOUGLAS

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B

y definition, if you pull on boots and a slicker on a rainy morning in England, go out the door to a river running through the middle of the city, and get aboard a ferryboat and take the helm — your passengers would call you a waterman. If you board a dory before dawn, plying the seaside waters in New England for oysters and crabs and lobsters, you are a waterman. If you are an elite surfer, say, or a cliff diver, or a swimmer — you are a waterman.

If you are Tom Yeager, and none of the above — you are a waterman.

A Mobile Bay waterman. You know the water. And the water knows you.

You are in this world together.

So if Hurricane Katrina tries to rip the Gulf Coast to shreds, and the storm waters f lood Fly Creek in Fairhope, and if you have a sailboat in trouble, you dive into the muddy, boiling mess and swim toward your house where the skiff you need is pushed up against the f loor boards of your home 20 feet above your dock there. When you try to keep your head above the twisting brown water, you wonder, Was this such a good idea? And then a tire and wheel go bouncing past in the fast current. The water knew you needed a hand. And you grab on. It was aired up good, and you make it to where the crush of creek water is vibrating the pilings of your home. And you are able to wrestle your Stauter-Built skiff loose from beneath the f loor joists. The outboard starts right up and you save your Hinckley from peril. And you rack up another waterman story.

Captain Tom Yeager is a real captain and a Port of Mobile harbor pilot who has a shipload of water stories.

Tom was four times the commodore of the Fairhope Yacht Club. The voting members know a real waterman is hard to find.

“When I was a boy, I slept on the screened porch of my family home,” Tom says. He’d rather not take an electric fan and a bed inside four walls. Up at dawn, back then, and down on the beach and

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On a trip to Burns Landing in the Tensaw Delta with his friend Melissa, the pair was greeted by a little black dog with a high fluffy tail. She scooted around their legs like they were the best friends she hadn’t seen in forever. As they left, Melissa vowed to come back for the dog if he didn’t let her take it now. Tom checked his rearview mirror to see a tiny black furball speeding along behind him. When efforts to find the owner failed, Scooter attached herself to a man 100 times her size. At Tom’s place, Scooter gathered sticks to make a nest for herself under the bushes by the stairs. But she’d never sleep outside again. On those dark and stormy nights, under the covers, you’ll find Scooter snuggled alongside her captain’s everlasting arm.

ABOVE Yeager can be seen each evening rowing towards the Bay with Scooter on the bow of the skiff he made by hand from longleaf heart pine sinker logs found at the bottom of Fly Creek. The pair docks at the Yacht Club and strolls down the shores of Mobile Bay, beachcoming for objects of interest, hoping to spot a bald eagle.

into the Bay. “I lived in the Bay,” he adds. “We had family cookouts on the beach: we ate fish, crabs, shrimp out of the Bay waters.” Tom’s father survived World War II, and he and other fathers who made it back were mighty glad to be home in Fairhope on the Bay. They drew family close and lived like everything was a gift.

Sons and daughters were raised to take nothing for granted. “Every weekend was a celebration, sunup to sundown,” Tom says.

As a boy, he learned to handle giant logs adrift along Fairhope Beach, how to nudge and coax and turn them.

That sort of cooperating with the thing f loating instead of bossing it around got into his bones and blood.

Out of high school at the Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education, he pointed his bow not at college, but across the Bay to the waterfront in Mobile. He hired on with Captain Joe Ollinger and Captain Wick Nelson.

A deckhand. Bottom of the ladder.

Muscling up thick lines and cables and dumping them onto bits. Bending his back in the sun and the rain, heat and cold. Loving every minute.

Off the barge decks, Tom took every chance at a visit into the wheelhouse.

And soon enough, Cap’n Ollinger or Cap’n Nelson, with their good eye and strong intuition, asked young Tom did he want a turn at the helm. Boyhood memories of cypress logs floating at his knees were still stranded into the

“I’d love to be a naturalist, but I still have an outboard motor.

I’m a conservationist at heart, but in truth we just do the best we can.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Yeager’s house on Fly Creek can only be described as old Mobile Bay meets Swiss Family Robinson, a true naturalist’s retreat. Almost a dozen boats of various sizes and means of propulsion dock, hang, are lifted or otherwise tethered beneath the house. A calcified anchor, which Yeager found while diving in the Abaco Islands off the Bahamas, is on display amidst other found objects and treasures.

june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 27

ABOVE Yeager is pictured in his workshop, filled with the tools a waterman needs to keep the boats running smoothly and the found objects that inspire an artist’s soul. He gives the tiny canoes he shapes from Baldwin County clay to friends and neighbors to use as serving pieces.

RIGHT The centerpiece of Yeager’s living room is a fireplace faced in local iron rock topped with a mantel of osage orange driftwood that was found to hold a musket ball of unknown origin, all raw materials he picked up beachcombing in Montrose.

muscles and sinews of his hands and arms and, standing wide-legged with eyes down 200 feet of steel, or 400 feet, Tom Yeager found he could guide a three-thousand-ton tow, could hold its course, could land it alongside a dock, and the line handlers only needed to drop a line over a bollard.

After only two years’ work on the river, Tom Yeager was named the captain in the wheelhouse.

“Over and over,” Tom says, “at Marietta Johnson we were taught to look around and use what’s at hand.”

He’s been known to load a boat onto a trailer at dockside instead of heading down the creek to the launch ramp at the yacht club. Or haul home a bois d’arc log from the Bay for crafting into a mantle for his fireplace. His half a dozen and more sailboats and skiffs are handmade using local woods.

You will get a frown from Captain Tom for talking about his town, his Fairhope, like it’s a set of urban considerations, and angry city council meetings. “Have you looked up the word Bohemian?” he asks.

“Unconventional souls gathered in

28 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

the interest of art and unconventional ideas, or something like that.” Tom thanks the founding fathers for their unconventional hopes for a utopia.

“They wanted to keep a lifestyle for the people, one that remembers nature,” Tom says. When the mayor and council bought 114 acres of land at the north entrance to Fairhope, not to develop, but to preserve as a wooded park, it gave Tom hope. “The spirit of the original settlers, the founders, is still here, right now, alive in good ideas like that,” Tom says.

Carl Black is another waterman. He, too, came up on the docks in Fairhope, raised beside bearded shrimpers like Red John, aboard boats like the Dismas.

Carl calls me from the northwest corner of the South Pacific, while he’s sailing alone aboard his sailboat CV around the world. “Eight hundred words to tell about Thomas? Nuts!”

We agree there’s 800 words on the planks under his feet in his Fly Creek cottage. How the man putting down the pilings for Tom’s house came up with a sinker, a log that sank instead of floating with the timber raft to

some waiting mill. Then another giant longleaf pine was dredged up from the bottom. Tom set up his own creek-side sawmill and sliced the logs into the boards that floor his cottage.

“Alright, say this,” Carl growls, “say that I am a man who never calls for help with boats.” He owns Ross Maritime, a ship chandlery, line handling, and transportation operation at the Port of Mobile. “Say there was a certain rescue tow that I was making on a Joe Cain Sunday years back, when a flat calm Bay got tuned-up by a 30-knot Norther, and whitecaps and breaking waves put six inches of water around my ankles.

And in that cold dark, struggling, I ran out of fuel. Something bad, got worse quick,” Carl says.

“I made one phone call, and you know damn well who I called. Say that.” MB Sonny Brewer is the author of the novel, The Poet of Tolstoy Park. He is finishing a memoir called A Boat to See Me Home.

He is grateful to the editors for upping his word count to 1,100.

june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 29

TASTINGS

OX KITCHEN

text by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

L

ast year, Chef Bo Hamilton and his family felt their Southern roots tugging at their heartstrings, so they decided to leave Jackson Hole, Wyoming, behind. Although Bo hails from Birmingham and his wife, Molly, is from Oxford, Mississippi, the looming question of where to settle was easily answered after their first visit to Fairhope. With amazing outdoor activities (something the couple had grown accustomed to during their time out West) and its proximity to both of their families, the Eastern Shore seemed like the perfect fit.

Though Hamilton had cooked in high-end kitchens across the country, he dreamed of opening a place where he could serve quality food without all the bull. The world has gone casual, he says, which fits his flip-flop kind of lifestyle. He began looking for a space where he could serve his unique interpretations of classic Deep South flavors.

Southern cuisine is so “identifiable, evocative, with such soul,” he says, and the years spent away from Alabama made him fall in love with those flavors all over again.

Hamilton opened Ox Kitchen this May in a tucked-away corner of Fairhope’s Windmill Market, a place with plenty of soul to match the food he prepares. His goal is to serve high quality food at approachable prices. The tiny outpost that he calls a “permanent food truck” helps keep the costs down, and those savings get passed on to the customer.

Despite the diminutive size, the dining room is bright and airy with plenty of style. Shiny red metal chairs add a pop of color to the otherwise rustic space, and an oversized sketch of the restaurant’s namesake animal hangs over the wooden tables. (The name Ox is also a nod to his wife’s hometown and its reputation for excellent Southern cuisine.)

The menu, which could be termed “new South casual,” features a number of creative sandwiches with bold flavors built around classic Southern ingredients. Homemade pickles that Hamilton admits to have worked on for months to get just right, herbs picked from the Windmill’s garden and everyone’s favorite Duke’s Mayonnaise complement high-quality pork, chicken, beef and Gulf oysters. Be sure to try the Smoked Pork and Greens Sammy, which is an unexpected winner that packs a little heat. Hand-cut fries are tossed in a smoked paprika seasoning blend. Collard greens are elevated with a touch of white wine in the

ABOVE Ox Kitchen’s chef and owner Bo Hamilton takes a break after the lunch crowd comes through Windmill Market. His experience from kitchens in Auburn, Atlanta and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, combine with his admiration for the food culture of Oxford, Mississippi, to make his “new South” menu.

braising. The burger, opposite, is topped with a splash of oxtail “gravy,” a rich French demi-glace of shredded oxtail, red wine and brandy. Each menu item is layered and complex, but at the same time familiar, comfortable and ready for you to dig in with both hands. Keep a napkin handy, y’all. MB

 Ox Kitchen • 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. M - S, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. F • Inside Windmill Market, 85 N. Bancroft St., Fairhope • 990-8533 • Average entree price: $10 30 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

ON THE MENU FRIED GULF OYSTER BLT Perfectly fried bivalves are slathered in a spicy chipotle rémoulade and then layered on thick, buttery, toasted sourdough bread. Bo adds a pile of diced bacon, shredded lettuce and tomato for the perfect next-generation po’boy.

PORK AND GREENS SAMMY A Deep South take on the porchetta sandwich, this burger is piled high with juicy slices of roasted pork shoulder, Wickles cherry pepper relish, a few collard greens, Duke’s mayo and thick slices of the aforementioned bread.

The flavor is phenomenal.

BERRY & FETA SALAD Fresh herbs from the Windmill Market’s gardens are blended into a creamy vinaigrette that pairs nicely with the warm grilled chicken and crisp local veggies of this entree salad. Plump blueberries, salty feta and a little crunch from sunflower seeds finish it off.

THE OX BURGER This burger sums up the Ox menu, with old South ingredients married to upscale French cooking technique.

Certified Angus beef is drizzled with homemade oxtail demi-glace gravy, American cheese, homemade pickles, Duke’s mayo, shredded lettuce and tomato, all piled high on a brioche bun.

THE OX BURGER

BAY TABLES

Rooted in Local Flavor A birthday gathering for a Fairhope locavore features a menu of small plates showcasing Baldwin County produce. text and styling by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

L

ynn Rabren is a modern-day Renaissance man — photojournalist and cinematographer, entrepreneur and boat builder, conservationist and foodie. In equal measure, he is enthusiastic about protecting our natural resources and keeping the tequila cocktails flowing.

To celebrate his birthday, this locavore (supporter of local foods and goods) pulled together a crowd of equally interesting pals for a feast showcasing the bounty of Baldwin County. The group assembled at the recently renovated historic home of George and Frances Fuller just off Mobile Bay in Fairhope’s Fruit and Nut neighborhood.

Lynn’s longtime friend Sally Stringfellow, of Weeks Bay Plantation, was on hand to prepare a dinner of small plates, 32 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

each showcasing fresh ingredients from her farm’s greenhouse gardens and other Baldwin County farms. Classically trained in French cooking, Sally recently launched a personal chef business focused on elevating traditional Southern ingredients in a healthful way. Lynn’s birthday proved the perfect opportunity for recipe testing.

Besides using local ingredients, Lynn also draws from his travel experiences to create new, exciting dishes in his own kitchen. As a photojournalist for “60 Minutes” in the heyday of news magazines, he traveled the world and expanded his palate to include flavors not common in rural Alabama. So Sally made sure to bump up the flavor factor on these Southern dishes. It all blended perfectly into one memorable meal.

Q&A WITH LYNN RABREN

Fairhope resident, photojournalist, entrepreneur and creative soul reflects on the beauty of life at home on Southern waters.

Describe your connection to the land and the water.

I grew up at the edges of a small town and the woods. I became a nature boy by age 6 and have never lost my lust for it. Whether I’m swimming in it, floating on it or just looking at it, water inspires me to pause, reflect and feel alive. Each day I find myself drawn to the shore to take in the expanse of the Bay and the sky, almost like a meditational need.

How did the project “America’s Amazon” come about?

I was shooting a CBS Sunday Morning profile of Dr. Ed Wilson on Perdido Bay. We made a big dinner of Royal Reds and grits at my house and got to sharing some stories when he said, “If you ever do a film about this area, you should do a film about the Delta.” I never forgot those words of inspiration, and he came on board to help us make it. I gained a new awareness of the rich treasures found in the Delta and the need for more education about its fragile ecosystem. My motivation in my work has always been to show others meaningful information that may enlighten, inspire and help them create a better world.

What did you find to be the biggest difference between life in L.A. and NYC versus back in the South?

Everything down on Perdido Bay was framed in natural beauty, open spaces, clean waters, less people and traffic. But most pleasant was the quiet, the slower pace, the friendly people and the great weather. And the food.

OPPOSITE Chef Sally Stringfellow, standing, dishes up the Southern flavor to birthday boy Lynn Rabren at a celebratory feast of small plates. George Fuller shares a laugh with his wife Frances Fuller, left, and guest Lisette Normann.

The couple hosted the dinner at their renovated historic home a block off the Bay in downtown Fairhope. june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 33

Tequila Mockingbird

Pan-roasted Shrimp and Okra over Corn Consommé

SERVES 1

SERVES 6

Lynn served his favorite drink for his birthday gathering. It is a light and citrusy tequila cocktail he created on the day Gregory Peck died. (Peck was the actor who played Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”) The mint stirrer is a breath of fresh air each time you sip!

Fresh summer produce gets an elegant treatment. Double the serving size for an impressive entree. Sally tops it with pickled shaved red onions for a dash of zing.

2 ounces blue agave tequila (Lynn likes Olmeca Altos brand.)

2 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice 1 teaspoon agave syrup, or to taste 3 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice 1 whole mint sprig, bruised

1. Combine tequila, lime juice and agave syrup in the bottom of a highball glass and stir until agave dissolves. Fill the glass with ice and top with orange juice.

Use mint sprig to stir.

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1 pound fresh okra 4 tablespoons canola or olive oil, divided salt and pepper, to taste 7 ears fresh silver queen corn, shucked 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss okra with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly onto a cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until tender.

2. Using a box grater or microplane, grate corn into a large bowl.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add corn and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes, until creamy.

4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a large cast-iron skillet. Heat until almost smoking over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and sear in hot pan for about 2 minutes per side, until cooked through. Set aside.

5. Spoon 1/4 cup corn consommé onto each plate. Arrange 5 - 6 okra on top of corn and top with 2 seared shrimp.

German Potato Salad Cups SERVES 6

These mini stuffed potatoes are the perfect pick-up app, but they are also a wonderful accompaniment to a dinner of steak and salad.

1 1/2 pounds medium-sized red potatoes 1 tablespoon salt, plus more, to taste 1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon 1 small onion, diced 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup white vinegar freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Place potatoes in a pot and fill with enough water to cover. Add salt and the bag of crab boil. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed.

Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Halve the potatoes and make potato shells by scooping most of the insides into a large bowl. Crumble bacon and add to the bowl. Add raw onion, chives, parsley, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss ingredients gently, then scoop the mixture back into potato shell. Serve warm or at room temperature.

OPPOSITE Chef Sally Stringfellow, in the Fuller’s Fairhope kitchen, preps fresh produce from her farm’s greenhouse.

june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 35

Heirloom Tomato Hoecake Stack SERVES 6

Lowbrow hoecakes get an upscale makeover. This hearty tower of a dish showcases traditional Southern ingredients in a new, sophisticated way.

Be sure to cook the peas a day ahead so you can let the hopping John marinate overnight. Sally serves hers with a litle shaved red onion that she marinates in olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper opvernight for extra zing.

1 pint size bag of fresh pink-eyed purple hull peas 2 bay leaves 3 teaspoons Creole seasoning 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt fresh ground pepper, to taste 1/2 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 cup gluten-free cornbread mix (Sally likes Bob’s Red Mill Brand) 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil 4 large ripe heirloom tomatoes

1.To cook peas, rinse peas in a colander.

Place the peas in a heavy pot with just enough water to cover. Add bay leaves and Creole seasoning. bring to a boil and then reeduce to simmer. Cook until peas are soft, about 2 hours. Remove bay leaves and drain, reserving the liquor.

2. To prepare hopping John, in a small bowl, combine garlic, salt, black pepper and sugar. Press with fork until ingredients turn to a paste. Emulsify the olive oil and vinegar and add to mixture. Add one cup of the cooked peas and chopped bell pepper. Toss to combine. Refrigerate overnight to marinate or up to 1 week.

3. Before you wish to serve, add the remaining peas to a blender or food processor and pureĂŠ. Add enough pea liquor back to the peas until the mixture becomes the consistency of gravy.

Set aside.

36 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

4. To prepare hoecakes, mix together the cornbread mix, egg, sugar, buttermilk, water and 1/4 cup canola oil. Add more water or buttermilk if needed to get a pancake consistency.

5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Use about 2 tablespoons batter per hoecake. Brown on both sides. Makes 16 hoecakes.

6. Remove tops off of tomatoes and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Add black pepper to taste.

7. To plate, spoon a bit of the black eyed pea puree onto each plate. Top with a hoecake and then a tomato slice.

Repeat each layer again, and then top with hopping John. Serve.

ABOVE Dinner honoree Lynn Rabren and Lisette Normann, owner of The Fairhope Store, talk about life on the Bay over a good glass of wine.

Gluten-free Crab Cakes SERVES 6 Take extra care flipping these cakes in the skillet; gluten-free items are particularly delicate.

1 ear fresh silver queen corn 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon sour cream 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning

1/2 cup almond flour 1/4 cup finely diced red onion 8 ounces fresh lump crabmeat 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon butter

1. Cut corn from the cob into a medium-sized bowl. Add egg, sour cream, mustard, salt, Creole seasoning, almond flour and red onion. Use a fork to combine.

Gently fold in crabmeat and chives.

2. Divide dough into fourths and form into 1/2-inch thick patties. Place the crab cakes on a platter lined with wax paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and let melt, coating pan. Add the crab cakes and cook 4 to 5 minutes on one side without moving, until the bottoms are browned. Very carefully lift each crab cake with a spatula. Add some of the remaining butter to the pan and lower each cake back into the skillet. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 37

THE DISH interviews by CHELSEA ADAMS • photo by ELISE POCHÉ

MB’s contributing food fanatics share their picks for a delicious Causeway progressive dinner from apps to sips and all in between.

CHANDRA BROWN STEWART, Executive Director, Lifelines Counseling Services

APPETIZERS AT R&R “I had the gumbo at R&R. It featured a dark, flavorful roux and was loaded with lots of veggies, shrimp, sausage, R&R crabmeat, chicken, tomatoes and onions. A mound of rice makes it filling. There is already a subtle hint of heat, but you can add a little hot sauce for that extra kick!”

R&R SEAFOOD • 1477 BATTLESHIP PARKWAY, SPANISH FORT • 621-8366 RANDRSEAFOOD.COM

JASON MCKENZIE, Executive Director, The Joe Jefferson Players

ENTREE AT ED’S SEAFOOD SHED “Recently I headed to Ed’s Seafood Shed and had the Grilled Shrimp and Scallop Combo. Served with seasoned rice and garlic bread, it was the perfect seafood dish. It came with half a dozen jumbo Gulf shrimp and half a dozen scallops, both perfectly grilled and seasoned with mild Southern spices and garlic butter.”

ED’S SEAFOOD SHED • 3382 BATTLESHIP PARKWAY, SPANISH FORT • 625-1947 • EDSSHED.COM

HELENE HASSELL, Executive Director, Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation

DESSERT AT BLUEGILL “I went with a group on a Thursday night and tried the Brookie and the Turtle Cake. The cake was a cute little chocolate Bundt with pecans and caramel sauce drizzled on top and a sweet caramel surprise in the middle.

The Brookie (brownie/cookie) is a dense dark chocolate brownie with a cookie dough mixed in and a luscious chocolate sauce.”

BRIAN KANE, Managing Partner, Fairhope Brewing Company

AFTER-DINNER DRINKS AT FELIX’S “Watching the sun set over Mobile Bay from Felix’s Fish Camp with a Chrissie in hand is a rite of passage here on the Bay. With the smooth taste of hazelnut accompanied by a generous splash of vodka, ice cream has never tasted so extravagant. I suggest having one of these before your meal, with your meal or after your meal.”

THE BLUEGILL RESTAURANT • 3775 BATTLESHIP

FELIX’S FISH CAMP GRILL • 1530 BATTLESHIP

PARKWAY, SPANISH FORT • 625-1998

PARKWAY, SPANISH FORT • 626-6710

BLUEGILLRESTAURANT.COM

FELIXSFISHCAMP.COM

 Share your favorite dishes around the Bay on our Facebook page.

38 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 39

40 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

NET

After 30 years at the helm of a shrimp boat, Captain Sidney Schwartz

PROFITS

knows that there are joys — and troubles — to be found at the bottom of Mobile Bay.

text by BRECK PAPPAS • photos by MATTHEW COUGHLIN

june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 41

Captain Sidney Schwartz

C

aptain Sidney Schwartz stops mid-sentence and spins in his worn burgundy captain’s chair. “Give us a little shove!” he shouts to his two-man crew over the shudder of the engine. He turns back and eyes the black water of the Dog River Marina, the dim interior cabin lights reflecting off his glasses. It’s 5:01 a.m.

“Gonna be a pretty day for us,” the veteran shrimper says after a beat of silence. “The wind has died down to zero at Middle Bay Light. We’ll head out there, see where the other boats go. Then we’ll go the other way.”

If he’s in a hurry, it doesn’t show. The 56-year-old captain settles into his chair and steers the boat with his right foot, the spokes of the wooden wheel worn smooth after 30 years under the sole of a shrimper boot. Sidney says his doctor was at a loss to explain why an old injury in that right knee never wanted to heal. “He didn’t know I steer with this leg every day.”

As his cypress-framed trawler, the Capt. Sid, eases beneath the Dog River Bridge, Sidney points to a computer screen displaying a digital map of Mobile Bay. He explains that a black X on the map (of which there are plenty) marks what shrimpers call a “hang,” which is anything on the Bay floor that can snag a dragging shrimp net: old beacons, dredge pipes, pilings, washed out trees, you name it. A lot of shrimpers born after Sidney’s time won’t brave shrimping the Bay without that computer and its stored data. But for an old salt like Sidney, the computer is a matter of convenience, not necessity.

“Most of the hangs I’ve got in my head,” he says casually.

42 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

HOOKED

Sidney is a third-generation shrimper, having watched his father and grandfather drag a living out of Mobile Bay. He was first allowed to take the boat out on his own at the age of 16, alongside his 15-year-old brother, to navigate the murky waters with just a depth recorder and a compass. The only computer he had back then was between his ears. It was around that time his father opened up Captain Jackie’s Seafood on Dauphin Island Parkway. Now Sidney’s sister Shellie runs the shop part-time. As always, she’ll get first dibs on whatever Sidney brings back today.

As we make our way toward the shipping channel, Sidney instructs his crew to drop the outriggers. Mike Cheatwood and Kenny Krause step out into the cool dawn air and work swiftly. Both men have shrimped with Sidney off and on for decades. In his younger days, Mike shrimped the Gulf, which could take him out for 40 days at a time, but now he prefers day trips in the Bay. Kenny is Sidney’s son-in-law. He works as a welding inspector for an oil company in Theodore, but when business is slow, he shrimps to make ends meet. Mike says Kenny brings good luck, that shrimp practically jump into the boat when he comes along. Kenny doesn’t deny it. “I always seem to get laid off at just the right time.”

Captain Sidney himself once tried working in the oil industry a few years back. “But I got a bad reputation,” he says, pausing for dramatic effect. “I quit whenever shrimping season came around.”

Kenny Krause

Mike Cheatwood

OPPOSITE Captain Sidney Schwartz pilots the Capt. Sid along the shipping channel in Mobile Bay, ever mindful of approaching container ships, fellow shrimpers and underwater hazards. The third-generation shrimper introduces himself as the boat’s “captain, owner and chief bottle washer.”

ABOVE LEFT For Kenny Krause, shrimping makes ends meet when his work as a welding inspector slows. He’s worked with his father-in-law, Captain Sidney, for 22 years.

ABOVE RIGHT Mike Cheatwood has been shrimping the Gulf and Mobile Bay for 30 years. “I’ve always loved shrimping,” he says. “That’s been my choice of life.”

THE SEARCH

The captain brings a pair of binoculars to his eyes and scans the horizon. He points out another shrimp boat through the inky darkness, miles to the south. “He doesn’t have his runner lights on,” Sidney says. “He’s trying to sneak out so no one sees him.

If the Coast Guard comes out and sees him without those lights on, they’ll give him a ticket.”

Sidney says he has a good relationship with most of the other shrimpers. “Some of them we have trouble with,” he says. “You always have a few guys who are all about themselves and don’t care about anyone else. But generally, most everybody tries to work together.”

As boats quietly jockey for position, the Capt. Sid finally reaches the shipping channel just in time for sunrise. During the day, shrimp tend to congregate in this deep north-south scar down the middle of Mobile Bay, burrowing at varied depths along the channel’s outer banks. The trick is to find the depth at which the shrimp have buried themselves on any given day. One way to do that is by using a “try net,” a miniature shrimp net that can be dropped at different depths in order to get an idea of where the meaty swimmers might be found.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Mike yells as he empties the first try net, which was dragged for two minutes at 25 feet. “Nine

shrimp!” Apparently this is good news, judging by the fist bump Mike exchanges with Kenny.

Kenny wrangles the big net and ties it off with a long braided knot, adding what he calls a safety knot at the very end. “Some say this knot is to prevent porpoises from untying the net and stealing your whole catch,” he explains. “But that’s just an urban legend.”

“No, it ain’t,” Mike says. “I’ve seen it happen.”

Sidney, Mike and Kenny simultaneously work the heavy Stroudsburg winch, lowering the net and wooden doors to the Bay bottom. As the Capt. Sid hums along the channel at 2.5 knots, those rectangular doors will naturally spread apart underwater, opening the net’s mouth. Five feet in front of the mouth, the “tickler chain” will drag across the Bay floor, spooking the shrimp out of the mud and into the waiting net.

Net deployed, we drag south. There’s not much to do now besides keep an eye out for hangs and big ships moving up and down the channel. In the shipping channel, a fisherman is at the bottom of the pecking order, so Sidney stays in constant contact with the bar pilots moving in and out of the port. One careless shrimper, he fears, could cost everyone the right to fish the channel. june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 43

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Captain Sidney works the winch, lowering the main net for yet another drag in Mobile Bay. Mike ties off the net, careful to add a “safety knot” on the very end to prevent a smart porpoise from releasing the entire catch. Kenny, a fifth-generation Mobile Bay fisherman, wrangles in the net after an hour-long drag.

OPPOSITE The biggest haul of the day is edged into the Capt. Sid. After bycatch is returned to the Bay, Sidney and his crew are left with 400 pounds of shrimp, prompting Mike to exclaim, “Green horns are bringing us luck today!” Sidney says that “green horns” (guests on the boat) typically bring the crew good luck.

44 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

“In March, the shrimp lay their eggs in estuaries and grass beds up in the Delta, then they work their way back out into the Bay. That’s what we’re catching now — those big white mama shrimp.”

- Captain Sidney

june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 45

“Gulf shrimping is totally different from this. You just drag for miles out there.

This is the hardest shrimping there is. Right here in Mobile Bay.” — Mike Cheatwood After about an hour, the heaving net is winched up from the depths. It hovers over the sorting table like a teardrop as a swarm of pelicans and seagulls look on with anticipation.

“Rats with wings,” Kenny calls them.

The payload is released with a satisfying thud, and a mountain of life spills across the table: brown shrimp, white shrimp, silver eels, croakers, baby squid, glass minnows, horn bellies, catfish. Some of this bycatch will live through the sorting process, but the birds don’t make it easy. Hundreds, if not thousands, swarm the stern like bees. Mike and Kenny work quickly, picking out the shrimp and pushing everything else back into the water.

All told, we pull up 70 pounds of white shrimp and 5 pounds of brown shrimp in the first drag. “Enough to go on,” Mike says. But it’s not a great drag. Anything less than that and fuel costs come dangerously close to overshadowing profit. Sidney turns the boat around with a puff of black exhaust and prepares to repeat the process along the opposite channel bank.

46 mobilebaymag.com | june 2017

THE TAKE

The Bay is still good for a surprise every now and then, even for an old-timer like Sidney. “We found a new hang the other week just below Middle Bay Light,” Sidney says on our slow crawl back to Dog River Marina at the end of a long day. “I’ve dragged that area for years, and there wasn’t a hang there.”

But Mobile Bay was generous today. When the Capt. Sid touches dock, it’ll be 600 pounds heavier than it was at dawn, a good take. Sidney works the phone on our ride in, informing buyers what time to expect us. “People want to make sure that what they’re buying actually comes from the Bay,” he explains.

But Sidney knows every day on the boat isn’t like this. He worries about competition from big seafood companies, the shrimp population, and, like any fisherman, the challenges ahead that he can’t see. “I hope I’ve got another nine or 10 years of shrimping left in me,” Sidney says as Dog River Bridge comes into view. He puts his foot on the wheel, slightly adjusts his route and looks out over the water, no doubt thinking about the next hang. MB

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The sorting table groans under the weight of the day’s largest catch, ready to be picked through by hand. Captain Sidney gets in on the sorting, a process that takes roughly 45 minutes when the catch is this bountiful.

Customers meet the crew at the Dog River Marina in order to make certain that they are buying local, fresh shrimp. Kenny presents a sample of the day’s spoils.

OPPOSITE Kenny sorts through the catch with his “pick out stick,” shoveling everything that’s not a shrimp back into the water. Brown pelicans from Gaillard Island, seagulls, jack crevalle and porpoises compete ferociously for a free lunch, courtesy of the Capt. Sid.

 To see more photos from a day in the life of Mobile Bay shrimpers, look out for an online gallery at mobilebaymag.com.

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GUARDIANS OF OUR WATERS

PHOTO BY CHARLES SIEFRIED

Mobile Baykeeper celebrates 20 years of service in strategically protecting some of our area’s greatest assets: our rich environment and thriving natural resources.

SPONSORED june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 49

PHOTO BY HANLON WALSH

life. After a while, the chemical companies decided this area was a tough one to fight. People here love their homes and they love Mobile Bay. That’s how it all got started.”

The West Bay Watch nonprofit has since grown into what we know today as Mobile Baykeeper, an organization that now boasts more than 4,500 members, eight staff members and 19 board members. Led by executive director, Casi Callaway, the group’s mission has multiplied along with its supporters.

Not only does Baykeeper serve as the environmental watchdog, informed voice of reason and collaborator for solutions to ensure responsible growth, but they also actively educate and engage the community to ensure that their impact is never forgotten. Thanks to one group of concerned citizens decades ago, future generations will continue to enjoy our bountiful natural resources and take up the cause of preservation for their own children and grandchildren for years to come.

PHOTO BY JIMBO MEADOR

O

ur Bay and rivers have long defined us as a region. Those beloved deep blue gray ripples fading into the distance have served as an eternal backdrop for life here for generations over. Twenty years ago, a chemical company threatened to blur that serene image — all in the name of economic development.

According to their infrastructure plans, a 40-foot-wide and 80-foot-long sewage pipe would have emptied into our rivers and consequently Mobile Bay. A small group of concerned homeowners from the Fowl River and Dog River communities decided to take a stand against it, and West Bay Watch was established.

The group hired an attorney, made their case to the Alabama Supreme Court and won. It was a victory that would have more impact than any of them could have imagined.

Founding member Jack Greer recalls, “We were just normal people who cared about the Bay, our seafood, our property value and our quality of

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20 YEARS OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE 1997 A group of concerned citizens form the West Bay Watch.

1998 First employee is hired and the organization name is changed to Mobile Bay Watch in order to address both sides of the Bay.

1999 A new steel mill is announced, leading the organization to conduct its first air quality study.

2001 The organization wins a major lawsuit against MAWSS, preventing 2.5 million gallons of sewer overflow from polluting Mobile Bay.

2003 Staff completes its first mercury exposure study.

2006 The group’s official name is changed to Mobile Baykeeper.

2008 The organization successfully petitions to move a sewage treatment facility away from Magnolia River.

2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill shocks our waterways.

2012 The Swim Guide App is launched to keep locals informed as to which swimming holes and beaches have safe water quality.

2014 Baykeeper loses a significant battle attempting to block an oil pipeline from being placed over a drinking supply.

2016 Staffers work with local civic leaders to pass the most protective waterfront oil storage tank ordination in the nation.

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PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

BAYKEEPER By the Numbers

15

The number of years of restoration payments to be made by BP to address natural resource injuries, beginning in 2017

37,451

Direct community reach through social media and events in 2016

19

The number of local cleanups organized last year

$1.36 billion The estimated cost for restoration projects needed in Alabama following the BP oil spill

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769

The number of volunteers for Baykeeper in 2016

96,125 The number of

volunteer hours contributed to Baykeeper projects in 2016

45

The number of water quality monitors trained by the SWAMP education program

2,008 The number of students educated on environmental issues through the SWAMP program

20

The number of years Baykeeper advocates have been protecting our natural resources

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THE GANG’S ALL HERE Building the perfect home where three generations can gather by the Bay takes experience, preparation and a dash of history.

G

us, the overgrown white lab puppy, comes barreling from the driveway, through the back door and straight out the front again, pink tongue lolling with glee. He long ago busted out the

bottom pane on the screen door, and he charges through the open space toward the Bay, ready for a swim. When the kids and grandkids get out of the car behind him, the scene doesn’t look that different. Everyone has on a swimsuit and either can-

nonballs into the pool overlooking Mobile Bay or heads straight text by MAGGIE LACEY photos by TED MILES

RIGHT The home, designed by Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects, has classic appeal, with painted brick and board and batten siding. The guest cottage over the garage hosts the Tauls’ daughter when she visits from California with her family.

OPPOSITE Homeowners Susan and Tom Taul get a shower of pool water from their “granddog” Gus, while Mae Taul and her cousin Lillibet Taul look on. The bayfront swimming pool brings fun to every family event.

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to the wharf. Another weekend has begun at the Taul residence.

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THIS PAGE Susan Taul wanted a large open kitchen “since everyone ends up in there anyway.� The bright windows overlook several ancient live oaks and Mobile Bay. Alabama white marble tops the cabinetry, designed by Augusta Tapia, and a custom hanging vent hood separates the breakfast nook.

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ABOVE The living room walls and bookcases are paneled in sinker cypress, adding a touch of warmth to the otherwise bright white home.

LEFT TOP The foyer features a sophisticated vignette that is a mix of inherited and found antiques. Horizontal boards give the walls a coastal feel.

LEFT BOTTOM Homeowners Susan and Tom Taul stand in front of the outdoor fireplace on their bayfront screened porch. They keep a comfy chair waiting for anyone who stops by.

Everything about Susan and Tom Taul’s new bayfront home in Fairhope was designed for easy family living. The large open living space can accommodate piles of grandkids around the kitchen island while Susan makes roux and Tom picks crabs for a big pot of gumbo. The guest bathroom, with split brick floors, opens right to the pool area so grandkids can come in without dripping a trail of water across the living room. With several guest bedrooms and a carriage house to boot, there is a bed for anyone who wants to stay.

The house has countless options for a comfortable spot to sit or swing and watch the water. Every seat seems to have a good view.

Susan and Tom are no strangers to the process of homebuilding — this was their third new construction project. And while a new home can offer space, storage and energy efficiency, the Tauls made sure to give it a sense of history, too. Classic proportions, natural building materials, deep porches and transom windows all help create the feel of an old Bay house.

The furnishings continue that effort, too, with collected antiques and upscale hand-me-downs used throughout. Every piece in the house has some sort of story — the chest that Susan bought with her first paycheck as a nurse “a million years ago,” the painting of Tom’s great-grandmother from his dad’s house on Hollinger’s Island, the Mary Kirk Kelly ceramic vegetables that Tom’s mother collected. Each corner of the house, each vignette, reflects a certain nostalgia that cannot be bought overnight.

Architect Lea Verneuille, with Fairhope firm Walcott Adams Verneuille, says that working with homeowners so knowledgeable about the design-build process was a gift. The Tauls had ideas for every room in the house and were already well versed in materials and finishes. Lea, along with contractor Bill Cherry and interior designer Ann Luce, rounded out the team that the Tauls assembled to make their detailed vision come together. june 2017 | mobilebaymag.com 57

While the palette is neutral and bright with a decidedly coastal vibe, the Tauls used accent wood to warm up all the white. Dark stained oak floors and custom red oak beams layer nicely alongside the exquisite sinker cypress paneling in the living room, which Tom sourced himself from a mill in Montgomery. This confident mix gives the house a sophisticated and handsome look.

Painted pine walls, soft fabrics and collected art round out the interior. While much of the family’s time is spent outside on one of the porches or by one of two outdoor fireplaces, the indoor spaces keep a close connection to the landscape with bright expanses of windows. When Susan heads inside to prep the next shrimp boil or hotdog cookout, or just grab some popsicles for all the kids, she won’t miss what’s happening out front.

While the youngest generation (and their dogs) enjoy the water, the Tauls’ daughter-in-law, Nonie, looks over and comments that Susan and Tom’s hospitality can best be described one way.

If you come for lunch, they will talk you into staying for dinner.

If you come for dinner, you’ll stay the night. One look at the inviting, practical and beautiful space they’ve created makes it easy to see how a quick visit can turn into a long, leisurely stay. MB OPPOSITE A bayfront home has two front doors according to architect Lea Verneuille. Both the road entrance (referred to by locals as the back door) and the water entrance (the front) are equally important. The Tauls’ front door sets the tone for how they live in the house, with several porches and comfortable sitting areas of all sorts.

RIGHT The guest bathroom opens right to the pool and features split brick floors for easy cleanup from wet feet. Susan keeps stacks of towels handy.

A needlepoint crab made by Tom’s mother is another nostalgic piece the couple has saved.

BOTTOM On any given weekend at the Tauls’ home, you will find cousins McRae and Annie Taul sharing a rocker on one of the porches overlooking the pool while Mae and Lillibet enjoy the swing.

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the serenity of

CHRIS KNIGHT This Fairhope artist sees the beauty and texture of our natural world. Then he puts it down on canvas, capturing peaceful scenes from across Alabama and around the globe. text by CHELSEA ADAMS photos by JENNIE TEWELL

M

emories are precious commodities.

Some people keep journals to recall the goings-on of their daily lives.

Others turn to photo albums to preserve moments frozen in time. But not Chris Knight. When he sees a scene he hopes to cherish for years to come, he pulls out his easel and paintbrush. “You’re always trying to get to the essence of what you see,” Knight shares. “You try to eliminate everything that’s inconsequential and capture the spirit and the emotion of it.”

At a picturesque home right off the main drag of Fairhope, Knight welcomes me into his studio above the garage. The space is small, but with light streaming in from the many windows and paintings resting on bookcases, standing on the floor and hanging from the walls, “small” becomes “cozy.”

Besides, he’s not always up here anyway. He’s a plein air painter who takes his tools wherever his travels may drop him. Out there, he gets to capture all of the beautiful intricacies of our world.

“Painting water is the most fun of all,” he explains. “The way wind and light hit it changes the surface texture. You see how the wind blows across it and changes the direction of the water. It’s always a combination of lights and darks. It’s the little things that make water look like water.”

OPPOSITE Winter on Weeks Bay. “This was a beautiful winter day, wonderful sky and strong sunlight. Made for a perfect painting. This is right where the Fish River opens into Weeks Bay.” LEFT Fly Creek Marina. “This is the first look you get of the Bay when you arrive in Fairhope. It captures the spirit of the town, a beautiful village by the Bay.”

 Chris Knight has produced so many incredible pieces that we couldn’t fit them all here.

Check them out in person at the Eastern Shore Art Center from October 6 - 28.

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He started as a watercolor painter, sketching scenes to fill in with the pigment. He says, “As I painted more and more, I gravitated toward oil painting. It’s a lot freer. A lot looser. I found that more to my liking.”

Knight’s style capitalizes on the texture that comes with painting these scenes. “I like paintings that look like paintings, where you can see the energy in the paint and the brushstrokes.

It’s realism in the sense that you can recognize that you’re looking into an inlet with the water, but it’s not a photograph. In that sense, it’s very interpretive.”

The texture of the brushstrokes evoke the myriad of real-life textures found in these pictures: the roughness of tree bark, the blurs of leaves and flowers dancing in the wind, the ripples in the water from falling leaves or curious fish. And he knows when to smooth out the textures to create welcoming, serene spaces. These aren’t still photographs; they are alive.

Greens and blues and grays dominate his portfolio, but the occasional pop of color surprises as much as it delights. “White Hydrangeas,” left, sticks to the main color palette, while adding in a splash of pink and smears of coral.

In “Birds on a Wire,” center left, a dirt road leads the viewer to a vibrant blue shed.

Throughout the studio, Knight has proudly displayed his favorite moments that he’s painted. But on the wall right next to the door hangs an image not made by his own hand. It’s the only piece of art in the place that he didn’t create himself. So I ask: Whose painting is this?

“I have no idea who painted that!” he exlaims with a hearty laugh. “It’s a reproduction of a historic painting that was done of the old bay boat that used to sail from Fairhope to Mobile, back before the Causeway or bridge.

It’s part of the history of the town.”

It’s fitting that this lone foreign image — a watercolor ­— hangs among Knight’s depictions of Baldwin County. His paintings, too, are pieces of Baldwin history. Or, at least, moments and memories within it. MB BOTTOM ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT Down by the Bay. “I have painted this end of the beach in Fairhope many times, and it is never the same. I guess that is why it is so much fun to paint.”

Birds on a Wire. “In this part of the world, there are a lot of red dirt roads with old farm buildings, utility poles and beautiful meadows. Just a little piece of Baldwin County that we all love and don’t want to see disappear.”

No Dogs Allowed on the Beach. “This is the entrance to the beach at Rosemary Beach, Florida. We were there for the songwriters’ festival and not a soul was on the beach. I could not help noticing the sign warning any dog lover to keep his pet off the beach, and I felt exactly like this dog who was sitting on the green trying to figure it out.”

TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT Sunset Point. “It is hard to paint a sunset that doesn’t look jarring, but I think I was able to suggest the changing light with the color reflecting off the clouds and water in a way that conveys the sensation.”

White Hydrangeas. “My wife and I were hiking in the U.K. summer before last, and we were staying in the most picturesque village in the Cotswolds. I came upon this cottage with this exuberant garden and thought it would make a nice little painting. I wish we had more buildings like this one in Alabama. The old world charm is really hard to beat.”

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JUNE / JULY 2017 ON STAGE & EXHIBITS PG. 70 • JULY HIGHLIGHTS PG. 72

JIMMY BUFFETT AND THE CORAL REEFER BAND

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

june 1, june 22, july 13, july 27, august 3

june 2

june 7 - july 26

Crawfish Bash

Wonderful Wednesdays

Southern Grace Dinners

5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Feast on crawfish, hot dogs, beer and more at this family friendly event.

Learn about gardening through a series of lectures and workshops, aimed to help you make the most of our extended growing season. Tickets: $13, for adults; $7.50, for children; free, for children 4 and younger and for Friends of Bellingrath members.

6:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. Enjoy dinner from some of the country’s best chefs featuring Gulf seafood and craftsman cocktails. The June 22 event is also a celebration of Coastal Living’s 20th anniversary. Tickets: $145.

FISHER’S AT ORANGE BEACH MARINA FISHERSOBM.COM/SOUTHERNGRACE

june 1 - 4 Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo Over four days, fishermen will compete for first, second, third and fourth place in more than 40 different categories. A portion of the ticket sales goes toward Operation ReConnect, a nonprofit organization that provides combat veterans with well-deserved family vacations.

FLORA-BAMA YACHT CLUB • FLORABAMA.COM

BAY MINETTE • NORTHBALDWINCHAMBER.COM

june 3 Just for the Mud of It 7:30 a.m. Trek through the mud at this nonprofit event. The funds support the Mobile Police Department S.W.A.T. Tickets: $50, pre-registered; $60, day of run.

12251 TANNER WILLIAMS ROAD JUSTFORTHEMUDOFIT.ORG

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME • 873-2217 BELLINGRATH.ORG

june 10 Dragon Boat Festival

The local boy comes home. It’s a great way to kick off summer.

8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Help support more than 1,500 paddlers at the Fuse Project’s Fourth Annual Dragon Boat Festival.

In addition to watching the races, Fuse Project will have food trucks, fashion trucks, a petting zoo and more.

Admission: $5.

THE WHARF • 800-745-3000 ALWHARF.COM

USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARK FUSEPROJECT.ORG

june 6 Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band

 To have your event included in the online or print edition of Mobile Bay Magazine, email calendar@pmtpublishing.com.

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RIDEYELLOW

june 10 Kyser Miree Memorial Fishing Tournament 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Scales are open. Compete for cash prizes in a variety of categories.

Funds from the tournament go toward the Kyser Miree Scholarship Fund as well as Rotaract’s many ongoing projects.

THE WHARF • KYSERTOURNAMENT.COM

june 17 RIDEYELLOW 7 a.m. Choose to pedal a 10-, 20-, 37- or 62-mile bike route to raise money for cancer awareness.

BAY MINETTE • RIDEYELLOW.RACESONLINE.COM

june 27 Book Reading for “Duck and Cover: A Nuclear Family” 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Mobile Bay contributor Kathie Farnell reads from her hilarious memoir about growing up in Montgomery during the Atom Bomb Drill era.

WEST MOBILE REGIONAL LIBRARY

june 29 - july 1 Distinguished Young Women The best and the brightest high school senior girls take over Mobile for a few days in hopes of winning a scholarship.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS • 438-3621 DISTINGUISHEDYW.ORG

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ON STAGE AND EXHIBITS

june 2 - 30 “Smoke on the Mountain“ 8 p.m. Tu - Su. The University of Alabama’s summer theatre, SummerTide, presents a 1930s musical comedy centered around the Sanders family in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains.

GEORGE C. MEYER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 968-6721 • SUMMERTIDE.ORG

june 2 - 11 “American Idiot“ 8 p.m. F / Sa. 2 p.m. Su. Johnny, Will and Tunny try to escape suburbia by moving to the city. The trials and tribulations that they face are set to the songs of Green Day’s “American Idiot” album. Tickets: $15 - $20.

MOBILE THEATRE GUILD • 14 N. LAFAYETTE ST. 433-7513 • MOBILETHEATREGUILD.ORG

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BRANTLEY GILBERT AT THE WHARF

june 2 - 18 “Rock of Ages” 8 p.m. F / Sa. 2 p.m. Su. Celebrate all things 1980s with this musical about trying to make it big in the music scene. Tickets: $10 - 20.

JOE JEFFERSON PLAYERS • 11 S. CARLEN ST. 471-1534 • JOEJEFFERSONPLAYERS.COM

june 3 Brantley Gilbert 7 p.m. The country singer brings his hits to the Gulf Coast. Tickets: $18 - $189.

THE WHARF • 800-745-3000 • ALWHARF.COM

june 24 Richard Tillinghast 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. The Southern poet visits Page & Palette.

PAGE & PALETTE • PAGEANDPALETTE.COM

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JULY HIGHLIGHTS

july 3 - 4 Grand Bay Watermelon Festival 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. July 3. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. July 4. Enjoy a day and a half of family fun, arts, crafts, entertainment, food and rides. Stick around for the “Pretty Baby” contest. Admission: July 3, free; July 4, $5.

GRAND BAY FESTIVAL PARK • 865-3456 GRANDBAYWATERMELONFESTIVAL.ORG

july 3 Independence Day Celebration at The Wharf 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. The Wharf will celebrate America’s independence with loads of children’s activities, Spectra the Sound and Light Spectacular shows, and fireworks. Admission is free.

THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM

july 4 Fairhope’s Fourth of July Festival and Fireworks Display 7:30 p.m. Baldwin Pops concert. 9 p.m.

Fireworks display. Enjoy a variety of patriotic music before and during the fireworks display.

DOWNTOWN FAIRHOPE • COFAIRHOPE.COM

july 4 July Fourth Celebration 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a traditional July 4th concert followed by a spectacular fireworks show. Festival parking opens at 5 p.m. Concessions sold. No grills, alcohol or personal fireworks allowed.

USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARK USSALABAMA.COM

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GRAND BAY WATERMELON FESTIVAL

july 15 Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament Anglers 15 years and younger take a chance at reeling in a big one in one of 31 categories.

DAUPHIN ISLAND • ADSFR.COM

july 11 - 17 Blue Marlin Grand Championship of the Gulf A week’s worth of fishing festivities culminate in weigh-ins and feature spectacular fish on Friday and Saturday.

THE WHARF • THEWHARFMARINA.COM/BMGC/

july 14 - 15 Florida Georgia Line 7 p.m. The hit country artists take the stage. Tickets: $49 - $229.

THE WHARF • 800-745-3000 ALWHARF.COM

july 21 - 23 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo Be sure to catch the world’s largest fishing tournament.

DAUPHIN ISLAND • ADSFR.COM

july 21 - 23, 28 - 30, august 4 - 6 “Becky’s New Car” 8 p.m. F / Sa. 2:30 p.m. Su. Theatre 98 presents the Cinderella story of Becky Foster who is caught in middle age, middle management and in a middling marriage — with no prospects for change on the horizon. That is, until a millionaire stumbles into the car dealership where Becky works. Tickets: $12 - $20.

THEATRE 98 • 350 MORPHY AVE., FAIRHOPE 928-4366 • THEATRE98.ORG

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BAY BOY

I’llNeeda A mysterious woman who had lost her way visits the Key home. text by WATT KEY

E

ven a remote community such as Point Clear had its share of transients. Sometimes they arrived on bicycles, sometimes on foot with tall backpacks.

They typically had good stories to tell, which happened to be our asking price for a glass of iced tea and a roadside rest. Usually they didn’t linger for long, but I remember two who pitched tents in our backyard and stayed several days. The most memorable was determined to make a new home in the woods across from our backyard.

My younger brother, Murray, announced that he had found a witch.

“Where?” I asked him.

“In that fallen down house in the woods across the road.

She’s all wrapped in blankets and stares at you.”

I knew the old one-room shack he was talking about.

The driveway into it was overgrown with pine trees, and the building was nothing more than a roof caved in over rotting walls.

“Whatever, Murray,” I said, annoyed. He was known to have a large imagination, even for an 8-year-old. And as a college kid with a summer job, I had better things to do than go after imaginary witches.

It wasn’t long before items started to go missing around the house. First, it was canned food. Then it was pots and cups and dishes. Finally, one morning, Murray called Mom and me into the kitchen and pointed out the window.

Wandering about in our yard was a disoriented, disheveled woman in her late 50s in nothing but a blanket slung over her shoulder. Her hair was gray and stiff and looked like something birds had been nesting in.

“That’s her,” Murray told us. “It’s I’llNeeda.”

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“Good, Lord,” Mom said.

“The witch?” I said.

“She’s not really a witch,” Murray said. “We’re friends now.”

“Her name is I’llNeeda?” Mom said.

“That’s what I call her,” Murray continued. “All she talks about is what she needs. Yesterday, she said ‘I’ll need a broom.’”

“Is that where my broom went?” Mom asked.

Murray nodded. “The day before that she needed cans of soup.”

“Is that where everything in my kitchen’s been going?”

“She told me she needed it all,” he said.

Murray introduced Mom to I’llNeeda that morning.

While I was at work, Mom investigated and verified the woman was homeless and living in the old shack just like Murray said. She’d already eaten most of the canned goods Murray had taken her, but Mom was able to get her broom back, along with several pots and pans and a flower vase.

“I’ll need a dress,” I’llNeeda told her before she left.

Mom took I’llNeeda a dress and a plate of food. A new friendship was formed.

I’llNeeda began coming over in the mornings needing coffee. To the horror of my siblings and me, it became routine to see Mom and I’llNeeda taking coffee together in the kitchen. I felt that I could see the stench rising off her like gasoline vapor. My sisters estimated, in terms of years, how long it had been since she’d washed.

“Ten,” Alice suggested.

“Twenty,” Betsy said.

After coffee, I’llNeeda wandered up the highway into Fairhope. She spent the whole day on park benches

telling passersby that she lived across from the Keys in Point Clear and had everything she needed there.

“Seriously, Mom,” I said. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I think she’s senile. We’re trying to find her family.”

“This is crazy,” I said. “She can’t just stay here.”

“Well, it is a little embarrassing,” Mom admitted.

With a light east breeze, our yard was sometimes enveloped in the smell and smoke of burning leaves. In an attempt to cook, stay warm, or both, I’llNeeda often built fires in front of the shack. They inevitably grew out of control, and we’d find her shrouded in blueish smoke, beating down the flames with her blankets.

“Mom,” I complained, “she’s going to burn the woods down.”

Parental duties were rarely shared in our household. Any issue was either a Mom thing or a Dad thing. I’llNeeda was strictly a Mom thing for a good reason: Mom has a high tolerance for absurdities.

One afternoon, I got home from work to see I’llNeeda standing in next to nothing on the beach. Then, I noticed Murray was thrashing around out in the Bay. “Mom!” I called. “What’s going on out there? I’llNeeda’s on the beach again. And Murray’s in the Bay.” “Oh, it’s all right,” she said. “She was washing her dress, and a ship wave took it. Murray’s just trying to find it for her.”

Mom’s inquiries into I’llNeeda’s family finally led to a call from the lady’s son who was living in Florida.

He told Mom that I’llNeeda had a history of wandering off and had been missing for months. He came and got her and moved her into an assisted living home.

Life around the Key household returned to normal, but we all felt a little loss after I’llNeeda was gone. Mom went to visit her, and it made us feel better to hear that she had everything she needed at her new home. MB

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ASK MCGEHEE text by TOM MCGEHEE

I noticed a new marker in front of Admiral Semmes’ statue Downtown reads “Duncan Place.” Who was Duncan, and why is the sign there?

LEFT This photograph of Duncan Place, circa 1900, shows the beautification efforts of a wealthy New Yorker, William Butler Duncan. The picturesque median would be destroyed during the construction of the Bankhead Tunnel.

PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

new, grand terminal a few blocks to the north of its old one, and the area around Duncan Place deteriorated even further over time.

Drunken Women While many Mobilians may believe that the Government Street median east of Royal Street was created to hold the 1900 statue of Admiral Raphael Semmes, this was not the case. William Butler Duncan, president of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, had installed the median several years earlier. The original site for the statue was to have been one block west, in front of the county courthouse.

A native of Scotland, Duncan was an 1860 graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1865, he founded a New York banking firm where J. P. Morgan would eventually apprentice. His home at Number 1 Fifth Avenue was one of that city’s most prominent, and it was there that the affable Duncan hosted the future King Edward VII of England among other celebrities of the day.

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Gateway to Mobile

Duncan was a frequent visitor to the Port City and eventually purchased the Battle House Hotel. The original train station for the Mobile and Ohio stood at the foot of Government Street. The blocks between the station and Royal Street held a series of bars catering to the waterfront workforce and seemed to provide a poor first impression to visitors arriving by train or boat.

To beautify the area, Duncan put up the funds to install a landscaped median.

It was sodded and decorated with a pair of cannons, as well as horse watering troughs. In 1903, the city planted 50 Lombardy poplars, which were ill-suited for Mobile’s climate. They did not survive.

A decade later, Duncan died in New York, and over time his legacy faded.

The Mobile and Ohio Railroad built a

In 1936, the city’s mayor demanded that “lower Government Street east of Royal” be cleaned up. Mayor R.V. Taylor exclaimed that conditions there “have been described to me as a hell-hole — nothing like it this side of Suez!” He was particularly upset at the “drinking by women at bars in that section” and declared: “I will not tolerate a place where women can get drunk.”

The median was destroyed with the construction of the Bankhead Tunnel soon after that. Following the end of World War II, the space served as a parking lot for a new police station, which had been built east of Royal Street. When the median was finally restored, its original creator had long been forgotten.

Two signs have recently appeared noting its original name, but sadly they offer no information on the median’s history or the once famous New Yorker who tried to beautify Mobile. MB

IN LIVING COLOR

Snapper Catch, 1895 Original photo from the Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library, USA Archives • colorization by Dynamichrome Limited

Over a century ago, fishermen sought the big red fish that enchants Bay residents to this day. Details concerning this iconic photograph from 1895 are scarce. Although the pictured man’s name and story are unknown, Mobilians will be quick to recognize the familiar tint of a red snapper.

There is also very little known about T.E. Armitstead, the photographer who captured this image, except that he worked for the land development department of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. During his very short stay in Mobile, Armitstead compiled around 325 glass plate negatives, focusing on the port and agricultural activity along that rail line.

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