A Publication of the Daily Mountain Eagle
Volume 8 • Issue 3 • Spring 2020
FREE
+ EDUCATOR CHANDRA CLARK + ARTIST ERIC JOHNSON + UMPIRE DOUG KENNEDY
JIM CANNON
ABE CANNON
TOMMY FOWLER
GREG WILLIAMS
JR MINSHALL
BUTCH FOSTER
JOAN HANDLEY
BOOGIE FRANKLIN
TINA HAWKINS
TOMMY PARRISH
KEITH RICE
JOSH SALTER
JOHN SOFTLEY
JOWAINE DUNCAN
STEVE MASON
GRAYSON SHADINGER
HOLLY KURIGER
NICK BARNETT
BRIAN BURGETT
TIM DODD
CHESSY DOMINO
CURT BALLARD
TYLER HERRON
299 Carl Cannon Blvd., Jasper, AL 35501 Sales: (877) 535-2112 | Service: (866) 268-8081 | Fax: (205) 295-4941 www.carlcannon.com SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/  3
VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 3 • SPRING 2020
FromTheStaff... Spring is here. And the changing of the season means the latest edition of Walker Magazine has arrived as well.
Established October 2012 PUBLISHER James Phillips EDITOR Jennifer Cohron ART DIRECTOR Malarie Brakefield CONTRIBUTORS Jake Aaron, Scott Eric Day Photography, Ron Harris, Nicole Smith, Rick Watson ADVERTISING Jake Aaron, Brenda Anthony, Zach Baker, Renee Holly, Liz Steffan BUSINESS MANAGER Charlette Caterson DISTRIBUTION Michael Keeton
Walker Magazine is a publication of and distributed seasonally by the Daily Mountain Eagle, a division of Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without written consent from the publisher. Walker Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. Walker Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or changes in information. The opinions of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its publisher. Our mission is to promote Walker County and to showcase its many attributes as a quality place in which to live, to work and to play. We welcome ideas and suggestions for future editions of the magazine. Just send us a brief note via email. © 2020 Daily Mountain Eagle WALKER MAGAZINE P.O. Box 1469 Jasper, AL 35502 (205) 221-2840 email: walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com
The staff here has put together a Spring 2020 edition filled with interesting stories on people from Walker County. When you think of spring in our area, the recent success of softball teams from the county immediately comes to mind. Jasper resident Doug Kennedy is one of the top softball officials in the state, and his recent battle with anxiety and depression after taking a foul ball to the head is a moving story shared inside these pages. Oakman native Chandra Clark grew up fascinated by news, and she turned that fascination into a career, now as an educator at the University of Alabama. Clark was also recently named one of the Top 25 Women in Alabama Media. Eric Johnson is an artist from east Walker County who has found a passion in making metal sculptures after a career at an engineering firm. He does commercial work, but his private artwork is also on display in galleries in Alabama and Georgia. Bryan Baker, aka Barry Bangerz, is one of the most popular disc jockeys in the Southeast, and his story started as a teenager in Jasper. Baker remains a resident in his hometown but spends much of his time playing in clubs in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and beyond. Along with those stories, you will notice a few new features in this magazine and some visual changes to our design as we continue to adapt and evolve our work, so that it is always something our readers can be proud to call their own. Thank you for picking up this copy of Walker Magazine.
Call: (205) 221-2840 Email: editor@mountaineagle.com
::: FOLLOW the Daily Mountain Eagle and Walker Magazine on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest community news!
::: SUBMIT AN IDEA We are always eager to receive suggestions from our readers. Please email your ideas to walkermagazine@ mountaineagle.com.
::: ADVERTISE For any information needed on how to promote your products and services, call (205) 221-2840 or send an email to advertising@ mountaineagle.com.
James Phillips, Publisher
OnTheCover
::: SUBSCRIBE to Walker Magazine! If you’re an out-of-towner, get a year of great stories right at your doorstep.
GetHooked! DJ Barry Bangerz is a Jasper native making a name for himself mixing music. Photo by Scott Eric Day Photography
For your entertainment we have placed this fishing hook (actual size) within the pages of Walker Magazine. This will be a permanent feature for our readers. We hope you enjoy searching for the fishing hook in each issue.
HINT:
Invert this page to reveal the page number. Find the hook hiding on page 43.
MAGAZINE
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/  5
What’sInside
08 | From The Vault 1979 Aerials 10 | Media Matters Educator Chandra Clark 18 | Metal Head Artist Eric Johnson
18
8
26
10 26 | Barry Bangerz DJ Bryan Baker 36 | Personal Foul Umpire Doug Kennedy 44 | Snapshots Past events in Walker County 50 | We Are Walker County Gina and Carey Scruggs
50 36 6 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Vault From The
1979 A erials Compiled by Jennifer Cohron Photos courtesy of the Daily Mountain Eagle
1
At 72 pages, “Impact ‘79” was the second largest special edition ever published by the Daily Mountain Eagle. The section took six weeks and seven tons of newsprint to produce. If each page of every issue printed had been laid end to end, it would have reached from Jasper to New Orleans. The Eagle’s circulation at the time was 14,000, nearly double what it had been 10 years earlier. A series of aerial shots were taken around Walker County for advertisements as well as news stories.
8 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING SPRING2020 2020
3
2
4
5
6
7
8
1. Downtown Jasper. | 2. West Alabama Forest Products began in January 1978. It was located outside of Oakman on Highway 69 | 3. Bankhead Middle School was under construction. The original Bankhead, one of the oldest schools in the county, had burned in September 1976. | 4. Woodland Villas, a 64-unit apartment complex, was under construction off Airport Road. | 5. A new housing facility for senior citizens and residents with disabilities opened in 1978 in Cordova. There was enough space to serve 80 residents. | 6. Brothers Charles and Jerry Bishop had a variety of companies that employed 150 people — Bishop Companies Inc., Bishop Bros. Hauling, Bishop Steel Supply, B&D Machine and Welding and Bishop Machinery Erectors. The main office is located at the top right of the photo. | 7. A view of Vulcan Asphalt and Cordova Filter Plant. | 8. Holiday Inn was located on Highway 78 across from what would soon be Parkland Plaza, anchored by Jasper’s first Wal-mart. SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 9
Media Matters Text by JENNIFER COHRON | Photographs by JAKE AARON and MALARIE BRAKEFIELD
A
getting off the ground when she arrived. She learned to direct on shows like one starring beloved basketball coach Glen Clem, enlisting friends to help run camera.
“I would go volunteer to work on any of the shows. I’d do anything they would let me do — running camera or a simple teleprompter, meeting with the engineers about how the equipment worked.
She transferred to the University of Alabama when WDBB-17 was in its infancy. The newsroom consisted of Dan Cates (formerly of WBRC), Clark and a sports reporter. Her first live broadcast was the 1993 Mercedes announcement. At the time, WDBB did not have a news program.
S A CHILD, Chandra Clark was fascinated at how news from close and faraway places was beamed into her living room. She got her first opportunity to see what went on behind the scenes as a teenage volunteer at VIP-TV in Jasper.
They stressed learning the business side of it as much as the performance and production side,” said Clark, who was named one of the Top 25 Women in Alabama Media in 2019. More recently, Clark was one of 10 professors from around the country featured as a NewsPro Noteworthy Journalism Educator. Clark, an Oakman native who made her mark in several newsrooms before transitioning to the classroom, has always had a knack for finding herself at the right place at the right time. Walker College’s TV studio in Davis Hall was just
10 / WALKER MAGAZINE
“Dan said, ‘You’ve got to get the interviews for the reporters.’ He had me study the names of the German people who were going to be there. I didn’t know what they looked like, and we didn’t have the web to make it any easier. As soon as I got a press release and kind of knew who they were, I was going around the room like every other reporter trying to pull them over early for an interview,” Clark said. At WDBB, Clark acquired new skills, like editing video and being an assignment editor. Through her coursework, she discovered that she was more suited to helping on-air personalities than she was doing the job herself. Her goal became working as a
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
This page: Clark in the WVUA 23 studio on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, AL. Previous page: Clark as a student on the yearbook staff at Walker College in the early 1990s. SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/  11
producer at a Birmingham TV station. “You have to have a certain type of personality to be a producer. You have to be very organized and be able to get things done. I was better as a manager and an encourager to everyone around me,” she said. Clark followed Cates to WCFT-TV 33, which soon became ABC 33/40. In September 1996, at age 23, she produced the station’s first newscast. Clark turned down offers from more established networks to once again be a part of making a new effort successful. Clark stayed at ABC 33/40 through 2001. She worked on her masters at UA while also working full-time at the station. Next, she took a job in UA University Relations while working on her doctorate. Her 2009 dissertation was called “Fake News.” Clark came up with the idea after a news station ran a release she had submitted verbatim without any independent reporting. “It was looking at fake news, at what people know about what is real news and where the sources come from, the credibility of the journalists giving it to you and the corporations giving out information,” she said. Following stints at Samford University and the University of Montevallo, Clark returned in 2011 to her academic home in Tuscaloosa, where she has lived since moving away for college. Clark is currently an assistant professor at UA in the department of Journalism and Creative Media. The 2011 tornadoes that devastated Tuscaloosa as well as her native Walker County put her on the path to producing a series of award-winning videos about the role members of the media play as first informers in times of disaster. Produced in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters and the Broadcast Education Association, the videos were instrumental in getting the definition of “first responders” broadened to include radio and television broadcasters. Clark accepted an invitation from University of Oklahoma professor Scott Hodgson to document how local meteorologists and the media had
12 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
This page: Clark in the WVUA 23 newsroom on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, AL. Pictured at right: a look into Clark’s office at the University of Alabama. SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 13
Top left: Clark with former University of Alabama head football coach, Gene Stallings; Top right: Clark working in the field. Bottom left: Clark with a team in front of a flooded street after Hurricane Harvey in Houston, TX in 2017; Bottom right: Clark with colleague Scott Hodgson from the University of Oklahoma, during the Hurricane Harvey news cycle.
helped save lives on April 27, 2011. In all, 32 videos have been developed documenting five different disasters: the April 2011 tornadoes in Alabama and May 2011 tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri; Superstorm Sandy in 2012; the Moore, Oklahoma, tornadoes in 2013; Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017 and Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018. Clark personally visited each disaster zone and helped coordinate more than 200 interviews in 20 states with more than 75 stations. In March 2018, President Trump signed an appropriations bill that included language categorizing broadcasters as first responders, putting stations in line to receive resources such as fuel for generators provided to first responders as well as giving them access to crisis areas so that first-hand reporting can continue. The “First Informers” videos are available for viewing on the NABNewsroom YouTube channel.
14 / WALKER MAGAZINE
The next step is to turn the project into a four-part PBS series, “Eyes of the Storm.” “We’re really trying to make people understand that research shows if they will go to their local radio and TV stations, they will have the most pertinent weather information that can be lifesaving information at the time,” Clark said. In spite of troubling trends within the industry, a solid majority of news consumers still believe that their local news providers are keeping them informed and reporting the news accurately, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Clark, who spent 12 years in a newsroom, now helps future journalists understand the responsibility they have to their communities. “I think it’s important that our students understand that it matters, no matter where they land, that they will have a responsibility to serve that community in some way because they know how to share stories,” she said. •
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Marlee Jane’s Baby & Kid’s Boutique
Readers’
Choice Awards 2020
M-S 8am-7pm • Sun. 9am-7pm www.MarleeJanes.com 460 20th St. West, Downtown Jasper
(205) 512-1199
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 15
YOUR STORY
Starts Here Academic Transfer | Career Technical | Workforce Solutions | Adult Education Fayette | Hamilton | Jasper | Sumiton | Carrollton
800.648.3271 www.BSCC.edu
Come Home to Jasper
SAVE THE DATE! S EPT EMBER 11 & 12, 2020 MUSIC SHOP P ING FOOD FAMILY FUN KID ZONE
Mayor David O’Mary District 1 Sonny Posey Inc. 1887
16 / WALKER MAGAZINE
District 2 Danny Gambrell
District 3 Gary Cowen
District 4 Jennifer W. Smith
District 5 Willie Moore, III
(205) 221-2100 | 400 19th St. W, Jasper, AL 35501 | www.jaspercity.com A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Here for what’s important to you. We believe banking should be simple, responsive and convenient. As one of the leading regional banks in the Southeast, we’re here to help with all your checking1, savings1, and financial planning needs. We’re here for you. 1-888-SYNOVUS | synovus.com
1 Subject to approval. Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.
HigH Point Furniture CLASSIC. ELEGANT. STYLE.
2403 Hwy. 78 East, Jasper, Alabama 35501 • www.highpoint-furniture.com
205-384-5990
Readers’
Choice Awards 2020
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 17
Johnson at his home surrounded by some of his artwork. | Photograph by Rick Watson
18 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
METAL HEAD Text by RICK WATSON | Photographs by JAKE AARON and MALARIE BRAKEFIELD
C
REATING ART sometimes involves pain. Artist Eric Johnson learned this first hand when he expanded his work from acrylic paintings to metal sculptures.
Johnson, a Dora resident, laughed as he said, “It’s a lot of fun most of the time, but I get burnt a lot.” He gets burned because when he works on his industrial sculptures, he uses a welder, and he only wears a glove on his left hand. He holds the welder with his right hand. Welders are used in the fabrication or sculptural process that joins metals by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing fusion. When a welding rod touches a metal sculpture, spangles of hot molten metal spew like a child’s fireworks sparkler, but the tiny nuggets land on hands, arms, legs, and other unprotected places. “I could probably pick up a boiling pot off the stove, and it not hurt at all now,” Johnson said. Johnson doesn’t use specialized tools in his sculpting work. When creating The Bishop of Birmingham sculpture, he used a Millermatic welder, a cutting tool, and a pink toy hammer that came out of a child’s toolbox. “The hammer is just big enough to hammer that stuff around corners and mold it to the frame,” Johnson said. The sculpture was constructed using 20-gauge carbon steel. The Bishop took Johnson about three weeks to complete. “Those
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 19
were six-hour days in the workshop,” he said. He did the sculpture in 2017. “I love caricatures of people,” he said. “If you look at my paintings and other sculptures, they all have big lips. I love lips.” When Johnson started The Bishop, he started with the lips. “After I did the lips, everything else came behind that,” he said. He laughed as he said, “When I did his eyes, he looked like a shady bishop.” Johnson said that his pieces tend to evolve, and it’s not until he’s worked on the project a while that the sculpture comes into focus. The Bishop has exaggerated lips and head. It’s wearing a mitre (hat) and holding a crosier or Bishop’s staff. Rarely does Johnson begin a project with the finished piece in mind. “And about half the time, it goes in the wrong direction.” When this happens, he sets it aside and waits to see if inspiration comes. If it doesn’t, he takes it apart and makes something else out of it. One of the first sculptures Johnson did was called I Am the Lion. “That was when I first started doing sculpture, and I was completely broke,” he said. All he had to work with was welding wire and 1/8 inch metal bars.
This sculpture became the mascot for Johnson’s workshop. One of the sculptures appearing at the Bankhead House and Heritage Center is one called The Sawfish. He has another one similar called The Caterpillar. “I did these two pieces as an experiment for a larger piece,” he said. With his paintings, he doesn’t use a paintbrush much. “I use a pallet knife, and that’s not because I think a pallet knife is better, it’s because I can’t really paint,” he said. The pallet knife feels more like sculpting, according to Johnson. One of the things that influences Johnson’s art is the toys he played with when he was a child. “I loved Shogun Warriors, and I used to have all of them,” he said. When he makes a sculpture, he thinks about those action figures. He usually completes paintings in one session. “When I’m in the zone, I usually finish the paintings in about 10 hours,” he said. Johnson was exposed to art at an early age. “My mother’s side of the family
The sculpture stands about 20 inches tall and looks defiant. It looks like a bare-chested warrior with dreadlocks. Johnson used a small 110-volt welder to create the sculpture. His hair was made out of rebar, his face was made out of a big nut, and the rest of it is just welding. “I love his stance and the way his head is tilted,” Johnson said. “He just looks really strong.”
20 / WALKER MAGAZINE
The Bishop of Birmingham, a metal sculpture created by Johnson.
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
At right: Spoiled, a 48” x 48” acrylic painting
“
I was sort of a round peg in a square hole.... But it worked out because I was creative. SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 21
I Am The Lion 22 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Various sculptures, laser cuts and paintings that can be found around Johnson’s home
had always been really artistic,” Johnson said. “I grew up drawing and sketching.” He kept all the work he did when he was younger. He laughed as he said, “It’s fun to look back and see how bad I was.” After he left college, it took him a while to pursue art. He started with a company driving a forklift but quickly moved into the engineering department, where he worked for the next 19 years. He explained that he is not the analytical type. “I was sort of a round peg in a square hole,” he said. “But it worked out because I was creative.” In 2008 when his job ended, he decided to try his hand at art.
Johnson told his wife that since his work at the engineering firm was ending that he felt it was time to give art a shot. He set a time limit of two years. “I told my wife that if I hadn’t made it within two years that I would go out and get a real job,” he said. She agreed, and he hasn’t looked back. Johnson started off creating large acrylics on 4 x 4-foot framed wooden panels. The subjects are often abstract paintings of kids. His career as an artist evolved. Today his work includes not only acrylics, industrial sculptures but also larger SPRING 2020
public sculptures and signs. His clients for these are businesses, cities, universities, and corporations. “I do laser signs for apartment complexes around the country,” he said. “Between laser cutting signs, working on sculptures, and painting when it’s too hot to work on sculptures, it keeps me busy.” His non-commercial art pieces usually go to galleries around Birmingham and Georgia. “I’ll do a piece for one of those guys or swap some out just to keep my work fresh,” he said. The pieces that do not make it into the galleries wind up in his home, according
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 23
Some of the large publc sculptures created by Johnson
to Johnson. The walls of Johnson’s home have unique paintings, metal sculptures, and laser-cut pieces that make the space look more like a museum than a living room. He did a lot of shows in South Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia, according to Johnson. “It worked out really good.” “The work is feast or famine. You’ll go gangbusters for three months, and then not make a dime for months,” he said.
24 / WALKER MAGAZINE
Most people learn about Johnson at the art shows he attends. “Even if I went to a show and didn’t sell anything, the next week, I would get calls,” he said. Most of Johnson’s metal sculptures seem to resonate with men because the art is more masculine. “If I have a guy that really likes it and says that I’m going to bring my wife back by, it’s over,” Johnson said with a smile. People can view Johnson’s work locally at the Bankhead House and Heritage
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Center in Jasper (until April 17) and also Alabama Goods in Homewood. Beverly McNeil Gallery represents the sculptures. He also has some art pieces at Art Alley in Homewood. Galleries in Georgia include Lagerquist, which is the oldest gallery in Atlanta. He also has pieces at the A.T. Hun Gallery in Savannah. Johnson has pictures of his work on his Instagram page (@ericjohnsonart). His website is www.ericjohnsonart.net. •
“WHERE THE DEALER MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!”
Readers’
Choice Awards 2020
HONDA OF JASPER
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 8 AM TO 7 PM SATURDAY 8 AM TO 6 PM
SERVICE DEPARTMENT: MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 7:30 AM TO 6 PM / SATURDAY 7:30 AM TO 2 PM
4102 Hwy 78 East • Jasper, AL • www.hondaofjasper.com (205) 385-0100 or Toll Free 866-395-0100
HYUNDAI OF JASPER MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 8 AM TO 7 PM | SATURDAY 8 AM – 6 PM SERVICE DEPARTMENT: MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 7:30 AM – 6 PM WWW.HYUNDAIOFJASPER.COM | 4011 OLD U.S. 78, JASPER, AL 35501 | (205) 282-4601 | (205)282-4427 SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 25
Barry Bangerz Text by JAMES PHILLIPS | Photographs by SCOTT ERIC DAY PHOTOGRAPHY
26 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/  27
28 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
A
LOVE OF MUSIC is something that Bryan Baker says he has had for as far back as he can remember. As a child growing up in Jasper, Baker said hip hop music was his genre of choice. That admiration of hip hop led him to start playing music as a disc jockey as a teenager, but has now morphed into a full-time career that has found him becoming one of the most popular DJs in the Southeast. “I was always into hip hop,” Baker said. “I rode the ‘blue dot’ school bus in high school, and I was one of three white people on there, with my mother being one of the other ones, and she was driving the bus. I always had an interest in the hip hop culture, and that style of music is what spoke to me.” Baker, who goes by “Barry Bangerz” when he’s on stage, said he started out with two Pioneer vinyl turntables and a Gemini mixer, playing music for birthday parties, weddings and proms. “My parents would have to drive me to gigs, because I didn’t even have a license when I first started it,” he said. “I had a hook-up at (radio station) 95.7 who would bring me all their extra records. I had crates and crates of records, and I would blend the songs that I thought sounded similar.” After graduating from Walker High School in 2008, Baker said he worked odd jobs (gas station attendant, scrubbing bays and bathrooms at a car wash) for a short time before deciding a college education would be beneficial to his future. While he got a degree in communications from the University of North Alabama, it was his work as a DJ during his college years that elevated him to what he does now. While in Florence at UNA, he spent many of his nights as a DJ at fraternity parties or other gigs in the area. He continued to do that even after graduating and working for the Franklin County Times newspaper for about year. “I like media and providing content, but reporting on Paw Paw Pete’s prizewinning pumpkin just wasn’t the thing for me. That wasn’t the content that I was hoping to create. It was around that time that I started playing bar gigs. I didn’t think there would be much money in that, but I was wrong.” It was during his Florence days that he came up with the name Barry Bangerz. He said that he had to shave when he was a pledge at a fraternity, leaving him with a “frat boy haircut and a mustache.” “All my fraternity brothers joked around about my look, and one guy said, ‘you look like a shade tree mechanic, some guy named Barry who is about to fix my car,’” Baker said. “They all started calling me ‘Barry,’ so it stuck. A little bit later,
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 29
30 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
“
I’ve never been more well fed than I am right now, but I have never been hungrier either... SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 31
32 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
I was doing EDM (electronic dance music) real heavy and a friend of mine said, ‘Barry plays bangerz,’ and I knew that was the name. Ever since then, I’ve been Barry Bangerz. Even back here in Jasper, most people call me Barry now. When someone calls me Bryan, I have to almost break my neck to turn around to see who it is.” Baker said his big break came in 2017 when he started playing bars in Birmingham. He quickly became the resident DJ at Tin Roof. “I play a lot of Top 40s hip hop at Tin Roof, and I mix that in with some of the electronic stuff, and that really made me take off,” he said. “I think my sound and vibe is different from anyone else. I pride myself on the groove that I give. I feed off everybody’s energy when I’m on
stage. That’s where it all comes from. It is really cool to see 400 to 500 people bobbing their heads in unison. Hearing them scream at the end of the night is surreal. It is the most addictive feeling that I have ever felt.” As his demand has continued to grow, Baker has found himself playing four nights per week in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and in other cities across the Southeast. He also gets to perform in Jasper on some occasions, including finishing off the 2019 Foothills Festival with an after party at Tallulah Brewing Company. “Tallulah was almost like an answered prayer type deal,” he said. “Jasper needed something like [Tallulah’s] and Twisted Barley really bad. I was overwhelmed when they asked me to play. It was always a big dream of
mine to do the festival thing, and then we have a festival where I’m from and I get to do the after party on Saturday night. I even had John Popper (of Blues Traveler) standing up here while I am DJing. I never imagined that I would be able to bring what I’ve kind of crafted back home.” Baker said he plans on DJing for the rest of his life. He said it has turned into a successful career, but it continues to grow, and he continues to want to improve what he does. “I’ve never been more well fed than I am right now, but I have never been hungrier either,” he said. “I love every second that I get to do this. I try not to take a single moment for granted, and I am so thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way and who continues to help me today.” •
At left: DJ Barry Bangerz plays to a large crowd at Tallulah Brewing Company during the 90’s Brewery Crawl held on March 7, 2020. SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 33
The Pregnancy Test and Resource Center is a nonprofit pregnancy center offering free and confidential services. We strive to serve with excellence and offer a nonjudgmental atmosphere.
THINK YOU MAY BE PREGNANT AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO? CALL US.
1707 2nd Ave., Jasper, AL 35501 • www.ptrcjasper.org • 205.221.5860 Open Monday–Tuesday 9am–4pm, Wednesday 8am–2pm, Thursday 9am–5pm The Pregnancy Test and Resource Center is a 501.c.3 ministry that operates primarily through donations of individuals, churches, and businesses. Donations of new or gently used baby items up to size 2T are accepted. Volunteer positions are available.
34 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
We offer FREE pregnancy testing, ultrasound, and information on pregnancy options, a clothes closet, parenting classes, new moms support group, father support group, postabortion recovery Bible study, and more!
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/  35
PERSONAL FOUL Text by BRIAN W. HALE | Photographs by SCOTT ERIC DAY PHOTOGRAPHY
36 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
A
S ONE OF THE TOP OFFICIALS IN ALABAMA, Doug Kennedy has presided over some of the most pivotal softball contests in the state, where championships are decided and the stars of the game gain recognition among the nation’s premier college programs. Off the field, Kennedy has been waging a relentless battle of his own — against severe depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts — the likes of which has taken him to the very edge of death’s door. The 14-year officiating veteran was on the field doing what he loves to do in the spring of 2018 when a foul ball shot during a game at Oakman would forever change his life. Recalling the event, Kennedy said the memory of the foul ball hitting him in the head remains strong, but the events afterward were almost unclear. “The shot that I took from the foul ball wasn’t a hard shot, it just hit me right. I remember where I was at and even it was in the fourth inning at Oakman, but after that, I couldn’t tell you what happened for the rest of the game,” Kennedy said. “I remember driving home and the headlights from other cars hurting my eyes.” Unknown to Kennedy at the time was the blow he had taken to the head would lead him down a path to what he refers to as his “dark place” — where he experiences severe depression and anxiety. He feels needy and depressed and when those needs are not met, anxiety attacks — a surreal state of mind akin to feeling like he’s in a nightmare — occur in great force. Kennedy said he recognized what was happening was a cry for help; however, he didn’t know what he needed. “I knew I needed help, but I didn’t know what I needed. Myself and the people around me didn’t know what was going on with me. I just knew I was really depressed and having anxiety attacks when I got to that dark place,” he stated. “If anyone knows me, I’ve never been a violent person — I started getting violent in some of these attacks and it scared me. That’s when
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 37
“ 38 / WALKER MAGAZINE
I knew I needed help, but I didn’t know what I needed. Myself and the people around me didn’t know what was A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
when we started looking for help.” The continual trips to the “dark place” began to take its toll on Kennedy, culminating in a series of events in late 2019 that brought great revelation about what he was experiencing, and more importantly, its root cause. A suicide attempt where Kennedy had slit his wrist began the trek, which saw him admitted to the UAB Behavioral Medical Unit (BMU) for 10 days. Once he was released, the medicine he was prescribed seemed to be having some effect, but once again, the depression and anxiety returned. As thoughts of suicide once again came into Kennedy’s mind, the result was a cry for help — a streamed video over Facebook where he expressed his desire to end his life to family and friends. A call to emergency services disrupted what would have been another attempt on his own life. When several of his friends arrived on the scene to check on his well being, the person that was brought out of the house by first responders was unrecognizable. “I had two or three good friends there that arrived after the paramedics and police had — they said the person that was brought out of the house wasn’t me. Physically, yes, but mentally, I wasn’t there,” Kennedy said. Kennedy was taken to Walker Baptist’s BMU. A treatment team was established to address his ongoing problems and question him about the possible causes. “One of the team members asked if I ever had a concussion — which I told them about the occurrence with the foul ball hit to the head in 2018. They asked if anything had been done for it. I replied that I never went to the doctor for it, but I knew I had a concussion as I knew what the signs were with my training as an umpire to look for it in players,” Kennedy said. “I was nauseated, light hurt my eyes and had a headache for three or four days.” This information led to the team scheduling an immediate MRI for Kennedy. The results came back showing a positive result for trauma to the brain from the blow taken to the head in 2018. With this new information, the aftereffects of the brain trauma had been determined
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
“
going on with me, I just knew I was really depressed and having anxiety attacks when I got to that dark place.
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 39
to be the cause of continual and growing problems he had experienced. Kennedy’s treatment team started him on a new medicine — anti-seizure medication — which would help correct the imbalance to the neurons in his brain following the trauma. “The doctors said there have been positive results with boxers and football players who have had severe concussions with this medication. It takes a month to six weeks — it’s been two months and I’m doing much better,” Kennedy said. “The medicine can get toxic to you so my blood levels have to be monitored, but it’s a complete reversal to how I was two months ago.” With his path to recovery underway and showing great progress, Kennedy has a new goal to go along with his improvement — raising awareness about concussions and the effects of blows to the head, both in and outside of sports. “If someone takes a hit to the head and you see a behavioral change, act on it. This concussion I had kickstarted my
40 / WALKER MAGAZINE
depression, which led to suicide attempts, crying out for help and I could have hurt not only myself but someone else. It has to be taken more seriously, especially at the high school level,” Kennedy said. “No matter if the head injury occurs from a car wreck or something as simple as hitting your head hard against the ground after a fall, have it checked out stringently.” There is also the great joy that awaits Kennedy in the afternoons and weekends to aid in his progress — officiating the game he loves, which he will now pair with his endeavor of concussion and brain trauma awareness. “I’m stepping back on the field and officiating — I’m not going to let it run me off. But if I get hit again, we’re going to take the proper steps,” Kennedy said. “There’s enough knowledge out there now where we can control it and stop it from happening if people would just take the proper precautions. I don’t want a single person to have to go through what I did. In my suicide attempts, I could have easily succeeded in one and wouldn’t be here today. If my message saves one person, it was worth it to me. It wasn’t worth it to my family and friends, but it is to me.” •
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
DOWNS & ASSOCIATES Certified Public Accountants, LLC
Certified Public Accountants JOSEPH R. DOWNS, IV, CPA
email: JRDowns@DandAcpa.com
1603 1st Ave. East, Jasper, AL
205.221.5454 Find us on Facebook!
PORTABLE BUILDINGS
NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE
FIVE POINTS PAWN & STORAGE OWNER: TED NORRIS
GOLD
Read
Choiecrs’ Award e s
ELECTRONICS
PAWNS
2020
COME VISIT OUR GIFT SHOP!
GUNS
WE OFFER THE BEST IN SAVINGS, CONVENIENCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE! Natural Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement
(205) 221-4564
2001 North Airport Rd. • Jasper, AL 35504 www.therxprofessionals.com
CHEC K OUR OUT NEW INVE NTOR OF FI Y REAR MS
TITLES
2924 Hwy. 195, Jasper, AL 35503
(205) 221-0807
SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 41
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT The Literacy Council of Walker County hosted its 10th Daddy & Me Dance at the Jasper Area Family Services Center on Thursday, February 13th. The annual event is a fundraiser for the local Literacy Council, which focuses on decreasing the illiteracy rate in Walker County by offering adult tutoring, children’s programs, and young adult activities.
42 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Wilson Funeral Home & Crematory In times of grief, making difficult decisions about how best to honor the memory of someone so important can be overwhelming. We are here to help with complete, professional and compassionate funeral planning services to meet your needs and respectfully celebrate the life and legacy of your loved one.
31404 NE 1st Ave., Carbon Hill, AL 35549 | (205) 924-4147 SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/  43
Snapshots
44 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
SPRING 2020
CELEBRATING THE GIFT OF LIFE GALA The Pregnancy Test & Resource center held its annual Celebrating the Gift of Life Gala at the Jasper Civic Center on Friday, February 21st. The center’s director, Jenny Odom, opened the night while the crowd enjoyed a dinner catered by Warehouse 319. The special guest speaker was mentor, author, speaker and former NFL fullback Jonathan Evans, who is the son of Christian pastor, speaker and author, Dr. Tony Evans. The gala is the center’s largest fundraiser for the year, bringing in the bulk of their annual funding which helps finance the general fund: rent, utilities, staffing, baby items, supplies, educational materials, etc. The gala also helps illustrate to their donors and supporters what they have accomplished in the past year and what their goals are for the coming months. Closing the night in prayer was Randy Judge who is the PTRC’s volunteer father program coordinator.
Snapshots
46 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
SPRING 2020
ROTARY CLUB’S TRIVIA NIGHT The Rotary Club of Jasper held their annual Trivia Night fundraiser at Jasper’s Civic Center on Friday, February 28th. Proceeds from the night go towards scholarships. At Trivia Night, members of the community gathered into teams to compete against each other by putting their collective knowledge to the test for a chance to win the “Big Brain” trophy along with bragging rights. Rotary Club member Kevin Callahan was the moderator for the night asking questions from 10 different categories and handed out door prizes. Teams were encouraged to pick a theme and dress accordingly. This year’s winner is the two-time reigning champion, the Daily Mountain Eagle.
48 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Sisters of Savings! Calva Cooner & Gwinna Boyd
Visit the “Sisters of Savings” and make SMART choices that could save you money! 205.384.4159 2905 Hwy. 78 W., Jasper, AL FreedomHomesOfJasper.com COME BY OR C ALL TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ENERGY SMART HOMES SPRING 2020
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
WALKER MAGAZINE
/ 49
WeAreWalkerCounty with
Gina and Carey Scruggs
“I’ve met people I do not know who live right here, and that’s amazing to me because I’ve lived here all my life,” Gina said of Slow Spokes. Carey added, “We’ve had people say that they haven’t ridden a bike in 30 years, but then they enjoy it (Slow Spokes) and they come back. So that’s a good thing.” Gina and Carey Scruggs are both originally from Jasper. Gina retired from Jasper City Schools after teaching for 25 years, and she is now a State Farm insurance agent. Carey is retired from the Walker County Sheriff’s Office and currently works for the Alabama Power Shoreline Management Department. After Gina and Carey participated in community bike rides in Birmingham, they decided to bring the concept to Jasper and Slow Spokes was born. Since late last year, Slow Spokes rides have occurred each month in Jasper to bring community members together. Each 6 -mile Slow Spokes ride averages 25 to 40 participants with riders as young as 7 years old and others up to age 80. Gina and Carey expressed gratitude to Mike Putman and Jenny Brown Short for providing Jasper Main Street bicycles, free of charge, for each ride. Participants can also bring their own bikes for Slow Spokes rides. Anyone who would like to take part in Slow Spokes should visit the Slow Spokes Jasper, Alabama Facebook page for specific ride dates and times. 50 / WALKER MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE SPRING 2020
Many people have
no financial plan for the future.
Do you? I can help you create a financial plan for life – protection, saving and retirement. Call me today. Let’s talk about your plan for life.
Modern Woodmen of America
Cameron Lee, FIC 1660 Highway 78 E. Jasper, AL 35501 B 205-221-1041 cameron.lee@mwarep.org
DOUG0312 Registered representative. Securities offered through MWA Financial Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Modern Woodmen of America. Member: FINRA, SIPC.
nelsonbryancross.com
Jasper, AL 205.387.7777
Pat Nelson
Bob Bryan
Gina Cross
WE HANDLE THEM ALL
No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
