volume 5 • issue 2 • winter 2017
at the Armstrong Cafe
2017 Tournaments:
Alabama BASS Nation (March 18, 2017)
Alabama Student Angler (February 25, 2017)
Airport Marine Classic Team Trail (April 1, 2017)
Alabama Bass Trail - North Division (April 22, 2017)
Bassmaster Southern Open (September 28-30, 2017)
“Thank You, Chamber Investors, For Making These Events Possible.”
[ linda@walkerchamber.us ] • [ www.walkerchamber.us ] 2
204 Walker Magazine
19th Street East, Suite 101, Jasper, Alabama 35501 | (205) 384-4571
winter 2017
The strength of a team with a single focus – you. Front Row: Leigh Ann Rotter, First Bank of Jasper, Retail Market Manager, NMLS #718264; Libba Elliott, Synovus Securities, Financial Consultant; Lisa Killingsworth, First Bank of Jasper, Commercial Banker Back Row: Kenny Allen, First Bank of Jasper, Retail Market Manager; Bert Hendrix, First Bank of Jasper, President; Toby Banks, Synovus Securities, Financial Consultant; Phillip Lee, Synovus Mortgage, Mortgage Loan Originator, NMLS #664139
In today’s busy world, your financial needs can be complex and ever-changing. It takes more than an individual to meet those needs. It takes a team. At First Bank of Jasper, we have a team of professionals with the expertise and resources you need. We work together with a single focus – helping you reach your financial goals.
firstbankofjasper.com | 205.221.3121
Investment products and services provided by Synovus are offered through Synovus Securities, Inc. Synovus Trust Company, N.A. GLOBALT Investments, a separately identifiable division of STC and Creative Financial Group. The registered broker-dealer offering brokerage products for Synovus is Synovus Securities, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Synovus Securities, Inc. is a subsidiary of Synovus Financial Corp and an affiliate of Synovus Bank. Synovus Trust Company, N.A. is a subsidiary of Synovus Bank. NOT FDIC INSURED
NO BANK GUARANTEE
MAY LOSE VALUE
Banking volume 5, issue 2 products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast. 3
VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2 • WINTER 2017
magazine Established October 2012
PUBLISHER James Phillips EDITOR Jennifer Cohron ART DIRECTOR Malarie Brakefield CONTRIBUTORS Brenda Anthony, Johnathan Bentley, Jennifer Cohron, Ron Harris, Elane Jones, Lea Rizzo, Dale Short, Nicole Smith Advertising Jake Aaron, Jerry Geddings, Renee Holly, Liz Steffan, Tammy Wood 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. © 2017 Daily Mountain Eagle Walker Magazine P.O. Box 1469 Jasper, AL 35502 (205) 221-2840 email: walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com 4
Walker Magazine
FromTheStaff... Walker Magazine continues its five-year tradition of highlighting the many positive aspects of Walker County with our Winter 2017 edition. As we transition into a new year, our staff has focused this issue on two things close to the hearts of area residents — food and faith. Our cover story features Scott and Kelli Tucker and their resurrection of the Armstrong Cafe in Eldridge, a food hot spot in the tiny town that serves up hamburgers and heritage to locals and visitors. For our photo essay, we looked to our loyal readers to provide recipes that meant something to them. We received a variety of culinary choices for our “Food for the Soul” photo spread. We have decided to turn this into a quarterly feature with future plans being to include one recipe per edition of Walker Magazine. Our sports feature for the winter months highlights a young man who took a leap of faith to follow his dreams of coaching college basketball instead of entering the family restaurant business. Jake Headrick grew up inside his grandparents’ Green Top Cafe, but he’s now a successful assistant coach at Samford University. Jones Dairy was an important industrial location in its day, and we share its history and the impact it has had on Jasper and Walker County inside these pages. Marlin Shubert, our artist spotlight, is a longtime Jasper resident and former member of the legendary Southern gospel quartet The Inspirations. Shubert toured as a singer for years and continues to share his vocal gifts today as a member of the Jasper Men’s Chorale. Faith continues to be a theme in this edition as we introduce a new member of the Jasper community — Richard Stryker, pastor at River of Living Water United Methodist Church. Stryker is a native of Liberia and worked as a peace activist in that nation during its bloody civil war in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “From the Vault” takes us back to the early days of the Walker County Airport, a facility receiving lots of attention right now due to the work of the 2017 class of Leadership Walker County. Tana Collins, former public information director for the City of Jasper and current public relations director at Bevill State Community College, shares her thoughts on the area and why she continues to call this place home in our “Why I Love Walker County” interview. It is our hope that Walker Magazine continues to help area citizens as well as visitors from other places to see the many good things about Walker County and Jasper. Please enjoy this edition.
::: Subscribe to Walker Magazine! If you’re an out-of-towner, get a year of great stories right at your doorstep. Call: (205) 221-2840 Email: editor@mountaineagle.com
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James Phillips, Publisher
OnTheCover The Armstrong Cafe, a popular hangout in Eldridge for over 50 years, recently re-opened. Photo by Jennifer Cohron
GetHooked! 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.
Happ y hunting!
winter 2017
GRAND OPENING Wednesday, Dec. 21st
Harbor Freight Tools is a privately held discount tool and equipment retailer opening soon in Jasper!
New Jasper High School
Mayor David O’Mary District 1 Sonny Posey volume 5, issue 2
Inc. 1887
District 2 Danny Gambrell
District 3 Gary Cowen
District 4 Jennifer W. Smith
District 5 Willie Moore
(205) 221-2100 | 400 19th St. W, Jasper, AL 35501 | www.jaspercity.com
5
TableOfContents 8
From The Vault Building the Walker County Airport
10
A Family Business The legacy of Jones Brothers Dairy
16
Preaching Peace Local pastor survives civil war 10
20
Best burgers in town: The Return of the Armstrong Cafe
23
Photo Essay Food for the Soul
8
30
Barbecue or Basketball? Headrick chooses career on the court
37
Heavenly Harmony Marlin Shubert and The Inspirations
44
Community Calendar What’s going on in the county
46
Snapshots Past events in Walker County
50
Why I Love Walker County Tana Collins
23
16
30
AdvertisingIndex 43 - Allstate—Holladay Agency 33 - Bevill State Community College 15 - Byars-Wright Insurance 47 - Candyland Daycare 42 - Carl Cannon 02 - Chamber of Commerce of Walker Co. 05 - City of Jasper 39 - Cordova Health & Rehabilitation 49 - Custom Shirts and Signs 15 - Daily Mountain Eagle 45 - Daily Mountain Eagle (online)
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15 - Downs & Associates 03 - First Bank of Jasper 39 - First National Bank of Carbon Hill 35 - GCR Tires and Service 35 - Green Top BBQ 42 - High Point Furniture 07 - Honda of Jasper 45 - Hospital Discount Pharmacy 07 - Hyundai of Jasper 35 - Jasper Homes 51 - Jasper Industrial Development Board
52 - Jasper Mall 43 - Jones Accounting 45 - Lavish 43 - Lamar’s Glass 46 - Manchester Auto Parts 43 - Pepito’s 39 - Perico’s 35 - Perico’s Express 51 - Walker Development Authority 39 - Witcher Office Supply 15 - Young Jewelers
winter 2017
“Where the dealer makes the difference!”
Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
Honda oF JaSPER
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 8 AM TO 7 PM SATURDAY 8 AM TO 6 PM
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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 volume 5, issue 2
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From The
Building the Walker County Airport Story by Jennifer Cohron Photos courtesy of the Daily Mountain Eagle
A
Throughout the 1970s, county leaders frequently discussed the need for a new airport, but the project struggled to gain traction. In 1976, a new beacon and runway lights were installed to replace the old airport’s World War II-era lighting. A groundbreaking ceremony for a new airport was held Feb. 15, 1980. Walker County Commission Chairman Grady Perry and airport board chairman Jerry Byars gave U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill a tour of the airport, which was still under construction, in January 1982. The $3.5 million facility finally opened in January 1984. “Our Congressmen helped us to get the initial funding and the FAA kept giving us more money to keep building more airport,” Perry said at the opening. “We’ve had some delays, but the reason for most of those delays was that we kept getting more money. That has meant a quality airport for Walker County.” 8
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B
winter 2017
E
C
D
Pictured: A) A plane lands at the old Walker County Airport in 1977. B) Workers construct the taxiway at the new airport in 1983. C) A single engine Cessna has its flaps down to land at the old airport in 1977. D) U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill visits the new airport in 1982 with Grady Perry and Jerry Byars. E) New lights were installed at the old airport in 1976 to replace World War II-era lights that had been used for years. F) An aerial view of the area where the new Walker County Airport was constructed. G) A vintage aerial of the Walker County Airport.
F
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G
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Milkman Delano Barton steps out of one of the Jones Brothers Dairy milk trucks.
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winter 2017
Preserving the legacy of
Jones Brothers Dairy
Story by Jennifer Cohron | Photos by Jennifer Cohron and courtesy of Michael Williams
Drivers did a double take a few months ago when a Jersey and a Holstein cow started standing guard at the end of Jones Dairy Road. The life-sized likenesses mark the spot where Lester Jones and his family opened a dairy in 1916. Jones and his wife, Lillian, raised four children — Thomas Elliott Jones, Loretta Jones Bailey, Franklin LaNue Jones and Glenda Jones Williams — on the living the dairy provided for them. Now two of their grandchildren, Michael Williams and Chris Williams, have restored the family homeplace, the sole surviving landmark on the original 60 acres that the dairy encompassed. The simple white frame house had four rooms when it was built in 1927. Additional space was added during a remodel in the 1940s. If its walls could talk, they might tell about the day that the radio played “I Must Tell Jesus” after Lillian Jones sent her older son, Thomas Elliott, off to the Korean War or how she used to cook three meals a day for the dairy’s employ-
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Michael and Chris Williams bought their grandparents’ house on Jones Dairy Road in 2015 and spent over a year restoring it.
ees while older daughter, Loretta, would help with household chores. Jones gave birth to her youngest child, Glenda, in the front bedroom. Years later, she and Lester were asleep there when lightning struck the house one morning and a passer-by began pounding on the door to alert them that the house was on fire. Although they made a safe exit, damage to their bedroom ceiling is still evident today. During the early years of the dairy’s existence, all cows were milked by hand, and at some point each of the Jones children performed a duty of milking cows. The dairy incorporated in the 1960s, and each of the children acquired a stock interest in the family business. In those days, up to 20 employees kept the dairy operating around the clock, and they were milking as many as 180 cows per day. Electric milkers were also introduced and utilized to expedite the milking process. “Twelve cows made up what we referred to as a ‘milking barn.’ With an electric milker, they would milk six cows at once. After about 10 or 12 minutes, they would milk the other six. At their peak production, they went through 15 of those milking barns, twice a day. There would have been as
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many as 300 head of cattle in the total herd comprised of cows and calves — both heifers and bulls,” Michael Williams said. The Jersey cows, known for their rich milk, supplied product for the distribution company of Flav-O-Rich while Deep South Creamery in Jasper made frequent visits to the dairy for the Holstein milk. For approximately two decades, some of the milk was bottled on-site and delivered locally to residential households with the family-owned milk trucks. In its later years, Jones Brothers Dairy Inc. was managed by Lester and Lillian’s younger son, LaNue. The dairy shut down in 1976, a victim of rising feed prices that put a profitable bottom line out of reach for a family-owned business. For the next 40 years, the house remained occupied but gradually fell into disrepair. Michael and Chris Williams, accountants who now live in Birmingham, acquired it in 2015 in order to keep it in the family. “I met with about six different contractors to determine whether we should restore it or tear it down. What sealed the deal was when we got to the basement. When they looked up
winter 2017
The Jones Dairy homeplace was in a general state of disrepair prior to its recent restoration.
volume 5, issue 2
Lillian and Lester Jones are pictured with their oldest grandchild, Melody Jones Henson.
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and saw how well the house was constructed, they said, ‘Don’t tear it down. You have got to restore it,” Michael Williams said. The restoration began with a new roof in August 2015. By the time painting of the exterior had begun, friends and even strangers began reaching out to compliment the Williamses on their work. The restoration project included a complete upgrade to its electrical and plumbing infrastructure. A new state of the art surveillance-security system was also installed. After the cow statues were installed, an elderly lady pulled in the drive and asked one of the contractors, “Is Mr. Jones still selling milk by the gallon?” The restoration took nearly a year and a half to complete. It has been a labor of love that has taken every detail into account, from Lillian Jones’ dipper in the kitchen to her husband’s walking canes in the living room. Replicas of dairy cows have been placed in every room in tribute to Jones Brothers Dairy Inc. Lester Jones was a stern businessman — it had to be done his way or no way — and a silhouetted photograph, placed in the attic window, can be seen of him overlooking the dairy property as if he is still there managing it today. The house is now open for tours on a limited basis; interested parties should contact Michael or Chris Williams. The process to have the property added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage is underway as well. “We are doing this in memory of our grandparents who we deeply loved and who were such pillars of the Walker County community, but we also want this site to be a showplace to provide preservation of the family-owned dairy industry in Alabama,” Michael Williams said. •
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winter 2017
Historic Downtown Jasper 205.221.6194 YoungJewelers.com
Voted #1 Jewelry Store
Joseph R. Downs, IV Certified Public Accountant email: JRDowns@DandAcpa.com
1603 1st Avenue East Post Office Box 824 Jasper, AL 35502-0824 Office: 205/221-5454 Direct: 205/385-0614 Fax: 205/221-5474
volume 5, issue 2
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Walker Magazine
Photo courtesy of “Liberia” by Gail B. Stewart
winter 2017
Liberian civil war survivor leads Jasper congregation Story by James Phillips | Photos courtesy of Richard Stryker
one of the worst massacres to take place during the Liberian Civil War was in July 1990 when more than 600 civilians, most of whom were women and small children, were gunned down by government soldiers inside St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Monrovia. Richard Stryker had served as a peacekeeper, patrolling the outside of the church only a short time before the slaughter took place. “As pastors, we were responsible for the Lutheran church,” said Stryker, a native of Liberia and current pastor at River of Living Water United Methodist Church in Jasper. “We walked around the walls of the church so that if any government troops tried to come on the campus that we could help others to escape. The women and children slept in the school building and the men slept in the sanctuary. It was a very chaotic time.” Stryker said he considered his own death to be imminent as he marched outside the church.
“I had already decided that I probably would not live through it, but it was important enough for us to help other people to live,” he said. “That was kind of the idea of patrolling the fence. It was not to keep people from coming against the structure, but maybe we would be the first people shot and other people would get the news and run.” When the massacre happened, Stryker had left to return to his home area of Bushrod Island to care for his parents, who had become sick. “Those persons who were left at the church were massacred,” Stryker said. “There were as many as 2,000 people there and more than 600 were killed. We knew the danger of the place, but we didn’t know where else to go.” The slaughter at the church is only one of a number of times that Stryker narrowly escaped death during his time working as a peacekeeper in his native country. Stryker, who had returned to Liberia in December 1988 after two years in
Above: Rev. Richard Stryker baptizes a youth at River of Living Water United Methodist Church in Jasper. Opposite page: Stryker, bottom left corner, leads a peaceful march in Liberia during that country’s civil war. volume 5, issue 2
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Below: Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia was chaos in the late 1980s when a civil war broke out in the African nation.
At right: Stryker between soldiers during the civil war in Liberia and with his wife Jennie on their wedding day in 1991 in Liberia. At far right: Stryker as a youth.
seminary in the United States, expected to be saving souls instead of saving lives. Following in the footsteps of his forefathers, Samuel David Ferguson (the first American-born black person to be elected bishop of the Episcopal Church in Liberia) and William Wade Harris (a Liberian evangelist who preached in Liberia and Ghana), Stryker felt like reaching others for the Gospel was in his blood. “I wanted to return to Liberia to lead the church there, but civil war broke out on Christmas Eve of 1989, and that changed everything,” Stryker said. As a young pastor in the “Christians United for Peace” group, Stryker said much of his time during the war was spent organizing peaceful rallies. “We would take to the streets and people would follow us,” he said. “We were demonstrating against what we described as indiscriminate killing of individuals by both the government controlled by Samuel Doe and rebel leader Charles Taylor.” The civil war was political in nature with rival factions seeking power. All sides included Christians, Muslims and traditional Afri-
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can tribal people. “Our church had an ongoing relationship with the Muslim community and Muslim leaders,” Stryker said. “We wanted to see a peaceful end to the fighting, and that was going to take work from all people.” As the war continued, territories in the country would shift between faction leaders. It was the killing of one leader that led to Stryker’s family and the family of his now wife being placed in the same territory. Richard Stryker and his wife, Jennie, were married in 1991 and in September of that year left Liberia for the United States. “My plan had been to come back to Liberia for a few years and then return to the United States to get my masters degree in divinity,” Stryker said. Since coming to the United States, Stryker has continued to promote peace in various ways, especially in united races within the church. He helped to found Good Samaritan United Methodist Church, a biracial congregation in Memphis, in 1992. Since that time, he has served as pastor in churches in Tennessee, Georgia
winter 2017
Stryker standing inside River of Living Water UMC.
Stryker with his wife, Jennie, on their wedding day in 1991 in Liberia.
Photo by James Phillips
and Alabama. Stryker also served for a time as director of ethnic ministries for the UMC in north Alabama. He came to River of Living Water UMC in Jasper in June 2015. “I missed preaching, and I wanted to be on the front lines of ministry again,” Stryker said. “I didn’t ask for Jasper, Ala., as the place that I wanted to go because you don’t do that in the United Methodist Church, but I am so blessed to be here.” Stryker said he feels his background was what led the UMC to place him at River of Living Water, which is a multiracial congregation that was created several years ago by merging two African American churches and one white church. “Every person is unique, and that is something that we try to celebrate at our church,” Stryker said. “We do that in every aspect of how we do church from our worship to our sermons. We attempt to embrace various backgrounds and show that in our services.” River of Living Water, located on Jones Dairy Road in Jasper, is one of only three UMC multiracial churches out of 700 in north Alabama.
volume 5, issue 2
Stryker with his family.
“I see ourselves at ground zero,” Stryker said. “This is not just a come here on Sunday church. We gather three or four times per week. If we can build relationships here, then we are at ground zero for racial reconciliation. We are at the crux of building a better society by showing our children that we can make a difference. “While that is happening, we are also clear that our primary mission is reaching people for Jesus Christ,” Stryker added. Stryker and his wife, Jennie, have now been married for 25 years, and the couple has two children, their 24-year-old son Waddy and 7-year-old daughter Finda. “Forged from Chaos: Stories and Reflections from Liberia at War” is a book written by Stryker that goes into detail about his experiences during wartime in his native country. Despite living in America now longer than he lived in Liberia, Stryker continues to be an advocate for the African country, speaking out in recent years to help bring awareness to the Ebola crisis that hit there. “Whether it is here or there, I just want to make a difference and help others,” he said. •
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winter 2017
Best burgers in town:
The return of the Armstrong Cafe Story by Lea Rizzo | Photos by Jennifer Cohron and courtesy of Scott and Kelli Tucker
The Armstrong Cafe
was the heart and soul of Eldridge for over 50 years thanks to late owners Opal and Clois “Poocher” Armstrong. Now another husband and wife team, Scott and Kelli Tucker, have reopened it for a new generation. The restaurant retains a 1950s theme in honor of the cafe’s first opening in 1953. Originally, Opal’s father cooked barbecue on the location that is now the cafe. After Opal and Poocher got married, Opal’s parents gave them the restaurant. “I believe when Opal’s daddy was starting to have more health issues and couldn’t keep doing the barbecue, that’s when they went ahead and started selling hamburgers,” Scott said. Money was so tight that Opal later recalled they sometimes wondered if there would be enough to pay the bread man. “Opal would just get a little bit of [food], whatever they could afford to make a little bit of profit to buy [ingredients] for the next day,” Kelli said. Each day, Opal would serve hamburgers until she ran out of meat and then “that was it for the day.” The hamburgers were served plain without french fries or other sides but were known as some of the best in the county. The Armstrong Cafe first closed in 2005 due to Opal and Poocher’s declining health. Realizing that the cafe had been such a large part of the Eldridge community, Poocher hoped to open only in the mornings to sell coffee and donuts, but Opal was against the idea. Opal passed away in October 2010. Poocher followed in 2015. The building sat vacant for over 10 years before reopening in August 2016. “I’d go by every evening after work and I’d keep seeing it and it broke my heart because I had memories here. Not just me but all these people in this community,” Scott said. After getting permission from Poocher and Opal’s daughters to reopen the restaurant, Scott was able to do all the renovations himself, with the help of his father and brother, thanks to his background in carpentry. After the upgrade, the only signs of modern times are the new kitchen equipment, a flat screen television and the prices on the menu. Dean Dodd, the Tuckers’ first customer on Aug. 8, was also the cafe’s first customer in 1953. “He beat everyone in the second we opened so he could be the first
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customer again,” Kelli said. In addition to serving up the classic “Opal burger,” the Tuckers have followed other Armstrong Cafe traditions. The couple had not planned to be open on Sundays. However, after customers kept reminding them that people used to give Opal orders at church that she would fill after services were over, they changed their minds. “On Sundays, there’s not an empty spot in here to even sit down,” Kelli said. Opal would also help out any down-on-their-luck customers by giving them extra food. “There’s a man who comes in who grew up extremely poor. He would come in when he was younger and Opal would make sure he had something to eat,” Kelli said. “When we opened up, he came in here and he ended up becoming a dentist.” Scott and Kelli said they’ve done the same thing, giving extra chips, candy or some type of snack to families in need that have come by the cafe. Like the Armstrongs, the Tuckers have also developed relationships with their regular customers. During their time working on Highway 13, construction workers would often come to the cafe. Opal knew their orders from memory and what time she could expect them. She even grilled vegetables at the request of some of the workers. The Tuckers were able to develop that same sort of relationship with local high schoolers who came in the restaurant every Friday night before football games to eat and hang out. Since the cafe reopened, it has drawn visitors from across the county who want to share their memories. Former Eldridge schoolchildren recall leaving to pick up a hamburger instead of eating in the cafeteria or stopping in on the way home to try to get the highest score on the pinball machine. Customers have also reunited with friends or relatives they haven’t seen in a long time. “If I can bring people back together and rekindle the old friendship they had, that just tickles me more than anything,” Scott said. “I don’t think Poocher and Opal realized how many memories they were involved in,” Kelli said. “That’s what we want to bring back, those memories.” Scott and Kelli have their own memories of the cafe from when they were younger. Scott, the great nephew of the Armstrongs, recalls running all around the cafe when he was a kid and playing in the creek behind the restaurant. Kelli used to come in during the summers with her mom, who ran an insurance route for Mutual Savings. People from across the country frequently made their way to the Armstrong Cafe when it was originally open. Now the Tuckers are making their own memories with travelers. During their first week, a family from Brazil stopped at the restaurant on their way to Disney World. Kelli and Scott took that opportunity to introduce two of the kids to tater tots. “We explained to them that [tater tots] are kind of like a french fry and kind of smooshed together,” Kelli said, with a laugh. With all the customers — both new and old — that have passed through the Armstrong Cafe within its first few months of reopening, the Tuckers are excited for their business to continue to grow and bring people together. “We wish [Poocher] could’ve seen everything before he passed away last year,” Kelli said. “I think [he and Opal] would be proud of everything we’ve done.” • 22
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Clois “Poocher” and Opal Armstrong operated the cafe for over 50 years. winter 2017
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1. In a large soup kettle, simmer chicken breasts in 2 cups of chicken broth. Add onion and garlic to chicken as it simmers. As this is simmering, prepare other vegetables. When chicken is done, remove it from broth and set it aside to cool slightly. 2. To the kettle of broth, add stewed tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper, potatoes and seasonings. Continue to simmer. 3. When chicken has cooled, remove the bone and fat and pull into strips. Then add chicken pieces to stew. 4. Simmer about 30 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are done. Empty one packet of rice from boil-in-a-bag plus one cup water. Stew is ready when rice has cooked. 5. Serve with a side offering of shredded cheddar cheese or grated parmesan, but it is delicious as it is.
italian chicken stew 3 chicken half-breasts 2 cups chicken broth
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Options: Add one chopped zucchini or 2-3 cups of collard greens after the firmer vegetables are cooked some.
4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 cans (15 oz.) Italian-style stewed tomatoes 2-3 carrots, sliced (or use equivalent amount of small carrots) 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped 2 potatoes, diced 2 tsp. Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup water 1 packet boil-in-a-bag rice (add at end) Walker Magazine
-by Sharon Reneau
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
1 large yellow onion, cut in strips
This stew has been a favorite with our family for the past 35 years. It was created and modified in response to my family’s tastes; sometimes I add more vegetables or rice. It is our comfort food when cooler weather sets in, and tastes even better the second day. When my son, Kevin, was small and I asked him what I should make for dinner, this was his most requested dish, and even so to this day.
winter 2017
CAKE: 1. Cream butter, egg whites and 1 cup sugar together. Beat well. 2. Add vanilla to milk. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. 3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. 4. Pour into greased/floured round cake pans. Cook at 350 degrees, until toothpick comes out clean when stuck into cake layers. Makes 3 round layers. 5. Slice the layers open and spread filling (recipe below) in between layers, and on top and sides of the cake.
CAKE:
FILLING:
3 cups plain flour
8 egg yolks
FILLING: Combine egg yolks, sugar, raisins, coconut and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and cook. Stirring constantly until thick (15 to 20 minutes). The mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon and let cool.
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
-by June Boland
8 egg whites
1 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups sugar (divided)
1/2 cup butter or margarine,
1 cup butter or margarine,
softened
softened
1/4 cup bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup milk
volume 5, issue 2
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
grandma’s lane cake
My grandma brought this recipe from Tennessee when she married my grandpa. And she gave it to my mother and then I got it from my mother, and I gave it to all my daughters. And now my only granddaughter has it. A lady from Tupelo, Miss. hired me each Christmas to make her two of this cake. And then I moved to Jasper and I thought I was getting out of making her cakes, but she found me. Ha, ha! 25
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1 can salmon (14 3/4 oz.) 2 eggs 12 individual Saltine crackers 1 teaspoon dill weed
Walker Magazine
1. Empty salmon into a flat bottom bowl and break up with a dinner fork until the pieces are very small, add eggs and cracker crumbs and dill weed, stirring well. 2. Put 1/4 cup of Mazola oil into a skillet, heat just a few minutes, then shape the salmon mixture into individual patties (try to keep the patties uniform in size, brown on both sides). 3. Place on paper towel to soak up oil. Serve with tarter sauce or plain.
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
gramma reagan’s salmon croquettes
Notes: Put the crackers in a plastic sandwich bag and pound them until pieces are small before adding to the salmon, egg mixture. You may need to add more oil as you cook the patties. Leftovers make a good sandwich. Mayo the bread and add sweet pickle relish. -by Martha L. Powell winter 2017
1. Mix sugar, cocoa and flour in the top of a double boiler. 2. Add milk and mix well. Cook over boiling water until slightly thick. 3. Stir part of this hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. 4. Return it to the pan and cook until very thick. 5. Add vanilla and butter. Pour into prepared pie crust. 6. Top with meringue. 7. Bake at 325 for about 12 minutes.
mama’s chocolate pie
-by Kenietra Hewitt
1 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup flour 3 Tablespoons cocoa
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
For the meringue, beat the egg whites until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar, about 4 tablespoons, until stiff peaks form. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Spread over pie and bake until golden brown.
2 cups milk 3 egg yolks 1 Tablespoon vanilla 1/4 cup butter 1 baked pie crust
volume 5, issue 2
My mom’s chocolate pie is special to me because it reminds me of summer during my childhood. Dinner would be just as delicious as she prepared fried chicken, fried okra, macaroni and cheese and cornbread and for dessert the warm chocolate pie. I would take off the meringue topping and go straight for the crunchy crust and chocolate filling. And eating it straight from the fridge the next day was even better, if there were any leftover. Today, I try to make mom’s chocolate pie, but it just doesn’t taste like hers! 27
1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. Add flour to large mixing bowl. 3. Add 1/3 cup shortening to center of the flour. With a sturdy wooden spoon, work the flour from the edges of the bowl into the shortening to create small crumbles. Once the crumbles are formed add the 3/4 cup of milk and mix to the center of the bowl until dough is formed. 4. Lay a piece of wax paper or old newspaper down on counter and flour well so that dough doesn’t stick. Transfer dough from bowl to paper. 5. Flour top of dough lightly and use hands to flatten out the dough. Don’t kneed. Flatten dough until it is about 3/4 inch thick. 6. Grease the inside and outside rim of a 2” juice glass and use to cut out biscuits. 7. Place biscuits in a lightly greased cast iron skillet and bake for 16 minutes at 350 degrees and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the tops.
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2 1/4 cups white lily flour 1/3 cup shortening with veg oil and lard 3/4 cup whole milk
Walker Magazine
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
ruby’s cloud biscuits
-by Haven Phillips These biscuits are special to me, because my grandmother, Ruby Phillips, made them every day of my life until her health wouldn’t allow it any more. Making these biscuits always takes me back to her kitchen where she taught me how to make them. winter 2017
1. Pour the 2 1/2 cups of water into a medium sized saucepan, bring to a boil then add macaroni and salt to taste. 2. Stir well and allow to return to a boil. Cover tightly and remove from heat. 3. When water is absorbed, add margarine and about 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. 4. Stir well and when both have melted, pour mixture into a greased 8 X 8 baking dish. 5. In a separate bowl, combine beaten eggs, mustard, evaporated milk, whole milk, and water adding enough extra milk and water to bring the total volume to 2 1/2 cups. 6. Pour this liquid into the macaroni mixture and then pour Velveeta shreds over top. With a fork, gently stir the Velveeta into the macaroni and milk mixture. There should be enough liquid to lightly cover macaroni and cheese mixture. 7. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over top to cover. Bake at 350° until bubbly and brown on top. Enjoy!! (The recipe may be doubled for a large 9X13 pan.)
macaroni & cheese 1 1/2 Cups Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
-by Bonnie Barton
Salt (to taste) 1 8oz. pkg. Velveeta Shreds Grated Cheddar Cheese 6 Tbsp. Margarine
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 Cups Water
2 Eggs, beaten 1 tsp. Prepared Mustard 1 sm. Can Evaporated Milk 2/3 Cups Whole milk (or more) 2/3 Cups Water (or more)
volume 5, issue 2
This is an original recipe from my mother, Bessie Barton. She was known in the family and church for making macaroni and cheese. She made it without a recipe and it was always a requested or an “expected” dish at family and church gatherings. Finally, one day with her cooperation, we measured every ingredient so I would have a recipe. It was tweaked a bit and after a few tries, one day, she said that if she had not known better, she would have thought she made it. To me that was the ultimate compliment. I hope you will enjoy this as much as we have. 29
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Walker Magazine
winter 2017
barbecue or
basketball?
Headrick chooses career on the court Story by Johnathan Bentley | Photos by Johnathan Bentley and courtesy of Jake Headrick
volume 5, issue 2
31
Cooking barbecue or coaching basketball — a young Jake Headrick felt those were his two career choices. There was always a chance he could get into the family business. His grandparents owned Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top BBQ in Dora. “Growing up in the barbecue restaurant and working there all my life, I knew I didn’t want to do that,” Headrick, now 33, said. “The only thing I knew besides cooking barbecue and working in a barbecue restaurant was basketball. That’s the only other thing I did in my life.” With barbecue out of the picture, Headrick took to the court. Now 10 years into his coaching career, Headrick knows he made the right choice. Headrick is starting his fifth season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Samford University in Birmingham, just a 45-minute drive from his hometown and the family business. “When I was a kid, I always knew I wanted to do something involving sports,” said Headrick, who moved to Hamilton at age 14 when his father joined the ministry and took a job in Marion County. Headrick came into his own as a high school basketball player at Hamilton High School, being named All-County three years in a row. “The hard thing for me was that Dora went to the final four twice during that time. Those were the guys I grew up playing with. It was hard watching that.” Headrick returned to Walker County to start his college career, playing two years at Bevill State-Walker College in 2001-2002 and 2002-03. He closed out his playing career at Montevallo. The Falcons won conference titles and went to the Sweet 16 in both years
Opposite Page: Jake Headrick is pictured with his family at the SOCON Tournament in Ashville, North Carolina.
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Walker Magazine
winter 2017
EVERY YEAR at
Bevill State Community College
7 COUNTIES & TELL their 5 LOCATIONS OWN STORY Students Across
l Academic Transfer l Career Technical l Health Sciences
Your Story
STARTS AT BEVILL STATE 800.648.3271
volume 5, issue 2
www.bscc.edu
33
Headrick was on the squad. Once his playing days were done, Headrick embarked on his coaching career — it wasn’t always glamorous. Following a year as a student assistant at Montevallo, Headrick spent one season (200607) as an assistant — an unpaid assistant — at Chipola College. “I went down there and didn’t make a penny. They gave me a dorm room to live in. I didn’t make a salary, but I did make a lot of connections that ended up helping me down the road,” Headrick said of his first stint at Chipola, one of the top junior college basketball programs in the nation. After one year at Ole Miss as the Rebels’ video coordinator, Headrick returned to Chipola as an assistant coach — with a full salary this time. Two years later, Chipola head coach Greg Heiar left to take an assistant coaching job at Southern Mississippi. Heiar felt Headrick was ready to take over the reins. “I remember him asking me, ‘Do you want the job?’ I said, ‘No, no, no.’ He said, ‘Trust me, you have to take this opportunity.’ So I did,” said Headrick, who at the ripe age of 26 was a head coach. “When you are at a Division I school, you have numerous assistants and people who help out in different roles. When you are at a junior college, sometimes you might have one or two assistants. You gain experience doing everything. You are your academic advisor. You are the one doing individual instruction. There are a lot of thing that go into it that don’t even scratch the surface of basketball until you finally get to the practices and games,” Headrick said. “There I was, as a head coach. I took over for a coach that had lost 12 games in five years. It was not a rebuilding job when I took over. I learned so much.” Coach Jake Headrick cuts down the net after leading Chipola College to the 2010-11 Panhandle Conference championship. Headrick was head coach of the Florida junior college for three seasons.
34
Walker Magazine
winter 2017
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35
Headrick kept Chipola at the top during his three years, leading the team to an overall record of 67-22, including a 25-6 mark in the 2010-11 season. The team also made state tournament appearances in each of his last two seasons as head coach. Headrick had several chances to leave but was waiting for the perfect job to come open — that’s when Samford came calling. Headrick jumped at the chance to return home. “I knew my resources and connections were in the Alabama area. The other thing that was appealing to me is that I wanted to be somewhere where you could build something special. When I was at Chipola, it’s hard to go up. You are just sort of maintaining,” Headrick said. “(At Samford), we haven’t had a winning season here in 10 years now, but we are on the verge of doing something special.” The team is off to a hot start this year, including an impressive game in a narrow 76-68 loss to 24th ranked Florida State in mid-December. Samford has eight wins heading into conference
play. Not bad considering the team is averaging just 12 wins a year over the past seven seasons. Headrick has seen improvement in three years under head coach Scott Padgett, though the breakthrough hasn’t resulted in a boost in wins just yet. “A lot of hard work has been put into it. Mark Newton is our athletic director. He’s C.M. Newton’s son and he’s committed to basketball. He makes sure we have the resources to be successful,” said Headrick, who is Padgett’s head recruiter. “I love it. That’s what I’ve always enjoyed, building relationships. There is so much talent in Alabama that’s overlooked. Four years ago, I think we had one Alabama kid on our team. We’ve got seven on the roster right now,” Headrick said. “I organize the recruiting and keep coach on track of who we are on. We make sure, as a staff, that we are on the best players we can get at Samford.” •
Coach Jake Headrick coaches his team at a recent practice at the Pete Hanna Center on Samford Univerity’s campus.
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Walker Magazine
winter 2017
Story by Dale Short | Photos courtesy of Marlin Shubert
“Can you come to Nashville?”
the voice on the phone said. “We’d like you to sing a song or two with us and see what it sounds like.” The friendly call was an inauspicious beginning for three years of Marlin Shubert’s life spent touring with the legendary Southern gospel quartet The Inspirations. He was 21 years old in 1969, working for the city of Jasper as a sewer inspector at the time. But in a way, the career move was one he’d been preparing for his whole life. Shubert grew up singing with his family and learned bass guitar and piano. “Our families had all been involved in gospel music,” Shubert says now in his downtown Jasper realty office, his bass voice still resonant after all these years. “My grandfather is who got it all started. My dad had three brothers, and they all went to the Stamps-Baxter School of Music in Dallas to learn how to teach singing schools. All three of them taught singing schools all around north Alabama.” He had been singing since the age of seven. Then his voice started to change and that changed the lineup of the family’s quartet. volume 5, issue 2
37
Marlin Shubert performs with his sister, Kay Robinson, Carol Byars and Martha Butts.
“At the time I was singing alto or first tenor, so I struggled a while with that. But it wasn’t long before singing the high part was out of the question so I went to singing bass.” Marlin and his three sisters were singing as the Shubert Family Quartet when they first caught the ear of gospel music promoters. “Ken Hamilton was doing some promoting back then and when The Inspirations came to town he asked the girls and me if we wanted to be on the program with them that night. Martin Cook, the piano player and manager, asked me if I’d be interested in singing professionally, and I said I might. He took my number and it was March when he first called me and asked me to meet them in Nashville.” But joining the famous quartet was a stop-andgo process for a while. “They called me a couple of months later and said, ‘Can you go to Mississippi with us?’ They came through Jasper and picked me up, and we sang in Jackson, then up to Booneville and Corinth. I didn’t hear any more from them until July, when Martin called me and said their bass singer Troy Burns, who I’d been filling in for, was leaving, and would I be interested in the job? I said, ‘Sure.’ And the rest is history.’” He was naturally intimidated by being thrust into the spotlight with The Inspirations, especially since he didn’t know all their songs and the quartet had a penchant for rehearsing as little as possible. “That had been the joke with The Inspirations
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Walker Magazine
over the years,” he said. But it obviously didn’t interfere with the performances, because in 1972 CBS Television filmed a documentary on gospel music and followed them around the country for two weekends. But Shubert never got nervous onstage, he says, even when they sang at a quartet convention at Pigeon Forge, Tenn., for an audience of some 14,000. “Oddly enough, the only time I get butterflies is when I sing for a crowd here at home, for people I know,” he says. Life on the road was not as glamorous as it might seem, and the group had its share of challenges — bad weather and vehicle troubles among them, including narrowly avoiding a blizzard. “We had done a tour in California one weekend,” he recalls, “and the next weekend we had to be in Seattle and Portland. This was in December, and when we left Washington it was already starting to snow. ”When we got to Denver, the bus driver was listening to the radio and it said there was 26 inches of snow ahead of us that had fallen overnight, so we were able to go a different route through the Rockies to get back home. We were lucky, and with the good Lord’s grace we made it through.” The last tour he did with the group, they were on their way home from Allentown, Pa., when the clutch came out of the bus and they had to catch a train home. In general, the bus proved a faithful companion, though. “They bought a new Silver Eagle bus
winter 2017
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“There’s just something about families that makes for the best harmony.” - Marlin Shubert
in March of 1971,” he says, “and by April of ‘72 it had 93,000 miles on it. They ran that bus for 27 or 28 years. It went through multiple motors and transmissions and rear ends, but when they traded it, it had a little more than three million miles.” Their great number of concerts was an education in playing to crowds, Shubert says. “Venues are different; there are some where the crowd really loves the bass singer. Oklahoma City was a good bass singer town. And Jacksonville, Fla., was one of the most spiritual programs that we ever had.” Shubert recorded four studio albums while he was with the group. “For a long time they recorded two albums a year,” for a total of 70 records. “They were the great big kind of CDs,” he says with a laugh, holding out his hands to show the span of a 12-inch vinyl album. The quartet was also the subject of the first live concert video, produced by singer and promoter J.G. Whitfield in 1971. The video crew accompanied them through Florida, Georgia and North Carolina for two weeks recording the footage. Shubert left the group when he married and wanted to start a family. “Running a hundred thousand miles a year in the bus wasn’t exactly conducive to raising children,” he says. “So we decided it was time to move back to Jasper.” He and his family still sing. His two daughters are in choirs, and as for his sisters, “There’s not anybody in gospel music that’s got any better harmony than my sisters do. I’d put them up against anybody else who sings. There’s just something about families that makes for the best harmony.” He’s a member of the Jasper Men’s Chorale and still plays occasional concert dates with some former members of The Inspirations. “We all have motor homes,” he says, “and our wives travel with us. If we’ve got a Friday program, we leave the day before and meet up at a campground somewhere. The guys will play golf, and the ladies will go shop. We don’t get stressed out over anything. We’re just a laid-back bunch who enjoy singing.” The group still does many of the old Inspirations’ favorites, including “Roll On Jordan,” which Shubert says “has sort of been my signature song over the years. And ‘Jesus Is Coming Soon’ has always been one of my favorites over the years. It has a great message.”
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Walker Magazine
winter 2017
Photo by Dale Short
Though radio stations these days play mostly contemporary gospel, he still leans toward the classic Southern variety. “I’m a traditionalist,” he says. “But with the contemporary songs you’ll catch yourself humming the tunes, and it’s certainly got its niche. Just 15 or 20 years ago you never heard drums with a Southern gospel quartet, and now they’re one of the most prevalent instruments used in recordings. It’s been a little hard for me to adjust.” Looking back on his time with the legendary quartet from a perspective of more than 45 years, he says he’s realized one fact in particular. “You’d like to think it’s individuals, but it’s got nothing to do with individuals or The Inspirations. It’s all about the songs and the music. And those are what will last.” • volume 5, issue 2
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C l a s sic . E l e g a n t. St y l e .
Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
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Walker Magazine
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january - march
january
12
february
walker county public fishing lake
The Walker County Public Fishing Lake in Jasper will be open six days a week from sunrise to sunset through December 2017. Closed on Wednesdays. The lake facilities include a boat ramp, fishing pier, restrooms and concessions (bait, tackle and snacks). For more information, contact the lake manager Charlie Skalnik at (205) 221-1801.
14
march
“celebrating our communities: ch. 1”
“Celebrating Our Communities: Chapter 1” will open at the Bankhead House and Heritage Center Feb. 14. An opening reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Artifacts from Carbon Hill, Eldridge, Kansas, Nauvoo and Townley will be featured. The exhibit runs through June 9.
march 12
daylight savings time Everyone will set their clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March. Remember to also change the batteries in your smoke detectors.
JANUARY 16
king day march for non-violence The King Day March for Non-Violence is held each year in January to honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, message and legacy. The march will begin at noon from A.P. Howell Coke Oven Park and end with a program at the Percy L. Goode Community Center.
28
miss walker county outstanding teen pageant & miss walker county scholorship pageant
The Miss Walker County Outstanding Teen Pageant will be held at 3 p.m. The Miss Walker County Scholarship Pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Both events will be held at Rowland Auditorium on the Bevill State Community College -Walker College Campus in Jasper. The pageants are sponsored by the Pilot Club of Jasper. For more information, contact Linda Thaler at (205) 275-1009.
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Walker Magazine
17
rotary trivia night
The Rotary Club of Jasper will host its annual Trivia Night fundraiser at the Community Health Systems Activities Center in Jasper. Teams compete over their knowledge of various topics for prizes and bragging rights.
FEBRUARY 18
kiwanis club pancake breakfast The Kiwanis Club of Jasper will host its annual Pancake Breakfast in the Francis Israel Hospitality Center on the Bevill State Community College Walker College Campus in Jasper. For ticket information, contact any Kiwanis Club member.
winter 2017
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Readers’
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45
SNAPSHOTS
pets on parade october 29, 2016 gamble park - jasper
Darla Hardy and Sammy
Julia Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson
Daisy Phillips and Rosebud
Jimmy Vann and Boy
Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
4465 Alabama 195, Jasper, AL 35503 • (205) 221-7980 46
Walker Magazine
#1 Auto Parts Store 4 Years In A Row! winter 2017
november 24, 2016
NOVEMBER 24, 2016
c.h. first baptist church
c.h. community center
SNAPSHOTS
carbon hill thanksgiving dinner
Jewell Hess, Joseph Harris and Anna Claire Harris
Beth Hess, Judy Falls and Peggy Aaron
Judy Brown, Martha Davis, Donna Stough, Hope Hicks and Anita Trotter
Scott and Zac McCullar
John Hess, Todd Manuel and Howard Brown
Cynthia Deavers and Laura Rorie
CANDYLAND DAYCARE, INC. Curry Highway • Jasper • 221-5683
State Licensed, Trained, Qualified Teachers volume 5, issue 2
a trusting touch Breakfast, Lunch, & Snack Provided on USDA Program
Infants • Toddlers 3, 4 & 5 Yr. Old Preschool
Celebration 25 Years In Business
6am to 6pm 47
SNAPSHOTS
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Lisa Taylor, Jordan Stough, Bradley Burditt, Jonna Lee and Jennifer Lee
NOVEMBER 25, 2016 DOWNTOWN JASPER
Lauren, Piper and Lilah Crawford
Cindy, Keith and Hayden Wright
Cindy Dailey, Connor Brown and Connie Brown
Jack Pettit, Velda Courington, Renee Kaufman and James Kaufman
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Walker Magazine
winter 2017
DECEMBER 31, 2016 warehouse 319 - jasper
SNAPSHOTS
NEW YEAR’S EVE party
Brandon Barns, Miranda Townley, Kate Davis and Kendall Norris
Jerry Schapman, Brenda Kirkpatrick, Stacy Smothers and Jim Smothers
Keith McKerall, Chris McKerall, Karen Benson and Anthony Benson
James and Andrea Phillips
Ed Herr, Adriana Figueroa, Edward Herr and Rita Herr
volume 5, issue 2
49
with Tana Collins Story by Nicole Smith Photo by Ron Harris
Tana Collins became the public information officer for the City of Jasper in 2014, and she transitioned to Bevill State Community College in November to serve as the college’s director of public relations. She is the Alabama Communities of Excellence-Jasper coordinator and serves on many area board of directors. Collins is a native of Walker County and says after working out of state in the past, she is happy to now be serving central Alabama through BSCC. Q: What is unique about Walker County to you? A: The people of Walker County are what’s unique to me. You have these true Southern, eccentric characters that you think you would find in a William Faulkner novel, and then you have this amazing amount of support and sense of community here. I’ve seen it over and over. Something tragic will happen or there will be a child who has this wonderful opportunity and needs some financial support from the community, and it never ceases to amaze me that time after time, the community unites and does what they need to do to help those people or to help support them and move them forward. … The generosity in this community never falters. Q: Is there one thing that you would like to see come to fruition the most, as a result of the Alabama Communities of Excellence-Jasper program? A: During those community meetings we formed groups that took on volunteer activities in the community. … 50
Walker Magazine
These volunteer groups came together and did all these amazing projects. Of course I want to see economic restructuring. I want to see industrial development. I want to see the city get grant funds that help us to develop this amazing comprehensive plan that we follow, … but I think having an engaged citizenship and the people being involved actively in making visual, physical change in their city gives them a sense of pride and ownership. It helps us to continue to grow and be appealing to people that may want to move here or move their industry or business here. Q: Who has had the greatest influence in your life that lives here in the county? A: Most definitely my mother. My mother is Dr. Diana Little. She was a teacher in the Walker County system for many years. She then was the principal of Carbon Hill Elementary/Jr. High for over a decade. She was the principal when the tornado hit the school and destroyed it, so she was there through the construction of the new school, the
moving in, everything. She then went to work for the state and came back to the Walker County Board of Education. She had not finished college when I was born. She finished her first degree while I was a child. She always worked, did her education job and helped with my family business as well. She dedicated countless hours. … We used to joke that she just needed to put a cot up at the school, because she spent so much time up there. I still feel such a sense of pride anytime I run into anyone and they’re like, ‘I loved your mother. She changed my life. She was the best teacher I ever had.’ She impacted not just me but so many children in Walker County in such a positive way, and seeing how hard she worked and never faltered — even when things in our life might have been difficult or challenging. She and my dad divorced while I was young; she was a young, single mother and continued moving forward towards that goal. I think that was one motto we’ve kept in my household my whole life is just keep moving forward. … I would say she’s been the greatest influence in my life. winter 2017
TEAMWORK
Jasper Water Tank
Spec Building #5
Yorozu Groundbreaking
Interstate 22 Official Opening
The Jasper Industrial Development Board and The Walker County Development Authority work as a unified team to promote growth and development within Walker County. Contact:
Walker County Development Authority Phone: 205-302-0068 Web: wceida.com volume 5, issue 2
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Over 30 Specialty Shops Inside
Jasper Mall Serving Walker And Surrounding Counties For 36 Years!
Bath & Body Works • Belk, Carol’s • Cato • Cellairis • Chick-Fil-A • Deb & Co. • Factory Connection Fisher’s Men’s Shop • Garfield’s Restaurant & Pub • General Nutrition Center • Hibbett Sports • JC Penney Joe’s Shirt Shop • K-Mart • Lin Garden II • MasterCuts • Moon Day Spa • Nail Galaxy • Photosshoots Prime Communications • Robin’s Nest • rue 21 • Shoe Dept. • Subway • Susan’s Hallmark • The Children’s Place The Jewelry Doctor • U.S. Military Career Center • Yogurt Street • Zales