VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 3 • spring 2016
The Recovery of Cordova A publication of the Daily Mountain Eagle
“Best Place to Play Golf” Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
916 Country Club Rd., Jasper, AL 2
www.musgrovecc.com
Walker M agazine
205-221-7900
Volume 4, Issue 3
Here is a great place to call home.
There’s something different about the way everyone cares for one another in our community, and you’ll find it’s the same way at First Bank of Jasper. Turn to us for the financial products and services you need. Because here is a great place to be your friend, your neighbor and your bank. 205.221.3121 firstbankofjasper.com
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast. Spring 2016
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From The Staff...
VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 3
PUBLISHER
Jack McNeely
EDITOR
Jennifer Cohron
ART DIRECTOR Malarie Brakefield
CONTRIBUTORS
Johnathan Bentley, Jennifer Cohron, Elane Jones, Ron Harris, 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, work and play. We welcome ideas and suggestions for future editions of the magazine. Just send us a brief note via email.
© 2016 Daily Mountain Eagle Walker Magazine P.O. Box 1469 Jasper, AL 35502 (205) 221-2840 EMail: walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com 4
Walker M agazine
April 27, 2011, was a dark day in Walker County’s history. The loss of life and property was staggering — nine deaths, 170 homes destroyed, 150 homes heavily damaged and an estimated $4 million in unmet needs. The task of overcoming the devastation wrought by two storms separated by less than 12 hours seemed overwhelming. In the city of Cordova, the road to recovery has had numerous twists and turns. First came a nearly two-year battle with federal red tape to get the crumbling downtown business district torn down. Then city leaders started the even more complicated work of rebuilding. Because progress is sometimes difficult to detect when observed in real time, we have put together a photo essay celebrating the projects that have been completed in the past five years. Though there is still much work left to do, these snapshots show the strides that the city has made since that unforgettable spring of 2011. We sat down with Cordova Fire Chief Dean Harbison and his wife, Kandie, to discuss how the events of April 27 changed their relationship. Though told through the experiences of one couple, this story is presented as a tribute to all of the city’s volunteer firefighters who served their community during one of its most painful hours and continue to do so today. Also in this issue, we go behind the scenes of the recent Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Southern Open on Lewis Smith Lake to shine the spotlight on some of the volunteers who make our local fishing tournaments such a success. We hope local history buffs will enjoy reading about Frank Sherer, who has spent his retirement making miniature replicas of buildings significant to him, such as his great-grandfather’s wooden cabin. His most recent project is a model of the Walker County Courthouse. At Walker M agazine , we take every opportunity we can to honor the past as well as the community spirit that makes possible a brighter future for our county.
Jennifer Cohron, Editor
On The Cover Cordova Fire Chief Dean Harbison and his wife, Kandie, serve together as volunteer firefighters. Photo by Jennifer Cohron
Get hooked! 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! Volume 4, Issue 3
Watch Us Grow! Retail Industry Lodging Education
New 1 million gallon water tank to support growth in the Bevill Industrial Park as well as the city’s new Jasper Industrial Park.
Holiday Inn Express opening May 31st (next to Hampton Inn on Industrial Blvd.) Features: 71 guest rooms, complimentary breakfast, exercise facility, guest laundry, outdoor pool.
New Walker High School
Mayor Sonny Posey District 1 Jed Daniel Spring 2016
Inc. 1887
District 2 Danny Gambrell
District 3 Gary Cowen
District 4 Jennifer W. Smith
District 5 Sandi Sudduth
(205) 221-2100 | 400 19th St. W, Jasper, AL 35501 | www.jaspercity.com
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From The Vault Mercedes-Benz President Visits Jasper
Ring Of Fire Cordova Fire and Rescue
Snapshots of Recovery Rebuilding the city of Cordova
Handmade History Frank Sherer
08 10 14 20
24 30 32 34
The Perfect Cast Fishing tournament volunteers
Community Calendar What’s going on in the county
Snapshots Past events in Walker County
Why I Love Walker County Jeff Lockhart
These nine crosses stand along Highway 78 in Argo in memory of the nine people who lost their lives in Walker County on April 27, 2011 – Jonathan Doss, Justin Doss, Annette Singleton, Jackson Vanhorn, Wesley Starr, Lucille Waters, Harold Jett, Pamela Jett and Kathleen Brown.
ADVERTISER INDEX 27 - Allstate—Holladay Agency
35 - Duskin Point Marina
16 - Lamar’s Glass
09 - Bevill State Community College
03 - First Bank of Jasper
27 - Los Reyes
16 - Blackwell’s Body Shop
34 - Green Top BBQ
33 - Manchester Auto
09 - Byars-Wright Insurance
25 - GCR Tires
02 - Musgrove Country Club
22 - Café Bill’s
30 - High Point Furniture
36 - Nelson, Bryan & Jones
32 - Candyland Daycare
23 - Honda of Jasper
17 - Reliable A/C Systems, Inc.
13 - Carl Cannon
23 - Hyundai of Jasper
31 - Walker Development Authority
29 - Chamber of Commerce of Walker Co.
28 - Jasper Auto Sales
25 - Witcher Office Supply
05 - City of Jasper
31 - Jasper Industrial Development Board
25 - Young Jewelers
22 - Cordova Health & Rehabilitation
07 - Jasper Mall
17 - Downs & Associates
25 - Jones Accounting
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Volume 4, Issue 3
Over 30 Specialty Shops Inside
Jasper Mall
n
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 Prime Communications Restorations
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
Serving Walk er And Surroun ding Counties For 35 Years!
Spring 2016
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From The Mercedes-Benz President Visits Jasper: April 1994 Story by Jennifer Cohron • Photos courtesy of the Daily Mountain Eagle
W
alker County rolled out the red carpet when Mercedes-Benz President Andreas Renschler visited the area in April 1994, less than a year following the announcement that the company had selected Vance, Alabama, as the site of its first full-production automotive plant outside Germany. Renschler and the Mercedes team were made honorary citizens of Jasper and Walker County by Mayor Penn Woods and County Commission Chairman Joe Kimbrell in a ceremony held on the Courthouse Square. Renschler also visited T.R. Simmons Elementary School, where students waved German flags and wore cardboard Mercedes emblems around their necks.
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Spring 2016
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Ring of
Story and Photos by Jennifer Cohron
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Volume 4, Issue 3
Above: Cordova Fire and Rescue’s first temporary home after the April 27, 2011, tornadoes was an old pharmacy building in downtown Cordova. At left: Cordova Fire Chief Dean Harbison and members of Cordova Fire and Rescue tackle a house fire on McCrory Street in January.
O
n April 27, 2011, members of Cordova Fire and Rescue awoke to the news that an EF3 tornado had passed through the heart of the city. Several buildings, including the fire station, sustained damage. That afternoon, Kandie Harbison tried to reach her husband, Fire Chief Dean Harbison, to warn him about a second storm, but network overload made completing a call impossible. As the monstrous black funnel bore down on them, Cordova’s volunteer firefighters ran into the basement of City Hall and emerged moments later to find a debris field a half-mile wide. Three people lay dead in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot, and the city’s fourth casualty was trapped under a nearby house. The walking wounded streamed past the battered remains of Long Memorial United Methodist Church and down the hillside toward the first responders. Nearly 30 minutes after an EF4 roared through downtown leaving chaos in its wake, Dean Harbison spoke briefly on the phone with his wife and confirmed that he was okay before quickly getting back to work. “We probably talked less than two minutes, and I don’t know if she heard from me again for days,” he said. In the aftermath of the tornadoes, an old pharmacy Spring 2016
located in the center of the devastation became a makeshift fire department. A camper provided temporary lodging for Brett and Melody Dawkins, two firefighters who lost their home in the storm. Harbison, who became the city’s disaster recovery coordinator, moved into a mobile command center brought in by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The new living arrangements ensured that at least one member of the department was downtown at all times to help city leaders address an ever-changing set of crises. Their presence underscored a truth often forgotten about volunteer firefighters – their lives are built on sacrifices. For more than a decade of marriage, Kandie Harbison had tried to help her husband maintain a healthy balance between his family and his community service through the fire department. After the tornado, it was understood that the scales had been tipped, at least temporarily, in favor of the latter. “He probably slept down there a good two months. He couldn’t leave,” she recalled, her eyes brimming with tears. “He would come home to shower and see the kids and then he’d go back. I would go help as much as I could, but there’s only so much time that both of you can stay away from your kids.” Although several women were active in the department at the time of the tornado, Kandie Harbison was not one of them. She joined in 2012 to spend more time with her husband and to put her medical knowledge to good use for residents of a city struggling to recover. After years of being an outside observer, Harbison finally understood why volunteer firefighters can’t go about
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At left: Dean Harbison has served as a volunteer firefighter since 1991 and has been Cordova’s fire chief since 1999. His wife, Kandie, is a respiratory therapist who joined the department in 2012. They are one of eight couples who serve together in Cordova Fire and Rescue.
Cordova Fire and Rescue was housed in a pharmacy, a high school gymnasium and a former VFW before the new fire station began taking shape last year. The ups and downs of the last five years forged strong bonds among the city’s firefighters. They have shared plenty of tears but also moments of joy, including the weddings of three couples within the department. Married couples currently make up more than half of Cordova Fire and Rescue’s roster, which represents a drastic change from the male-only environment that Dean Harbison joined in 1991. He said the department feels more like a family now than ever before because so many husbands and wives are serving together. He also credits the women with helping the department emerge from the storm stronger than it might otherwise have been. “I believe we could not be where we are today without that change in our dynamic. I think they helped push us and keep us focused, whereas guys tend to settle and make do. It’s more than just firefighting and medical calls. Having them here has kept us sane,” he said. •
their work halfheartedly. “I would always ask him (Dean), ‘Why do you put so much time into this?’ Until you’re in it, you don’t really think about how much time, how much effort and how much of yourself it involves,” she said. “Before, I knew what he did and why he did it, but being part of it gave me an understanding of how necessary it is. Even if only one or two people appreciate it, they make it worth it.” Dean Harbison is quick to point out that volunteer fire departments must adhere to the same ISO standards as professional departments. The only difference is that the men and women of Cordova Fire and Rescue receive minimal compensation for the hours that they spend training, maintaining the department’s equipment, running calls and raising funds. “There are so many things that you need at a volunteer department that you can’t get easily, so you have to work hard at it. It’s not a job, but it has to be. If you don’t do it like it’s your job, then things don’t get done,” he said. There was plenty of work to do after the 2011 tornadoes, not the least of which was finding a permanent home for the fire department.
Thank You!
Soldiers, Veterans and Fallen Heroes Chevrolet
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Buick
888-597-1502
Spring 2016
GMC 13
Photos by Jennifer Cohron
Downtown demolition The long-awaited demolition of downtown Cordova began on April 23, 2013, at 9 a.m. Crews from Civicon, LLC finished the job in 28 days. A total of 24 structures were torn down, and more than 3,900 tons of debris was removed from the site in 510 truckloads. Main Street reopened on May 29, 2013. The cost of demolition was approximately $469,000, most of which was paid through federal funds.
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of Recovery
Piggly Wiggly In December 2012, the city of Cordova was awarded $1.4 million in disaster recovery funds through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to build a grocery store. Gardner Architects was hired to develop plans that reflected city leaders’ commitment to high design as they rebuild the downtown area. Construction began on April 1, 2014. A grand opening celebration was held on Nov. 18, 2014. Former Mayor Jack Scott was given the honor of cutting the ribbon on the new Piggly Wiggly.
Spring 2016
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City Hall/Police Department In a second round of disaster recovery funding announced in December 2013, the city of Cordova was awarded $3.7 million to build a City Hall and police station and to realign Main Street. Work on the project began in July 2014. The city’s administrative offices, which had been housed in an old National Guard Armory for three years, relocated to the new building in June 2015. The city’s police department also moved from its location at the city’s old VFW Building to the new facility, which includes a jail.
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Walker M agazine
THANK YOU for voting us BEST GLASS COMPANY in Walker County 4 years in a row!! 1800 6th Avenue South, Jasper, Alabama 205.387.0297 • Fax 205.531.0022 Emergency 205.531.0022 Volume 4, Issue 3
Ron Harris
Ballpark Restoring the city’s baseball fields at the Old Park was the first recovery project to receive funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the tornadoes. Work began in fall 2011, and the park reopened just in time for the 2012 baseball season. More than $25,000 in playground equipment was added in September 2012. Additional improvements are expected as city leaders pursue a plan to turn the adjacent Indian Head Mills site into an attractive 17-acre green space.
VOTED #1 AIR CONDITIONING BUSINESS
Certification #83836
Joseph R. Downs, IV Certified Public Accountant
1603 1st Avenue East Post Office Box 824 Jasper, AL 35502-0824
Office: 205/221-5454 Direct: 205/385-0614 Fax: 205/221-5474
2204 VIKING DRIVE, JASPER, AL 35501
email: JRDowns@DandAcpa.com
Spring 2016
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Long Memorial United Methodist Church On Easter Sunday 2011, the final service was held at Long Memorial United Methodist Church. Named after city founder Benjamin Long and dedicated in July 1912, the church was destroyed by an EF4 tornado three days later. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new church was held on Nov. 6, 2011. Church members attended Williams Chapel United Methodist Church in Pineywoods until Oct. 7, 2012, when the first services were held in the new sanctuary. The stained glass windows were added in September 2014.
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Cordova Fire and Rescue Cordova’s volunteer firefighters bounced around from one temporary location to another after losing their fire station in the April 2011 tornadoes. In February 2014, the Cordova City Council purchased a residence on School Street that could be converted into a fire station. City leaders initially allocated $250,000 for the project. Bays were constructed in January 2016 but could not be completed until more funding was secured. In March, the Walker Area Community Foundation agreed to provide $197,000 to finish the project.
Spring 2016
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F
rank Sherer has a workshop attached to his home that can hold the Walker County Courthouse inside. The building is nothing gigantic that you’d notice from the road, though. That’s because this courthouse, sitting on a workshop table, is a scale model version of the real thing, which Sherer has meticulously created over the past seven months. “I’ve always loved the old courthouse,” he says, “even when I was a kid.” Judging from the accuracy of the model, you’d never guess that Sherer’s woodworking pastime started only a couple of years ago. He had worked in the aviation industry for 42 years. As he approached retirement in 1994, he decided that woodworking would be a good way to spend his spare time, so he stocked up on tools. But somehow he never got around to using them. “Over the years I gave all my tools away,” he says with a laugh, “so when I started these buildings I had to go out and buy some.” His first projects were birdhouses. Then he made some small cars that were replicas of the ones in the Flintstones cartoons and gave them to children. “One day I said to myself, ‘I think I’ll build a little house,’ and it just kept growing from there.” The first project he took on was a model of his great-grandfather’s wooden cabin that was built in the early 1800s. No photo of the structure existed, so he had to work completely from memories of visiting it when he was a young boy. Still, he didn’t skimp on the details. The model includes a stone chimney and a full yard featuring a smokehouse, an outhouse and a dug well. He says the roof required almost a thousand shingles, which he made by painstakingly cutting down regular-size shingles with a sharp hatchet and a ball peen hammer. “Doing them one at a time took over two weeks,” he says. He was fairly pleased by the result but wasn’t expecting the blue ribbon the piece won at that year’s county fair. He’s also built a replica of the house of one of his sons and a barn alongside a rodeo arena featuring his horse-loving granddaughter riding across it. But the courthouse project, about three feet wide, is his biggest undertaking yet. In many instances, it’s also called on his ingenuity. “The roof is made of the kind of gravel that goes in an aquarium. I glued it down and painted it black to make a tar and gravel roof.” Winter 2016
Story and Photos by Dale Short
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Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
Voted the Best Bar & Grill & Among the Best Steaks!
200 Hwy 78 E, Jasper, AL 35501 (205) 387-9500 • cafebills.com
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A friend gave him some old wristwatches, which Sherer converted into the courthouse clocks. They also have historic significance: “The clocks are set to 7:57 which is when that [1974] tornado hit and they quit working.” Sherer didn’t see the tornado sweep across the courthouse, but he wasn’t far off. “I was two blocks away when the storms hit,” he says. “It blew all the windows out of my car as I was crossing the railroad track. A brick came through and landed in the backseat with my boys. But none of them got a scratch.” Assembling a miniature building is “like building a house without a blueprint,” he says. “But you learn in a hurry. The hardest part of the courthouse was making the little windows and the steps. “I’d get the steps nearly together and then the whole thing would fall apart. One evening I got mad and went in the house, and that night I was lying in bed and it came to me, how to do it. I went to the store and got some rubber bands to hold the pieces together, and the problem was solved.” The engraving of the “Walker County Courthouse” lettering near the top was a problem within itself. Fortunately, one of his sons is an art professor at Kennesaw College in Georgia and made the engraved stone using plastic and a 3-D printer. He’s still got several unfinished details on the courthouse before he enters it in this year’s fair. One of them is the shade trees, above a tiny bench “where old men go to talk religion and politics. And I’ve got to put two flags out front, the American and the State of Alabama.” His next project? A Civil War jail building near Curry. “I can’t wait to get started on it,” he says. “It’s a lot less complicated than this one.” Beyond his replicas’ artistic value, they’re also therapeutic, he says: “I believe recliners kill more old people than anything else. I’m 83 years old, and I can’t wait to get out here in the mornings. I come out and work six to eight hours, and I feel a lot better than I do sitting in the recliner watching television. “You have to be patient to do work like this. I’m a patient person, but sometimes I still get mad at myself and quit for a couple of days. Then everything’s all right and I go back to work.” When he was working on the arena scene, a friend found a small plastic horse and brought it to him for the project. “The problem was, when I set it down, the horse was as tall as the barn. I guess that’s the hardest part about work like this. You’ve got to learn to think little.” • Volume 4, Issue 3
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The
CAST
Volunteers form backbone of tournaments Story by Johnathan Bentley • Photos by Ron Harris and Jack McNeely
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Volume 4, Issue 3
At left: Jim Brakefield and Richard Fikes loading a boat to exit Smith Lake after the second day of the Bassmaster Southern Open.
Historic Downtown Jasper 205.221.6194 YoungJewelers.com
Attorneys, bankers, retirees — during the typical week, the trio may not have much in common. However, throw them together for a bass fishing tournament on Lewis Smith Lake and they become a team of volunteers that any coach would envy. For 15 years, the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, led by president Linda Lewis, has organized tournaments at the lake, and for 15 years volunteers have come out in droves to make sure the event goes as smoothly as possible. The recent Bassmaster Southern Open Series was no exception as its 356 anglers hit the lake for a three-day tournament. Early mornings — volunteers get to the dam at 4:30 a.m. — and long afternoons are the norm on tournament days, yet they keep coming back. Talk with any of the 50-plus volunteers and one word resonates — family. Over the years, the group has become close and efficient. “It just works. We may not intermingle in each other’s social circles, but when there is a tournament, we are family,” Lewis said. “We all work together and know each other’s job. It’s a wonderful testimony when you have staff from the different organizations — whether it’s B.A.S.S., FLW or the Alabama Bass Trail — come up and tell you that your volunteers are the best in the country.” Bassmaster Elite Tournament Director Chris Bose says it’s no surprise that the anglers call Smith Lake one of their favorite stops. “The group of volunteers here does an incredible job. I’ve been to tournaments all over the country and Linda Lewis and her group are one of the reasons we keep coming back,” Bose said. “When we come here, we know exactly what to expect. They do a great job and the anglers notice that. They know they are taken care of whenever we come to Walker County.” The volunteers are quick to give credit to Lewis. “Linda Lewis has put together a team from all different backgrounds,” volunteer Lynell Early said. “She gets them all to come together and focus on one thing. It’s amazing to me that she’s able to pull all these people together.” “She’s so organized,” volunteer Mary Jo Gunner added. “She’s done it long enough that she knows how everything works. All the organizations love her. They love coming here because the volunteers are so organized.” Carol Alexander, who volunteers with her husband, Jimmie, and son, Brian, is over the golf carts used to get anglers to and from their boats. She has been at it long enough to know what kind of day her passenger has had on the lake. “You either have people that are happy or not
Readers’
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Spring 2016
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Above: A group of Chamber volunteers led by Linda Lewis (with bullhorn) gather at the boat launch at Smith Lake Dam.
happy. The ones who don’t have fish in their bag — they aren’t very happy,” said Alexander, who has been a volunteer at Smith Lake for at least 13 years. What keeps her coming back? Once again, it’s family. “Most people think I’m crazy to do this, but when we get up here at 4:30 in the morning, we get to see our friends. You have to understand the camaraderie this group has. I would never have known people like Lynell and his wife, but I wouldn’t take anything for their friendship,” Alexander said. “Also, when you get somebody on the golf cart and they say, ‘This is the best run tournament anywhere in the United States,’ it’s just good to know you are doing something to give back to the community.” Bert Hendrix has been a volunteer since that first B.A.S.S. Tournament came to Smith Lake in 2001. He helps with the double ramp at the lake come tournament 26
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time. He admits it can get hectic. “(Friday) morning when I looked up, you could see boats lined up all the way up the hill (on Smith Lake Dam Road). They were just steady coming in. We’ve got four ramps going full time until they are all in the water,” said Hendrix, who notes the economic benefit of big-time tournaments coming to Walker County. “If we can open our arms and make them feel welcome, that’s our goal. I really think it’s a boost to the economy when these tournaments come in. It says a lot for our local chamber to put something on of this magnitude. When we find out there’s going to be 300-plus people here, I don’t even blink an eye. I know it’s going to be organized and everything’s going to be ran safely and efficiently. Every tournament I’ve been a part of, the (professionals) will talk about how well ran it is. I’m just proud to be part of it.” Volume 4, Issue 3
The Holladay Agency Auto Home Business Life Annuities Mutual Funds Jonathan Holladay 1811 Hwy 78 E, Suite 106, Jasper, AL 35501
(205) 221-3216
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As for the economic benefit, Lewis said each tournament brings $1.5 to $2 million into the area. “In November, Business Alabama magazine chose the Chamber of Commerce as the best in tourism for what we do. That’s a huge accomplishment,” Lewis said. “The (tournaments) just keep coming back. I think it’s the way we treat them. Whether it’s the professionals, the Alabama Bass Trail or the high school kids, we treat them the same way,” said Lewis, who is already working on tournaments for next year. “This is for my community,” volunteer Jim Brakefield said on Friday. “I got up at 3:30 this morning and I’ll do the same thing tomorrow. I enjoy it. I recognize the economic impact on the community and I want to be here for that.” • Spring 2016
Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
Locally owned & Operated by the Pedraza Family
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1841 2nd Avenue - Jasper, AL 35501 (on the Courthouse Square) Mon-Wed 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thu-Fri 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sat 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 P.m. Sun 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 P.m.
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Bert Hendrix
Terry Gurganus
Billy Doss and Lynell Early
Jasper Auto Sales
Renae Wilson
2016 Readers’ Choice Awards Voted Best Dealership in Business for Used Auto Sales and Among the Best in American Vehicles 4 Years in a Row!
Thank you to all that voted for us. Linda Lewis
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Volunteers! Community! Anglers! Economic Impact of Bassmaster Event
1.2–$1.5 Million
$
[ linda@walkerchamber.us ] • [ www.walkerchamber.us ] Spring 2016
204 19th Street East, Suite 101, Jasper, Alabama 35501 | (205) 384-4571
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april - june 2016 april
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candlelight vigil for victims of crimes
The annual National Crime Victims’ Rights Week candlelight vigil will be held Thursday, April 14, beginning at 5 p.m. with music and the service at 6 p.m., at the CHS Activity Center in downtown Jasper. The vigil honors and remembers those lost to violent crimes and provides a way for family members to be sure their loved ones will be remembered.
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safe kids expo
The second annual Safe Kids Expo will be held Saturday, April 16, from 2 until 6 p.m., at the Courthouse Square in downtown Jasper. The event will provide fun for the whole family with plenty of free fun carnival style games, while helping to raise awareness about the Walker County Children’s Advocacy Center. In the event of inclement weather, all activities will be moved to Clem Gym on the Bevill State Community College - Walker College Campus in Jasper.
Walker County Day
Walker County Day, a celebration on the steps of the Walker County Courthouse, will be held Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., on the Courthouse Square in Jasper. It will include music, food, kids activities and a market featuring a number of vendors who will be selling their merchandise.
may
june
7
art in the park
The 2016 Art in the Park will be held Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Gamble Park on Gamble Avenue in Jasper. The juried show is sponsored by the Walker County Arts Alliance and will feature hand-crafted art from over 75 artists from around Alabama and the Southeast. The children’s activities are also expected to be a big hit with take-home art projects and storytelling.
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relay for life of walker county - jasper
The annual American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Walker County - Jasper will be held Friday, May 13, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Walker High School Track Field off Viking Drive in Jasper. Our community will come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much.
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tallulah half marathon & 5K
The 2016 Tallulah Bankhead Tribute Festival will feature a Half Marathon, 5K Run and Kid’s Fun Run on Saturday, June 11. The events will start and finish at the Courthouse Square in downtown Jasper and pass several historic landmarks, including the Carl Elliott House and the Bankhead House and Heritage Center.
C l a s sic . E l e g a n t. St y l e .
Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
2403 Hwy 78 E, Jasper, AL 35501 • 205-384-5990 • www.highpoint-furniture.com 30
Walker M agazine
Volume 4, Issue 3
W alker
C ounty GROUNDBREAKING
TEAMWORK DRIVES MORE AUTOMOTIVE JOBS INTO JASPER
300 Quality Jobs Walker County’s Fourth Automotive Supplier
$100,000,000 in New Capital Investment $769,000 in Annual Local Tax Revenues $185,000 Per Year in Local School Taxes Contact:
Walker County Development Authority Phone: 205-302-0068 Web: wceida.com Spring 2016
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SNAPSHOTS
Celebrating the gift of life gala FEBRUARY 5, 2016
Joe Downs and Talia Gates
CHS BUILDING - JASPER Teresa Sherer and Jenny Odom
Danielle Goins, Jonathan Holladay and Jane Aswell
Melissa Harper, Regina Mauldin and Renee Miller
CANDYLAND DAYCARE, INC. CURRY HWY. • JASPER 221-5683
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Walker M agazine
Megan Woods, Linda Davis and Jonathan Allen
THANK YOU for your vote in choosing
Candyland Daycare as the Reader’s Choice “Best Daycare Business” in Walker County again this year.
a trusting touch
Volume 4, Issue 2
SNAPSHOTS
rotary club TRIVIA NIGHT
Torrie Grelle, Sabrina Keating, Sarah Hyche, Holly Trawick, Carrie Rogers
FEBRUARY 19, 2016 CHS BUILDING - JASPER
Shonya Moore and Jim Collier
Danny Gambrell, Jennifer Williams Smith, Darian Thompson, Tana Collins, Rejahn Rogers, Abe Cannon and Jeremy Hagood Sylvia Dotson, Cherie Woodard, Del Lown, Marie Lown, Joanne Stephenson, Marty Staggs, Nick Nicholson and Rosalie Nicholson
Paul Kennedy and Allison Jones
Jake Aaron, Lea Rizzo, Jerry Geddings, John Fortner, David Crauswell, Jack McNeely, Elane Jones and Malarie Brakefield
Kyle Sellers, Eric Nail, Rachel Barksdale, Kaye Nail, Thomas Burgett, Martha Salomaa, Tina Burgett, Katie Carden and Gary Hallmark.
Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
4465 Alabama 195, Jasper, AL 35503 • (205) 221-7980 Winter 2016
#1 Auto Parts Store 4 Years In A Row! 33
Why I Love Walker County
Jeff Lockhart
Jeff Lockhart is the director of the Walker County Humane and Adoption Center, which opened in May 2015. Interview and Photo by Nicole Smith
Q: What do you love about Walker County? A: What I like about it is the laid-back atmosphere, the Southern hospitality. The people in Walker County are good, friendly, Christian people. Those are my values, and I like that. I’ve lived in Walker County for 51 years. I was born in Walker County. Q: When did you begin your work in the animal community? A: Ever since I was probably about 5 years old, I’ve owned cats, dogs, horses, pigs and chickens. My dad just instilled it in me that animals are here to be loved. Like my dogs at the house, they’re my pride and joy. I love them just like they’re kids. I do dog training, and I’ve been doing that for 16 years. My wife, Lisa, and I are professional dog trainers. I just love the animals. I started at the old animal shelter in Jasper a little after 2012, and I worked myself up and got to be the manager. The Commission appointed me as manager of the shelter. jasper Location open noW! Q: In terms of our county and state as a whole, what is some animal welfare legislation that you think would be beneficial?
Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
BEST BBQ 4 YEARS IN A ROW!
dora Location
Spay and neuter, that’s a necessity, because here at the shelter right now we’re pretty much at capacity. We adopt out usually anywhere from 170 to 200 animals a month, but we’ve got animals here that we can’t get rid of that have to stay for a while, and that holds up space for the other animals in Walker County. A spay and neuter law would be great. There’s a lot of programs out there that if you can’t afford to have your dog spayed or neutered, they will work with you on the price. Q: What’s the greatest reward for you in being able to work with the animals on a daily basis? A: I guess the greatest reward would be when a young child comes in with their parents and gets their first animal. That’s real heartwarming. It’s just real special.
Monday–Wednesday, Open Until 9 P.M. Thursday–Saturday, Open Until 10 P.M. Catering & Local Delivery To Offices Also Available
Jasper Location: Formerly Reece’s Drive-In • 221-2244 Dora Location: 7530 Old U.S. 78, Dora, AL 35062 • 648-9838 34
Walker M agazine
Q: What have you learned from animals? A: I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned is an animal, to me, is better to you than a human nowadays. An animal is going to be loyal to you, it’s going to be there when nobody else is. You can talk to your pet when you can’t talk to anybody else. Volume 4, Issue 3
Voted “Best Marina” in Walker County for 4 years straight! Readers’
Choice Awards 2016
uskin oint N
marina
W
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Duskin Point Team: Danny, Harold, Phillip and Michael Beasley
198 Duskin Point Rd., Jasper, AL 35504 • 205.384.6942 (phone) • 205.384.6903 (fax) Spring 2016
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Readers’
Choice Awards 2015
nelsonbryanjones.com Jasper, AL
205.387.7777
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