No’Ala Shoals, May/June 2015 by No’Ala Studios

BLUEWATER CREEK FARM | IFDC: SAVING LIVES | OFFICE PETS | SHEFFIELD’S VILLAGE

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May/June

features

20 Homes for the Ages Three very diﬀerent home styles spanning two centuries inﬂuence the way we live today. by roy hall photos by danny mitchell

98 64 Another Day at the Oﬃce It’s business as usual for these canine-to-ﬁvers and their feline friends.

Southern Gothic Collins and Liz Davis are getting their hands dirty and ushering in a green movement. by michelle rupe eubanks photos by danny mitchell

by roy hall photos by danny mitchell

Urban Oasis

108

For these Shoals residents, the idea of living downtown is on the upswing. by david sims photos by patrick hood

90 Wide Open Spaces A Florence ranch is revived in glorious fashion. by allen tomlinson photos by patrick hood

With Flying Colors A Florence family puts their heart and soul into a historic home. by lu ellen redding photos by patrick hood

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editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson

“Home,” no’ala advisory board Jeremy Britten Anne Bernauer

said one Pinterest post that caught my eye, “is where you treat friends like family and family like friends.” One of the reasons that we love putting together our annual Home and Garden issue is that a home is the best expression of a person’s personality you can ﬁnd. Our homes—our personal spaces, those places we spend most of our time, the spots we feel most comfortable in the whole world—represent who we are and who we want to be. When we show you a person’s home, we’re showing you a glimpse of their personality.

Vicki Goldston Leslie Keys Tera Wages Ashley Winkle

This is our seventh annual celebration of homes and the people who live in them, and we promise you’ll get lots of ideas for your own. There are homes on the top floors of downtown places, and homes that have been reinvented and reimagined. We’ve even included a story about pre-made homes, some ordered straight out of the Sears & Roebuck catalog! There are lots of pictures and lots of ideas in these pages, so take some time to let it all sink in. We hope you enjoy it! Some shopkeepers take their pets to work, which makes work feel like home, too. We bring “Matthew The Wonder Dog” (pictured at left) to the No’Ala offices, where he protects us from cats, UPS delivery personnel, and uninterrupted phone conversations. Take a look at some other shop mascots in this issue, and look for these furry friends when you’re out shopping! Please don’t forget, it’s time to receive nominations for next year’s Renaissance Awards. Do you know someone who has made a positive contribution to life here who deserves recognition? Please let us know who they are. Email your suggestions and your reasons for nominating your person to allen@noalastudios.com. You have less than a year—so please don’t put it off! As you read about these beautiful homes and become inspired to do some spring cleaning and sprucing up, please remember that just about everything you could possibly need can be found right here in the Shoals. Shop the Shoals this spring, and please mention to the shopkeepers that you saw them in No’Ala. Enjoy the spring—this is the best season of the year ar in Alabama!

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contents

The Village People The rise and rebirth of the city on the bluﬀ By Sara Wright Covington

114

everything else 12 14

No’Ala is published six times annually by No’Ala Studios PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: (256) 766-4222 | Fax: (256) 766-4106 Toll-free: (800) 779-4222 Web: noalastudios.com

Calendar Selected Events for May/June 2015

Cryin’ Out Loud

Standard postage paid at Florence, AL. A one-year subscription is $19.95 for delivery in the United States. Signed articles reﬂect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily reﬂect the views of the editors. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements.

“The Boar’s Head Over My Bed” by sara wright covington

122

Bless Their Hearts “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” lu ellen redding

Market

124

“Sleep Tight” photos by patrick hood

132

Kudos

“Sauvignon and Sancerre”

by amy c. collins

Teaching Them to Farm

by roy hall

134 136

The Vine Food for Thought “Taming the Evil Squash Monster” by sarah gaede

138

Parting Shot by danny mitchell

MAY/JUNE 2015 Volume 8: Issue 3 ••• Editor-in-Chief C. Allen Tomlinson Chief Operating Oﬃcer Matthew Liles Creative Director David Sims Advertising Director Heidi King Features Manager Roy Hall Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan Web Designer Justin Hall Editorial Assistant LuEllen Redding Videographer Justin Argo Proofreader Carole Maynard Intern Isaac Ray Norris ••• Contributing Writers Amy C. Collins, Sara Wright Covington, Michelle Rupe Eubanks, Sarah Gaede, Roy Hall, LuEllen Redding, David Sims, Allen Tomlinson ••• Contributing Photographers Patrick Hood, Danny Mitchell, Ian Pratt •••

How IFDC is saving the world by connecting fertilizer technology with developing nations. by amy c. collins photos by patrick hood

Send all correspondence to Allen Tomlinson, Editor, at the postal address above, or by e-mail to allen@noalastudios.com. Letters may be edited for space and style. To advertise, contact us at (256) 766-4222 or sales@noalastudios.com. The editor will provide writer’s guidelines upon request. Prospective authors should not submit unsolicited manuscripts; please query the editor ﬁrst. No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inks. Please recycle.

Connect with us on Facebook: No’Ala Mag Twitter: @NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest: NoAlaStudios

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calendar

Friday, May 1 and Friday, June 5 Florence First Fridays The exciting monthly event gathers artists of all kinds—musicians, painters, sculptors, photographers, hand-crafted jewelry creators, and more—for a community-wide celebration. 5:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Downtown Florence; firstfridaysflorence.org Saturday, May 2 UNA Derby Day Hosted by President and Mrs. Kitts on the lawn of Coby Hall, the third annual Kentucky Derby-themed viewing party and fundraising event benefits the UNA Foundation, which provides financial flexibility to the university and improved educational opportunities for students. 3:00pm-6:00pm; $100; UNA Coby Hall; (256) 765-5188; una.edu/derbyday Sunday, May 3 Shoals Symphony: Season of Rebirth The Shoals Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Stevens and featuring the winner of the UNA Collegiate Artist Solo Competition, performs The Last Spring, Op. 34, No. 2 by Grieg and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. 2:00pm; Admission charged; Norton Auditorium, UNA; una.edu/ shoals-symphony Friday, May 8 – Saturday, May 16 Florence Restaurant Week This week-long initiative by Florence Main Street highlights our excellent, independent eateries as well as local charitable organizations by asking diners at each restaurant to vote for their favorite of five charities, with $5,000 going to the winner. Participating restaurants and other information available at dineoutflorence.com Saturday, May 9 Riverhill School Home and Garden Expo The second annual home and garden expo benefitting the Riverhill School showcases local vendors, inspiring ideas for your home, and a special appearance by HGTV designer Genevieve Gorder. 9:00am-3:00pm; Admission charged; 1518 Florence Blvd; riverhillexpo.com Genevieve Gorder Thursday, May 14 – Sunday, May 17 Shoals Community Theatre presents Marrying Terry It’s New Year’s Eve, and a massive snowstorm has paralyzed Chicago. Luckily, thirty-five-year-old librarian Ms. Terry Adams has just reserved the last room at the Drake Hotel. When a medical emergency summons Dr. Terry Adams to the hotel, he has no idea what’s in store for him—or for the beautiful woman who shares the same name. No one is quite who he or she seems to be in this romantic comedy of hate-at-first-sight. Thurs-Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Shoals Theatre, 123 N Seminary St, (256) 764-1700; facebook.com/ ShoalsCommunityTheatre

Friday, May 15 – Saturday, May 16 UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival The UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival is back with a ﬁfth installment of laughter and memories from a variety of professional storytellers and musicians, including Walt Aldridge, Donald Davis, Delores Hydock, Reverend Robert B. Jones,

Kevin Kling, and Bill Lepp. Single day ticket $10, Twoday package $15, Students Free; UNA; Various times and campus locations; (256) 765-4297; una.edu/storytelling Saturday, May 16 – Sunday May 17 Arts Alive Festival The festival showcases local, regional, and national artists specializing in painting, stained glass, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, fiber art, woodwork, photography, and much more. Admission is free, so bring the family and stroll through the park as you meet artists, find one-of-akind treasures to add to your collection, and enjoy good food. 9:00am-5:00pm; Free; Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts and Wilson Park, 217 E Tuscaloosa St; alabamaartsalive.com Monday, June 8 – Friday, June 12 (First Session) and Monday, June 15 – Friday, June 19 (Second Session) Young Masters Art School 2015 Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts invites parents to register their kids for this fun, innovative tour through the visual and textual arts. Basic art will be taught via watercolor, clay, weaving, paper mache, charcoal, plaster, and sand. 9:00am-11:00am (for students entering firstthird grades in fall 2015), Noon-2:00pm (students in grades fourth-sixth); $50 first child in family, $45 for second; Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, 217 East Tuscaloosa St; (256) 760-6379 Helen Keller Festival Thursday, June 25 – Sunday, June 28 The 37th annual Helen Keller Festival kicks off with a parade down Main Street and more than 100 events, including headliner musical artists, arts and crafts, athletic events, and a car and truck show. Other events include Keller Kids educational activities, historic tours, and trolley rides. Various times; Admission charged for some events; Spring Park, Downtown Tuscumbia; (256) 3830783; helenkellerfestival.com

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cryin’ out loud » Sara Wright Covington I know that no amount of parental protection can ever fully defend against all of the scraped knees, broken hearts, unexpected outcomes, and just general bad days that will build the beautifully ﬂawed armor [my kids] need to fend for themselves.

THE BOAR’S HEAD OVER MY BABY BED For several months in the winter of , a taxidermic boar’s head held residence on the wall above my baby crib. Stuffed animals are certainly expected inside a crib, but stuffed, formerly live ones mounted above it are somewhat less common. To this day, there is much debate in my family over the details of exactly how and when the dead boar came to be over my crib. One theory held that the boar’s head hung in what was the family office before my birth, and was simply never moved when the room was converted to a nursery. The other—entirely false, but more interesting theory—suggests that the boar’s head didn’t show up until after the room became a nursery, and it was hung, deliberately, by my father. Because my dad has always been a loyal, card-carrying member of the NRA and an avid supporter of home security of any sort, my family adopted their own embellished reasoning to go with a version of the latter, more ridiculous theory: the boar’s head was hung as a simple defense mechanism to startle, and thus thwart, would-be intruders. (In all fairness, it should be noted that my father vehemently denies that the creature ever hung in our house at all, and maintains that it actually hung in his office at work. Alas, no pictures seem to exist to prove otherwise.) Whatever the reason for the creature over my crib, the repetitive recounting of this familial yarn made enough of an impression on me that the boar’s head became a metaphor in my mind for safety—a sort of dead-animal-tangible, that might ward off danger from the world. I’ve thought about that ridiculous boar’s head many nights when tucking my children into their beds, and I often find myself looking for my own figurative boar-headed blockades to protect them. When they are young, it’s really all about their physical wellbeing. We want to keep them safe and sound, healthy and thriving. As they get older and move beyond the confines of their cribs, we worry about the safety of their hearts, feelings, and beliefs, and realize that it was much easier to keep them “safe” before they became able to do all of that moving, talking, thinking, and interacting. Cell phones and social media offer threats that weren’t even thought of during my childhood, and I can’t help but feel my parents had things a little simpler when keeping my sister and me safe. When we were bored, we read books, talked on the phone, played outside, and watched Growing Pains on TV. Now we have to worry about an entire world of outside interactions that no stuffed animal, real or fake, can hold at bay. As I talk with my friends who have older children, I am realizing that experiencing the second-hand growing pains of our children may be even tougher than the first go-round. So I do the best I can to brace myself for those growing pains, realizing that they will likely be much more intense than the 1980s sitcom. My friend Keri who has children older than mine recently used the analogy to her children that middle school is like boot camp. High school will still be a war, but they will be tougher and more prepared when it arrives. “And let’s face it,” she says. “Middle school just builds character.”

I remember thinking my parents were unreasonably overprotective in my youth. I was barely allowed to cross the street until I was 13, and once, my dad built me a treehouse where he actually made a rope harness for me to wear in case I fell out of it. It is no fun playing up in a pine tree when you are harnessed to it—not to mention the sap. I rolled my eyes in distain when I got my driver’s license at 16 and they told me to avoid Woodward Avenue at all costs, and I stomped my feet in frustration when they wouldn’t allow me to leave the country to go to Mexico with 25 other 18-year-olds for my senior trip. I realize now what I could not see at the time: my parents actually trusted me very much; it was other people and dangers of the world that made them worry. I’m accepting that parenting is a constant catch 22. It can be exhausting to bathe, feed, dress, and just generally nurture these small people who cannot take care of themselves and need you constantly. And so we whine about our exhaustion, only to be reminded by someone older and wiser to “enjoy these days of knowing where they are all the time,” and “enjoy them while they still look to you and know you will protect them.” My friend Keri summed up parenting perfectly when she suggested that sometimes the best thing a parent can do is back away and allow children to learn to problem-solve on their own. So as I attempt to savor the sweet innocent baby years, I can only hope that I am giving them the tools they will need to ﬁght their own battles. I hope they will never be afraid to march to their own drum, read books not on the required reading list, be kind when it’s inconvenient, and do the right thing when no one is watching. Mostly, as cliché as it is, I just want them to be happy. Truly happy. Pursuing whatever it is in life that gives them purpose, and passion, and peace within their little souls. I know that no amount of parental protection can ever fully defend against all of the scraped knees, broken hearts, unexpected outcomes, and just general bad days that will build the beautifully ﬂawed armor they need to fend for themselves and—as painful as it might be for me to watch—I wouldn’t want it to. I just hope my own armor is up for the task as well. As for that emblematic boar’s head, it was long ago tossed out. Once again, the details are fuzzy on exactly how and when it happened. But to this day, I have never been able to look at any dead, mounted creature without wondering if it, too, once hung in a nursery.

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text by roy hall » florence photos by danny mitchell lustron photos courtesy of the ohio historical society

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Placing an Order for Home Delivery The grandfather of American mass market retail, Sears Roebuck and Co., didn’t set out to be in the home-building business. But the ﬁrst decade of the 20th Century found the catalog company’s building materials division in a bit of a slump. The surplus inventory that resulted from the sales decline sat unsold in Sears’ warehouses until 1906, when Sears manager Frank Kushel devised an ingenious method for unloading the backstock. In an idea born out of desperation, Kushel proposed that rather than selling building supplies piecemeal as Sears had been doing since its founding, the retail behemoth should bundle supplies in kits and sell entire houses.

Richard Sears agreed and Sears mail-order home business was born with the publication, in 1908, of the Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans, a catalog of 44 residential home plan styles ranging from the mid-$300 to almost $3,000. Over the course of the next 32 years, Sears sold between 70,000 and 75,000 homes, the parts for which were manufactured in Sears-owned plants in New Jersey and Ohio, then shipped by rail to destinations throughout the United States and Canada. Once oﬄoaded from boxcars, trucks would deliver precut and ﬁtted materials, with an average per-home

They occupy a place of singular importance in the American Dream and the largest single purchase most of us will ever make. We ﬁll them with our hopes and dreams. We trust them to take care of our families and possessions. We associate them with the most important events in our lives. They are status symbols, trophy cases, safety deposit boxes, and memory repositories. They are our homes. And over the course of the last century, these buildings we think of as family have undergone tremendous change. As Americans migrated from cities to suburbs, as our deﬁnitions of family evolved, and as our expectations for comfort, security, and luxury experienced cycles of expansion and contraction, the American home has evolved with us to accommodate the lives within.

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The three kinds of homes below represent among the most inﬂuential—and sometimes notorious—examples of home design innovations over the course of the last century. Regardless of whether or not you live in one, odds are, some aspect of your house has been inﬂuenced by at least one of these homes.

Florence Lumber Company, the local aﬃliate for Sears Modern Homes, assembled these Sears houses on Seminary Street, in Florence. Left, and facing page: Early 20th century advertisements for Sears Homes.

weight of 25 tons, to the new homeowners, who, in the early days, often built their Sears homes in barn-raising style, with the help of friends and neighbors. And the more friends and neighbors the merrier, as Sears Modern Home kits included an average 300,000 individual pieces. Ponder that terrifying statistic the next time you stare in hopeless bemusement at two inscrutable pages of Ikea instructions and a sealed plastic bag containing one tiny wrench and three screws. Sears Modern Homes grew exponentially in its first decade, shipping over 300 homes each month by the mid-1920s. In response, the retailer initiated a finance program, in 1912, making home ownership possible for an entire generation of working class Americans for the first time. Sears financing and the explosive growth it facilitated lasted until the Great Depression. The economic fallout of the ‘30s—and the liquidation of $11 million in defaulted debt—necessitated the end of Sears’ financing, a hit from which the Modern Homes division never fully recovered.

Sears sold its last home in 1940, but the evidence of the retailer’s Modern Homes success remains today in the tens of thousands of still-standing cottages, ranches, and twostories with a tell-tale Sears look. Although the exact number of Sears homes is unknown—the company destroyed all records from the Sears Modern Home division as part of an internal clean-out in the early ‘40s—their inﬂuence is undeniable. The Modern Homes division and the liberal loan policy that led to its eventual undoing helped cement the notion that homeownership was attainable for the burgeoning American middle class. Additionally, many of the modern conveniences taken for granted for decades were popularized by Sears, including central heat, indoor plumbing, and electrical wiring. With a combined total of 447 styles of homes, the Sears catalog home program was undeniably proliﬁc, if not necessarily innovative. But innovation was never the point. Sears set out to mass produce a vital component of the American dream, to make possible to the masses what would have been unattainable to the vast majority of previous generations: home ownership.

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Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society

lion-plus veterans returning from World War II. The upstart home builder also set for itself the lofty goal of producing 100 new homes every day in its nine-mile-long Ohio plant, which, when operating at full capacity, consumed more energy than every other residence, business, and factory in Columbus combined.

Steel Yourself: Life in a Lustron Like Sears manager Frank Kushel before him, Chicago-based industrialist and inventor Carl Strandlund created his Lustron home in response to a speciﬁc need. Unlike Kushel, who devised the Sears home in response to an over-supply of building materials, Strandlund’s pre-fabricated, all-metal Lustron homes were a direct response to surplus of wouldbe homeowners. Begun in 1948 with three Truman-approved Reconstruction Finance Corporation loans totaling over $40 million, the Lustron Corporation aimed to build houses for the 12 mil-

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Made of prefabricated enamel-coated steel panels, Lustron homes aimed to not only relieve homeowners of the burden and expense of home maintenance, but to remake the American landscape with homes that would “defy weather, wear, and time.” With price tags ranging just under $10,000 (approximately 25 percent less than a comparably sized conventional home), the Lustron Corporation oﬀered potential homeowners a total of three varieties of steel abode, in two and three bedroom models, with a maximum 1,140 square feet. Made entirely of steel and available in four colors—surf blue, dove gray, maize yellow, and desert tan—Lustron homes were instantly recognizable on any suburban block. The interiors were no less distinct, and for the same reason: metal kitchen

cabinets, metal ceiling tiles, metal interior pocket doors, and metal built-ins. For those of us not raised on battleships, that’s rather a lot of metal. But what the Lustron home may have lacked in warmth, it more than compensated for in speed of delivery and construction. Lustron homes were delivered, in pieces, by truck from a local dealership, and assembled by employees of local Lustron dealers, typically in as few as 360 man-hours. And true to their low maintenance mission, that was the last of the work involved. A grand total of 2,498 Lustron homes were manufactured, delivered, and constructed between 1948 and 1950, when the Lustron Corporation declared bankruptcy. The causes for Lustron’s demise remain a source of controversy among

But other, more nefarious conspiracies have gained traction over the years as possible explanations for why such a wellfunded company folded in such a short time. Most notably among them is the theory that established housing companies sensed a potential threat from the upstart Lustron and exercised their clout to ensure the ruin of the “house of the future.”

Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society

Facing page, top: Pieces of the American Dream: An unassembled Lustron home en route to its new owners. Facing page, bottom, left: Every Lustron model came equipped with bedroom and living room built-in metal wall units. (Pajamas, scalloped arm chair, and happy couple, not included.) Right: Everything necessary to build a Lustron, all on one truck! Below: A happy Lustron family contemplates a maintenance-free future from the comfort of their all-metal living room.

historians of modern architecture. Some say the company fell victim to mismanagement; others blame a poor distribution strategy and ever-increasing costs for supplies. Another hurdle, echoed below in the tiny house movement, involved municipal zoning laws, many of which forbade certain essential Lustron design details—like steel chimneys.

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Regardless of the factors that led to its premature demise, the ultimate promise of the Lustron home has proven true: longevity. Most of the nearly 2,500 Lustrons built during the company’s two short years of existence remain, remarkably free of the wear and tear that afflict homes half their age. The Shoals area alone boasts five extant Lustrons, each sold by the area’s very own Lustron dealership, Southern Sash. While the Lustron Corporation ultimately failed in its goal to reinvent the housing wheel, it did foresee by a half-century the trend toward smaller, more efficient, less maintenanceintensive homes brought to fruition in the 21st century’s small house movement—as well as anticipate the zoning hurdles encountered by the movement. You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby House! Oregon City, Oregon-based Tiny Heirloom combines the fiscal and environmental efficiency of tiny house living with the refined luxury and high-end design usually associated with homes twenty times their size. These movable, custom-built micro-homes are available in multiple configurations, with a base package that includes amenities like granite counters and wood or bamboo floors. If the distance between their home and yours seems daunting, take heart: Tiny Heirloom home prices include a onetime plane ticket, so you can visit your new dwelling while it’s being built! Interested readers can visit Tiny Heirloom online at tinyheirloom.com.

Go Big or Go Home It’s one or the other with the small house movement—or tiny house movement, as it’s often more accurately known. The trend toward space-conscious living traces its origins to the 1997 publication of The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka, who advocated simpler living in smaller spaces. Awareness of tiny houses reached its widest audience in the early 2000s, with the widely publicized Tumbleweed Tiny House, a claustrophobia-inducing 96 square foot residence designed and occupied by Tumbleweed Tiny House company founder and micro-living pioneer, Jay Shafer. But the trend toward smaller living spaces isn’t encapsulated by a single manufacturer, or even an established size or style of home. Rather, the broad and subjective goals of downsizing represented by the small house movement include homes as large as 1,500 square feet all the way down to 100 square foot micro houses, according to the Small House Society. Equally varied are small house owners’ motivations for reducing their living spaces. For many, the attraction of living in smaller houses represents the simple desire to live unencumbered by the financial demands of larger mortgages, not to mention the temptation to fill those homes with expensive stuff. Empty nesters and retirees who spend much of their year travelling enjoy a less expensive home base, while still other, ecologically-minded homeowners find the vastly reduced carbon footprints of tiny houses attractive. As a result, the tiny house movement has gained the most traction in parts of the country with the highest conventional home prices, as well as populations who are, generally speaking, more inclined toward eco-awareness, notably the Pacific Northwest. Inroads into much of the rest of the country have proven more problematic for the tiny house movement, including in Alabama, where none currently exist. But that statistic in no way indicates a lack of interest, according to Huntsville architect and tiny house fan Brian Woodroof.

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Woodroof discovered his penchant for small, unconventional living spaces as an architecture student at Auburn, where he lived in a converted school bus. Woodroof ’s architecture career has taken a more traditional path away from buses and micro homes, but he’s had an eye on the tiny house movement since the early 2000s, and Jay Schafer’s Tumbleweed experiment.

Or is it a house at all? The most recent models from the popular Tumbleweed company include wheels, a successful attempt to gain certiﬁcation from the Recreational Vehicle Association of America. That certiﬁcation comes in handy at R.V. and mobile home parks, but rules out most residential neighborhoods.

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Character building: Tiny Heirloom’s base custom models include stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and painted or stained cabinets, neatly integrating necessity and authenticity.

The appeal of tiny houses from an architect’s perspective, Woodroof says, is the challenge of the design: ﬁtting all the necessary parts into precious little space. There are other, non-design related challenges, too, that contribute to the dearth of tiny houses in Alabama and elsewhere around the country. According to Woodroof, who has researched the subject exhaustively, the primary culprit for the lack of tiny house construction in Alabama and other states isn’t lack of interest, but rather zoning restrictions. Most communities require minimum square footage, a prerequisite that disqualiﬁes tiny houses right out of the gate. Beyond that, a tiny house is a tricky entity to nail down: is it a primary residence or a guest house?

Those hurdles aside, the movement toward sustainability and efficiency is here to stay, as environmental and fiscal realities continue to play ever increasing roles in our home choices. Whether the extreme example of the tiny house becomes commonplace, or they go the way of the Sears Modern Home or the Lustron, only time will tell. Regardless of the changes that characterize the house of the future, or the appearance and composition of the families who reside in them, our homes will continue to influence us for generations.

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scene

Ethan Marten, Cynthia Burkhead, and Jane Rosemont

Carlos Alonso Ojea, Brenna Wardell, Kelly Latchaw, and David Umback

Chris Maynard, Jeﬀ Bibbee, and Andy Thigpen

Ashley Gabaldon and Stephanie Smith

Grace Simpson, John Simpson, and Bonnie Coats

Hunter Powers Middleton and Andrew Reed © Photos by Shannon Wells

Above: George Lindsey UNA Film Festival Kick-Oﬀ Party

Below: UNA Peru Study Abroad Fundraising Dinner

march ,  ·  mobile, florence

february ,  · odette, florence

Chef Ramon Jacobsen, Greg Thompson, and Chuck Chiriaco Scott Infanger, Chef Ramon Jacobsen, and Michael Pretes

Devin Brewer Colton McCormick

David Mack Brewer and Juliana Burton

Joey James and Nicole Hugaboom

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Amy Collins

Ann Marks, Sara Voorhies, Jan Schoﬁeld, and Nancy Sanford Photos by Michael Pretes

Dr. Ajit Naidu and the staff at Cardiovascular Institute of the Shoals welcome

Dr. Brian Cole, FACC, FSCAI Dr. Cole is an interventional cardiologist and was the Chief of Staff at ECM Hospital in 2013-2014. He has practiced in the Shoals area since 2006, and has performed more than 20,000 cardiac catherization procedures. He is with us now, so please join us in welcoming him!

2415 Helton Drive, Florence AL 35630 www.cardioshoals.com Call (256) 766-2310 for an appointment. may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | may/june 

text by david sims » photos by patrick hood

They live above beauty salons and clothing boutiques, jewelry stores and law offices; they’ve traded gardens and lawns for restaurants and bars. The convenience of having everything at their fingertips is luring former suburbanites downtown as more and more upstairs spaces are converted to living areas. Just in the past year, downtown traffic in Florence has increased dramatically, and a once-sleepy Sheffield is poised to add more urban living space to complement its commercial renaissance. In the next several pages, we take a look at five urban living areas in the Shoals—from tiny one-bedroom apartments to sprawling lofts. Inside these spaces, you’d swear you were in a much larger city. Step outside them, and you’d never know they were there.

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THE URBAN OASIS

Audwin and Sandi McGee’s Tuscumbia loft will never be finished, but therein lies its charm. It’s a living, breathing work of art, and its owners—like the fine artists they are—take a step back every now and then, waiting for just the right time to make a change. The enterprising couple has an internal wish list a mile long, and listening to them go through it is both exhausting and inspiring. Audwin McGee bought the building in 1999, around the time he was helping Harvey Robbins renovate a variety of downtown Tuscumbia properties. The cavernous structure had originally been used as a bookstore, then a hardware store, and finally a dry goods store before it became what it is today: an amazing receptacle for art, personal mementoes, and a variety of repurposed and found objects. The McGees and their red pit bull, Spanky, have carved out a cozy home for themselves in their West 6th Street location, all of which they occupy—including the entire top floor—with the exception of Mimi’s gift shop on the street level. The great room occupies the entire 6th street side and includes a space for Audwin to paint and eventually an of-

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ORGANIZED CHAOS

Facing page: The large building also houses Mimi’s gift shop. Above: Spanky welcomes visitors to play a tune on the grand piano. A painting by Audwin hangs in the background, and a boom mic stand puts a crystal chandelier right where it’s needed.

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THE URBAN OASIS

Facing page: A view of the ﬂoor-to-ceiling bookcases adjacent to Audwin’s studio space. Just beyond you can see a glimpse of the second bedroom with its Moroccan-inspired doorway. Above: Audwin’s studio space provides a focal point for the main living area, and the windows provide plenty of light.

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fice area for Sandi, who owns and operates Geronimo Gymnastics. There’s plenty of space for a grand piano, freestanding fireplace, and a handcrafted dining table that seats a dozen. There are plans to design and build a chandelier, and install an antiqued, mirrored wall behind a bar, which, as you might have guessed, they intend to design and build themselves. Adjacent to the dining area is a small sitting area where the couple says they spend much of their time when they’re home, which they admit is rare. Just to the south of the sitting area is a galley kitchen that would make most chefs weep with envy, complete with a copper-clad bar and island, soon to be reinvented in marble—but not until the prefect slab is found. Finally, in the rear (or maybe it’s the entrance?) is what Audwin and Sandi call their “porch.” They admit it’s the most unfinished part of their home, but a Hollywood set designer could not have

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

THE URBAN OASIS

Facing page, top: The kitchen with its massive commercial range. The photo is of Sandi’s uncle, a professional magician who worked in Las Vegas. Right: The large scale painting is by Audwin. This page: A view of the living area and its ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows, which were added to bring in more light.

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styled it any better. Decorated with second-hand furniture and unique objects, its southern wall is a large, glass retractable garage-style door that converts the room (and the apartment) into what can only be described as an urban treehouse. Audwin says one of his favorite things is opening the door in the back and all of the windows in front and painting until dusk. “I love to look out and see the birds gathering on the buildings across the street,” he says. Sandi adds, “Sometimes we have birds just fly through the loft, which Spanky does not enjoy as much as we do.” Eventually, the couple plans to create a new surround for the fireplace, add more living space on the half-floor below them, and build decks off the porch and on the roof. “When you’re on the roof, looking north, all you see are the tops of trees and church steeples,” Audwin says. “It doesn’t even look like Tuscumbia. It’s like you’re in a different world.” Come to think of it, that’s the perfect description for this place the McGees call home.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

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THE URBAN OASIS

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You can’t tell by looking at the outside, but the law office of civil rights attorney Hank Sherrod on South Court Street contains more than just the typical wall full of mahogany clad bookshelves. Inside, there’s over 4,000 square feet of living and office space, cleverly blended by Sherrod and girlfriend Robyn Ausborn, who is also his legal assistant. The couple began converting office space into living space in the sprawling building in 2014 and have just put the finishing touches on a new kitchen/great room space, the first of several more planned renovations which will include two new bedrooms and, if Robyn has her way, a roof-top green space complete with a grill and dining areas. The new family living space comprises the heart of the building and has already become a favorite hangout for the active couple and their three children. The room reflects the tastes of both Sherrod and Ausborn and features a variety of local artists, including a beautiful console/bar by woodworker Robin Wade and a couple of mixed media pieces by Sherrod’s mother, Alice.

ORDER ON COURT

Above: Hank Sherrod and Robyn Ausborn relax in their kitchen with their dog Atticus. Right: The South Court Street entrance.

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THE URBAN OASIS

Facing page: Robin Wade designed the rustic walnut console table, which provides space for breakfast and coﬀee. Above, and left: The main living areas oﬀer a colorful place to spend a Saturday watching the game or an evening playing video games.

Construction: Eddie Vaden and David Folkerts; Cabinetry: Signature Cabinets; Countertops: Frye and Associates; Light Fixtures: Progressive Lighting; Door Hardware: Brass Hardware & Accessories; Art: (facing page) Alice Sherrod; Bar/ Console: (above, right) Robin Wade Furniture; Pillows: The French Basket  | noalastudios.com | may/june 

The couple’s love of contrasting contemporary finishes with warm, rustic details is evident in every nook and cranny of the family space. In the kitchen area, clean, white cabinetry outfitted with sleek hardware contrasts with a beautifully veined black soapstone. In the living space, bold and modern upholstered pieces balance the handcrafted console and dining table. The floors, which appear to be hardwood, are actually ceramic tile that stands up to the couple’s kids and a menagerie of animals, including their dog Atticus. The downtown location perfectly suits the couple’s active lifestyle, including Sherrod and Ausborn’s love of running. “I just love being downtown. Everything is so convenient,” says Ausborn. “It’s the perfect spot.”

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

THE URBAN OASIS

When Olin Mefford retired and closed Mefford Jewelers, the future of one of downtown Florence’s most iconic corners was uncertain. But not after Allen and Cecily Wall and Bill and Suzanne Musgrove stepped in. The two couples reimagined the building as a mixture of retail and residential, helping Russell Mefford reopen his own jewelry store, creating office space on the ground floor and two luxury apartments on the top floor. “We were living in a house three times the size of this apartment, but there were rooms upstairs we never went to,” says David Sims. “We’ve always wanted to try downtown living, and this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.” Helping the owners with design decisions, the current residents (with the help of designer Susan Trousdale) were able to choose their colors, fixtures, and finishes, and the result is a cozy space filled with art and light—right in the middle of everything. At less than 900 square feet, life in the “Jewel Box” is efficient—by design. The

JEWEL BOX

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Facing page: The entrance oﬀ East Tennessee Street. Above: The main living space includes a variety of Mid-Century Modern originals and reproductions and a massive antique rug. Art by local and regional artists—like the bust by painter Michael Banks—cover the walls.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

THE URBAN OASIS

sofa folds out into a queen-size bed, for occasional visits from one of the children, and a wall of wardrobes in the bedroom adds storage space and light, with their mirrored doors. “We have everything we need and everything we love,” says Sims, “and everything else, for now, is in storage.” Even the large kitchen area, with its recycled marble countertops from Alabama A&M University, contains hidden storage, “although this close to all of our wonderful downtown restaurants, we’re not cooking at home very much,” says Sims. “We think all of downtown Florence is an extension of our living room, and this is the best spot for us to be right now.”

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Facing page, bottom left: The entrance to Apartment A is at the end of a long hallway, which, thanks to the landlords, houses an overflow of the owners’ art. A floating metal shelf functions as an entry table but without the footprint. Right: The bathroom is clean and bright with high-end finishes and storage everywhere. Below: The master bedroom includes a handmade gray-stained cherry bed, a Robin Wade bench, and an original painting by Florence painter Nancy O’Neal.

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THE URBAN OASIS

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Leslie Keys jokes that she has the shortest commute of anyone she knows, and she’s still sometimes late. Even so, the owner of Tuscumbia’s Audie Mescal and Leo Martin (named after her grandparents) is always spot-on when it comes to matters of style and taste. And her apartment above her stores is no exception. Keys has leased the building for over 12 years for her businesses, but has been living in its apartment for only four. Before Robbins Property Development bought and restored the property in 2002, it was owned by a member of the Trowbridge family, who operated an ice cream and sandwich shop there for a time. Like most downtown dwellings in the Shoals, the space is ﬁlled with large windows, which ﬁll the space with light. Keys has only recently painted the entire space a warm, deep gray, which absorbs the light, creating a neutral backdrop for her expansive collection of family photos and outsider and local art, including paintings by her friends Audwin and Sandi McGee, and Tara Bullington. Audwin also created the custom metal bed, which features

DRESSED UP ALL DRESSED UP Facing page: the entrance is ﬁlled with treasured family photos and art by favorite friends, including an old Helen Keller Festival poster, illustrated by Sandi McGee. The hallway is lined with an expansive wall of cabinetry which is both a dramatic design feature and a useful addition to this compact space. Above: Keys relaxes with Bolt, her apricot standard poodle. Right: a view of her woman’s store, Audie Mescal—the apartment windows are seen above.

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THE URBAN OASIS

Facing page: the compact kitchen is warm and functional and includes plenty of room for entertaining family and friends. The apartment includes lots of special pieces of outsider and primitive art and family treasures, including the rotary dial phone from Key’s grandmother. Above: the master bed, created by Audwin McGee, commands your attention in the master bedroom. Left: the unpainted brick ﬁreplace adds more warmth to the living area. The painting above the hearth is by Tara Bullington.

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whimsical touches like an imbedded antique makeup compact that creates a secret hiding place. The apartment is perfect for Leslie and her animals, including her standard poodle Bolt, who also acts as Keys’ oﬃcial store greeter. Keys loves the fact that she can step out onto the street and take one of her long runs, or walk next door for a milkshake at the Palace Ice Cream, a coﬀee at ColdWater Books, or a dinner with friends at PoBoys Cajun Grill. She even has the perfect spot to watch the Wild West Stampede Parade in May. Keys is still thinking about small changes to make on the apartment, but since her profession keeps her always remerchandising and rearranging her shops below, perhaps she’ll keep her apartment as the calm refuge it’s always been.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

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Your BizHub Watchdog

If you’re interested in controlling costs with office equipment solutions for almost any business challenge, call me. We’re the specialists, because we’re the watchdogs. —J.T. Ray

(256) 464-0010

450 Production Avenue, Madison, AL 35758

News, classical music and more 88.7 FM Muscle Shoals • 100.7 FM Huntsville www.apr.org may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

THE URBAN OASIS

Dwight Cox has a ﬂair for the dramatic. It’s what keeps him in demand as one of the Shoals’ most popular hairstylists, and it’s what inspires the design decisions for his new downtown Florence building. Purchased in 2013, the North Court Street location has had many lives, including as an antique shop and as the Brass Lantern Lounge. “Ironically, Alcoholics Anonymous met upstairs during the time it was a bar,” Cox says. Cox’s salon occupies the ground level of the space, so for him, it’s a quick walk up the stairs to escape the stress of a long day on his feet. And what an escape it is. The space is not only breathtaking for its sheer size (4,000 square feet), but because it is almost solely blanketed in shades of white, with the occasional pops of red and black. “My favorite part of living here is walking through the loft at night, when all the lights are out,” says Cox. “It’s like living in a cloud.” Cox created rooms when needed, but the majority of the space is one large

WHITE HOT

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Facing page: Cox’s shop sits below his new loft. Above: The west end of the living area with its white baby grand piano. The sunny master bedroom sits just beyond the rustic sliding door.

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THE URBAN OASIS

Facing page: The formal dining area is anchored by a contemporary glass table and white leather chairs. A Mid-Century Modern chandelier makes the space pop. Above: The main living area is designed for conversation and movie watching.

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area anchored with white painted concrete ﬂoors and punctuated with islands of white carpets and colorful cowhides. Even Cox’s bedroom can open up to the larger living space, thanks to a rolling door made of reclaimed wood gathered from a old barn in Greenhill. The door may be the only rustic element in the very contemporary space. An avid and discerning shopper, Cox was ingenious in his ability to furnish the space on a budget, often purchasing new and used pieces online. “Everything came from Ebay,” he jokes. The loft’s shelving was designed by Cox and built by Kevin Wilson. Amish craftsmen in Etheridge, Tennessee, built the kitchen cabinets, which were ﬁnished with hardware from—you guessed it— Ebay.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

THE URBAN OASIS

If the kitchen is usually the heart of a home, Cox’s kitchen is the center of attention. Galley in design, it spans almost the entire south end of the loft, and its white quartz waterfall-style countertop provides the perfect spot for morning coﬀee or an evening of preparing the perfect meal. Flanking the kitchen are two dining spaces, one for casual entertaining and one for dinners with special friends. The living area includes a pristine white sectional and black leather lounge chair, and the back screened porch provides a more casual, but ample, space for overﬂow.

Facing page: Dwight Cox with his children, daughter Fletcher and son Foster. Right: The master bedroom. Below: The casual dining room oﬀ the kitchen, with a glimpse of the porch just beyond.

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62 »

scene

St. Florian Branch Ribbon Cutting Jack Johnson and Shawna Moore Frank Niedergeses

Brittney Walker, Jenny Mitchell, and Julie Hamm

St. Florian Mayor Donald Strait

Jack Johnson, Frank Niedergeses, and Doris Faires

Lee Medley and Jean McIntyre

First Southern Bank Ribbon Cutting, St. Florian Branch april ,  · st. florian

Frank Niedergeses, Jack Johnson, and Mike Doyle

Jim Bishop and Jack Johnson

Mary Marshall VanSant and Mike Doyle

Mayor Donald Strait and John Kalama

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Steve Wiggins Bank Interior © Photos by Danny Mitchell

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

BoO Apparently Boo had been on his own for quite some time before my daughter Barksdale noticed the “wild dog” living in our woods. The poor little guy was nothing but skin and bones. We tried coaxing him out with food, but at the ﬁrst sight of us, he would run for cover. But we were patient and eventually succeeded in luring Boo into our home—and our hearts! Patty Klos Parker Bingham

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photos by danny mitchell » text by roy hall

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

BoLt Bolt, my two-year-old labradoodle, loves people, especially kids. And everybody in Tuscumbia knows and loves Bolt, too—including my employees. They share their lunch with him, and on occasion—if he’s been a good boy—Kitty brings him a hotdog from The Palace. There have even been times when a customer will drop in and say, “I can’t shop today, but I wanted to bring Bolt a treat!” Leslie Keys Audie Mescal & Leo Martin

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VErA We rescued Vera, a calico, from the Florence Animal Shelter about a year and a half ago, when Vera was only one. Since then, Vera has been a full-time greeter at The French Basket, where she loves everyone—but favors the little ones with sticky ﬁngers. Vera is truly the diva at The French Basket. She provides us with a sense of home and a little bit of sassiness. Paige Thornton The French Basket

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

KARmA Karma is a six-year-old sable German Shepherd. I have been working with rescues for 15-plus years, and I adopted Karma from a shelter in Georgia when she was ﬁve months old. Karma takes her job as Wine Seller greeter very seriously—she knows she’s working—and is amazingly wellbehaved when she’s here. Having her around contributes to our cozy and friendly atmosphere, and it lets people know we’re a dog-friendly environment. Jennifer Highﬁeld The Wine Seller

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RADAr We met Radar, a nine-yearold French bulldog, when he belonged to a friend and client. When our friend’s business schedule changed and Radar needed a new home, we were thrilled to adopt him. Radar has been a member of the family for about six weeks now. So far, Radar has only barked at one person: the UPS guy. But now they’re fast friends. Having Radar around has changed the atmosphere of our oﬃce. Once our clients see his sweet little smushed-up face, they’re all smiles. Marty and Lucretia Hinton State Farm Insurance

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COCO Since opening in 2011, we’ve always had a “shop dog.” Miss Red, a toy poodle, served in that position until 2013, along with Rudy, a Bernese mountain dog. The newest member of the Unraveled family is Coco, an 11-month-old toy poodle. Coco joined the staﬀ after this past Christmas, so she’s just now developing a following. Everyone keeps telling her she has some “big paws” to ﬁll. Anna Carbine Unraveled

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LolA Mike Campbell’s eight-year-old Pomeranian Pekingese, Lola, is a rescue; she’s been coming to work with Mike since ICS Roofing opened in 2010. Lola has her own sofa, and Mike is offended if you refer her to her as a “dog.” Hint: if you want to stay on Lola’s good side, never wear a ball cap. Mike Campbell ICS Roofing

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NIKo Eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, Niko, belongs to Tommy Campbell. Tommy inherited Niko from his son Grant. Niko deﬁnitely has his favorites and less-favorites among our work team, but we won’t reveal any names. Tommy Campbell ICS Rooﬁng

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OlIVEr Sherry Campbell’s Oliver is an eight-year-old wire haired dachshund rescue. Oliver has been coming to work with Sherry since 2012. Sherry Campbell ICS Rooﬁng

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

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• • • PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND NONPROFITS! • • •

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T E AC H I N G T H E M T O FA R M H OW I F D C I S S AV I N G T H E W O R L D text by amy c. collins » photos by patrick hood additional photos courtesy of ifdc

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It’s no longer the case as to whether or not fertilizers are relevant. They are relevant. Now the issue is not only to produce more food, but to produce nutritious food. Dr. Amit H. Roy

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Facing page: IFDC pilot plant begins operations in 1978. Clockwise from top left: A tomato ﬁeld in Bangladesh; a local market in Albania; sunﬂowers in Tanzania; visiting a modern greenhouse in Albania; a local Mali marketplace Photos courtesy of IFDC

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On the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) property in Muscle Shoals, there’s an unaﬃliated entity headquartered in an unassuming building that is deceptively large and maze-like once you’re inside. We pass this building on the way to the hiking trails and the Wilson Dam overlooks. It’s the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), a nonproﬁt organization that has been quietly feeding the world for the past 40 years. It is perhaps one of The Shoals’ best kept secrets, though it deserves to be high on the list of landmarks on which we hang our pride.

Peace Prize, Kissinger addressed the United Nations with a call to all nations to “embark on a new scientific revolution to increase agricultural productivity in all lands. No field of human endeavor is so dependent upon an open world for its advancement; no field is so in need of international cooperation.” The following year IFDC was incorporated as a nonprofit organization completely independent of TVA and the U.S. government.

A BRIEF HISTORY

FORTY YEARS OF PROGRESS

Like all great stories, the history of IFDC has many acts and characters. The completion of the Wilson Dam in 1924 and establishment of TVA in 1933 brought significant prosperity to the Shoals, literally lifting the area out of poverty through jobs and mass electrification. IFDC was a later outgrowth of TVA, originally called the National Fertilizer Development Center (NFDC); it was a U.S. government-run research facility focused on improving crop yields while addressing soil depletion and other related issues here at home. The NFDC played an integral part in educating farmers on how to prevent soil erosion and, of course, introduced them to cheap fertilizers that changed everyone’s game. Shoals farmers were particularly affected as their output was double what the average American farm produced at that time. By the mid-1960s the United States was producing more food than we needed, thanks to new agricultural technologies and cheap, plentiful fertilizer, all developed in Muscle Shoals. We’d helped feed post-war Europe in the previous decades and the need was shifting toward developing nations in Asia and Africa. The U.S. Agency for International Development was looking for better ways to feed these nations than simply shipping America’s excess grain to them.

Dr. Amit H. Roy, president and CEO of IFDC, joined the organization in 1978 as a chemical engineer and special projects engineer. Last year, IFDC celebrated 40 years in business, and Dr. Roy has been there for nearly all of it. “When IFDC was established,” he said, “it was established for the very speciﬁc purpose of developing fertilizers for tropical and subtropical countries. That’s where the demand for fertilizer and food was increasing at a very rapid pace because of the population increase.”

In the early and mid 1970s, the world suffered multiple simultaneous crises: rising food costs and energy prices, widespread inflation, rumors of war in the Middle East, and threats from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut off our oil supply. It looked bad for us; it was worse for those whose food supply suddenly began to disappear. Then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stepped in. In 1973, the same year that he received the Nobel

The work of teaching the world to farm had begun.

From the start, IFDC scientists and engineers had to focus on creating fertilizers that would ﬁt the varying needs of hungry nations. What worked in temperate North Alabama was not going to work for the rice ﬁelds in Asia. But it wasn’t long before development and delivery were only elements of solving the problem and not the whole focus. “It’s no longer the case as to whether or not fertilizers are relevant,” Dr. Roy said. “They are relevant. Now the issue © Courtesy of IFDC is not only to produce more food, but to produce nutritious food. Nutrition has become very important now in the global context. So as far as IFDC is concerned, the evolution has been from focus on fertilizer alone to looking at the whole agriculture sector. Fertilizer is a key component because that’s our strength, so we’re looking at how to deliver at the cheapest cost to the farmers in the countries, how to help them manage better so they can produce more from the same amount, and then try to

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

to poor farmers who could not produce enough food to feed their country. “On the ﬁrst go round I remember that we announced that we were going to have the auctioning of fertilizers and there were 50 people who showed up on a Sunday afternoon, and when they heard that they would have to pay money to buy at the auction, half of them disappeared. And then we had to teach them how to bid at auction. We had to teach the banks how to loan money because that was a foreign concept,” Dr. Roy recounted. “It was a very important transition for IFDC,” he said, “from fertilizer research to developing of the markets. The whole economy then was built on that example. Today, Albania is now vying to get into the European Union and the economy has ﬂourished. Many of the people who worked and trained in our project now have become entrepreneurs, and quite successful entrepreneurs in Albania. So that itself, you can see how agriculture triggered the development of the economy.”

get them to connect to the market to sell their surplus to improve their livelihood.” Spending just a short time with Dr. Roy suggests he could ﬁll an entire book with personal accounts of the many successful IFDC projects he’s seen. He recounted a few of the most prominent. In the early 1990s Albania opened its borders after 40 years of a closed communist regime and IFDC was among the ﬁrst on the scene, introducing fertilizer

 | noalastudios.com | may/june 

Another significant project Dr. Roy mentioned was the groundwork IFDC has done in Africa, specifically the establishment of the African Fertilizer Summit in 2006, the first ever of its kind. Fifty-four countries were represented by roughly 1,000 attendees, all in agreement that fertilizer was a key strategic commodity. Before that time, Africa was not a focus because they were not trading partners. “But we stuck to it,” Dr. Roy said. “We said, agriculture has to be the foundation of the development of Africa, and we did the initial work on improving the soils, improving the fertilizer market, and thereafter and today, Africa is the last frontier. The population in Africa is going to double; it’s going to reach two billion by 2050. The largest increase of food will be in Africa, 170 to 180 percent increase over the next 30 years.” At the same time, awareness of the potential negatives of chemical fertilizer began to arise. Fertilizer was seen on the

Facing page: Dr. Amit H. Roy, IFDC president and CEO. Right: Present day operations at IFDC in Muscle Shoals. Photos by Patrick Hood

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

world stage as a substantial contributor to rising pollution. But as the world population continued to grow, so did the need for food. “Without fertilizer,” Dr. Roy said, “no matter what you do, things are not going to happen because the plants need food to grow. You can do all the research to come up with new varieties of seed, but it’s not going to work without something to feed it.” IFDC engineers began working on new technologies that would focus on more efficient fertilizer use, decreasing pollution risk, and ultimately saving farmers money. One of the developments that came out of that focus is the Urea Deep Placement (UDP) program. The UDP practice effectively targets the plant where it most needs nutrients—at the roots. Run-off is limited and yields are boosted. In Bangladesh, rice farmers are now using 35 percent less urea and harvesting a 20 percent yield increase with the new technology. Bangladesh has also seen improved economics and nutrition through IFDC’s efforts, largely by shifting focus toward women. Studies prove that when women have control of household finances, the children are better fed and clothed, and their eduction becomes a priority. In Africa, where 70 percent of the farmers are women, IFDC has begun providing them with the skills and raw materials they need. Because these countries, and many of the countries IFDC works in, are deeply male-dominated societies, their projects are effecting cultural changes that empower women and ultimately raise living standards.

TELLING THE STORIES Part of IFDC’s challenge today, and perhaps one of the reasons the organization seems to escape notice in our own community, is to communicate that what’s going on in Bangladesh is relevant to our prosperous lives in the U.S. The world population has nearly doubled since IFDC was established in 1974 and projections suggest an increase from 7.2 billion to 9.6 billion by 2050. We’re talking less land for agriculture as urbanization spreads, less water, fewer resources. While Americans spend typically less than 10 percent of their income on food, citizens of developing nations spend close to 50. IFDC’s communications team is doing their part one story at a time. Chief Communications Oﬃcer Sharon Singh emphasized the presence and relevance of sharing stories from the ground and telling the whole story. “The work that IFDC does,” she said, “impacts a variety of industries and a variety of lives. People think it’s insular when it’s not. Fertilizer use

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and agriculture is a big part of climate change, a big part of economy and foreign affairs. “The reality is, if we don’t have fertilizer, we’re not going to feed the world. We know that there are issues, but we are developing technologies that will help mitigate climate change, environmental issues, run-off. We want to be part of the mainstream conversation and this is the reason why.” The IFDC website (www.ifdc.org) contains a wealth of information on a broad range of related issues. Over the last year, they’ve seen their social media presence grow, particularly through Twitter and Instagram, but also through a blog where many of these ground stories are told. Recent blog posts highlight three women in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Mali and tell the stories of how their lives have changed, their children’s lives have changed, and their villages have changed because of their involvement in IFDC projects. Singh pointed out that these changes directly effect the next generation—the world over. “We need global development,” she said. “We need to understand that if we’re going to have 9.6 billion people, these changes that you’re continuing to see, that’s going to have a greater impact on your life as you grow older.” Podcasts are on the horizon as well, and all are encouraged to join the conversation. “It’s a dialogue, it’s a discussion,” Singh said. The IFDC audience is broad and continues to expand as more people of all ages recognize the importance of feeding the world. IFDC is always interested in talking to interested parties and invites the community to get involved. Internships are available and project support welcome, especially publicprivate partnerships. Tours of the labs and greenhouses on the Muscle Shoals campus can be arranged. Dr. Roy added, “The hallmark of IFDC, although fertilizer is the focus, is that we look at problems and we try to find a solution to the problems that are facing agriculture, and in that context, we recognize that we might not have all the answers, so we have to work with other partners to be able to come to an understanding and get an answer. “We are very proud to be an institution here in the Shoals area. We have people who come and work here, the banking center is all here, all our funding comes through the local banks. We are very proud to be here.”

Clockwise from top: Crop cut on a Urea Deep Placement (UDP) plot in Bangladesh; another UDP trial plot in Rwanda; harvesting a rice crop in Bangladesh; hulling rice in Rwanda; sorting seeds in Mozambique Photos courtesy of IFDC

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scene

Kathy Staples, Earline McClanahan, and Debbie Rinks Kellie Bowling, Ronnie Bowling, Ronald Gene Bowling, Earline McClanahan, and Linda Smithson Earline McClanahan and Terry Hart J.C. (Mac) McClanahan

Bill Alfonzo and Shirley Rinks Porter and Tara Payton with William David Rinks

Above: Earline McClanahan’s 90th Birthday Party Celebration

Jack and Kathy Staples, and Kelley Spencer (with her three daughters, Evelyn, Margaret, and Mary Davis)

Porter Payton and Susanna Payton

Below: CASA Wine Tasting Fundraiser

february ,  · turtle point yacht and country club

february ,  · sweet basil café, florence

Andrea Holt, Katrina Hudson, and Melissa Bains Julie Ridel, Tracie Richter, JoHelene Patrick, Crystal McGruder, and Shannon Hurd

Treena Sidebottoms John Waters and Shannon Wells

Maxine Foster and Pat Burney

Fran McGee Stanley and Karen Goldstein * Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Ken Etienne, Sandy Dickinson, and Helen Etienne © Photos by Shannon Wells

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may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

A FLORENCE RANCH’S WIDE OPEN SPACES text by allen tomlinson » photos by patrick hood

 | noalastudios.com | may/june 

ohn Thornell, UNA’s provost (and most recently its interim president), came to town before his wife Nita, and shopped for houses by taking pictures and sending them to his wife. When he saw the house on Palisade Drive, it was like walking into the 1960s, but Nita saw tremendous potential. What followed was a two-year (or more) project that resulted in a house that’s perfect for entertaining—and for living. Built by a quiet and reclusive couple, the Eisenbergs, the original house was a long shotgun-style ranch. When the original Mrs. Eisenberg passed away, Mr. Eisenberg asked his secretary to marry him. According to legend, she replied, “you can’t aﬀord me.” His response—“try me”—resulted in her request for a bigger house. The couple added an almost identical footprint to the back of the existing house, doubling the size, but creating an unusual ﬂoorplan. The original owners were fairly reclusive, had no children, and pampered their dog (who reportedly wore a

Above, left: The main living space, with the small sitting area visible in the distance. Nita transformed the entire feel of the house with one simple, yet daunting task—painting both the walls and ceilings a creamy shade. The result is a “lift” in attitude for the 60’s ranch, and the beneﬁt is a renewed urge to entertain. The house is very capable of accommodating a large crowd of friends and family. Right: A view of the double doors, which open onto a generous, covered porch—a favorite spot for the Thornells’ two beloved spaniels, Leo and Luke.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

Left: The sitting area adjacent to the home’s entrance is a favorite spot for a morning coﬀee and The New York Times, which Nita reads religiously every morning. Above: A view of the main living space with a view of the large, copper hooded ﬁreplace, which in winter months commands the center of attention.

 | noalastudios.com | may/june 

diamond collar and had her own checkbook). That was the ﬁrst life for this house; its second life, after the Thornells acquired it, is the total opposite. Today, this house is designed for entertaining, whether that’s for university functions or just dinners with close friends. The layout challenges made this project even more fun for the Thornells. Nita and John tore out the sliding glass doors that separated the front of the house from the rear, creating a huge space for entertaining. Anchored by a large ﬁreplace at one end and French doors to a patio at the other, the area contains two large dining areas and an open kitchen, with a bar and a huge storage room/pantry to the side. The house has large bedrooms and remodeled, spacious bathrooms—just right when the grandchildren are home—and the color scheme throughout is perfect for displaying the Thornells’ large and varied collection of art. It doesn’t matter where you cast your eye, there is something beautiful to look at from every angle.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

Nita repurposed and reused much of what she found in the original house. The kitchen cabinets are metal, original to the house, but now repainted. The ceiling in the entry is also original, and wood paneled walls have also been painted to update them. Furnishings and lighting are carefully selected to create a mood that invites the visitor to come in, linger, and relax. From the outside, the house has been repainted, but the casual observer has no idea of the changes that have taken place inside. This mid-century ranch house has been transformed into a free-ﬂowing, welcoming place, just right for entertaining a large crowd or for days when the couple pour a cup of coﬀee and read the The New York Times.

 | noalastudios.com | may/june 

Above: Nita has a great knack for combining textures, colors and diﬀerent styles of art in the sprawling home. She is adamant that one should buy art because you love it. Some of the art is by art professors and students, collected throughout their academic tours of duty. Above, right: Leo and Luke relax on the back patio. Right: The master bedroom is calm and serene, ﬁlled with soft, but powerful, modern art and accessories.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

Call For Entries

No’Ala Renaissance Awards

Who Inspires You? Now accepting nominations for Shoals area individuals who have made remarkable contributions in the following areas: Arts & Culture Business & Leadership Education Service & Spirituality Science Submit your detailed nomination via email by December 1, 2015 to: allen@noalastudios.com Award winners will be featured in the March/April, 2016, issue of No’Ala.

The Renaissance Award was created by No’Ala Studios and is presented to ﬁve Shoals area individuals, couples, or groups every two years.  | noalastudios.com | may/june 

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

“ It’s our home, yes, but it’s also a working farm. We see the possibilities of what the farm is and what it can be, and we want to share it with others.

” LIZ DAVIS

 | noalastudios.com | may/june 

text by michelle rupe eubanks » photos by danny mitchell

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

Southern Gothic

On Farm Days, there’s a constant stream of activity at Bluewater Creek Farms. Carloads of families kick up a steady trail of dust on the red dirt road oﬀ County Road 69 in Lauderdale leading to the barn. Vegetables are heaped in colorful piles on tables; fresh farm eggs and, if you’re lucky, a selection of organic, grassfed meats are available as well. Proprietors Liz and Collins Davis will invite you to stick around and take a tour so that you can learn about the food you’ll take home—maybe even snag a recipe or two for the dozen eggs that taste like a dream. Liz says they make the best frittatas and omelets, and she’s right. Somehow, they just taste eggier. Be sure to peek in on the piglets, too. Several of the heirloom breeds are hairy and docile, and it’s a delight to watch them feast on a slop of cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers glazed in a sauce of fresh mud. “We love those weekends,” Liz said. “We love sharing the farm with others and helping visitors understand the process of bringing their food to the plate. It’s as much a reward to us as it is to those who stop by for the event.” Fast-forward a few months, when summer has all but turned into autumn, and life at Bluewater Creek Farms will shift, almost seamlessly, before your eyes. Fields that had been lush and green will be harvested for hay. Livestock will be winnowed, thanks to a seasonal second slaughter, in order to make way for the next generation of turkeys, pigs, chicks, and cattle. Vegetation will also take an autumnal turn. The beds of cucumber that had, just a few weeks ago, ﬁlled half a dozen of the raised beds inside the converted horse training ring have all but dried up, while the bean and pepper plants are bursting to harvest, ripe for the pickings and, perhaps, the pickling. It’s time for the second planting, this time of winter vegetables—the beets, turnip greens, radishes, and onion. One vegetable in particular, the Stan’s Walking Onion variety, has evolved a bit of self-preservation into its genetic code. It is, as its name implies, something of a walkabout with a bud that forms to allow a tiny onion to grow just large enough to tip over and replant itself. This one little plant is sustainability in action, and it captures the essence of Liz and Collins Davis’ mission with the farm they call home, with their daughter, Abby, along with Aida and Jimmy, the farm’s working dog and cat, respectively. “It’s our home, yes, but it’s also a working farm,” said Liz. “We see the possibilities of what the farm is and what it can be, and we want to share it with others.”

Previous page: Family portrait—Liz, Abby, and Collins Davis call Bluewater Creek Farms home. Facing page: The Davises have created a unique farm environment at Bluewater Creek.

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The Davises are part of a green movement, a rebirth among Millennials who want to move back to rural America, set up shop, and sell organic vegetables from a farm stand. Unlike many of their counterparts, however, the couple brings knowledge and expertise to bear when it comes to their roles at Bluewater Creek, where each day can bring a new challenge.

“ Farming really is everything. Throughout the course of a day, I get to be a veterinarian, plumber, engineer, electrician, and laborer. In a way, we are going back to doing things the way they were done in years past, but we use what we’ve learned in order to run the operation.

” Collins DAVIS

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

Southern Gothic

Bee hives live in harmony alongside their heirloom chickens, and composting means harvesting the freshest organic vegetables. Take Liz’s advice on your visit to Bluewater Creek and grab a dozen eggs; they bring a new level of delicious to frittatas and omelets.

Facing page: Dr. Douglas Woodford and his wife, Donna, help run the farm. Liz, a certiﬁed nutritional therapy practitioner, works with her father at the Full Life Women’s Wellness Center and Women’s Care in Florence.

wife, Liz, of the sustainability movement. “And by ‘here,’ I mean in the Shoals with the Tennessee Valley Authority with ammonia nitrate mining and production. When it was decommissioned after World War II, the question became, ‘What do we do with the plant?’ So, with all of the nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous, the munitions plant became a fertilizer plant.”

“Farming really is everything,” said Collins Davis, an Auburn University graduate, who spent time in urban and rural farm settings in Georgia and California. “Throughout the course of a day, I get to be a veterinarian, plumber, engineer, electrician, and laborer. In a way, we are going back to doing things the way they were done in years past, but we use what we’ve learned in order to run the operation.” The part of history that’s often forgotten is that the South, especially this area of Alabama, has deep agrarian roots. Until the 1980 census, Colbert and Lauderdale counties, along with the Shoals, which is comprised of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheﬃeld, and Tuscumbia, were considered rural, with the majority of their populations living or working on farms. As a result, Shoals residents knew and understood the genesis of the food on their plates at any given meal. The eggs at breakfast had been plucked from the henhouse just that morning, for instance, while the cornmeal for the corn bread was ground from the farm two roads over. As residents moved into more urban areas and as modern times called for a more modern way of life, the Southerners’ relationship to his food has changed dramatically. And that’s not always been for the best, especially when fresh is compromised to make way for convenience. Collins and Liz hope to point the way back to that agrarian history through farming, while also recalling just how entrenched the Shoals’ history is with this green revolution. “Folks may not remember that the green revolution started here,” said Collins, co-founder of Bluewater Creek Farm with

Modern farming methods offer some distinct luxuries—electricity, clean running water, machinery to do the heavy lifting. But nothing can stop the young calf from coming on a bitterly cold night during a late-winter ice storm; no piece of equipment is going to move the cows from one area of pasture to another; nothing other than human eyes can see when the piglets aren’t thriving, or the turkeys are preening, or watch the chicks in order to ward off the four-legged marauders. “You know, there are days when things aren’t so good,” Collins said. “We have lost calves, and we lost several bales of hay in a huge fire. I feel like we fought fire for weeks that fall because you had to be always vigilant.” The tightly bound bales are perfect for hiding the smolder of a flame, allowing it to fester before fully igniting and consuming the dry grass in a blaze. And each season brings its highs and lows, so the Davises have learned to adapt the old with the new in order to find the fit that suits them best. “We’re part of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, which is a sort of networking opportunity for us, but it’s a hallmark of modern farming as it replaces that relationship farmers of generations past might have had with their neighbors, but it also helps you feel less along,” Collins said. Liz and Collins work with Liz’s parents, Dr. Doug Woodford and Donna, on many of the big farm projects, which is a boon to all four. When the need for an occasional off day or long weekend arises, the Woodfords will step in to allow for the time away from the farm. “Because farms are a 24/7 operation,” said Collins, “our animals need tending each day; they need food and water and

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

Southern Gothic

care. The plants and even the compost can require lots of care that requires oversight and vigilance.” While Collin’s agricultural education is pivotal in maintaining the livestock and gardens, Liz uses her training as an RN and a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner to develop programs that take place there. When not on the farm, she works with her father at the Full Life Wellness Center and Women’s Care in Florence. “So much of what we’re doing is to educate others about the beneﬁts of eating organic food,” Liz said. “We’re now in the SNAP program, so we can take those vouchers so that families of all income levels can have access to good food that’s good for them.” The SNAP program, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is today’s equivalent of the Food Stamp program, which allows families that meet certain economic criteria to be eligible to receive food at discounted prices. The program has long been criticized for its lack of vouchers for fresh, sustainable foods. Becoming part of the SNAP program was a goal for the Davises as it would help them continue their educational mission. “Knowing this is available to everyone was important to us,” Liz said. “And, when children come to visit the farm with their school groups, parents who come back or are with them won’t be discouraged about trying new things. Children are curious about their food, and that’s the time to encourage those tastes.” The couple’s daughter, Abby, agrees. Often, Liz said, she’ll pick her way through the ripe vegetables, pluck oﬀ an item, and dig in. “How else will she learn?” Collins said. “This is a pepper, and this is how it tastes. Or, this is a squash, and here’s what it’s like.” Of course, with the hundreds of acres, livestock and gardens consume only so much of the land. The farm has been the site of a mid-spring wedding, and a quaint tiny house provides the perfect quarters for a bridal party. School children often stop by as part of tours, and there are the farm days and programs that bring even more folks to Bluewater Creek. Like sharing the cycle of vegetable and livestock, using the farm as an event venue is part of the farm’s overall educational mission and value, Liz and Collins said.

Want to get involved with Bluewater Creek Farms? Liz and Collins Davis have teamed with Ashley Haselton to start Soul+Food, a series that pairs cooking, nutrition, and traditional food along with yoga classes for individuals seeking a healthier way of life. Here’s the upcoming schedule: May: Smoothies and Juicing

Despite the ups and downs that come with the role of owning a working farm, the thought of tackling another career or moving away from Bluewater Creek isn’t an option. “We’ll be here forever, and I hope to pass it on,” Collins said. “I just can’t imagine doing anything else, and there’s no way I could sit in an oﬃce all day.” Looking around the farm, he said that were Bluewater Creek not available to them, he and Liz would ﬁnd a way to farm. “It’s our passion,” Collins said. “It’s our 401(k).”

 | noalastudios.com | may/june 

June: Lacto-Fermentation, including traditional methods of fermentation and the beneﬁts of probiotic bacteria July: Grilling and grass-fed beef cooking, with special guest, Zach Chanin August: Organ meats, including how to cook them and the beneﬁts of consumption Participants will receive recipes from the demonstrations and have the option of touring the farm

The couple breed a variety of heirloom livestock, including cows, which are slaughtered twice yearly.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

106 »

scene

Martha Taylor Johnson, Katherine Stone, and Katie Clement

Jeanne Reid, Joan Lane, and Janice Pride

Lee Pieroni, Melinda Crawford, Emily Fish, Nicki Conlon, and Ann McClure

Laura Mahan, Lynn Bevis, Brantley Holt, and Susan Riedel

Mary Leigh Gillespie, Kerry Sharp, Susan Koonce, and Cheri Self

Kerry Sharp, Pam Minetree, Ann Martin Vitti, Karen Suzette, and Gail Ozbirn

Celebrating 75 Years with Nenon february ,  · pickett place, florence

Brenda Hudson, Cynthia Briand, and Noel Prerritt

Ann Bennett, Dorothy McAﬀee Norris, and Joyce Cromwell

Nancy Bennett, Linda Van Sant, Ann Martin Vitti, Jeanette Smith, Mary Sue Landers, and Jane Pride

Edith Miller, Jodi McDaniel, Kathryn Keith, Lynne Methvin, Susan Riedel, Carolyn Tate, and Jane Crommelin

Front: Miriam Hall, Carolyn Kelley, and Dot Brewer; Back: Betty Champion, Anne Huﬀman, and Mary Sue Landers

Pat Willingham, Rachel Pitts, and Susan Mullins

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

WITH FLYING COLORS text by lu ellen redding Âť photos by patrick hood

There are people, perfectly nice, respectable people, who purchase a house and reside in it. And then there are people who create a home. Robin and Russ Coussons are firmly planted in the latter group. Now living in their third total house rehab, they are truly people who have vision, see potential, and step out to take the risk. Their Dutch Colonial with the red-tiled roof, on the corner of Prospect and Hawthorne in Florence, has been transformed over the last 18 months and is now a showpiece for the Coussons’ imagination and design. Everyone knows someone who flips houses for a living; buying low, renovating to appeal to the masses, and then selling high. Robin and Russ are certainly capable of taking on that kind of project and making a living doing it. However, their days are filled with running a local restaurant, a thriving real estate business, several convenience

Above: A major cleaning restored the home’s original limestone fireplace to its original glory. Transom windows were added to interior doorways to help the flow of light and to create a greater sense of height and space. Left: The powder room highlights what Robin refers to as “the biggest splurge of the house.” The first time she saw this wallpaper, she says she knew she had to use it somewhere. Facing page: The original plat of the house, built in 1925 by the Shank family, shows the house facing Katie Bell Street, the street now called Hawthorne. Legend has it that a local builder of the day had three daughters, Katie Bell, Lelia, and Mattielou. Florence residents will recognize the names of the nearby streets, Lelia and Mattielou, but one can only speculate as to why Katie Bell’s street was renamed.

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

stores, and a hardware store, and managing the lives of their four busy children. The homes they have renovated are not business propositions, but works of art they have created because they love the process. Working alongside their hired construction help, and serving as their own architects, interior designers, and even landscapers, Russ and Robin have been intimately involved in every aspect of this renovation. According to this shrewd couple, in comparison to other houses they’ve done, the Hawthorne home has been the simplest project they’ve ever taken on. There were no additions outside the original footprint. In fact, the only exterior changes were the shorter, wider kitchen window to ﬁt above a relocated sink, a fresh coat of paint, and roof repairs to the signature red concrete tile. Even inside, Robin says this was the easiest renovation they have

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Above: The apples were painted by local artist Carolyn Clemmons. Robin says she fell in love with the painting the ﬁrst time she saw it. She kept visiting it and trying to determine a place for it. Once the brick chimney was exposed during construction, she knew that was the perfect spot. Custom cabinetry was built by Signature Cabinets of Florence, and the granite surfaces are by The Granite Gallery. Left: The walls of the upstairs den are ﬁlled with invitations Robin created for various birthday parties, Christmas parties, and other family events. Again, the theme of using everyday objects as art creates the unique feel of the home.

ever tackled. As she begins the list of what they’ve done to make this a modern home, one immediately realizes that her definition of “simple” is not the normal one. Thousands of pounds of coal from the basement, in addition to 120,000 pounds of plaster and debris were hauled away. A portion of the second-story floor had to be jacked up nearly six inches and braced with steel framing. The plaster was replaced with drywall, the kitchen has been completely revamped, the bathrooms and plumbing are new, heat and air systems were entirely updated, and all this was before they could even begin to think about refinishing 5,700 square feet of flooring and then painting every nook and cranny. Sounds “simple,” doesn’t it? Robin speaks of always noticing the Hawthorne house, even as far back as the early 1990s when she was a college student. A friend lived in a nearby apartment, and Robin reminisces, “I always remember looking and wondering about this house and its closed cur-

Left: The master bedroom, like every other room in the house, has a smooth, painted blue ceiling. Robin has always used blue in the ceilings of the other houses she’s lived in. However, up until this house, the blue has been faint and understated. Robin said, “This time, I wanted the blue to be noticed. I wanted to be bold.” Below: The third ﬂoor Dad’s Den is Russ’ favorite room of the house. When they bought the house, the three huge rooms of the third ﬂoor were covered in original 1920s cloth-type wallpaper. It hung in tatters at that point, nearly 90 years after its installation. The Coussons removed it and painted the wooden walls underneath a warm brown in this room. Russ says this is the perfect early morning or game time retreat.

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tains and wondering what was behind them. The first time we came to look at this house, we stayed for four hours. Once I got the key, I never gave it back.” So, is this the forever house for the Coussons family? That question received an unequivocal, unison, “Nah. Probably not.” Both Robin and Russ admit that there is nothing that they don’t love about the Hawthorne house, but their desire to find a challenge and create a masterpiece is not yet squelched. The Hawthorne house has been complete for just over a year, and already they speak of other houses in town that they have their eye on. Russ alludes to a recent interview he read where the subject advised that if a person is envious of someone else, the difference between the two people is that one has settled and the other has not. The Coussons aren’t the settling type, in any sense of the word.

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Above: The downstairs walls are mostly variations of green with some pink exceptions. “I love color. I love bright and cheery. In my other houses, every room was a different bright color. Here, I felt like I wanted the palate to be more soothing, less busy. The green seemed to fit perfectly,” Robin says. Another of Robin’s unique collections adorns a wall of the kitchen. Old family recipe cards framed and hung with the family’s silver spoons give a nod to the rich history of food and hospitality that surrounds the family and makes them the people we know today. Right: This view from the foyer, straight up the three floors, causes Robin to quip, “You get your exercise in this house!”

may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

The Rise and Rebirth of the City on the Bluﬀ

text by sara wright covington » photos by patrick hood additional photos courtesy of the sheffield public library

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you are headed to Sheffield by Montgomery Boulevard, past what is now Helen Keller Hospital, and just over the railroad tracks, you may have noticed a few changes to downtown Sheffield in recent months. There are regal new lampposts lining the streets. New stores, restaurants, and apartments seem to be popping up everywhere, and it’s likely you will see people walking around and waving to one another as they take in these new sites and sounds of Sheffield. If you are new to the Shoals area, this likely won’t seem like anything out of the ordinary. But for natives, especially anyone who has been around since the 60s, this new blooming and bustle in downtown Sheffield is very much a site for sore eyes. Once considered the heart of the Shoals, Sheffield is a city that didn’t just occur by accident or the gradual development of land. It was a place that arose for a specific duty and was proudly built by men and women who came and settled the area for the purpose of prosperity and patriotic duty. Through the decades and as the world changed and North Alabama grew, the city has certainly fallen from its former glory of the town where it was once impossible to find a parking space on a Saturday. But the spirit and heart of the city is still very much alive, and for those men and women who grew up here, it is a breath of fresh air to see their city awakening after being asleep for a very long time. RICH HISTORY

Photo courtesy of Sheﬃeld Public Library

Facing page: One of Sheﬃeld’s ﬁve original blast furnaces that worked in conjunction with the iron and steel industries of Birmingham.

The city of Sheffield, named for Sheffield, England, was from its very inception a boom town with big plans. North Alabama has always been known for its rich coal and iron ore deposits, and when General Andrew Jackson and his troops came to the area in 1817 and camped on the river bluff, it was determined that there was no better place to establish a town than this fruitful spot right on the water. First established as York Bluff, Jackson himself bought much of the land, which he attempted to farm for a few years before eventually selling the property. In 1883, Captain Alfred H. Moses, a banker from a firm in Montgomery, became interested in the land investment opportunities this part of Alabama offered because of a proposed new railroad that would run from Kentucky to the southeast by way of Florence. By the end of 1883, Moses and his firm, as well as fellow investors and brothers Colonial Walter S. Gordon and C.E. Gordon, had agreed to joint ownership of the land that would be the projected new city. This sector of land included the town of York Bluff. A three-day auction was held in May of 1884 where 500 lots were sold for $350,000, and in February of 1885, the city of Sheffield was officially incorporated. Sheffield’s earliest settlers were mostly educated men who came from successful backgrounds and were knowledgeable about how to succeed in business and

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An aerial view of the Village’s Liberty Bell layout Photo courtesy of Sheﬃeld Public Library

industry. They also put thoughtful consideration into the town’s development and worked to build churches, schools, and social activities. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, much industry was established, including five blast furnaces that worked in conjunction with the steel and iron industries of Birmingham. Although depression would cause many of these industries to disappear, WWI would once again stimulate the economy, and in 1917 President Woodrow Wilson chose Sheffield as the location site for a nitrate plant. Government representatives were sent to oversee the operations of Nitrate Plant 1, and the influx of jobs meant much housing was needed. Necessary land was acquired in the form of 750 lots, which would contain temporary and permanent housing. A section of 85 permanent homes for government officers was laid out in the shape of the Liberty

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Bell, and would become known as Village 1. Nitrate Plant number 1 was considered an experimental plant, and was eventually put on stand-by when the war ended. But a second plant, Nitrate Plant number 2, had begun operation in 1917 and was now successfully producing nitrate to meet the immediate need of the government. By 1918, employment of Nitrate Plant number 2 had reached over 19,000. But after WWI ended, Plant 2 was eventually put on hold as well. The construction of Wilson Dam had begun in 1918 to supply electricity to the two nitrate plants but was also halted in 1921 when Congress failed to appropriate funds for its completion. This resulted in vast job loss until Congress appropriated the necessary funds to begin its completion in 1922. Richard Sheridan, Sheﬃeld historian who has lived in this area since 1960, recalls what the war’s end meant for

this area. “They went ahead and finished Wilson Dam, but there was a big controversy about what to do with these two nitrate plants,” he says. “Congress debated on it for years. Henry Ford came here twice and offered to buy the dam and the plants, but his offer was never accepted by Congress.” War and Peace By 1932, several years of false hopes and waiting for growth to once again take off in the Shoals had passed. When Franklin Roosevelt was elected as president, he assured the people of the Shoals that the government would adopt the Shoals properties and make them prosper once again. “When Roosevelt ran for office in 1932,” says Richard Sheridan, “he came out in favor of government control. He came here twice before he was inaugurated. He spoke and said he would put Muscle Shoals back on the map. He got in a motorcade and went out to see Plant 2 and went over to Florence and made a speech on Court Street. He left, and came back a year and a half later to see what had been done to Plant 2. All this stimulated national interest in the Muscle Shoals area.” With the passage of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act in 1932, plans once again were set into motion to make the Shoals vibrant again. Over the next couple of years, vast economic improvement was set in motion with the construction of

Wheeler and Wilson Dams, and also the reintroduced use of Nitrate Plant 2. TVA also took over all of the housing in the former nitrate plant villages, where workers from the nitrate plants had previously lived. As World War II began, Sheffield joined the rest of the country in a season of preparedness for the war effort. Sheffield’s economy both during and after the war would prove to be its most productive time in history. From 1940 to 1960, the city prospered as industry continued to grow with plants like Union Aluminum Company and Reynolds Metals opening to sustain the growing consumer demands of the area and the post-war baby boom. But for the men and women who lived and worked in Sheffield during this thriving time, the experience was just as rich as the economy. Betty Dyar, 85, remembers the wonderment of growing up and going to school in Sheffield’s Villages. “It was just wonderful to grow up and live in this town because it was so vibrant and alive and well,” she says. “For my generation, many of us didn’t even have a phone in the house. We had radio and the movies, but people watching was entertainment back then. My family would park in front of the dime store and just people watch. Then there was school. And that was my life.” Although Dyar moved away for many years, she returned to the place she calls home several years ago and she now vol-

Construction of the Wilson Dam and Hydroelectric Plant, 1918

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“It was just wonderful to grow up and live in this town because it was so vibrant and alive and well. For my generation, many of us didn’t even have a phone in the house. We had radio and the movies, but people watching was entertainment back then. My family would park in front of the dime store and just people watch. Then there was school. And that was my life.” —Betty Dyar, Sheﬃeld Village Resident

The view of Sheffield’s industrial skyline. Facing page: Sheffield native Jess Phillips’s grandfather pictured here on his horse. Phillips’ grandfather was the head of security for Village 1. Photos courtesy of Sheffield Public Library

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unteers at the Sheffield Public Library, where she helps run the Alfred H. Moses history room. “My mantra has always been ‘Yes, you can go home. But you have to have the right mind set.”’ Dyar is still active in the Sheffield community and has maintained many of the friendships from 70 years ago. “I have lunch every month with a group of women who all graduated from Sheffield in the 1940s. There are 12 of us and we are all still driving. We talk about the Village and how wonderful it was and the fact that the decade of the ‘40s still have reunions.” Jess Phillips is another Sheffield native who now lives in Texas but stays very close to his Sheffield family roots, which trace back a very long way. “My grandfather had been in the Spanish American War and he came to work for Nitrate Plant 1,” says Phillips. “Up until 1933 it was vacant out there in Village 1. After the war department abandoned Nitrate Plant 1 after WWI, my grandparents were the only ones living out there. My grandfather was chief of security and he was in charge of patrolling the whole place and all the houses.” Phillips remembers that his grandfather was a very large man and he rode his horse all over Sheffield. “He was a great big guy and everybody was scared to death of him! The horse was also huge, so they were both pretty imposing.” What Phillips remembers most fondly, besides the friendships he made, is the quality education that he and his peers received while attending one of TVA’s experimental schools in the Village. The school was sponsored by Mrs. Roosevelt and he remembers many of his school activities being filmed to view student progress. “I lived in Village 2, but we were

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“When we grew up the village, the surrounding woods was our playground. During the summer months we had the run of the neighborhood and were ok as long as we stayed in the village. There were no concerns about our safety when we were in the village. There was nothing bad happening.” —David Langford, Sheﬃeld Village Resident

As the baby-boomer generation grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Sheﬃeld remained a tranquil, safe place where residents of those red-roofed stucco houses in the Village could grow, learn, and play. David Langford has been in the Shoals area for

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all bussed to Village 1,” he remembers. “There was also Village 3 at Wilson Dam and we all went to the school at Village 1. It really was an idyllic situation. The school was a Montessori-type school. We sat on the floor mostly, but we had desks for math and writing. But we all had projects throughout the year that we chose.” One of those projects the students at this experimental school all worked on was the school garden, where they learned to grow their own food to be served at lunch time. Bettye Stanford Staggers was a fellow classmate of Phillips and remembers fondly working on the school garden, taking daily school naps, learning about classical music, and even learning to do the waltz. “I started in the first grade at the TVA school and I lived right across the street from it,” she says. “It was a time that we don’t just have anymore. My daddy was a policeman. There was a fire station at the top of the hill and if you wanted to talk on the phone, you called the fire station and it rang to the village where everybody could listen!”

Above, top: The playground and school house of Village 1 TVA school; Village 1 TVA school students working in a garden.

over 50 years, where he lived in the Village and then went on to raise two sons there as well. He remembers the very best parts of what it was like to grow up in Sheffield. “When we grew up the Village, the surrounding woods was our playground,” he says. “During the summer months we had the run of the neighborhood and were OK as long as we stayed in the village. Halloween during those years was a time to remember. We left the house at dusk and were usually out trick or treating until no one’s porch light was still on. There were no concerns about our safety when we were in the Village. There was nothing bad happening in the Village.” As the city of Sheffield moved into a new era, the economy would shift once again. “Things changed very rapidly in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” remembers Richard Sheridan. “Town Plaza shopping center opened and Southgate mall opened right after that. And the same thing was happening in Florence. People wanted to shop at the big newer stores. Our theater closed and the one in Tuscumbia did too as people got televisions and weren’t as interested in going to the movies. Another important factor was the changing of the highways. Highways 72 and 43 originally passed through downtown Sheffield, and they were rerouted through Muscle Shoals.” After many years of quiet downtown streets and vacant buildings, recent interest in the downtown area has again sparked hope and pride into the people of Sheffield. Mayor Ian Sanford is especially proud of his city as he has been in this area his entire life. “The Village will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2018, and we are putting a committee together to celebrate that in a big way,” says Sanford. “That’s the most historical part of our city.” Many of Sheffield’s historic buildings are being renovated and there will eventually be 23 to 25 new apartments downtown. “We appreciate not only our new businesses, but our existing businesses who stayed and weathered the storm.” Sanford says getting more people living in the downtown area will hopefully entice more retail and create even more opportunities for expansion. Designated bicycle lanes are now in place and there are plans to pave all of the major roads. “This has all brought about a new sense of pride to the city. The focus has been on downtown because it is the hub and the heart of the city.” That renewed sense of pride is very evident as warmer weather is drawing people outside and to the downtown area to enjoy their blossoming city. And although Sheffield’s revitalization is just beginning, for those who have roots to the city and know its rich history, it has always been the center of the Shoals—through the good times and the bad. “To me, Sheffield is the quintessential small town,” says Sanford. “I wouldn’t trade anything for my growing up here.” may/june  | noalastudios.com | 

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bless their hearts » LuEllen Redding Now in 36 places, there have certainly been some less than stellar neighbors. They can’t all be good. But the bad ones do teach you how to appreciate the good ones.

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Do you know your neighbors? Neighbors…you know, the people that live in the houses next to you or behind you or across the street. I know mine. Some people don’t. I think that is weird. I can remember the neighbors that lived around me in the house we moved out of the summer I turned nine. I have always had the need to know about the people who occupy the space near me. Pure nosiness? Well, I’d much prefer to call it something more elegant like “concern for those around me” or “a need for community.” Whatever. Forty years ago, I lived in a little flat house in a little flat neighborhood in a little flat town. There was a ditch that ran between my house and Stephanie Puckett’s and it held an endless supply of tadpoles and mud. I bet some days we crossed that ditch 500 times. Her daddy owned the local five and dime. I thought that was very cool. A couple houses down was the family that owned a local jewelry store. They had one girl that was younger and played with my little sister and they also had teenagers. Really awesome teenagers. Teenagers with raspy voices and wild curly hair and motorcycles and places to be at all times of the day and night. The lady on the other side of them used to babysit me from time to time and she called me “LuEller,” not to be confused with Jimbo Taylor who lived behind us and called me “NewEller.” I guess “LuEllen” was a serious challenge to his speech impediment. Kathy and her older sister were in the house on the other side of us. Kathy was two years older than me and provided much insight on the ways of the world for soon-to-be third graders. The high school baseball coach and his beautiful wife lived a few houses down and had babies, a constant source of entertainment. My best friend, Mandy, lived around the corner. We spent hours playing Barbies and listening to John Denver. I hope she does not remember me cutting off her pigtail. It was just the one. Once, in my 20s, I lived in a neighborhood chock-full of families and children. As I planted flowers and raked leaves in the idyllic setting, I was constantly entertained with the whoops of their chasing and the bouncing of their balls and the hum of their bicycles. Once I even looked out to see one of the littlest boys, ummm, having a private, excretory moment behind a tree. Not a standing moment, but a squatting moment, if you get my drift. And what he considered to be “behind” his tree was actually in “front” of my kitchen window. I can’t remember ever laughing so hard. Ten years later, when it was my own boy, it wasn’t quite so funny. Fast forward a few years, my husband and I were newly married. Our first home was an adorable little duplex on a downtown street. A small, thin-walled, duplex. And did I say that we were newly married? I learned a lot about those neighbors. And they learned a lot about us. Bless them, they are still our friends. I still cringe when I think about those days. In the house where we live now, I have an old neighbor. Well, I did. He has recently moved away to live with his daughter. I guess it is a good transition for me. He is 94 years old. And he needs to be with his family, as I am sure they need to be with him. It is probably good for all of us. I worried that any other

kind of transition would be too sudden for me. I miss him, but I think of him happy and with his days filled with grandchildren. But I do imagine he misses his leaf blower and his roses. He is the kind of neighbor that spends six hours blowing the leaves in his yard and then does my driveway “just because.” His hedges now have those little shoots coming out the tops like they need to be trimmed. That would never happen if he were home. He knows properly maintained hedges should be attended to weekly. He has lived in his house for 68 years. Sixty-eight years. Now I am 44 years old and recently did some calculating to determine that I have lived in 36 different places. Thirty-six, so far. My neighbor and I don’t have a lot in common. We don’t see eye-to-eye on lots of things. He is an elder in the nearby staunch Church of Christ. I am sure my Episcopal stickers give him the heebie-jeebies. He sweeps his Astroturf-covered front porch every day at 3:45 p.m. My front porch often looks like an episode of Hoarders is about to be filmed. I have never seen him un-ironed or un-tucked or un-combed. I often have scantily clad children roaming the front yard. But really, we do have one thing in common. He and I, we are good neighbors. We have a need to know about each other, our pasts and our day-to-day. Before we bought the house, when we were in the looking phase, I asked questions about him. In a small town, everyone has mutual acquaintances and I checked him out. I knew all kinds of things about him, before I even laid eyes on him. But that first time I did introduce myself, out in the yard, standing two feet deep in my own leaves, he said, “Oh, I know who you are. And I’ve asked around. I hear you are good people.” He was as worried about me as I was about him. I knew that very moment that we would be friends. And we are. Now in 36 places, there have certainly been some less than stellar neighbors. They can’t all be good. But the bad ones do teach you how to appreciate the good ones. I am sure that some folks consider neighbors to be the people who just happen to live in the house next to them. Not me. I think God put us in each others’ paths for a reason. Now that reason might be trivial or it might be big. It might be to teach me tolerance or to guilt me into cleaning up a bit or to force my kids to pick up our own dog poop. Or it might be so that we can become lifelong friends. I don’t know. My neighbor’s house will probably come up for sale soon. Do you want to be my neighbor?

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market » Photos by Patrick Hood

SLEEP TIGHT

Relax Pillow ($68) Harper Clothing Company (256) 760-7115 Melie Bianco Purse ($86) Audie Mescal (256) 314-6684 Darzzi Akar Throw ($98) Necklace ($62) Susan Whitﬁeld for Firenze Earrings ($38) Firenze Gifts and Interiors (256) 760-1963 Peepers Specs ($19) Jon Heart Executive Folder ($145) Printers and Stationers, Inc. (256) 764-8061 Juliska Field of Flowers Bowl ($35) Juliska Field of Flowers Plate ($24.50) The French Basket (256) 764-1237 Gold and White Throw Pillow ($125) Sweet Pineapple (256) 964-7563 Sealy Stowbridge Firm mattress courtesy of Mattress Country (256) 760-9991

Quilt and Fabric courtesy of Thread (256) 383-2223

PILLARANDPEACOCK.COM

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market » Photos by Patrick Hood market

Straw Hat ($29.99) Corkys Summit Wedges ($53) The Village Shoppe (256) 383-1133 Level 99 Shorts ($88) Elise Gold Rush Bracelet ($18) Audie Mescal (256) 314-6684 Sunglasses ($169) Alabama Outdoors (256) 885-3561 Simon Sebbag Designs Necklace ($225) Simon Sebbag Designs Bracelet ($125) Side Lines (256) 767-0925 Dylan Pillow ($49.50) Deco Palm Pillow ($39) Blue Throw ($88) Firenze Gifts and Interiors (256) 760-1963 Toss Utility Tote ($168) Eileen Fisher Black Sleeveless Tunic ($290) Elliott Lauren Oﬀ-White Pants ($138) Marigail Mathis (256) 764-9444

Sealy Stowbridge Firm mattress courtesy of Mattress Country (256) 760-9991

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market » Photos by Patrick Hood

Handprint Robe ($64) Firenze Gifts and Interiors (256) 760-1963 Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt ($27.99) The Colette Sewing Handbook by Sarai Mitnick ($29.99) Fat Quarters (prices vary) Thread (256) 383-2223 Medium Wooden Tray ($29.99) Surprise Store (256) 766-6810 Home Made by Yvette Van Boven ($40) Orange Greek Key Pillow ($49) Juliska Country Estate Saucer ($25) Juliska Country Estate Cup ($38) Acorn Thong Spa Slippers ($38) The French Basket (256) 764-1237 Small Table/Stool ($32) The Greenery (256) 518-9836 Rug (price on request) Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181

Sealy Stowbridge Firm mattress courtesy of Mattress Country (256) 760-9991

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Faux Design Stationery ($15) Papaya Art Golden Bird Notes ($14) Cross Pen ($85) Printers and Stationers, Inc. (256) 764-8061 Quilt courtesy of Thread (256) 383-2223

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market » Photos by Patrick Hood

Florence Pillow ($78) Harper Clothing Company (256) 760-7115 Blue Velvet Pillow ($75) The French Basket (256) 764-1237 Alabama Barbecue: Delicious Road Trips by Annette Thompson ($20) Florence Lauderdale Tourism (256) 740-4141 BAM! (256) 768-7953 Southern Tide T-Shirt ($38) Printers and Stationers, Inc. (256) 764-8061 Coastal Cotton Hook Pick Belt ($68) Joe’s Jeans ($174) Leo Martin (256) 381-1006 Cap ($19.95) The North Face Backpack ($125) Alabama Outdoors (256) 764-1809 Buﬀalo Jackson Trading Co. Leather Flip-Flops ($65) Maui Jim Sunglasses ($219) Coats Clothing Company (256) 760-0033 White Quilt ($370) Sweet Pineapple Studio 773 Brown Throw ($138) The French Basket (256) 764-1237 Sealy Stowbridge Firm mattress courtesy of Mattress Country (256) 760-9991

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Blue Pants Brewery IPA ($1.50) The Wine Seller (256) 766-1568

SPONSOR:

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kudos

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If you want to share some good news about a friend, neighbor, or colleague—or even toot your own horn—send your kudos to allen@noalapress.com.

by roy hall

Crowning Glory A-Million Congratulations

Named for renowned auCharles Anderson thor Horatio Alger Jr., who wrote about the merits of honesty, courage, and perseverance, Horatio Alger Association was established in 1947 to uphold these tenets. The Association has provided more than $100 million in undergraduate, graduate, and specialized scholarships since 1984.

Oh, the Humanities

Nancy Sanford

Nancy Sanford, executive director of FlorenceLauderdale Public Library, has been elected to chair the board of the Alabama Humanities Foundation, the state aﬃliate of the National Endowment for Humanities. The NEH encourages and promotes appreciation of literature, history, law, philosophy, and the arts.

FLPL’s executive director since 2004, Sanford has served the community through her work with a variety of organizations, including Tennessee Valley Art Association, United Way of the Shoals, Sheﬃeld Education Foundation, UNA Alumni Association, the InterFaith Council of the Shoals, the Colbert County Red Cross, and the Music Preservation Society.

Courtesy of the Horatio Alger Association

The Horatio Alger Association, one of the nation’s largest privately funded, need-based scholarship programs, will induct Charles Anderson, chairman emeritus of Anderson Companies, as a lifetime member during its annual induction ceremony, April 9-11, 2015.

Rachel Wammack of Muscle Shoals was crowned Miss UNA 2015 at the Miss UNA “Winter Wonderland” Scholarship Pageant January 24. The Muscle Shoals native and English and professional writing major will represent UNA at the Miss Alabama pageant later this year.

Rachel Wammack

An Officer and a Gentleman Florence resident Ben Alexander has joined Bank Independent’s Russellville main sales office as Sales Officer. Alexander is very involved in the community as a member of the Leadership Shoals Class of 2014-2015, a volunteer Ben Alexander Upward Soccer Coach, co-chairman of the Annual Jack Karnes Memorial Golf Tournament, and a member of the United Way Allocations Committee.

Picture This Courtney LeSueur’s Arts Alive 2015 poster design has been selected to represent the annual festival. Signed, limited edition prints of Courtney’s poster will be available for purchase during Arts Alive at Wilson Park, May 16 and 17, and thereafter at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts.

Courtney LeSueur

It starts by getting to know you. Because the more I know about you the better I can help protect what’s important in your world. And be there for you when you have a question or a concern. That’s how I help people live the good life right here in The Shoals. Teresa Rogers 256-389-8970

123260

101 E. Hollywood Avenue Muscle Shoals teresarogers@allstate.com

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the vine » Amy C. Collins

SAUVIGNON AND SANCERRE It’s the season for sauvignon blanc. As soon as the weather started to warm in mid-March, for that short week of what is arguably our spring, I noticed an influx of sauvignon blancs in sales reps’ bags, on wine store shelves, and restaurant lists. The high acid, typically lean and aromatic whites are ideal quaffers in this weather, when the first 70 degree days feel hot after a long, cold winter. Nowhere is [the sauvignon blanc grape] as elegant and refined as the cool hillsides of Sancerre, where the flint and chalky soils produce delicate wines with gorgeous fruit and enticing acidity.

Sauvignon blanc is grown all over the world—California, New Zealand where the grape produces racy bold fruit bombs with cutting acidity, Italy, Israel, Australia, Chile, Spain, Slovenia, and elsewhere in France, specifically Bordeaux where the gravel-grown variety is often blended with sémillon to soften it. But nowhere is it as elegant and refined as the cool hillsides of Sancerre, where the flint and chalky soils produce delicate wines with gorgeous fruit and enticing acidity. The sauvignon blanc grape is, in itself, interesting. It is a parent to the cabernet sauvignon along with cabernet franc, likely a field crossing in Bordeaux two centuries ago. The grape has inherent herbaceous qualities sometimes expressed in aromas of gooseberry bushes and cat pee. I’ve never been around a gooseberry bush, but I also rarely find the cat urine to be a primary note, thankfully. It is a versatile grape that depends heavily on how and where it was raised, a perfect subject for the nature versus nurture argument. Some sav blancs even spend a little time in new oak barrels, which impart fat, toast, spice, and vanilla. Others threaten to take the enamel off your teeth with acidity that cuts like diamonds. What sets Sancerre apart from other sauvignon producers is, without question, the place. The village of Sancerre is in northern France in the Loire Valley, though it’s from neighboring villages Chavignol and Bué where most of the best wines of the region are produced. The whites are made from 100 percent sauvignon blanc and the reds and pinks from pinot noir, though It’s the white wines for which the region is most noted.

Eric Asmiov wrote, for the New York Times in his April 14, 2009 column, one of the most lovely descriptions of Sancerre wines I’ve ever read. “The soft sibilance, the internal alliteration, the smooth completion, whether you give it the clipped French pronunciation or simply ease oﬀ the word American-style—it’s a beautiful sound, suggestive of beautiful wines.” Indeed, the very best evoke a dream-like state of nirvana. Edmond Vatan, who retired after the 2007 vintage and whose daughter Anne now makes the wines, is one of the most sought after Sancerre

producers and the most difficult to find. Current vintages average $120 a bottle. If you have the opportunity and wallet, treat yourself to a bottle. More readily available, though also on the high end, are those of Pascal Cotat, who inherited his father’s vines and winemaking skills in the early 1990s. A bottle of Pascal’s Les Monts Damnés, one of the steepest and highly respected slopes in Sancerre, with chalky and Kimmeridgian clay soils—similar and quite close to Chablis on the map—will run around $60 on the shelf. You might not find one readily available, but they are in Alabama, so ask your favorite wine store to oblige you. Same goes for Domaine Vacheron, which is certified biodynamic with zero synthetics in the vineyard or the winery. Vacheron retails for just under $40 a bottle. In February I discovered one of my favorite yet, Alain Gueneau “Les Griottes,” which I selected for the March Vine Club, a subscription-based wine club in conjunction with Carriage on Court in downtown Florence. Planted in the “griottes,” stony limestone soils, these vines are over 25 years old and produce grapes more expressive of fruit than vegetable. The wine also spends some time on its lees, which adds body and flavor. It’s bright and crisp with citrus and white peach aromas, followed by lively acidity on the palate, lovely minerality reflecting the distinct soil types in the region and a long, satisfying finish. This is what sav blanc should be: delicate, elegant, and delicious. Domaine Gueneau retails for around $25 a bottle. Frank Millet, at $23 a bottle, is a solid second to the Gueneau, with fierce herbal notes, flint, mineral, and distinct acidity. White peach and almost-ripe stone fruits follow on the palate with a long, lustrous finish. Bailly-Reverdy makes excellent food-friendly Sancerre of every color. The white and rosé retail for about $26 a bottle and the red for a few dollars more. The domaine has been making Sancerre in Chavignol for generations and implements organic practices in the vineyards. The wines are consistently of good quality and great examples of the region’s best efforts.

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Enjoy the wines with food, as aperitifs, by the pool, by the lake or on the front porch. The very best producers will age for 10 years or so, though they are all ready to impress now. Cheers to warm weather!

Follow Amy at pigandvine.com for more stories and wine suggestions.

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food for thought » Sarah Gaede

There are lots of good recipes online for stuﬀed squash blossoms, and every yummy ricotta or goat cheese-ﬁlled treat is one less terror-inducing monster squash to be abandoned on your friend’s porch in the dark of night.

TAMING THE EVIL SQUASH MONSTER My maternal great-aunt, Hattie Eliza Daly, was a tobacco farmer in Kinston, North Carolina. She was also an artist who painted china, oils, and watercolors. Aunt Hattie believed she was skilled at both these pursuits because of the transference of knowledge, a theory she learned in her college studies. According to this theory, the same skill that inspired her to select the perfect colors for a painting enabled her to discern the exact color of a perfectly cured tobacco leaf. All the farmers in town begged her, “Miss Hattie, please teach us how to cure tobacco like you do!” Or so she said. My mother minored in botany, and loved growing and arranging flowers. I know the names of flowers and trees only because she called them out whenever we were together: Aucuba japonica! Abelia! Sassafras! Four-o’clocks! Tulip poplar! Beech! (My husband is not impressed when I do this to him.) My middle sister was a certified organic farmer before it was even a thing, and still gardens for rich people in the Shenandoah Valley. None of this horticultural knowledge was transferred to me. My one and only attempt at real gardening, in the actual ground rather than in pots, was a couple of summers ago when a bunch of us women friends had the opportunity to do a community garden. We were all gung-ho in May, under the expert tutelage of Meagan, our very pregnant overseer. It was actually fun to plant seeds and pull weeds and hang out together. But then it got hot, and Meagan had her baby, and things fell apart. It was a hotter, dryer summer than usual, and we were supposed to take turns watering, weeding, and repelling bugs naturally. I tried to do my part. I really did. But I hate to sweat, I don’t like bugs, and I am a mosquito magnet, so there was a lot of whining involved. Yes, it was satisfying to eat our own freshly picked lettuce, radishes, carrots, beets, and of course, massive amounts of zucchini and yellow squash. We got a few green beans, and some tomatoes. Then the plant-eating bugs proliferated, and we all went back to the farmers’ market on Chisholm Road, where, in the bug-free cool of early morning, we could just buy whatever and as much as we needed, and help the local economy in the process. I do know this much about gardening: you can never have too many tomatoes. If you can’t use them all, someone else—me, for example— will be happy to take them. On the other hand, almost everyone plants way too much squash. Young squash are tender, tasty, and a manageable size. A zucchini the size of a torpedo is not. You can nip this problem in the bud—literally. There are lots of good recipes online for stuffed squash blossoms, and every yummy ricotta or goat cheese-filled treat is one less terror-inducing monster squash to be abandoned on your friend’s porch in the dark of night. Should you overplant, you can make zucchini bread, muffins, and quiche. You can put grated zucchini in spaghetti sauce. Or you can go rogue and make a zucchini chocolate cake. I promise this is one of the yummiest cakes ever, and it’s fool proof as long as you prepare the Bundt pan adequately. Steve Carpen-

ter of Jack-o-Lantern Farms loves it so much I made him one for Christmas. The Chocolate Glaze is just gilding the lily, but why not? There may be such a thing as too much zucchini, but there is no such thing as too much chocolate.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Shiny Chocolate Glaze • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan if needed • 1/2 cup cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s Special Dark) • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar • 2 large eggs, at room temperature • 1/2 cup canola oil • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/2 cup brewed, cooled espresso or strong coffee • 2 cups peeled, grated zucchini (2 medium) • 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray the heck out of a Bundt pan with PAM Happy Baking Spray or Baker’s Joy, or spray with regular PAM and flour carefully so as not to miss any spots; shake out excess flour. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer. Beat on low to combine, then on medium speed until fluffy and sugar is well-incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, then the oil and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed until well-blended and smooth. With the mixer on low, scraping after each addition, alternate adding the following ingredients: 1 cup flour mixture, then 1/4 cup coffee; 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup coffee; then the remaining flour. Beat on medium until smooth. Add the zucchini and chocolate chips and beat on lowest speed until just incorporated. Scrape batter into pan; smooth surface. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack. Wait until cake is completely cool before glazing. Or you can just dust it with confectioner’s sugar if you are a minimalist.

Chocolate Glaze • • • • •

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1/4 cup whipping cream 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa powder and cream and stir just until mixture thickens. Do not boil. Remove pan from heat and stir in confectioner’s sugar and vanilla until smooth. Immediately spoon glaze over the cooled cake.

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parting shot » Danny Mitchell

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