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Assisting buyers & sellers with their real estate needs in the Lake Martin Area Rhonda Gaskins, Broker Century 21 Lake Area Realty, Inc.
256-749-3644 rhonda@lakearearealty.net
lakearearealty.net
Let Me Move You!
JANUARY 2021
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Staff
(256) 234-6366
V (256) 487-0308
We Touch the Lives of the People You Love
Chairman KENNETH BOONE
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Publisher STEVE BAKER
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Managing Editor BETSY ILER
editor@lakemagazine.life
Assistant Editor BRITTANY SMITH
editor@lakemagazine.life
Art Director AUDRA SPEARS
audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com
Circulation ERIN BURTON
erin.burton@alexcityoutlook.com
Marketing/Advertising Director TIPPY HUNTER
tippy.hunter@alexcityoutlook.com
Marketing RACHEL MCCOLLOUGH
rachel.mccollough@alexcityoutlook.com
MARILYN HAWKINS
marilyn.hawkins@thewetumpkaherald.com
JULIE HARBIN
julie.harbin@alexcityoutlook.com
LIZ HOLLAND
liz.holland@alexcityoutlook.com
ANDY CARR
andy.carr@thewetumpkaherald.com
Digital Success Manager ELLE FULLER
elle.fuller@alexcityoutlook.com
Contributors
(256) 825-9244
Assisted Living & SCALF Short Term Rehab
(256) 839-6711
(334) 864-8854 4 LAKE
Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy Long Term Skilled Nursing Care JANUARY 2021
KENNETH BOONE JULIE HUDSON GREG VINSON CLIFF WILLIAMS MATT SHEPPARD SIRI HEDREEN JACOB HOLMES ERIC REUTEBUCH HENRY FOY CHRIS MORINA JOHN COLEY
All content, including all stories and photos are copyright of: Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
P.O. Box 999 Alexander City, AL 35011 256-234-4281
On the Cover Natalie Purinton said one of the best mistakes she ever made was missing a casting call for an Atlanta dress designer's modeling opportunity. She sent a video and got the job. After a year of modeling, she returned to the pageant cirucuit, which gives her an opportunity to talk to a wide audience about special needs child development. She wants to teach in the special needs classroom when she finishes college. Photo by Kenneth Boone
Brown Nursing & Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Services • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy Cecily Lee, Administrator Angela Pitts, Director of Nursing Candi Tate, Clinical Liaison
2334 Washington Street, Alexander City | 256-329-9061 | www.crownehealthcare.com
6400 Highway 63 South, Alexander City, AL 35010 docksunlimitedllc.com (256) 203-8400 Check out our Facebook Page: Docks Unlimited
JANUARY 2021
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BeST 2020
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Contents 18. EASTSIDE WORKOUT Knect Fitness opened Dec. 1, providing a gym on Lake Martin's east side 24. PANDEMIC IN PICTURES Her travel sketching plans shelved, Louise McPhillips drew the lockdown instead 28. LAKE LIFE The 15th Annual Swimsuit & Lifestyle Edition features: Blakley White Ashari Chapman Cheaney Keel Stella Claire Segrest John Hayden Johnson Natalie Purinton Jen Hunt Baylee Adkins Summer Jones
LAKE MAGAZINE’S MONTHLY FEATURES: 9. LAKE’S QUICK GUIDE TO THE LAKE 10. LAKE SCENES 14. LAKE MARTIN EVENTS 71. LAKE PROPERTY 72. LAKE WATCH
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74. FAB FINDS 76. HEALTHY LIVING 78. FROM THE CELLAR 80. CHEF'S TABLE 82. BIG CATCHES 87. PAR FOR THE COURSE
Lake magazine also features an online, digital edition, available 24 hours a day, free of charge. This edition is perfect to share with friends and family and provides you complete access to stories, photos and advertisements from anywhere in the world with Internet access. View our digital edition today at www.lakemagazine.life.
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Dr. George W. Hardy General Dentistry
A Place To Worship Lake Martin Area Churches
WATERFRONT Church of the Living Waters Inside StillWaters, Dadeville 256-825-2990 New Hope Baptist Church 529 Peppers Road, Alexander City 256-329-2510 Church in the Pines Kowaliga Road, Kowaliga 334-857-2133
OFF WATER Equality United Methodist Church 281 AL Hwy 259, Equality 334-541-4063
OFF WATER
OFF WATER
OFF WATER
Hillabee Baptist Church Hillabee Road, Alexander City 256-234-6798
Alex City Church of Christ 945 Tallapoosa Street, Alexander City 256-234-6494
First Baptist Church 178 South Tallassee Street, Dadeville 256-825-6232
Red Ridge United Methodist Church 8091 County Road 34, Dadeville 256-825-9820
Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 2602 Gilmer Avenue Tallassee, AL 36078 334-252-8618 (12 Miles South of Lake Martin)
First United Methodist Church 310 Green Street, Alexander City 256-234-6322 First United Methodist Church West Lafayette Street, Dadeville 256-825-4404 First Presbyterian Church 371 Jefferson Street, Alexander City 256-329-0524
Lake Martin Baptist Church 9823 County Road 34, Dadeville, AL 36853 256-825-7434
St. James Episcopal Church South Central Avenue, Alexander City 256-234-4752
Lake Pointe Baptist Church La 8352 Highway 50, Dadeville, AL 36853 256-373-3293 Faith Temple Church 425 Franklin Street, Alexander City 256-234-6421
ASK ABOUT OUR
Flint Hill United Methodist Church 2858 Flint Hill Road Alexander City, AL 35010 256-234-5047 Good News Baptist Church 10493 Hwy 280 Jacksons Gap, AL 36861 256-825-2555
WE WILL CUSTOMIZE A PLAN SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR NEEDS! PAGE A7
God has our names tattooed, us won’t forget
FOR RECORD SUBSCRIBERS in
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NO. 20
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MAY 16, 2019
nuisance anyone with the Hardin said those affected by ts or the EARPDC said the grant complain should bring can use them Debbie Minor street paving ts so they City Clerk is for both projects. y written statemenon. goes application n Drive is) in absolutel night. authority said. “If for the applicati n Tuesday planner Jason “(Freema the housing COUNCIL • Page A3 ,” Hardin demolitio really “As far as regional See condition the group there it’s EARPDC the councila CDG grant awful driven through at funding E JANSEN on you’ve Hardin informed we’re looking structures.” By GABRIELL with the city Drive at bad and also n at dilapidated Freeman y and is working Staff Writer paving on heard for demolitio Authorit for street Housing s. Dadeville e City Council Dadeville Regional The Dadevill sion the ing 22 propertie East Alabama t Commis demolish from the nd D elopmen
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St John The Apostle Catholic Church 454 North Central Avenue Alexander City, Al 35010 256-234-3631
JANUARY 2021
Call one of our marketing representatives today!
Small Space Advertising Works.
256-234-4281
Call Liz Holland 256-414-3174 & ask for Lake Church Page
Lake’s Quick Guide to the Lake Lake Martin Area Real Estate Indicators Sales Month
Number of sales
Average selling price
Median selling price
Days on the market
Total houses for sale
Inventory/ sales ratio
35 21 16
$795,655 $727,859 $534,648
$615,000 $575,000 $427,500
89 181 258
61 210 285
1.53 6.98 11.63
November 2020 November 2017 November 2014
The above numbers are derived from raw sales data from the Lake Martin Area Association of Realtors MLS.The sales noted above are for Lake Martin waterfront residential (single-family and condominium) sales only. This information is provided courtesy of Lake Martin Realty, LLC (a Russell Lands, Inc., affiliated company).
It takes a village to keep the Patriot Point flag flying A gentle breeze flares the flag at Patriot Point
Patriot Point is one of Alexander City's most recognized landmarks, as the 20 foot by 30 foot flag stands 140 feet above the intersection of U.S. Highway 280 and state Route 63, one of the Lake Martin area’s busiest intersections. The granite wall reaches 70 feet above the right-of-way on the corner, behind the new 'Welcome to Alexander City' sign, and the flagpole at the top of the wall is 70 feet as well. Dubbed Patriot Point, the flag display is maintained cooperatively by Russell Lands On Lake Martin, the City of Alexander City and the Alabama Department of Transportation. Russell Lands On Lake Martin purchases and hoists the flags in compliance with official U.S. guidelines. “They actually are replaced fairly often to make sure they are always in good condition,” said Roger Holliday, vice president of Russell Lands. Johnny Peterson, Clay Sprayberry and Peterson's son, Scott, usually make up the flag replacement crew. Peterson said it takes them about 30 minutes to make the change.
Weather Outlook for January January 2021 Forecast
Historically, the Lake Martin area experiences average high temperatures in the mid-50s with average lows in the low-30s and slightly more than 5 inches of precipitation in the month of January. The National Weather Service has predicted that temperatures could be above normal and rainfall averages will be somewhat below the normal range this month.
Year to Date
Precipitation: 71.42 inches Avg. high temp.: 76.9 Avg. low temp.: 54.5 Avg. temp.: 65.7
Our Normal January Precipitation: 5.21 inches Avg. high temp.: 55.2 Avg. low temp.: 31.6 Avg. temp.: 43.4
Information from the National Weather Service.
JANUARY 2021
"Sometimes, we have to replace the rope, too," said Peterson, who always keeps a spare flag and rope on hand to enable a quick switch if wind and weather have damaged the flag. "We replace it any time the wind and weather have deteriorated it. Last year, we replaced it three times." Initially, the flags were made from cloth, but they didn't last very long, Peterson said. Now, the crew uses nylon flags, which generate more static electricity, especially in the colder months. While the nylon is more durable and easier to work with, it does cling more during installation, he explained. The City of Alexander City pays the light bill and keeps the spotlights beneath the flag in position and in good working condition, so the flag is always lit at night. And the Alabama Department of Transportation maintains the trees on the site, cutting back branches on the trees around the flag to keep the sightlines open and the U.S. stars and stripes flying proudly at Alabama’s Freshwater Coast. ~ Betsy Iler
Last Month's Lake Levels Summer: 491 MSL Winter: 484 MSL Highest: 485.38 Lowest: 483.81 Lake depth is measured in reference to mean sea level. For up-to-date water levels at the lake, visit the website lakes.alabamapower.com.
Lake elevations are subject to change. Individuals who recreate below Martin Dam and those with boats and waterrelated equipment on the lake should always stay alert to changing conditions.
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Lake Scene n People & Places
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
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READER SUBMISSIONS (1) Sharon and Keitha Charles and Carol McDonald enjoy the breeze and a splash of cool water on a tube ride. (2) Shelly, Sam, Beth, Nicole and Pam got together for a photo at Hayley's fireworks show at Lake Martin. (3) Adalyn Carter works on her tan at her granddad's Blue Creek lake house. (4) Luke isn't so sure he wants to share his Cheez-its with the goat. (5) Caroline Ginn, age 7, loved the boat ride on Lake Martin. (6) Tony Johnson had his camera at the ready when this rainbow appeared over Lake Martin. (7) Tara Jeroloman and her goldendoodle, Blitz, cruise the lake on a Jet Ski.
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Lake Scene n People & Places
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READER SUBMISSIONS (1) Jayden Trowbridge and Carrie Beck take some quiet time in a hammock during their first vacation trip to Lake Martin. (2) Bentley is ready for a ride behind the boat with Pearce and Hayden Yeargan. (3) Cousins Lilly and Tyler stopped in at Chuck's for pizza. (4) Leah Dowsett loved hanging out on the boat for a lake day. (5) Trey Foshee spent an afternoon on the boat with his Mimi. (6) Dexter turns his face to the wind on a wild boat ride. (7) Ryan Hunt enjoys a wake ride behind the boat.
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Lake Martin’s Marine Construction Company 6732 Highway 63 South, Alexander Cit y, AL 35010 | (256) 392-5200 | www. sunrisedock sllc.com
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Lake Scene n People & Places
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READER SUBMISSIONS (1) Jayden Trowbridge made a new friend at Goat Island during her first stay at the lake. (2) Lisa and John Capell's English springer spaniel, Biscuit, does his part in helping to keep Lake Martin clean. (3) The Griffin sisters social distance with residents of Lake Martin's Goat Island. (4) Paige Swartzentruber discovered power in pink when she took the family prize for artistic dock jumping. (5) Oliver Skipworth struck a serious tone for his best artistic dock jump at Lake Martin. (6) Super silly Thad Swartzentruber found just the right facial expression for a backward leap into the lake. (7) Aniston Skipworth catches nothing but air for in the McCain's artistic dock jumping session at Lake Martin. (8) Sheila McKenna took this photo of a beautiful Lake Martin rainbow near the Kowaliga Bridge.
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Jan. 2 Wildlife Presentation
Lake Martin Dadeville annual chamber banquet will be held Jan. 21
Jan. 21 Cattlemen’s Association Steak Dinner
Marianne Hudson, the The Russell Lands Tallapoosa On Lake Martin County Naturalist, will Cattlemen’s give a free preAssociation sentation from annual steak 8 a.m. to 12 dinner this year p.m. about the will be a drivediseases and ailthru event with ments that Russell location details Forest wildlife to be announced are susceptible soon. Dinners to, some of which will be distribare transmittable uted from 6 p.m. to us. Hudson to 7:30 p.m. will talk about Call 256-307common wild0577 to RSVP. life diseases and what risks there Jan. 21 CALENDAR OF EVENTS are to humans, including Lake Martin Dadeville COVID-19 viruses. There is Chamber Annual no charge for this program. WHAT’S HAPPENING ON LAKE MARTIN For more information, call Banquet Hudson at 256-496-2710 or This annual meeting and email her at naturalist@russelllands.com. awards banquet will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with introductions of the 2021 officers. Business and Person of the Year will be recognized as well. Tickets are $50; Jan. 9 For location and details, email chamber@dadeville.com.
Guided Nature Tour
Marianne Hudson, the Russell Lands On Lake Martin Naturalist, will give a guided tour of the winter forest from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Hudson will search for forest residents that are dormant and forest residents that are dynamic. She will point out signs of increasing activity as the day warms. This hike is recommended for hikers who have a moderate fitness level and are between the ages of 5-105. There is a $10 fee for this program. Please contact Naturalist Marianne at 256-496-2710 to inquire and to register.
Jan. 9 Wildlife Presentation
Marianne Hudson, the Russell Lands On Lake Martin Naturalist, will give a free presentation from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. about the diseases and ailments that Russell Forest wildlife are susceptible to, some of which are transmittable to us. Hudson will talk about common wildlife diseases and what risks there are to humans, including COVID-19 viruses. There is no charge for this program. Call Hudson at 256-496-2710 for more information or email naturalist@russelllands.com or call.
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Feb. 13 Wildlife Presentation
Marianne Hudson, the Russell Lands On Lake Martin Naturalist, will give a free presentation from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. about what the wildlife is wearing these days; fur, feathers or antlers. Hudson will examine the features that wildlife uses to meet its needs, and also discuss the ways that humans take advantage of these accessories for their own use. There is no charge for this program. Contact Hudson for details and more information at naturalist@russelllands.com or call 256-496-2710.
Feb. 21 Second Annual Wedding & Event Expo
The Mitchell House in Dadeville once again will host this vendor fair event that will help local brides and event planners to complete all the details in one place and at one time. Visit one of the lake area̓s most beautiful and historic venues from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to meet with florists, decorators, wedding planners, caterers, cake bakers and more. Tickets are $10, and the expo benefits the Lake Martin Area United Way.
JANUARY 2021
Feb. 27 12th Annual Russell Forest Run
Children’s Library in Alexander City
The 10K and 5K Russell Forest Run will feature a virtual component for runners who cannot attend the event in person. The 10K will begin at 7:45 a.m., and the 5K will soon follow. From the starting line to postrace, 2021 Russell Forest Run runners could expect a few changes, but the outcome with be the same – raising much-needed dollars for the Alexander City Schools Education Foundation. Precautions will be in place for the safety of runners, volunteers, staff and other involved in the run. More details about the virtual race and the in-person race are available and registration is now open at russellforestrun.com.
Mamie’s Place Children’s Library holds themed storytime every Wednesday at 10 a.m. for preschool-aged and younger children. In addition, the children’s library hosts board games and puzzles every Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 256-234-4644 for details and information.
Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony Exhibit
The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony on Lake Martin exhibit is on display at the Alexander City Board of Education building, located at 375 Lee St. Stop in to view this beautiful collection of art by local artists.
$20 on the 20th
The Lake Martin Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce asks our community to spend $20 on the 20th of each month to help our local economy.
Season-long Events Soup to Go
Drive through the parking lot at St. James Episcopal Church at 347 S. Central Ave. between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. every Tuesday and pick up a brown bag dinner with soup, sandwich, fruit and dessert. COVID-19 precautions are taken by volunteers who prepare, pack and distribute the meal, which is open to the whole community.
Clean Community Partnership Cleanups
Volunteers in Alexander City and Dadeville are encouraged to participate in community partnership cleanups every month. In Alexander City, the cleanups are held on the third Saturday of the month. To volunteer, meet at Broad Street Plaza at 8:30 a.m. to pick up supplies and area assignments and help make the roads within Alexander City beautiful. For more information, contact Jacob at jacob.meacham@alexandercitychamber.com. In Dadeville, the monthly cleanup is held on the first Saturday of the month, and volunteers can pick up sanitized pickers and bags at 8 a.m. at Dadeville City Hall. There also will be a trash bag drop-off on site. Contact Dianna Porter at 256-750-0075.
Millerville Trade Day
Bibb Graves School on state Route 9 hosts this trade day on the third Saturday of every month from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. with free outside setup for vendors, yard sale, flea market and swap meet items (no food vendors). Donations from sales to BGHS Alumni and Friends Association would be appreciated. There will be a designated area to bring vehicles for sale with $20 donation to BGHSAFA upon sale. For information, contact Bruce Lowery at 205-522-5794.
Library Storytime in Dadeville
Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store
Located on state Route 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You never know what gems you might find – from clothes and household items to boats. Proceeds are used to help fund the activities at the Lake Martin campus of Children’s Harbor and the Family Center at Children̓s Hospital. For more information, call 334-857-2008.
Memory Makers Quilt Guild
This group meets the second and fourth Mondays at the Senior Center on the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex campus. Participants come and go between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. with a business meeting at 5 p.m., followed by show-and-tell. Bring sewing projects and machines.
Real Island Supper
The Real Island community hosts a covered dish supper every third Friday of the month at the Real Island Volunteer Fire Department and Community Room, 1495 Real Island Rd., Equality. Everyone is welcome. Admission is $3 per adult; bring a covered dish to share. Some nights are themed, so call ahead to find out if costumes or certain types of food are in order. For more information, contact Dianne Perrett at 256-329-8724.
Charity Bingo at Jake’s
Play charity bingo at Jake’s Restaurant at 16 Broad St., Alexander City, at 6 p.m. every Thursday night. Cards are $1, and proceeds benefit local charities.
Amateur Radio Club
Storytime for children aged 5 and younger is held at the Dadeville Public Library every Tuesday at 10 a.m.
The Lake Martin Area Amateur Radio Club meets the second Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. Plan to meet at the Senior Activity Center at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex in Alexander City, with dinner and fellowship following at a local area restaurant. For more informa-
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tion, contact Michael Courtney at 256-825-7766 or Mike Smith at 256-750-5710.
Trivia Night at Niffer’s on the Lake
Every Thursday, Niffer’s hosts trivia night at 7 p.m. Winners receive Niffer’s gift cards. First place gets $40; second place gets $25; and third place gets $15. Grab a group of friends and come out for a night of games. A bonus question is posted on the Niffer’s Facebook page at 2 p.m. Thursdays.
Open Studio
The Artists Association of Central Alabama meets from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex Senior Center and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays at the Dadeville Senior Center on Columbus St. Beginners are welcome, and there is no charge for open studios. Call 334-301-5317 for more information.
Tallassee Lions Club
The Tallassee Lions Club meets every Tuesday at Cozumel Restaurant, across from the football stadium in Tallassee, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome to join for an hour of humor, information, civic pride and patriotism. For more information, contact Ron McDaniel at ronmcd416@gmail.com.
Equality Neighborhood Watch
The Equality Neighborhood Watch Association meets on the second Tuesday of each month at the old Masonic Lodge at 6:30 p.m. During the colder months, meet at Equality Methodist Church on state Route 259. Email Richard Penton at drichardpenton@gmail.com for more information. To have your upcoming event featured in Lake magazine Lake Calendar Events submit details by the 15th of the prior month to editor@lakemagazine.life.
Charity Bingo at Niffer’s Place Lake Martin
Niffer’s, 7500 state Route 49 in Dadeville, hosts charity bingo every Tuesday at 6 p.m. Cards are $1 each, and funds go to participating charities.
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Melissa Talmage and Ashley Medeira chat during a workout at Knect Fitness
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Eastside Workout
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The long-awaited fitness facility on the east side of Lake Martin opened Dec. 1 with new equipment, instructors, classes and a plan to connect clients and build social relationships, said Knect Fitness owner Holly Keel. The 3,750 square-foot gym at 6372 state Route 49 is outfitted with a Life Fitness circuit, four treadmills, three ellipticals, two Stair Masters, two
recumbent bikes and a rower. It also features a freeweight area, complete with Smith machine, half rack, four-stack cable system, incline leg press and free weights. The gym houses a large group room, which will be used for classes and personal training. Keel has more than 26 years of teaching fitness locally, including at Willow Point Golf and Country Club, Anytime Fitness and various facilities in Auburn and surrounding cities. “There is nothing more satisfying than helping motivate people to reach their goals,” said Keel, who recently moved to Lake Martin full-time with her husband, Mike. “As a Realtor in the area, I have met people coming in from larger cities who have found Lake Martin offers everything they need for a healthy lifestyle, but it was missing one thing – a gym. Knect is really about building relationships and enhancing our community,” Keel explained. “The whole concept of connecting people is really important to me; that’s how the name evolved. A play on the word connect became Knect, the ‘K’ for Keel.” Keel said a light class schedule would begin
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this month, as well as small group personal training opportunities, encouraging individuals to reach their goals in the New Year. The facility will offer personal training and small groups with instructors that are familiar with everyone’s goals. “We’ll do assessments and group people together with similar goals. It’s about learning the needs of people at the lake and finding solutions for them,” she said. Holly Keel (left) owns The classes will offer a the new gym, and Jeannie variety, mostly in a circuit Treilobs is the manager format, where instructors could offer components of strength, balance and cardio. Classes could include customized exercise plans and modifications to meet clients’ specific needs, she said. “We will also incorporate yoga, Pilates and adapt and grow as the gym does,” she said. In addition, Keel plans to host men’s and women’s socials on a monthly basis. Keel’s husband, Mike, built the three-bay building, which houses Jim’s Pharmacy in the southernmost bay.
“I knew we would need an anchor for the building, a business that generates a lot of regular, daily traffic and also promotes a healthy lifestyle. So I spoke with Jim about moving the pharmacy here. Once we knew he was coming in, the plans were set in motion,” Keel said. Mike built extra footage into the length of the fitness facility, which measures 75 linear feet from the front door to the back door, to accommodate Keel’s must-have group room and his-andher locker rooms. The group room comfortably holds 10-12 facility members. The locker rooms are decorated with clean lines and motivating color schemes, offering privacy, as well as space for clients to converse easily before and after workouts. The fitness center also provides 24/7 access to members. The office includes ample space for the administrative side of the business, including Keel’s office. In the bay next door to Knect Fitness, Keel has provided room for social events among her clients and has rented rooms to owners of small businesses and startups, including real estate closing attorney Travis Wisdom and lender Kevin Tudhope. The fitness facility will be managed by Jeannie Boulware Treilobs, a former schoolteacher and a local Dadeville resident. Keel plans to build her real estate business with Re/Max Around the Lake and also will play an integral role in the gym, teaching various fitness classes and small group training. For more information, visit knectfitness.com or email info@knectfitness.com. Follow @knectfitness on Facebook and Instagram.
Keel said opening a gym on the east side of Lake Martin was a must for her move here
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Custom Home Builder | Interior & Exterior Remodels Additions | Outdoor Living Spaces | Seawalls
David Robinette | Steve Fuller Andrew McGreer 205-383-9222
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BUILT AND MOVE IN READY! NEW DEVELOPMENT '' TALISI COVE'' OFF KOWALIGA BAY ON LAKE MARTIN. THE WILLOW, OFFERS 4 BEDROOM, 3.5 BATH AND WAS DESIGNED BY THE WELL KNOWN ARCHITECT, NEQUETTE. THIS NEW HOME WITH LAKE ACCESS COMES WITH ALL NEW FURNITURE AND APPLIANCES. YOUR VERY OWN SINGLE BOAT SLIP AND COVERED BOAT STORAGE. HOUSE SITS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE COMMUNITY POOL AND THE LAKE. COME AND SEE!
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HELP BEAUTIFY the area through volunteer commitment and community involvement.
ASK A BUDDY to join you! Volunteer to adopt a mile of Hwy 63 and commit to keeping it litter free. If you are interested, just go to 63PrideDrive.com and sign-up. VOLUNTEERS will receive a Pride Drive t-shirt,
safety vest, trash picker and bags. Help your friends and neighbors bring Pride back to the community.
TO VOLUNTEER
or learn more,visit 63PrideDrive.com
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Pandemic in Pictures
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STORY BY BETSY ILER
Though unintentionally at first, Birmingham’s Louise McPhillips captured the story of the coronavirus pandemic at Lake Martin through a Christmas gift presented to her by her son, a filmmaker in Los Angeles. “It was a sketchbook from The Sketchbook Project,” McPhillips said. Founded in 2006 by two artists in Atlanta, The Sketchbook Project now has grown to include a collection of more than 45,000 sketchbooks, which are housed at the Brooklyn Art Library in Williamsburg, New York. Participants in the project purchase a 16-page 5-inch by 7-inch sketchbook from the library, and over the course of six months or so, they draw on its pages; and then, return the sketchbook to the library for cataloging and digitization. The public is invited to stroll into the library and view the renderings, some of which also are available for viewing at the library’s website. “My husband, Frank, had just retired, and we thought that we would be traveling. I thought I would keep the sketchbook as a running journal of our travels, and I started doing drawings of little vignettes,” McPhillips said. She planned to illustrate two pages each month with vignettes of the places they visited on their travels and the activities in which they engaged. In January, her pages featured landscape scenes from a family reunion near Mobile and blooming camellias (Photo No. 1). February’s pages included a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. In March, she started by drawing a margarita toast on a sandy beach in Cancun, Mexico, but the second page of sketches looked very different from the first (Photo No. 2). “We went to Mexico on the 5th of March, and while we were there, places started shutting down,” McPhillips said. Instead of continuing their travels, the couple returned to Alabama, where protocols and procedures soon were put into effect. McPhillips’ vignettes changed from landscapes to Lysol. She drew masks, rubber gloves, safety glasses – and a shamrock for good luck. “My first reaction was that this sketchbook was taking on a whole lot of greater significance now. What I thought was going to be a year of travel with exotic things to record instead was looking minutely at small things. I drew bottles of disinfec-
tant, and we planted a huge garden,” she said. “We were much more aware of the wildlife. We bought a bird feeder at the house in town and just got into watching the birds. Frank said they were our only friends because they were the only ones who came and visited us,” she laughed. McPhillips and her husband started coming to their Lake Martin cabin during the week to stay away from crowds. “We spent more time at the lake over the summer than we ever have, typically four or five days a week instead of just the weekends. It really was wonderful, but we were very, very careful. We didn’t ever go out except to keep up with our rowing and canoes and kayaks,” she said. They rose early at the lake every morning and sat on the dock or in the screened porch, watching the great blue herons and identifying other birds they saw. “We saw armadillos in our driveway. All these things that we knew were out there but had never seen were emboldened; they were used to not having people around during the week. We saw deer in the driveway. I had never seen a deer here. They eat my hydrangeas, so I knew they were here. We just had never actually seen them. We were more aware of the wildlife and were appreciating that, especially in the early mornings when the great blue herons would come and land on the dock. “We saw a bald eagle just right off our dock catch a fish. It was like they were putting on a show for us.” In June, McPhillips’ drawings in the sketchbook recalled their times at the lake: sunset viewing, sculling, sailing and birdwatching (Photo No. 3). July’s vignettes were much the same but included a socially distanced visit with family members wearing masks (Photo No. 4). And in August, they attended church via live stream while sitting on the screened porch at the lake. They canoed and celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary. McPhillips filled the pages of her sketchbook with these vignettes, creating a record of how life changed and, in many ways, was enriched while observing the coronavirus protocols. Her sketchbook has been received at the Brooklyn Art Library but, at Lake magazine’s presstime, was not yet digitized. Visit brooklynartlibrary.org for more on The Sketchbook Project.
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Whether playing, fishing or working out, Lake Martin life never lacks thrills or beauty. Clockwise from left: Jen Hunt; Cheaney Keel; Baylee Adkins; 2021 Crevalle 26 HCO from Russell Marine; Stella Claire Segrest; and Natalie Purinton. 28 LAKE
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Steve Morgan roars across the lake in a Sapphire Blue Metal Flake 2021 Bass Cat Lynx with a 250 Mercury Pro XS
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Blakley White wears the Miss Lake Martin title for 2021; Facing page: White loves knowing that she walked the same Holtville High School halls as her grandparents; she has competed in pageants since age 3 and has won several college scholarships, including an Ambassador scholarship at CACC
Blakley White
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As salutatorian of her graduating class, Holtville’s Blakley White passed up scholarships to four-year universities to start her college career at Central Alabama Community College, where she can continue doing the things she loves while preparing for a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. “I took dual enrollment classes in high school through CACC, and I had scholarship opportunities to go to universities, but I decided to continue my education at a school that I am already familiar with,” said White, a CACC ambassador in her freshman year. “They really do prepare you for the next step. It’s almost like high school, but it is college level.” In addition, White wanted to stay close to home, so she could keep her job as a child caregiver at Minnow Bucket Daycare in Deatsville and continue to compete in area pageants. “I have always had a passion for working with children. When I was 3 or 4 years old, my mom would take me shopping with her, and I would wander off to go play with somebody else’s kids,” White laughed. “I love the idea of having my own class one day. It seems so far away, but it’s really not.” Though she knows it will be several more years before she walks into a classroom as the teacher, White already thinks about her teaching style for the third and fourth grade students she has not yet met. “On TikTok, I see teachers making up songs for their kids. That’s one way I will teach – anything visual and hands on. I am a singer at my church, so I can relate to teaching that way,” she said. She has her sights on the third grade classroom because her own third grade teacher was an inspiration to her, White said. “Miss Calloway is a really good person. I could tell in her class how much she loved children and loved being there. As an aide in high school, I got to go back to her classroom. I just loved it. They did some of the same projects that I did when I was in third grade there – like make a world out of a balloon. The first day I went into Miss Calloway’s class as an aide, they were hanging from the ceiling,” she said. A native of Holtville, White attended the same historic school where her grandparents were students. In World War II, Holtville High School became one of the most innovative and progressive schools in the country. Life magazine published a four-page story about the school, and the State Department’s Office of Education filmed a movie about the school and its programs. “It’s overwhelming to me to think that I walked down the same school hallway that my grandparents walked down. The same classrooms – I was there. It’s so much history. I remember hearing stories about the same classes from my grandma, except there was no air conditioning for her. It’s a rare treat to be able to do this,” she said. White anticipates transferring to Troy University or Auburn University Montgomery when she completes her core class curriculum at CACC. Through the pageant circuit, she has earned scholarships that will help her complete her education with little expenditure on her part or financial support from her parents, Robbie and Wendy White. “I started competing in pageants when I was 3 years old. I won the first pageant I entered. I was Little Miss Troy. My mom competed in pageants. My older sister competed in pageants. I love the friendships I have formed. And the scholarship opportunities as well. That’s a real kicker, all the opportunities you can get for scholarships,” she said. JANUARY 2021
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White hopes to return to her Holtville school one day as a teacher
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Over the years, White has gained experience and titles through pageants she has entered. She holds the 2020 title as Miss Lake Martin, competed in the Elmore County and Alabama Distinguished Young Woman programs and has worn crowns as Alabama Southern Miss and Miss East Alabama. “I am very excited that our CACC ambassador coordinator wants us to host a Miss CACC pageant this year. It has been about nine years since the last one,” she said. Ambassador life at CACC was somewhat challenging in her first semester, White said, as there were no in-person classes and no oncampus life, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “CACC has done a great job handling COVID-19. No in-person classes was really a smart idea. I have missed the friendships and bonding, but the teachers have been amazing. And for those that are doing trade school there – friends of mine are going for welding and other trades – they feel very ready to go into the workplace.” And after college, White said, she could easily see herself returning to Holtville to continue the family history. “My grandparents live in Holtville. My parents are from Holtville. We lived across the street from my grandparents, and I’ve only ever lived in one house. We have never moved. It’s unheard of, really. I could see myself coming back here as a teacher, raising my family here. It’s something special.”
Though she missed the social aspects of in-person classes during her first semester at CACC, her teachers have been first-rate, she said
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Peggy and Vaughn Stough spend a sunny afternoon relaxing at Lake Martin on a 2021 Black Pearl Chris Craft 27 Launch with a Toffee interior and a 380 Mercury motor
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Determined to achieve her dreams and aspirations as a travel nurse, Ashari Chapman, 19, of Alexander City, did not let the recent pandemic set her plans back. While her senior year was not a traditional one, she made the best of it. “We got out for spring break thinking that we would be going back to school at the end of the week; but then, my classmates and I received an email stating that school was postponed. That’s when it hit us – we are basically grown,” she said. “We knew it was coming. We just didn’t realize it was going to happen so fast. I knew I would miss school.” Before Ashari knew it, graduation was being planned, and while it was not a traditional graduation, she was excited to walk across the field to receive her diploma and celebrate with her friends and family. “We were just happy to be back together,” she said. “We laughed. We cried. We hugged. It was just great to see everyone.” Now, fast forward several months, and Ashari
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is getting settled quite nicely as a student at The University of South Alabama. While she is currently focusing on her core classes, her eye is consistently on the prize: nursing school. Ashari dreams of becoming a traveling nurse, so she can help people. “I know there are a lot of people out there who do not have what they need, and as a travel nurse, I can help those people,” she said. Ashari enjoys the warmth and welcome she receives when helping others and was fortunate to receive a Certified Nursing Assistant certification before she finished her senior year of high school. “I belonged to a lot of clubs in high school, and it was during an internship with Health Occupation that I realized nursing is what I wanted to do. We would regularly visit nursing homes and hospitals and watch nurses work with patients. That is when I knew that I wanted to be a nurse. They would work with the patients and talk them through the procedures, and they were so helpful. It really inspired me to want to be helpful as well.”
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Ashari Chapman
Ashari Chapman is working toward a nursing degree at University of South Alabama
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Ashari is deeply motivated and inspired by her parents, Steven and Donna Chapman, as well. They have supported her through all of her endeavors. “The most important thing to me is how my family pushed me forward. They offered such incredible motivation. They really inspired me to keep going and push forward in pursuing my dreams,” Chapman said. She also is grateful to her parents and her dog, Sparkles, for the love and support they have offered her through the years. Ashari is on the right track to pursuing her dreams and achieving her goals, but the one thing she misses the most about her time in Alexander City is her church. She attended Pleasant Home Baptist Church in Goodwater. During her time at Pleasant Home, she became a lead singer in the church choir and performed as a lead on the dance team. Ashari loves to dance and sing. Her fondest memory of performing at Pleasant Home was when she was leading a dance and tons of thoughts about her success began to flood her mind. “I was dancing and thinking, and I became very emotional because I am doing it. I am achieving my dream,” she said.
Chapman said her drive was inspired by her parents, who pushed her to achieve her dreams
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She plans to begin her career as a travel nurse
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Janna Dearinger, Ian Tatum, Tori Donahoo, Chase Maynard and Payton Miller take a new Jet Black Metal Flake and Canary Yellow 2021 Super Air Nautique G23 with Mystic White interior and a 450 PCM engine for a spin on the lake
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Cheaney Keel
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Alexander City's Cheaney Keel looks forward to a career in law
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Keel played club volleyball during high school
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She likes going to work at the lake with her father
Central Alabama Community College Ambassador Cheaney Keel approaches her future with a grateful heart, careful planning and a lot of power in a small package. She was named MVP on her travel volleyball team, cinched a full ride at CACC and is passionate about building a future in law. “Even though I was one of the youngest on the team, and I play against older players, I was MVP. I am a very small girl, and most of the people who play are 6 feet tall. They’re not intimidated by somebody who is 5 feet 2 inches, so I kind of had to fake it ’til I made it,” said Keel, who plans to transfer to Auburn University after two years at CACC. An Alexander City native, Keel graduated Benjamin Russell High School, where her favorite class was debate. “That was fun. Everyone wanted me on their team,” Keel said. “I just focused on the facts. That’s what will help you the most.” She plans to use her debate experience as a foundation for a career in family law. Keel is preparing to major in justice and law and minor in business communications, hoping to open her own law firm one day. “The perfect place for that would be Nashville. I really like cities. I enjoy the bright lights and meeting new people, and a bigger city is probably a better place for what I want to do,” she said. She'd like to open But Keel has creative interests, as well, and she a new business hopes to exercise the right side of her brain with through the Lake Martin entrepreneurial ventures into flipping houses, inteInnovation Center one day rior design and owning a boutique. “I think about going to the Lake Martin Innovation Center and opening my own business there someday,” she said. “For now, I am doing a marketing internship with Brett Pritchard.” Her drive, Keel said, stems from the support her parents, Kim Keel and Dwayne Keel, gave her growing up. “They have very high expectations for me and gave me the life they felt I deserved, even when it really was never easy for them to do that,” she said. “I think I have been passionate about being successful because I want to do that for them, so they could say, ‘That’s my daughter. I am so proud of her.’” When she gets a break from studies and athletics, Keel likes to go to work with her father, who works with Alabama Power and spends a lot of his time at the lake. She loves spending time at the lake with her mother as well. “I just have great memories of Lake Martin. I love Chimney Rock, and Chuck’s Marina has really good food and a really fun atmosphere. I have great memories from the lake.”
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Stella Claire Segrest
Segrest loves spending time at Lake Martin with her family
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Stella Claire Segrest knew last year that her senior year of high school – the class of 2021 – would be a tough one – perhaps even more difficult than last year was for the class of 2020. “When COVID-19 hit last year, it was a shock. We all knew it was going to be worse for our class because high school would not be what it used to be. No student section for football games; barely a lunch break; keeping masks on and social distancing. More than half of our class is in virtual school,” she said. “We can’t be together.” Togetherness is a strong theme for the 17-yearold. She treasures times of togetherness, from family time on Sundays to spending time at Lake Martin and cheering on the home team at high school football games. But the Elmore County native has learned to always keep a positive attitude. “We moved around a lot, so I changed schools several times and had to adjust. There are problems that every kid goes through, of course, but I always kept my morals with me wherever I went. I keep what I believe is right in my heart, and you have to stay positive,” she said. “Going to different schools opened my eyes to how different people can be.” That sense of knowing who she is and what she is about was greatly influenced by her mother, Segrest said. “My mother would always introduce me and make me part of the conversation when I was with her and she met people she knew. I think I
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Her sense of confidence was influenced by her mother, who always introduced her and made her part of conversations, Segrest said
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learned from her how to be really outgoing and to love talking with people, love making friends. Everyone you meet in life teaches you something,” she said. As a result, Segrest developed a passion for helping people, and she hopes to turn that passion into a career in occupational therapy. “I’ve always had a passion for helping people, and I know occupational therapy is a field that helps people to
develop skills that they need,” she said. At the same time, she recognizes that it’s early in the process of choosing a career, and she’s keeping her options open until she learns more about the opportunities ahead of her. “I’ve always liked being with little kids, and I had thought about being a teacher, but I wanted something that I could better support my family with but that would
Segrest has not settled on a major in college, but she knows she wants to do something that will offer opportunities to help peoople
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also fulfill me. When I looked at majors for college, I focused on things that help other people – but not in the medical field,” she said. “I will have to get to college and think about what excites me.” In the meantime, Segrest is keeping busy with her virtual studies and two jobs in Eclectic. She works in a local restaurant and a local boutique. And she always tries to spend Sundays with her fam-
ily, Segrest said. “It wasn’t always easy to be together. I have two sisters, and we go in different directions. But since we quarantined together, we appreciate being together. Usually we are outside. We eat together as a family,” she said. “It’s kind of a tradition. We don’t always get to do it, but it’s nice when we do.”
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John Hayden Johnson
A CACC Ambassador, John Hayden Johnson will continue his criminal justice education at Auburn University this fall
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Baseball has been a big part of his life since he was 3 years old
A sophomore at Central Alabama Community College, John Hayden Johnson looks forward to finishing his associate’s degree in the spring and moving on to Auburn University this fall, where he will consider continuing his criminal justice education. A graduate of Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Johnson attended CACC on a Gateway Foundation scholarship, which pays two years’ of CACC tuition to Alexander City students with “B” averages or better. A relief pitcher on the CACC baseball team, Johnson has played the sport since his parents signed him up for the Alexander City Parks and Rec league when was 3 years old. “It’s always been such a huge part of my life. This has been my last year to play, and I had more fun playing baseball this year than anything else, but it’s time to move on,” he said. Moving on means choosing a career, and Johnson has given quite a lot of thought to his options during his tenure at CACC. He has not only watched but also has worked with his father, who has dual careers as a firefighter and business owner. “Right now, I am getting my degree to be a police officer, and they work shifts similar to the firefighters, so I could work at my dad’s pest control business on my off days, maybe take it over one day, if he would let me,” Johnson said. “I might take some business courses at Auburn that could help me learn how to run the business.” In the meantime, he’s learning more about the stock exchange, thanks to ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic. “I love watching sports – football, baseball, basketball,” he explained. “When the coronavirus hit, there weren’t any sports events to watch, so I started investing money in the stock market. That’s been fun, and I’ve made some money at it.” His limited success in the investment world has piqued his interest in a finance major, but the field of law also is an option, Johnson said. “My granddad is a lawyer in Rockford. I grew up around him, and I’ve seen how successful he’s been. There are a bunch of lawyers in my family,” he said. “So starting with criminal justice has been pretty good for me. I am looking forward to getting to Auburn and looking at the options that are open and appeal to me.”
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He started investing in the stock market last spring and is considering a career in finance
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Stefanie and Tate Davis and their children Tate, Jr., Mason and Palmer, along with the family dog, Shelby, tour the lake in a Quantum Blue 2021 Sea Ray 280 SLX with a 380 MerCruiser with a Stone interior
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Natalie Purinton is a model for a formalwear line
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She has focused her CACC education on special needs child development
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Central Alabama Community College ambassador Natalie Purinton missed a casting call for an Atlanta dress designer’s modeling opportunity, and it turned out to be one of the best mistakes she’d ever made. “When I missed the casting call, I sent a video of myself in one of their dresses,” Purinton said. “They called me and said it was a great video, and they definitely wanted me to model for them.” Purinton was already very familiar with the Rachel Allan collection of prom, pageant and bridal wear, but it wasn’t until she’d missed the casting call that her confidence in front of a camera developed to the point of paying dividends. “When I was 10 years old, I asked my mom if I could enter a Miss Sweetheart pageant, and it was really bad. I mean, I was the most dismal character,” she laughed. “But I just kept entering pageants, and I would get a little higher every year, but I didn’t win. My sophoShe said pageants have given more year, I took a break from her a platform to make ageants to do some bridal modelaudiences more aware ing, and when I came back after of cerebral palsy the break, I won the first pageant and other special needs I entered. I was so shocked. I did another pageant the next month, and I won again. I just kept winning, and now my whole college is so close to being paid for.” While the scholarship money that comes with titles and crowns has been a driving goal for Purinton, paying for her education is only a part of why she enters. The greater good, she said, is the platform it provides her to spread awareness about special needs children. “My sister, Sydney, has cerebral palsy. She doesn’t walk or talk, and I’ve always been involved with her care. I volunteered in the special needs classroom, and most of the teachers are good, caring teachers. But at one point, I experienced seeing one horrible teacher who left bruises on my sister’s arm,” Purinton said. “I want to teach in the special needs classroom, and being in pageants gives me an opportunity to talk about special needs and how to care for special needs children.” One of her recent such opportunities was a national event in California that
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Her first pageant, Purinton said, was dismal, but she kept entering and before long, she started winning
she attended as National American Miss Alabama Teen. “I can spread awareness about special needs through meet-ups, sister queens, open calls where I can pop in and talk about it,” she said. Not only is she very familiar with the subject, but also she’s confident in front of the camera. Modeling feels very natural to her, as if the camera is an extension of herself, Purinton said. To keep herself in good mental and physical shape for pageants and modeling, Purinton likes to run in her Talladega neighborhood on Logan Martin Lake. She ran track competitively for five years in school but at age 16 had surgery on both knees, as her kneecaps rotated when she extended her legs. “They had to do my left knee first because I was in driver’s ed class, and I needed to be able to drive,” she chuckled. Now, she runs only short distances, and she relishes the times she can do so. “I need to keep in shape now that I’m not in P.E. classes in high school anymore. I love to run in my neighborhood. There’s almost always a nice cool breeze,” she said. Purinton has focused her CACC education on early childhood development with a special needs emphasis. She plans to transfer to Troy University where she will continue to pursue opportunities to learn and obtain access to platforms through which she can promote special needs awareness.
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Jen Hunt
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Jen Hunt quarantined at Lake Martin this spring when she had to close her Beverly Hills Pilates studio due to COVID-19
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While the lake will always have a special place in her heart, moving back to Lake Martin was the farthest thing from Jen Hunt’s mind this time last year. She was living the dream in Los Angeles, catering to a Beverly Hills clientele at her Pilates studio, when California shut down due to the coronavirus mid-March. “My dad is a doctor, which put my parents at high risk for the virus, so I wanted to be with them and make sure they would be ok. I immediately packed up and came home,” Hunt said in August. “I had no idea how long I might be here. Initially, I thought it
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would be a few weeks, maybe a month, but as an afterthought, I grabbed my fourth of July gear and outfits. “It felt like I was packing for Armageddon. I closed up my home and boarded my flight. It was surreal and a bit unsettling. Once I arrived at the lake, I had two weeks of quarantine ahead of me, and it was very strange to distance from my parents unable to even give them a hug. Waking up that first day, seeing the beautiful lake and being out on the water surrounded by such incredible views, my concerns instantly melted away. I just love being here, and I felt safe. This is
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where I grew up, and it gives me such a sense of comfort. I am going to miss it so much when I leave.” Hunt grew up spending summers and weekends at the lake. “It was never, ‘What are we going to do this weekend?’ It was always, ‘How soon can we leave to get to the lake?’ I would spend all day out on the water, skiing and wakeboarding, and at night, we played cards or games,” she said. In the midst of the COVID-19 chaos, Hunt took her Beverly Hills business virtual. “I took the opportunity to go virtual and built an entirely new online business, and now I can work from anywhere. It was a lot of hard work, dedication and many hours lost sleep, but I was driven, and it was worth every effort. I was able to reconnect with clients I had in New York, where I previously lived, while also continuing to work with my clients in LA. I am truly bicoastal now with many new clients in between. It is pretty amazing going all over the world in a day: one hour I’m in NYC or the Hamptons and the next I’m in LA; and then, I’m on a client’s yacht off the coast of Croatia. I am actually much busier now,” Hunt said. Hunt even joked about her epic commute, walking out of her bedroom door to the Pilates mat on her private covered-deck-turned-Pilates-studio in less than three seconds flat, something unimaginable in LA traffic. She also taught her classes out on the pier as often as possible – surrounded by water and stunning lake views. The beautiful backdrop of Lake Martin gave her clients a change of scenery and, for an hour, it transported them outside their confined quarantine spaces at home. Hunt does a Pilates workout every day and teaches six days of the week, privately or in groups, with clients signing in from all over the world. When she isn’t streaming a class, she is recording videos, editing and uploading them to her website. “Pilates is something valuable that I can offer my clients on a daily basis. It allows them to take their minds off the stressful situations going on in the world right now while encouraging them to look inside and focus on themselves. It is empowering. In
She works out as much as six hours every day and streams or videos workouts with her clients around the world
Hunt spent summers at the lake with her parents when she was growing up
addition to getting them moving and keeping them healthy, I love helping my clients build their inner strength, better body awareness, postural alignment and flexibility. We have to try to do the best we can to keep ourselves healthy both mentally and physically right now in order to be able to adapt and overcome any obstacles we may face during this uncertain time,” Hunt explained. “It has snowballed into something really amazing. Teaching always gives me a great sense of purpose and keeps me pushing forward, and I get to uplift so many others along the way,” she said. “I wakeboard better now in my 30s than I ever did at 15 or 16 because of my Pilates journey and core strength. I’m in much better shape now and can thank Pilates for that,” she said. Visit Hunt’s website at pilatesbodybyjen.com and find her on Instagram @ pilatesbody_byjen.
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Baylee Adkins plans to study English at the University of Alabama and then enter law school
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She loves spending time at her family's Bay Pines cabin
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Baylee Adkins loves the smalltown life and would like to come back home to Alexander City when she finishes her studies in Tuscaloosa and beyond. A sophomore at the University of Alabama, Adkins is majoring in English and hopes to segue into law school. “When you’re applying to law school, they like a lot of variety in students’ majors, so I would already be coming in with good writing and reading skills,” Adkins said. She enjoyed her legal studies class in high school and knew she definitely wanted a professional career. “Either family law or real estate law,” Adkins said. “I am leaning more toward real estate.” But law was not always on her career radar screen. “For the longest time, I had planned to go to medical school – all the way up to my junior year in high school,” she explained. “Until I took a dual enrollment anatomy class with Central Alabama Community College. That’s when I realized that a medical career was not for me.” Her determination to pursue a profession stemmed in large part from the support of her parents, Scott and Tanya Adkins. “They pushed me to be the best that I could always be. They made grades a priority and set a high standard, and they encouraged me to ask a lot of myself, which I really appreciate now,” she said. Adkins is an Alexander City native, so she grew up spending time at the lake, where her family has a small cabin at Bay Pines. “I love to go to Big Beach. I have
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Big Beach is one of Adkins' favorite places on Lake Martin
met so many good people out there,” she said. Other favorite lake places include Chimney Rock and Goat Island. She also loves eating at The Landing at Parker Creek. Playing sports from a young age also helped Adkins develop character and grow in confidence. “Growing up, I was always a little ball of fire. I played volleyball and softball since I was 4 years old. Being around sports and playing sports helped me develop my confidence and my character. It really has made me who I am today,” she said. “I think it’s important, when you’re thinking about what you want to do and who you want to be, to follow your heart. Don’t let anybody – including your parents, family and friends – make that decision for you. Choose what you know will make you happy for the rest of your life.” While Adkins is happy for the experience of going to school in Tuscaloosa, she knows she’s not a big-city person. “Tuscaloosa is not small at all. I can go to five classes in a day and walk all over campus and never run into someone that I know,” she said. “I have lived in Alexander City all my life, and I really enjoy the smalltown aspects of a small community – and I love Alexander City and Lake Martin.”
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Tori Donahoo and Payton Miller chat as they take a Charcoal 2021 Godfrey Sweetwater SW2286B with a Luxe Bayside Slate interior and a 150 Yamaha for a cruise on Lake Martin
The Metallic Black Cherry 2021 Godfrey San Pan 2400 ULC with a 225 Yamaha and a Bayside Caramel interior makes a perfect afternoon on the lake even better for Chase Maynard, Payton Miller, Tori Donahoo and Dione, Misty and Avery Vick
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Summer Jones
Summer Jones spent her childhood weekends visiting Lake Martin
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She enjoys traveling with her husband of four years, who is a firefighter
Summer Jones loves the smalltown life but appreciates big-city style. A native of Tallassee who has never lived anywhere else, Jones works in the accounting department for a law enforcement equipment distributor in Montgomery. She’s been married to a firefighter for four years, but she fell for him when she was 10 and he was 15. “I was in the fifth grade, and he was in the 10th grade the first time I saw him. I had the biggest crush on him. I went out to the backyard and wrote, ‘Summer loves Eric,’ on a piece of plywood,” she said. Another 11 years passed before the couple became an item, and they dated for four years before they married. Theirs was a destination wedding at a resort in the Dominican Republic. They have returned to the Dominican Republic every year since then, but Jones said they may visit another country when they vacation this year. It’s very probable that the new vacation site would be at a beach because many of Jones’ best memories include time on the water. Growing up, her family often took beach trips to Panama City, and they spent time at Lake Martin every weekend. Staying in shape is not something Jones loves; rather, she keeps finding her way back to it. “Growing up, I danced for Vicki Oliver and took gymnastics; cheered; played softball for two years; and became a student teacher in high school for dance,” she said. “I work out intermittently and go to cycling classes, but it’s time consuming. I live in Tallassee but work in Montgomery, and there isn’t a lot of time for working out on a regular basis.” The most intense exercise she does is cycling in a sauna. “It is 127 degrees. It’s a very intense workout – it only lasts for 15 minutes a session. It’s that intense,” she said. Jones has done a little modeling, and she dabbled in photography, but her real passion is clothes. She actually spent much of the 2020 pandemic time putting together an online boutique that will launch this year. Nina Bell’s Boutique is an inspiration seeded in her biweekly childhood shopping trips with her grandmother. “Every two weeks, we would go to Auburn to shop. She would get her nails done every time, and we would shop for clothes every single time we went,” Jones said. “It was tiring, but it was fun. “When I got old enough to start carrying a purse, I changed it every day to match what I was wearing – just like my grandmother did. She definitely taught me my sense of style.”
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Jones works for a law enforcement equipment distribuor in Montgomery
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Not even close 2020 was the best sales year ever What follows in 2021?
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f you put me alone in a room with Michael Jordan, for sale in November, and that is less than half of the I would be able to say that I am the second best five-year average. That scarcity makes the sales record basketball player in the room. On the surface, my even more impressive; 2020 was able to sell 30 percent boast might imply that I am a pretty good basketmore homes with 50 percent fewer homes for sale. ball player. Second-best in the room, right? The sales of waterfront lots also continued to roar in But it tells us almost nothing about reality. First of all, the fall and winter of 2020. As unbelievable as home the number of people compared is a huge sales were, lot sales were even better. thing to know. Second place out of two Through the end of November, Lake Martin really does not sound all that impressive. area agents sold 140 waterfront lots on the Additionally, second best doesn’t describe lake. the huge, Everest-like difference between Unlike home sales, for which 2019 was Jordan’s basketball skills and my own. the previous best year, waterfront lot sales Whether or not you think Jordan is the were rather lackluster in 2019. Only 58 lots greatest basketball player ever is not my were sold on Lake Martin in 2019, which point. I think anyone that has ever heard was the lowest total in the previous seven of him would at least agree that he is head years. The reigning lot sales champ was and shoulders above the average pro. And 2005, during which 96 sales were made by LAKE PROPERTY the average pro is hugely better than the area agents. Since 2020 scored at least 140, BY JOHN COLEY average college player, and so on. Once we can say that the COVID-19 year was the you stack up someone like Jordan against best by at least 40 percent. someone like me, it is like comparing a Great Dane to a Just as lot sales were even more impressive than Chihuahua. home sales, so too, these sales numbers were reached This is the backdrop to keep in mind as we study the with hardly anything on the shelves to sell. In November waterfront real estate sales on Lake Martin for 2020. The 2020, there were about 41 waterfront lots for sale in the past year has been the best year ever for Lake Martin Lake Martin MLS. Compare this to the five-year average real estate. It is not even close to any other year. For of about 114 lots for sale. That means in 2020, there was waterfront home sales and waterfront lot sales, 2020 only about 35 percent of the normal number of lots for has so thoroughly trounced all other contenders that it is sale. pretty ridiculous. Selling anything at a 40 percent higher rate with only Sales in the Lake Martin Multiple Listing Service 35 percent of the inventory creates shortages. Shortages show that 451 waterfront homes were sold during 2020 mean upward pressure on prices. Just ask anyone that through the end of November. That is 22 percent bettried to buy hand sanitizer in April. The cupboards were ter than the previous record of 369 homes sold in the bare. 12 months of 2019. At this writing, I expect December How long will this last? Was 2020 a peak? 2020 to have about 30 home sales. When the dust settles, Who knows? I certainly don’t. I do know that our it is very likely that 2020 will be the best year ever by a market cannot sustain this torrid pace forever. All marmargin of 30 percent. Incredible. kets are cyclical. We haven’t had a buyers’ market since To put it another way, consider comparing 2020 to 2008. 2005. Many people around the lake still look nostalgiBut I won’t call the end to the current sellers’ market cally back to 2005 and think it was the height of the real until I see the current year’s sales consistently lose to the estate market. Not so. In that year, Lake Martin agents prior year. When that happens – and it will happen one and brokers sold 247 homes. The COVID-19 year of day – I really don’t foresee another mega-slide like what 2020 beat that by almost double. we saw in 2007 and 2008. Since that time, Lake Martin’s Another big story for 2020 was the huge decrease pool of homeowners has expanded greatly. I think an in the number of waterfront homes available for sale. increased number of potential buyers would ease our Many, including me, wondered if all the activity would descent from the dizzying heights we now see. spur owners to put more of their homes in the market. But this did not happen in the fall and winter of 2020. ~ John Coley is a broker and owner of Lake Martin Records show that there were only 85 waterfront homes Voice Realty. Contact him at john@lakemartinvoice.com. JANUARY 2021
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ADEM promises improved oversight of 'Treasured' waters Lake Watch monitors could be the first line of defense
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n Lake Martin, we like to think that we are ahead of the curve. We have the only Treasured Lake in Alabama, and our water is being tested regularly and watched over by Lake Watch of Lake Martin. But we cannot become complacent. This is what we don’t want to happen: In an August 2015 article from the Burlington Free Press, Glenn Russell reported toxic conditions on the Vermont area’s Lake Champlain. “Phosphorus runoff from farms, roads and urban areas has fueled toxic algae blooms in the lake, forcing the closure of some beaches and decreasing some lakeside property values. The EPA has mandated that Vermont clean up the lake ... We’re spending millions in this bureaucratic shell game to tout an 8 percent reduction (in pollutants), where we need an 80 percent reduction in some locations,” Russell wrote. But, you say, we have a clean lake. Why should we be concerned? Why is Lake Watch concerned? In two previous articles this year in Lake magazine (Chickens in the Watershed, January 2020 edition and What to Watch – Lake Watch monitors a potential threat to the lake in the October 2020 edition), readers learned about the poultry houses expanding in our watershed. Chicken litter, spread as fertilizer and flushed from the landscape by rainfall, flows into creeks that then flow into Lake Martin. Water monitors are already finding significant bacterial contamination in four of those streams above the lake. Lake Watch bacteriological monitoring done after submission of Lake Watch’s October Lake magazine article revealed the highest bacteria we’ve seen to date: 9,100 E. coli per 100 milliliters of water (about half a cup). That’s 30 times higher than ADEM’s allowable standard. This high level of E. coli was measured in Crooked Creek following a rainfall/runoff event with about 3 inches of precipitation. This means that a lot of fecal matter was flushed into the stream that empties into the Tallapoosa River, which empties into our lake. So, it appears that we already could have a pollution issue involving fecal/E. coli contamination, at least in the upper end of the lake following rain events. This does not seem to be the time to weaken regulations on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs, which in our case, are poultry farms), especially as more and bigger chicken houses continue to pop up above the lake. This situation vividly highlights a major shortcoming of the lake’s Treasured Alabama Lake designation. TAL is a valuable tool in protecting the lake from the inflow of 72 LAKE
pollutants around the lake, but it only covers the lake itself; the protected water flow starts below Irwin Shoals, where Jaybird Creek enters the Tallapoosa River. It offers no added protections against pollutants flowing down the river from the streams draining the watershed above this point. This shortfall must be addressed so that we don’t turn into another Lake Champlain. Lake Watch wants to partner with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in an effort to mitigate these pollutants. At a meeting held on Dec. 11, the Alabama Environmental Management Commission, which is the oversight commission for ADEM, adopted proposed changes in the regulation of CAFOs by ADEM. The changes will establish a statewide regulatory system, which has yet to be clearly defined, in lieu of the federal NPDES regulatory system, which is currently in use. The statewide system reduces CAFO registration requirements from once a year to once every five years and reduces required farm inspections from annually to once every five years. At Lake Watch, we think that, on its face, the new regulatory system appears to ease up on surveillance and other regulations of the poultry farms, which could lead to increased pollution of our lake. Numerous letters were written by members of Lake Watch, Lake Martin Homeowners and Boat Owners, Lake Martin Resource Association, The City of Alexander City and dozens of community members residing on the lake and/or that recreate on the lake to oppose these changes. I applaud all who let their voices be heard for the sake of the lake. Lake Watch was well-represented at the meeting by Matt Campbell, chairperson of the Lake Watch Legal Committee. Campbell vocalized our concerns about expanding poultry farms and called for public/citizen participation in the decision-making and stewardship of Lake Martin’s watershed. He was joined by representatives from Lake Martin HOBO and LMRA who echoed similar concerns. Following the AEMC passage of the amendment on Dec. 11, ADEM Director Lance LeFleur wrote me a letter addressing some of the comments/concerns pertaining to the changes in regulatory oversight of poultry farms, i.e., the creation of State regulatory oversight. In his letter, which I have shared with his knowledge and permission, LeFleur made the following remarks: “… we believe these changes will support enhanced protection of water quality in the Lake Martin watershed and other watersheds across Alabama.”
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“The single biggest benefit of these regulasive water quality monitoring efforts and will tory changes will be to support an enhanced continue with that effort, to include an extenfield presence by ADEM inspectors and sive review of the water quality data submitallow ADEM inspectors to conduct more ted as part of the public comment period for field inspections in lieu of being in the office rulemaking effort.” and reviewing inspection reports produced The ADEM response gives me comfort in by independent Qualified Credentialed knowing that 1) ADEM heard the concerns Professionals (QCPs).” from many members of the Lake Martin “QCPs are hired by the CAFO owner … community; 2) ADEM does value and use In addition, QCP inspections are announced our Lake Watch water testing data; 3) ADEM ahead of time … In contrast, ADEM inspechas identified special waters, particularly LAKE WATCH tions are unannouncedly allowing ADEM TAL, i.e. Lake Martin, as candidates for BY ERIC REUTEBUCH inspectors to have a better awareness of increased attention and inspections of CAFOs operational deficiencies prior to them being corrected … in their watersheds; and 4) all existing CAFO regulations Thus, ADEM can more effectively … focus on complaint will be preserved in the new State regulatory system. investigations, and (to) focus inspection efforts on specific I believe it is up to the Lake Martin community to be geographical areas such as those that have been classithe eyes and ears of our lake and its watershed, in coordified/designated as Treasured Alabama Lake, Outstanding nation with ADEM. We must continue and strengthen our Alabama Water, Outstanding National Resource Water, or monitoring efforts in the watershed above the lake. Public Water Supply.” If you value our beautiful lake and want it to remain the “The State permit keeps in place all of the water quality cleanest lake in the state, I urge you to join in our efforts protections afforded by the NPDES permit and the State to monitor our watershed and work on the expansion of permit is fully enforceable by ADEM.” the TAL protections to include the whole watershed. These “… several comments submitted (that) referenced water actions are essential in maintaining our excellent water quality data collected by Lake Watch of Lake Martin mem- quality. Come aboard: Join Lake Watch in protecting our bers that appeared to show elevated levels of bacteria (E. Treasure. Visit lakewatch.org for more information. coli) in the waterways in the Lake Martin area.” “ADEM has historically utilized data collected by citi~ Eric Reutebuch is president of Lake Watch Lake zen monitoring groups to assist in targeting its more exten- Martin. Learn more at lakewatch.org.
Lake Martin’s deBeer Representative
• QUARTZ • QUARTZITE • GRANITE • SOAPSTONE
Denise Booth 256-749-6177
debooth.al@gmail.com homeologylakemartin.com Located at The Wellborn Industries Showroom 59 Wellborn Way, Jackson’s Gap, AL 36861
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FABULOUS FINDS
FROM OUR REAL ESTATE ADVERTISERS SOLD
Willow Point, Parkview Cottage • $769,000 Builder: Derryl Thomas Beds: 4 • Baths: 4.5 • SQFT: 2,580 Russell Lands On Lake Martin Rhonda Watson, Anna Speaks 256.215.7011 RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
Ridge Run, Longerhouse • $1,395,000 Builder: Lake Martin Signature Homes Beds: 4 • Baths: 4.5 Russell Lands On Lake Martin Rhonda Watson, Anna Speaks 256.215.7011 RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
Russell Cabins at The Ridge, Tree Top • $1,325,000 Builder: Classic Homes Beds: 4 • Baths: 4.5 • SQFT: 2,706 Russell Lands On Lake Martin Rhonda Watson, Anna Speaks 256.215.7011 RusellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
1470 Willows End, Alexander City • $7,900,000 Beds: 10 • Baths: 10 • Waterfront Lake Martin Realty India Davis 256.749.7592 LakeMartinRealty.com
61 Jacks Hollow, Alexander City • $2,900,000 Beds: 4 • Baths: 5.5 • Waterfront Lake Martin Realty Jan Hall 256.329.6313 LakeMartinRealty.com
160 Ridge Crest, Alexander City • $2,750,000 Beds: 5 • Baths: 5.5 • Waterfront Lake Martin Realty David Mitchell 256.212.3511 LakeMartinRealty.com
883 North Ridge, Alexander City • $1,325,000 Beds: 4 • Baths: 4.5 • Waterfront Lake Martin Realty John McInnish 334.415.2149 LakeMartinRealty.com
183 Mountain View Way, Dadeville • $1,500,000 Beds: 5 • Baths: 5.5 • Water View & Access Lake Martin Realty Jan Hall 256.329.6313 LakeMartinRealty.com
340 Eagle Ridge, Alexander City • $1,495,000 Beds: 5 • Baths: 5.5 • Waterfront Lake Martin Realty India Davis 256.749.7592 LakeMartinRealty.com
290 Teague Circle, Equality • $749,000 Beds: 4 • Baths: 3 • Waterfront Lake Martin Realty Hugh Neighbors 256.750.5071 LakeMartinRealty.com
124 Old Jay Road, Eclectic • $480,000 Beds: 4 • Baths: 3.5 • Water View & Access Lake Martin Realty Rhonda Jaye 256.749.8681 LakeMartinRealty.com
82 Loft Circle, Dadeville • $475,000 Beds: 4 • Baths: 3.5 • Water View & Access Lake Martin Realty Mimi Rush 334.399.7874 LakeMartinRealty.com
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Get some sleep
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he month of January brings a certain calm and peace. The start of a New Year helps us to reflect on the past and establish new beginnings. There is no greater time to pause and ensure we are receiving adequate sleep. We live in a society that dictates the expectation to stay on the go. Resting makes us feel guilty and often seems indulgent. What we forget is that taking time to pause also is so refreshing. It is well known that healthy living encompasses diet and exercise; however, we often forget two other important entities. Allowing ourselves to rest or pause and sleep is necessary to maintaining healthy lives. It is so easy to place the greatest value on how much is accomplished each day. Many make people lists and gain satisfaction from checking items off of it. It may be easy to talk about resting, but the value of relaxation is lessened when those few minutes are spent looking at a phone or tablet. Human bodies are unlike machines, which can run nonstop. The body needs true rest to strengthen the mind, muscles and eyes. WeIt needs to rest, not just for the sake of resting, but also to be unproductive. Rest must accompany all the work that is essential in this world: emotional work, physical work, relational work, occupational work and intellectual work. Rest allows people to separate identities from what they produce in a day. Rest is required because there is good work to be done. Growth occurs when the body 76 LAKE
is at rest; therefore, taking the time to pause each day could make people feel rejuvenated. Although the mechanics of sleep and how it affects the body and mind continue to be researched, it has been confirmed that sleep is necessary for the body to function in a healthy manner. Sleep is a condition of body and mind that typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive; the eyes closed; the postural muscles relaxed; and consciousness practically suspended. It is recommended that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night; babies and young children need more like 14 hours, and teens need eight to 10 hours of sleep. There are four stages of sleep. There are two stages of light sleep. The lightest occurs when a person feels like nodding off while listening to something or someone. Intermediate sleep is deeper and harder from which to awaken. The third stage is deep, slow, wave sleep. This is the deepest and most restful and restorative stage of sleep. Being woken up during this stage makes a person feel groggy. The last stage is REM sleep, which is short for rapid eye movement. Dreams occur in REM sleep. Adequate sleep restores the body physically, mentally and emotionally. Sleep makes people happier, more alert, and it supplies energy to perform daily tasks. Sleep gives people the ability to concentrate
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n Psychological disorders – depression could cause and make fewer mistakes. It is crucial to health and insomnia; weight. n Nighttime exercise – daytime exercise is associResearch has shown sleep is an important biologiated with improved nighttime sleep; evening exercise cal function without which the human body could will delay the release of melatonin, which helps the not live. During the sleep cycle, the body physically body fall asleep at night. It is recommended to leave repairs and recovers from the day’s activity. The three hours between exercise and sleep; brain is very active, sort of rewiring itself to help n Large meals – these make it tough to sleep with learning and memory. because of indigestion, and excessive fluid intake The body, too, goes through a lot of changes durcould cause you to get up a lot at night; ing the sleep cycle. Body temperature, heart rate and n Chronic pain – fibromyalgia and arthritis can breathing rate slow down. Kidney functions slow down, which is the reason why people don’t have the interfere with sleep; n Medications – pain relievers contain caffeine; urge to use the bathroom as much as when awake. decongestants and steroid medications Increases in growth hormone and testoscould make it tough to fall asleep and terone occur during sleep, as well as horcould cause nighttime awakenings; mones that regulate appetite. n Environment – noise, lights and Sleep also plays an important role uncomfortable temperatures could interin the body’s immune system. Sleep is fere with a good night’s sleep, as well. essential to short- and long-term health. It is impossible to be in motion all Decreasing sleep by just a few hours the time. True progression through life each day could affect learning, memory, requires taking a step back, stepping attention and mood. Lack of sleep trigaway, sitting down to pause and receiving gers stress hormones, which could lead to adequate amounts of sleep. Moments of increased risk of cardiovascular disease rest allow people to reflect, and adequate and interferes with the release of growth sleep recharges the body to be ready for hormones affecting muscle mass, tisHEALTHY LIVING what is ahead. sue repair and fertility. Insufficient sleep BY JULIE HUDSON The New Year could be the perfect reduces the immune response to infectime to evaluate what helps the body tions and alters blood glucose and insulin maintain energy and what drains the body. metabolism, increasing the risk for diabetes. Sleep Ask yourself: What can I live without? What is deprivation could lead to over consumption of carbonecessary, and how can I live a more balanced life? hydrates and high-calorie foods, resulting in weight It might be wise to consider pausing each day to gain. take time for yourself, incorporating rest into the The Center for Disease Control and Prevention routine and allowing yourself to sleep. reports that insufficient sleep is a public health epiRest is not a sign of weakness if it’s the very thing demic. Millions of Americans suffer from sleep and wakefulness disorders, although sleep is a very modi- that builds strength. fiable health risk. ~ Julie Hudson is a dietician at Lake Martin Keep in mind these factors that disrupt sleep: Wellness Center in Dadeville. n Caffeine – it may take six to eight hours for the effects to wear off; n Nicotine – a stimulant that causes light sleep patterns; n Alcohol – causes an initial sedating effect but could prevent REM sleep and deep stages of sleep;
2018 Top Ten Landau Dealer Manitou Dealer
256.215.FISH (3474) 2190 Cherokee Road Alex City, AL
www.alexcitymarine.com
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Hindsight 20/20 I
f you are slowly pulling back the curtain and warily peeking out to see if 2020 is over, hoping that maybe it was just a bad dream … It wasn’t a dream, and though the New Year has begun, whatever it was is not over. New vaccines will offer some relief, but we are in the midst of monumental adjustments in how we work, play and think. Coronavirus and other issues in 2020 have given us the insight to see things differently, if we dare. Ironically, that’s called 20/20 hindsight. Will our love of wine be affected by COVID-19? The simple answer is that as long as there are customers, wine retailers will make every effort to meet consumer demand. At Emporium Wine, we were lucky in the early stages of the pandemic in that we were con78 LAKE
sidered “essential” without having to resort to stocking bread or produce. To reduce our exposure, shield our customers and encourage a stay-safe strategy, we temporarily cut two days out of our schedule, halted wine tastings and limited on-premise wine service and access to our cigar lounge. The inconvenience forced a change in routine for some people. For our staff, it was often difficult to remember what day it was. As 2021 progresses, we will continue to seek a balance that will safely satisfy our customers’ needs. The greatest threat to our service in 2020 was not a result of the pandemic but of the West Coast wildfires. We had some delayed deliveries because trucks could not get out, but those were minimal. Luckily, truck drivers are essentially independent operators and
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are naturally insulated while on the road; and thus, somewhat protected from COVID-19. Some shortages due to fire damage may lie ahead, but overall, there will be plenty of wine. (Whew!) Will the way we enjoy wine be affected by COVID-19? I hope so. There was a time when the intimate dinner party with the good china and silver was de rigueur. But a formal dining room with seating for 12 is a dinosaur in today’s world. Amid massive restrictions, some people have kept their friendships alive and maintained their sanity with just such events. It is the perfect setting for sharing great wine and one where we tend to sip rather than guzzle. It is an occasion where we might be more adventurous in our selection and enjoy the moment just a little more. When was the last time that any of us shared a bottle – maybe a special bottle – with four or five people all experiencing the same wine simultaneously? Forget the china and silver; bake a pan of lasagna and open a nice bottle of Borolo or just about anything Italian. When have you planned a menu around the wines of Spain? The opportunities are boundless. Call me a wine snob, but if you haven’t explored wine in this fashion you have missed the exhilarating essence of wine. And it is not just the wine. Wine has been called a social lubricant. With whom we share our wine, the atmosphere or the occasion will impact how we perceive a particular wine. These occasions are often slices of time that can only be savored and never duplicated. We may come close, but replication is always different – a different day or time or moon phase. It may be a new vintage or something arcane,
something that might make a mediocre wine fantastic on one occasion and a great wine just so-so under the same conditions. There are many variables, but one thing is certain: A poor wine will always be awful. There is no amount of good food or friends or laughter that can make bad wine better. Most often, it comes down to the people with whom we choose to share our lives. Good friends and good times warrant good wine. So our quest for the ideal wine continues. We’re not searching for one wine but at least a dozen to add to the list of wines to experience. They don’t have to be expenFROM THE CELLAR sive, but they do have to satBY HENRY FOY isfy the criteria. In truth, we may not know what that is until we find it. The key to this – the journey, the fun – is in all the great contenders that will vie for a spot on that list. To find what we like, we have to keep looking, keep tasting, smelling and savoring. Here is a tip on how we might approach such a task. We’re not looking for a new best wine or a single new favorite. Can’t we have more than one? Why have we become so exclusive as to not accept variations or similarities with an attitude that our go-to is this and nothing else will do? I am often asked what my favorite wine is; a question that I cannot answer. Under different circumstances, I enjoy the wines that are most appropriate for the occasion at hand, be it hamburger or lamb shanks or egg drop soup. On a sweltering summer day, I lean toward light and slightly sweet, a profile to which I would not ordinarily admit. High on my current list are the cabernets from Rutherford AVA of Napa Valley. Recent purchases also include French, Italian and Spanish wines with sturdy structure and depth of flavor. Generally, I am most interested in complexity and structure. I want a wine that tastes like wine rather than grape juice. You know, Welch’s and the bottom shelf “wines” that are seen everywhere. But that is what I like, and I am happy to share those wines with others. We often make recommendations, adding the caveat that this one or that one might satisfy your taste. We all have different preferences but must allow ourselves some flexibility. There are so many good wines; I say let’s try them all. Happy New Year. ~ Henry Foy is the owner of Emporium Wine and Spirits at 128 Calhoun St. in downtown Alexander City. Reach him at 256.212.WINE, on Instagram, Facebook or email Henry Foy at emporiumwine128@gmail.com.
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Kale Salad with Creamy Orange Dressing and Carrots
Dressing Ingredients 1/2 of an orange, seeded 1 cup yogurt 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice Salt to taste
Dressing Directions
Combine all in a blender (yes, the skin and all of the orange); blend until smooth.
Candied Nuts Ingredients 2 cups almonds (or other nut) 3 egg whites 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon harissa powder Pinch salt
Salad Ingredients
Candied Nuts Directions
Toss de-stemmed/washed kale in a bowl. Dress liberally with prepared creamy orange dressing and season with salt. Massage the greens a bit to soften them. Divide the kale into serving bowls. Cut thin rings from a peeled and washed carrot. Top with candied nuts and a crack of fresh pepper.
Kale, de-stemmed and washed Carrots, peeled and washed
To Plate
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks; then, add everything except the nuts. Wisk to combine. Stir in nuts and bake on a silpat for about 15 minutes, rotating and stirring every 5 minutes.
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~ Chris Morina, executive chef and general manager at SpringHouse Restaurant, earned a bachelor's degree in restaurant and hotel management from Auburn University and worked with Southern food icon Linton Hopkins at Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta before moving to Mourad and other Michelin-starred restaurants in San Francisco. JANUARY 2021
CHEF’S TABLE BY CHRIS MORINA
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his past November, we lost a Lake Martin great. Doug Patterson was my neighbor growing up in the Bay Pines area. With time, whether by intention or not, he became much more to me and many others. I first got to know Doug when I was 12 years old. Some friends and I were hitting crab apples off a hillside with plastic wiffle ball bats. That was good entertainment BIG CATCHES for some young boys back BY GREG VINSON then. I launched one that I thought would surely go over the neighbor’s house; then, heard the shrill crack of a window. I just knew I was going to get grounded forever. I had visions of what Ralphie said in the 1983 movie, A Christmas Story: “It was all over – I was dead. What would it be? The guillotine? Hanging? The Chair? The Rack? The Chinese water torture?” Whatever form of punishment I received was going to be harsh. My parents surprisingly did not get too angry. They simply said that I’d have to find a way to pay for that window. I suppose it was a way to teach me responsibility for my actions. A neighbor two houses down named Doug agreed that I could cut his grass for $20. Good money for a 12-year-old at the time. So I dragged the push mower to Doug’s house every two weeks and cut his grass until I had enough to pay for the window. Over time, I got to know Doug better. Probably because I roamed the banks of not only our place but also our neighbors’ homes, casting for bluegill, bass or whatever would bite. Oftentimes, I noticed Doug headed out to go crappie fishing at night. As hot summer days turned to dusk, Doug would cruise out of the slough on a homemade barge he had built. It started as a floating dock. And being the fisherman that he was, it turned into a night fishing barge, powered by a generator, complete with two bunks and a recliner in the middle. At night, it lit up like a Christmas tree in the middle of the lake, covered from rail to rail with rod holders. In the morning, he’d be back, cleaning crappie. I still remember the first time Doug invited me to go fishing with him and what seemed like his whole entire family. I was so excited I probably could have run on the water to get on the barge. Classic country radio played all night as we fished. It was one of the most fun fishing trips I had ever been on, literally catching fish from dusk ’til dawn. Then we watched the sun rise as we puttered back to the dock. I wonder now if I was a pestering little kid to Doug. I’ll never know because he never said anything that would have suggested he felt that way. I know I was 82 LAKE
drawn to his fishing adventures like a moth to a flame. I’m not sure if I just hung around until he invited me or he felt like it would really mean a lot to let me tag along. Whatever the case, he took me fishing a lot. And he taught me a whole lot along the way. Doug seemingly knew how to catch every kind of fish that swam in Lake Martin. I was enamored by his knowledge. He knew how to use lights to draw the baitfish and the crappie up from the depths of the Tallapoosa River channel. He knew how to draw catfish in using the most awful smelling soured wheat, but it worked. He showed me what we once called a catfish rig – now better known as a drop shot. It’s one of the most
JANUARY 2021
Throwing nets, finding stripers and keeping bait alive are just a few of the lessons that pro angler Greg Vinson learned from Doug Patterson
Salute to a mentor and friend effective rigs in bass fishing today. He knew how to target striped bass year round. Not like most people who caught them at random occasionally. He taught me the Palomar knot for fishing, a knot I still use the most for its ease and strength. He knew how and where to catch bait on Lake Martin; and then, how to keep them alive until he got to the striper holes. It sounds simple, but it wasn’t. Live shad were the key to catching stripers consistently on the lake, and he understood that. The only problem is that Lake Martin, unlike lakes on the Coosa River, is fairly nutrient-poor, and good concentrations of catchable baitfish were hard to
find. You had to keep them alive long enough to get them in front of a fish. It took what I considered a pretty sophisticated setup with constant aeration, a circular shaped tank, so the bait could swim in a natural motion and, very importantly, the right amount of salt in the water, so the bait wouldn’t lose important electrolytes, which caused them to die quickly. The water had to be cool enough. He used an insulated tank and his home’s well water for that. The water was a perfect 70 degrees coming out of the well, even in the hottest part of the summer. He even used an anti-foaming agent that helped. The art of striper fishing in those days was as much about getting and keeping bait as it was knowing where
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to fish. He seemed to have it dialed in like no one else. asked him once how many hours he had on the pontoon He later built a big circular tank that could keep bait for engine, and he said, “I just went over 3,500.” He ran it multiple days at his house. several more years after that. The first time he took me on a striper trip, I caught The striper business got so busy he decided to sell about a 4-pounder. It was a relatively small striper, but the barge. At 16 years old, I just had to have it and conit looked like a shark to me coming to the surface of the vinced my parents that I could pay for it with guided clear water. I was used to catching so many small bass, crappie trips. I still have an old article I did with the bluegill and crappie that it was exhilaratstaff of The Outlook on one of my first ing how big it looked and just how powertrips from that barge. ful. And it was just a small one. Doug taught me how to throw a cast net I was a young teen by the time Doug to catch bait and how to find the stripers left his job at Uniroyal. It seems like it offshore on a digital graph. A new form of may have been the result of some layoffs fish finding coming out of the age of flashthat the plant experienced. Of all the time ers and paper graphs. It was something that we spent fishing, we talked little about would later serve me well as a professional personal life. Fishing was just that, fishing. bass angler looking for bass. He taught me But I sensed the feeling of uncertainty as the importance of rigging – rod types, line he decided to retire and start guiding. As sizes, the effect of too much weight or too an adult now, I can appreciate what it must little, how circle hooks differed from round have been like to suddenly turn a passion hooks, matching the hook to the size bait, into a job in the hopes of being able to pay leader length and how to measure the bait the bills. Yet, because he was so passiondown to the precise depth to get the bites Doug Patterson ate, he became one of the best. and hook and land the fish. Doug was the epitome of what I would call a simple He didn’t just tell me to do certain things because man. To most, he appeared to have little; yet, he was that’s the way it was done. He taught me the all-imporcontent. He lived in a small brick house in the back of tant why that mattered, lessons that I would later employ the slough that was there long before we ever moved to in my career as an angler myself. I learned to pay attenthe area. He drove an old red Blazer truck. He dressed tion to details. practically and shaved occasionally. Proud, confident Upon his recent passing, Doug’s daughter mentioned and stubborn, he was driven by experience. His greatin a post that he had written a poem. That in itself might est passion in the years that I knew him was fishing and surprise many that knew him. After all, he was a hard quail hunting. He got to go fishing almost every day, it core fisherman. Constantly worried about important seemed. Whether he was taking a friend, family memthings, like how the weather would affect the bite on the bers, me or clients, he was doing what he loved, and he next trip. shared that experience with others. He was even-keeled, The poem was titled, Give Them a Day. In it, he never too excited, never bummed out, and if he was, it wrote that children did not need toys or fancy things. rarely showed. Although it’s hard to see Doug writing a poem, the Not to say that he didn’t talk, because he often did theme is more than believable. Looking back, he gave and had great advice and some good stories. He corhis time to me as a kid/teen and so many others. He rected me with few words, and it was always important taught by example as much as with words. He put in the to the task at hand. But he really was a do-er. time, did the hard work, got up early, stayed late and Eventually, I earned Doug’s trust to prepare gear for slept little to pursue a personal passion that he was more some of his first guided crappie trips. Once he rolled in than willing to share. from a full night’s trip, I started untangling the 20-plus Doug was a great fisherman, but more importantly, crappie rods, re-lining the ones that needed it and sethe was a great person. Always willing to share, to teach, ting up each with hooks and weights for the next trip. to help, to give his time. ‘‘I am a more rounded person He gave me a few bucks for my efforts, and I enjoyed because of the time and experiences I had with him. I’m the responsibility. With time, I graduated up to being his a much better angler because of him. I work hard at my deckhand on striper trips. passion that’s become my job, like it was for him. Most It didn’t take long into his full-time fishing venture important, I know that I’m only one of the numerous to become the most well-known striper guide on Lake people that he influenced along the way. Martin. For many years, Doug Patterson was the guy For that, I, and so many others, am forever grateful when it came to stripers on Lake Martin. He did radio for the chance to have known Doug Patterson, a simple and TV shows, along with the busy guide service. man who eventually became and will forever be a Lake Eventually, he sold the bunked barge he had built and Martin legend. decided to build a smaller one that could carry its own motor. He let me help on the build, teaching me how to ~ Greg Vinson is a full-time professional angler on frame the base and build up from there. He guided for the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour. He lives in crappie from it and used his pontoon for the stripers. I Wetumpka and grew up fishing on Lake Martin.
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BEST BOATS | BEST SERVICE | BEST DEALS We are excited to announce our new Singleton Jackson’s Gap location on the North end of Lake Martin. Providing new and used boat sales and a full service center. With the largest selection of the industry’s top-selling brands and award winning customer service, no other dealer can upgrade your lifestyle like Singleton Marine. Singleton Marine Blue Creek Marina 7280 Highway 49 South Dadeville, AL 36853 256-825-8888
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SingletonMarine.com JANUARY 2021
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Inaugural tournament is a win for golf
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he Inaugural Willow Cup was held Dec. 13 through 15 calmer winds – the course still playing long given the wet conat Willow Point Golf and Country Club on Lake Martin. ditions. Starting times again began at 9 a.m. off of holes 1 and The Willow Cup is a collegiate and amateur event spon10. Free started his day slowly, making only one birdie and sored by the Alabama–NW Florida Golf Foundation. A total three bogeys on his front nine, turning in a two-over 38. He of 69 players gathered on Lake Martin to commence this onewas never able to get anything going, making just one bogey of-a-kind event. on the back nine to finish his tournament with a three-over 75 The tournament was fully funded by the Foundation, thanks and a tie for ninth place. to various donations totaling more than $14,000, making entry Meanwhile, Moncus made an eagle on hole 6 and turned in fees and other amenities completely free to all players. The one-under par. He made three birdies on holes 10, 11 and 13 field was made up of a diverse group ranging from junior- to to remain tied for the lead with Walker going into the final few mid- and senior-amateurs. Additionally, there were 19 colleges holes. and universities from across the Southeast represented in the Walker went on a tear, making five birdies on his front nine field. and made the turn at four-under for the day. He The tournament began at 9 a.m. Monday held steady on the back nine, making par on the morning with players starting on holes 1 and 10. remainder of his holes. Moncus was tripped up Players were welcomed to Willow Point with with bogies on 16 and 17 and lost the lead to cold temperatures and blustery conditions. Walker, who coasted to the victory. Jones Free of Selma got off to a solid start, Khavish Varman Varadan of University of shooting even par on the front nine before Alabama, Birmingham, showed some game, makhe turned around and shot four-under on the ing four birdies and no bogies in his final round back nine – including an eagle on the par four to slip into a tie for second with Moncus. 17th. Dylan Moncus of Samford University The Low-Amateur honors went to Jones Free and William Walker of University of Alabama, (Low Junior-Amateur) at one-under 143; Austin Birmingham, both finished their first rounds at Cody (Low Mid-Amateur) also at one-under 143; PAR for the COURSE and Billy Mitchell (Low Senior-Amateur) with a three-under par, 69. Rounding out the top three were Price Brown of University of Alabama, one-over 145. MATT SHEPPARD Birmingham; Davis Shore of University of The Alabama–NW Florida Golf Foundation Alabama; Carson Bacha of Auburn University; thanked Matt Sheppard, PGA, and Eric Andrew Sullivan of Samford University; and Austin Cody of Eshleman, PGA, for putting together this event. In a time when Oxford, Mississippi, who all finished at two-under par. there was not much of a golf season for many collegiate and After the first round, Willow Point Golf and Country Club amateur players, the Willow Cup was a beacon symbolizing a hosted a dinner banquet for all players, which included a bright spot at the end of 2020 and a tradition that could persist speaker panel featuring former PGA Tour player and two-time for years to come. member of the Walker Cup, Lee Williams; Trey Mullinax, the The Foundation also thanked its numerous sponsors and 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Winner; and Stephen Bunn, PGA Tour donors for their belief in the mission behind this event and Chaplain. The trio was able to share their experiences, rangfor sharing a vision in which golf is played and celebrated by ing from playing the game to being around other successful people from all backgrounds and abilities. players. It was a special night shared by all players as they continue to develop their careers in amateur golf and eventual ~ Matthew Sheppard is the PGA Professional director of professional careers. golf at Willow Point Golf and Country Club. The final round was met with more cold temperatures and
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Mon - Thur 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Fri 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
JANUARY 2021
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Legend
63
22
280
To Sylacauga
23
Alexander City
Public Boat Ramps 19
9
Churches
Camp ASCCA
Flint Hill Church
Camps & Parks
17
Power lines U.S. Highways
280
3
22
County Roads Piney Woods Landing
Wind Creek State Park
Pleasant Grove Church
11
COOSA COUNTY
Alex City Boat Ramp
Mt. Zion Church
259 9
9
128
Russell Farms Baptist Church 63
D.A.R.E. Park Landing
Friendship Church
16 20
New Hope Church
Liberty Church
14 Willow Point
24
6
10
Equality
Paces Point Boat Ramp
63
Camp Alamisco
11
Kowaliga Boat Landing
22 The Ridge
55
4
Seman
Camp Kiwanis
1 12
Church in The Pines
24
2
The Amp Ko w
ali
18 80
9
Central
ga
Ba
y
26 90
Union
ELMORE COUNTY Union Church
Red Hill 63
229
Eclectic
Tallassee
20 Kent
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Union Landing
Children’s Harbor
Trillium
34
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Timbergut Landing
Horseshoe Bend National Park
Jaybird Landing
Lake Martin Alabama Marinas
TALLAPOOSA COUNTY
11. Kowaliga Marina 256-397-1210 255 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 22. The Ridge Marina 256-397-1300 450 Ridge Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 33. River North Marina 256-397-1500 250 River North Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
49
Jacksons Gap
42. Real Island Marina 256-397-1200 2700 Real Island Rd., Equality, AL 36026
280
53. Blue Creek Marina 256-825-8888 7280 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853
Bethel Church
21
62. Parker Creek Marina 256-329-8550 486 Parker Creek Marina Rd., Equality, AL 36026
Dadeville
57
280
Camp Hill
Smith Landing
Restaurants & Venues
13
6. SpringHouse 10 256-215-7080 12 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
Lake Martin Baptist Church 49
6. Catherine’s Market 11 256-215-7070 17 Russell Farms Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
Stillwaters
7 5
8
12 Kowaliga Restaurant 256-215-7035 295 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
15 Walnut Hill
50
82. Lakeside Marina 256-825-9286 7361 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853 2. Lakeside Marina at Bay Pines 9 256-825-0999 3455 Bay Pine Rd., Jackson's Gap, AL 36861
Pleasant Ridge Church
Church of the Living Waters
3. Harbor Pointe Marina 7 256-825-0600 397 Marina Point Rd., Dadeville, AL 36853 www.harborpointe.net
25
50
13 Lake Martin Pizza 256-373-3337 5042 Hwy 49, Dadeville, AL 36853 14 Shipwreck Sam's Yogurt & Flatbread Pizza 256-444-8793 smithmarinaonlakemartin@yahoo.com
17 Karen Channell State Farm Financial Services 256-234-3481 5030 Hwy. 280, Alex City, AL 35010 5. Lake Martin Mini Mall 18 334.857.3900 7995 Kowaliga Rd, Eclectic, AL 36024 19 4. Russell Do It Center (Alex City) 256-234-2567 1750 Alabama 22, Alex City, AL 35010 20 4. Russell Do It Center (Eclectic) 334-541-2132 1969 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024 21 4. Russell Building Supply 256-825-4256 350 Fulton Street, Dadeville, AL 36853 22 4. The Stables at Russell Crossroads 256-794-1333 288 Stables Loop, Alex City, AL 35010 4. Dark Insurance 23 256-234-5026 410 Hillabee Street, Alex City, AL 35010 www.darkinsuranceagency.com 24 . Kowaliga Whole Health Pet Care & Resort 334-857-1816 8610 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024
Churches 25 Lake Pointe Baptist Church 256-373-3293 8352 Hwy. 50, Dadeville, AL 36853
Dock Builders 26 Lake Martin Dock Company, Inc Marine Contractor License #49146 334-857-2443 180 Birmingham Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024
Advertise your business on our Lake Martin Region Map for as little as $25. Contact our Marketing Department at 256-234-4281 or marketing@alexcityoutlook.com for more information.
15 The Burritos Corner Mexican Grill 256-307-1887 8605 AL HWY 50, Dadeville, AL 36853 49
Business & Shopping 16 Lake Martin Storm Shelters 256-794-8075 970 Hwy. 63 South, Alex City, AL 35010
Reeltown
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Lake Magazine Distribution ATTENTION READERS: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic some of our distribution locations have changed. This month, you may pick up the most recent issue of Lake magazine at the following locations.
ALEXANDER CITY Robinson Iron A & M Plumbing Carlos The Body Shop Piggly Wiggly Walgreens Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. Jake's Moore Wealth Management Carlisle's Emporium Wine Cloud Nine JR'S Hillabee Towers Senior Nutrition Center Noel Boone George Hardy First Realty Dark Insurance Warren Appliance MainStreet Family Care Grace's Flowers Koon's Korner Larry's General Merchandise Daylight Donuts Alfa Valley Bank - 280 Pricare Temple Medical AllState Hometown Pharmacy Lake Martin Home Health Allen's Food Mart (Exxon) Karen Channell - State Farm Insurance Vision Landscapes North Lake Condo
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River Bend Store River North Marina Lake Martin Building Supply Petro Sho'Nuff BBQ Hair Design Mark King's Lake Martin Furniture Jim Bob's Chicken Fingers Russell Building Supply Longleaf Antique Mall Playhouse Cinemas Chamber of Commerce Winn Dixie Re/Max Around the Lake City Hall Regions Bank Marathon - 280 BB&T Bank Russell Medical Center Koon's II Tallapoosa Ford Dylan Johnson - Country Financial Holley's Home Furniture Jackson's Drugs Selling Lake Martin - Amy Clark The Sure Shot Shell - 280 Big B Bar-B-Que Russell Do It Center Russell Home Decor Holman Floor Satterfield Inc. Wind Creek Gate Wind Creek Store Willow Point Office Willow Point Country Club Smith Marina on Lake Martin Kowaliga Marina Sunsrise Docks Kowaliga Restaurant Children's Harbor Catherine's Market Russell Lands Corporate Office Russell Lands Real Estate Sales
Center Springhouse Restaurant Ridge Club Ridge Marina NEW SITE Piggly Wiggly DADEVILLE Chamber of Commerce Raining Dogs Studio & Gallery Root 49 Salon Alabama Power Siggers Fusion Cafe Dadeville Library Pearson's Place Flower's & Gifts Dadevile Courthouse Payne's Furniture PNC Bank Home Plate Cafe Valley Bank McKelvey Chevrolet Renfroe's Market Foshee's Boat Doc Lakeshore Pharmacy Russell Building Supply Tiny Rabbit Lakay's Sweet Pickins Amy Banks Realty Farmers & Merchants Bank Jim's Pharmacy Poplar Dawgs Still Waters County Club Still Waters Home Association Russell Lands Realty Fuller Realty Harbor Pointe Oskar's Creekside Lodge Blue Creek Marina Lakeside Marina Shell - 280 Niffers Hwy 50 Eagle
JANUARY 2021
Millstone Japanese Maple Nursery Lakeside Merchantile Walnut Hill Chuck's Marina Deep Water Docks CAMP HILL Link Gas Station EQUALITY Five Star Plantation Equality Food Mart Southern Star Parker Creek Marina ECLECTIC Lake Breeze Realty Mitchell's Upholstery Lake Martin Mini Mall Cozumel Mexican Grill Lake Martin Dock Company Cotton's Alabama Barbecue Russell Do It Center Johnson Furniture WOW Cartering LLC Eclectic Library Real Island Marina Hometown Lenders, Inc. Anchor Bay Marina WETUMPKA Wetumpka Herlad Office TALLASSEE Marathon Tallassee Eagle Tallassee Chamber OPELIKA Collaboration Station Get Lake magazine delivered to your mailbox for just $25 per year. To start your subscription, call Linda Ewing at 256-234-4281.
Lake Martin Business and Service Directory
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Relax. Enjoy. Lake Martin. Call to order your subscription 256-234-4281
MAGAZINE
JANUARY 2021
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Our Advertisers n To Join, Call 256.234.4281 A&M Plumbing............................................................. 73
Holley’s Home Furnishings....................................... 96
Rhonda Jaye, Lake Martin Realty............................. 22
Alex City Guide Service............................................. 8
Homeology................................................................... 73
Romar Construction.................................................. 91
Alex City Marine......................................................... 77
Insurance Solutions Group....................................... 90
Russell Lands on Lake Martin.................................. 23
Beyond Home Care................................................... 91
Kowaliga Whole Health............................................. 91
Russell Marine..................30-31, 36-37, 42-43, 54, 65
Blue Creek Iron Works............................................. 91
Lake Martin Dock....................................................... 16
Russell Medical.............................................................. 2
Brown Nursing & Rehabilitation..........................................5
Lake Martin Mortgage................................................ 74
Satterfield........................................................................ 5
CACC.............................. 32-35, 38-41, 44-47, 52-53, 55-57
Lake Martin Realty................................................27, 69
Security Pest Control.................................................. 8
Century 21, Those Lake Martin Guys.............................. 70
Lake Martin Signature Construction...................... 21
Singleton Marine......................................................... 85
Coach Kraft Upholstery............................................ 91
Lamberth & Lamberth............................................... 87
State Farm, Harold Cochran.................................... 91
Custom Docks............................................................... 6
Mark King's Furniture................................................ 17
State Farm, Karen Channell...................................... 91
Davco............................................................................. 91
Moore Wealth Management..................................... 95
Sunrise Dock................................................................ 12
Docks Unlimited........................................................... 5
National Village............................................................ 75
Tallapoosa Board of Education................................ 86
First Community Mortgage........................................ 6
Odd Jobs......................................................................... 6
Temple Medical Center............................................... 8
Foshee Boat Doc........................................................ 70
Prime Management....................................................... 4
TowBoat US................................................................. 26
Gary GW Warren, Aronov Realty.......................... 26
ProCare, LLC............................................................... 22
Walmart........................................................................ 95
George Hardy D.M.D................................................... 8
Renaissance Electronics............................................... 8
Wedowee Marine....................................................... 93
Heritage South Credit Union.................................. 68
Rhonda Gaskins, Century 21 Lake Area Realty....... 3
Hinson Galleries.......................................................... 12
Rhodes Construction................................................. 92
RHODES BROTHERS/KEY BUILDERS
RESTORATIONS | ADDITIONS | KITCHENS | OUTDOOR KITCHENS | BATHS | METAL BUILDINGS REMODELING | ICF CONSTRUCTION | RESIDENTIAL | COMMERCIAL | CONCRETE SEAWALLS
Ge Co nt RHODES BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION
KEY BUILDERS
Builder John Rhodes - 256-675-0217 Custom Home Chris Key- 256-749-0179 rhodesbrothersinc.net chriskeybuilding@yahoo.com General Contractor johnrhodes1@charter.net 92 LAKE
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Parting Shot Photo by Kenneth Boone
"Joy is not in things, it is in us." ~ Richard Wagner
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CAN’T JOIN LIVE? Just listen to the recording when you have time!
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BY SUSAN CLAYTON MOORE, J.D. FINANCIAL ADVISOR/ WEALTH MANAGER
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