Marshall County Good Life Magazine - Winter 2013 by The Good Life Magazine

Marshall County

Seaplanes take to the sky – and lake – for a world of fun Jim and Loretta Kennamer’s house stands unique among lake homes Add a wild (game) twist to your holiday meals

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Contributors

Welcome

Here’s to celebrating the good life we lead in Marshall County Welcome to the inaugural issue of

Marshall County Good Life Magazine. I firmly believe we live in one of the most beautiful parts of Alabama – if not the country. I find us to be a great and proud people who aren’t afraid of work. With this attitude we build a vibrant way of life. Furthermore, we love having fun – and how can you enjoy the good life without that? Of course, not all that life dishes out is good, no matter who you are, no matter where you live. It’s a reality of life we all deal with, each in our own fashion. Ultimately, however, we are better off to concentrate on the positives and do our best to remold the bad into good. Cindy Sparkman – whom you can read about in our Good People feature – is a great example of this. She’s gone from being a cancer patient to being the director of Marshall Cancer Care Center. Along more fun and adventuresome lines, you can read about the small handful of people who own and fly seaplanes at Lake Guntersville. It was a story I could not resist pursuing because it gave me opportunities to fly over the lake and shoot aerial photography. I hope some of the fun I had doing this comes through the story and photos.

aving fun and celebrating the good life with you, the people of Marshall County, is why my business partner, Sheila McAnear, and I started this magazine. We trust you’ll find lots of interesting stuff to read in our quarterly issues of Good Life Magazine. Some of it will be familiar to you – after all, this is your home. But we think you’ll find it presented in fresh and attractive ways that will make you appreciate all the more what Marshall County has to offer. Here’s to celebrating your good life... and to Good Life Magazine. Enjoy them both.

David Moore Publisher/editor

Steve Maze lives in the New Canaan community. A lover of history and story-telling, he formerly published Yesterday’s Memories, has authored numerous books and may know more about Hank Williams than Hank’s momma ever did.

Annette Haislip was a longtime English teacher at Arab High School. Today, she spends much of her time with the Arab Garden Club... and, as no surprise to those who know her well, reading. She recently made a trip to Ireland.

Eddie Wheeler is the urban regional Extension agent for Marshall County. The expert on vegetable gardens did not plant one this year. His excuse is a lack of time and less need. His college grad son has moved out, leaving one less mouth to feed...

Sheila McAnear grew up in the Arab area and worked for 27 years in advertising at The Arab Tribune. An artist heart, she has one grown son and two others who are still in school. Naturally, they all live at home. She partnered with David to start Good Life Magazine as its advertising/art director.

David Moore has a psychology degree (don’t ask) from The University of Alabama but worked for newspapers for 35 years. He left his position of 22 years as editor of the awardwinning Arab Tribune to start Good Life Magazine. His wife, Diane, is a piano teacher and the organist at Arab First United Methodist Church. november | december | january

14 Lighthouse home

Inside

Kennamers built, live in and are selling their landmark lake house

On the cover

22 Meeting The Babe

Kenny Cobb, accompanied by his wife, Nancy, pilots his SeaRey over Jim and Loretta Kennamer’s lighthouse on Lake Guntersville. Tom Taylor piloted the camera plane for photographer David Moore.

Tat and Keith Bailey took advantage of a rare opportunity

30 The ambassador

There’s a reason Classic Champ Boyd Duckett built a big house

32 Christmas music

Snead’s Community Choir adds free concert to the holidays.

48 Seaplanes at the lake Subculture of plane owners say they have twice as much fun.

Regular features 6

Mo mc Publishing llc A member of the Albertville, Arab, Boaz and Guntersville Chambers of Commerce

Good Fun Eagles, art, parades and more

Good People Cindy Sparkman puts lessons from cancer to a good use

Good Cooking Here’s some ‘wild’ holiday recipes

Good Reads Visit with astronauts’ wives and changing times in a small town

Out and About Some folks you might know

Good ’N’ Green Six reasons to mulch now

Good Eats Fonseca Factory cooks up good dishes, thoughts on melting pots

David F. Moore Publisher / Editor 256-293-0888 david.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

MoMc Publishing P.O. Box 28, Arab, Al 35016 www.good-life-magazine.net

Sheila T. McAnear Advertising / Art Director 256-640-3973 sheila.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

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Good Fun

You can’t soar with them ...but you can go visit For three decades, Lake Guntersville State Park has hosted Eagle Awareness Weekends, bringing thousands of people close to the bird that symbolizes America – and has come to symbolize an environmental turn-around. Maybe you can’t soar with the bald eagles, but you can see them in their element, nesting, fishing and flying over Lake Guntersville every weekend in 2014 from Friday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Feb. 23. On the brink of being wiped out in North America by DDT, hunting and a loss of habitat, the iconic bird of prey was placed on the endangered species list in 1967. It was moved to the threatened species list in 1995 and removed from lists in the lower 48 states in 2007. They remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Guntersville State Park started its Eagle Awareness Program 30 years ago and continued it after 2007 because of its popularity. Park naturalist Patti Donnellan says the program attracted more than 2,000 people over six weekends last year. The birds’ popularity – and their visibility at the park – led to adding

a seventh weekend to the program for 2014. Bald eagle numbers are soaring along with the program’s popularity. “Our eagle population is growing by leaps and bounds,” Patti says. “I keep an eye on four nests around the lake. They had eight babies in 2013, and I know there are dozens of nests elsewhere in Marshall County.” Conservation officials estimated that 15-20 bald eagles were in the county – and that was several years ago, Patti adds. Weekend packages, including a room at the lodge and meals, start at $235. The actual programs – which include two guest speakers on Saturday and four guided field trips to see eagles – cost nothing. “It makes a nice fun day or afternoon out of it,” Patti says. “We can’t guarantee that you’ll see eagles, but your chances are pretty darn good.” For more information, contact: Patti Donnellan, 256-571-5445 or at patti. donnellan@dcnr.alabama.gov; or the park lodge, 256-571-5440. – David Moore photo provided by Guntersville State Park

’Tis the season for parades... and more Here are some other events you might enjoy which are scheduled for the next three months in Marshall County, including, of course, traditional Christmas parades… • Through Nov. 30 – Williams/Barnett art exhibit Works by Arab artist Ed Williams and Guntersville artist Dianna Rains Barnett are on exhibit at

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the Mountain Valley Arts Council gallery through Nov. 30. The MVAC gallery is at 300 Gunter Ave., Guntersville, and is open 9-4, TuesdaySaturday. Admission is free. For more information: 256-571-7199. • Nov.15-17 – ‘Taming of the Shrew’ The Snead State Theatre

Department will present Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” at the Beville Center Concert Hall. The cast includes Trey Burdett, Morgan Patterson, Skyler Smith, Danni Boles, Bron Whitten, Tyler Goble, Garrett Gamble, Sean Landman, Dillon Harden and Jackson Shell. Performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday

the main entrance, but you can stroll through the park for free. Started in 1995, the lights have three times made the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for November. School and local groups provide entertainment on weekends. For a schedule of performances visit: www.arab-chamber.org.

and 2 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $5; $3 for seniors 55 and older and students in K-13; and free for Snead students, faculty and staff.

• Nov-29-Dec. 21 – Santa in the Park Santa Claus and his elves will make a special visit to Arab Historic Village – located in Arab City Park – from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Christmas. Kids can have their picture taken with Santa, make reindeer food, watch the blacksmith work, enjoy cookies and juice in the Boyd House and listen to live music. Admission to Santa In The Park – an off-shoot of Christmas in the Park – is $5 per person. Children 2 and under are free. For more information, call the Arab Chamber of Commerce: 256-586-3138.

• Nov. 29–Dec. 31 – Christmas in the Park Christmas in the Park kicks off Friday, Nov. 29, when more than 1 million lights transform Arab City Park into a magical wonderland. They are on nightly through the holidays, from dusk to about 10 p.m. There’s a donation box at

• Dec. 3 – Christmas tree lighting Guntersville’s annual tree lighting will take place at 5 p.m. As a change from the traditional city hall site, a 20-foot tree will be set up downtown in the new Errol Allan park. Santa will do the tree honors, the elementary school

One of the pieces Ed Williams will have in the MVAC exhibit during November

choir will sing and refreshments will be served. For more information, call: 256-571-7590. • Dec. 5 – Larry Gatlin Snead State Community College will present “Country Christmas with Larry Gatlin” at 7 p.m. that Thursday in Fielder Auditorium. Like the country music star’s Snead concert in 2012, it will be a fundraiser for the Jennifer Hallmark Scholarship Fund. The program also will feature the College Street Singers. Tickets are $25 and are on sale at the Arab Instructional Site, the alumni house on the Boaz campus, and the SSCC Bookstore. • Dec. 5 – Arab Christmas parade It starts at 6 p.m. Thursday at Arab First Baptist Church and runs south down Main Street. The theme is “Christmas in Toyland.” • Dec. 5 – Albertville Christmas parade Sponsored by the Albertville Civitans Club, it begins at 5:30 p.m. In honor of veterans and active military, the theme is “Heroes Home for the Holidays.” The parade runs from First Baptist Church, onto Main Street, over to Rotary Park for a Christmas tree lighting, then resumes its normal route back to the church.

Keep Albertville Beautiful had one of the floats in the Civitans Christmas parade there last season

Photo provided by KAB

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Chris Sears of Chris Sears Photography visited Arab’s Christmas in the Park last year. He lives between Baileyton and Fairview and was impressed by the millionplus lights. “If you live close to Arab, you need to check it out. It is pretty cool.” Signs to the park are located on Ala. 69 at Arad Thompson Road and along Main Street downtown. For more information or to register, call: 256-878-1412. • Dec. 6 – Boaz Christmas parade It begins at 5 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church, goes down Ala. 205 and circles back to Elizabeth Street. For more information or to participate, call: city hall, 256-593-8105. • Dec. 7 – Grant Christmas parade Sponsored by the Grant Chamber of Commerce, the parade kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday and runs through downtown. Grand marshal will be Sen. Clay Scofield. • Dec. 10 – Lights of Love Hospice of Marshall County will hold its annual Lights of Love presentation starting with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and the lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. A fundraiser for hospice, people can sponsor lights, memory cards and commemorative ornaments on the large outdoor tree at Shepherd’s Cove, the agency’s end-of-life care facility on Martling Road in Albertville. Sponsorships are $10-$100. There will be refreshments and Christmas carols. For more information call: 256-279-0923.

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• Dec. 14 – Guntersville Christmas parade It begins at 5 p.m. at Scott Street and travels down Gunter Avenue to Ala. 69. The theme is “Catch the Christmas Spirit.” The Guntersville Chamber of Commerce is the sponsor and can be reached for more information at: 256-582-3612. • Dec. 14 – Stars in the Harbor Coinciding with Christmas parade, boats will be decorated and moored 5-9 p.m. Friday at the city harbor on Blount Avenue on the north end of Guntersville. A carnival will be held 3-9 p.m. in the harbor area with games and prizes for the kids and vendors selling food and crafts. Sponsored by the Lake Guntersville Boat Parade Committee, proceeds go the Marshall County Christmas Coalition. For information on booth space or entering a boat, call: Sharon Erne, 256-738-6423. • Dec. 15, 18 – Singing Christmas Tree It will be the 13th year for the massive, choir-studded tree at Arab First Baptist Church. Performances are at 6:30 p.m. both nights. Tickets are free, but you need to pick them up in advance at the church office. For

more information: 256-586-3153. • January – touring art show Want to have your art hanging with Nall? Here’s your chance. An art show featuring local artists will tour Marshall County during 2014, including the public libraries in Albertville, Arab, Boaz, Guntersville and possibly Grant; Lake Guntersville State Park; the Whole Backstage Theatre; and the Albertville Museum. At least 14 painters in various mediums have submitted works, and more are being sought. They can still be submitted, even after the show opens. Participating artists must live in, or be from Marshall County, such as Nall, who has two pieces in the show. For more information, call: Mountain Valley Arts Council: 256-571-7199. • Jan. 7-March 1 – Fishing art show To help kick off of the Bassmasters Classic – coming Feb. 21-23 to Lake Guntersville – the Mountain Valley Arts Council is planning a fish-related exhibit featuring the works of several Marshall County artists. Submission deadline is Dec 15. For more information, call: 256-571-7199.

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Good People

5questions

No way around it. Sometimes bad things happen to people with good lives. That reality hit Cindy Sparkman in October 2002 when she was diagnosed with cancer. Surviving that physical and emotional chapter in her life honed the first-hand empathy she brings to her position as director of the new $9 million state-of-theart Marshall Cancer Care Center in Albertville...

What does Marshall Medical Center’s new cancer treatment center mean to the people of Marshall and surrounding counties? A person diagnosed with cancer faces many challenges and decisions, the first of which is where to seek care and treatment. Since relocating here in July from Marshall Medical Center South, I have talked with many newly diagnosed patients plus many patients who had been getting treatment at MMCS. Without exception, they have expressed great appreciation that we have such a beautiful, hightech facility in which to be treated and, more importantly, that we have an excellent team of physicians and staff who make the challenges of their treatment more bearable. A number of patients have transferred their care from other facilities so that they no longer have to drive to Huntsville or Birmingham. Radiation patients sometimes receive

Story and photos by David Moore 10

Cindy Sparkman She survived cancer then went on to head the new cancer care center daily treatments for up to 12 weeks. Imagine how expensive and tiresome – not to mention time-consuming – a long drive would be. Now our stateof-the-art linear accelerator and Dr. Tom Payne, our radiation oncologist, can provide treatment as good as any in North Alabama. Our medical oncology team, Dr. Gideon Ewing and Dr. Jonathan Storey, have been very well received. I was visiting recently with a patient of Dr. Ewing’s, and she said how confident she was in him, what a great, caring attitude he has. Another patient, who had not heard Ewing’s name, piped up and said, “You must be talking about Dr. Storey. He is the best, most caring doctor I ever had.” These ladies spent the next five minutes extolling the great characteristics of these two physicians, each insisting her doctor was the best ever. Our local facility and doctors are a blessing to so many in our community.

2. What part has the community

played in making the cancer center a reality? I don’t think there has ever been a project or event in this area that garnered more community support and involvement than building this cancer center. Our goal was to raise $3 million, and in just over one year we raised $2.55 million of that through the donations of some 425 businesses and individuals – and contributions continue coming in. We believe it is the first capital campaign of this nature in Marshall County. Our foundation director, Andrea Oliver, did an outstanding

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job of recruiting a great capital campaign team led by Nancy Stewart and Randall Ferguson. Every dollar contributed was important, from our largest contributors, Beth and Davis Lee, who committed $1 million, to the $1 bill I received from an individual at Relay for Life last year. There have been so many who wanted to help in this endeavor. Recently in a children’s class at Guntersville First United Methodist Church, they were learning about financial responsibility and things God would want them to do with their money. I was told that 7-year-old Caitlin Martin suggested that God would want them to give to “our” Cancer Center. One of the local Sunday school classes committed to providing snacks for our patients for a year. The ladies at another church provide crochet prayer shawls for some of our patients. Jane Blackwelder, who completed her treatment for breast cancer several months ago, worked with her church to collect items for care bags for patients on their first day of chemo. She inspired her friend Janice Luther to do the same at her church. Our two summer youth volunteers both asked to come back and help during the school year. I could go on…but this support underscores that this cancer center does not belong to Marshall Medical Centers, it belongs to the people of Marshall County and surrounding areas who make it a reality.

What did you learn from your fight with cancer that you apply to your job?

Meet Cindy Sparkman

Cindy Sparkman stands in the new facility’s second-floor Healing Garden. Here’s a snapshot of her... • Born: Fayetteville, Tenn.; raised: Madison, Ala. • Education: University of North Alabama • Irony: Previously worked in sales and marketing for R.J. Reynolds; left for moral reasons • Family: husband, Dan Sparkman; grown children, Lindsey Smith, Athens; Jeremy (and Katie), Hartselle; Brian (and Amber), Hartselle • Church: First Baptist, Hartselle; visiting First Baptist, Albertville • Hobbies: sewing, reading and playing with three grandchildren

I was fortunate in that the cancer in my colon could be surgically removed. Still, it was pretty traumatic for me. I awoke from surgery with an ileostomy – the one thing I had prayed would not happen. Thankfully, the ileostomy was later reversed. My surgery required 10 days in the hospital and three months of recovery, but at least I didn’t have to undergo radiation or chemotherapy. Even so, I certainly empathize with the emotions that our patients feel. Hearing the “C” word is devastating. I think it was just more information than I was ready to absorb in those first couple of days. From the time I was diagnosed until I got to the colorectal surgeon, nearly two weeks had passed. It was a very long two weeks. My husband and I envisioned the worst, and what we saw on the internet only frightened us more. Thanks to that experience, I know how important it is to get our patients in quickly. We try to see oncology patients within 48 hours of their referral. We’ve been able to see some patients within three or four hours of their referral. Our doctors know how important it is for patients to get answers to their concerns and develop a plan of care quickly. While awaiting pathology and other reports, we sometimes bring in patients to meet with our “navigators” to show them around the cancer center, introduce them to the physicians and staff and provide some general information about what they might expect. It is easy to feel like your life is out of your control when you have cancer – even more so if you are independent like me. But I learned to accept that it was OK to be helped. A strong support system is very important to healing, and we encourage our patients to allow their friends and family members to assist them. And, as I learned in my journey, it’s also important to a patient’s loved ones to be able to help by running 12

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Davis and Beth Lee of Cherokee Ridge were the naming donors for the atrium at the Marshall Cancer Care Center, shown here at the grand opening in July. The event drew 850 people. Sid and Jane McDonald, also of Cherokee Ridge, were naming donors for the infusion clinic, and Randall Ferguson of Union Grove was the naming donor for the radiation oncology suite. Members of the capital campaign committee are: Nancy Stewart and Randall Ferguson, co-chairs, Mike Alred, Mavis Hays, Connie Hembree, Beth Lee, Steve Moultrie, Terry Scott and Dan Smalley.

errands or helping around the house. If patients will accept assistance, they may find it comforting to know people care.

How do you, as director of Marshall Cancer Care Center, interact with patients and families? I am not clinical, so I don’t participate in the patient’s care in any way, but I like to think I can help their well-being with a smile, a touch or a hug. I enjoy getting to know the patients and often stop for a brief visit with them when I see them in the lobby or in one of the treatment areas. I may not know everyone’s name, but I recognize many of the faces and often know something about them. Many patients bring family members, and I enjoy getting to know them, too. One of my favorite duties is participating in our Look Good, Feel Better program. It is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and is designed to help those ladies going

through treatment feel better about themselves. We have a cosmetologist who talks about skin care and shows them how to put on eyeliner and eyebrow pencil to feel better about the loss of their eyelashes and eyebrows. We have wigs and hats. We decorate their room and provide refreshments. It is always a fun day. But the best part of the event for me is hearing patients share their stories and emotions, like Jennie Miller, who has undergone chemo three times in eight years. This last time she went to her father’s barber shop with her grandson and let him help cut her hair before it all began to fall out. She said it was empowering to control when she lost her hair, and it was less frightening for her grandson since he had helped her cut it.

5.. What message would you

offer good people and their families when they have to deal with cancer?

Cancer changes things, no doubt. But it doesn’t change who you are inside. After my surgery, I felt like Humpty Dumpty who had fallen and broken apart. But unlike Humpty the doctors did put me back together again. I was a little cracked, but I was back in one piece. You have to accept that life may not be exactly like it once was, but there is a new normal now. If you can embrace this “new normal” rather than fight it, the journey will be easier and your burden lighter. I also encourage patients to talk with others who have had the same type of cancer. It is encouraging to see that others have survived and learn how they overcame the changes and obstacles that cancer brings. Lastly, I encourage patients – and everyone - to get appropriate cancer screenings. With early detection, most cancers can be treated, and these patients can live long and otherwise healthy lives.

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Story and photos by David Moore

It stands as a unique landmark among all Guntersville lakehouses, but...

The Kennamers call it home To Jim and Loretta Kennamer, it’s

home, plain and simple. Come Christmas Eve, they will have lived on their fouracre peninsula homesite for 50 years. They’ve raised or helped raise a slew of kids here: four children, nine grandchildren and that many more great-grandkids who have done cannonballs in the pool, skied Lake Guntersville and romped through the neighborhood, woods and creek. Their home, now in its third incarnation, is truly a grand estate, an iconic lake house, unique among the many fine homes hugging these shores. Massive yet well-proportioned, the Kennamers’ house encompasses 14,000 square feet of completed space with 14

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another 4,000 in garage, storage and unfinished areas. The 30 rooms include six bedrooms, nine baths, three offices, a workout room and an art studio. Having 25 or so family members visit over the holidays is a drop in the bucket. There’s space galore if Loretta hosts 49 folks from her Warrenton United Methodist Sunday school class, or if Jim hosts a reunion for his Marshall County High School Class of 1953. The peninsula covers all three aspects of location, location, location. Much of their 1,000-foot shoreline is sea-walled with a lamp-lit promenade. A brick drive encircles the house. The boathouse roof is a heliport. And it’s for sale. Oh, by the way…

There is no formal living room. “We’re not formal folks,” Loretta Kennamer explains. Nonetheless, the eight-sided “front room” features six arched windows – including glass doors to a deck – and a 14foot ceiling with four plantation fans and tiered crown molding Jim custom-made on site. Inviting wicker reminds you that the room is as informal and comfortable as the family that lives here. november | december | january

Did anyone mention that the Kennamer home

features an eight-story lighthouse complete with elevator? “That’s just a side item,” Loretta insists of the landmark towering over their living room. “This is a home. This has always been home.” Some consider the red-capped lighthouse a monument. But Jim – who designed, engineered and built the entire place in the Browns Creek subdivision – dismisses the notion. Their place is first and foremost a home, he says. The lighthouse falls between a whimsical desire and a professional challenge. “I didn’t set out to build a showcase,” he says. “I just wanted to build what I wanted to build. And I had fun doing it.” Jim has visited several lighthouses in his travels. He finds them fascinating. “My interest is in their differences,” he says. “They are built so many different ways.” About 12 years ago he was toying with the idea of designing starter homes young families could readily add onto as they grew. It sparked the notion of adding onto his own house – and tackling the challenge of constructing a lighthouse. Loretta recalls his announcement. “He came in and said, ‘Mama, I’m going to build a lighthouse.’ I said, ‘Jim Kennamer, you have lost your mind!’”

im – who has lived his entire life within six or seven miles of his lighthouse – began construction work at age 12 with his dad. Loretta, born in Grant, moved with her family to Warrenton as a young teen and soon met Jim. He stopped and offered her a ride to the former Jack’s grocery across from what’s now Paul’s convenience store. They married a year later in 1953; he was 18, she was 14. “When we got back from getting married, Jim had 50 cents in his pocket,” she laughs. “He had to give it to me to buy lunch the next day.” Before Jim got into construction work proper, he and Loretta eked out a living for a while farming on nearby Georgia Mountain. After working for other contractors, Jim started Commercial Engineers in 1965. His first project was Kings Inn in Albertville. The following year he built Warrenton United Methodist Church. His construction portfolio grew to include myriad schools, hotels, hospitals, the original lodge at Lake Guntersville State Park and Gunter’s Landing. He sold Gunter’s Landing in 1997 and retired… well, as much as a guy like Jim Kennamer ever retires. “I’ve worked hard,” he says. “But I’ve had a great life.” 16

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t was 1963 when Jim built their first house on their scenic peninsula. The house had 3,000 square feet. Old photos bring to mind the park lodge. In 1972, he did “a little remodeling,” enlarging the kitchen and some rooms and adding a Mansard (French) roof and carport. In 2001 he tore down five bedrooms and

“You couldn’t even feel the wind. It was like God had his arms around us,” Loretta says of her and Jim’s ascent of the lighthouse in 2005 as remnants of Hurricane Katrina twisted pecan trees far below. Jim used Styrofoam molding blocks for the ‘waffle’ look, concrete mixed with crushed marble instead of sand and lots of rebar. A marveling engineer once said the lighthouse would weather 250-mph winds.

seven baths. From that new beginning, he built the house of today. And his lighthouse. The consummate hands-on guy, he was involved in every aspect of the project, seldom with the help of more than two or three employees. “Boompa,” granddaughter Julie Bruce Conlee once asked, “how long did it take you to finish?” “I don’t know,” he had replied. “I haven’t finished yet.”

Basically the house and tower were completed in 2007, but two subsequent hospital stays left his tools mostly unused. “I’ve done a little bit since then,” Jim says. One of the unfinished touches is the lantern-less lantern house atop the tower. To do the light right – how else would Jim do it? – would require an authentic Fresnel lens. “They’re hard to come by,” he says. “I located four of november | december | january

This bedroom and bath are located on the third floor of the lighthouse. Another master suite is located on the fourth floor of the lighthouse. Below right is the ground floor of the lighthouse tower, suitable as a game room or perhaps even a second dining room.

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By design, the colors are same for most rooms in the house – a soft gray with white accents. Loretta, watering plants above, said she and the painters would have gone crazy with a different scheme in each of the 30 rooms. Likewise, floors are similarly laid with either maple wood or porcelain tiles. them. The cheapest one was $65,000.” “Maybe Bill Gates will buy the lighthouse and finish it,” Loretta laughs. “Or Warren Buffett. Or Oprah.” Maybe. Even so, $65K is a lot of money for a bright beacon blinking in the night that could irritate neighbors far and wide.

im and Loretta had planned to enjoy living here until he turned 80, then sell the house and downsize. His health issues, however, altered their schedule. They put the lighthouse on the market earlier this year. Ernie Tidmore, an old family friend and Re/Max Realtor, is brokering the sale. Given the market, he’s asking $3.25 million, a bargain, he says, for the quantity of space and a list of unique amenities nearly as long as the lighthouse is tall. “This peninsula is worth november | december | january

$1.5 million,“ Ernie says. “And the house itself has appraised for $5 million. People look at it as a lighthouse, but it’s a lot more. It’s a fabulous home.” Two or three people call Ernie every week about the lighthouse. Most are simply curious. So many just want tours it’s impossible to accommodate them. But Jim and Loretta understand the attraction. “There’s not a more pleasant place to live in From lights throughout the house that can be programmed and controlled from a central computer, to the pool and deck out back, the house is a product of a brilliant builder, says Realtor and friend Ernie Tidmore. And, did anyone mention there’s a lighthouse attached to the Kennamers’ home that offers outstanding views of the grounds below and the surrounding lake and mountains?

Guntersville – or North Alabama,” Jim says. As Exhibit A, he points to the lake from one of the mansion’s lower windows: in the mid-distance Veterans Memorial Bridge spans the main channel of the Tennessee River; beyond loom Signal Point, Taylor Mountain, the lodge and the state park – a stunning view across 7 miles of water. Beyond the fine views are the memories, too, for the Kennamers at their lighthouse home on the lake.

All rooms in the lighthouse, up to the seventh floor office, are accessible by elevator. Also, a 67-step spiral staircase twists its way up from the fourth floor to the catwalk around the red lantern room on the ninth floor. The steps end at a hydraulic trap door that opens onto the catwalk.

This is Steve Maze’s copy of the picture Keith Bailey shot of Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium in 1934

They shook hands with Babe Ruth

(then snapped his picture)

entury-old Tyrus Cobb “Tat” Bailey was named after Hall of Fame baseball player Tyrus “Ty” Cobb. Tat even had a baseball and bat mounted to the front door of his home in Arab in honor of the immortal Detroit Tiger. But it was New York Yankee great Babe Ruth that was Tat’s hero while growing up in Joppa, just west of Arab. He had read about “the Bambino” in newspapers and listened to his exploits during Yankee games broadcast over the radio for practically his entire young life. It’s not an overstatement to say that Tat direly longed to meet the Babe. Opportunity knocked during the summer of 1934 when 21-year-old Tat was in the U.S. Navy, and his ship, the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Portland, docked in New York

City. Tat immediately made plans to attend a Yankee game in hopes of catching a glimpse of the “Sultan of Swat.” He also arranged to meet his sailor brother, Keith Bailey, at Yankee Stadium. After taking the subway to the ballpark, the brothers paid the 10-cent admission cost for sailors and walked inside. They were awed when they walked into the grand and spacious stadium that had been christened “The Park that Ruth Built.” Most distinctly, the two had never seen such finely manicured sod that served as the infield on the baseball diamond. The brothers got to see Ruth in action when the Yankees came to bat in the bottom of the first inning. The Bambino worked the count full on the pitcher

before launching a massive home run over the right field fence. Tat was thrilled to have personally witnessed his hero blast a home run the very first, and as it turned out, the only time he watched him play. He realized just how fortunate he was when a fan sitting beside him commented that he’s been coming to Yankee games for 12 years and that was the first homer he had ever seen Ruth hit. Other than the fact that the Yankees won, Tat was so anxious to try and meet Ruth afterwards that he didn’t remember much about the ballgame itself, including who the hapless opponents were.

fter the game, Ruth sat in the third-base dugout smoking a large cigar and appeared to be in no hurry to leave. He seemingly ignored kids who were shouting and begging him to come over to the railing near the dugout so they could get his autograph. Tat and his brother went down to the bottom row of stands near the railing and stood alongside the kids. After Ruth finished his cigar, he put on his cap and ambled toward the railing. Kids continued to scream, but the Yankee great seemed drawn to the two sailors from Joppa. Why We Are Your Community Bank

“I think he saw our uniforms and that was the reason he came over,” Tat says. He asked Ruth if they could take a picture of him with the camera his brother had brought to the stadium. The “Sultan of Swat” walked closer to where they were and struck a pose. Not only did the two get a photo, they also shook hands with the Babe.

eith was so impressed with the congenial ballplayer that he went back to Yankee Stadium the following day and came away with another memorable souvenir – a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth. Unfortunately, the ball has been lost to posterity since that June day in 1934. Tat and his brother never had the opportunity to see Babe play again since he signed with the Boston Braves the following year. Nevertheless, the man who was named after another baseball legend got to do something he had always longed for – meet the legendary Babe Ruth. EDITOR’S NOTE: Tyrus Cobb “Tat” Bailey, 100, of Arab died Sept. 23, 2013, at the stone house he built himself on Fry Gap Road near Arab.

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Good Cooking

Go wild for the holidays

State’s wild game winners ‘shoot from the hip’ for a change of pace... and taste Story and photos by David Moore

It is not a confession. It’s not

exactly a brag, either. It’s just the way Mike Page cooks much of the time. “I shoot from the hip,” he says. Don’t knock it. He’s a good shot. At the Guntersville Wild Game Cook-Off last spring, he was so sure his turkey roll-ups would strut away with first place in the fowl division that he planned to cook nothing else. However, on the spur of the moment, with only 15 minutes until judging closed, the Union Grove native decided to enter a fish dish. He grabbed six breaded but raw crappie his team was cooking for the public, washed them, showered on seasoning and tossed them on the griddle. He cooked quesadilla shells in a half-pound of butter and – slathered in queso cheese – served them with the crappie. When the judges announced that his turkey took “only” third in the fowl division, a crestfallen Mike told his Bootleg BBQ team to pack it up. Their best shot had failed to win. Then, to his shock, his crappie quesadillas were judged “best overall.” “I’d never made them before,” Mike grins. “I shot them right off my hip.” The win qualified them for the 24

Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Wild Game Cook-Off in August. Against the other 12 best teams statewide, Mike’s Elk Tex Mex won the Alabama title for him and his Bootleggers – wife Kedia; her daughter, Alicia Hardin of Arab; Mickey and Katherine Smith of Somerville; and Kevin Blake of Morgan City. Mike was 13 when he started cooking. His mom had died, and his dad traveled a lot with his work. After school Mike would pan fry steaks as snacks for his younger brother and sister. He grew up in and around Union Grove Road, Morgan City and Lacey’s Spring. He and the former Kedia Johnson of Mount Tabor married 13 years ago after meeting on a blind date. They moved from Union Grove to Good Hope, just over the county line, 10 years ago with daughter Chasity.

long with his trade – Mike has owned Bama Plumbing for 20 years – he’s continued to do much of the cooking. That’s fine with her, says Kedia, who has a plaque in the kitchen that reads: “I kiss better than I cook.” On top of Mike’s early cooking

november | december | january

Kedia makes cake and ice cream shots, top, and Butterfinger cake experience, his dad opened the secrets of smoking and grilling to him. Often known as “Daddy Yum Yum,” Mike’s expertise with a grill and smoker earned him a reputation. “Everybody kept telling me I should enter barbecue cook-offs,” he says.

For a different dinner this Christmas, Mike and Kedia suggest grilled elk stuffed with chopped shrimp scampi, Dutch or “party” potatoes and asparagus. It’s served, at far left, with Mike’s homemade peach wine. For Thanksgiving, you might try their wild turkey roll-ups – also called Wild Turkey 101. Mike uses that same basic turkey recipe to fill grilled portobello caps. reunions near Arab he grills 30 bucks, 160 whole chickens and “countless” pork tenderloins. At Guntersville bass tournaments he’s cooked for 3,000 folks, relying on his “ace in the hole,” an 800-pound capacity hickory smoker he designed and built himself. Not surprisingly, the grill-slinger who sometimes shoots from the hip has been known to get up in the middle of the night to test-cook an idea simmering in his head.

nterested in cooking something wild and different for the holiday? They’re not from the hip, but here are some of Mike and Kedia’s recipes... TURKEY ROLL-UPS or WILD TURKEY 101

Mike and Kedia like to donate their time, food and cooking skills to participate in fundraisers for cancer support and research He took them up on the challenge.

ccompanied by his late boxer dog Deuce, Kedia and their buddies, Mike jumped into the hotly competitive barbecue circuits, traveling to surrounding states, including the massive 2006 Memphis in May, where

he was thrilled to placed fifth, sixth and seventh place in three categories. Mike and Kedia won their first cook-off in 2007, a BBQ cook-off helped by radio DJs John Boy and Billy. Beyond competitive cooking, Mike also caters. For Oden Family

Uncooked strips of wild turkey breast, 6x1x1/4 in. Equal number strips of brown sugar bacon Pepper jack cheese slices Prosciutto ham slices Place turkey strip on bacon slice. Cut a square slice of pepper jack into 3 strips; place two on top of turkey. Add 1 slice of ham and top with

november | december | january

third cheese strip. Roll into a pinwheel and secure with toothpick. Mike won’t tell his secret seasoning; season to taste with your own. Put three roll-ups on a kabob skewer. Grill on top of foil at 320 for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Remove from foil and cook over exposed fire or coals for a few minutes to caramelize.

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Two of Kedia’s desserts are nearly as wild as Mike’s dishes – without the game. Here are the recipes…

november | december | january

Heat oven to 350. Spray pan with baking spray. Bake cake mix as directed on box. Cool completely in pan. Crumble cake with fork. In glass dessert cups or jars, place 1 small scoop of your favorite ice cream. Layer with crumbled cake and half of the cookie pieces. Top with second scoop of ice cream, a dollop of whipped topping and remaining cookie pieces. Serve immediately or freeze until serving.

BUTTERFINGER CAKE 1 box yellow cake mix 14 oz. can condensed milk 8 oz. jar caramel topping 4-5 Butterfinger candy bars, crushed 8 oz. cream cheese 12 oz. Cool Whip Heat oven to 350. Spray pan with cooking spray. Bake cake mix as directed on box. Blend caramel and condensed milk. Poke holes in cake while hot, then pour mixture over cake. Sprinkle half of Butterfingers on top of mixture and chill. Next, stir cream cheese and Cool Whip together. After cake has chilled, spread this mixture over cake and sprinkle with remaining Butterfingers.

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In a provided photo, Boyd Duckett pulls a 7-pound bass from a Lake Guntersville slough. The largemouth record for the lake is 14 lbs., 8 oz. Ever the motivated pro, Boyd says, “Yeah, I would like to catch a 15- pounder here and say, ‘I’m the guy.’ I think a lot of people would like to say that.”

Boyd takes a break with his wife, Jennifer, 13-month-old Eli, and George on the pier outside of their new Buck Island home. In October, constructions crew were still busy, and a slew of boxes remained to be unpacked.

Newest ambassador carries a rod ... and makes them, too Story and photos by David Moore

ne of the best ambassadors for the good life on Lake Guntersville and Marshall County may well be one of Guntersville’s newest residents. Meet Boyd Duckett, whose business drive is topped perhaps only by a passion for professional fishing that in 2007 won him the Bassmaster Classic and a single-season record of $865,000. Another passion is Lake Guntersville. In late September Boyd moved his family to a waterfront home on Buck Island and Duckett Fishing – which sells about $1 million worth of professional grade rods monthly to nearby Connors Islands Business Park.

Boyd says the variety of great bass lakes is like ice cream flavors at Baskin-Robbins. He’s fished them all, but Lake Guntersville is his favorite. “The lake speaks for itself,” he says. “I always thought that if I ever retired or moved again, this would be it. It’s one of the greatest bass fishing lakes. But it’s not just the lake. Guntersville is a great community – all of Marshall County is. Not many great fishing lakes have the kind of community Guntersville does.” It’s a lunker of a fine house with 11 bedrooms. Nine of them are for guests – whom he says will include corporate business people he plans to bring to Lake Guntersville, along with travel and fishing writers. Part of entertaining them on the lake is, admittedly, to benefit Duckett Fishing, but Boyd also wants them to november | december | january

Landscaping and other details remained to be completed at Duckett Fishing in October, but Boyd and his staff – with the help of his companion, George, below – had the business functioning. see the lake and what the area has to offer. “It’s beautiful,” he says.

Before he ever caught his first fish,

Boyd’s genes caught the achievement-driven, competitive drive of the Type A personality. For instance, in 1982 Boyd, who hails from Charlotte, N.C., moved to Nashville where he bought a repair shop for liquid-hauling tank trailers and first visited Guntersville. He also owned two music companies and managed country singers Tim McGraw, Ty Herndon and Joe Diffie – each landing a No. 1 under his guidance. “I have always had multiple things going,” Boyd says. In 1989 he started Southern Tank Leasing and moved it in 1992 to Demopolis for business purposes. He also ran a catfish processing plant there. “While all that was going on the one thing I hadn’t done on my list was to fish competitively,” he says. 32

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Boyd shows Lake Guntersville guide Mike Gerry – whom he sponsors – a prototype of his new reel, due out in the spring. It features a new braking system Boyd says anglers will find easy to handle. When he was about 5, he and his brother Errol would walk to a small lake near their home and fish. He got hooked like a big mouth on jerk bait. At 17 he entered his first tournament. In 1987, he moved into midlevel pro events, driven not only to catch fish, but to catch more than the next guy. But time was ticking. “In 2005, when I was 45, I decided if I was ever going to give a shot at taking my fishing to the highest level, I needed to get it done,” Boyd says. So the driven businessman also turned full-time pro in 2006, finishing high enough in BASS opens to earn a spot in the 2007 Bassmaster Classic, held that February at Lay Lake.

hus started Boyd’s amazing year of 2007. He was fishing on fire from a sweet, sweet honey hole. That February he won the Classic, the coveted “Super Bowl of Fishing,” landing a purse of $510,000. His sudden national status got Boyd into the BASS Elite Series and Major tournaments. The only angler to win two major events that year, he finished in the top 10 an astounding six times plus won the Outdoor

Channel’s Ultimate Match Fishing Championship. In 2008, through a partnership with American Tackle, Boyd created a microguide system strong enough to land lunker bass. In 2009, he launched Duckett Fishing and began mass-producing similar rods at reasonable prices. Those years he also won $80,350 and $65,018 respectively, making the Classic twice. Then he hit a snag. His competitive fishing plummeted. Driven to find the elusive comeback trail, in 2012 he sold Southern Tank. It was not easy letting go. On the upside, the summer he sold the company he won his first major fishing tournament since 2007. Plus, the sale opened the opportunity to pursue his dream of living with his wife, Jennifer, and their baby, Eli, on Lake Guntersville. It’s also closer to his children from a previous marriage – William, Jack and Annabelle – who live in Chattanooga.

o find a new site for Duckett Fishing, Boyd worked closely with city officials and the Marshall County Economic Development Council. “They were great to work with,” he says. Connors Island is near the seven-acre Buck november | december | january

Michael McLaurin manages the warehouse and shipping for Boyd. The rods are shipped across the country. Boyd says they’re sold locally by Chris Lane Tackle and Guide Service, Waterfront Tackle, Albertville Tackle, Tackle Trap and a number of convenience stores. Left, Boyd, now 53, hoists the 2007 Bassmaster Classic trophy – a rush he’d love to repeat. Island home site Boyd had wanted since he began Guntersville, by a few ounces here and there – or the big staying next door to it with Dr. Chalres Campbell one that escaped at the Northern Open in September. Graffeo while at fishing tournaments. With admiration he notes that Guntersville pro He credits builder Scott Martin and Brian Walker of Chris Lane – winner of the 2012 Classic – did what Discount Building Supplies for their help in gutting the he had to do to make the 2014 Classic by winning old house there and constructing the dream home where the final Elite Series tournament in August. FATHER OF EIGHT seeks Boyd and his family are settling into lakeside life. it’s Boyd’s turn. He has one final shot at making energetic lady. MustNow love kids, be fit and ready to jump in and join the fun. Military Knowing his personality, Duckett Fishing will grow.FATHER the coming Classic – outright wining the Bassmaster Wild training OF wouldEIGHT be helpful.seeks DEPENDABLE and energetic lady. Must love kids, be fit and ready to jump He’s bringing reels online this spring. But, down to one Card tournament Dec. 5-7 on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. KNOWLEDGEABLE ADVENTUROUS CATMilitary LOVER in and join the fun. seekswould adventurous cat owner. training be helpful. agent seeks customers business, Boyd figures he canDEPENDABLE properly focus never give up, so I have to go,” says Lake and on recapturing Please be employed“I and willing to relocate. Especially fond of looking for real KNOWLEDGEABLE ADVENTUROUS CAT LOVER black and white tuxedo cats. the competitive rush of his record setting run in 2007. Guntersville’s new ambassador. “To watch cat owner. PROTECTION and long seeks All adventurous responses will be answered. agent seeks customers Please be for employed and willing Looking that Purrr-fect match. This year, he missed the points a RELATIONSHIP spot in the the Classic to relocate. Especially fond of go by from my new front porch… term . lookingcut for for real black and white tuxedo cats. and long responses be answered. GRANOLA EATING, CAMP 2014 Classic, set for FebruaryPROTECTION in his backyard on Lake All Iwill could not imagine a worse situation.” Looking forWORLD that Purrr-fect LOVING, TRAVELER match. term RELATIONSHIP . SINGLE, ARTSY

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Good Reads

Koppel opens the hatch to ‘ The Astronaut Wives Club’

‘My Last Days as Roy Rogers’ captures change in the South

merica’s astronauts are regarded as heroes – as well they should be – facing death each time they blast into space strapped in tiny capsules above tons of flammable materials. This was especially true in the early days of the Mercury program through the Apollo moon program. But what about their wives? It’s their non“If you think going to the fictional story that Lily Moon is hard, try staying Koppel pens in “The at home.” – A quote from Astronaut Wives Club.” one of the astronauts’ Once their husbands wives were tapped as astronauts, ordinary military wives were suddenly pursued by the press, their homes invaded, their every move photographed. NASA “minders” helped with their wardrobes, their hair and dealing with the press. The wives were informed that their husbands’ home life absolutely must not have any distractions or conflicts that could interfere with their training – some task. They were married to brilliant, driven, egotistical, competitive men, many of whom were blatantly unfaithful with the “cape cookies” who pursued them endlessly. Not surprisingly, only seven of the original 30 couples remained married. Also not surprisingly, the uniqueness of their lives bound the women into a close group. It’s a fascinating look behind the scenes of America’s space program. – Annette Haislip

at Cunningham Devoto’s “My Last Days as Roy Rogers” occurs one summer in the small town of Bainbridge, Alabama, “near the big city” of Huntsville. It’s the early 1950s, the last days of innocence, when people knew who the bad guys were and endings were still simple. But winds of change were drifting Roy Rogers always wins. south with thoughts of He always wins! With freedom that would rip Roy it’s simple. He finds apart the fabric of the old out who the bad people established social order. are. He goes after them, World War II had he catches ‘em, and then already disrupted the lives he sings a song. The end. of families. And now the fear of the polio epidemic closed pools and theaters – “But not the churches,” tomboy heroine Tab notes – keeping children inside. Black maids cleaned homes of white families. They cared for the white children, none of whom were allowed to visit the black side of town – that is, not until the maid invites Tab: “The road? The dirt road? She was asking me to come with her down the scary, dark, forbidden dirt road.” Devoto, a native of Florence, Alabama, has created authentic characters, played them against a realistic setting along the Tennessee River and, in doing so, tells us a story both humorous and poignant. – Annette Haislip

november | december | january

Out ’n’ About Out and about in Guntersville, you might see Chris and Alison Wright enjoying the Sunset Drive Walking Trail. “It’s good for us,” Alison says. “And it’s the best views in town,” adds Chris. The city trail runs 3.6 miles from the Guntersville Chamber of Commerce to the water treatment plant.

Arab Police officer Jeff Warren is often out and about on patrol. Sometimes he works security at Arab City Schools. Sometimes you might see him out and about when he fills in for a crossing guard – as he is here –directing traffic at the start and end of the school day. It’s hard to havd a good life if you’re not safe. Photos by David Moore

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Snead State Community Choir presents a free holiday concert

Making music for your Christmas

Dr. Barbara Hudson and pianist Karen Fancher warm up the choir at rehearsal.

By David Moore

What would Christmas be like without music?

“What a horrible thought!” says Janice Wright of Albertville. “That would be worse than not having a Christmas tree. Music is a special way we celebrate, and I cannot imagine Christmas without it.” Pamela Kelley of Boaz agrees. No music at Christmas would put a sadly different spin on one of Pamela’s seasonal favorites, “Silent Night.” “You can’t have Christmas without music,” insists Dr. Barbara Hudson, head of the music program at Snead State Community College. “It wouldn’t be Christmas. “Music is the quintessential worship tool,” she adds. “It’s just so natural to express Christmas and faith through music.” Adding that much more musical bedazzlement to Christmas this year, Barbara will direct Snead State Community Choir’s presentation of “A Christmas Carols Celebration,” based on Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols.” The Dec. 12 performance is free and will be held in the school’s renovated Fielder Auditorium, inside the administration building. 40

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Janice and Pamela are two of her 19 choir members. Joining forces with them will be the Snead State Concert Choir, directed by Sara Hagood-Markham. Barbara says there is too much wonderful Christmas music to single out favorites, but she’s loved “Ceremony of Carols” ever since she sang it as a freshman at James Madison University in Virginia. “I have very fond memories of it. We did that with a harp. To hear that live harp as accompaniment… I was enchanted. I hope our audience will be just as enchanted when they hear it.” The audience will recognize about half of the carols. The others will provide a new Christmas experience – which, Barbara says, Sara’s concert choir will enhance. Barbara – with a masters from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a doctorate from the University of Mississippi – is in her second year at Snead. Having directed community and church choirs in Maryland, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia, when she came to Snead she was happy to have the opportunity to start a community choir. Last Christmas, her new choir performed excerpts from

Attending the concert? The combined Snead State Community Choir and Concert Choir will perform “A Christmas Carols Celebration” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12. The program centers around Benjamin Britten’s beloved “Ceremony of Carols,” which will be accompanied by Huntsville harpist Kathryn Hoppe-McQueen. You also will hear works by John Rutter, Ralph Vaughn Williams, Benjamin Britten and other composers from the United Kingdom.

Handel’s Messiah. The concert was dedicated to Rebecca Moore Lancaster, a beloved music instructor at Snead who died in July 2012.

That the concert was dedicated to Rebecca pulled

Janice Wright into the Community Choir. Rebecca directed the Snead choir in 1970 when Janice was a member. “It meant a lot to me at the time,” she says. “When I saw they would be doing the concert in her memory, it was something I wanted to be a part of.” Janice grew up in a musical family and later sang with the Mountain Valley Singers, formed in 1974 by the late Glenn Maze, former Snead dean of students, member of the music program and the namesake for the college’s music building. “It’s always been a part of my life that I enjoyed,” she says. “Music is a celebration, and I can find something just about every day to celebrate.” Janice, a long-time second grade teacher at Corley Elementary School, for years also taught community education classes. Free of that, she’s found her evenings open and got back into music with the choir.

Members of the Snead State Community Choir Amy Hamaker Ulises Rios Kristen McHenry Nicole Noojin Chuck Hester Carolyn Mason Derrick Willingham Miriam Richey Karen Benefield Jerry Berg

Ryan Hitchcock Sally Stone David Wooten Caise Holt Connie Abrahams Terry Hudson Laney Walker Pamela Johnson Janice Wright

The choir is open to anyone from ninth grade to 90-plus who loves to sing, can match pitch and can blend with a group. To learn more, contact: Dr. Barbara Hudson, 256-840-4147.

november | december | january

Dr. Barbara Hudson, below, started and directs the Snead State Community Choir. Janice Wright, front row at the far right, and Pamela Kelley, back row second from the left, sing at the spring concert.

Photo at right provided by Snead State; others by David Moore

“Anybody who likes to sing would enjoy this,” the alto says. “It’s not too much pressure. Dr. Hudson has done a fabulous job, and it’s enjoyable, too. I don’t have a dominant voice, but I enjoy singing and being with other people of all ages.”

usic is ingrained in her life, says Pamela Kelley. Her father was a disc jockey. Through his radio shows she discovered different kinds of music. Her grandfather could play just about any instrument you gave him. In high school, Pamela stepped outside her comfort zone to sing in front of hundreds of people. It helped bring her out of her shell. Relying on a passionate ear, she later sang in a gospel group and was a praise and worship leader. To build on her foundation, she joined the Community Choir for its 2013 spring performance: “Music for the Stage” and wellknown opera choruses, accompanied by a community orchestra. Musical doors flung open. “I am reaching higher pitches than ever,” she says. “And it’s an experience to get down to every detail in a song like Dr. Hudson directs us.” “Now I have a yearning to learn music as it is written so I can appreciate it more,” says Pamela, who has an associate degree in medical billing and coding but now wants a degree in music. “Dr. Hudson wants people of all walks of life to enjoy and experience music, too. She has become an inspiration to me, and I am looking forward to learning more under her leadership as I accomplish my goal to achieve a degree in music.” As fellow choir member Janice would say, you just can’t have too much music. Especially at Christmas time.

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Good ‘N’ Green

Fall mulching? Give your landscape plants a warm blanket for the winter By Eddie Wheeler

some people think of mulching as a chore for the

spring when the flowers are blooming to welcome the new warm weather. With that thinking, however, it is easy to forget that mulching plays an important role in the fall as well. Remember: The best time to mulch new plantings is right after they are planted, but replenishing the mulch around established landscape plants is one of the tasks we at the Marshall County Extension recommended for the fall. For one thing, it’s a good time because of the abundance of free mulch that’s available. All those fallen leaves and pine needles can be put to good use as fall mulch. More importantly, think of mulch as a blanket for the plants, shrubs, and ornamental trees. Fall mulching helps protect plants from the temperature extremes and swings that we live with in Marshall County. It is an insulation that keeps roots cooler on warm days and warmer on cold nights – which is especially important during rapid temperature changes. Mulch also helps define flower beds by adding color and texture among your plants. That’s why fall is an ideal time to re-mulch, as the soil covering fades over time, and a fresh layer will make your landscape more aesthetic.

Before fall disappears, the Marshall County Extension suggests that you replenish the mulch around your landscape plants. Photo above by David Moore; opposite page, provided by Eddie Wheeler

november | december | january

o replenish, rake or fluff your old mulch, breaking up any matted layers and refresh the appearance. Add mulch where needed to maintain a 2-3-inch covering. Several materials can be used as mulch, divided into two basic groups: inorganic and organic. Inorganic mulches are those materials such as gravel, plastic or landscape fabric that do not decompose and therefore do not add organic matter to the soil. Organic mulch is composed of plant materials that break down over a period of time and add organic matter to the soil. Examples of organic mulch include compost, grass clippings, pine needles, bark, leaves, straw and wood chips. While you have a number of material choices, remember that the best mulch is easy to work with, inexpensive, easily available and attractive. In a nutshell, mulching is one of the best practices you can use for landscape plants.

things to remember when mulching…

1 It is not a good practice to use mulch in poorly draining areas. Mulch will keep the soil wet and perhaps cause root rot.

Mulch should not be placed close to the stems of plants or trunks of trees and shrubs. Keeping it 2-3 inches from stems and six inches from trees will help prevent diseases, insects and other pests from damaging the plants.

Mulch helps prevent erosion by protecting the soil from heavy rains. Soil compaction and crusting caused by rain is reduced as well.

It’s easy for many people to find free mulch in the fall

4 A good mulching helps control weeds. This means less time and effort spent hand-pulling,

A 2-3-inch layer of mulch helps conserve soil moisture. Water evaporation is reduced when the soil is protected from direct sun and wind. With less evaporation, it may not be necessary to water as frequently. (And plants need water, even in the fall and winter when it’s dry.)

cultivating or spraying unwanted weeds.

Organic mulches can improve the structure of both clay and sandy soils. As organic materials decompose, they add nutrients to the soil.

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Good Eats

Eating and living the good life a c e s n o

ith its invitingly eclectic decor and subtle lighting, first-time visitors to Fonseca Factory often wonder at finding such a restaurant in Arab. “When they walk in, people are like, ‘This belongs in Birmingham or Nashville,’” says co-owner and chef Ivan Fonseca. “We love Nashville – but to go visit. This is home to us.” Home for Ivan (pronounced E-vaughn) was Venezuela until 1999 when, at 19, he joined his brother, Chino, and mother, Lupe, a former petroleum engineer, in America. A series of restaurant jobs brought them to Arab, and they opened Fonseca Factory at Northgate Shopping Center in 2005. Chino left two years ago when his attorney wife got a job in Birmingham. Ivan and Lupe carry on at Fonseca. Gwen McGee’s family eats there often. Nine of them were in the back dining room recently. Gwen had a chicken wrap. “It was excellent,” she says. “Anything you order is good and fresh.” The oriental salad held no surprises for family member Terri Jackson. “Every time I order here, it tastes the way I expect it to,” she says. “The

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atmosphere is nice, too, and Ivan is very nice.” Such comments, he says, inspires him to keep cooking. “We like to cook,” he laughs. “We like to ‘play’ with food, create dishes, mix things up a little.” A few of Ivan’s recent creations include mahi-mahi with a mango sauce and rice and coconut shrimp, bringing a Venezuelan flavor to the menu. He plans to add blackened fish. Sometimes customers ask for things not on the menu, such as bam-bam shrimp. If he’s got the ingredients, Ivan is glad to custom cook it. Ivan enjoys socializing with his customers when he’s not too busy cooking. A recent talk turned to his “melting pot” recipe. It’s not on the menu, but it’s been on his mind especially since April 4, 2012, when he passed his citizenship test. Already long and involved when he started in 2000, the citizenship process was completely revamped after 9/11. Starting over in 2005, Ivan found the requirements even more stringent. He made two or three trips a year to Atlanta to meet with immigration officials. He traveled several times to the Venezuelan Embassy in New Orleans to renew his passport. Finally he

Ivan Fonseca serves up the restaurant’s popular bam-bam chicken dish.

Story and photos by David Moore

received an exam date. In Atlanta he joined 167 people from 59 countries, who waited until they were called back for individual exams. Already nervous, the interrogation-like exam made him feel like he was in deep legal trouble.

n the end, it was all worth the effort, Ivan says. Like the tax code, it could be simplified, he adds, but citizenship should still require some effort, and the exam should still be given in English. “If you are going to be in the United States, you need to speak English. I have a problem with foreign people who don’t want to learn,” the chef says, irritated by the refusal to jump in the melting pot and become citizens. “A lot of people don’t have thoughts of staying longterm in America. They want to be here a few years and go back home. I do not understand, though. If the situation is so bad in your country, wherever you are from, why would you want to come here, make money and go back? “Stay here,” Ivan says. “Be a part of it. It is the good life. Some Americans complain and talk about the horrible economy. And it is difficult. But it is better here. “This is home. Venezuela is a place to visit my family. I am glad I grew up there and came here when I did, because I appreciate the United States so much more.” After all, at Fonseca Factory he gets to play in the kitchen, make people happy and earn a living.

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Here’s a number for you: 7,983.

That’s how many boat licenses were issued in Marshall County last year. It’s a safe bet that most of those watercraft cut wakes on Lake Guntersville. Here’s another number for you: eight. That’s how many people keep seaplanes at Guntersville Airport, Albertville Regional Airport or, in one case, his home on Lake Guntersville. The numbers put seaplane owners in a subculture of people who enjoy the lake in some sort of craft. Some seaplane pilots laughingly insist they’re an exclusive subculture, not only of boat owners but of regular pilots as well. “We’ have twice as much fun as they do,” laughs Kenny Cobb, who keeps his SeaRey hangared at Guntersville Airport. He’s talking while eating at one of the monthly fly-in breakfasts the airport hosts on first Saturdays. “We also fly regular planes,” acknowledges Bill Rucinski, a breakfast companion and field director for the international Seaplane Pilots Association. “But the beauty of a float plane is that you can go fishing or camping at a site that you can’t easily get to any other way, especially in Canada and Alaska.” Seaplane pilots have their own take on the “$100 hamburger” small plane owners often pursue. “You can drive to a restaurant here,” Kenny explains, “or get in your seaplane, fly to Pell City or somewhere on the water, buy a hamburger and fly back.” “In Florida, nearly every lake has at least one restaurant on it, so there are hundreds of choices,” says Bill, who flew his seaplane from Tennessee for a “$100 breakfast” this morning. If flying doesn’t enhance the taste of the meal, it certainly enhances the overall outing. Another advantage of seaplanes, Kenny says, is visiting secluded coves on Lake Guntersville accessible only by boat or a long hike. “And when you get there,” he laughs, “you can always go fishing, or swim – or go skinnydipping if you have the right company.”

Kenny Cobb, 80, of Boaz – who virtually

lives in his Guntersville hangar – has stories enough to fill a book. Maybe two. Son of a Sand Mountain farmer who had been at Auburn two years, he one day said “Sure!” when a recruiter found him staring longingly at an Air Force poster and asked: “How would you like to fly one of those jets, son?” His infatuation soared. Kenny first soloed in the service at age 20; buzzed Sand Mountain in jet trainers; gave flight instructions for the military’s Sabreliner, the first 48

november | december | january

corporate jet; was shot down and ejected from his F-4 Phantom in Vietnam, setting off a three-and-ahalf-day battle near Da Nang airbase; commanded a fighter squadron; and worked in the Pentagon. After retiring in 1978 with 24 years of service, he flew corporate planes; flew crop dusters; flew air shows; bought foreign planes overseas and sold them stateside. In 1988 he was “invited” to steal a Russian MIG-29 from a Syrian airfield – a multi-million-dollar plot Cobb says was scrubbed when his flow of information abruptly ceased. “How many of those things would I have ever done if I had never flown?” Cobb asks. “I have enjoyed the hell out it.” The SeaRey seaplane he built from a kit seemed a logical step for the veteran pilot. “I had flown about everything else, but I didn’t have any time in a seaplane,” he says. “Plus, I wanted

With a backdrop of Street Bluff, Kenny Cobb and

wife, Nancy, fly over Lake

Guntersville in his SeaRey.

Kenny, who has logged more

than 26,000 hours flying in

60 airplanes, loves his seaplane.

At right, its hull-like fuselage keeps it afloat while landing. Tom Taylor of SouthWind

Adventures in Guntersville piloted the camera plane for these photos.

Ralph Kimball has been building a SeaRey at his home on Buck Island. Helping him speed up the 800-1,000-hour project is Paige Laynette, left, former owner of Progressive Aerodyne in Florida, which produces the kits. Ralph expects to be flying by early November. something that would fit Lake Guntersville.” He likes the plane’s safety record and good handling characteristics, but it requires enough finesse to keep a pro on his game. “The challenge of conquering them safely makes the SeaRey fun to fly,” Cobb says. And in the end, that’s what seaplanes are all about – fun.

etired electrical engineer Ralph Kimball will have been flying seven years in January. “You are never too old to start,” says the 68-year-old owner of three other airplanes. Nor, pretty much, too old to join the subculture of seaplane pilots on Lake Guntersville. The SeaRey is kind of a retirement plane for some people. It’s not as expensive as most planes, for one thing. A kit costs about $32,000. Paint it, buy an engine, radio and flight instruments, and you’ll have spent $75,000-$80,000. 50

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Seaplane subculture

Members of Marshall County’s unofficial seaplane subculture, their planes and bases, are: • Kenny Cobb: SeaRey, Guntersville; • Wally and Michael Kirkpatrick: Cessna 180, Browns Creek; • Hayward “Ward ” House: Trojan, Guntersville; • Ralph Kimball: SeaRey, Guntersville; • Walter Adams: SeaRey, Albertville; • Dr. Phillip Traynor: SeaRey, Albertville; • Karl Anderson: SeaRey, Guntersville. Phil Hyatt earns emeritus status. After retiring from Albertville Airport, he moved his1946 Piper Cub to his home on the Coosa River. But he still flies often at Lake Guntersville. For more about seaplanes, visit the Seaplane Pilots Association website: www.seaplanes.org.

Kenny Cobb says he’ll keep his wife, Nancy, as long as she’ll have him. Likewise, there’s apparently no way he’ll part ways with his SeaRey. Forget swapping it for a boat of any size … or another airplane. “If someone offered me any other plane for this one – even a tremendous deal – I would not take it,” says the 80-year-old. Guntersville Airport broke ground recently on several related projects totaling $20 million, including a mile-long runway that will angle up to the right from the center of the photo. In the next two years a sealane, a floating fuel dock and a ramp will be built at the far end of the existing runway. The projects will put Guntersville on navigation charts as a seaplane base, making it one of the premier seaplane facilities in the Central Southeast, says airport manager and pilot for this photo, Matt Metcalfe. That, he adds, will be good for business and good for the city. november | december | january

Ralph has his seaplane flight rating, which, like any pilot license, requires passing annual physicals. But to legally fly an LSA – light sport aircraft, such as the SeaRey – requires only a drivers license. Well, that and the know-how. “A seaplane is totally different than a fix-wing aircraft,” Ralph says. “It opens up the things you can do, especially landing on water. “A seaplane is fun to fly. And this lake is really very good for seaplanes,” he continues. “There are large expanses of water. You can always find somewhere calm to land.” Seaplanes typically fly slower than other planes (there is more drag). Plus they can legally fly lower. As people in the seaplane subculture like to say, they are great for flightseeing.

or Michael Kirkpatrick, part of the beauty of his 1953 four-seater Cessna 180 seaplane is the convenience of keeping it at his lakefront house at Point of Pines. He co-owns the plane with Wallace “Wally” Kirkpatrick, his father, neighbor and business partner. Wally is founder and CEO of DESE Research in Huntsville; Michael is president. His home-based plane’s also convenient for Boy Scout Troop 83 from Madison. In late September, Michael hosts an annual campout for them outside his and Wally’s houses. Not surprisingly, the kids are thrilled to fly with Michael. During their recent campout, a group of boys is anxiously awaiting their turn as two Scout parents hold the lightly bobbing seaplane a few feet from shore. Jack and Nicholas Dunaway and their dad, Rich, climb out of the cabin after a hop with Michael. “Was it fun?” a Scout on shore calls. “Yes!” says Nicholas, who rode up front. “Did you wear the headphones?” 52

Visiting Boy Scouts from Madison – including Nicholas Dunaway on the seaplane float, Adam Bastien, above left, and Garrett Hester – had a big day flying with Michael Kirkpatrick. He had a special day himself, passing his 1,000th hour of logged flying time. What’s more, that morning on the ground he spotted four bald eagles flying overhead, and while showing Scouts

november | december | january

Guntersville Dam from the air he spotted a fifth eagle.

A seaplane is any fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. There are two types. Floatplanes have pontoon-like floats affixed to the belly of the fuselage, such as Wally and Michael Kirkpatrick’s 1953 Cessna 180, above. Flying boats – such as SeaReys – float on hull-like fuselages with small wingtip floats for stability on the water. A SeaRey is also an amphibian, meaning it has retractable landing gear so it also use runways. Floatplanes with wheels attached to the pontoons also qualify as amphibians. “Yes!” Onshore, Nicholas, 11, elaborates: “It was really, really fun. You have one of the greatest views ever. Taking off, it got going really fast and you felt it shift. It was a little rough. Then you took off and it was smoother.” Nicholas has flown in large planes. This was his first small one, certainly his first seaplane, and before his ride with Michael he couldn’t help but wonder. “I was like, ‘How is this going to turn out?’” he says. “It was very good… perfect.”

lying since 1965, Wally Kirkpatrick bought his seaplane in 1998. Michael was 40. “He was a pilot when I was growing up,” Michael says. “We were around planes. After I earned my MBA, I set a goal to fly.” He earned his ratings for single-engine private planes, seaplanes (2003), multi-engine planes, then

flying a multi-engine aircraft by instrument. Michael usually flies weekly, a beauty of keeping the plane at home. He might wake up one Saturday and, while drinking coffee on the deck overlooking the lake, decide to fly upriver to South Sauty Cafe for breakfast. “It’s 100 steps from the kitchen,” he says. “I can just step in it and fly.” While Michael hasn’t flown the seaplane to, say, Canada or Alaska for backcountry adventures, he and girlfriend Dainna Ratliff have made some special trips. They’ve flown to Chattanooga and Knoxville for lunch. They’ve eaten at Blue Grill Cafe on Tims Ford Lake on the Elk River in Tennessee and lunched at the Land Between the Lakes after flying to the Mississippi River. Then again, Michael says – and anyone in the seaplane subculture would agree – just buzzing over Lake Guntersville in a seaplane makes any day special. “Absolutely,” he insists. “It’s all great.” november | december | january

With the sun rising over Browns Creek on Lake Guntersville, Michael Kirkpatrick shot this alluring photo of the home-based Cessna 180 seaplane he and his father own. Unmoor the lines. Shout, “Clear prop!” Hit the throttle, and with a roar they’re taking off across the smooth water, into the sun, to find fun and adventure out there somewhere.

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