Marshall Good Life Magazine - Spring 2021 by The Good Life Magazine

MARSHALL COUNTY

Steve and Gena Vinyard built a unique house to compliment its great view

Stacy Beam, seemingly destined to creativity, now paints in Nashville SPRING 2021 | COMPLIMENTARY

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Welcome

he seven pines grew as tall as 90 feet, close to the windward side of the house, threatening disaster. Plus they sucked the water from the area around them, creating a hardpacked, no-grass zone. So I hired Clark Green, talented at all things yardish, to cut them down. Daniel Armstrong ground the stumps.

Where my pine trees went Clark will seed the area and it already looks nice and open. Still, I hate to cut trees. I felt much better when Clark said Rudy Wooten wanted the huge logs, would mill them himself into timbers and build a feed barn at his place south of Arab, Canaan Creek Farms. My spirits lifted. My trees would not go to the landfill but

be repurposed into a useful, second life. Cool. Recently, I drove across Arab to see Rudy’s nearly completed project. My trees had become fresh smelling 3x6 trusses, 2x6 lathes and decking and 1x12 siding boards. I smiled and imagined my big pines doing the same.

Contributors Deb Laslie has become a happy hermit. “My home is how I want it, filled with my husband and dawg. We turned off TV and seldom use the computer.” House and garden work keep her on her knees a lot, “Which is where I need to be.”

Like most folks, David Myers feels sidelined by the pandemic. He and his wife, Rose, do venture out occasionally for restaurant stories, but he hopes they’re soon back to full-time culinary fun. They have some serious catching up to do.

Writing about ice, Steve Maze says he’s amazed at all of the effort his grandpa and others went to in days past to get ice for sweet tea and ice cream. “Now it is just a punch of a button away,” he laughs. “What would Grandpa think?”

WSCC instructor Seth Terrell’s story in this issue reminded him of football and basketball at Sardis High. Later he played rugby in Virginia – until he got a head-reeling, gutsickening concussion one cold day. That, he says, ended his rugby career.

Donna Prickett’s photos were in the last issue, getting her looks from patients at the office where she works. “You’re that photographer,” they said. “Why weren’t you wearing a mask in your portrait? one asked. “It was shot in 2019.”

Jacquelyn Hall writes about Maggie Valley strawberries in this issue. She recalls picking them with her kids a few years ago. “It was juice-covered fun in the warm spring sun.” Now she shares some sticky-kid memories at Maggie Valley.

Notable Guntersville photographer Monica Martin studied her trade for 10 years before “getting the papers and turning pro.” When it looked as if the editor would be quarantined, she stepped in and photographed the home in this issue.

It is still winter as ad/art director Sheila McAnear works on this issue, and her mind sometimes drifts to warmth. “I’ve been dreaming of beaches and building sand castles,”she says. “But with Covid and cold weather still lingering, I’d settle for a snowman.”

Covid makes lining up stories a bigger challenge than usual, and it left editor David Moore without a guest cook for this issue. Diane, his wife, saved the day. She not only suggested recipes from a local cookbook, but cooked them, too. Yum.

Mo Mc PUBLISHING LLC Proudly printed in Marshall County by BPI Media of Boaz 6

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

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

Sheila T. McAnear Advertising/art director | 256-640-3973 sheila.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

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

This thing is really starting to stack up in our favor. Thanks for making us Marshall County’s deposit market share leader – again! For the second year running, Citizens Bank & Trust is Marshall County’s deposit market share leader based on the annual FDIC Summary of Deposits*. We’ve worked hard to prove the benefits of locally-owned banking, and we’re proud to submit the FDIC report as evidence. Being number one in our home county is a special honor. As the small bank with big-time products and services, we’re glad to serve the home folks who make it all possible. *FDIC Summary of Deposits as of June 30, 2020

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FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Inside 10 | Good Fun

Fun events are tentatively lining up for the coming warm weather

12 | Good People

MVAC beckoned when Becky Hallman Scheinert returned

18 | Good Reads

John Grisham, Fannie Flagg cut new ground in old soil

21 | Good Cooking

“Taste of Albertville” still a source for yummy recipes to serve up

28 | Good Eats

Santa Fe in Albertville – food and fun for “cowpokes” and families

31 | Good Getaways

Looking for a good escape? Spend a few days up in Mentone

34 | Personally unique

All at The Reserve have a view; the Vinyards have a unique home, too

42 | Ice

It’s always been refreshingly cool, but it wasn’t always easy to get

45 | Brian Creel

At his facility in Boaz, he coaches skills and more to young athletes

50 | Maggie Valley

At Grant farm, years are ordered in accordance with the strawberry

57 | Stacy Beam

He grew up with a creative bend and went on to become an artist

66 | Out ‘n’ About

Donna Prickett shares some of her favorite views of springtime On the cover | George Barnett loves to shoot sunrises from his and Amy’s deck. This is one of them. This page | The barn David and Margaret Cox restored at Maggie Valley is a local landmark. Photo by David Moore

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Good Fun

Spring is bringing some fun back Check with organizations to ensure Covid has not caused changes

• Now-Feb. 21 – Crimes of the Heart Set in the 1950s in Mississippi, the play won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for drama, was nominated for a Tony and later became a novel. The Whole Backstage production is directed by Debbie Moss, assisted by Joshua Barksdale. Tickets are on sale online for $12 and $20. Feb. 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 shows are at 7 p.m.; Feb. 14, 21 shows at 2 p.m. For more info: 256-5827469; or visit: wholebackstage.com. • March 2-31 – Spring quilt exhibit Mountain Valley Arts Council continues its ongoing exhibitions of locally produced quilts and related arts with a show featuring pastel and spring colors in flower patterns. The Gallery is now located at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville. It’s open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-2 pm Saturday and by appointment. Admission is free. For more info: www.mvacarts.org/ exhibits; or call: 256- 571-7199. • April 15 – Free concert series continues Mountain Valley Arts Council plans to relaunch its free concert series again this spring. They will be held 6:30-8:30 pm, Thursdays, April 15 to May 20 at the Errol Allan Park in downtown Guntersville; inclement weather shows will be moved to Bakers on Main: Here’s the schedule: April : 15 Emily Joseph, April : 22 Fosters April: 29 SouthKnot May: 6 Mack Rice and the River Bottom Band May: 13 JedEye May: 20 Monkey Business For more info: www.mvacarts.org/ exhibits; or call: 256- 571-7199 or Kim Klueger, 256-656-6128. • April 16-25 – “Love in the Country” Written by Guntersville’s Tim Hays and directed by him and Diane DuBoise, the long-awaited country jukebox musical comedy was set for production 10

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Guntersville playwright Tim Hays was featured in the spring 2020 GLM. He’s wearing the white shirt in this photo from auditions last year. last year but was postponed because of Covid. Presented by The Whole Backstage and Sonny Lewis, the show features live music. 7 p.m. shows are April 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 are at 7 p.m.; shows April 18, 25 are at 2 p.m. For more info: 256-582-7469; or visit: wholebackstage.com. • April 17-18 – Art on the Lake The 60th annual edition of Marshall County’s – and one of the state’s – longest running art shows usually features more than 120 booths showcasing fine artists and craftsmen from throughout the Southeast and beyond. As always, there will be food vendors, outdoor games and rides and a bake sale – fun for the entire family. Rain or shine, the show will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday inside the Guntersville Recreational Center at 1500 Sunset Drive. Admission is $2 for 13 years and older. Sorry, no animals allowed. Exhibitor applications – deadline March 1 – are available online: www. artonthelake-guntersville.com; or by contacting show chair Julie Patton: julespp@aol.com. Vendor

applications are online, too; deadline is March 1. • April 24 – Back When Days This annual free event at the Arab Historic Village has been around long enough to be historic. Come visit the village as it pays tribute to the pioneering people who settled North Alabama and built it into what it is today. The buildings are open, there will be live music and lots of demonstrations of life “back when.” The village is located at Arab City Park. The event is 9-3 p.m. • May 4-29 – Textile exhibit Mountain Valley Arts Council in Guntersville will be hosting a unique exhibit that includes only fabric and yarn-based artwork such as quilts, applique’ pieces, woven clothing, hooked rugs and fabric collages. Online and in-person “art talks” with the Northeast Alabama artists are also being planned. The Gallery is now located at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville. It’s open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-2 pm Saturday and by appointment. Admission is free. For more info: www. mvacarts.org/exhibits.

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Good People

5questions Story and photo by David Moore

ecky Hallman wasted no time high-tailing it out of town after finishing Guntersville High School, packing her few possessions and all of her youthful creativity with her. When she moved back in 2008 as Becky Scheinert, she unpacked not only a husband and far more possessions than she left town with, but also a broadened scope of creativity begging for release. She soon joined the Mountain Valley Arts Council, where creativity is a buzzword. A long-time board member, last year she served as president (again) during the group’s 50th anniversary. Becky was 15 when MVAC was organized, and the fledgling group of volunteers would soon have its first effects on her life and creativity. But more on that shortly. Her dad, Charlie Hallman, was an administrator with the Army’s correspondence program at Redstone Arsenal and raised herds of cows and a big garden on their farm in Warrenton. Her mom, Edith, taught English and typing at Guntersville High. “At one time she probably taught half of the town how to conjugate verbs,” Becky says. Along with her older sisters – Lucy Russell now lives in Aub, Germany, where she’s a retired historical musician; Vicki Robb is a retired real estate agent in La Jolla, California – Becky lived in a household that stressed education. “It wasn’t, ‘Do you want to go to college?’” Becky says. “It was, ‘When you go to college …’ And woe be onto us if we conjugated verbs incorrectly.” Later in college, Becky would mail home letters only to have them returned with grammar corrections Edith made with a red pencil. “She took a hard line.”

s a kid, Becky loved to read …

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Becky Scheinert

With a life tied to creativity, it’s little surprise that she was drawn to MVAC especially when it came time to do chores on the farm. “I got into a lot of trouble for reading,” she laughs. “I read under the bed covers and in the barn and mimosa trees.” But Edith also encouraged creativity. In fact, she apparently passed on creativity genes to Becky, who produced art before she could spell. She especially enjoyed drawing detailed pictures of people, buildings, whatever – and Edith kept her supplied with drawing paper. “Mother did not allow her typing students at school to wad up paper with mistakes,” Becky recalls. “Instead, she made them drop paper in the trashcans flat so she could bring it home – instant art supplies! Just turn it over and there’s a clean sheet of paper to use.” Her sisters were older and her parents worked, so she was a bit of a young loner. “Growing up in a 50-acre cow pasture with few people to talk to sparked a welldeveloped imagination,” Becky grins. “I’d run away from my babysitter and go to the cow pasture. She would look out with binoculars to see where I was. She could usually spot my fuchsia umbrella.” For nine years Becky was in 4-H. As a sophomore in 1970 – with no premonitions of her future – she joined the Mountain Valley Singers, the formation of which was the first big project of the newly founded Mountain Valley Arts Council. As a teen at Guntersville High, she found it all too easy to stay out of trouble. “I was a straight up kid. No one invited me to fun parties or the get-introuble parties. I was a teacher’s kid. “When I graduated from high school, I looked around and wondered why people were crying,” Becky adds. “When I left town, I was not looking behind me.”

t Auburn University, Becky struggled with all the options she had for a course of study. Creativity pulled her toward “pure” art, but her practical side

looked ahead to landing a job. She ended up with a BFA in visual and commercial arts. After graduating in 1976, she did freelance advertising for various ad agencies and worked for EBSCO Media in Birmingham. That lasted until the next year when she got a freelance job with an agency that was re-branding a company that bought a half-dozen Jack’s restaurants. Becky had marketing ideas about how to stand out from the competition. “They didn’t listen,” she says. “They told me not to worry about the marketing and, just paint some colors.” Ticked off, she returned to Auburn full time and earned an MBA. “I didn’t want to be a starving artist,” Becky laughs. “My favorite numbers have dollar signs.” Returning to Auburn is also how she re-met her future husband, Ken Scheinert. They had first met in a marketing class while she was an undergrad, but nothing came of it. As a graduate living in Nashville, he returned to Auburn for a frat party while she was working on her master’s degree, and they met again at a bar. They recognized each other and a year later, after earning her MBA, they married in 1978. Becky moved to Nashville with Ken where they both worked for South Central Bell. Their son Brett was born there; second son, Daniel was born in Birmingham after the Scheinerts moved in 1985 to nearby Shelby County.

ecky worked in marketing for the former Lucent Technologies, but much of her creativity was funneled into their community … designing lobby decorations, programs and T-shirt logos for various programs, and singing in the Cahaba Chorale and at church. At home when the kids were small, she’d get a big piece of paper and markers and start drawing something. “Then I’d stop and pass it to the first

SNAPSHOT: Becky Hallman Scheinert

EARLY LIFE: Third daughter of Charlie and Edith Hallman; grew up in Warrenton, lived in Nashville and Birmingham for 35 years, then moved back to Warrenton in 2008. Her mother had turned 90, and Becky thought she might start needing a bit of help. FAMILY: Married 42 years to Ken L. Scheinert, lawyer in Guntersville. Two grown children: Brett, a game designer in Stockholm, Sweden, and Daniel Scheinert, a film director in Los Angeles. EDUCATION: Graduated from Guntersville High School, 1973, and Auburn University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, 1976, and a Master of Business Administration degree, 1978. CAREER: Started in advertising in Birmingham and then sales and global marketing for various telecom and high-tech companies. Semi-retired but remotely does marketing for Alabama Family Trust and Bradford & Holliman law firm in Birmingham. OTHER ACTIVITIES: Founding member of Art Klatsch; long-time board member and current president of Mountain Valley Arts Council; choir member at Guntersville First United Methodist Church.

kid,” she says. “It might start with an airplane, then the first kid put a face on it, and then next kid would add big feet. We would just crack each other up.” Both of their sons went on to have successful, creative careers in video game design and film. “The creativity gene definitely passed down to both of them,” mom says. To Becky, creativity has always been more important than the specific medium. At work, during seemingly endless conference calls in conference rooms, she’d use a white board and draw caricatures of the people they were talking to. “Everyone was trying not to laugh before I would erase the evidence,” Becky says. Ken showed his creative side and reinvented himself, taking early retirement to earn a law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford. Not interested in criminal or corporate law, he turned to adult protective services which works mostly through probate courts. Figuring a small town would be best for his practice, and with Becky’s mom growing older, in 2008 they bought Hallman family land in Warrenton and built a house about a mile from where she grew up. Ever market-minded, Becky urged Ken to install a striped awning for his office in order to standout visually from all of the other attorney offices around the courthouse. For the last 15 years of Becky’s career, she worked remotely in global marketing; her current part-time work is also remote. More pertinently, a year after returning to Marshall County, she joined Mountain Valley Arts Council. “I really did not know what they did, but it said “art,” Becky laughs. “It had the operative word in it.” Part of the attraction, she adds, is just being around creative people.

What were its goals and aspirations when the Mountain Valley Arts Council (MVAC) was formed 51 years ago and how has MVAC achieved those goals? In 1970, the legislature established Alabama State Council on the Arts and 14

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

arts councils in all 67 counties. The goal was to nurture the arts – visual, musical, dance and writing – throughout the state. Today, MVAC is one of only about half a dozen of the original councils still operational. For the past 50 years, MVAC has hosted a wide variety of concerts including Gerhart Chamber Music Festival – now hosted at Snead State Community College in Boaz – and spring and fall concert series by the lake and in the park in Guntersville. In the past, MVAC has brought in the Alabama Ballet and various professional theatre performances in Albertville, Guntersville and Arab. For years MVAC has held art camps for children which resulted in the spinoff of ARTS – Artists Responding to Students. At artist receptions and concerts, through the Children’s Art Initiative, we collect new and gently used art supplies and distribute them to agencies such as Child Advocates of Juvenile Court, Child Development Centers in Boaz and Guntersville, Crain Court Youth Program and the Child Advocacy Center. For a dozen years, 200 to 300 K-5 students have participated annually in our Children’s Christmas Card Contest. The MVAC tree in the Guntersville Museum’s Festival of Trees in December 2020 was decorated with matboard ornaments created by some 600 students in that age range. Over the past 50 years, many Marshall County people have volunteered their time and donated money to make these goals a reality.

What aspirations would you like to see realized in its next 50 years? Looking ahead, even before the pandemic hit, the board was already thinking long term about more digital arts and exhibits. I expect a lot of growth in that area. That will help us expand the reach of Marshall County artists and drive tourism. We have a strong Facebook presence already and can leverage our website. I can see us interviewing artists and doing virtual exhibits that drive people to say, “Oh, I want to come see that.” I also can see us offering online

classes. We have people who can teach, but we need those who can do videography and post material online. I just haven’t yet found the right warm bodies to work with. MVAC hopes to grow our role as a clearinghouse for people looking for specific types of artists – everything from watercolor artists, sculptors, to musicians for events. We also want to collaborate more to cross-promote the arts throughout the county so that more people enjoy what is already available. We have such great options from Snead State Community College and the arts competitions at the county fairs in Boaz, Albertville’s nationally renowned show choirs, Arab’s nationally renowned Arab Musical Theatre, Whole Backstage Theatre, Guntersville’s Art on the Lake show and murals in most schools, including the library at DAR in Grant. We also post events for The Whole Backstage or when Albertville has its big spring productions. If I see something from Arab Musical Theatre we’ll post it.

In February 2020, MVAC moved from the north end of town to 440 Gunter Avenue across from the courthouse. How has the move affected the group’s ability to serve artists and the community? After 36 or so years renting a historical house in Northtown, MVAC made the move to this much larger facility down the street. Even at the old location, you would be amazed how many out-of-town people came into our office – as well as the Guntersville Museum and the chamber of commerce. A lot of them are considering the area for retirement. They just show up at our office and say, “We’re from Indiana … We’re from California.” So MVAC has the opportunity to tell them what else is around the county. And that has increased big time since the move to our new office and gallery. We get lots more walk-ins and street traffic here – and I expect that to only grow in the future. The move has also allowed us to add a year-round quilt exhibition. We’d been planning it for a couple of years but couldn’t find a viable venue with lots of public traffic. This ongoing exhibit features quilters from throughout the

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county. We want to bring quilts out of the bedrooms and closets and showcase the artistry and skills involved. The exhibit changes monthly. In December we had six big quilts on the walls and three smaller ones plus hooked rugs and a centerpiece table runner appliqué. In May, we are planning an exhibit featuring quilts, smaller quilted items, hooked rugs, hand-woven items and fabric collages. Our new facility also lets us feature much larger woodcraft – such as Lake Shore Creations’ unique furniture from Guntersville and David Hammock’s sculpture from Arab – as well as much larger visual artwork. During the pandemic, we’ve hosted outdoor art workshops at the Riverview Campground in Warrenton. But we do now have a dedicated art workshop area at the gallery for MVAC-hosted sessions led by local acrylics and watercolor artists as well as private art workshops. The Art Klatsch – a group of five lady artists of a certain vintage, including me – often hold our gatherings in this workshop area. We experiment in traditional and unique art media such as painted gourds … and shotgun art. Shotgun art, of course, is not done at the gallery. Lynda Geddes, one of our members, has a farm in Horton. Ronnie Geddes sets up an old door flat on the ground. We stand cans of spray paint on the door and put paper or a canvas behind the cans. We use a shotgun and shoot the cans – or whatever needs firing at – and the paint explodes onto the canvas. It’s hilarious fun, and some of the shapes and designs that come out are really cool. We’d like to do that as a fundraiser, but my husband, the lawyer, keeps saying, “No! No! Liability!” The Art Klatsch has exhibited some of our shotgun work, though. The medium, they say, is, well ... pick one. It’s the creativity that counts. Anyway, the extra space at the gallery allows MVAC to host larger and multiple exhibits at the same time. For example, we have hosted two exhibits of artwork by current and former art teachers from throughout the 16

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Mountain Valley Arts Council

The Mountain Valley Arts Council office and gallery is located at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville, Ala. The gallery is open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday- Friday, 10 am-2 pm Saturday and by appointment. You can join MVAC as an individual for only $50 annually, and other levels of support and sponsorship are available. Artists and quilters are encouraged to contact MVAC about possibly showing work. Board members are: Becky Scheinert, president; Kim Klueger, vice president; Cyndy Simmons, secretary; Mason Holcomb, treasurer; Deborah Belcher, Lynda Geddes and Cherri Jones. Betsy Brown is gallery manager. For more information or to join, visit: mvacarts.org; email: info@mvacarts.org; call: 256-571-7199.

county. We also exhibited MVAC members’ favorite artwork, “A Few of Our Favorite Things.”

Besides joining MVAC, how can people participate in the arts? Funding is critical, of course, and like most non-profits we struggle. We fund our programs through corporate sponsorships and individual or family memberships. In-kind donations are very helpful, too. We also need and welcome volunteers and board members to lead various art programs and to be our contacts throughout the county. We also need people willing to help us expand our programs into different areas. We have more artistic ideas than we have warm bodies. People can participate as artists, too. One way is to find or form a small group – say two to five – who are interested in the same art medium. Then you can meet and compare notes and work together. In our Art Klatsch, one lady is superb at watercolor and collage, two are great at pastels, three are great at

oils, another is great at 3-D wood art and stained glass and metal art, and then there’s me. I enjoy them all. We have completed two sets of collaborative paintings where we set rules or a theme, then each of us painted a section of the canvas. The pieces were exhibited in Grant and at the MVAC Gallery. Marty Bibee, Jane Waldrop, Donnie Wier, Lynda Geddes and I are in the group. I’m not sure how many years we’ve been meeting, but we had our last meeting by Zoom. We encourage each other and explore different mediums together. And others can participate in MVAC the same way. The staff at MVAC is often asked for references for private art teachers, but we only have few options to suggest, so please let MVAC know if you’re interested. We also offer suggestions to people looking to commission an artist in a particular medium. One lady wanted the old river bridge that was in Guntersville painted on a saw. We found the right artist for the project. There are many ways to participate in MVAC.

What’s something most people don’t know about Becky Scheinert? Speaking of saws … an unusual hobby I have is playing a musical handsaw. But since I’ve played at schools, nursing homes and church since my high school days, it isn’t exactly a secret. And, yes … I get rusty if I don’t practice. I do enjoy singing and learned a lot through the inaugural Mountain Valley Singers choir that was set up at the same time as MVAC in 1970. I was shocked to find that the rest of the choir were music teachers and semi-professionals. It was intimidating, but I hung in there and enjoyed a steep and quick learning curve as an alto. My first attempt at entrepreneurship was selling minnows from my parents’ ponds to the local gas station in Warrenton. It didn’t take me long to get tired of counting 100 minnows for $1, so I started selling them by weight instead. Like I said, my favorite numbers have dollar signs. Good Life Magazine

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FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Good Reads

Latest Grisham novel harkens back to a familiar character

Revisit Whistle Stop with a book that’s needed today

he third book in John Grisham’s series that began with “A Time to Kill,” then “Sycamore Row,” “A Time for Mercy” brings us back to Clanton, Miss. It’s 1990, and Jake Brigance and his young family are struggling to get by with the money he makes at his law practice in a rural The responsibilities were town drawing up wills and dealing with the left to him, the oldest. occasional incarcerated With their mother gone, drunk driver who will be he had no choice but to unable to pay his fee. step up and become a When the local judge man. He and he alone places the fate of a timid had to save them from a 16-year-old boy accused of the murder of a local prolonged nightmare. deputy in Jake’s capable hands, all heck breaks loose in Clanton. The town demands a quick trial and a speedy trip to the gas chamber. But, as with most cases –all Grisham books – there’s a lot more to the story. As Jake’s finances wither and costs of litigating a potentially very large payout with a long-standing civil case looms on the horizon, Jake has to decide whether to put his energies and the time of his small staff into a murder trial for which the state will begrudgingly pay him $1,000, or continue with the civil case and a “sure thing.” Grisham surely does know how to tell a story. Lots of twists and turns and a familiar cast of characters that are now a part of my family. You will enjoy every page. – Deb Laslie

very once in a while, I come across a book that has it all: truth, humor, pathos and just plain great writing. Fannie Flagg’s “The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop” is one such book. And what a needed book it is in these times. Ms. Flagg takes us back to the town of From now on, no matter Whistle Stop, just outside Birmingham, and revives how hard the doom-andher marvelous characters gloomers try, they’ll never from “Fried Green convince me the world is a Tomatoes” – Idgy, Ruthie terrible place and people and, of course, Buddie are just no good. I know Threadgoode (who lost there are some rotten his arm to that horrible train accident). Their lives apples out there, but take continue, and we’re along it from me, this old world for the ride. of ours, flawed as it may Dot still writes her be, is a much better place missives in the Weems than you have been told. Weekly, keeping us up-todate on all the happenings of Whistle Stop and its inhabitants. There are some new characters, but many happy remembrances of our dear old friends. And friends they are. I laugh with them and cry with them as they work their way through this thing called “life.” I miss them already and I just finished the book a hour ago. You will too. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of “The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop.” Don’t loan your copy to a friend; buy them their own (you’ll want to keep yours). – Deb Laslie

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

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CRANBERRY-NECTARINE SALAD Libby Blevins, Cindy Maddux – Library 3-oz. pkg. Oriental-flavored ramen noodle soup mix ½ cup dried cranberries 1 cup hot water ½ cup canola oil 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 10-oz. pkg. gourmet mixed salad greens 3 large nectarines, thoroughly washed, peeled and cut into wedges ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts 4-oz. pkg. feta cheese, crumbled Preheat oven to 350. Reserve flavor packet from soup mix. Crumble noodles and place in a single layer in a shallow pan. Bake at 350 for 5 to 6 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Cool completely in a pan or on a wire rack, about 15 minutes. Place cranberries in a small bowl; add one cup hot water. Let stand 5 minutes; drain. Whisk together reserved flavor packet, canola oil and the next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add ramen noodles, cranberries, greens and next 3 ingredients, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately. EDITOR’S NOTE: If you want, substitute pecan halves for walnuts. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

CHEDDAR CORN CHOWDER Melody Whitten – Assistant to the Mayor 8 oz. bacon, chopped ¼ cup olive oil 6 cups chopped onions 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter ½ cup flour 2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper ½ tsp. ground turmeric 12 cups chicken stock 6 cups potatoes, diced 10 cups corn kernels 2 cups half and half 8 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded Cook bacon in olive oil until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and add onions and butter to fat. Cook until onions are translucent and stir in flour, salt, pepper and turmeric. Cook for three minutes. Add chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add corn, half-and-half and cheddar. Salt and pepper. Add bacon for garnish.

HONEY GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN Jason Keeton – Police Department Two pork tenderloins ¼ cup soy sauce 5 cloves garlic, minced ½ tsp. ground ginger 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 3 Tbsp. honey 2 tsp. dark sesame oil

PINEAPPLE WALDORF SALAD Sara Hipp, Cindy Maddux – Library 1 can (20 oz.) unsweetened pineapple tidbits 6 cups chopped red apples (about 4 medium) 1½ cup chopped celery ½ cup golden raisins ¼ cup dry-roasted sunflower kernels ½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise ½ cup plain fat-free yogurt ¼ cup sugar

Cut lengthwise down center of each tenderloin (butterfly) to within ¼ inch of opposite side; press open. Mix all ingredients; pour over meat in Ziploc bag. Marinate several hours and grill. EDITOR’S NOTE: Butterflying a loin makes grilling easy. Pairs well with green beans and butternut squash ravioli.

Drain pineapple, reserving ½ cup juice. In a bowl, combine the pineapple, apples, celery, raisins and sunflower kernels. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar and reserved pineapple juice. Pour over fruit mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 13 servings.

BEEF BURGUNDY Lisa Rowell – Library 16 oz. Burgundy wine

1-2 lbs. stewing beef 2 cans Campbell’s golden mushroom soup (not cream of mushroom) 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 large onion, sliced ½ cup flour 22

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Thoroughly mix all ingredients except for meat. Now add meat. Cook uncovered in a slow oven (300) for 3 hours; or cook in a Crockpot. Served over egg noodles.

SPICY PIMENTO CHEESE Carolyn Scott – Senior Center 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded 2 cups Colby cheese, shredded 2 jars (4-oz.) diced pimentos, drained 1 tsp. hot sauce or to taste 16 oz. Hellman’s mayonnaise Mix well and refrigerate.

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2 eggs ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup butter, melted 1 6-oz. pkg. (1 cup) semi sweet morsels 1 cup chopped walnuts

TOLL HOUSE PIE Tammy Taylor, Buck Taylor – Fire Department 1 9-in. unbaked pie shell Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add flour, sugar and brown sugar; beat until well blended. Blend in melted butter, stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into pie shell.

SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS Janet Watkins – Library 1 pkg. sweet potato patties, cut pan. Heat water, sugar, margarine into half moons and cornstarch in a saucepan 2 large or 4 small packs crescent until margarine melts and sugar rolls (16 total crescent rolls) dissolves. 2 cups sugar Add vanilla and pour over 1½ stick margarine dumplings. Bake at 350 for 40-45 1 Tbsp. cornstarch minutes or until crescents are 1 Tbsp. vanilla golden brown. Cinnamon-sugar mixture Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar Roll each sweet potato half in mixture. a crescent roll and place in 9x13 Makes 16. 24

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Bake for one hour; remove from oven. Best served warm. EDITOR’S NOTE: Ice cream with caramel and chocolate syrup doesn’t hurt a thing. Chipped pecans instead of walnuts is another option. CHEESE BREAD Debbie Ellison, Lisa Rowell – Library 1 loaf French bread 1 Tbsp. butter, softened ½ tsp. Italian seasoning ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded ¼ cup Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 350. Slice bread lengthwise; place cut side up on a baking sheet. Spread on butter and sprinkle with seasoning. Top with cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces.

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POULET de NORMANDY Melody Whitten – Assistant to the Mayor 16-oz. pkg herb stuffing mix 1 stick butter, softened 1½ -2 cups hot chicken broth ¼ cup onion, chopped ½ cup celery, chopped ½ cup mayonnaise Sage and poultry seasoning to taste 2½ cups chicken, chopped 2 eggs 1½ cups milk 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated Combine first three ingredients. Sauté onions and celery in butter. Add vegetables and mayonnaise to stuffing. Put ½ of stuffing mixture in a 9 x 13 pan. Spread chicken and put remaining mixture on top. Beat eggs and milk and pour over all. Refrigerate overnight. Spread with soup two hours before cooking at 350 for 45 minutes. Cover with cheese and put back in oven until cheese melts. THREE BEAN SALAD Mary Hughes, Lisa Rowell – Library 1 can green beans 1 can wax beans 1 can kidney beans 1 medium purple onion 1 green bell pepper Pimento

CAJUN SAUSAGE PASTA Casey Maddux, Cindy Maddux –Library In a large sauce pan, sauté onion 1 large onion, chopped and garlic in oil until tender. Add 3 garlic cloves, minced broth and wine or additional broth. 2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil Bring to a boil; cook uncovered until 1 cup chicken broth liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Reduce 2 cups dry white wine (or additional heat. chicken broth) Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, 14-oz. can diced tomatoes sugar, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper 6-oz. can tomato paste and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 Tbsp. sugar 10–15 minutes. 1 tsp. ground cumin Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper ¼ tsp. black pepper cook sausage and peppers over 1 lb. Italian sausage links, sliced medium heat until sausage is no 1 medium green pepper, julienned longer pink and peppers are tender. 1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned Stir in tomato mixture. 5 cups hot cooked penne pasta Serve over pasta. 26

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Drain and rinse the beans. Slice onions and peppers into rings. Put all ingredients into a large bowl. Marinade 1 cup cider vinegar 1 cup sugar ½ cup vegetable oil 6-8 dashes Tabasco sauce 1 tsp. salt Boil ingredients, then pour over the beans and vegetables. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Editor’s note: “A Taste of Albertville” was popular and sold out. The Albertville Public Library, however, has a copy.

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Good Eats

Santa Fe serves food fittin’ for families and cowpokes – plus a big fun factor “Cooking real slow is the reason they’re so tender,” he says. “We have a passion for food. The sign says Real, Fresh and Fun. That’s what we do.”

Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore Food photos provided

he thing about chain restaurants is they’re convenient and you always know what to expect. No llen and Brittany surprises. So on a rushed Riddle, the general manager, Saturday when Rose and I each has 20-plus years in the wanted an early lunch, we restaurant business. They chose to dine as they do in have worked here at the the Southwest and pulled in Albertville Santa Fe for 12 to the Santa Fe Cattle Co. in years, a plus in this highAlbertville where we were turnover line of work. sure of a good meal, quick “That’s a long time to and affordable. keep a management staff,” What we didn’t expect she says. was the fun factor. It was with much sadness Being an armchair that I left without sinking my cowpoke who loves a John teeth into one of Santa Fe’s Wayne western, I broke five different steak burgers. into a grin when I saw To be honest, I just didn’t the longhorn outside. The have room. I will try one rustic charm continued next time, though. Patties are inside where walls are formed from ground steak loaded with Western movie and topped with temptations posters, lassos, rusty spurs Two young cowpokes from Boaz sit atop the big longhorn out front. such as queso blanco, and stuffed critters. I felt at chipotle BBQ sauce and home. hand-breaded onion rings. In fact, it was somewhat Other popular lunch fare Chicken Pasta is a dishpan full of penne like a trip to the American Southwest. features are grilled chicken salad, steak pasta tossed in a three-cheese Alfredo Our lunch date had the feel of a two-hour salad, soups, pork chops, chicken fried sauce loaded with tomatoes, green onions, vacation to Texas, Arizona and New Parmesan cheese and grilled chicken. Rose steak and a couple of fish dishes. For hands Mexico. who want to dip south of the border on this loved it. Being more of a beef and pork And that translates to fun. adventure, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas kind of cowhand, I got the ribs and steak. The menu at Santa Fe is vast, full of I fell hard for the Good Ol’ Ribeye. The and a variety of tacos show up prominently hearty food to fill the bellies of those fresh on the menu. And the Cowboy Combo and choice is 12 or 16 ounces of well-marbled, off the trail, or more likely the highway. the Wagon Full Combo platters will fill up juicy and flavorful grilled steak. A sweet The claim to fame is the hand-cut and two of the hungriest of hombres. potato dressed up with cinnamon butter aged steaks, fresh baked yeast rolls and Another draw for thirsty ranchers is the was its perfect partner. homemade sides. selection of craft beers. Of the 18 on tap, I must say the star of the meal was the

e zeroed in on an appetizer new to us – Texas Sausage – which was larger than life and fiery. A half-pound of grilled jalapeno infused sausage served with Texas toast, pickles and BBQ sauce for dipping, it was like a firebrand of deliciousness to the taste buds. We followed up the starter with several of the restaurant’s top sellers. Southwest 28

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

slab of ribs slammed onto our table. They named ‘em Fall Off The Bone Ribs for a reason. Believe it or not, we ate ribs with a fork. They were too tender to pick up and gnaw off the bone. Divine is the only way to describe this meat slathered with chipotle BBQ sauce. According to Allen Entreken, the kitchen manager, that’s thanks to cooking them all night at a low temperature.

five are from local brews – Main Channel, Straight to Ale, Back Forty, Druid City and Goat Island. Flights of four are available. Margaritas also can be sampled in a flight. Santa Fe offers at least a dozen signature cocktails to quench parched throats, from the Hypnotized Donkey and Texas Mule to the Prairie Fire and Revolver. Like I said … Santa Fe has a fun factor. Good Life Magazine

Ribeye-Fried Shrimp Combo, South West Chicken Pasta and chocolate cake are among the dishes that Brittany Riddle, left at the hostess station, offer at Santa Fe on U.S. 431 in Albertville. The chain has 13 locations across the Southeast and Midwest. Here’s a tip: A one-hour call ahead helps diners avoid long waits on busy weekend nights. The restaurant is open seven days a week. Lunch service starts at 11 a.m.

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After the old hotel burned, rental cabins, many on the brow of Lookout Mountain, grew popular in Mentone. Cupid’s Past, above, is built of old heart pine logs. At an elevation of about 1,700 feet, the cabin offers expansive views of Big Wills Valley, more than 800 feet below.

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Escape to Mentone Story and photos by David Moore

aybe sometimes you want to get away to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge and join the bustle of people pounding the seemingly endless strips of tourist attractions, souvenir shops and pancake restaurants. Then sometimes you want to go to the mountains and truly escape from all the hassle and skip the five-hour drive. Nestled on the brow of Lookout Mountain northeast of Fort Payne, Mentone is an hour and 11 minutes from Guntersville. Along with nearby DeSoto State Park, Little River Canyon and their waterfalls, it makes for a scenic and quiet destination – though it was not always quiet. Founded in the late 1880s as a tourist town, Mentone’s namesake is a small port on the French Riviera. It supposedly means “musical mountain spring,” which may be local FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Visiting Mentone? Be sure to check out Wildflower Cafe, voted “Best Cafe in Alabama.” Owner Laura Catherine Moon and crew can prepare you a great Canyon Burger, above, as well as more fanciful dishes, such as tomato pie and black ‘n’ blue prime rib. Mentone Market is a great place to pick up a burger or pizza, too. Mentone has long been an art colony, and no artist has been showing her work there longer than Sharon Burke, who lives in Arab but still runs the delightfully eclectic Gourdie Shop, photo submitted. The Mentone Arts Center is also a testament to the creative population. Mentone Springs Hotel had its 19th century glamour meticulously restored in 2010-11 – third photo from the left, courtesy of Mentone’s Groundhog newspaper – and residents still mourn its demise by an electrical fire March 1, 2014. But the rugged, natural beauty of Lookout Mountain, DeSoto Falls and Little River Falls at the head of the canyon, right, continue to draw people to this scenic corner of Alabama. lore, as is the claim that Hernando DeSoto explored the area in 1540 (he entered Alabama near Piedmont and headed south on the Coosa River). Musical or not, mineral springs were Mentone’s first attraction. Capitalizing on that was the grand dame Mentone Springs Hotel. Built in the 1880s, it drew thousands of tourists to the area’s supposedly healing waters. Tragically, the hotel and its neighboring White Elephant Galleries burned to the ground in 2014. Thus, in an infrastructural sense, Mentone is a shell of its former self. But the entrepreneurial spirit that built the big, fashionable hotel and the artistic soul that spawned the galleries are both vibrant today. And the rugged, wooded beauty and vistas Lookout Mountain offers are still in full force. As a testament to this, many people today enjoy second homes here, more are under construction, and some are very reasonably priced rentals. Over the years, Mentone was said to have attracted the highest density of summer camps in the country. Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort is nearby, where you can ski on machine-made snow when overnight temps drop to 28 and colder. Hiking trails abound at Little River Canyon National Preserve and DeSoto State Park – the latter which, like Cloudmont, also offers accommodations. Mentone, simply put, makes for a fine getaway. Good Life Magazine TRAVEL TIP: There are several routes from Marshall County, but perhaps the prettiest is from the city of Guntersville; take Ala. 227 to Geraldine, then Ala. 75 north to Rainsville and Ala. 35 east to Fort Payne. Follow Galt Avenue northeast to Valley Head and Ala. 117 up the mountain to Mentone. 32

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

The view, exceptional the house, unique

Welcome to the Vinyards’ home at The Reserve

They hired Walker and White Builders of Guntersville, who mentioned Susan everal years back, the Vinyards, LeSueur of the Glenn Group in Arab who live in Gena’s hometown of as an architect. Patrick pointed out she teve and Gena Vinyard’s house at Anniston, were looking to build a second had designed the clubhouse and several The Reserve at Lake Guntersville has an getaway home and considered Big Canoe, homes at The Reserve, so exceptional view, but in a the Vinyards hired her. community development “She was wonderful,” that is all about lots with Gena says. great views theirs is not Stewart White is the unique. The house itself, contracting partner the however, is a different Vinyards worked with, and story. through him they learned It’s unique, literally about their future decorator, by design, incorporating Kim Whitaker. elements that speak “She was intent to Steve and Gena’s upon getting to know us personalities and lives at a individually before she put level few homes achieve. the house together,” Gena Here are just a few says. “She wanted it unique examples: to us.” • A pair of 10-foot “They just didn’t know paneled doors in the master they would never get rid of bedroom and hall came me,” laughs Kim, who lived from Birmingham’s old in Guntersville 15 years Tutwiler Hotel where the before moving back home couple honeymooned. to Nashville. But she often • The timber opening visits the Vinyards and other frame between the great local friends. room and the kitchen came “I’m not about hearing from a white oak cut from someone say, ‘Kim did that the Vinyards’ lot; as did house. It looks just like her.’ the mantle for an outdoor I wanted it to fit this place fireplace. and fit these guys. • The black walnut Steve and Gena gather in their great room with their Havanese “I think the way you mantle in the great room dogs, Harmony and Bruiser, who are only mildly spoiled. did the house matches was hewn from a tree at an the setting,” Kim tells the old farm the Vinyards own couple on a recent visit. nearby; ditto with the cedar “It’s natural and compliments the setting railings going to the downstairs den where a sprawling, woodsy community in the – rustic and still elegant.” mountains and forests of North Georgia. a mantle is made from the same wood. Steve, who grew up between • Keystones on stone arches and some istening to Gena and Steve talk of the rock in the fireplaces came from the Guntersville and Albertville, subscribes about planning and building their house to The Advertiser-Gleam where he original standing stone chimneys at the makes apparent the collaboration and trust read a few years ago about Patrick old farm house. they had with Kim, Susan, Stewart and Lawler creating The Reserve on Lake • Among items of interest in Steve’s his meticulous job superintendent, Jerry office, a steel I-beam from his company in Guntersville, a development that offered Walley. expansive lake views. Anniston is a reminder of the hard work Asked to pick a wood for the upstairs They went to see it, and the that made this dream house a reality; mantle, Steve realized how beautiful spectacular view changed their minds a gallery wall features portraits of his walnut is; plus several big walnuts grew at ancestors, a nod to the generations of men about Big Canoe. Also, The Reserve was the farm. Jerry got excited. only a mile and a half from the old 320represented in this home. “I told him to cut down the one he acre farm they already owned at Lewis • Among the striking artwork thought would work best,” Steve says. Mountain. throughout the house are numerous “They asked me how I wanted the timber “It was an unbelievable coincidence photos – especially in the media room and door frame to look. I said, ‘I want your and a real plus in helping us decide to many printed on canvas – depicting the very best work.’” Vinyards’ travels, from Alaska, Antarctica build here, but it started with the view,” Steve said it would be neat to and Europe, to the Appalachian mountains Steve says. “Everything is about the incorporate chimney stones from their view.” and their nearby farm. Story by David Moore Photos by Monica Martin

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

The great room is accessed through the foyer, at upper right, where the felt tapestry of a tree of life dates to late 18th century Italy. A wall of huge windows in the great room and dining room, left, offer expansive views across the deck to the Tennessee River. Much larger than it appears from front, the house has 7,000 square feet heated and cooled and 9,000 under beam. It includes a den, four bedrooms, separate offices for Gena and Steve, a media room, three-vehicle garage, four full baths, two half-baths and an outdoor shower. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

The backyard offers a completely different perspective of the Vinyards’ house. Floor planking in the master bedroom, below, and elsewhere is 7-inch white oak. Bottom, the kitchen island surface is of fantasy brown marble/ quartzite with a “leathered” finish; the millwork ends are old prayer railings Kim bought for the Vinyards in Massachusetts.

Photos from the basement, far right, include the hanging system decorator Kim Whitaker designed for a series of eagle drawings and paintings in the den; a primitive New England farm table she found for Steve’s office, which folds into a settle bench; besides popcorn and movies, the media room features photos from the Vinyards’ travels.

farm into the new house. So they were used on fireplaces and as part of outside retainer walls. “The guys laying the rock were all craftsmen,” Kim says. “They enjoyed it. It was exciting to get to do something like this.” Not all builders are willing to work with natural materials, which don’t fit together with the ease of, say, milled wood or commercial bricks. “Our builders were willing to do anything in regard to that,” Steve says. There was a budget, of course, but Kim enjoyed a lot of free rein in decorating, from buying repurposed doors from Southern Accents in Cullman, to antiques from Tennessee, Ohio, Massachusetts and Italy. “Gena and Steve trusted me to collect from so many different places,” Kim says. “It really helped the house to look like a home. Most people want all new and it ends up looking like a furniture store.”

teve is the second son of the late Joe Boyd and Dot Hawk Vinyard and grew up on a small farm on U.S. 205 between Albertville and Guntersville. His brother, Shannon, lives in Hartford. Gradates of Auburn University, his parents encouraged him to go there after graduating from Albertville High in 1977. “It was going to be hard to continue their way of life on their small acreage,” Steve says. Farming was out, but he had no firm idea on a course of study, much less a career. “I don’t remember making a conscious decision,” he laughs. “I ended up studying building science – I had to graduate in something.” He got into the structural steel fabrication business working for FabArc Steel Supply, which has plants in Oxford, Alabama, and Petersburg, Virginia. Those early years in steel sales saw him travel a lot. “You told me when you were young taking care of the hogs, you’d see planes flying by and wonder where they went,” Gena says. “A lot of times traveling for work I wished I was back on the farm,” Steve admits. They met in 1983 at Golden Springs Baptist in Anniston, where Gena had grown up playing piano and singing in the choir. In fact, she was singing a solo the day he first visited the large church. Love at first note? Well … “He asked me out two and half years later,” Gena says. “He has to think about things before he takes action.”

1979 graduate of The Donoho School in Anniston, Gena earned a bachelor’s degree in music education with an emphasis in voice. Long before that, Steve adds, she won the Alabama Music Teachers Association’s competition for female, high school vocalist. Gena served some years as part-time minister FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

of music at Oxford First Baptist. She also taught music at the Department of Defense school at Fort McClellan for 15 years. After the base closed, she taught in the Oxford City Schools until recently. She still plays pipe organ at Grace Episcopal Church in Anniston.

The guy who initially had no career objectives, Steve remained at FabArc, climbing the ladder from sales, estimates and project management to president and co-owner of the company with 260-320 employees. He retired nine years ago at 52.

Eventually, they’d like to live at The Reserve, but they still have ties to Anniston, including Gena playing organ at church. He finally got Gena to retire from teaching in December 2015 by promising her a return visit to the Westminster Dog Show in New York City. “I’m dog crazy,” she confesses. “Chocolate and dogs,” Steve grins. “Gets her every time.” Over the years the Vinyards have taken advantage of their opportunities to travel extensively, making up for lost time, as Steve puts it. “Steve just has this adventurous nature,” Gena says. “He wants to see what’s around the next bend.” Gena says. “I don’t want to miss out on any life experiences,” he says. “And I get benefit from it,” she says. “He plans all these fabulous trips and just tells me when to be ready to go.”

Replica, composite bark shingles – called SmartBark – were used on gables and elsewhere on the exterior. It was a lot of effort and took some true craftsmanship, but to echo the look the Vinyards had real poplar bark installed on the walls of a half-bath, top. Steve’s aunt, Dot Vinyard, painted the picture above of the old house on the farm Steve bought in 2005. Stone from the old chimneys was used on parts of their house in The Reserve, adding to the uniqueness . 40

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

etween travels, they bought their lot at The Reserve in October 2017, started construction in July 2018 and finished in November 2019. When Steve first started talking about using natural wood and stone, Gena laughs, she was initially concerned. “She thought I wanted a man cave,” Steve says. “But all of the colors turned out so soothing,” Gena says. “The eclectic feel of the house and the beautiful natural surroundings allow a feeling of unique restoration and relaxation for me.” Sure, she loves traveling. But Gena is fine wandering around the grounds with their two dogs or reading a book while admiring the view. “Or sitting at the kitchen island watching Steve cook makes for a great day for me at The Reserve,” she adds. “We are certainly grateful.” Ditto on grateful with Steve. “I also feel fortunate that we were able to assemble such a talented team – Susan LeSueur as home designer, Stewart White as builder and Kim Whitaker as decorator,” he says “These three, working together, were able to incorporate the building materials and styles that we requested into the unique home we desired while highlighting the view of Lake Guntersville that we love.” Good Life Magazine

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Story by Steve A. Maze Photo provided by the author

randpa had a problem with ice – but not the highly addictive form we’ve sadly come to know in recent years. Grandpa’s biggest problem with ice was how to prevent it from melting before placing it in a glass of sweet tea or in the water jug he took to the field each morning. Ice is something the majority of us take for granted these days. We simply walk up to our refrigerator and press a glass against the ice dispenser on the door. The crushed or quarter moon-shaped ice comes tumbling out, and we pour our favorite beverage over it. Things weren’t so simple before electricity reached rural North Alabama in the 1940s. Before that, ice – or rather the availability of it – was considered a luxury at the time. Grandpa had to hitch a pair of mules to his wagon and travel 15 miles to purchase a 100-pound block of ice. A tow sack was draped around the ice to shield it from the hot sun during the return trip. Then there was the matter of how to preserve it once the wagon rattled up to Grandpa’s farm. He first dug a dirt pit in the side-shed of his barn. The block of ice was then placed inside a wooden crate, which was lowered into the pit. Cottonseed or sawdust was packed around the ice to serve as insulation. A tow sack was placed on top of the ice block to keep dirt from getting on it. And finally, boards were placed across the top of the crate and dirt thrown over them to provide more insulation. Ice stored in that manner lasted about a week.

rmed with an ice pick and dishpan, Grandma would walk down to the barn and chip off enough ice to fill tea and water glasses. A little dust and grime would settle on the frozen block of ice when the boards, tow sack and dirt was removed, so the ice had to be washed off before it was dropped in the drinking glasses. To receive a sliver of the cold refreshment was considered a special treat by my dad and his siblings. But the biggest treat was the Fourth of July when Grandpa used the ice to make homemade ice cream. Sliced peaches or 42

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Oh, the efforts they once undertook for the exquisitely cool, refreshing, relief of...

Ice

Those living in more populated areas back in the day enjoyed the modern convenience of deliveries by the ice man in his horse-drawn wagon. strawberries would be added to the vanilla and milk ice cream mixture to create a variety of flavors. Once the ice cream and headaches from eating it too fast disappeared, the fun still wasn’t over. The salty ice used to make the frosty treat would be eaten and enjoyed almost as much as the ice cream itself. Before electricity was introduced to our area, country stores were able to sell cold soft drinks from a metal storage container that held crushed ice. The preferred manner for crushing it was to hit the ice bag with a hammer or drop it on the hard floor.

he availability of ice was much greater for those living in big cities. There, ice would be harvested from

local ponds and lakes during the winter months and delivered directly to homes by the iceman in a horse-drawn wagon. This “natural” ice was later replaced by “manufactured” ice that had been made in plants. Ice companies supplied their suburban customers with ice cards listing the amount of ice they needed delivered. The one-sided cards usually listed the number of pounds of ice (25, 50, 75 or 100) to be delivered. A wife would place the card in a window facing the street with the desired weight turned upward. The card was visible as the iceman made his way down the street toward a customer’s home. This was especially important when delivering to apartment buildings since he didn’t want to needlessly

lug a huge block of ice up a long flight of steps. Only after reading the card would the iceman then grab his ice tongs, throw the desired amount of ice over his shoulder and make his delivery. Most housewives stored their ice in store-bought iceboxes that were usually insulated with mineral wood, charcoal or cork. The interior was finished with galvanized metal, wood or porcelain while the outer wall was finished in wood or metal. Melted water flowed from a drain into a pan underneath the icebox. Since the pan had to be emptied rather frequently, most wives placed their iceboxes on the back porch in case the pan overflowed. In a scene resembling mice following the Pied Piper, neighborhood children would chase after the ice wagon and beg for slivers of ice chopped from the main block. More often than not, the iceman would accommodate them.

he arrival of electricity in 1943 made life much easier for my grandparents and others living in our area. Most people eventually purchased refrigerators, which meant they no longer had to cool gallon jugs of milk by lowering them into their wells. Refrigerators also came with a small freezer compartment that allowed folks to make their own ice. Metal ice trays that came with the refrigerator were simply filled with water and placed in the freezer. The cubes were frozen within a few hours and ready for use. Unfortunately, these early refrigerators were not “frost free” and the freezer compartment would often freeze over to the point that the ice could not be removed. Grandma mostly defrosted her refrigerator by unplugging it. Then she would take a knife and gouge at the ice and rake as much as she could into a dishpan. Even though there was a drain pan at the bottom of the refrigerator, it would usually overflow at some point during the defrosting and leave water all over the kitchen floor to be mopped up. Cleaning up after defrosting a refrigerator was an aggravating chore … but it sure beat going down to the barn to chip off a little ice from a slowly melting, 100-pound block buried in the ground. Good Life Magazine

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Brian Creel gives training instructions to a young athlete. Fittingly, his favorite poem is Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” the message thereof is one he reiterates at almost every session: “If you see an easy path, that’s probably not the one you want to be on.”

Brian Creel Story by Seth Terrell Photos provided or by David Moore

t was a crisp fall evening in Knoxville and a cool wind blew from the nearby Smoky Mountains. The night sky gave way to stadium lights that beamed smoothly from high atop Neyland Stadium. The crowd below had worked themselves into a fever pitch as they sang the last words of the trademark fight song, “… Rocky Top, you’ll always be home sweet home to me.” The stadium vibrated with the song; the words echoed all the way through to the visitors’ locker room where Brian Creel stood taping his wrists, buckling his helmet, ready for a first glimpse of that infamous checkerboard endzone.

Boaz strongman out to develop skills and minds of young athletes

The Tennessee Vols were a month and a half from winning the national championship. Rocky Top was hopping. But on this night, the culmination of another story was unfolding deep in the bowels of Neyland where Brian and the UAB Blazers moved to tunnel out to the field. “We had played [defending national champions] Nebraska the same year,” Brian recalls. “Virginia Tech, too, who would go on to play for the national championship the following year.” Brian, an offensive guard, could nearly taste the adrenaline on his tongue. Soon, he and the Blazers would give the Vols one of the most difficult challenges of the season. But for a moment, he stood in the tunnel soaking it all in– the sharp-sweet

scent of fresh grass, the cold night burning in his nostrils, the raw energy of 107,000 screaming fans. Steam billowed from his head and shoulders as the lights gleamed at the end of the tunnel where the world opened onto a sea of orange.

hen Brian tells the story to young athletes gathered around him at his AthElite Nation training facility in Boaz, there is a sense this six-one, 355-pound athlete might very well be about to run through that tunnel once again. There is a certain inflection in his voice as he recalls getting in his stance on that November night. Brian barks the cadence he remembers his quarterback shouting. His hands shoot out in perfect blocking FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Clockwise from above: Albertville graduate and a trainee of Brian’s, Katie Allen finished her senior season at Samford on scholarship; Jake Slaughter, Garner Langlo and Caleb Johnson, respectively going to Florida, Auburn and Notre Dame on football scholarships, traveled from high school in Ocala, Florida, to train in Boaz with Brian for a week or so at a time; junior varsity level athletes Tela Lunsford, Major Kelley, Vayda Whitlock and Guage NeSmith do hip mobility drills; working on top end sprint mechanics are, from left, Christian Morris, Brayde Bannister and Aiden Milligan at the youth level; in the same level, Carson Todd and Noah Ford go through the stance and dive phase of speed drills. technique. He choreographs and narrates the story while young eyes and ears are all tuned. For maximum effect, he takes his hopeful listeners through finer details– driving back the Tennessee All-American defensive tackle until the player’s knees buckle. Swooping past Brian’s block on the option play, the Blazer’s quarterback runs for a 40-yard touchdown. 46

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

There would be other moments, both professional and collegiate, that would shape this Boaz native, but that night on Rocky Top seemed to capture the essence of Brian Creel’s inspiration as an athlete. While his teammates were peering down the field, relishing the touchdown, Brian was scanning the sea of orange,

looking for the small, forest-green-andgold section of the crowd where his mother, Judy, was cheering him on. “I look up and there are TV cameras and photographers everywhere,” Brian fondly remembers as he scans his 16,000-square-foot AthElite Nation facility in his hometown. “But I was playing in front of my biggest fan – my mom.”

of AthElite Nation, begins with Judy Creel’s belief in her son. “She would travel to every game she could,” he smiles, thinking of her and her one-woman tailgates, that night in Knoxville. Before the age of 5, Brian had already undergone four different surgeries. Foremost among them, he had a large tumor removed from his leg, forcing doctors and surgeons alike to prepare Judy and Dr. Mike Creel for a complicated childhood. “Doctors told my parents that, even with the surgery, I would not be like other kids. That the ordeal would be crippling and I’d never be able to run.” They were wrong, but such adversity at a young age became fuel for Brian’s success. As a collegiate athlete, he was renowned for playing through injury. In fact, he played with a torn ACL his entire junior year at UAB, inspiring the Birmingham Post Herald to dub him, “Superman.” Brian went on to become an NSCA AllAmerican, a two-sport Division 1 athlete in football and the hammer throw for UAB track and field. And all the while, Brian has remained a lifetime, drug-free athlete, a key part of the training foundation that he endows to his trainees.

thElite’s indoor domain strikes a collegiate profile. On the walls hang flags from the SEC and other universities across the nation where Brian’s trainees have gone on to hold prosperous collegiate and professional athletic careers in the NFL, CFL, WNBA and other leagues. The young athletes who train here under

Brian’s tutelage range in age and size and ability. From elementary school kids to adults wanting to get in shape. “It’s my ministry,” he says, thinking of a handful of athletes who went from obscurity to collegiate and professional ranks. Perhaps even in his smallest and youngest athletes, Brian sees traces of his own story. In some ways, Brian’s story, and the story

ne of the top guard prospects in the nation, Brian was a projected NFL draft pick while at UAB, before an injury derailed that status. Never one slowed by obstacles, he went on to get an offer from the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and even signed with the XFL before playing four seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) in both Indianapolis and Denver. “I got a great sense of accomplishment from whom I was playing with,” Brian says, remembering the countless NFL players he had the opportunity of playing against and besting. “I enjoyed the camaraderie as well as seeing new cities and even new countries.” In Toronto, Brian sustained an injury that would serve as a catalyst for a new chapter in his story. Eager to overcome the injury, he rushed the rehab. Returning to the field, perhaps too soon, as he sees it now. “I remember being on the field at the Pepsi Center in Denver preparing for a playoff game with the uncertainty of whether or not this would be the last time I would strap on the pads.” There were emotions beyond words. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Brian lifts a Toyota – five times – during a demonstration a few years ago at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes event at Grace Fellowship Sports Camp in Albertville. Considered to be one of the strongest men in the world, Brian has a multifaceted training philosophy: there must be a merger of both knowledge of the tasks a person is trying to accomplish, and the hands-on, lived experience of applying the science behind the success. “It’s so true,” Brian says, “there’s no better person to get you where you want to go than someone who has already been there.” Conversations with trainers and doctors about his unlikely return. Somewhere in that adversity, however, Brian found a continuation of his grit and original dream. Truthfully, this new chapter would perhaps involve even more determination. While football was his first love, Brian was fascinated by Strongman shows from the first time he saw one on ESPN. “I always knew I wanted to be involved [in Strongman]. There’s something about those competitions that gives a visual demonstration of what strength really is.” At his first big show, pitted against some of the strongest deadlifters in the world, by several reps, Brian won the Europa Strongman car-lift event going away. “There is definitely a difference in just having barbell strength and being a strongman,” says Brian, who has one-rep maxes of over 1,000 pounds raw in the squat and deadlift. “Strongman is like no other strength sport. There are so many disciplines where you have to push the human body to its limits.”

rian’s physical strength was first put to the test on his family’s farm, working the ground, toting feed sacks, hauling hay. But he learned how to harness that strength through life experience. While physical strength 48

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Annah Kate Waldrep goes through jump progressions during a training session for junior varsity level athletes. can certainly be measured – Brian’s is often measured in hundreds and even thousands of pounds – there is another understanding of strength that goes much deeper. When Judy passed away in 2006, Brian found himself back on the family farm, this time training for other

Strongman shows, but also soulsearching for the strength to get through the difficult season of life. “It might sound crazy because training is so intense, but that was a time when I was most at peace,” he says. “Just total mental clarity.” Such strength and toughness, inspired and demonstrated by his parents, is what fostered Brian’s success as a pro athlete and one of the country’s top strength and speed coaches. The AthElite Nation facility was completed nearly a decade ago with the hope that his travels and firstclass experiences would translate to young athletes. “I knew that I wanted to give back and impact lives through faith and training,” he says. On the back wall of AthElite headquarters, is a quote from Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, outlined in bright, hard-to-miss green, “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” Brian looks up at it, across 40 yards of green turf spanning his facility. “I was blessed with a career that gave me a lot of knowledge and expertise in the field of strength and speed development. And I knew at some point I wanted to pour back into the next generations of athletes so they could accomplish their goals,” Brian says. Of all the big cities and other states

Brian could have built his training headquarters, he at last chose his hometown of Boaz where he and his wife, Alyssa reside. “I made sure before I opened that I had invested in my education. I want to give my athletes world-class programming so they can reach their potentials.”

hough headquartered in Boaz, Brian draws athletes from across the country. Some of his trainees have signed scholarships to play sports at places like Notre Dame, Auburn, Houston, Duke and Florida. Last year, AthElite helped produce 22 scholarship athletes, and this year looks even more promising, with at least 10 trainees headed to play Division 1, including Power Five schools in the SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference. Although AthElite Nation has made a name for itself with the number of high school athletes it has turned into scholarship winners and professionals, it is the connection with the local community that makes his ministry and work transcend the allure of competition. After all, these are not merely athletes, they are young men and women with families who love them. As this story was written, Brian – or ‘Coach,’ as his athletes call him – was mourning the sudden loss of Keejay Blount, a junior from Albertville who always felt “at home” training with him. “He was one of those athletes who was definitely a light to the people around him,” Brian says. “He will be missed.” It was that word, “home,” that drew Brian back to the Marshall County community. Home is a place where he can reinvest his talents and energies, plus continue to provide a positive presence in the area. Where he can see the legacy of hard work continue on through generations. “I believe sports can teach a person perseverance, how to be unselfish, and how to work with others … Character traits that can go with [these young trainees] for a lifetime and make them better people,” he says. Ultimately, Brian is most thankful for those relationships he’s built and continues to build, the networks and communities that produce greatness, the parents for whom Brian is deeply grateful as they entrust him to train their athletic sons and daughters.

rian Creel may not be running through a tunnel onto football fields anymore, but he continues to train as a Strongman competitor. For fun, he still deadlifts cars or pulls fire trucks from time to time. Soon he and his wife Alyssa will bring a new baby girl into the world. For their gender reveal party, he could think of no better way to celebrate than by lifting a car. Standing at the full windows at AthElite Nation, sun streaming at his back, Brian seems to return to the source of inspiration that sustains his success. “I tell my athletes all the time,” he says, “greatness starts with someone believing in you.” Good Life Magazine

Brian orchestrated a surprise engagement for Alyssa – with Frenchspeaking locals, back – in front of Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica.

Strongman Brian makes a strong impression Brian and Alyssa Creel were married in February 2020. A year prior, taking a walk down his memory lanes, they went on a road trip, catching football games in the U.S. and Canada with teams Brian had been affiliated with. The crescendo of the trip was two-fold: first there was the marriage proposal in front of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, followed by another surprise in which he took Alyssa to a Strongman show in Warwick, Canada Oblivious to his second plan, Alyssa followed Brian to the ticket booth where, to her surprise, he asked for the cost of a single ticket “for the guest of a competitor.” “He blew my mind!” Alyssa says. “I know my jaw dropped and my eyes got big. It was so fun getting to see him compete in the Strongman show. He was in his element.” – Seth Terrell FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

At Maggie Valley, years are ordered in accordance with the strawberry Story by Jacquelyn Hall Photos by David Moore

ne might think winter is the time that farmers get some much deserved rest. One would, however, be wrong in that assumption. While it is their least busy season, it is by no means a vacation. David and Margaret Cox of Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Gardens in Grant are busy nearly every day preparing for spring. From getting their supplies in order, to checking inventory and equipment, there always seems to be something to do. Due to the pandemic, their plants for this year were late in arriving, as availability and shipping were affected by the limitations that Covid-19 has imposed upon the world. The plants did not go into the fields until October. In November, when they start to see the true cold settle in, the Coxes place plasticlooking fabric sheet covers over the newly planted strawberries. The covers not only protect the plants from the frost, but trap the warmth from the soil, creating a sort of greenhouse for the plants. From late December to January, depending upon weather and plant needs, they remove the frost covers that also ensure the strawberries do not bloom prematurely. This year they should have their greatest variety of strawberries ever. That’s also due to the impact of Covid-19, particularly in Canada, which is where the starter plants originate. Normally the Coxes plant three or four varieties, but in order to meet the number of plants they need, this year they expanded to eight varieties.

avid and Margaret – Maggie to most people – have an ingenious way of fertilizing and irrigating their plants. From their two 50

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ponds they pump water to designated spigots. At the pump, they can add the fertilizer which is custom mixed per each field’s needs. Their method is not only cost efficient, but incredibly effective. David calls it “ferti-

gating” combining fertilize and irrigate, an apt name if there ever was one. Going into their 11th year of farming, Margaret reflects on their beginnings as “a hobby that grew out of hand.” Margaret is tied to the land through

Along with US and Alabama flags, David and Margaret “Maggie” Cox fly the flag of their home state of Arkansas in front of the house they built and occupied in 2019. Margaret handles much of the business end while David, left, who’s retired from USDA, heads up the farming. They hire about a half-dozen people who help, including someone to weed-eat rows as the plants bloom in early April. By mid-May, a team of women, above, are helping him pick. Besides strawberries, the Coxes also sell sauces and jellies produced off-site. Once this year’s crop begins to ripen, probably mid-April, they’ll be open 8 am-5 pm Monday-Saturday and Sunday afternoons. multiple generations. She moved from Grant to Arkansas when she married David in 2000. After he retired from the United States Department of Agriculture, they moved back here in 2002, bought some of her family land and began to garden. Starting with a typical

summer garden with vegetables and a few berries, they sold their produce at farmers markets. Slowly expanding from their backyard garden they planted blueberry bushes, hybrid blackberry bushes and a half-acre

of strawberries, which amounted to 7,000 plants. David’s cousin in Arkansas also had a successful strawberry farm. He helped the Coxes get started by offering advice gained through his experience. He was eventually FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

able to visit and see the whole operation before he passed away a few years ago. Now with five acres, all purchased over time “in bits,” David and Margaret mainly focus on strawberries. They planted over 84,000 plants for this year.

Social distancing did little to thwart business last season. One Saturday found vehicles parked on both sides of the road and a line of customers. Even though they were spread out, the line still stretched down the road to the Coxes’ driveway. Several times last year, Linda Smith, above right, made 75-mile round trips from Pisgah to Maggie Valley, located atop Gunter Mountain near Grant. “I make these trips for the community,” she says, paying Margaret “Maggie” Cox at the checkout counter for 15 gallons of the delectable red berries. “It’s worth it.” Linda says the first time she visited she figured the Coxes bought berries from Maggie Valley, a North Carolina town by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “We’re all amazed that this Maggie Valley is actually on a mountain,” she laughs. “We hear that all the time,” says Margaret “Maggie” Cox. The backstory dates to 2002 when the Coxes moved to her former house in Grant. Their neighbor, Ricky Sutphin, who lived across the road from them and their sloping, manicured garden always said “he loved looking into Maggie’s Valley.” It stuck. 52

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non-profit farming organization that they were in contact with through the Marshall County Extension Office helped them get started. It was encouragement and support they have not forgotten, as they pay it forward to other start-up raisers by advising and helping the new farmers connect with all the resources available. In the process of learning the ropes of farming, they have attended and hosted workshops for food and agricultural safety, the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service and Master Gardener training. In these classes and workshops, they have learned how to utilize the best practices for their farm. And what the Coxes have created has become a natural gathering place for the community. Margaret says their goal was to make it “not just a place to buy a bucket of strawberries, it’s a place to experience.” They have succeeded. The World War II-era barn they restored is a community landmark and reminder of Margaret’s family. (See page 8.) They built an openair building for handling and selling strawberries and other produce and sometimes host meetings and other events. With love and support from the Grant area, Maggie Valley has become a community center, a place where family and friends come together just to “gab like the old days.” With the community at heart, the Coxes support the local Greg Fuell Memorial and Daniel Helton Memorial scholarships. When Covid precautions allow, they plan to host a large fundraiser for both. Maggie Valley has been featured in several other publications and in 2009 was presented a national conservation award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, further marking their respect in the community they love and serve.

pring, as one would expect, is one of the busiest seasons. Around early to midApril, the strawberries are ripe and ready to be picked and sold. While they no longer have pick-your-own strawberries, they do have “u-pick” blueberries in June. In

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Behind schedule last year because of Covid-delayed delivery of young plants, David and the picking crew were busy in late October 2020 getting the crop for 2021 in the ground. David uses a tractor attachment with two rotating wheels that not only puncture the plastic row covering with properly spaced holes, but waters the holes, too. The planters, and David when he parks his tractor, then go along and gently cover the roots of the baby plants. addition to Maggie Valley, they sometimes sell in Guntersville, Owens Cross Roads and Scottsboro. In addition to the strawberries, in the spring and summer one can enjoy ice cream under a covered patio at tables where you can gather and take in the company, the view, food, and look around their shop. They carry an assortment of jams, jellies, sauces and salsas under the Maggie Valley brand that are produced for them elsewhere. Preparation for the next spring 2022 54

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will begin in August when they begin pulling out the old plants, soil testing, fertilizing and tilling the soil. They hope to plant baby strawberries for next season in early September. They monitor these young plants for illness and pests such as the spider mites that typically pose a threat to the health of the plants. The rest of the autumn sees David and Margaret maintaining equipment and tidying up things in preparation for the coming year.

n the fall, they are also busy

harvesting pecans from trees long grown on family land. The pecan crop of 2020 was their most prolific to date. It packed their enormous chest freezer to the top. It’s year-round work for the Coxes, ordered in accordance with strawberries, and it’s turned Maggie Valley into a hidden gem in Marshall County. The short drive there essentially transports the visitor back in time to a place with the nostalgic feel of the old “small town” way of life. Oh, and the strawberries are delicious. Good Life Magazine

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Stacy Beam applied his oils, brushes and talents to create “I Love a Rainy Night,” top. Also the title of a song by Eddie Rabbit and David Morrow, the canvas captures the atmosphere of a wet evening at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. “A New York State of Mind,” above, was inspired by the song and his abstract view of the city from his former sixth floor apartment there. “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles lent inspiration and the title to his landscape at left.

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Story by David Moore Painting images provided by Stacy Beam

s good as Stacy Beam is at painting, it’s doubtful he could draw a simple line that neatly divides his work on canvas from his music. Both are integral to his very being, entwined surges from a fountainhead of creativity tapped deeply into an artistic soul. Some people who watched or grew up with Stacy associate him with horses; showing Tennessee Walkers at the arena in Arab City Park; enthusiastically painting equine portraits. Others recall his band days at Arab High School and singing in choirs; or stories in The Arab Tribune about his musical performance and exploits at Dollywood, in Nashville and New York City. Either way, add in his involvement in the 58

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visual arts, theatre and dance, and in some form or fashion, a life of creativity seemed inevitable for Stacy. “I was doing visual art as a teenager and had a thriving business painting portraits of horses,” he says. “By college, I was burned out on that and leaned in the musical direction – which was great. It was a wonderful season in my life.” But being a musician almost ensures lots of travel, and being on the road eventually wore thin – especially after he had a family. “I would be packing to leave again, and my daughter would try to climb into my suitcase.” It was non-verbal but nonetheless strong language. Stacy got the message. He did woodwork for a while, but ‘twas painting that beckoned his creativity. So he picked up his brushes and became a professional artist. Fittingly, Stacy finds

music often sways what emerges on canvas. No line exists. Art and music are melded into what he calls his “golden mean.”

tacy, his wife, Amanda, and their 10-year-old daughter Bentley, live in Nashville. Besides helping manage the business side of his fine art, she sells real estate for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – and lots of it. In an office of 160 agents, Amanda’s been the top listing and buyers agent in recent years. Having bought and flipped several houses over the years, the Beams have been dubbed “arm-chair” Realtors by some of their friends. Their home today is near Brentwood, which has been creatively renovated inside and out, includes the detached garage apartment that’s now a comfortable art studio.

Stacy’s titled his landscape at left “Fields of Gold” after the song by Sting. “If a piece of art can make you ask a question, you are engaged,” he says. “If I put enough elements in there, it makes you want to lean in and see what’s in, say, that dark space. If you already loved the song in the title, I’ve softened you up. You are more receptive to what I had to say.” Above, Stacy and his wife, Amanda, clown around with daughter Bentley in her backyard playhouse at their home south of Nashville. Here Stacy paints – prolifically. His oil palette contains dynamic color combinations which he applies with varied techniques to landscapes inspired by Marshall County, Middle Tennessee or New York City. He also paints abstracts, portraits, horses and Dolly Parton – all with focus. “My purpose,” he says, “is to invite viewers to a contemplative prayer/ meditation, to engage with my art as I discover and capture the beauty in our physical world.” Stacy uses “the hint of a story line” to draw in viewers. It may be an umbrella, an area of shadow or warm sunlight … some element on the canvas to get viewers to at least pose a question if not take a journey of discovery. Music is muse to many a canvas.

Painting as he listens, the title of a song may well become the piece’s namesake. “Rhythm and musical colors are represented in the art, connected to the golden mean that informs every conscious or unconscious artistic decision I make,” Stacy says. “In interpreting song titles visually, I have discovered a whole new avenue with which to engage someone – an open invitation for spectators to enjoy an artistic ride.”

tacy’s artistic ride began in Arab. He and his older brother, Steve, are sons of Gary and Olethia Beam. She taught junior high English for 35 years. Gary did a bit of everything. Not only was he mayor of Arab in 2008-2012 and is currently a lay preacher, over time Gary raised horses for a hobby, worked for Ryder International,

ran a golf course, did construction work and owned chicken houses. “He’d wake me up 30 minutes early before getting ready for school to go to the chicken house,” Stacy laughs. “Picking up dead chickens … boy, talk about giving you a work ethic.” Dead chickens notwithstanding, creativity was part of his identity as long as he can remember. “As soon as I could, I had a crayon in my hand,” Stacy says. “You could sit me down and come back two hours later I was still working at it.” The first time he actually painted was in pre-kindergarten. He created an abstract, intentionally, he says. When he was not yet 10, the gifted teacher, Betty Hendrix, bought a piece of his art, perhaps launching his eventual career. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

“Walking on Water,” above, depicts a rainy night at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration and holds a number of storylines. The Tennessee Walkers are literally “walking on water” as they round the track. Stacy’s dad once had a green and white umbrella, and there’s a sense of anticipation in the small boy entering with this father. “It resonates in a way that seems fresh,” Stacy says. “People say it was 1962. The next person, it was another year.” At right is “Upon this Rock,” depicting St. Peters in Rome and further inspired by the gospel song by Sandi Patty. Stacy visited St. Peter’s on a trip to Europe where he visited museums to study the works of the masters of impressionism. The landscape at far right was inspired by haunting “Ashokan Farewell,” a famous folk music waltz in the style of a Scottish lament. 60

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Throughout school he did bulletin boards for teachers. “I was the kid who won the poster contest,” Stacy says. Band director Wayne Washam was another big influence. “Anybody who has been in the band can give you stories on the impact of that man,” Stacy says. “There was a lot of mentoring, encouraging people.” It continued at Wallace State Community College where Robert Bean was Stacy’s director in the jazz band.

major mentor was the late Billie Nipper, renowned for her portraits of horses, whom he visited as a sixth grader at her studio in Cleveland, Tennessee. For the next three summers he took a week of lessons under her tutelage. The techniques Billie taught him were of immediate value, but it was years before he realized the groundwork she provided him in terms of art as a business and client connections. “We have to turn our artwork into money at some point, or the reality is it doesn’t continue,” Stacy says. His grandfather Harold Bentley was an iconic football coach at Arab High. While not actually a mentor, he proved to be a tremendous source of encouragement. “He held out hope for so long that I would be a football player,” Stacy says. “But I could not throw a football to save my life.” Harold eventually realized football was not in Stacy’s future, but he also realized his grandson had many other talents and for years carried his photo in his wallet for bragging purposes. “I’m a lover and not a fighter,” Stacy now laughs. “It wasn’t all roses, but I think that galvanized my determination. ‘I may not be a sports dude but, I’ll show you.’ That pushed me to be serious about my work.” After graduating from AHS in 1992, he attended Wallace State and the University of Montevallo before graduating four years later from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in music industry and an emphasis in voice. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

“I needed to be in the commercial vein,” Stacy says.

uring college, Stacy worked at Dollywood, singing and dancing in stage shows. “Theatre was my trajectory for a while,” he says. “Dollywood was a great jumping off place for me.” Afterward, he worked and performed at a dinner theatre in Boca Raton, Florida. One customer – neither happy nor kind – told him, “If you’re as bad a singer as you are a waiter, you’ll never go anywhere.” It didn’t slow him down. In 1998-99 Stacy lived in New York City where he played at piano bars as well as a church. He was also the pianist for No Other Name, a group with which he recorded “traditional gospel music with a twist.” Back in Nashville, he performed songs he composed at the Bluebird Café and traveled to play organ at horse shows. “I was lighting fuses whenever I could,” he says. The fuse he lit with Amanda was a bit slow to spark. They met in the spring of 2003 at The Pub of Love, a local songwriter hangout. “I was an aspiring country star playing accordion in a band,” Stacy says. He smoked at the time and figures that’s why they didn’t hit it off. After a recording session several months later, he visited Nashville’s Park Café where an attractive woman immediately grabbed his attention. It was Amanda, who reminded him they’d met before. He pretended to remember. But this time they hit if off. They understood that family was important as both their grandfathers had just died. He soon proposed to her on a snowy rooftop while back in NYC to play a Christmas gig. Fuse sparkling, they went from dating to married in about three months.

tacy continued his music. Amanda managed the business end full time before entering real estate. Along the way they bought, renovated and sold six properties; some they called home for a while. In 2010 Bentley was born. Three or four years later, Stacy translated his daughter’s suitcase message and began transitioning out of music, doing woodwork a while before returning to his love of painting. 62

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

Having a little fun in Stacy’s studio, Bentley “paints” a mustache on her dad. Behind Amanda is one of Stacy’s recent commissions, a picture of the administration building at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In December he posted an the image online and within 30 minutes 1,000 people had engaged with it. For more information on Stacy and his work, visit: stacybeam.com Initially, he couldn’t afford to paint anything unless it was commissioned. He enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to paint portraits, horses, pets, perhaps something abstract to fit the colors

of a client’s home. But he strove to communicate something deeper, to take his art to another plane. “I saw an opportunity where I could bring my fine art to the center,” Stacy says.

Some of Stacy’s abstracts are purely expressions of color and an attachment to music, such as “Easter Parade,” left, inspired by the Irving Berlin song. Stacy’s abstract cityscapes are all inspired by his love of both New York and Nashville ... and most have musical ties, as well. “City Lights,” upper left, has as its namesake the 1957 country song by Bill Anderson. “Free Fallin’,” above, captures some of the rush of a roller coaster in a city. Stacy had Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” in his mind –and ears – as he painted it. More than just a cityscape, he laughs, one could call the abstract a “Pettyscape.” “Whatever I’m working on at the moment is my favorite piece … or the one I hate the most until I can wrestle it into something worth seeing,” he says. “That’s part of the enjoyment – creating a play between tension and payoff. It’s the same with music.” He associated with York & Friends Fine Art in Nashville. Exhibits at hip places such as White Avenue Studio enhanced his growing reputation. Ripples spread farther with acceptance to juried art shows

in Nashville, Atlanta and, more recently, at East Tennessee State University. It’s partly because of cleaning his dad’s chicken houses that most days, from at least 9 to 3, Stacy lays siege to canvases on the

easel in his studio by their house. Work ethic plus creativity make for a prolific artist. He paints about 50 pieces a year. “Left to my own devices,” he says, “I do paint a lot.” FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

One week in January he turned out four commissioned pieces.

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t doesn’t pay that much, nor is it done solely for money, but Stacy is the organist at Christ Church Nashville. And Amanda’s success takes a lot of pressure off painting just to pay bills. Combined with Stacy’s growing reputation he’s freer these days to paint from shear inspiration rather than commissions. “It’s allowed me to explore and do a body of work outside portraits,” he says, specifically of Amanda’s career. “I’m working my way out of commissions,” he says. “I prefer to do what I do … but I am happy to accommodate portraits and other commissioned work.” When embarking upon landscapes and abstracts, Stacy doesn’t always have a destination in mind. “You get started and the piece tells you what it wants to be. But it’s different every time,” he says. “Often I set out in one direction, but that’s not squarely where I end up. Hopefully, it’s a little better than I imagined. At my best, that is what I’m going for.” Horses –especially Tennessee Walkers – have always been a Whatever it is that part of Stacy’s life and were even his first commissions. He titled transforms Stacy’s well of the image above “Silver.” Several of his Tennessee collectors and creativity through the oils friends hail from Arab, including country music artist and on his brush to the canvas on his easel, it’s nearly horse fan Jill King, Linda Peek Schacht and Cindy Dupree. always accompanied by music in his studio. “Music and art have “It is a business,” Stacy says. “But it’s also been companion centers of my life forever,” a gift. Anything I do in the arts feels like I’m Stacy says. “Both are an expression of emotion. playing just a little bit. That’s what I would do A way to connect on an emotional level. The if you let me alone – I’m going to play piano or arts, creativity … art is the language I speak. paint. That’s just what I do. I love it.” That’s a bit flowery but true.” And yes, he says, it would be impossible to So he continues to stretch and express draw a simple line that neatly divides his work himself, to discover himself as an artist. It is, on canvas from his music. quite literally, his job. Good Life Magazine

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Out ‘n’ About Grant photographer Donna Prickett doesn’t need any excuse to get out of the house with her camera, but, if she did, spring would certainly be a good one. “Normally in spring I get out a lot,” she says. “Spring and fall are my favorite seasons. It’s a 50-50 tie. I love the flowers in the spring, and in the fall I love the leaves.” All of the photos here were shot during springs on Gunter Mountain with the exception of the cross, shot at Guntersville First United Methodist Church. “I’ve shot that cross every Easter for four years,” Donna says. 66

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2021

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Marshall Good Life Magazine - Spring 2021

Articles inside

Stacy Beam 57 | Stacy Beam

Brian Creel 45 | Brian Creel

Maggie Valley 50 | Maggie Valley

Personally unique 34 | Personally unique

Good Cooking 21 | Good Cooking

Good Eats 28 | Good Eats

Ice 42 | Ice

Good Reads 18 | Good Reads

Good People 12 | Good People

Good Getaways 31 | Good Getaways