Marshall County Good Life Magazine - Winter 22 by The Good Life Magazine

MARSHALL COUNTY

Dr. Pete Sparks talks about history, neighborhoods and quality healthcare

You won’t believe Steve Maze’s basement at Christmastime WINTER 2022-23 | COMPLIMENTARY

David Moore and Sheila McAnear give you a look back at GLM covers

“Set yourself “FREE” with a new pontoon from Freedom Marine”

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Lynn Holifield, Agent 1528 Gunter Avenue Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-582-3127 lynn.holifield.b9vl@statefarm.com

Alan Murphy, Agent

Jesus Granados, Agent

Keith Webb, Agent

227 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016 Bus: 256-586-2644

3985 US Hwy 431 Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-4040

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Here’s the deal. These rates are great, surprisingly great.

Alan Murphy, Agent 227 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016 Bus: 256-586-2644 murphy.lxmk@statefarm.com

Libby Mays, Agent 1162 N Brindlee Mtn. Pkwy, Arab, AL 35016 Bus: 256-586-6243

libby.mays.gscz@statefarm.com

Jesus B Granados, Agent 3985 Us Hwy 431 Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-4040 jesus.granados.k2qo@statefarm.

Debra Noojin, Agent

Paul Harris, Agent

Kim Lee-Hammett, Agent

Lynn Holifield, Agent

13034 US Hwy 431, Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-677-6154

1246 Gunter Avenue Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-582-3250

314 Billy Dyar Blvd Ste D Boaz, AL 35957 Bus: 256-907-9660

1528 Gunter Avenue Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-582-3127

debra.noojin.vaavfk@statefarm.com

paul@paulharrisagency.com

kim@kimleeinsurance.com

lynn.holifield.b9vl@statefarm.com

We’re here with surprisingly great Auto and Renters rates for everyone. So call us to combine Auto and Renters and see how much you can save. You might be surprised. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® Individual premiums will vary by customer. All applicants subject to State Farm® underwriting requirements.

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Seasoned Agents. New Company. And that’s good for you!

Jerry O’Neal

Jeff Gibbs

256-503-7949

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Managing Broker

Realtor

Photo by John Sharp

Julie Brown

Amy Glassco

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Realtor

Bonnie Shipp

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Associate Broker

Preslee Patterson Realtor

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itizens Bank & Whether Small businesses Small businesses are Trust. a big aredeal a big at deal Citizens at Citizens Bank &Bank Trust. &Whether Trust. Whether Small businesses are a big deal at Citizens Bank & Trust. Whether es, just a hundred few, Citizens is youor have you ahave few a few hundred employees, employees, or just or a few, just Citizens a few, Citizens is is you have a few hundred employees, or just a few, Citizens is ed to make banking one right-sized right-sized to make to banking make banking one one right-sized to make banking one blem to solve, andless one big problem less problem to solve, to solve, and one and big one big less problem to solve, and one big nity to help your business run opportunity opportunity to helpto your helpbusiness your business run run opportunity to help your business run r. We’re local, we’resmoother. responsive smoother. We’re local, We’rewe’re local,responsive we’re responsive smoother. We’re local, we’re responsive Albertville • 256-878-9893 provide the banking Albertville Albertville • 256-878-9893 • 256-878-9893 andflexibility weand provide we provide the banking the banking flexibility flexibility Albertville • 256-878-9893 and we provide the banking flexibility Arab • 256-931-4600 your company’s specific needs. Arab • 256-931-4600 Arab • 256-931-4600 to meettoyour meetcompany’s your company’s specificspecific needs. needs. • 256-931-4600 to meet your specific e Small us abusiness call business and the • 256-505-4600 Small is bigdiscover with is bigus. with Give us. us Give a call uscompany’s and a call discover and discover the needs. the Guntersville Guntersville Guntersville • Arab 256-505-4600 • 256-505-4600 Small business isdifference. big with us. Give us a call and discover the Guntersville • 256-505-4600 local banking local banking difference. visit us at citizensbanktrust.com visit us at visit citizensbanktrust.com us at citizensbanktrust.com local banking difference. visit us at citizensbanktrust.com Albertville 256-878-9893

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Enjoy dining, shopping, and holiday merriment

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Welcome

Hello-goodbye: Good Life changing ownership

his winter publication cycle marks 73 editions of Cullman and Marshall County Good Life Magazines that Sheila McAnear, my talented business partner, and I have published since starting this rather incredible adventure in 2013. It also marks our last cycle. But our retirement doesn’t mark the end of GLM. Hudson Shelton is buying the business from us. He came to my house in Arab recently where I took a picture of me handing over 73 copies of the magazine to him. We’re both grinning. Both happy. “I am beyond excited to continue to publish Good Life Magazine and keep it a part of these communities,” Hudson says. “I hope to maintain the relationships David and Sheila developed throughout the past nine years, while creating my own as the counties continue their flourishing growth. “Like David before, my plan is to publish stories that are enlightening, heartwarming, educational and that showcase the people, places and things that

Thats me on the left handing over 73 issues of GLM to Hudson Shelton. make these counties unique. I know I have big shoes to fill and a clever wit to follow, but I look forward to every part of the process as I hit the ground running.” Twin son of Clint and Nicole Shelton of Decatur, Hudson graduated from The University of Alabama in 2017 with a degree in political science and a minor he loved in the Blount Undergraduate Initiative that emphasizes literature and writing. He interned on Capitol Hill in Washington then worked for a PR outfit there. During

the height of Covid, he continued working remotely from Atlanta, where his long-time girlfriend works in commercial real estate. Hudson’s dad is the fourth-generation publisher of The Decatur Daily, which through Tennessee Valley Media owns The Florence Times-Daily, Advertiser Gleam and other publications. Hudson says he’ll run GLM independently but has the resources of TVM available to him. “That,” he says, “will further ensure the viability of Good Life going forward.” Several of our contributors plan to continue writing for Hudson, who has no plans to change the magazine other than to start counting his own editions. Sheila and me? We are confident in Hudson, just as we are confident in the futures of “our” two counties. We also look forward to our own futures, taking with us a true appreciation of the advertisers and readers who made these nine years such a great ride. A good life to you all.

The Good Life Magazine crew and spouses recently enjoyed a “hello-goodbye” party at the home of Diane and GLM owner David Moore. From left front, photographer Liz Smith, Diane and David, David Myers; back, co-owner Sheila McAnear, Crystal and Seth Terrell, Rose Myers, Jacquelyn Hall, GLM’s new owner Hudson Shelton and his girlfriend, Emily Harte, Steve Maze and his wife, Brenda. Not pictured are Deb Laslie and David Russell, “VP, distribution” (pictured on page 36).

Mo Mc PUBLISHING LLC

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

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

OPENS N0VEMBER 18TH

LARGEST REAL ICE RINK IN NORTH ALABAMA

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Inside 12 | Good Fun

Guntersville Lady Civitans bring back Holiday Tour of Homes

18 | Good People

Dr. Pete Sparks is superstitiously busy during his retirement

24 | Good Reads

Here are two gift suggestions for the readers on you shopping list

27 | Good Cooking

14-year-old in Boaz not only cooks for family, but for profit

36 | Good Getaways

Once bloody Shiloh battlefield is today thoughtful and peaceful

40 | Woods’ house

It’s become a fine place from which to create dreams and trips

50 | Good Eats

Big Mike’s Steakhouse making a tasty splash at City Harbor

52 | Steve’s basement Writer’s Christmas collectibles set the season wildly aglow

62 | At the lodge

Seth Terrell and family explore park’s wonders for a weekend

68 | GLM highway

Ala. 69 – take a ride with the editor down ‘memory highway’

77 | Out ‘n’ About

A look back at the first 72 front pages of Good Life Magazine

This page | Sarah Suttles, 14, of Boaz baked cookies with Good Life covers on the icing. The photographer couldn’t resist taking a bite. On the cover | Mary Beth and Nicholas Wood got this star ornament while visiting Austria. Photos by David Moore. 10

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Show your support for ✔ Local Jobs ✔ Roads ✔ Schools ✔ Police ✔ Fire ✔ Park & Rec ... ...

Money spent in Marshall County stays in YOUR community A message from

Arab Chamber of Commerce Albertville Chamber of Commerce Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce Grant, AL Chamber of Commerce Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce Good Life Magazine/MoMc Publishing

MARSHALL COUNTY

B Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce

Chamber COMMERCE Grant, AL

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Hoffman home

Hester home

Holiday Tour of Homes returns Sunday, Dec. 4

Stephens home

Meuth home

Hunt home 12

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

fter a two-year pandemic hold, the Guntersville Ladies Civitan Club is thrilled to again hold their Holiday Tour of Homes with five fabulous properties decked out for Christmas. The tour is 10 am-5 pm Dec. 4. Tickets are $35 and the hub for tour-goers will be the Gunter’s Landing clubhouse where refreshments, vendors and transportation will be available. You might begin your tour at Drew and Catherine Hoffman’s striking home. They moved to Gunter’s Landing after years in the San Francisco area and a brief stop in Santa Fe. Here they fell in love with a Mediterranean inspired villa and panoramic lake views from oversized windows and an infinity pool. Jackie and Martin Hester are golfers, with a son Ty who’s been working on his game almost since he could hold a club. They enjoy the serenity of a sweeping view of the Gunter’s Landing golf course thanks in part to a garage door that’s actually a wall of windows and their inviting patio. On to The Reserve at Lake Guntersville, where Cheryl and Glenn Stephens built their modern farmhouse-style home after a lifetime in Texas. In addition to stunning water views typical of this hillside development, they particularly enjoy a sunroom with a wonderful fireplace that feels like part of the outdoors. Mostly a minimalist, Cheryl goes all out for Christmas. Next door, is the home Brenda Meuth built to enjoy with some of her loving family, including daughter Lynn and granddaughter Madelyn, her three other children plus four more her late husband brought to the marriage, most of whom have children. So family visitors from all over the country are frequent. Brenda loves the awesome views, the screened porch and the office where she displays mementos of her late husband’s business. Lori and Jody Hunt moved into their waterfront home from the D.C. area, where Jody was an attorney and Lori was Miss Maryland in her pageant days. But Jody was an Alabama native and when it was time to relocate they headed this way. The finishing touches of their lovely home with a coastal vibe were completed just in time for the tour. To order tickets online at: https://guntersville-ladies-civitansclub-tour-of-homes-2022.square.site. Good Life Magazine

Good Fun

Jingle and more this season

• Now-Dec. 7 – Be Santa’s helper Create some “Good Fun” for those who aren’t financially able this Christmas – donate to the Marshall County Christmas Coalition. The group has received applications to help some 1,600 children. All applicants are screened and verified for need. Sponsor a child – or several – as an individual, business or a group. Sponsors are encouraged to spend at least $200 (tax-deductible) per child ages 0-12; and $250 per, ages 13-18. Donations may be made in any amount, and in honor or memory of someone. Drop-off for sponsors is 8 am-4 pm Dec. 5-7. Monetary donations are welcome anytime. For details on sponsoring a child: www.christmascoalition.org; or 256-582-9998. • Now-Dec. 24 – Holiday Art Market Local artists will fill the Mountain Valley Arts Council Gallery not just to exhibit their creative pieces but to sell them as unique Christmas gifts. It’s the fifth year for the market. The MVAC Gallery, now across from the courthouse at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville, is open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Friday; 10 am-2 pm Saturday; and by appointment. Admission is free. For more info visit: info@mvacarts.org; or call: 256-571-7199. • Now-Jan. 8 – Promised Land exhibit Guntersville Museum is exhibiting 19 images curated from artist Robert Rivers’ series The Promised Land, winner of 2021 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. Even while growing up in Guntersville, Rivers was drawing pictures. He graduated from Auburn University and the University of Georgia and is now a fine arts professor at the University of Central Florida; his work has been exhibited worldwide. The Promised Land series is his response to the 2010 death of his nephew, Thomas, a Marine killed in Afghanistan. Executed in a realist technique and mixing elements of naturalism and cartoonism, the ongoing and still growing work – 231 panels at

The Guntersville Museum’s Festival of Trees is festive and fun. File photo. time of his award showing – retains a sketch-like quality. Sometimes two faces merge into one, figures are endowed with multiple arms, suggesting at once movement and multiplicity. By way of telling the story of one, Rivers is telling the story of many. For more on his work: www.robertrivers.com. The museum is open 10 am-4 pm Tuesday-Friday; 1-4 pm weekends; free admission. For more: www. guntersvillemuseum.org; or 256-5717597. • Nov. 17-Jan. 1 – Festival of Trees This 14th annual event organized by the Guntersville Museum features an array of festively decorated trees, wreaths and quilt art from some 35 organizations and individuals across Marshall County. The museum is open 10 am-4 pm Tuesday-Friday; 1-4 pm weekends; free admission. For more: www.guntersvillemuseum.org; or 256571-7597. • Nov. 17 – Albertville Christmas Parade/Tree Lighting With the idea of boosting its Christmas shopping season, the

chamber of commerce is for the second time holding a parade and open house the weekend before Thanksgiving. The tree lighting ceremony starts at 5 pm Thursday at the Rotary Park Pavilion; AHS Vocal Ease will perform. The parade starts shortly after at 5:30 pm at First Baptist Church. Parade entrants can register at the chamber or online: albertvillechamberofcommerce.com; $10 fee. For more info, call the chamber: 256-878-3821. • Nov. 18-19 – Albertville Downtown Christmas Open House / Cookies with Santa Open house starts at 5 pm Friday and continues 10-2 pm Saturday. Merchants throughout town have lots of specials, refreshments, activities for kids and families, unique photo opportunities, Christmas readings, cookie baking, ornament making, wine and other tastings and a kids fun zone in the Farmer’s Market parking lot Saturday. Enjoy free carriage rides Friday evening and Saturday from the chamber office. Cookies with Santa will be 10-noon Saturday at the Historic Train Depot with bike giveaway at 4 pm. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

The Junior Chamber will present a live Nativity in front of the chamber office 5:30-6:30 pm Friday. AHS Vocal Ease and AMS Vocal Point will perform at various locations Saturday morning.at the depot parking lot. For more info, call the chamber: 256878-3821. • Nov. 18 – Laugh at the Lake The Whole Backstage launches what it plans to be a new annual event with an evening of laid back comedy on its main stage. Headliner Patrick Sisk will be joined by other comedians including Ty Funny, Jacoby Bruton, Bobby Sutton and Kory Duquette. The show begins at 7 pm. General admission is $15; $25 VIP seats include a post-show cocktail reception with the performers. Tickets are available at the office or online: www.wholebackstage.com. The Whole Backstage is located at 1120 Rayburn Ave. in Guntersville. For more info: 256-582-7469. • Nov. 19-Dec. 21 – Free gift wrapping The Albertville Chamber of Commerce will provide free gift-

355 Gunter Ave. Guntersville Open tues. 10-4, Open late thur. fri. & Sat. 10-5

256-582-3845 14

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

wrapping for any purchase made locally with a valid receipt. Please provide your own box. • Nov. 19 – Skinny Turkey 5K/10K Run off those extra holiday pounds – before the holidays. Dress up for Thanksgiving and register for Boaz Park and Recreation’s Fifth Annual Skinny Turkey 5K/10K and raise money for the Second Chance Shelter, a non-profit, no-kill dog shelter; last year, $7602 was raised for the shelter. Pre-registration, $35, before Nov. 13 at: runsignup.com/Race/AL/Boaz/ SkinnyTurkey; or $40 the day of. Participants can pick up packets Nov. 17-18 at the Boaz Neighborhood Center at 314 North King Street; or get them there 6-7:30 am the day of the 8 am race. For more info: 256593-7862. • Nov. 25-Dec. 31 – Christmas in the Park The city’s holiday tradition continues for its 28th glimmering year as more than two million lights transform Arab City Park into a festive magical

spectacle. The lighting ceremony is at 6 pm, Friday, Nov. 25, during which the lights will glimmer, the AHS Jazz Band will play jazzy renditions of your holiday faves, and carolers will wander along the paths. You can explore this wonderland from dusk to 9:30 pm through the end of the year, weather permitting. It’s free and located at 844 Shoal Creek Trail. More info? Call: Arab Parks and Rec, 256-586-6793; visit www.arabcity.org; or visit on Facebook. • Nov. 25–Dec. 17 – Santa in the Village In conjunction with Christmas in the Park, Santa in the Village will be at Arab Historic Village – located in the park – from 6-9 pm, Fridays and Saturdays, weather permitting. Bring a camera and visit Santa in his toy shop. See his elves. Peek into his bedroom. Watch at the blacksmith shop as reindeer shoes are made. Get a package of reindeer food to take from the grist mill. Admission to Santa in the Village is free for kids 2 and under; $6 per person. More info? Call: Arab Parks and Rec, 256-586-6793; visit www.arabcity.org; or visit on Facebook.

• Nov. 29 – Guntersville tree lighting Guntersville lights up the holidays with its annual 20-foot Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 pm at Errol Allan Park downtown. Sponsored by the city’s Tree Commission, Santa will be there. You can get hot chocolate and cookies plus hear the Guntersville Elementary Choir sing. Need more info? Call: 256-571-7561. • Dec. 1-4 – “Best Christmas Pageant Ever” The Whole Backstage and Sonny Lewis present this holiday romp following the outrageous shenanigans of the Herdman siblings, aka “the worst kids in the history of the world.” They hijack the annual Christmas pageant in a hilarious yet heartwarming tale involving the Three Wise Men, a ham, scared shepherds and six rowdy kids. The play is written by Barbara Robinson; directed by April Russell, assistant director Megan Mitchell and student directors Emory Berrey and Abbie Saint. Performances will be held at the WBS theatre, 1120 Rayburn Avenue,

Guntersville, Thursday-Saturday at 7 pm; Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets are $20 adults; $12 students; available online at: www.wholebackstage.com; or at the office. For more info: 256-582-7469. • Dec. 1-22 – Free gift wrapping – Guntersville Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce is offering free gift wrapping for anything you buy in town. Bring your receipt and your own box. The chamber is open 8 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. • Dec. 2 – Christmas on Main Grant is holding its inaugural Christmas on Main event 6-9 pm at Main Street Park. More than 30 businesses and groups are sponsoring Christmas trees there. Santa will be on hand with hot chocolate along with food and craft vendors. For more info call Grant City Hall: 256-728-2007. • Dec. 2 – Boaz Christmas Parade Boaz will hold its traditional Christmas parade again this year at Old Mill Park in downtown where the

city’s 40+ foot Christmas tree will be lit. Santa will be there, along with caroling, hot chocolate, the works. The parade starts at 5:30 pm. Entry deadline is Nov. 25; entrance fee is $10. For more info contact: Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce: 256-593-8154; or boazchamberassist@gmail.com. • Dec. 2 – Guntersville Sip ‘n’ Shop Get in the Christmas spirit 4-8 pm as the North Town Merchants Association kicks off the shopping season with a sip ‘n’ shop open house. Participating stores will offer great specials, refreshments and other events, and you’re invited: cheers! It’s a prelude to the next event listing … • Dec. 3 – A Night Before Christmas This annual Christmas tradition in downtown Guntersville from 4-8 pm is fun for kids and parents alike. Take carriage and train rides, decorate cookies, see Santa, go ice skating, have your face painted, enjoy music and more. All events are free, compliments of the North Town Merchants Association. Businesses will not only be

Shop locally made merchandise and other awesome finds for the holidays GIFT SHOP · WINE BAR · HOME DECOR · INTERIOR DECORATING

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NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

open and offering sales, but offering refreshments and fun activities, too. In conjunction with the event, Guntersville First United Methodist will again stage its outdoor “Night in Bethlehem” at the church. • Dec. 3 – Grant Christmas Parade The town’s parade starts at 1 pm at the DAR Schools and heads south down Main Street. Lineup is at noon. There is no entrance fee but if you want to be in the parade, you need to call town hall and register: 256-7282007. • Dec. 8 – Arab Christmas Parade The parade starts at 6 pm at Arab First Baptist Church and runs south down Main Street to Snead State. The theme is “Toyland.” Grand Marshal is Jane McDonald, recipient of the 2022 Arab Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award. Registration forms are available at the chamber; entries are free except floats which are $35 and eligible for $100, $75 and $50 awards. For more information, call the chamber: 256-586-3138; or register at: arabchamber.org. • Dec. 10 – Guntersville Christmas Parade The parade begins at 5 pm at Scott Street one block past the chamber of commerce and makes its way through town on U.S. 431 to Gilbreath Street. Theme for the parade is “Santa’s Workshop.” Applications to participate are available at the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce or online at: www.lakeguntersville.org. For more info: 256-582-3612.

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

• Dec. 13 – Lights of Love Shepherd’s Cove Hospice’s annual event will be both drive-thru and virtual because of Covid concerns. The drive thru the Field of Love display of luminaries is 4:30-6:30 pm at 408 Martling Road in Albertville. Have a family picture made, make a holiday memorial craft, enjoy holiday refreshments with sounds of the season. $10 for a virtual tree light, $50 for virtual tree light and an ornament with a hand-painted name, $100 virtual tree light, ornament and live cedar to plant; all participation categories include a memorial name and message for the online Christmas tree. To participate visit: sclightsoflove.com; for more info: events@shepherdscove.org or 256891-7724. • Dec. 15-18 – Black Tie Christmas The highly successful Black Tie Christmas Chorale returns to the Whole Backstage with creator, director and conductor Johnny Brewer, presenting his original musical combination of beloved sacred and secular seasonal classics with solos and choral ensemble selections. The 90-minute concert is special holiday fundraiser and not part of the season ticket package. Held at held at the WBS theatre, 1120 Rayburn Avenue, Guntersville, Thursday-Saturday at 7 pm; Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets are $20 adults; $12 students; available online at: www. wholebackstage.com; or at the office. For more info: 256-582-7469. • Jan. 1 – First Day Hike Start 2023 off on a good foot. Join Guntersville State Park naturalist Indya

Guthrie on a two-mile loop hike on the park’s Terrell and Kings Chapel trails (takes about two hours). Meet in lodge lobby at 1 pm. The restaurant will be open First Day hikers that day will get this sticker. from 7 am3 pm. Visit the park events page for more info. • Jan. 20-Feb. 5 – Eagle Awareness Lake Guntersville State Park continues its long-running winter weekend events that puts Marshall County’s American Bald Eagles center stage. Open to all ages. Special overnight packages for Fridays-Sundays at the lodge and campgrounds are offered for Jan. 20-23, Jan. 27-29 and Feb 3-5. The Saturday (5:30 am-5 pm) and Sunday programs (5:30 am-2 pm) are $15 per person for a daily pass and include field trips to view eagles, live bird demonstrations and interesting speakers. For more info, visit: www.alapark. com/EAW-2023; For lodge reservations: 256-505-6621. For campground reservations: 256-571-5455. • Feb. 19 – Aeolians concert The acclaimed Oakwood University choir will perform a special 2 pm concert at the Guntersville Museum. The event is free but reservations are required and seating is limited. For reservations call after Feb 1: 256-571-7597.

2022 s a m t s i r h Gifting Guide

BEST GIFTS IN MARSHALL COUNTY GOOD LIFE MAGAZINE NEST Holiday Fragrances

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Good People

5questions Story and photo by David Moore

une 30, 2015 … It’s not a red-letter date in the annals of history, but it was big day in the life of then 70-year-old local historian Dr. Pete Sparks. It was the day he packed away his Lidocaine syringe and drill and retired after 42 years of practicing dentistry in Grant. That big day was supposed to mark a paradigm shift in Pete’s life. His newfound freedom from work would allow time to spend on the Warrenton Cemetery Association, which he’d started a few years earlier; time to spend mining old copies of newspapers as a new member of Marshall County Archives. Maybe he’d help discover some “new” history on Gen. Andrew Jackson’s forts and Creek War roadway through Marshall County. And he’d have lots of time for golf. Perhaps even more pressing than golf, the already published author could charge head-long into writing two other history books he’d started. Spoiler alert: Pete’s retirement’s been great but hasn’t quite gone as imagined. “I thought that when I retired I could get through writing the books quicker than my first one,” he laughs, “but I’ve been so busy with everything else.” “Everything else” refers to all of the above and Pete’s myriad other pursuits. One gets a sense of those pursuits by simply entering his stand-alone study behind his and Rhonda’s home on Obrig Avenue in Guntersville. Packed with books, you immediately grasp that he’s a prolific reader; you quickly hone in on his passion for history. He’s read a thousand volumes on the Civil War alone. Don’t fret. Pete plays a lot of golf (four times a week); spends considerable time researching history at the archives; and more recently he’s delved into Gen. Jackson’s military maneuvers in Marshall County. “In short,” Pete grins from behind his 18

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Dr. Pete Sparks

A chat about retirement, history, MMC, his neighborhood – and yes, superstition appropriately cluttered desk, “I don’t lack for things to do. I am busier in retirement than I was when I was working.”

ete lived in Warrenton through the first grade. His dad, a traveling salesman and later a contractor, moved a lot and for seven years the family lived in Louisiana and other parts of the South. Returning home, they lived several places in Guntersville before settling down in Warrenton on his grandfather’s 80-acre farm, later known as Goat Hill. “The hill was covered in growth back in the Great Depression, and my granddaddy bought a herd of goats to clear it,” Pete says. “They did, but mountain laurel, which is poison, grew there. They goats ate it and all died. Now there are goat skeletons up there.” Young Pete pretty much lived in paradise, playing Little League ball, fishing and later playing baseball and basketball at Guntersville High – “normal, happy childhood,” he reports. He was interested in his family’s roots and enjoyed history class under Tim Richey at MCHS and later at Snead State. But he told his guidance counselor and chemistry teacher, James Dennis, that, when older, he wanted to be his own boss. James said to become a lawyer, doctor or dentist. “I didn’t want to be a lawyer or doctor,” Pete says. So he went into predentistry. “Honestly,” he adds, “I would have rather been studying history, but I had to take biology and science courses.” He finished dental school in 1972 as Vietnam was raging. Young dentists were being drafted to serve military patients in the Philippines. “I didn’t want to go to the Philippines, so I enlisted in the Air Force and spent two years doing dental work in Puerto Rico,” Pete says. “Plus a little golf and snorkeling.” He returned in 1974 to start a practice in Marshall County. His former baseball

coach, Percy Lee, was principal at DAR High School and helped procure a grant for Pete designed bring dentists to rural areas. And so Pete ended up in Grant. “I already knew a lot of the people,” he says. “Then I got there and liked the atmosphere.”

988 was a red-letter year in Pete’s history. For starts, he and Rhonda got married. It wasn’t for the long haul like his marriage, but the county commission also appointed him to the Marshall County Healthcare Authority for the first of what would become six four-year terms. It was a period of great growth for the two existing county hospitals, including the construction of Marshall Medical Center North and the drive to build the Marshall Cancer Care Center. In 1992, Pete’s ongoing love of history led him to join the Guntersville Historical Society. He’s the current president, an office he’s held several times over the years. In 2001 he lead the charge to save the Gilbreath House, a rare survivor of the burning of Guntersville during the Civil War. The disused house was owned by Howard Powell, and Commission Chairman Billy Cannon proposed that the county buy and raze it for needed parking space. His historic sensibilities trampled, Pete confronted Billy and said if the county did that he’d contact every news outlet around and see how many votes Billy would garner by destroying one of Guntersville’s oldest surviving homes. Billy saw Pete’s logic, and the commission retreated. To raise money for the private purchase of the house, someone suggest that Pete give history tours in and around Guntersville. “I’d been on tours, and, with my love of history, I agreed to do it,” he says. The Gilbreath House was bought and today is the headquarters for the Guntersville Historical Society. For his

SNAPSHOT: J.F. “Pete” Sparks, DMD

EARLY LIFE: Born Oct. 8, 1945, youngest of four children of Julian Ferrell “Red” Sparks and the former Ilene Stewart: Johnny is a chicken farmer in Martling; Joe, retired from the grain business, lives near Memphis; and a sister who died young. His father later had a second family: Becky Sparks lives in South Alabama; Mike works for Kroger; Sissy Hinkle teaches special ed at Guntersville High. EDUCATION: Graduated Marshall County High School, 1964; attended Snead State two years; graduated University of Alabama, 1968; graduated UAB Dental School, 1972. CAREER: U.S. Air Force, served in Puerto Rico, 1972-74; private dental practice in Grant, 1974-2015. PERSONAL LIFE: First married Lise Hipp, whom he dated in high school; after their divorce, married Rhonda Roberts of Warrior in 1988; his and Rhonda’s daughter, Jilli Sparks of Washington, D.C., is an attorney for the U.S. government. RECOGNITION/ACTIVITIES: Member of Marshall County Healthcare Authority/ Marshall Medical Centers Board of Directors, 1988-2012, including 11 years as chairman; former member of the Guntersville Museum Board; founded Guntersville Historical Commission; member, a former and current president of Guntersville Historical Society since 1992; president, Warrenton Cemetery Association; member of Marshall County Archives since 2015; member of Fort Deposit Roundtable; received the Daughters of the American Revolution’s American Heritage Award, 2005, for saving the historic Gilbreth House; conducts history tours locally and across the South; gives history talks to groups; wrote and in 2011 published “A River Town’s Fight for Life – The History of Guntersville, Alabama in the Civil War”; member of Episcopal Church of the Epiphany; past member of the Grant Lions Club; avid golfer and hunter. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

efforts, the Daughters of the American Revolution presented Pete with its American Heritage Award. In 2009, Pete helped form the Guntersville Historical Commission, which supplanted the city’s planning board in terms of permitting construction and restoration design for a North Town historic district along Gunter and part of Blount Avenues from roughly Scott Street to Ringold Street.

hen he was younger, Pete enthusiastically participated with Civil War reenactment groups. “I have been in a number of ‘battles,” he says. “We’re just out having fun. You don’t think when a charge is ordered against the opposition that you’ll start running and yelling. But you do what everybody is doing.” Since his retirement, Pete has continued conducting history tours, including sites as far off as the Civil War battlefields at Shiloh, Tenn., and Chickamauga, Ga. “My Granddaddy was a World War I hero,” he says. “When I step on a battlefield, the hair stands up on the back of my neck. I’ve studied the battlefields and know where their blood fell. It’s awe inspiring to know what those soldiers endured – marching barefooted, sleeping in the rain …” Pete also continues giving talks to civic and other groups on the area’s history. About 10 years ago he helped organize the Warrenton Cemetery Association. “That keeps me as busy as anything,” he says. He and Rhonda live in a neighborhood on Obrig Avenue where many of the houses were built 90-100 years ago. Theirs was built around 1927 by the principal of the nearby old rock school, now home to The Whole Backstage. Not too surprisingly, Pete has been in talks with the city about creating another historic district there.

You enjoy the neighborhood where you live. Care to expound upon the joys of neighborhood living? The allure of neighbors living close to me is kind of spiritual. I love my neighborhood. I like the closeness you develop with your neighbors – they 20

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become almost like family. You can ask someone to led you an egg, walk your dog, babysit a child – and they do it for you. If someone is sick, neighbors mow your yard. It’s a closeness not found in a lot of rural areas where people do not live so closely to each other, or in big cities. It harkens back to my days growing up around here. I like the proximity of a small area. We are within one block – walking distance – from the Guntersville Museum, the library, The Whole Backstage and Rock House Eatery – one of my favorite restaurants. I love their Pasta Julian. I don’t know if they named it for me or not, but I eat it a lot. This closeness is displayed by the events we share in our neighborhood. I was one of the organizers of the first Fourth of July parade we started about 10 years ago. Six or eight neighbors put it on primarily for our kids and dogs, but also to teach our kids about patriotism. This past Fourth of July, we had about 60 people in the parade. Everyone dressed in their patriotic gear and marched around the library and to The Whole Backstage. We ended up at Ryan and Katie Boggess’ house for ice cream and watermelon. My favorite neighborhood event is our progressive Christmas block party. We go to different houses for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert. You get to see everybody’s decorations and eat their family holiday recipes. It’s just a real good warm feeling. You don’t get that kind of camaraderie in rural settings where people live far apart. Or in a big city. I’ve told my wife the only way I’m leaving here is when they take me out on a stretcher.

Starting in 1988, you served 24 years on the Marshall County Hospital Authority and its successor, the Marshall Medical Centers Board of Directors. For a number of years you served as chairman. From the perspective of a former insider, how do you view the status of Marshall Medical Centers today? I hope people realize they have some of the best healthcare in this county as anywhere. We have up-to-date, even stateof-the-art equipment and facilities. And we offer good proximity for people with Marshall North and South.

One of the things I was involved in was the development of Marshall Cancer Care Center. It’s very convenient for people who have cancer and are really sick. They don’t have to travel so many miles for quality treatment. We thought it was important to have it here in the county, so we approved partnering with UAB to staff oncologists here in Marshall County. We built a facility and purchased the equipment, and they come and administer it and furnish the doctors. By partnering with UAB we were able to provide a cancer center you normally would find only in a metropolitan area. Because of the complexities of operating healthcare systems, we affiliated ourselves with Huntsville Hospital. This was not something that happened immediately. We were already doing a lot with Huntsville Hospital that many people didn’t know we were doing. For many years we shared a laundry with Huntsville Hospital. You can imagine the number of bedsheets and such we change daily. By sharing that cost with them, we achieved an economy of scale. We could get it much cheaper by doing it en masse. A lot of people don’t know how we run off of reimbursements. Medicare only pays about 40 percent of our fees. There is very little private insurance. Hospitals can’t make it off that. Our profit margin every year was getting smaller and smaller. When reimbursements got so low, we affiliated with Huntsville Hospital. We maintained the ownership of our facilities but turned over administration and operations to Huntsville Hospital. Again, it’s an economy of scale. But it was with the caveat that we maintain our emergency room and OB-GYN services. Those are usually losers for hospitals, so we don’t make a profit with them. But we agreed not to cut any services for the county. This has proven to be a win-win with Huntsville Hospital. We maintain our autonomy, yet they have helped us increase the bottom line, which allows Marshall Medical Centers to keep its facilities and equipment up to date. So, what do I think the status is? I think it is excellent, and we are lucky to have what we have.

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Irony intended, what’s new with the history of Marshall County? Harry Truman, my favorite president, said, “The only thing new in this world is the history you don’t know.” With that thought in mind, a group of local historians formed the Fort Deposit Roundtable three years ago with the goal to identify the locations of three fort deposits and the Andrew Jackson Trace. Andrew Jackson used the forts to store his supplies while endeavoring to defeat the Creeks in the War of 1812. He used the trace – or road – to move his troops through Marshall County. Just where his supply depots were located was history we didn’t know, and we wanted to know it. The group included Danny Maltbie, Larry Smith, Tyrus Dorman, Chip Manning, the late John Ross and the late Jimmy Hindman, Wayne Hunt, Frank Carver, Dale Strange, Macy Vass, me and others. We discovered from researching letters and artifacts and old deeds in the courthouse, the three locations for General Jackson’s fort deposits. He built the first one on the south side of the Tennessee River at Black’s Gap on the way down to Camp Cha-La-Kee. Then he needed one on the other side of the river, a blockhouse near Deposit Point adjacent to Goat Island. Then he decided to build a third one close to a spring for a water source. It’s on the John Ross property on the side of the road from the TVA property near Black’s Gap. Evidently, these generals back then did not have a lot of imagination. If they had supplies there, they often named it Fort Deposit. This was the War of 1812, but it was really a war within a war. In addition to fighting the English, in 1812 factions of the Creeks allied with the French and were also fighting the US. It was 1813 when Jackson and his troops came marching through here to Horseshoe Bend. Jackson got the Cherokees to join him – they and the Creeks were natural enemies who’d been fighting each other a thousand years. To keep supplies moving, we estimate that over 30 wagons passed along daily on the trace that Jackson built. He had 2,000 regular army troops plus volunteers, 22

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including Davy Crockett, Sam Houston … a lot of famous people traveled through Marshall County. It’s an immense thing, not just for Marshall County. We’re encouraging other historical groups along the route to map out the entire way. Etowah County Historic Society has picked up on what we are doing. We hope to erect historical markers along the trail, have it marked with signage. We are publishing a book of all our findings so people can buy it and know where the trace is.

. Besides this roundtable, you’re deeply involved in the Marshall County Archives and Guntersville Historical Society. Why is history interesting to you, and why do you think it should matter to others, be it local, national or world history? Oh, gosh – I love it. And I love being with the guys who love history as much as I do. We found something that will become part of our history. I love the monuments and battlefields and hope that people can enjoy them and appreciate them on down the line. That’s why we want to preserve them. I’m a huge fan of Winston Churchill, who said, “A nation that forgets its past has no future.” I believe that. And our country seems to be doing just that – getting away from our roots, our constitution and religion. We are letting landmarks be destroyed and denigrated. I think these things ought to be there for enjoyment in the future. That’s part of the reason I write history. In the first book I published, I did an immense amount of research on a small part of the Civil War – Guntersville and Marshall County. I felt I needed to get that published so people could read it and it would not be lost. That old cliché, “You don’t know where you are going until you know where you’ve been”? A lot of government today seems to forget that. Most of the government officials I know of, I don’t think they’ve read a history book. I think history is intertwined. Even local history. In the Battle of Red Hill here in Marshall County, Col. William Palmer led the federal troops in the fight against confederate Gen. Hylan Lyon.

Prior to that, in 1863 Palmer was the head of escort for Gen. Rosecrans at Chickamauga. He was there, and later right here in Guntersville – one of the parties involved with the destruction of Guntersville. Col. Montgomery Gilbreath was at the battle of Shiloh, and he lived here – the Gilbreath House – when the town was burned. You can’t know and appreciate the smaller part without knowing the bigger part and vice versa. The preservation of history allows people to learn about their ancestors and pass it on to future generations. When we preserve landmarks, it’s because history provides insight that will help us understand where we are today – and where we are going.

What’s something most people don’t know about Dr. Pete Sparks? I’m thoroughly and highly superstitious. When I was practicing dentistry, I would not schedule patients on Friday the 13th. If there is a coin lying on the ground and it’s not heads up, I won’t pick it up – heads up is good luck. I will only play a golf ball that is numbered 1 or 2. I’ve always seemed to get better scores with a 1 and 2. So when I buy a sleeve of four balls, I take out the 3s and 4s and trade them. When I put a 3 down on the tee, I am thinking about the bad that can happen. If you golf, you have to have confidence. Then there’s the totem pole in my backyard. My wife found that at an estate sale and bought it for me, and I jumped on it and restored it. I put it up here because a totem pole is supposed to drive out bad spirits. She probably doesn’t know that. She probably doesn’t know about my golf balls, but she knows I never worked on Friday 13th. Another thing … I am a closet country music fan. If you ask any of my friends, they’d say I like more 60’s music, more modern music. But I listen to more country on my radio – somebody-donesomebody-wrong songs. I ride down the road listening to Jimmy Reeves, Eddie Arnold, Marty Robbins or Dolly Parton. I do love me some Willie Nelson. Good Life Magazine

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Mystery befalls Moab, Fla., and Sheriff Winston Browne

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have fallen in love with all of the inhabitants of fictional Moab, Fla., population 912, and you will too as you accompany Sean Dietrich’s cast of characters in his latest novel, “The Incredible Winston Browne.” It’s summer in the 1950s. Things are humming along nicely – Miss Anna Jordan the new baseball field is accompanied Mr. Richard well under way; pot-luck Hackle to the VFW dance suppers and dances raise in Mobile. money for new pew Emmet Threet has hymnals; and the Moab returned from Detroit, Social Graces continues to keep citizens abreast Michigan, where he visited of who is engaged, his brother, Earl, who is ill. married, separated, visited, Miss Eunice Freeman vacationing, dating and Hoyt was a guest of Miss “gone to glory.” Mattie Hicks. “The deviled But a mystery is afoot. eggs were delicious,” said A (runaway?), Jesse, is found in a chicken coop Miss Mattie. “I made (the hens were none them.” (From the Moab too happy). She’s alone Social Graces) and in apparent danger. Sheriff Winston Browne, having kept his town safe and respectable for 10 years, now finds himself in a quandary: keeping his cancer a secret, longing for the family he never had and keeping Jesse safe. You will “um hmmm,” chuckle, laugh out-loud, sigh, and sniff back a tear. This is a must-read. – Deb Laslie

ope is not a plan of action.” So says James Reece, protagonist in Jack Carr’s latest political thriller/ action/adventure/history series, “The Devil’s Hand.” From the first sentence to the last, we are led through the history of biowarfare and bioYour country is on its terrorism. James Reece – former SEAL, devoted knees, Commander. husband and father Your response to COVID – has his life shattered surprised even our when he learns his entire brightest minds. Close team was killed as the down your schools and result of an unapproved businesses and destroy “experiment.” After loved ones are murdered your economy for a virus to silence him, he does with less than a 0.3 what we hope and pray percent mortality rate? … he will do: get revenge. All we needed to do was sit Along the way he back and watch as COVID, begins to understand the race riots and identity dark sides of the military industrial complex that politics further divided an controls much of our already weak nation; it’s economy also funds just a matter of time. some nefarious leaders and groups in other countries. Not for the faint of heart the book is brutal and, I believe, vitally important to our understanding that there is always evil in this world – and good. And truth. And truth always wins. – Deb Laslie

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At age 14, Sarah Suttles is already a ‘pro’ in the kitchen

Good Cooking

Story by Jacquelyn Hall Photos by David Moore

ome people are lucky to find their calling in life. Others are perhaps luckier to find their calling early in life. Some of these latter people are doubly blessed to also be encouraged by loved ones to pursue their calling. Sarah Suttles of Boaz is one of those people. Having been interested in baking for as long as she can remember, around New Year’s 2022, when she was still 13, Sarah took steps to become a pro. She started with one of everyone’s childhood favorites, decorated sugar cookies. Her mom, Renea Suttles, in true proud mom fashion, shared pictures of the cookies on Facebook, and the rest, as they say, was history. Between social media, southern wordof-mouth advertising, the unwavering support of Renea and her five siblings plus her own drive, Sarah got licensed under the Alabama Cottage Food Act and started her own business – Sugar & Crumbs by Sarah. She did taste-testing at her church, Alder Spring Church of Christ, to get feedback on flavoring and icing then came up with her recipe combination. She sold her first cookies on Valentine’s Day – 15 dozen for a party at her church. Sweet. That makes her a pro.

he second of six adopted children, Sarah usually insists on doing things solo in the kitchen, but sometimes gets assistance from sisters Hannah and Rebecca. “It just depends on what I am making,” Sarah says. For instance, when making her crowdfavorite iced cookies, they pitch in, but they leave the tedious job of flooding the icing on them to the pro. Sugar & Crumbs quickly became a family operation, in part because Sarah’s still too young to drive, so her mom takes her shopping. Renea also handles her social media and helps drum up business. Making it even more of a family business, Renea’s biological daughter, Kelli

Sarah, center, presents her shepherd’s pie, fresh from the skillet. Hannah, Faith, River, Rebecca and Sebastian appear happy with the prospects of supper. For ordering information, visit: Facebook Sugar & Crumbs, Boaz. Hubbard, partnered with Sarah to keep up with orders. Soon after the success of her cookies, Sarah branched out to baking cakes to take to church potlucks. Her crowd-pleasing favorites are red velvet and lemon; she never comes home with leftovers.

Besides the iced cookies, Sarah’s favorite thing to make is her Oreo cake. (Her recipe is on the following page.) “It’s fun to put together and decorate,” she says. “And it is delicious, too.” Sarah has expanded her savory NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

OREO CAKE 1 devil’s food cake mix 1 tub milk chocolate frosting 12 crushed Oreos 2 cups Cool Whip, thawed ½ cup granulated sugar 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

Bake cake in two layers according to box instructions. Let cool completely. Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended then gently stir in Cool Whip and Oreos. Put one layer of cake on your cake plate; spread the Oreo mixture on top. Then add the

second cake layer to top of that. Open the frosting and put in microwave for 10 seconds, just long enough to soften. Spread on the top layer. Garnish with additional Oreos and/or dollops of the Oreo mixture. Refrigerate leftovers.

offerings to include yeasted and the ever tricky sourdough breads. “Yeasted bakes are pretty easy, but the sourdough can easily go badly. It’s a challenge,” she says. But she’s only been doing sourdough for four months and is confident she’ll get the hang of it soon.

Even though she just turned 14 in April, Sarah has started to hone her long term plans and goals. She plans to graduate high school when she’s 16, so, to say she takes her schoolwork seriously is an understatement. “I really like math – algebra 3 – best,” she says. “History is my least favorite subject.” The Suttle family also keeps a garden on their recently acquired mini-farm. “We had two gardens this year, and next year we plan on a bigger one,” Sarah says. She enjoys gardening even if there is the odd vegetable that she does not like to eat. Incorporating some of their homegrown produce into her bakes has been an adventure, with some hits and some misses.

“I really liked the zucchini bread we made, but I do not like okra in soup,” Sarah laughs. Once she has put high school behind her, she plans to attend New Beginnings Cosmetology school in Albertville. All the while, she hopes to balance school while maintaining her growing baking business, which she loves doing. Leaving no detail to chance, Sarah plans to rent a booth at a salon for a couple of years, then maybe open her own place after she is experienced and established. “We’re doing pretty good right now,” she says of Sugar & Crumbs. “I would like to try cosmetology school, but it would be really cool if I could do both.” Or, another way to put it: “Sweet.” Good Life Magazine

or the past four years, Renea has homeschooled all six of her children. Sarah really enjoys the experience and the flexibility that comes with homeschooling. In addition to baking, she pursues karate classes, and recently joined 4-H. She enjoys the monthly 4-H meetings and entering farming and gardening related contests and looks forward to entering cooking and baking contests whenever they are held. 28

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

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256-737-2285

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

BEEF STEW 1-2 lbs. stew meat ¼ cup flour 1½ cups beef broth 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 4 medium potatoes, diced 3 medium carrots, sliced 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 small bunch fresh parsley Cube the stew meat. Add to slow cooker, stir in flour to coat meat. Add remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Top with fresh chopped parsley

SHEPHERD’S PIE Pie filling 1 lb. ground chuck 1 Tbsp. olive oil ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 cup beef broth 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 packet Lipton onion soup mix 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Add onion powder, garlic powder, pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, beef broth, frozen vegetables; stir and cook for 3 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add meat, salt and pepper; cook until meat is browned.

Prepare potatoes, drain, add butter and milk and mash until smooth. Spread over the meat mixture. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.

For potato topping 6 large potatoes 4 Tbsp. butter ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper ²/³ cup milk (or ²/³ cup sour cream)

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

ARTISAN BREAD 3¼ cups bread flour 2 tsp. instant yeast 2 tsp. salt 1½ cup cool water In a mixing bowl, mix flour, yeast and salt. Add cool water and gently mix together with a wooden spoon. The dough will seem dry, but keep working – using your hands if necessary – until all the flour is moist. Shape into a ball and put into a bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set on counter at room temperature for 12 hours. The dough will double in size and have air bubbles. Lightly dust parchment paper with flour. Turn the dough onto the floured surface. Put a Dutch oven with the lid on into an oven and set it to 475. Once the oven reaches 475, remove Dutch oven and place the parchment with the dough inside. Return Dutch oven with lid to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking for 15 more minutes.

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GARLIC KNOTS

Dough 1⅓ cups warm water 1 package yeast 1 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2-4 tsp. salt ½ tsp. garlic powder 3½ cups all-purpose flour

CHICKEN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 oz. fettuccine or other pasta of choice Olive oil, for tossing 12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2) 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter 2 cups heavy cream 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg 1½ cups freshly grated ParmigianoReggiano Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt generously. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (tender but still slightly firm). Drain and toss with a splash of oil. Meanwhile, slice the chicken into 1/4-inch-thick strips, and lay them on a plate or a sheet of waxed paper. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium 32

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heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter melts, raise the heat to medium-high and add the chicken in one layer. Cook, without moving the pieces, until the underside has browned, 1-2 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook until browned and cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. When the butter has mostly melted, whisk in the cream and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, then cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to keep the sauce just warm. Whisk the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce. Add chicken, cooked pasta. a bit of olive oil and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot in heated bowls.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a whisk, mix warm water, yeast and sugar in the bowl. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the olive oil, salt, garlic powder and half of the flour until combined, then add the remaining flour. Beat on low for 2 minutes. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Turn dough onto the paper. Lightly flour hands and knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. Lightly oil a glass bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning until all sides are coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow dough to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. Shape the dough: When dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Using floured hands on lightly floured parchment paper, shape the dough into about a 16x5-inch log (doesn’t have to be exact). Using a sharp knife, slice into 16 1-inch strips. Roll each strip into 8-inch ropes. Tie each into a knot. Arrange the knots on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Lightly cover the knots and let sit for 30-45 minutes. They will rise a second time, producing softer rolls. Topping 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter ½ tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. Italian seasoning ¼ tsp. salt ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Stir the melted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt together. Brush on the knots before baking. Reserve some of the topping for when the knots come out of the oven. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and brush with remaining topping. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Eat plain or with marinara sauce for dipping.

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Services are provided via telephone by licensed mental health professionals who recommend the most appropriate mental health resources. PIRC is available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. PIRC is NOT a crisis or suicide hotline. Call for mental health resources.

The PIRC is generously supported by funding from the Anne B. LaRussa Foundation of Hope, United Way of Central Alabama, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama, and the Walker Area Community Foundation.

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

BAKED CHEESY CHICKEN 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Salt to taste Pepper to taste ½ cup melted butter ½ cup flour 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 packet ranch seasoning mix

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken breasts in Ziplock bag one at a time and pound with a meat mallet until they are an even thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the flour,

then dip in the melted butter. Mix panko and ranch dressing mix and coat all sides of the chicken. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, add the shredded cheese and then bake for 10 more minutes.

EASY SUGAR COOKIES 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 cup sugar (for an extra oomph, use sugar that’s had vanilla beans stored in it) 1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into chunks 1 egg ¾ tsp. pure vanilla extract ½ tsp. pure almond extract Preheat oven to 350. Combine the flour and baking powder; set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg, extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling. Roll on a floured surface to about 1/43/8-inch thick and cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. I highly recommend freezing the cut out shapes on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking, and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. AT LEFT: Kelli Hubbard in the kitchen with her 14-year-old sister Sarah Suttles. Photo by Joanna Fore Bullard; https://www. instagram.com/partyfluence. BREAKFAST CASSEROLE 1 lb. breakfast sausage of choice 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 cans crescent rolls 8 eggs (optional) Preheat oven to 350. Cook sausage 34

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and drain grease. Add cream cheese to the sausage and cook until combined. While it cooks, grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish and lay out one container of the crescent rolls in the bottom. Spoon in the sausage mixture, cover

with another can of crescent rolls. Bake 350 for 15 minutes. NOTE: If adding eggs, scramble them and include them in the sausage mixture before baking.

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NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Story and photos by David Moore

hiloh. It means “place of peace” in Hebrew. Yet it was anything but on April 6-7, 1862, as Union and Confederate armies clashed at Shiloh, Tenn., killing or wounding 23,746 soldiers – America’s bloodiest battle to that point in history. Considered today as one of the nation’s best preserved Civil War battlefields, the 5,000-acre Shiloh National Military Park is a surprisingly peaceful and lovely place to visit. It’s as quiet as … well, the U.S. National Cemetery there. Strolling through a tranquil field or along a dirt lane flanked by split-rail fencing, peering through dense, rolling forests or resting against a blue-patinaed bronze cannon barrel – it’s still easy to imagine the carnage that unfolded here to a cacophony of blasting Springfields, booming artillery, Rebel yells and screams of agony. Engaging as it is somber, Shiloh is an interesting – and easy – place to visit. Visitors are encouraged to begin their discovery of the battlegrounds 22 miles south in Corinth, Miss. If you take Ala. 157 from Cullman or Alt U.S. 72 from Decatur, it’s right on your way. At Corinth, two crucial railways crossed, forming the transportation “spine” of the Confederacy’s western theater. It was here that Confederate troops regrouped after Union victories – under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant – at forts Henry and Donelson in that February. Grant pursued the Rebels up the Tennessee River amassing his troops for weeks at Pittsburg Landing. They were intent on marching on Corinth when approaching reinforcements arrived. They didn’t get the chance. In the pre-dawn hours of April 6, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston – who was killed in the horrible carnage of that day – preempted Grant’s plans, attacking

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Good Getaways

Civil War horrors permeate the stillness lying over Shiloh battlefield

Shiloh National Military Park is home to 220 Civil War cannons, among them these rifled, 3.8in. James pieces. Their brass barrels today have a blue patina. Throughout the sprawling park, cannon batteries, monuments and conflict sites have signage, identifying the regiments and often details on the action there. The two cannons at bottom left are set up at Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River; they’re replicas of the guns used on Union gunboats that docked there in the lead-up to the battle of Shiloh. During the rainy night of April 6-7 they fired every 15 minutes at Confederate encampments. One myth about Shiloh concerns the Sunken Road, center – it is not sunken. A section of it dubbed “The Hornet’s Nest,” saw intense fighting the first day. Below, a diorama in the visitor center depicts that action. Entrance to the battlefield and visitor center is free. The park – crisscrossed by 13.1 miles of paved lanes – is open from sunup to sundown.

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Clockwise: David Russell, who distributes Good Life Magazines in Cullman and Marshall counties, lends perspective to one of Shiloh’s many monuments; interesting statues are found at Corinth’s “contraband camp,” where hundreds of ex-slaves got their first taste of freedom; trains still use the Corinth crossroads; Springfield rifles are displayed at the Corinth interpretive center. 38

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outnumbered Union troops at the Shiloh church. Though pushed back, the North retained the river landing and positions up the hill. Union reinforcements finally arrived overnight and now, outnumbering the Confederates, Union troops counterattacked in the morning. After six bloody hours they forced the Rebels back to Corinth. After a Union siege of Corinth and fierce fighting, two months later the remaining Confederate forces there were forced to flee. Shiloh battlefield is a part of the National Park Service. Visiting it today, one might ponder if, buried beneath time and soil, there lingers yet minute molecules of the sea of blood shed here by a nation torn asunder during a war with itself. Shiloh not only honors the dead, but it stands as a monument to the lessons of history, lest anyone be thoughtlessly, insanely tempted again. Good Life Magazine

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The Woods’ home on the lake becomes a fine place in which to create memories ... and launch new trips

Story and local photos by David Moore

or most people, Christmas is a time to create memories – ideally, good, fun memories. For most people, travel around the country or abroad is a time to create memories – ditto about good, fun ones. Nicholas and Mary Beth Wood consciously combined these two memory-creating sources into one – not only making it a point to purchase Christmas ornaments when they travel, but planning trips expressly for that purpose. “We’ve always bought Christmas ornaments when we travel,” Mary Beth says. Forward thinking, even on their honeymoon trip to Iceland in 2016, the Guntersville couple – who lived in Texas at the time – made it a point to buy Christmas ornaments. Then, two years later, the first week of that December, they took an eight-day trip on the Danube River with Crystal Cruises, specifically designed to visit Christmas markets in seven cities from Vienna, Austria to Budapest, Hungary. Everywhere was decorated for the holidays. “We made a point to stop at certain Christmas markets,” says Mary Beth, initiating the idea. But, she adds, it was an easy sale. “He had wanted to go on a cruise like that.” “I really liked the Czech Republic the most,” she adds. “It felt more authentic, more like the Old World.” Nicholas thought Budapest was the most beautiful portof-call. Adding tremendously to those memories, Charlotte, their oldest daughter, then 15 months old, made the Christmas cruise with them. “We were lucky to be able to take her,” Mary Beth says. “They were picky about taking children but made an exception for a baby. She was the only one aboard. She made friends with everyone on the boat.” “She did amazingly well,” Mom adds. “We took her to a five-star Michelin restaurant, and she ordered the most expensive thing on the menu.” Actually, Mary Beth ordered it for her – fish because it would be easy for her to chew. Charlotte cleaned her plate.

ong before the Woods began creating family memories, Mary Beth grew up in Albertville, the only child of Dan and Jean Taylor. She graduated from high school there in 2006 and headed off to Auburn University. “I started in international business with a minor in French,” she laughs. “I took my first French class and said, ‘No way.’” She liked computers so instead graduated in 2009 with a degree in management information systems. That landed her a job with Northrop Grumman in Dallas, where she moved the same year. Friends Mary Beth made through the Dallas Auburn Club invited her to a house party that September hosted 42

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Christmas 2021 found the Woods posing in front of their living room fireplace. From left are: Mary Beth, Goldie, about 4 months old at the time, Charlotte, giving Gertie a little love, Fritz and Nicholas. The 11-foot tree in the living room sports many ornaments from the family’s travels. The photos at left are a few shots taken in Vienna, Austria, early in the Woods’ 2018 Christmas market cruise on the Danube River, including their first meal aboard the boat and two market scenes. At the immediate left is one of the trees decorating the Crystal Cruises river boat. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

by some whiz kid named Nicholas Wood. It might not have been love at first sight, but it didn’t take long. By December they were dating. Son of Bill and Joni Wood, Nicholas graduated in 2002 as salutatorian and class president from Abilene High School. Four years later he graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in finance and business honors. Since college, he’s bought and sold three oil- and energy-related companies. And since earlier this year, he’s been a divisional vice president for Innovex, which provides oilfield services and manufactures equipment for onshore and offshore operators worldwide. “He has,” says Mary Beth, “always been well accomplished and highly motivated.” For her part, she worked in Dallas as a business intelligence specialist for WCI Consulting until around the time Charlotte was born in September 2017. Since then, she’s been a full-time mom and more. “She’s an amazing mother and life partner,” Nicholas says. “She’s always been right beside me in my passion projects.”

t was Mary Beth who championed the idea of reattaching to her Marshall County roots. But initially their plans were for a second home here. As it worked out, Stoney Mountain Golf Course on Georgia Mountain had closed and was up for sale. They bought it in 2018 with the idea of building a house and calling it Barefoot Farm because, as Nicholas says, the fairways and green were great for barefooting. For grounds maintenance, he ordered a specialty mower from New Zealand with a 26-foot cutting radius. Even so, it was no match for that unusually rainy summer. “I was mowing on 120 acres, sometimes twice a week,” he laughs.

Though from Texas, Tricia Lowenfield makes whimsical, European-style decorations, including this Nativity, top, the Woods bought on a trip out West. Goldie and Fritz lie beneath a tree with kid decorations on it. The Woods’ deep backyard, at left, stretches to their boathouse.

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Clockwise from upper left: The Woods bought this sweater decoration on their honeymoon in Iceland; their friend Abbey Hall of Huntsville painted this decoration of Edson Hill in Stowe, Vermont, where the Woods were married; Willoughby & Co. did the greenery and garlands in the dining room, stairwell and elsewhere; while Nicholas put up the trees, Mary Beth and the kids did the other decorations, such as the Austrian Santa; Charlotte decorated the dollhouse – with the mouse in the tub – which is in her bedroom. All of the kids have their own Christmas tree in their bedroom. “Grass doesn’t grow that fast in Texas.” So they sold the property on Georgia Mountain. But, like Mary Beth, Nicholas had heard the siren’s song of this area. “The lake is a big part of it – and being close to her parents,” he says. “Dallas was a huge city, and that was not a good place to raise kids.” That August they sold their house in 46

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Dallas. In November they bought and remodeled a 4-year-old house on Spring Creek in a new neighborhood behind Guntersville High. It was a fine place to create memories … a fine place to raise a family, a fine place from which to plan travels, a fine place to celebrate Christmas. “It was once featured in the Lady Civitans Holiday Tour of Homes,” Mary

Beth says. “I guess it’s always been a Christmas house.” Even as all of that was unfolding, they laid plans for their Danube River cruise. “We were in the car going to Birmingham and talking about a river cruise,” Mary Beth recalls. “So we googled it. It was kind of spur of the moment.”

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NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

nd so the memories came as the Woods’ life unscrolled in Guntersville. Fritz was born in January 2020, Goldie in August 2021. “The kids play outside and on our back porch,” Mary Beth says. On Saturdays Nicholas enjoys buckling lifejackets on the kids, cranking his ‘52 Chris Craft runabout,

tooling down Spring Creek, tying up at the Publix dock and buying donuts. “I like the view of the lake and our backyard,” Mary Beth adds. “It’s originally why we bought the house.” She loves planning big birthday parties for the kids. Organizing activities such as cookie day. Christmas, of course, is big doings too. They attend First Baptist

Church. Charlotte plays soccer. And their home has proven a good base from which Mary Beth can devise vacations. “She’s the vacation planner – and photographer,” Nicholas says. “She makes life special for me and our children.” Making memories would be another way of putting it. Good Life Magazine

Nicholas with his “passion project.” Look up “1936 Ryan-ST Ferry” on YouTube to see its flight to Alabama.

Nicholas Wood proudly owns the “holy grail” of Ryan STs O

ne of Nicholas Wood’s “passion projects” is the one-of-a-kind airplane he purchased in 2021 – a 1936 Ryan ST. Famous for building Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, Ryan Aeronautical went on to produce several lines of the aluminum covered, singlewing, two-seater Sports Trainers, the first five of which had a 95-HP engine. Later, Ryan produced similar planes as Army Air Corps trainers, but Nicholas’ is the only survivor of the original five. The STs made glamorous props for photos of the Hollywood elite in the late ’30s. Lindbergh and other golden-age pilots 48

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test-flew them. Howard Hughes allegedly used Nicholas’ plane to fly a Hollywood starlet across Southern California to dinner. “The plane has so much amazing history,” Nicholas says. “I want to be a good steward, exhibiting it and preserving it for future generations to enjoy.” Passionate about flying, Nicholas had long sought to find an existing military ST worth restoration. Helping in his quest was Doug Smith, a mechanic for famed aeronautics engineer Ted Teach, who owned the “holy grail” of STs, the sole survivor of the initial five. Near the end of his life, Teach decided to sell the 1936 ST. Smith contacted

Nicholas and said it was his only chance, otherwise it’d likely be sold to the Smithsonian or another significant museum collection. He bought it and had it flown to Guntersville Municipal Airport. “We’re building a new hangar there that will be a worthy place to keep it,” says Nicholas, who gave up flying when he and Mary Beth started their family. “My goal is to get in the back seat and fly it in 2036 – that will be its centennial.” He laughs and adds, “I may get Mary Beth to ride in the front seat.” “I,” replies Mary Beth, “don’t want to put all of our eggs in one basket.” – David Moore

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www.fa c eb o o k . c o m / G L g r a nde/ NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Big Good Eats Mike’s Steakhouse on the lake worth the wait Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore

ince word got out that Big Mike’s Steakhouse was locating in Guntersville’s new City Harbor development, mouths have been watering non-stop. Mine included. Rose and I finally got to sample what we were salivating for three months after its highly anticipated opening in August. Was all the drooling worth it? Absolutely. Most striking about the restaurant’s interior are its views of Guntersville Lake from both front and back. The décor is a combination of rustic and modern, with walls covered in woodcuts and strips of whiskey barrels alongside sleek booths and tables. We were eager to get a look at the menu, but Chef Nick Sheffield took over our order and brought us one outstanding dish after another. Nick is thrilled to be running the new eatery with his partner Zach Morgan, who handles front of house. Nick started at Big Mike’s flagship restaurant in Thomasville working weekends while in college, eventually traveling to help other locations get off the ground. He met his wife through Big Mike’s, and now the two are ready to settle down in North Alabama. Our first dish was a pair of the finest crab cakes I ever dug into, and that’s high praise from a New Orleans native. I pay a lot of attention to crab cakes. Crispy, tangy and a slight sweet taste had us quizzing Nick on his method. He whispered that he mixes crackers with the panko breadcrumbs to achieve the crunchy coating and then adds just a hint of barbecue sauce to the crab mix for a twist. Most importantly, he packed plenty of crab in each cake.

nother crab creation followed – shrimp and crab bisque. Thick and creamy with subtle spiciness, it was a delicious soup. Diners can choose from bisque or seafood gumbo. We also got to 50

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They’re great – a fillet you can cut with a fork, foreground, and prime pork ribeye. sample the house made mozzarella cheese wedges fried in Italian panko and served with marinara sauce. Anyone would like that appetizer. The stars of our night were the meat entrees. A 9-ounce filet mignon wrapped in applewood bacon wearing a parmesan topping stunned us with its tenderness. Thick, juicy and pink inside, this steak disappeared in minutes. The pork ribeye arrived beautifully grilled with a tenderness and juiciness I have yet to achieve personally. Then the Big Mike stepped on stage – a 24-ounce ribeye that filled the plate. This is a steak for a true beef lover. Nick explained that each steak is cooked over a live fire grill at temperatures between 600-800 degrees. Big Mike’s serves 1855 Angus beef that is aged 28 days and then hand cut. Each steak is marinated in Big Mike’s seven-spice blend, wood-fired to each

diner’s preference and topped with garlic herb butter. It doesn’t get any better than that. Diners looking for a good steak can find their favorites at any Big Mike’s location. “All the restaurants serve the same food,” Nick says. “You know what you’re getting and that it’s going to be dang good.” That was the mission of three friends and the chain’s founders Mike Cole, Scott Powell and Caine Conway. Big Mike was an experienced chef and restaurant manager who had a vision of opening steakhouses in rural towns to feed folks who were tired of having to drive to the nearest city to get a good steak. With their combined 30 years of experience, the friends began planning their first steakhouse. The three often make rounds to all Big Mike’s locations,

Chef Nick Sheffield, holds a Big Mike Ribeye. Also looking good is the view of Lake Guntersville. Clockwise from far left are Mozzarella Cheese Wedges and some fine-eating crab cakes; a bowl of tasty shrimp and crab bisque; and deep-fried bread pudding with ice cream. Big Mike’s does not take reservations. It does offer catering and private parties. It’s open 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 3-10 p.m. Saturdays. while working on future endeavors as well as their cattle business. The City Harbor in Guntersville was determined to be the perfect spot for the sixth location, and it was the first Big Mike’s to be built from the ground up. It features seating for 150 inside and another 30 can dine on the patio while enjoying the lake view.

“I think folks can appreciate an experience like that,” says Nick.

e appreciated the bread pudding at the end of the meal. Deep fried and served with ice cream, this was a decadent dessert. We didn’t get to try the oysters on

the half shell or the four varieties of chargrilled oysters, but now that Big Mike’s is close by, we will have plenty of opportunities. In fact, I already hold mental notes of items I’m anxious – even drooling – to dig into. Good Life Magazine NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Collectible Christmas Steve Maze injects a glowing ‘it’ factor into his basement full of holiday fun

Story by Seth Terrell Photos by David Moore

here is a certain “it” factor that gives any story life. Sometimes there are heroes so memorable they are interwoven within the reader’s consciousness, perhaps forever. Sometimes a rarefied and elevated prose bears a story upon its angelic wings toward a transcendent plane of euphoria where time and place flourish unbound. And then there are some tales with plots so delicious and twisted and thrilling that the reader becomes a willing captive in the throes of the story’s sheer, beautiful force. As I stand in Good Life Magazine writer Steve Maze’s basement south of Arab, surrounded by an insurmountable number of Santa Claus blow-molds and rusty Coca-Cola signs while also trying to admire a handmade replica of a two-story outhouse (yes…an outhouse), I’m not sure about any delicious, twisted plot, or rarified prose, but one thing’s for sure – there’s plenty of “it.” My eyes attempt to take in my surroundings as I pour over this trove of memorabilia. My problem is not finding enough words to describe it, but rather finding words adequate enough. A well-kept, wall-to-wall, palace of nostalgia … no. How about a down-home depot of reminiscence? … no. A whimsical, walk-in time capsule … maybe. “I always feel like the hardest part of writing a story is figuring out how to start it,” Steve says, as the two of us sit on a couch amid his basement world of memorabilia. “Yeah, I agree,” I say. And usually I 52

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would, but as Steve becomes my tour guide through what feels like a DIY museum of Americana (bingo, that’s it!), I think to myself, “Nope. This story’s going to crank right up.”

y first familiarity with Steve Maze came when he was the writer and publisher of his former magazine, Yesterday’s Memories, a regional

Walking down the stairs and entering Steve’s basement is a riot of collectibles and memorabilia that can’t be absorbed in a single look. Even when not set up for Christmas, the basement’s packed. Many of Steve’s Christmas collectibles are blow-mold figurines, such as the dog, reindeer, Santa and the foreground carolers at upper left . Blow molding is a process in which plastic is melted, put into a mold then shaped into an object by blowing compressed air into it. Some folks – Steve at far left amongst them – collect vintage blow-mold objects, especially Christmas decorations that are further enhanced by lights glowing inside them. Blow molding is also used to produce items that don’t appreciate in value, such as the ubiquitous drink bottle. periodical focused on fascinating characters of history, southern legends, rural mysteries and where-are-they-now’s of past celebrities. Though the publication was focused mainly on North Alabama,

its readership spanned 46 states with hundreds of subscribers. My dad, Donnie, was once featured because he lucked into owning an old woodstove that previously belonged to

Marshall County folk hero Stocklaw Johnson, a legendary figure of whom Steve had written extensively. He penned that particular piece in such a way, as he did all the stories about Stocklaw, that I could see NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

the legendary figure come alive, could imagine him standing over the open stove, cooking cornbread perhaps. I still have copies of those stories on my bookshelf and those vivid images stacked along the shelves of my mind. Speaking of folk heroes, Steve may qualify as one, though if he allows this mantle to slip past the editing and remain in the story at all, he is probably chuckling as we speak. But it’s true. For thousands of southerners, including his former subscribers and current readers of his pieces in Good Life Magazine, Steve is a walking, talking encyclopedia of our collective past. For readers new to Good Life who may not know, or for our faithful readers who may not have paid attention, Steve and I are teammates of a sort, sharing the proverbial stage as writing colleagues. I remember when I first started writing for Good Life and would get my hands on the first copies hot off the press, I would do two things: I would first smell the pages (what?...you can’t tell me I’m the only one who does this), then I would quickly flip through my own story, however decently written, to find Steve’s piece and devour every word. Slightly jealous, always entertained.

“I

’m glad you’re the one writing this story,” Steve says, a bit out of the blue, but also as though he’s read my mind. “Me, too,” I say. “I just hope I don’t let you down.” “Listen,” Steve says, offering some sage advice, “you can’t write the story based on whether you feel the subject is going to like it or not.” He says this, coming from the place of a man who has learned from experience. Retired from the finance world, Steve’s writing career led him to interviewing a plethora of people with various ties to fame. Descendants of Jesse James, actors like Keith Thibodaux from “I Love Lucy,” Dee Presley, Elvis’s stepmother, all of Hank Williams’s Drifting Cowboys, John Schneider from the “Dukes of Hazard” and many others. His latest brush with fame, however, has to do with the basement collection now spread before us. I follow him over to an item in his collection that sets the tone for our tour. It is an electric “Elsie” 54

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Those who have followed Steve Maze’s writing over the years – through his books and Yesterday’s Memories, through local newspapers and now Good Life Magazine – would probably agree that this is the only way his basement could possibly look. cow from the 1940s that, when plugged in, moves and shifts as though it were a forerunner to some animatronic creation born in a movie studio. The cow, and others just like it, were a marketing tool for Borden Dairy and were set up in grocery stores around the country during the 1940s and ’50s. Mike,

from the show “American Pickers,” once had his eye on the cow during the filming of one of the episodes, but ultimately didn’t buy it. One thing led to another, and Steve ended up with it. Mike has contacted Steve on multiple occasions asking about buying parts of Steve’s collection. But Steve rarely concedes.

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Blow-molded figurines set an Americana atmosphere stage in a Nativity scene that usually has a more classical look to it. “It’s an addiction,” he says grinning. “To collect like I do, you have to have money, space and an understanding wife.” I lean in, grinning myself, waiting for the punchline. “And I’ve run out of all three.”

early silent in the background, a dehumidifier hums along, a key component that helps Steve keep his collection in great shape. “My barn is full,” he says, “my garage, too. So I have to be picky about what I collect these days.” But no mention of selling any part of it. Steve walks me past the Borden electric cow and over to the toy section of his basement. Here is a toy rack, stocked with unopened toys from the 1950s and ’60s, tokens of Steve’s childhood. These “off-the-rack” toys, as they were 56

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called, consist of pop guns and toy cars and whistles. Steve keeps the rack full because he remembers as a kid that his dad never let him buy the off-the-rack toys when they found themselves in a general store. Just above the toy rack sits another old toy that holds even deeper memories of his father. It is a Pinocchio toy from 1939, the same year the Disney movie came out. His father, who grew up during The Great Depression, rarely had the good fortune of getting toys, so he kept the Pinocchio in pristine shape and later gifted it to Steve as an adult. Like most things surrounding us, the Pinocchio toy in all its whimsey, is difficult to describe, but suffice it to say it is a rocking, wind-up marvel of a contraption. Steve has taken it and some of the wellmade older toys to local elementary

schools on certain occasions. The intricacy and engineering of those old toys often leaves kids transfixed. “I love demonstrating for today’s children how these antique and vintage items worked. It would really please my dad that kids still get such joy from these,” he says.

erein is the heart of Steve’s story: his vast collection is not about an obsession, rather it’s about the connection to the past, to a time of wonder and innocence of childhood. “All that I collect reminds me of that time period when I was growing up,” he says. “It reminds me of simpler times. Good times.” We carry on through the wellorganized labyrinth. Each exhibit teems

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These days, the internet easily fuels Steve’s search for memorabilia, along with the help of his daughter, Tonya, who calls or sends photos every week of items she’s sure her father can’t turn down. Besides Tonya and his wife, Brenda, Steve also commissions the assistance – or complicity, if you will – of his grandchildren, with his granddaughter, Lauren, helping to arrange and curate his basement space to make it truly endearing and inviting. with nostalgia. There are glass bottles of all types: former “bulk oil” bottles and unopened soft drink bottles with RC or Coca Cola still inside. There is a fully lit Spur gas station sign that offers a cooling ambiance to the whole place. “I think everybody should have a fully lit gas station sign in their basement,” Steve laughs. On the walls on either side of the sign, hangs an immaculate collection of car tags, one from almost every state and all but two ever issued by the State of Alabama. “I enjoy collecting old license plates because they remind me of the old cars we had as a kid,” Steve says, pointing out an especially mint-condition one from 1912, the first year that Alabama began issuing tags. 58

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“I’m fascinated with history,” Steve continues. “I can look at a 1927 tag and know Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs that year. I can look at a 1945 tag and know that World War II ended that year. And, of course, I can look at 1956 and realize that was the year I was born.” We come to another rack with accompanying shelf that is full of old metal lunchboxes in perfect condition, many with the thermoses carefully wrapped inside. From among the stack, I am drawn to a few in particular: The Jetsons, Evel Knievel, Bonanza and Gunsmoke. Steve has amassed his lunchbox stash from keeping his eye peeled around yard sales, estate sales and auctions.

teve holds one of the lunchboxes for me to inspect, A Dukes of Hazard edition, complete with John Schneider’s autograph. “If there’s a metal lunchbox out there,” he laughs, “I have to have it. There are no self-help meetings for avid collectors like me. And, if there were, we probably wouldn’t go to them.” I ask Steve how his wife, Brenda, feels about his many affinities and the overall collection. “Oh, she likes old things, too,” he says, “I mean she is married to me after all.” Friends and families often stop by, especially around Christmas, to take pictures among the multitude of blowmolds. In fact, the blow-molds are so

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numerous, and give off such light, there is hardly any need for the overhead fixtures. He owns a platoon of blow-mold Santas from various eras and a sizable herd of reindeer. They are all surrounded by a celestial band of fiberglass angels from the 1960s. “I really enjoy it when other people can come and experience this and learn,” Steve says, “it’s one of the biggest rewards I get from collecting.” Our tour of the basement concludes with a walk up the stairs where we are flanked on either side by movie posters, many from the old Ritz Theater in Arab. Bruce Lee and Dracula and Elvis all eye us as we ascend.

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ur last passage takes us through an attic bonus room where Steve’s additional collections of baseball cards and memorabilia are ordered along a wall. Photographs of several celebrities from a bygone era all smile back, many of them autographed. There are enough photos of the cast of Andy Griffith to make an entire album, and at least one snapshot of Atlanta Braves legend, Chipper Jones, reading a copy of Yesterday’s Memories. As Steve and I say goodbye, I find myself wanting to schedule a return tour. While my own love for history may never result in a basement storehouse of cultural artifacts, I’m very glad to know that somewhere down a country road there exists a cozy, meandering path down memory lane and a benevolent tour guide always ready to lead the exploration into the past. Good Life Magazine

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Lake Guntersville State Park

Story by Seth Terrell Photos by Crystal Terrell and David Moore

lying home in October from California after a family trip through Yosemite, King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, I was still a little starryeyed. I had gotten so used to waking up each morning in air thick with the rich scent of evergreen trees – firs, redwoods, and sequoias. I was, and am, so enchanted by the sheer splendor of those national parks that a month later, before I fall asleep at night, I often replay the trip 62

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in my mind, visions of gleaming granite peaks and breathtaking valleys dancing in my head – El Capitan and Half Dome. To say I was utterly enraptured barely scratches the surface. When we touched down in Birmingham, I turned to my girls as we were exiting the plane. Though our time in California was done, there was still another park on our agenda. “I’ve got some good news,” I said. “Our adventures are not done …” Lake Guntersville State Park, which opened in 1974, is comprised of lands that

include an original acreage transferred by TVA in 1947. When editor David Moore called me with the idea of staying in the lodge for a few days, he mentioned that it was time to write the story on the park. My and David’s travels for the magazine have taken us in and out and all over the park’s footprint. Some of my personal favorite journeys include mountain biking with the Mountain Lake Cycling crew and horseback riding with Alabama Horseback Adventures. And I can’t forget the first time, as a kid, I watched a majestic bald eagle torpedo from the clouds and snatch a flopping fish from Lake Guntersville.

Find a deep connection in your ‘backyard’

The deck at Lake Guntersville State Park offers one of, if not the very best views in Alabama. The Terrells – fifth grade teacher Crystal, daughters Selah, 7, and Rilah, 9, and writer and Wallace State English instructor Seth – traveled only from Albertville to get there. It’s basically their backyard. The view from their room was also grand. All our experiences and stories have only contributed to the mystique of the park, making it feel like a second home in many ways.

long the way, Michael Jeffreys, the district superintendent for the northeast region of Alabama’s state parks, has been our faithful consultant and friend. Mike has been involved within the park system since he was 25. His career fell into a generational gap that allowed him to work within four parks and return to the area in his superintendent role. He now lives nearby, with Guntersville as his home base.

“My desire to work here is because of my love for the outdoors,” he says. “That love has always been close to me, and it carries on in my relationship with the park. I still remember coming down Short Creek Mountain, when I first took a job here, thinking, ‘If there’s a heaven on earth, I’ve found it.’” Around the time he took the role, the park was in the recovery process after being hit by two simultaneous tornadoes in 2011, an experience which Mike describes as traumatic for the park. “The tornadoes really changed the whole landscape,” he says.

Since then, the park has undergone – and continues to undergo – its successful recovery. Mike knows it takes symbiosis and teamwork to continue the dream. “What’s special is not only the park’s natural resources, but also the people who truly care about each other and care about their community.” Mike’s passion presses through his words. “It takes heart to make this place what it is, and I’m surrounded by warm hearts.”

hen my family and I arrive on the final Friday evening of October, there is a sliver of sunlight starting to break through NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

an overcast sky. Naturally, we hurry to the back deck area of the lodge that overlooks the hills and the lake. The scene is immense, and on a clear day it offers a view that spans from Sand Mountain and Gunter Mountain, to Georgia Mountain and Brindley Mountain. An exquisite and symbolic panorama of the many places and people scattered across Marshall County who other Good Life Magazine contributors, David and I have met, written about and befriended. In the quiet, reddening dusk, I point out to my children the general direction of our farm in High Point. I point down over the treetops to the lake itself where my journey as a writer for Good Life and my own family history have their origins. The first piece I ever wrote for the magazine was an interview with Mrs. Virginia Benson of Albertville, who has since passed away. Her stories took me deep beneath the lake’s surface, to a time and place when she, as a child, picked cotton alongside my great grandparents who sharecropped their way across the valley from farm to farm. The traces of that journey are now lost underwater, but at some point, many settled nearby where the park stands today.

tanding on the deck this evening, beholding the expanse of land and water, I am transfixed by its rich tapestry of culture and place – its rhythms, its lore, its beauty. I feel the courses of nature and history radiating. And it’s right here in our own figurative backyard. As the sun sets, we head to the lodge restaurant where a seafood buffet awaits us. We are busy peeling shrimp when Sone Kornegay, the park’s general manager, comes over to introduce herself. Though we’ve just met, she has the presence of an old friend, all the more inviting because of her ever-so-slight Louisiana accent. “If you need anything,” she tells me, “anything at all, you let me or one of the staff know.” When I ask Sone how she ended up here at the park, she details her journey to Alabama and her experiences working and managing other state parks. “But this place,” she says, “is beautiful.” She smiles, recalling the conversation with Mike Jeffreys that led her here. “When I walked in and saw all of this beauty, I knew immediately I would take the job.” 64

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Park naturalist Indya Guthrie leads the way on a Saturday morning nature hike. Around the restaurant, there are people who’ve arrived from as far away as Pennsylvania and Illinois. A scan around the lodge parking lot reveals car tags from Florida and Tennessee and Georgia. A bass fishing tournament has brought many folks to the county. The allure that inspired Sone to take the job here continues to summon nature lovers, adventurers and vacationers from everywhere.

right and early on Saturday

morning, my family and I join Indya Guthrie along the interpretive nature trail that runs down to Dry Falls. Indya has been in her role as the park’s naturalist for only a few months, but her knowledge and insight into the teeming world around us betrays her passion for this park and its many forms of life. A herpetologist by trade, Indya has found her calling among the many flora and fauna the park has to offer. Along the sunlit path, she overturns logs and rocks looking

for an array of insects and non-threatening reptiles and amphibians such as the Northern Slimy salamander. “There are rattlesnakes from time to time,” she tells my girls, “so we are always very careful. You turn the log over towards you, so anything under goes the other way.” The path winds and descends toward Little New York, a swath of forest thick with hardwoods. Along the way Indya stops to identify various trees and shrubs. Beauty berry, little blue stem, Virginia pine and loblolly scattered among the hickory and blackjack oak. “Farkleberry,” she says, pointing out a scraggly plant growing amid the understory. “I grew up camping here,” Indya says. “So for me, working here ties so many things back into my childhood. I have a dream job.” We make it finally to Dry Falls and scour the woods for a spot or two where old whiskey stills from the previous century once stood steaming. I share with Indya a story I’ve referenced often in several of my magazine pieces, the story about my great grandfather who once made moonshine in these very parts. I like to believe the sunken earth, now before us, where the remnant of a barrel remains, was perhaps his old stomping ground. I imagine him in the actual moonlight, bottling the whiskey by the gallon, making a little scratch to supplement the hardships of farming.

ater that afternoon, Crystal, the girls and I hike the park trail to King’s Chapel Cemetery where members of the King, Presley and Strange families were buried around the turn of the 19th century. There are graves from the Civil War era on up until the 1940s, when the land was transferred to the state. Over the cemetery, the canopy of white oaks breaks in a perfect circle. A mild,

The early part of the nature hike, top, went through new-growth forests, due to a controlled burn early next year. Later Saturday, the Terrells visited King’s Chapel Cemetery, where Selah did a rubbing, or a frottage, on an old Terrell headstone. Sunday some rock climbing was on the agenda before heading home. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

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Wispy morning fog drifted through the woods early Sunday. afternoon sun lazily bathes all things orange, including a sizable group of Terrell gravestones. This is the namesake of the Terrell hiking trail, and an enduring hallowed ground of my ancestral connections. While I’m no genealogy expert, and while I have lost some of the chronological and familial details of the migrating Terrells of long ago, I am nonetheless moved as we stand there among the gravestones, some marked and identified, some forever anonymous. I remember why this park is so special to me and special to countless others. Whether we are hiking, biking or boating; whether we are exploring caves, golfing or ziplining; whether we are taking a Sunday stroll through the kaleidoscopic trove of fall colors or are watching breathlessly as an eagle swims upon an updraft over the water, it is the humbling transcendence of connecting with something higher and perhaps older than yourself that makes this place what it is. Exploring Lake Guntersville State Park is a journey through which you’ll find you are part of a collective ownership, a community of people from the next mountain over to five states away, all in search of deeper bonds with the world around them – and within themselves.

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e ate well, slept well and lived well for a weekend of nearly perfect weather. And though there is no El Capitan looming over the sculpted valleys of Lake Guntersville, we nevertheless end our time with a little rock climbing along the Trail. From the top of a boulder, we stand, enchanted, starry-eyed and a little tired. We stare off through a break in the tree line where across Ala. 227, the Cutchenmine Trail wraps a parallel course with Short Creek. Though we’ve hiked and kayaked each of those routes before, I am making commitments in my mind to return here every chance I get. A commitment that is perpetual through my children and through future generations. “Daddy,” they ask, reading my mind, “how often can we come here?” “Just say when.” Good Life Magazine

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Ala. 69 Revisited

One last drive down that highway of two- and four-lane memories that spans Marshall and Cullman Story and photos By David Moore

now wasn’t just sticking on Ala. 69. It was piling up at an eyebrow-raising rate. You might remember that surprise, Alabamalevel blizzard that hit one afternoon in February 2015. To me, it was a sudden opportunity to shoot a seasonal cover photo for the 2015 winter issue of Cullman County Good Life Magazine, to come out 10 months later in November. I already had the shot in mind: Welti Falls in the snow. David Russell – our “VP, distribution,” who’s joined me for photo shoots before – and I left Arab on the spontaneous expedition. By the time we reached the Holly Pond turnoff, however, snow had turned Ala. 69 dicey, if not icy. If we even reached Welti Falls, the return trip promised to be worse. Plus dark. Reluctantly, we turned around. But I still needed a wintery shot. As we crept back, the historic Normal Industrial and Collegiate Institute in Joppa came bleakly into view through the falling snow. Ah-ha. We stopped. I shot. That October, while working on the winter issue, the white-onwhite monochromatic image of the old school looked wintry enough but lacked “pop” for a cover. Coming to the rescue, my business partner, Sheila McAnear, digitally wrapped two corners of the cover in bright red ribbon and a bow – winter and Christmas. That’s but one of my Good Life memories of Ala. 69.

n 2013, when leaving my long-time paycheck and newspaper job in Arab to start Marshall County and Cullman County Good Life Magazines, much of my future was obscured in a haze of unknowns. But one thing was certain – working in these two counties, I’d spend lots of time traveling Ala. 69. With my wife, Diane, I live in Arab on the west side of Marshall County. From my driveway, it’s a block and half to a T-intersection with Ala. 69. If I go nearly anywhere in Marshall County – Guntersville, Grant, Albertville or Boaz – I turn left on 69. If I turn right, the highway jogs me through downtown then westward toward the Cullman County line, four more miles away. Ala. 69 is the only major thoroughfare directly connecting the neighboring counties that Sheila and I have been privileged to showcase in our magazines for more than nine years. This being our last issue, I invite you on a farewell drive along the road that’s grown into a trove of memories. With a nod to Bob Dylan, call it “Ala. 69, revisited.” Pile in. I’ve got a tank of gas. 68

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Technically a north-south highway (hence its odd number), Ala. 69 stretches 280 miles from its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S. 431/Blount Avenue in Guntersville, to the town of Jackson in southwest Alabama. Our trip today – the stretch of asphalt that might still hold microscopic traces of my tires – cuts a generally southwest trajectory 70 miles from Guntersville to the Cullman/ Walker County line at the Sipsey River. Starting at Blount Avenue, Ala. 69 takes us across a gap in Division Ridge then down to the causeway across the Browns Creek arm of Lake Guntersville. The causeway is 1.5 miles long. For a “creek,” it’s a huge expanse of water, and I seldom cross it without a sense of calm settling over me by the time I reach the far shore.

With a backdrop of Street Bluff, the late Kenny Cobb flies over Lake Guntersville in his SeaRey seaplane, above. Tom Taylor was piloting the author en route to shoot the first cover for Marshall County Good Life Magazine. A snowy Ala. 69 led to the old school in Joppa being on the cover of the winter 2015 Cullman GLM. Left, shot from the Ala. 69 causeway, U-1 Unlimited hydroplanes zoom into turn one at Hydrofest. In February 2013, I finally decided to leave my old job and had several ideas. Plan A was a newspaper gig in Birmingham; Plan B was starting a local magazine. Which way do I go? One pre-spring day in March 2013, heading back to Arab after covering a commission meeting, I paused atop Division Ridge on Ringold Street and took in the panoramic view of the lake, Browns Creek and the causeway under a crisp, blue sky. Seeing the lake from a mountain always moves me. Birmingham and pressure-packed news deadlines? Or writing stories about this big beautiful lake? In a “coulda-hada-V8” flash of clarity, Plan B won out. And like crossing the causeway, a calm settled over me.

ft featured in Marshall County Good Life Magazine, HydroFest is run on the southeast side of the Ala. 69 causeway. Shooting race pictures from the causeway offers a good angle to catch those big wild boats throwing up huge white rooster tails as they hurl into turn number one. Good memories. Looking due north from the causeway you can see the distant rock face of Street Bluff rising above the expanse of water. It reminds me of shooting aerial photos for a story on the niche group of seaplane owners around Lake Guntersville. One picture I shot from an airplane shows a seaplane flying over the “lighthouse house” on the lake. That first Marshall cover is one of my favorites. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

For three stories over the years, I’ve gone sailing on those waters north of the causeway. Twice for sailboat racing; once for the sheer joy of sailing – both excellent reasons to be on the water. In Warrenton, Ala. 69 passes Supreme Courts. I shot photos there for a story free-lance writer Seth Terrell did in the 2022 summer issue about Jonathan Hyde, the former Guntersville High basketball standout who opened the gym. Tucked in at the base of Georgia Mountain, separated by a stately white fence, a pond and acres of rolling lawn, sits the iconic home of Carey and Jeana Ross. Don’t recall the story? Don’t worry – it’s not your memory. Carey and I tried several times over the years to schedule the story, but to my regret it never happened. Ala. 69 scoots us up the big hill, and just past the crest is Georgia Mountain Road. Less than a mile down stands the gated entrance to Savannah Place, where Dr. Jess and Lisa Youngblood are raising their brood of five kids. Their home was featured in the 2022 fall issue. The next turn off Ala. 69 is Union Grove Road. It will take you to Snow Point Road, which takes you to Guntersville Dam and the Cave Mountain Trail. You were invited to hike that trail with me in this past fall issue. Back in the 2014 spring issue, we invited you to join us in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the dam and lake.

hen it comes to celebrating, little tops Christmastime. And when it comes to decorating, not many folks ever threw themselves so brightly into it like Becky and the late Joe Cantrell. Their house is down Mayberry Lane, which we pass in Grassy. If I turn off Ala. 69 (aka Guntersville Road in Arab) at Mount Oak, I can go home, but we have many memories to revisit. So we drive on. Turning onto Main Street, almost immediately on the right, we could stop at the Glenn Group, where we’d probably find Susan LeSueur designing someone’s house. I found her there for a Good People story in the 2017 summer issue. In downtown Arab, at the intersection of Main and Ala. 69 (aka Cullman Road), look left and you’ll see a narrow, non-descript, empty storefront with an upstairs window. Back in the beginning, while setting up MoMc Publishing and Good Life Magazine, I imagined renting the little building as an office. With my desk at that window, I could gaze westward toward Cullman County. It turned out tons better that Sheila and I could work from our homes. My office is across the hall from my bedroom. Couldn’t be more convenient. Just outside the Arab city limits, Ala. 69 enters the former “realm,” you could say, of Wayne and June Jacks. For years I have admired their huge 70

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Clockwise from upper left: Guntersville Dam, shot from a powered parachute, accompanied a story on the lake’s 75th anniversary; Susan LeSueur was the Good People subject of the Marshall 2017 issue; action at Supreme Courts on Ala. 69 draws sports families from far and wide. Clockwise from immediate lower left, the home of Becky and the late Joe Cantrell lit up the 2015 winter Marshall GLM; the poolside waterfall is at the home of Dr. Jess and Lisa Youngblood, featured in this fall’s issue; a story that never got scheduled – the iconic Ala. 69 home of Carey and Jeana Ross; Gordan Trowbridge, captains his “Slow Motion” for sailboat racing in the fall 2014 Marshall issue. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

open fields where cattle graze on the left, and, on the right, the sentinel line of oaks that leads up to their non-imposing but oh, so comfortable house. Wayne bought trucks from Gilbert and Baugh Ford in Albertville, and we met when I shot a photo of him and Randy Baugh for an ad in the magazine. I excitedly turned our introduction into a feature on Wayne, June and their farm in the 2016 fall issue. Earlier this year, Nic and Allison Waddell bought the huge spread and are thoroughly enjoying it. Jack and June are now on the east side of Arab – but still on Ala. 69.

ear the western end of the Jacks’ property, stands the highway sign denoting the Cullman County line. In case anyone doesn’t know, Cullman County folks are as friendly and glad to see you as those in Marshall County. I’ve loved showcasing you all as much as I’ve loved the location of my office. And, in case anyone ever wondered, I’ve loved this job. Never hurts to write your own job description, right? Back in my newspaper days, I met Dr. Paul Bailey, long-time mayor of Baileyton and a jewel of a gent. He died before we started the magazines, but I knew sooner or later I’d get in touch with his son, Stan, for a Cullman GLM story on Bailey Mews, the family’s 16-acre horse farm on Ala. 69. That happened for the 2014 fall issue. The family is as richly steeped in history as the farm is postcard picturesque. In a sense, it’s sad it didn’t work out to keep Bailey Mews in the family. On the other hand, Cullman veterinary Dr. Bruce Lee and his wife, Leigh, have enjoyed living there since 2019. Bruce says they love the bucolic setting, still raise horses there and, out of respect, kept the name: Bailey Mews. The Lees, naturally, remain big fans of their pro-fishing sons, Matt and Jordan. For our Marshall County 2017 spring issue, I spent a day with the brothers fishing Lake Guntersville; they both lived nearby at the time. Jordan, as most folks know, went on to win the Bassmaster Classic the next month. The same story, updated to include Jordan’s huge win, ran in the Cullman magazine that summer. Matt and Jordan and their wives (and Jordan’s son) now live, respectively, in Breman – through which Ala. 69 eventually take us – and Cullman. On the straightaway east of Fairview 72

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

we pass the Chicken House Thrift Store, a ministry of Concord Baptist Church featured in the 2021 spring issue. Our memory lane road trip has its share of attractive farms. Continuing on through Fairview, we pass Haynes Farm. Even before writing about its four generations

for the fall 2019 issue, I always noticed the farm in passing. Under the proud eye of his mom, Juanita, Darrel Haynes works the farm with his wife, Lydia, and grown sons, Ben and Bart. For our 2020 fall cover, Joppa freelancer Liz Smith photographed a field of sunflowers the Haynes planted.

St. Bernard Preparatory School. The school attracts local, out of state and international students. The story included individual pieces on Aimme Cortes of Vinemont, Marco Tona of Fort Walton, Florida, and Jang Soon Kim of South Korea. We’ve also featured two St. Bernard monks with different but extraordinary artistic talents. Seth Terrell, a Wallace State English instructor I mentioned earlier, wrote about Jude Johnson for our 2017 summer issue. I visited the abbey for the spring 2020 issue to research a posthumous story on Father Tim Harrison, who died in 1982.

Clockwise from top left: Wayne and Becky Jacks’ house; Bro. David Bryan, the chandler at St. Bernard’s Abbey; sculptures by the Abbey’s Tim Harrison and Jude Johnson (aka Nov Ontos), respectively. Clockwise from far left: Bailey Mews in Baileyton; Cullman County BASS fishing brothers Matt and Jordan Lee at Lake Guntersville; The Haynes family at matriarch Juanita’s farm house just off Ala. 69. The winter 2014 Cullman issue featured, far left, from left, St. Bernard students Aimme Cortes of Vinemont, Marco Tona of Fort Walton, Florida, and Jang Soon Kim of South Korea. Aimme went on to earn her MD at Guadalajara Medical School in Mexico in 2020, did an internship and her required medical service there and was set to take US board exams as of this writing. Marco attended college a few years, took off to hike and explore Colorado and is now an electrical supply contractor in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Jang earned a degree in European politics at King’s College, London in 2020, served a required 1.5 years in the South Korean military and was set begin his law degree at the University of Bristol.

ack in my newspaper days, a friend gave Diane and me a unique candle made from recycled stubs of votive candles by the chandler at St. Bernard’s Abbey, just off Ala. 69 east of downtown Cullman. I later learned the candle-maker was Bro. David

Bryan and did a story on him for our second issue of Cullman GLM. For one photo shoot, David lit 60 candles in a dark room. One shot ran on the 2013 winter cover and remains another favorite. A story for the 2014 winter issue found me again turning off Ala. 69, this time for

etired photographer George Ponder hangs out at his home on Smith Lake, but I interviewed him at his old family home on the corner of Sixth Avenue SE and Ala. 69 for a spread in the 2016 winter issue. After retiring from the Bell companies, the professional wildlife and landscape shooter was a volunteer photographer for the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. I can’t tell you how many of George’s pictures I wish I’d shot. Smack in the middle of downtown Cullman, Ala. 69 turns south and runs concurrent for a couple of miles with 2nd Avenue SW/US 31. At that intersection sits the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, for which, until announcing her retirement this summer, Peggy Smith served as president. Previously she led the Cullman Economic Development Office. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking she’s “good people,” so I ran her story, among more than 70 others in both counties, as a “Good People” feature.

confess: I have numerous favorite covers. Another is the 2017 summer issue showing the Cullman County Courthouse – which we pass on this short, due-south stretch of Ala. 69 – with huge American flags draped between the columns. It’s one of those photos I shot in my mind long before I ever pressed the shutter button. A little farther south is Cullman Discount Pharmacy. Owner Tom Ploppert was featured in the winter 2018 issue for cool custom knives he makes at home, some are works of art. On my desk lies the Ploppert letter opener he gave me. Yes, it’s sharp. Ala. 69 veers southwest off US 31 onto bustling Cherokee Drive. We follow it to I-65 in Good Hope. The different legs of NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

Ala. 69 through Cullman’s business sections contrast with the generally rural portions of the road. It runs concurrent with I-65 for five miles, where quasi-flying interstate traffic offers another contrast. We exit at Dodge City, a strip dominated by truck stops and fast-food. About a mile north of Dodge City live Mark and Cindy Rhonemus, retired transplants from Ohio featured in the 2020 spring issue for their missionary work and fundraising for a clinic in Belize. I also fondly remember the sparky, then-96year-old Dodge City Councilwoman Inez McDonald, a Good People feature in the 2021 fall issue. “I fell and broke my back,” she said when I called recently. “I was in the hospital six months, but now I’m perfectly fine. I plan to run for re-election in two years if my mind is still good.” You go, lady. Back in rural surroundings and heading southwest, Ala. 69 climbs what passes for a Cullman County mountain, where we find Busted Knuckle, featured in our 2022 spring issue. It’s owned by Matt Myrick and Jake Burkey, who not only passionately love extreme off-road buggies – think RZR on mega-steroids – but custom builds them with a crew of 13 at their shop. These machines are crazy-impressive.

peaking of off-highway vehicles, several miles down Ala. 69 is Stony Lonesome OHV Park. A 1,456-acre expanse of rugged terrain, it’s crisscrossed with trails to challenge ATVs, rock crawlers, dirt bikes, mountain bikes and even Barbie Cars. Undeterred by my novice status, for the 2014 spring issue I straddled a 250cc Honda Recon here and took off. I did fine until I goosed it on a steep hill climb, and the world suddenly and inexplicably shifted into slow motion as gravity became unglued and I tilted backward. The front wheels came off the ground. Then the rear. I saw nothing but sky and the Honda climbing over my head. I was upside down, still gripping the handle bars, as the machine and I began falling down back to earth. I instinctively pushed the Honda to the side with my outstretched legs. The motor was still running as I diverted the machine’s trajectory and crashed to the ground. The Honda crashed beside me and continued flipping down the hill. Other than a few bruises and a shattered ego, I was OK. Plus, hey, I got a story. 74

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Another seven miles and Ala. 69 ends its stretch through Cullman County at the Sipsey River. Just across the bridge, Smith Lake Dam Road takes you to the lake and a public launch. That’s where I boarded a boat on a wet March morning in 2014 for a story on high school fishing teams, via attending

an Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association tournament on the Lake. My only other excursion up here was for a possible story on trout fishing below the dam. I had fun “researching” the story fishing with my son, Hunter, from his canoe. He caught one rainbow; we both caught a

George Ponder photographed an electrical storm over Smith Lake – and lived to share it! Clockwise below it are: Matt Myrick drives an extreme off-road buggy custom-built by Busted Knuckle; the county courthouse on Ala. 69, bedecked in flags; Hunter Moore fishes the Sipsey River; and Vinemont highschoolers fish a tournament at Smith Lake. Clockwise from top left: Mark and Cindy Rhonemus of Dodge City; Peggy Smith, recently retired chamber president; custom knife maker Tom Ploppert; Dodge City Councilwoman Inez McDonald at a young 96. few memories. The story never materialized, but as “they” say, any day on the water is better than any day at the office, even if your office is at home. Since starting the magazines in 2013, I’ve traveled hundreds of other roads in Marshall and Cullman counties for hundreds

of other stories and photos. But Ala. 69 is a common conduit for many of them. Driving 69 back into Arab, I can see the setting sun reflected in the upstairs window of that building on Main Street, my mighthave-been office. Much of the future for us all is obscured in a haze of unknowns, but

whatever else comes my way, until the sun eventually sets on me – I’ve still got gas in the tank – I’ll see in my mind’s eye the reflections of stories and photos of the many people and places I’ve featured in Good Life Magazine. Thanks for riding with me. Good Life Magazine NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2022-23

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Marshall County

Predictions on the Bassmaster Classic? records will fall in ‘gi-normous’ event some great ideas for adding an outside living area to your home

Out ‘n’ About

yachting couple respond to the lure of america’s Great loop

sPrinG 2014 CoMPliMentary

Spring 2014

seaplanes take to the sky – and lake – for a world of fun Jim and loretta Kennamer’s house stands unique among lake homes Marshall County

Marshall County

add a wild (game) twist to your holiday meals

Jim and Carol Meekins call honeycomb natural bridge home

Winter 2013 CoMpliMentary

albertville-Guntersville football rivalry turns 100 on halloween Mary Terrell paints with flowers, and a look at her yard proves it

Visit the eight local pipe organs and the musicians who play them

love of quilting attracts artisans from every part of the county

students, volunteers talk about serious fun... fishing for your schools

suMMEr 2014 CoMPlIMEntary

Summer 2014 Marshall County

Catch an eagle, so to speak, during program’s 30th year reputation of Mill street has grown beyond Boaz For years sam harvey asked the questions; table’s turned

WIntEr 2014 CoMPlIMEntary

Winter 2014 Marshall County

Winter 2013

If you’ve been out ‘n’ about at all in Marshall County since November 2013, it would have been hard to miss seeing a copy of Good Life Magazine. Every quarter since then, we’ve distributed 10,000 copies to advertisers and local high traffic locations, around the county. We also like to think Good Life has been hard to miss because we pride ourselves in attractive, inviting, uncluttered covers inside a distinctive white border. Alas, good things come to an end, and owners Sheila McAnear and David Moore are retiring. New owner Hudson Shelton, however, plans to carry on the tradition. We bid you farewell and thanks with this look back at all of our Marshall covers, well, except for spring of 2020, canceled because of Covid.

MARSHALL COUNTY

Glenn Mcneal proves that Mr. nice Guy does win sometimes once so well-known, stocklaw’s legend lives on as a colorful character suMMer 2015 CoMpliMentary

Follow the cycle of vine to wine at Jules J. Berta Winery in albertville

Summer 2015

FALL 2015 COMPLIMENTARY

When the Goat Man and his wagons passed, people flocked out to him

For the Sumners on Sand Mountain, farming’s a multi-generation lifestyle

In a saw-dusty shop on Georgia Mt. Jeff Horton creates kayak sculpture

Haven’t hiked Cooley Cemetery Trail? Fall should be a good time

Wildlife photographer Robert Falls offers a visual tour of Appalachia

Fall 2015

Winter 2015

Fall 2014 Marshall County

Boaz‘s renée Pierce wear crown with purpose and a sense of humor since the earliest times man caves have provided shelter from the wild Milton Eubanks reigns (and works) over a spring kingdom in scant City

sPring 2015 CoMPliMEntary

Spring 2015 MARSHALL COUNTY

MARSHALL COUNTY

Sometimes a garden is a garden ... but Jane McDonald’s is more

Fall 2014 CoMpliMentary

A world of wildflowers grows in the Cofields’ garden in Boaz An Albertville man has the reins of the new lacrosse team at UAH

WINTER 2015 COMPLIMENTARY

A retired PhD scientist living in Union Grove is now a textile artist

SPRING 2016 COMPLIMENTARY

Spring 2016

MARSHALL COUNTY

Mike Alred got axed for doing the right thing at his last job; this time he’s semi-retiring Usually about this time of year Dr. Andy & Martha Jane Finlay eagerly await Eden’s return

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

SUMMER 2016 COMPLIMENTARY

Summer 2016

FALL 2016 COMPLIMENTARY

Cookin’ cousins in Albertville know how to whip up a feast

Usually people tell Santa things; this time he fields five questions

Fly fishing for largemouth bass is making ripples on Lake Guntersville

Seth Terrell discovers the past by listening to Virgina Benson WINTER 2016 COMPLIMENTARY

See the winning entries in the first My Marshall photography contest

Never seen Cathedral Caverns? Go If you have, it’s as beautiful as ever

Winter 2016

Fall 2016

Just because pro fishermen Matt & Jordan Lee have a dream job doesn’t make it easy work

MARSHALL COUNTY

SPRING 2017 COMPLIMENTARY

Spring 2017 MARSHALL COUNTY

MARSHALL COUNTY Cook up a real Mexican feast ... and invite a lot friends and family Long-time rumor is that Al Capone slept in Arab. Can that really be true? Couple seeks a monument for the county’s worst aviation disaster

He sailed the seas, rescued people in Africa and moved to Albertville ‘Wonders-of-the-County’ church arose from rowdy days in Boaz

SUMMER 2017 COMPLIMENTARY

Transplants from Florida planted their collection of statues in Arab

Larue Kohl: fired up about boat racing again (and as always New Orleans)

Summer 2017

For Lakeview’s big anniversary, alumni remember the former school Wayne Trimble recalls his days as a Bearcat, Bear Bryant QB and Arab coach

MARSHALL COUNTY

WINTER 2017 COMPLIMENTARY

Winter 2017 MARSHALL COUNTY

HydroFest: father-son home team; race info; and Concert on the Rocks A peek into the life of a Boaz man who works at NASA ... and is blind Question: If you go ‘Somewhere,’ are you in Key West or Albertville?

SUMMER 2018 COMPLIMENTARY

FALL 2017 COMPLIMENTARY

With their community’s support, Aggies marched in Rose Parade Nancy Stewart did what many told her ... put recipes in a book Take a look at wild landscapes through John Sharp’s eye, lens

SPRING 2018 COMPLIMENTARY

Fall 2017

Spring 2018 MARSHALL COUNTY

MARSHALL COUNTY

Summer 2018 MARSHALL COUNTY

MARSHALL COUNTY

HydroFest makes a splash ... with help from tons of volunteers See why Thompson Falls is among Marshall County’s ‘Seven Wonders’ Robert and Mary Bodine’s home is steeped in a deep heritage

Did a rogue Rebel guerrilla leader reform and become a local pastor? Canyon Trevino is making a name for himself bull riding ... he’s 13 FALL 2018 COMPLIMENTARY

When it comes to photography, Judy Kennamer is truly ‘booking’

WINTER 2018 COMPLIMENTARY

A 13-year old kid can get into a lot of things – Cole is into cooking

Bob Willis is a DIY guy, which is why his garden is a (big) work in progress

Most days Elizabeth Burgess feels she’s still 60 – she’s 97

SPRING 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

Fall 2018

Winter 2018

Spring 2019

Did a rogue Rebel guerrilla leader reform and become a pastor

When it comes to photography to photography Judy is “booking”When

Did a rogue Rebel guerrilla leader reform and become a pastor

SUMMER 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

Summer 2019

MARSHALL COUNTY

Trekking trails with park naturalist Mike Ezell reveals extra wonders

Tammy and Dr. Victor Sparks created a “cottage” for family, solace

MARSHALL COUNTY

Bill Ingram loves his clocks but is more aware of how he spends time

Sand Mountain Park designed to be a $60 million game changer

FALL 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

Fall 2019

The New Yorker had no idea what awaited his first Christmas in Alabama

MARSHALL COUNTY

Dr. David and Shirley Chupp learn the power of a dangerous prayer

Before Robert O. shot picture one, J. Willie was ‘the’ photographer

The Barons have an interesting life – and an interesting home on the lake

MARSHALL COUNTY

Most teens play video games; Libby hikes mountains and canyons

Micky Hunt and PALS out to keep Marshall County beautiful

Robert O. left a visual legacy of people and events on Sand Mountain

Beatrice and the Glover Restaurant ... a story of what was once delicious

WINTER 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

SPRING 2020 | COMPLIMENTARY

FALL 2020 | COMPLIMENTARY

Winter 2019

Spring 2020

Fall 2020 MARSHALL COUNTY

MARSHALL COUNTY

Grant photographer Donna Prickett has a thing for landscapes ... See why

The Barnetts started with a view, and it grew beyond building a simple house

Jeffery Patterson wants to bring his movie craft home to Marshall County

Baking for the coming holidays? Kristy Falcomeni serves up some ideas

Take a look at the newly opened – and cavernous – Sand Mountain Park

Frank and Kim Harbin: find the ‘pinnacle’ of retirement at Kudzu Cove

SUMMER 2021 | COMPLIMENTARY

WINTER 2020 | COMPLIMENTARY

Summer 2021

Winter 2020 MARSHALL COUNTY

MARSHALL COUNTY

Steve and Gena Vinyard built a unique house to compliment its great view Davis Lee shares some wisdom his parents passed on to him

If you have a “special inheritance,” you are indeed a lucky person

Fall is the season of the soul ... to be savored, not survived

Curious about the big City Harbor development? We have the story

Bob and Kathy Weathers add lifestyle to their old house’s innate character

Spring 2022

Which is more amazing? The Hicks’ house or their journey to get there?

See B.B. Hudspeth’s wild collection of western TV/movie memorabilia

Boaz volunteers had a race for history in completing city’s new museum

SUMMER 2022 | COMPLIMENTARY

Summer 2022

It’s not been easy taking the helm of MMC during Covid, but Cheryl Hays did

The Wootens have quite literally built themselves a wonderful farm home

WINTER 2021 | COMPLIMENTARY

Winter 2021

MARSHALL COUNTY

SPRING 2022 | COMPLIMENTARY

Donald Walker spreads paint and sense of community with his brush

Spring 2021

Fall 2021

The Barn at Connors Island ... it’s where the Dukes of Hazzard feel at home

Boaz trainer Brian Creel trains young athletes in skills and mind

SPRING 2021 | COMPLIMENTARY

FALL 2021 | COMPLIMENTARY

MARSHALL COUNTY

Stacy Beam, seemingly destined to creativity, now paints in Nashville

The WWII story of a GI and a family in Holland resonates across time

The Youngbloods are living their dream with a big family (and house)

MARSHALL COUNTY

Taking in the Tennessee River from a working towboat pushing barges

FALL 2022 | COMPLIMENTARY

Fall 2022

Jacob Fisher finds his loft home and living downtown a perfect fit

Ray Buchmann says the first time he took Benton fishing, she was hooked

Beth Anderson owned restaurants ... THEN she went to culinary school

WINTER 2022-23 | COMPLIMENTARY

Winter 2022

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WeWe hear We hear hear it time it time it time and and and again, again, again, especially especially especially from from from those those those new new new toto the to the area the area area – things – things – things like “Marshall Medical sure off ers a wide range of services. ” Or, “I didn’t know like “Marshall Medical sure off ers a wide range of services. ” Or, “I didn’t know like like “Marshall like “Marshall “Marshall Medical Medical Medical sure sure sure offespecially off ers off ers aers wide a wide a wide range range range of of services. of services. services. ” Or, ” Or, ”“IOr, didn’t “I didn’t “I didn’t know know We hear it time and again, from those new to the area –know things you off ered that procedure.” Frankly, newcomers are always surprised to you off ered that procedure.” Frankly, newcomers are always surprised to you you you offoff ered off ered ered that that that procedure.” procedure.” procedure.” Frankly, Frankly, newcomers newcomers newcomers areare always are always surprised tototo like “Marshall Medical sure offFrankly, ers a wide range of services. ”always Or,surprised “Isurprised didn’t know find nd so much expertise in in community-owned health system. The reality is, is,is, nd so much expertise in community-owned health system. The reality fi find fifi so nd so much so much much expertise expertise expertise in aa community-owned in a community-owned aaFrankly, community-owned health health health system. system. system. The The The reality reality reality is, you off ered that procedure.” newcomers are always surprised to is, Marshall Medical stays at the forefront of healthcare in both quantity and Marshall Medical stays at the forefront of healthcare in both quantity and Marshall Marshall Marshall Medical Medical Medical stays stays stays atinat the the forefront the forefront forefront of of healthcare of healthcare healthcare in in both in both both quantity quantity quantity and and and find so much expertise aat community-owned health system. The reality is, quality. We attract good doctors and other professionals. And we continually quality. We attract good doctors and other professionals. And we continually quality. quality. quality. WeMedical We attract We attract attract good good good doctors doctors and and and other other other professionals. professionals. professionals. And And wequantity we continually we continually continually Marshall stays at doctors the forefront of healthcare inAnd both and invest in in technology that gives our physicians and patients every advantage invest in technology that gives our physicians and patients every advantage invest invest invest in technology in technology technology that that that gives gives gives our our physicians our physicians physicians and and and patients patients patients every every every advantage advantage advantage quality. We attract good doctors and other professionals. And we continually when it comes comes toto diagnosis and treatment. From routine check-ups tototo when it comes comes to diagnosis and treatment. From routine check-ups to when when when it it comes to diagnosis to diagnosis diagnosis and and and treatment. treatment. treatment. From From From routine routine routine check-ups check-ups check-ups to invest inittechnology that gives our physicians and patients every advantage specialized care, Marshall Medical off ers many convenient options. And, specialized care, Marshall Medical off ers many convenient options. And, specialized specialized specialized care, care, care, Marshall Marshall Medical Medical Medical offoff ers off ers many ers many many convenient convenient convenient options. options. And, And, when it comes toMarshall diagnosis and treatment. From routineoptions. check-ups toAnd, our affi liation with the Huntsville Hospital Health System means even our affi liation with the Huntsville Hospital Health System means even our our affi our affi liation affi liation liation with with with the the Huntsville the Huntsville Huntsville Hospital Hospital Health Health Health System System System means means means even even even specialized care, Marshall Medical offHospital ers many convenient options. And, greater resources forfor our community commitment. greater resources for our community commitment. greater greater greater resources resources resources for our for our community our community community commitment. commitment. commitment. our affiliation with the Huntsville Hospital Health System means even

greater resources for our community commitment.

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Marshall County Good Life Magazine - Winter 22

Articles inside

Out ‘n’ About

GLM highway

Good Fun

At the lodge

Good Cooking

Steve’s basement

Woods’ house

Good People

Good Eats

Good Getaways