Lakeside Living Magazine JULY 2026

LAKESIDE Living

u At the Hometown Block Party

u A Visit to Majestic Caverns

u Meet Me at the Lake See inside for more!

Martin

The orchid is nature’s reminder that beauty can come from struggle BETWEEN THE LINES

“There’s always something to learn,” I thought as I read about the white fringeless orchid.

I was unaware that such an orchid exists, much less that it exists in Alabama. An article shared via Alabama News Center filled in that gap in my knowledge of botany.

The white fringeless orchid is Platanthera Integrilabia, a federally protected plant found in Alabama and a few other Southeastern states (such as Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky). It thrives in boggy wetlands and likes sphagnum moss and lots of sunlight.

The rare flower blooms from late July to early September, showing off large “ghost-white” flowers with conspicuous long spurs. It can grow up to 24 inches tall and is typically found in partially shaded, flat, boggy areas at the head of streams or seepage slopes.

According to The Pollination Biology of North American Orchids, large butterflies (such as swallowtails, whose long tongues are adapted to probing the long, nectar-containing spur) are the plant’s primary pollinators, and during the past year, the rare species has been identified on several of Alabama Power’s transmission rights of way.

“Once we found the white fringeless orchid in a single wetland, we went back and surveyed the rest of our wetlands, finding it in a total of four wetlands,” said Dylan Shaw, a biologist for Alabama Power Environmental Affairs, adding that the utility provider has taken measures to protect the species on company-managed lands.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the white fringeless orchid as “threatened,” and quite a few things threaten it: logging, off-road vehicles, residential and commercial development, deer, feral hogs, draining of

wetlands, pollution of streams, damming of streams, road construction through its habitat, invasion by exotic pest plants such as Kudzu, plant poaching, and changes in water movement and distribution. Many populations, according to federal authorities, are small and have low reproductive rates.

“We take extra care in managing these wetlands to give the orchids the best possible growing habitat, joining a multistate effort to see this species reach recovery across its range,” Shaw said. “This is part of Alabama Power’s ongoing stewardship efforts to protect and preserve the orchid, and other sensitive species, in one of the nation’s most biodiverse states.”

Before keeping an eye out for blooming white fringeless orchids this month, you might appreciate reading Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Moreman’s take on more local vegetation in our Lakeside Flora & Fauna feature. There’s much more to enjoy and learn about in this issue, and we thank you for joining us for another month of Lakeside Living.

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Hook, Line & Sinker

July is the perfect month to spend time

ON THE WATER

Hot sun and crowded lakes are characteristic of July. It’s is the perfect time of year to keep it simple, have fun, and spend quality time with family.

My fishing tip advice this month is to get your life jackets ready, make sure you have sunscreen, throw a couple of those old Zebco Co 33s in the pontoon boat, and enjoy a day of swimming and fishing. Taking kids fishing in the summer doesn’t have to be precise. The joy of simple rides in a pleasure boat, stopping every now and then to make a cast, and keeping it informal can pay high dividends. The thrill of the outdoors far outweighs the catch or harvest itself.

I encourage you all to take the time to buy a box of red worms and bust out that old rod and reel that has been sitting on the pier for five years and take it with you on your next trip to the lake. You can thank me later.

As always, be sure to invest in your kids. The

outdoors will provide for them mental healing that can’t be obtained anywhere else.

Tight Lines & Strong Hooksets,

C.J. KNIGHT

Welcome to Pell City

Written by FAITH DORN

Photographed by TUCKER WEBB

For the past three years, the Pell City Historical Society held a collective vision of transforming a blank downtown wall into a vivid celebratory canvas of local heritage. That vision came to life in the heart of the city through an 86-foot-long masterpiece that blends public art with the city’s historical roots.

The project came to fruition through a collaborative effort spearheaded by the historical society and co-funded by Pell City Sparklight. For Denise Olivastri, a board member with the historical society, the journey from concept to reality began during a routine walk through the downtown district last year.

“I was walking downtown one day last year and saw the big white side wall of the Glitz and Glamour store located at 2007 Cogswell Ave and thought this could be the future place for a new vibrant piece of historic art,” she said.

After receiving approvals from store owner Pam Everidge and building owner Union State Bank, the historical society began moving the project forward. For an organization that focuses on promoting area history through educational formats ranging from walking tours to quarterly seminars, bringing history to life on a

giant public wall felt like an obvious step forward.

To execute the massive undertaking, the committee selected local artists Penny Arnold and Sundi Hawkins. Olivastri noted that the duo stood out not only for their exceptional artistic talents and professionalism but also for their sincere commitment to researching the community’s historic landmarks.

For both artists, the project was a monumental step up in scale. While Arnold had previously painted two public murals in nearby Riverside, this marked the largest canvas of her career.

“It is enormous. It is the largest mural I’ve ever done,” Arnold said.

The visual journey highlights several recognizable local landmarks. Featured prominently are Avondale Mills, the historic smoke stack and water tower and the Maxwell Building, which currently houses The Pizza Parlor and Ice Cream Company on Cogswell Avenue. The focal point of the artwork is the train and depot, representing the exact spot where Pell City began in 1890 after founder Sumter Cogswell missed a train connection, discovered the town was for sale and envisioned its potential for growth.

While the historical society wanted to ensure historical accuracy, Hawkins and Arnold also wanted to ensure the piece retained their signature vibrant aesthetic.

“Sundi and I both do really colorful artwork,” Arnold explained. “We went to Sherwin Williams and discovered that they had these wonderful historic paint colors that are from the period that they were wanting us to depict.”

Hawkins echoed that sentiment, noting that they specifically selected a “jazz age” color palette to bridge the gap between vintage authenticity and modern vibrancy.

“We wanted to keep it more of a vintage graphic type look, sort

of like a postcard,” Hawkins said. “It reads clearer for something like this.”

Transitioning from standard studio canvases to an 86-foot exterior wall brought a unique set of physical and technical challenges. Hawkins noted that outdoor mural work requires a completely different mindset.

“When I’m painting on a canvas, half the time, I don’t know what I’m going to paint,” Hawkins laughed. “You can’t do that

on such a large scale like this mural. You really need to lay everything out. There’s a lot of precision, a lot more math.”

“It is a lot of work. It was hard on your body, like a lot of up and down,” Hawkins said. “It’s way more physically demanding than a canvas, but we really enjoyed it and the end result, I think, was totally worth it.”

Weather also dictated their working window, as Alabama temperatures leave very small periods where exterior painting is viable.

“There’s really only two times a year that you can do it without it being a real struggle, and that is spring or fall,” Arnold noted. “If it’s too hot, the paint will literally not cure properly. It’ll dry too fast.”

The completed mural was officially unveiled during a recent

ribbon-cutting ceremony, an event that Olivastri described as a true symbol of collaboration and community pride.

The project relied heavily on a network of community support. Olivastri expressed gratitude to the mayor, city manager, city council, community engagement administrator, Sherwin Williams, THM Electrical, Rental Men, the Pell City Street and Maintenance Department, Glitz and Glamour, Union State Bank and countless volunteers who assisted along the way.

With the first major downtown mural complete, both artists are eager to keep the momentum going, noting that residents are already talking about potential future murals.

“We are just real believers that public art is really good for the community. It’s very positive and unifying,” Arnold said. “So we hope we get to do more.”

Majestic Caverns

An Alabama attraction that’s older than the nation

Written by CHERITH GLOVER FLUKER

Photography Courtesy of MAJESTIC CAVERNS

“My father is a caveman.”

Joy Sorensen said it with a laugh, but the first time she said it at school, her teacher didn’t think it was too funny. She was a student at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham when a substitute teacher went around the room asking students to answer simple questions in Spanish. When the teacher got to Joy, she asked what her father did for a living.

“I said he was a caveman,” Joy recalls. The class erupted. The substitute, certain she was being mocked, asked again. Joy repeated herself. More laughter. The teacher sent her to the principal’s office for being disrespectful.

“The principal had to meet with her and explain that my father really was a caveman, and I wasn’t being disrespectful.”

Joy sat in the office thinking about what she knew about

her friends’ parents — doctors, lawyers, HR administrators, construction managers. And then she thought about her own father, spending his days in the earth beneath Childersburg, stewarding one of the most historically significant caves in the country.

“I think that’s when I realized it was unique,” she says.

That cave is Majestic Caverns, and as the United States of America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Joy – the park’s president – wants people to know that this cave was here long before the country had a name.

The story of Majestic Caverns doesn’t begin with Joy, or even her father. It begins in 1912, when her great-great-grandmother, Ida Mathis, purchased the property. Ida was no ordinary woman. Her work as an agricultural reformer, credited with pulling Alabama out of financial ruin, earned her a place in the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame and the nickname “economic Moses of the South.”

“When you come from a family like that,” Joy says, “you grow up and you’re like, wow, she was a really big person.”

The cave had been in the Mathis family since Ida’s day,

eventually landing with Joy’s grandfather, who, despite living in Chicago, poured every dollar of lease income back into marketing the property rather than pocketing it. When Joy’s father came to see the cave after college, he ended up staying.

He really stayed. Joy’s father slept on a twin mattress in the back of a small gift shop, showering with a hose in the early mornings before guests arrived. He taught himself plumbing from a how-to book and converted that hose into an indoor shower so his Ohio-born bride would agree to move south. Everything leaked when Joy’s mother first arrived.

“Really, truly humble beginnings,” Joy says.

Allen Mathis, Joy’s father, built the gift shop, the maze, and the attractions. Many of them with his own hands. Today, at 74 years old, he still works at the cave. Joy recently received a photo from a maintenance worker: her father, the CEO, lying on the floor helping renovate the women’s restroom.

Before it was a tourist attraction, the cave was already ancient. The Indigenous people of the region called it Nanahungay — “Fathers Out of the Hill.” They believed it was the birthplace of their nation and the storytelling womb of their people. Artifacts found there date back 2,000 years to the Woodland Period, and the cave holds the remains of burial traditions long before the United States existed. In 1796, Benjamin Hawkins, an agent of George Washington’s administration, documented the cave, and his words have lasted. He wrote that some of the rooms appear as

works of art.

The formations he marveled at are still growing. “It’s one of the very few places you can go where people 2,000 years ago would have seen similar formations,” Joy says. “They would have seen the space look similarly.”

When Joy’s father took over stewardship of the cave, he made a decision that said something about the kind of family this is: the original human remains that had been displayed publicly were removed. He reached out to Native American descendants, invited them to rebury the remains in the cave with dignity, and stepped away so they could do it privately. To this day, he does not know where the remains were laid to rest.

“He felt like that was something they needed to do in a sacred time,” Joy says. “These are not our ancestors to display.”

In 2022, the cave changed its name from DeSoto Caverns to Majestic Caverns, and locally, people noticed. Joy has heard the criticisms and takes them in stride, though the timing of the announcement — she had just had a baby — made those early days harder than they needed to be. The reason for the change was practical: GPS apps and search engines had been sending visitors to DeSoto State Park near Fort Payne for years. One family pulled up in an RV with canoes strapped to the roof, certain they had reservations.

“It kept getting worse the more people just Googled DeSoto,” Joy says.

But the name wasn’t chosen carelessly. Native American leaders consulted on the change described the cave using words that translated to something close to majesty. They called it a place of reverence.

“To me,” Joy says, “it was an honoring name.”

As the country marks 250 years of nationhood, Joy has been thinking about what that anniversary really means and where Majestic Caverns fits into it. The cave holds layers of American history in a single place: Indigenous civilizations thousands of years before colonization, founding-era documentation from George Washington’s presidency, Civil War-era mineral mining, and more than a century of family stewardship.

“America’s story is not only written in monuments, cities, and battlefields,” she says. “It’s written in the land itself.”

For families looking for a meaningful way to mark the anniversary, Majestic Caverns offers a living, breathing piece of American history you can walk through. The same chambers that Benjamin Hawkins described in 1796 are still here, still growing, still waiting.

This summer, the cave has added a new layer to that experience with an America 250 laser light show produced by Joy’s husband, Jared Sorensen, a former off-Broadway director and producer. The show will run through July and is designed to share the historical significance of the space visitors are standing in during a cave tour.

People who have never been to Majestic Caverns sometimes ask Joy how to describe it. She borrows a line she admires: it leaves you speechless and turns you into a storyteller.

“The room is massive, colorful, and filled with formations that almost feel otherworldly,” she says. “When you see stone shapes

taller than a two-story building coming out of the ground, ten stories above you, it’s like looking at the night sky.”

The sixth generation of the family is already working at the park. The cave that Ida Mathis purchased on a piece of Alabama land more than a century ago is still family-owned.

“I live grateful,” Joy says, “for things people did without ever intending to benefit me.”

Her great-great-grandmother could not have known what she was starting. But Joy knows exactly where she stands — on the ceiling her parents built, in a cave her ancestors named, in a country that is just now catching up to a story the land has been telling for thousands of years.

Majestic Caverns is at 5181 DeSoto Caverns Parkway in Childersburg. Talladega County residents receive 20% off tickets with a valid ID. For tickets, hours, and information about the America 250 laser light show, visit majesticcaverns.com.

In addition to the cave tour,

offers more than 20 other attractions and activities.

Born to Compete

Inside the remarkable athletic legacy of a Pell City family

Written by LOYD MCINTOSH

Photographs provided by the

RICHARD FAMILY

If you were to ask your favorite AI platform to name some famous athletic families, a handful of names immediately pop up in the search results. If you know your sports history, you’re no doubt familiar with them: the Mannings, the Currys, and the Boones likely all spring to mind. However, another athletic family that should make the list is Pell City’s own, the Richards.

Many people around Pell City know the Richards well. But what many people may not know is that all five of the Richards

(pronounced in the French manner with a soft ch: Ri-shard) are all former or current college athletes. Furthermore, not only are they all jocks, but good ones, excelling at a total of six disciplines at seven institutions.

The Richards are obviously gifted athletically, but it also helps to be competitive, which they are - competitive to the

point of absolute madness. (They’re also dear friends of mine, so I can talk smack about them if I want - playfully, of course). Seriously, though, this crazy and amazing bunch can - and often does - turn everything into a competition.

“We don’t like to lose. We even drive two cars to church and race home,” admits Brian “Richie” Richard, the family patriarch. “I mean, we’ve raced over the border into Canada.”

That is where their story begins, in Richie’s hometown of Windsor, Ontario, a city just over the Canadian border and just seven miles from Detroit, Michigan, and a major hockey hotbed. Primarily playing left wing and moving to defense on power plays, Richie was a dual threat on skates; a prolific goal scorer and “enforcer” rolled up in one. “In junior hockey, I led the team in scoring and in penalty minutes,” says Richie with more than a hint of pride.

Despite being highly recruited out of high school, he decided against attending a four-year college and initially pursued a career in law enforcement. However, hiring policies at that time limited opportunities, forcing him to reevaluate his priorities. After putting his name out to recruiters, Richie was contacted by coaches from several major collegiate hockey programs, including Miami of Ohio and, believe it or not, Harvard.

“‘I said, number one, I don’t think I’ll be able to get into your school,’” recalled Richie regarding his conversation with Harvard coach Ronn Tomassoni. “‘Number two, if I do get into

your school, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay.’”

He eventually chose the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH), which, at the time, fielded a highly successful independent hockey team, one of the few below the MasonDixon line - a major selling point to the native Canadian. “The opportunity to come down and play hockey and wear shorts and flip-flops to the rink in January was very, very appealing.”

Richie played at UAH from 1992-95, a period that saw the Chargers shock the collegiate hockey scene, traveling around the country and beating some of the nation’s best teams, like Ohio State and a memorable trip to Rhode Island to play Providence. “They were ranked in the top five in the nation, calling us hicks from Alabama,” explains Rich, “and we beat them 4-2 in their rink.”

The team even made the cover of Sports Illustrated during that run, in which Richie can be seen sporting a cheesy mid90s mustache. How he landed a chick like Ali with that lip brow is anyone’s guess - even hers.

“We really didn’t like each other,” teases Ali, to which Riche responds, “She despised me.”

Richie went on to play a little minor league hockey for the Huntsville Channel Cats before hanging up his skates in the late 90s.

Ali Engram Richard grew up in Georgia and played for the Jonesboro Cardinals girls basketball team, where she excelled

CRAFTINGTHEULTIMATELAKELIFE

at the point guard position despite being a little taller than the average female roundball player. “I was actually a point guard in high school only because we didn’t have one,” Ali says.

Following graduation from high school, Ali went the junior college route, playing two years at Calhoun Community College in Decatur. Assigned the position of shooting guard, she was a standout for the Warhawks, setting a short-lived record in the NJCAA tournament by going seven-for-eight behind the threepoint line in a single game during her freshman year.

As her second year at Calhoun Community College was coming to an end, Ali figured her time on the court was over and prepared to return home to Georgia. However, a teammate who was transferring to UAH convinced her to try out for the Chargers.

“I was packed up, ready to come home, that May of my sophomore year. I don’t really know what I was going to do,” says Ali. “So I tried out, and I came right off the floor to sign, and my sweat literally tore the contract.”

She played two seasons for UAH as a forward, a fact that confuses her to this day. “I’ve never figured that out. I’m too tall for a point guard, but much too short for a forward.”

Ali completed her senior season and, once again, thought her college athletic career was over. However, she was noticed jogging on campus one day by the UAH Cross Country coach, who needed to fill a spot on the team quickly with a meet coming up in just a few days.

“He asked me if I wanted to run, and said he would give me a scholarship. I said, ‘I’m not fast,’ and he said, ‘I don’t have time to recruit.’ I mean, they had a meet that weekend,” Ali says. “He said, ‘I don’t expect you to win, but I know you’re competitive enough that you won’t get beaten by everybody.’”

After running cross country for one year, Ali’s years as a competitive athlete came to an end. The Richards were married in 1997, settled in Pell City, and started their family.

Many of us who live in Pell City practically watched Harbor, Saylor, and River grow up playing sports: club ball, junior high, and high school.

The girls gravitated to soccer and played together on their competitive club team in Trussville despite a two-year age difference. Richie remembers one of the first discussions he had with Saylor, who started the season on the bench, only to repeat the conversation after she took her older sister’s starting spot a few games later.

“‘Whenever you get the opportunity to get on the field, you don’t give them a reason to take you off,’” Richie said. “‘So you’ve got to go out and give it your all.’”

Before long, their talent and competitive spirit made it darn near impossible to get either one of them off the field. While Saylor’s path led her to spots on an elite travel team, both of them were key fixtures on the Pell City High School teams through the late 2010s-early 2020s and highly recruited by several regional colleges. Saylor also spent some time as a placekicker on the Panthers football team.

Harbor chose Faulkner University in Montgomery, where she played midfielder for one year during the turbulent 2020 season. Following her freshman campaign, Harbor was ready to start the next chapter of life, finishing a two-year degree in 18 months, marrying her fiancé, Bruce, and welcoming her daughter, Miley, in 2025.

Saylor initially chose the University of West Alabama, starting in 35 of 36 games during two seasons in Livingston. After a coaching change, Saylor transferred to Fort Hays State University in rural Hays, Kansas, where she quickly emerged as a major contributor.

In 2025, Saylor started in 11 games as a defender, scoring two goals and earning the MIAA Defender of the Week award in September.

The Richards knew Saylor was developing into a physically and emotionally tough athlete - she played football after all. But Ali was surprised getting her first glimpse of the MIAA’s brand of soccer at Saylor’s opening game of the season and came away with a new appreciation for what her daughter had signed up for.

“After the very first game, I told Saylor, ‘Wow, that was quite the physical game,’” Ali recalls. “And her coach laughed and told me that was a weak team.”

River played several sports as a kid, but early on, it was clear running was his specialty. Richie recalls River’s first race,

where they teamed up to run in a local 5K. The plan was for the pair to stick close to each other so Richie could keep on eye on the third grader. That plan quickly hit a snag.

“Ali called me during the race and said, ‘How are you guys doing?’ I said, ‘I haven’t seen him since about a quarter mile in,’” Richie says. “He finished ninth overall, and he was nine years old!”

River ran cross country in high school, graduating in 2025, and was recruited by several programs before committing to the University of Louisiana-Monroe. However, his freshman year got off to a rocky start. The coach who had recruited him left for another program before River set foot on campus, and a scholarship mix-up left the family in a difficult spot during move-in.

The Richards were encouraged to meet with the track and field coach J.D. Malone, who offered River a scholarship, opening a new door. River spent his freshman year competing in cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter, and outdoor track in the spring, running essentially year-round with no off-season.

He closed his freshman year by winning his first collegiate race — the 3,000-meter steeplechase — and is one of two nominees for ULM’s Rookie of the Year award. After lacing up his shoes and running for almost nine consecutive months, River has earned a little time.

“He is looking forward to his break,” Ali says during our

interview in early May.

For Richie and Ali, who, between them, played hockey, basketball, cross country, and professional hockey at high levels — and who know better than most what it takes to compete at that level — watching all three forge their own paths, excel on their own terms, and grow as people has been the greatest victory of all.

“For all three of them,” says Richie, “we’re just proud of their effort and everything they put into it.”

The Gateway to Logan Martin Lake

celebrates community during the 27th annual

HOMETOWN BLOCK PARTY

Written by LAURA NATION

Photography by TUCKER WEBB

From the mountains of the Tennessee Valley to the shores of the Gulf Coast, and everything inbetween (such as Logan Martin and Lay lakes), Alabama is second to none in the country when it comes to beautiful outdoors and recreation.

By early afternoon, lawn chairs were filling the Pell City Courthouse lawn, people were milling about to check out the shops and vendors, and lines were forming at the eatdrink-and-treat spots.

The city center was buzzing with activity, and for the 27th year, the city’s Hometown Block Party was ready to roll.

Stages were set, background music drifted through the trees, and youngsters ripped around all ready for the fun.

And that’s what the organizers like to see, said Urainah

Glidewell, executive director of the Pell City Chamber of Commerce, which created the event nearly three decades ago.

“Our goal is to bring the community together and to showcase Pell City,” she said. “From local talent to local vendors, our event is all-inclusive and we try to offer something for everyone of all ages.”

The planning committee includes many city departments in addition to the chamber’s volunteers. Also helpful are local students and those who just want to step up to the cause.

“We work closely with the City of Pell City, the street department, and the Pell City Police Department on logistics, street closures, layout, all these things have to be arranged,” Glidewell said. “Set-up and cleanup before, during, and after the event is helped by a lot of volunteers. This year we were so glad to have the help of the Pell City High School Future Business Leaders of America, Girl Scout Troop 24216, members of the Pell City Panthers football team, and individual volunteers that kept the event moving.”

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Volunteers divvy up the jobs, from working in the VIP area to feeding other volunteers and sponsors to making announcements for the audiences on stage. Volunteers also make sure performers are taken care of, and they drive golf cart shuttles to get visitors back to their cars — just a variety of items on the “to do” list to make things happen, Glidewell said.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see everyone come out and enjoy themselves, to see families listening and dancing to the music, or playing in the kids fun zone, and people bringing their fur babies to get loved on,” she said. “We’re so grateful for everyone who joined us this year.”

There’s no fee or charge of any kind for attending, indicative of the giving nature of Block Party sponsors who reflect many of the area’s businesses and industries.

After all the work is done, Block Party planners waste no time in sitting down together to review their event.

“We have a Block Party Planning Committee that really hits the ground running in January, but we start with a follow-up meeting right after the previous block party

to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what we can improve,” Glidewell said.

“Our goal is to make it better every year,” she said.

The Block Party Planning Committee is made up of volunteers from the Pell City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Chamber Ambassadors, City of Pell City employees, and the Pell City Police Department.

Meet Me At The Lake

Mallory Walls

Written by BUDDY ROBERTS

It was a year ago that artist and Pell City native Mallory Walls completed her hometown’s first outdoor mural, and her memories of the project are still vivid.

“The week we finished it was the hottest week of the whole year,” she recalls. “It was a lot of hard work, but it was all worth it because of how the mural has resonated with so many people.”

Mallory’s mural is on the side of The Houston Project building at 1916 Cogswell Avenue in downtown Pell City. It depicts silhouettes of two American military servicemembers cast upon a United States flag, with the phrase “never forgotten” painted below it.

“The fact that you can’t see the faces, ages, or ethnicities of the male and female figures is intentional,” the artist said. “And you would not believe the number of veterans who

have reached out to Michelle to say they’ve never felt so represented in a tribute to veterans.

Michelle Tumlin, founder of The Houston Project, commissioned Mallory to create the mural for the same reason she founded the nonprofit organization named for her son Sgt. Houston Tumlin – to support and honor those who serve and have served in the U.S. military. A decorated veteran, Houston served for six years in the U.S. Army as a member of the 101st Airborne Division.

Mallory didn’t know Houston well – “I met him in passing. He was a few years older than me.” – but got to know his mother when she joined a Zumba small group Michelle led at Victory Christian, where Mallory also graduated from high school. It was 2023 when Michelle asked Mallory, who had developed a reputation as a talented artist – to paint the mural on the canvas of her building.

“It took two years to get all the permits together and

get everything approved,” Mallory said. “Michelle wanted something timeless and simple, a timeless piece that would honor veterans in the area and resonate with them. And it has been so impactful in ways neither me nor Michelle was expecting.”

But the heat, the elements, and the adherence to realism didn’t make it easy. Such as when it was pointed out that the military salute is done with the right hand after Mallory has already painted the figures saluting with their left hands.

“Michelle and I decided right away, for accuracy and respect, that we needed to adjust,” Mallory recalled. “But the

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lift was only rented for five days total, so we’d have to act on it immediately.” She credits Brian Meunger (then Pell City’s city manager) and the Pell City Fire Department with helping her revise the mural by setting up spotlights so she could work after dark to change hands on the salute. “My mom

and dad came down and sat with me while I worked at night, and someone I didn’t even know came by and brought me a lemonade and a brownie,” she said. “It felt like a Hallmark movie with the whole community coming together to make it happen.”

SIMPLICITY IN A BLADE OF GRASS Lakeside Flora & Fauna

Written by

DR. SARAH ELIZABETH MOREMAN

Photographed by BUDDY ROBERTS AND TUCKER WEBB

Aseemingly abandoned picnic pavilion appears across the brook that slowly winds its way to the lake a mile away. Rolling the four-wheeler to a stop, I lean back in the leather seat as I study the weathered structure still standing strong under heavy canopies of oaks and pines that shadow the patched roof. One lone wooden picnic table sits in the shadowed center beneath the roof. On one side of the open structure stands a brick chimney crowded by overgrown bushes. Overgrown grasses, wheat, cattails, and brambles surround the pavilion in the middle of a sunlit meadow.

The pavilion looks inviting as a peaceful, private place – romantic, even. I can easily imagine ladybugs moving through the daylight and fireflies rising at night, their glow deepening the sense of quiet romance undisturbed by the presence of human beings.

I shut off the engine and climb off the four-wheeler. In my high heels, I take care wading through the tall grasses, which leave feathery, lintlike residue on my denim dress. I step closer to the picnic table, enjoying the cool shade as I gaze at the tall sunlit

grasses surrounding the pavilion. It feels like being cocooned inside a bright firefly whose light never goes out.

Hearing another set of wheels crunching and snapping the natural debris of twigs, dried leaves, and

pebbles, I turn to smile at Kasey Flurry. Rolling up beside my four-wheeler without shutting off her engine, she lifts a hand in a quick wave. She had been on her phone earlier and told me to go on ahead to this almost forgotten pavilion before we returned to the lake for an impromptu gathering complete with well-deserved cold lemonade in our thermos. It has been a long while since we first met, after I took a photograph of her younger daughter, Charles, all decked out in her pirate’s costume, that ended up on the cover of an issue of Lakeside Living.

When we first met, we clicked instantly. But only now are we finally following through our promise to meet for a cup of coffee, or in this case lemonade, simply to connect and share our perspectives about life. This spontaneous, lemonade-infused meet-up happened thanks to a local

four-wheeler dealer asking us to try out these new models around the lake and through the wooded trails. He handed over this thermos filled with freshly squeezed lemonade, the kind his wife is well-known for making on days like this one. After sampling a bit before the ride over to the pavilion, it tastes a bit like Auburn’s Toomer’s Lemonade, with a touch of her own secret ingredient.

“C’mon, let’s go back to the lake! There are burgers waiting for us,” Kasey calls out. My stomach growls at the thought of the juiciness of the beef.

“Okay! Hold on.” I gingerly walk back through the same narrow path in the tall wild grasses that I cut through earlier.

“I do not know how you manage to drive the fourwheeler in those stilettos!” Kasey laughs. I laugh in

response before swinging my leg over in the most graceful way possible and throttling the four-wheeler back to life. Following Kasey around the edge of the grassy meadow to the other side before plunging back into the woods along a trail that loops towards the lake.

Once we break out into the open, well-mown grassy banks spread wide, framing the lake ahead of us. We keep going until we return the four-wheelers to the dealer. After thanking him, he urges us to join others on the grassy banks for the picnic. The smell of grilled burgers make my mouth water, and I lean over to retrieve the thermos of lemonade to slake my thirst.

After retrieving paper plates holding large grilled burgers

complete with a pickle spear, hers with baked beans, which I do not particularly care for, Kasey and I walk over to the grass, talking about anything and nothing, laughing along the way. We choose a spot and sit directly on the grass. After placing my plate beside me, I lean over to peel off the straps of my heels so my feet can feel the luxurious feel of the blades of grass. Kasey keeps her bright pink and white Pumas on.

I pull a blade of grass and take a closer look at it before opening my mouth, “A single blade of grass gives me this sense of comfort, because it reminds me how life can be simple when we stop and smell the grass.” She laughs before nodding in agreement.

CALENDAR OF

JULY 11

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Pier 59 and The Christmas in July Committee host this 17th annual fundraiser, with proceeds providing holiday gifts for students at the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind. The event will feature a boat poker run, a live auction, and live music. For more information, call Becky Watson and 256-761-3318.

JULY 4 LIGHTS OVER LOGAN MARTIN

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the City of Pell City has doubled the size of its annual fireworks extravaganza. The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Pell City Sports Complex, with the fireworks show starting at 9 p.m. Admission is free. The sports complex will also host a designated children’s area, food trucks, and live music. Free promotional items will be available from participating sponsors. For information about parking, vendor details, and event schedules, visit pellcity.gov/250.

JULY 17-18 BULLS ON THE LAKE RODEO

The two nights of fun supporting Pell City FFA Alumni will be hosted at the Pell City Sports Complex. Gates open at 5 p.m. both nights. Admission is cash only at the gate; ATMs will be on site. Tickets are $15 for the Professional Junior Rodeo/Mutton Bustin’ on July 17, and tickets are $20 for the Professional Bull/ Bronc Riding on July 18. Children age 5 and younger will be admitted free. The event will feature professional bull riding and bronc riding, mutton busting, food and clothing vendors, and activities for children. For ticket information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

CALENDAR OF

JULY 24-25

LINCOLN PRO RODEO

Lincoln’s Landing hosts this event – returning for its second year – with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. both days. Presented by the Southern Rodeo Company (a family-owned business that has grown to be one of the largest rodeo companies in the Southeast), the event features such traditional rodeo competitions as bull riding and barrel racing. For ticket information, visit rodeotickets.com.

AUGUST 1 GBAHB POKER RUN

This event is scheduled for 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at The Tiki Hut, organized by the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders. Registration and check-in begin at 10 a.m., with boats hitting the water for a fun-filled day of poker hands, great scenery, and friendly competition. Entry is $100 per poker hand, with a fee of $25 for additional cards. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winning hands, plus a prize for the Best Themed Boat. The Tiki Hut will host an after party from 4–7 p.m. featuring live music by Mainstream Band, food, and drinks. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

AUGUST 1 KISS: DESTROYER

The Black Jacket Symphony returns to Pell City’s Center for Education and Performing Arts with a note-for-note live performance of the KISS album Destroyer, followed by a second set of the band’s greatest hits. Known for precision, high-energy performances, and immersive recreations of classic albums, the BJS delivers a concert experience that captures the sound and spirit of some of rock’s most significant records. Tickets are available online at pellcitycepa.com/tickets.

1

A Lakeside Living guide to

1 – Poor House Branch Marina

2 – Aztecas Mexican

3 – Jade East

4 – Triple G’s

5 – Jimmy’s Country Store

6 – Pell City Steak House

7 – Oishi Asian Restaurant

8 – Coosa Cafe & Creamery

9 – Daylight Donuts

A – Logan Martin Dam

B – Lakeside Park

C – Stemley Bridge

D – St. Clair Airport

E – Mays Bend

F – Choccolocco Creek

G – Dye Creek

H – Blue Eye Creek

Pell City North of I-20

3

2

MONDAY -T HURSDAY 7AM-4PM•FRIDAY7AM-2PM

1250CrossoverRd.,Cropwell

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Southerncharmon14sereneacres! Thisstunning 5BR/4BAhomefeaturesdualprimarysuitesonthe mainlevel,threeadditionalbedroomsupstairs,family roomsonbothlevels,and adedicatedoffice. The spaciouseat-inkitchenoffersgranitecountertopsand newerappliances,perfectforentertaining

Stunningfullyremodeled2-storyhomewithapprox. 3,912 ±sqft,offering4BR/3BAplus afinished basementsituatedon 1acrejustminutesfromHonda, TalladegaSuperspeedway,andLincoln’sshopping& dining.UpdatesincludeNEWHVAC,water heater, flooring,paint,kitchenandmuchmore--move inready!

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REDUCEDPRICE

Enjoylakelivingwith abeautifulviewof LoganMartin Lake froma spaciousbig-screenporch—perfect forrelaxingorentertaining. This completelyremodeled2-bedroom,2-bathhome(2011,14x66)sitsona desirablecornerlot,offeringprivacyandcharm. Thepropertyincludesa 16x32garage/storagebuilding,ideal forboats,tools,orhobbies. Located in awelcomingcommunitywithaccessto aboatlaunchandpier,it’s perfect forwaterlovers.Move-inreadywithmodernupdatesthroughout, thishomecombinescomfort,convenience.

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Thiswellmaintained3-bedroom, 2bathhomeofferscomfortandconvenience justminutesfromlaunching yourboaton LoganMartin Lake,witha pleasant lakeviewtoenjoy.Inside, you’llfindfreshinteriorpaint,granitecountertops, stainlesssteelappliances,and aspaciouskitchen withanislandperfect for cookingandgathering. Thehomealso features adoublecargarageand atall crawlspace youcan standupin forextrastorageoraccess.Outside,enjoya fencedbackyardcompletewithfirepit,ideal forrelaxing evenings.Conveniently locatednearI-20 foreasycommute.

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Beautifulone-levelbrickhomeinMorris Farmsjustminutesfrom Logan Martin Lake!Enjoyapeacefulcountryfeelwithcityconveniencesnearby. This3BR/2BAhomesitson aprivatecornerlotwith aspaciouswooded yard,stunningingroundfiberglasspool,poolhouse, fencedbackyard,and largeopendeckperfect forentertaining.Inside features avaulted family roomwithgasfireplace,separatedining room,and aspaciousmaster suitewithdouble vanities,soakingtub,separateshower,andwalk-in closet.Main-level2-cargarage.ConvenientlylocatedoffI-20near Pell City,Honda, TheArkRestaurant,andshopping.

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Imagine yourdreamhomesituatedonthisbeautiful 4acre woodedlotinOdenville. LocatedinthequietHickoryLn subdivision,thispropertyisconvenienttoMoody, Pell City,or Odenville.Itisapproximately 6milesfromI-20 exit 152,or approximately 8milesfromI-20 Pell City exit 158.Restrictedto 1400+SFsite-builthomes. Thislotwouldbegreat foryour basementhome.Sorry,nomobilehomesallowed.

MLS1357213

Lakeside Chats with CHERITH

The Professional Yapper

In July, we celebrate declarations. We celebrate the bold ones, the ones written on parchment and signed in ink, the ones that changed the course of history. But some declarations are quieter, not made in front of a crowd but in the middle of a farmer’s market on an ordinary summer morning.

Mine came in the form of a sparkly sticker. It read: Professional Yapper. I purchased it immediately.

I didn’t purchase it because it was cute, but because it is, without question, one of the most accurate descriptions of me that has ever been printed on an adhesive surface. My daughter confirmed it was an accurate purchase.

Since grade school, I have been told that I talk too much. I have sat in corners and missed a recess or two. Notes may or may not have traveled home to my parents in my backpack describing, in polite teacher language, that their daughter simply would not stop talking. And if any of those teachers are reading this, I want you to know: moving me to a different seat was never going to work. You just helped me make new friends.

As I got older, I didn’t talk any less than I did when I was a kid. I just learned to be more intentional about when and how I use my voice. And over time, what had once gotten me into trouble was becoming one of my greatest assets.

Here’s what being a talker has actually given me.

I talk to strangers, which means my world is enormous. I have struck up conversations in checkout lines, waiting

rooms, coffee shops, and yes, farmer’s markets, that turned into stories I never would have found otherwise. Some of my best writing ideas have come from a five-minute conversation with someone I will probably never see again. When you’re genuinely curious about people and unafraid to show it, they open up. And people’s lives, it turns out, are endlessly interesting.

I am not afraid to speak in front of a group, which has literally earned me money. Standing up in front of a room full of people and holding their attention is something a lot of folks dread deeply. For me, it has always felt natural, maybe because I’ve been practicing since the second grade. Speaking engagements, presentations, panels — these opportunities have come my way in part because I showed up ready to talk and wasn’t nervous about it.

Being a talker doesn’t mean I don’t know when to listen. But I’ve stopped treating my most natural quality like something that needs correcting. I’ve stopped apologizing for being someone who fills a room, asks questions, and starts conversations.

This July, that’s my declaration of independence. A celebration of the freedom to simply be who I am, loudly and unapologetically.

The sticker is going on my laptop. Professional Yapper, fully certified, and not a bit sorry about it.

FROMYOUR FIRST HOME TOYOURDREAMHOME.

Buying ahomeis oneoflife’sbiggestmilestones,andwhetherit’syourveryfirstplaceorthe homeyou’vealwaysdreamedof,we’reheretohelpmakeithappen.AtFirst BankofAlabama, ourlocalexpertsguideyoueverystepofthewaywithcompetitiverates,personalizedservice, and acommitmenttomakingyourdream areality.StartyourjourneyhomewithFirstBankof Alabamabecauseevery greatstorybegins withafirst.