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CADEN’S LIGHT
Pell City teen embracing life
MORE TO COME Big things happening at Big Canoe Creek VETERANS SALUTE Mural honors those who have served
Traveling the Backroads
Willie Mae Turner Beavers
Rising Star
Modeling’s latest sensation is from Ashville Page 34
Veterans Salute
Pell City Museum special exhibit, jet simulator, documentary Page 50
Pell City Rotary
A new generation of leaders embrace Service Above Self Page 56
St. Clair Business
Downtown Pell City: A slate of new businesses open their doors in historic district Page 60
Elaine Hobson Miller: Discover writer adds to her extensive list of honors Page 70
Moody development: $100-million project in the works for city Page 72
Final Focus The Fallow Season Page 74
Education Coordinator Lucy Cleaver shows off a fish species sign at Big Canoe Creek Preserve. Photo by
Carol Pappas is editor and publisher of Discover St. Clair Magazine. A retired newspaper executive, she served as editor and publisher of several newspapers and magazines. She won dozens of writing awards and was a Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist at Auburn. She serves as president/CEO of Partners by Design, which publishes Discover and LakeLife 24/7 Magazine®.
Graham Hadley is the managing editor and designer for Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine and also manages the magazine website. Along with Carol Pappas, he left The Daily Home as managing editor to become vice president of the Creative Division of Partners by Design multimedia company.
Roxann Edsall is a freelance writer and former managing editor of Convene Magazine, a convention industry publication. She has a degree in (broadcast) journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi, worked as a television news reporter in Biloxi and as a reporter and assignments editor in Birmingham.
Paul South, a native of Fairfield, is an Auburn graduate with a degree in journalism and a double minor in history. He also has a Juris Doctorate degree from the Birmingham School of Law. Although sports writing was always his first love, he had a versatile career as reporter, columnist and first full-time sports information director at Samford University.
Wally graduated from Auburn University where he graduated in 1976 with his BA in History and minors in German and Education. Wally’s skills in photography blossomed during college.After a 30-year career, he decided to dust off his camera skills and pursue photography full time.
Joe Whitten was born in Bryant on Sand Mountain. When he arrived in Odenville in 1961 to teach at St. Clair County High School, he found a place to call home. Joe was active in the Alabama Writers’ Conclave and the Alabama State Poetry Society. The society named him Poet of the Year in 2000. Joe has also published several local history books.
Mackenzie Free is an experienced and nationally published photographer with a bachelor of fine arts degree. She is a Birmingham native now cultivating life on a farm in Steele with her husband & 4 daughters.
Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes – some big, some small. Sometimes, it surrounds you. Other times, it comes in a fleeting moment. It can arrive by way of all kinds of sources at any time. And sometimes, it seems to emerge from everywhere all at once.
That last thought – everywhere all at once – is where I found myself as I looked over the stories for this edition. It’s strange how with no real plan for that outcome, they tend to follow a theme. It’s like unraveling a common thread as I read.
Leading the list of inspiring stories is that of Caden Nelson at Pell City’s First Baptist Church. A 15-year-old with spina bifida, he cannot do many of the things most of us take for granted. But his faith guides him and a good day for him is simple: “… Making people happy.”
Ashville’s Alex Wise is a testament to what can happen when you believe in yourself and step outside your comfort zone. The 17-year-old Ashville High student is fresh from signing a model and acting contract in Los Angeles. Once painfully shy, Alex is headed toward a promising career choice.
Historic Downtown Pell City has seen its share of inspiration of late. Entrepreneurs are following dreams and opening up businesses. An antique shop, a bookstore, an acai café and a hair salon have all located in the square block between 18th and 17th Streets on Cogswell and 1st Avenue.
Down the block, look for a children’s boutique and an expanded printing operation to open soon.
In Springville, Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve is celebrating the hiring of Lucy Cleaver as a full-time education coordinator. After all, that’s what it’s all about – teaching future generations the value in nature.
As Veteran’s Day approaches, Michelle Tumlin of the Houston Project has added something special to downtown Pell City as an enduring reminder of how blessed we are
because of the sacrifice of our military. It’s a mural depicting a military salute to the American flag.
And at Pell City Rotary Club, celebrating its 50th birthday this year, is ushering in a new era for the club with a new generation of members joining their ranks and living up to its guiding principle – Service Above Self.
As always, there’s plenty more in this issue of Discover Magazine. Turn the page and discover it all with us!
Carol Pappas Editor and Publisher
Carol Pappas • Editor and Publisher
Graham Hadley • Managing Editor and Designer Dale Halpin • Advertising
Design
Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free
Submitted Photos
Paulina and Dan Gilliland and Caden’s dad, Chad, assist with baptism
To know him is to love him, say family and friends. They’re describing 15-year-old Caden Nelson, a young man with profound physical challenges but equally profound gifts. At first meeting, it will likely take a bit of effort to understand his speech, but his words pack such enthusiasm and joy, the effort is well spent.
Describing an encounter with Caden is like trying to describe light. He is both complex and simple. His thoughts are deep, but his activities are childlike. He is a beautiful combination of youthful exuberance and parental encouragement. He is both challenged and accomplished. He entered the world with a mountain of challenges before him, yet he describes the mountains with wonder and determination.
Those who meet him are blessed by his ability to fill the room with joy. That joy comes from his appreciation for life and an intense gratitude for those who have encouraged him and who continue to support his journey. This is Caden’s story.
Caden was born prematurely at 30 weeks, weighing just over three pounds. His mother, Anna, was under the care of a maternal fetal specialist in Miami, Florida. Her prenatal testing had revealed that the baby was suffering from a bladder outlet obstruction, which required doctors to insert a shunt through the amniotic fluid to help his body flush fluids. A host of additional medical issues were discovered at birth.
“Caden was not expected to survive,” says Anna. “We were told when he was five days old and had gone for his first surgery that he would bankrupt us physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. We knew about the bladder obstruction, but after he was born, we learned he had paper-thin abdominal muscles, neuronal intestinal dysplasia, prune-belly syndrome, scoliosis and kyphosis. The doctors said we should just let him pass away.” When Anna and Chad rejected that option, and Caden outlived the doctor’s expectations, doctors stopped issuing life expectancies.
Unlike most teenagers, Caden has never eaten a hamburger or grabbed a handful of cookies, never hung out with friends to share a pizza. In fact, he’s never taken a bite of anything. Neuronal intestinal dysplasia type B essentially means his intestinal system does not work. Because of that condition, he cannot digest food, so it is fed through a central line which goes through one of the veins near his heart.
All this, he takes in stride and doesn’t let it dampen his appetite for life. “Making people happy is a good day for me,” Caden says. He talks openly about his faith and his gratitude for life’s journey. “Jesus is like my first Dad before I met my Dad,” he adds. “He’s helped me all my life through all my surgeries on my back and with the halo surgery.”
It is difficult to imagine all the surgeries in Caden’s young life. They began with exploratory surgery at five days old, spinal fusion surgery at seven months old, more surgery at 10 years old to put rods in his back, which required a halo for six weeks to keep his back aligned so he could heal properly. After those rods broke, he required additional surgery to replace them.
“He can walk but has a walker and a wheelchair to help sometimes,” says dad Chad. “If we are going somewhere like the zoo or the mall, we take the wheelchair. If he just needs to walk from the house to the car, he can use the walker.” Anna adds that it is crucial that he not fall, so they must be very careful.
“He has some breathing issues because the scoliosis and kyphosis caused restrictive lung disease,” explains Anna. “If he gets sick with a cold or something, it’s harder for him to get over it.” You wouldn’t know it on a typical day, though, she says, other than he gets winded walking any distance.
Most days, he doesn’t walk far. School comes to him in the form of Anna’s cousin, Kyla Dunn. Everyday Lala, as he calls her, comes to the house to take care of him and his younger sister, three-year-old Alyssa, while Chad goes to work as a firefighter.
Caden patiently plays with little sister, Alyssa
Always joyful, wherever he goes
Caden shares a hug with mom, Anna
Visiting the happiest place with Dad, Mom, brothers Luke and Jacob, and sister Alyssa
Everpresent smile
Anna does contract work as a speech therapist.
When Alyssa goes down for her nap, Lala and Caden, who is in 9th grade, get to work. “Initially, I was just going to help a couple of days a week,” says Kyla. “But I was needed, and I believe with all my heart that this is the ministry God put me in. I’m grateful for every day we have.” Sitting on the arm of her chair and beaming at her, Caden says, “I love school, and I love Lala. We’ve been together almost 13 years.” He says he wants to be a caregiver like Lala when he grows up.
“We’re just happy to be celebrating another birthday with him,” Anna adds, talking about his summer birthday. “He still picks out what kind of cake or cupcakes he wants. He just can’t eat them.”
Usually given the choice to have a birthday party or to go on a trip to celebrate, most often he chooses to travel. He’s been on many trips that coincided with out-of-town specialist visits to New York City but has also taken the Christmas train out of Blue Ridge, Georgia, gone to both Disney World and Disneyland, and last year went to Branson, Missouri and rode the train to the Ozarks.
“We try really hard to give him all the experiences we can,” Chad explains. “His pediatrician asked him recently if there was anything else he wants to do that he hasn’t done already, and he couldn’t think of anything.”
One thing Caden checked off his list recently was being baptized. He’d never done it because, even though he had professed his faith, there was a problem, and its name was water. Because he receives his nutrition through the central line in his chest, known as a TPN (total parenteral nutrition), that line must stay dry to keep from getting an infection from bacteria. For that reason, he’s never been in a pool, a lake or a bathtub.
Never shy of a challenge, Caden insisted on baptism by
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immersion. “I wanted to do it right, the way God wants it to be,” says Caden, adding, “Mama was terrified because me and water don’t mix well. But I took it like a pro.”
“It was definitely a challenge,” says Chad. “I used Tegaderm (a waterproof wound dressing) under his line, put gauze over it, then covered it again with the Tegaderm so it was double layered.” This milestone made for a perfect gift for Dad, as it occurred on Father’s Day. A photo of the special event shows a very proud Caden in a victory pose after coming out of the water.
Anna and Chad are intentional in doing their best to give him experiences like those available to their younger children, 11-yearold Luke, 7-year-old Jacob and 3-year-old Alyssa. They also hold him to the same rules. “He just got ungrounded yesterday and got his PlayStation back,” says Anna. “In the beginning, I was worried about getting on to him, but now he’s held to the same standards as the other children.”
Anna says he knows he is different and that there are things he cannot do. “Regardless of his situation,” she says, “he stays so positive.” Chad echoes the admiration for Caden’s positivity. “Caden has changed my life. With him sharing his positive attitude and love for Jesus, he’s definitely made me a better person.”
“He is just very sweet and rarely has anything negative to say,” says Anna. “He normally doesn’t complain of pain or anything like that.” Chad agrees. “When he comes in the room, everyone is excited to see him. He loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor.”
His favorite things are trains, video games, his dog, Cooper, and his family and friends. Caden also loves singing and dancing and has recently sung a solo in church. The chance for the family to be in church together is a recent joy for Chad and Anna. First Baptist Church Pell City added a special needs class to their offerings this past year, allowing the family time to worship together while making sure Caden had opportunities that fit his needs.
Going to his class makes Caden smile. Dan Gilliland is one of his teachers at church, and he can’t say enough about being with Caden.
“He always gives the other students the best markers and serves others first,” says Gilliland. “From the minute he joined the class, he changed the lives of everyone in this class and all who meet him. Aside from my mother, no one has impacted my life by showing the way Jesus wants us to live more than Caden Nelson.”
Gilliland has a message for others. “If you get a chance to meet him, do it. He’s a joy, and he will pass some joy to you!”
And you’ll likely get a hug. l
Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free
When Dan and Paulina Gilliland started attending First Baptist Church Pell City over four years ago, they knew they wanted to be a part of a ministry that benefitted families with special needs. Dan had 40 years of experience working with special needs youth and adults in Shelby County and in Mountain Brook schools and as program director at Easterseals Camp ASCCA. Paulina, a registered nurse, worked with him at Camp ASCCA for several years.
The church leadership had been working on putting together a team to offer a special needs class, and the fit was right for the Gillilands to help support that vision. For nearly a year now, special needs students have had a place where they fit in, a place focused on meeting the needs of individuals with varied abilities. The class is regularly attended by three to four students.
“My wife, Paulina, is the core, the lifeblood of the class,” says Gilliland. “She holds everything together, gives us all assignments for the week.” Four other dedicated teachers – Jennifer Jensen, Joe McGaha, Winford Hill and Tina Stallings – round out the volunteer staff.
Chad Nelson is parent to one of those students and he describes the challenge of attending church prior to this class offering. “When they started the class, it allowed Caden to have a place, a group of teachers and friends that he loves and is excited to see,” explains Chad. “It allows Anna and me to attend worship, just the two of us without kids.”
Anna Nelson adds that other churches never seemed to “fit” their family. “It just never felt like there was a place that fit all of us,” she adds. “But I don’t think that population is being overlooked intentionally. Unless people are in a situation where they have kids with physical or mental limitations, that group gets overlooked inadvertently. This program at First Baptist could be a great outreach program for the community.”
For more information or to enroll your student in the class, email Rev. Chris Dewaal, minister to children and families at cdewaal@fbcpellcity.org or call the church at 205-338-9444. The class is held each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Story by Paul South
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submitted photos
“Come to the woods, for here is rest.”
— John Muir, American naturalist
Even in late August on the banks of Big Canoe Creek, change was in the air. Doug Morrison can see it from his side porch as he sips his morning coffee.
Leaves turned red, yellow and gold. Some even surrendered without a fight to the coming autumn. Soon, a crisp chill will be at home in the air, exciting stuff after months of heat and humidity.
But for Morrison, manager of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, nature isn’t the only architect of transformation. There are exciting human changes coming this fall to the 422-acre preserve in Springville, part of Alabama’s Forever Wild lands.
The preserve, one of the most biodiverse parcels of land in the nation’s fourth-most biodiverse state, has a new education coordinator, Auburn University graduate Lucy Cleaver.
Lucy Cleaver shows off a sign listing the various fish species in the Nature Preserve
“We’ve got endangered species and threatened species in the Big Canoe Creek watershed,” Morrison said. “She will be working with different educational programs. We’re about to light it up and make it happen.”
Cleaver, a native of Salem, Ala., holds a master’s degree in natural resource management from Auburn. She assumed her current role in August but has worked for the City of Springville for about three years.
Her work extends beyond the preserve and area schoolchildren, she said, even though she’s already conducted field trips for classes.
“When people think about outdoor education, they think it’s
mostly about K-12 groups,” she said.
“But it’s also my goal to reach out to our landowners in St. Clair County. It’s equally important to me to educate them as to what they can do on their own property to help our entire watershed. It’s not just about what’s going on at the preserve. I want to make sure everybody has access to the knowledge that we have.”
Cleaver also plans to partner with entities like The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Geological Survey of Alabama, St. Clair County Soil Conservation District and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service.
The preserve, which opened in 2024, boasts some eight miles of trails, including one hiking only trail (Creek Loop), two combination hiking and biking trails (the Fallen Oak and Slab Creek trails) and one combination hiking and horseback riding trail, called the Easy Rider trail.
Biodiversity on display
The magic of the preserve’s flora and fauna – even Creation’s s smallest treasures – captures the imagination of visitors.
Some examples? Consider the Canoe Creek Clubshell, a freshwater mussel found only in the Big Canoe Creek Watershed and listed as endangered on the Endangered Species List. It’s an important barometer of the health of the creek, Morrison said.
Local students learning about the animals found in the Preserve
“Mussels are important to the water system because they’re livers for the river because they filter the water,” Morrison said. “They are also good bio-indicators. If they are there, it means the water hasn’t been polluted enough to kill them. Their food source comes from the water and as they ingest the water, they filter the water, thereby cleaning turbid water of sediment.”
The tri-spot darter, featured on the preserve’s logo, is a threatened species. It also calls the preserve home. The small fish features three dark saddle-like markings on its back. But during the mating season, males become brightly colored reddish orange and green.
Other aquatic species in the watershed found in a tributary of the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve are the Western Blacknose Dace, a creature not documented in the area since the 1980s. A new find, the Gold Striped Darter was recently discovered, which is a rare find above the Fall Line.
For plant lovers, there are an array of blossoms – Mountain Laurel in the spring and wild azaleas are plentiful. The oak leaf hydrangea has bloomed out for the season. There are stands of Woodland Spider lilies, similar to the Cahaba Lily and a variety of irises and other wildflowers.
In the fall, Morrison said, the resplendent
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purple Beauty Berries are plentiful. The forest becomes more open as the leaves tumble to the ground.
“There are beautiful, big patches of old hardwoods,” Morrison said. “We have persimmons, paw paw trees, Muscadine.”
The unique finds fit the preserve’s motto, “Explore and Discover.”
An exciting journey ahead
As far as future goals for the preserve, Morrison is excited.
“We’re wide open,” he said.
An August grant of more than $335,000 from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will help fund the construction of a new open-air educational pavilion. The project will also get a boost of nearly $84,000 in local matching funds.
The new facility will house restrooms, an area to host educational classes and general gathering space.
“One of our locals, Mike McCown worked diligently with me and (St. Clair Economic Development Council Grants and Leadership Director) Candice Hill on the grant application. Mike really put a lot of time and effort into this. As a matter of fact, he inserted many links to past articles in Discover (magazine) that I believe helped craft the story. Our journey speaks for itself, a journey of perseverance, faith and huge community involvement. We are beyond thrilled this will be underway soon,” Morrison said.
Also in its earliest phase, a Nature Playscape for kids crafted not from plastic, but from rock and other natural features is planned. It is hoped that the playscape will open in 18 to 24 months.
“We just got the concept plan for that created by
Initial design renderings of new pavilion
Groundbreaking for ADA trail
Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve is open Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Oct. 31; from Nov. 1 through March 9, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is free. The preserve is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information or to donate, visit bigcanoecreekpreserve.org.
An educational sign next to the paved ADA accessible trail
Learning Landscapes Design,” Morrison said. “We’re waiting on the projected costs of that, and then we’ll go after grants to help build that. Hats off to donor, G.T. LaBorde, for funding the Concept Plan and coming up with the idea. This design is incredible and will be a big attraction once built. Again, more community involvement.”
Already, Cleaver has scheduled fall field trips with homeschool and other school groups from as far away as Birmingham.
When Cleaver talks about the preserve, she thinks of a spot in Slab Creek where stones like flat dominoes seem to provide a natural footbridge over the water.
“What makes (the preserve) special is there’s nothing else like it in this community,” she said. “We don’t have another nature preserve where people can go for free and go hiking or horseback riding or mountain biking. To me, it’s very special that we offer this to the community.”
With all the happenings at the preserve, Morrison and Cleaver are like kids at Christmas. Cleaver’s addition only adds to the excitement as the preserve charts a course into the future.
“It’s a great journey, and it’s a great job,” said Morrison. “We are beyond grateful for our community support.” l
Willie Mae ‘Snookie’ Turner
98 years and counting
Story by Joe Whitten
Submitted Photos
If you should travel a St. Clair County backroad some afternoon and arrive at Willie Mae “Snookie” Beavers’ home for a visit, she might respond to a question by saying, “Now, back in them days ...”
If she does, sit up and listen, for she has lived almost a century of Pell City history. She will converse with you in her Southern dialect that is as soft and melodious as Mahalia Jackson singing, “Precious Lord Take My Hand.”
Both Pell City and St. Clair County need to know what she can tell us about how it used to be with farming, gardening, killing hogs, preserving vegetables and fruits, playing the church piano and sewing old-timey quilts. She is one-of-akind, as all treasures are.
Born Jan. 9, 1927, to James and Bessie Moore Turner, Willie Mae was the first of the 10 Turner children. The family farmed Turner land in the Coosa Valley, south of Seddon, and she began working in the fields as soon as she was big enough to work.
“We farmed, raising cotton and corn and sugar cane. My parents worked in the fields, and I worked right there beside them,” Willie Mae says matter-of-factly. “I think I worked harder than any of the others cause I was the first one. And I didn’t just work in our fields, I worked in other folk fields, too. If they needed somebody, I went. Whatever was in the field, I was in there, and I did it. What the plow couldn’t do, we did with a hoe,” she laughed. “And after I got married, I still went to other folk fields and worked. Back in them days, that’s the way I had to make my money.”
Willie Mae married William Beavers on June 18, 1948, and they were parents to six children: Shirley, Connie, Wilma, William (BeBop) Jr., Bennie and Rodrick. All seven are still living. As the babies arrived and grew up, Willie Mae continued “working in fields” until she took a job with Pell City Cleaners.
She started working at the cleaners before she was 62 years old, but doesn’t remember the exact date. She started drawing her Social Security at age 62 but didn’t retire until she was 96. When asked why she retired, she laughed and said that one of her daughters told her she was too old to keep working, that she needed to retire. Willie Mae told her, “Well, the bossman said I was doing the work .... But she told me that if I didn’t come out, she’s gonna tell ‘em to fire me, and I believed she would’ve, so I come out.”
Her hardy laugh showed she was enjoying telling this. “I don’t know if he’d a-fired me or not, if she would-a told him to.”
Other than a brief time as a teenager washing dishes at the St. Clair County Training School, the Pell City Cleaners job was the only work she did other than farm work.
Gathered produce had to be preserved for the winter months. Willie Mae helped her mother can vegetables as they came in. As to fruit, they canned peaches for they were too juicy to dry, but they dried apples by the peck. “That’s where I learned how to can,” Willie Mae recalled. “I did what my mama done, I just couldn’t do it as good as she did.” What cucumbers they didn’t eat they pickled. She spoke of smokehouse pickles as quite delicious.
When the sorghum cane was mature, it was time to make syrup. Her dad set up the syrup mill and the boiling pan. Willie Mae and sisters stripped the cane and cut it in pieces ready to
Willie Mae’s Trip Around the World quilt in a local collector’s home
be fed to the mill as the mule walked round and round turning the mill, squeezing the juice from the cane into buckets. Poured into a boiling pan, the juice cooked down to syrup. “We poured the syrup in cans,” Willie Mae recalled, “and we ate biscuits and syrup.” She didn’t say it, but that was some good eating.
When asked about wild game for food, she said, “We loved rabbit and squirrel. That was good eating.” She paused, then laughing, said, “And possum. Mama did all the cooking, and everything she made was good.” Obviously enjoying remembering, she continued, “She made good dressing, good cakes, good custard, good biscuits.”
When hog killing weather came, Willie Mae learned from her mama about sausage, souse meat, and chitlins.
They used some less desirable cuts of pork to grind up for sausage, adding pepper and sage to the mixture. Willie Mae’s dad had a smokehouse where they hung the sausage, but the other cuts of meat they salted down in a wooden saltbox.
Asked about old-timey head cheese or souse meat, Willie Mae smiled, “I always made the souse meat. Made it out-a the head, and out-a the feet, and out-a the ears. We had a big pot, and I’d put it all in a pot and boil it till it got done, I’d pick all the bones out of it, and start mashing up the meat with my hands. Then I’d grind that all up with the sausage grinder. And
that’s when I’d put different spices in it.” They formed the meat into a loaf shape to let it set until it was firm. Some call souse meat the original deli meat, for it makes delicious sandwiches.
Nothing about the hog went to waste, not even the intestines. They cut them into short pieces and washed them over and over until they were clean. “We’d get as much fat off as we could,” Willie Mae said. “We cooked ’em in a boiler for several hours with salt and pepper. Some folks fry ’em, but we didn’t, we just boiled ours till they got done. To me, that was some good eating.”
Today chitlins are regarded as solely a Black culture soul food, but Rev. Larry Adams of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Springville can attest that chitlins are served in restaurants in France. Rev. Adams was on a teaching mission trip in Paris with Pastor Chipley Thornton and Pastor David DuPre from Springville First Baptist Church. For lunch one day, the three went to a Paris restaurant. Unable to read French, Pastor DuPre pointed to a picture and ordered it. When their meals were served, Rev. Adams looked at his friend and said, “You’re eating chitlins.” His friend said, “No.” Rev. Adams said, “I know chitlins, and you’re eating chitlins.” Sure enough, when they translated the menu offering it was chitterlings, or in Alabama, chitlins.
What Willie Mae learned growing up, she continues today, which includes growing vegetables. “Folks need to raise stuff,” she vows decisively. “If they don’t, they not gonna have anything to eat. The stores ain’t gonna have it. If you don’t raise it, you ain’t gonna have nothing to eat.”
She now gardens with baby brother, Larry Turner, and their garden is weed and grass free. When asked what they grew, she laughed, “We grow everything that can be raised – turnip greens, mustard, onions, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and all such stuff as that. Anything that can be raised. We always had a good garden. Larry had a jam-up garden. Me and him been raising a garden.” She paused, then said, “They say I’m lazy, but I just done got old.”
She may have slowed down, but “lazy” is not a word that fits Willie Mae Beavers. No lazy person on God’s green earth sews quilt tops and quilts them by hand. Willie Mae does, and her quilts are treasured by family, friends and folks she’s never met. A commendation from the Alabama House of Representatives read by Representative Hall on May 16, 2017, records that “…her magnificent quilts are displayed in homes across the United States,” and that “… many have received one of her famous quilts in celebration of a significant life milestone.”
Willie Mae’s love of quilts perhaps started with her grandmother, Henrietta Turner, whose house was a short walk through the woods from Willie Mae’s. “We walked over there to her house every day. She never acted like she got tired of us. She was a good grandmama.” And her love of quilts may have started with her grandmama, for she recently reminisced, “I used to enjoy looking at her quilts. She used to have these frames that you hang up in the house from the ceiling, and you had to hang ’em by their four corners. She hung it up and let it down to quilt on it. She used what she had to make ‘em: old clothes, pants and things.” Then, laughing, she said, “You know what, I went
to the library the other day and saw these cotton carders, and I said, “Oh, my mama had some of these.” Carders were used to separate cotton from the seeds so the cotton could be used as the inner batting (padding) for the quilt.
Willie Mae enjoys talking about quilts. “I treasure quilts, but young folks …” she paused and shook her head, leaving the “don’t” unsaid, then continued on a happier note. “Mama always quilted. She made pretty quilts. My quilting’s not as pretty as hers.” She used cloth flour sacks, feed sacks and fertilizer sacks, when she began learning to quilt.
Bought fabric in quilts was unheard of among rural folk in the 1930s and ‘40s.
“I’d get the empty ones,” she said recently, “and wash ’em and I started making quilts from them.” Then came the phrase, “Back in them days, you didn’t buy anything. You had to use what you had. So, I would quilt, and I didn’t really have patterns then, it would just be blocks that they called the Nine Diamond.”
She still makes the Nine Diamond, but other quilt patterns she likes include Trip Around the World, Monkey Wrench, Stars and Bow Tie. “Nothing fancy. These real fancy quilts with a whole lot-a pretty little bitty pieces – I don’t do that,” she laughed. “I don’t know how old I was when I started quilting. But I been doing that all my life. I’m 98 years old, but I’ve been quilting – piecing and quilting all my life. My mama did it, and what I did, I tried to do it like her.”
Started playing piano for church at age 14
One thing Willie Mae does that she didn’t learn from her mother is playing the piano. Knowing her daughter wanted a piano, Mrs. Turner went to a piano store in Anniston and bought one. “I know she got tired of me playing, but she never told me to stop.” Willie Mae pauses to reflect, “If somebody ask me to play in the key of C or F sharp, I wouldn’t know what they was talking about. The Preacher one time asked me to play ‘Precious Lord’ in C. I played if for him, but I didn’t know if I played it in C,” she laughed.
She never took piano lessons, but she could play on the piano whatever she heard sung or played on the radio. At age 14, she began playing piano for Blooming Light Church, and she recalled how that happened. “I’m sure they had other players, but Mr. McHugh came to Papa and said, ‘I heard your daughter played the piano.’ And I started from there.” She couldn’t remember what month and year she started, but she continued as pianist and music director until in her 90s when COVID kept her and the congregation away from church services. “The first song I played at church,” she recalled fondly, “was ‘The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago.’” The last song she plays in church is yet to come.
Willie Mae’s baby brother, Larry Turner, says folks need to know that she was not only the pianist at Blooming Light but that she was also the Minister of Music there and was Minister of Music for Riverside and for Rocky Zion for a
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“I played for Rocky Zion,’ Willie Mae reflected, “and I played for Riverside, and for Peace and Goodwill.” Her dad, Rev. James R. Turner, was pastor at Peace and Goodwill at Riverside.
Asked if she played piano for her dad, she answered, “I played for him. Mama told me, ‘You got to.’ I went to all the revivals. That was fun.” She pauses a few seconds and adds sadly, “But church ain’t like what it used to be back in them days. We never sung anything but the old songs. ‘The Old Account Was Settled.’ ‘Oh How I Love Jesus.’ ‘Precious Lord.’ Old songs.” She laughed and said, “Now, I can play for old folks, but I can’t play for teenagers.” Lots of people agree with Willie Mae that the old songs are the best songs.
Larry Turner is proud of his sister and fondly affirms, “She’s legendary. Everybody knows her. Everybody loves her.”
Recently someone asked her, “What would you tell young people about your secret to living almost a hundred years?
“Now, you’re not the first one to ask me that,” she laughed. “And I tell ’em, well, ‘I can’t tell you, cause I do not know.’
She pauses, then says, “I tell ‘em, ‘I come up poor; I worked in the fields … I’ve worked in the fields all my life. I worked in my daddy’s field, and after I got grown, I worked in other folks’ fields. And I’m still here for some reason.”
You’re still here, Willie Mae “Snookie” Beavers, because you’re a St. Clair County and Pell City, Alabama, treasure and we need you. We need the harmony of your music, the beauty of your quilts, and your example of “work hard and live long.”
Most of all we need to hear you telling us how it was “back in them days” so we don’t forget the stamina and character of our ancestors and how they lived and worked and reared families.
You are one-of-a-kind, as all treasures are, and we thank God you’re still here. l
Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos
As a little kid, Alex Wise was shy, almost painfully so. Even the at the thought of him growing up to act or model professionally seemed a long shot.
Now 17 and after making a splash last summer at a New York acting and modeling competition, Alex has signed with an agent and is taking acting lessons from some of the most respected names in show business.
For Alex – to borrow from the old standard – this could be the start of something big. Wise competed in 13 categories – seven in acting and six in modeling at the International Modeling and Talent Association – and medaled and placed in all categories. Overall, he finished second in the Actor of the Year competition and third for Model of the Year in the 15-17-year-old category and was second as The Most Sought-After competitor.
“It was a big achievement,” said his mom, Christi Wise.
IMTA bills itself as a: “gateway for aspiring models and actors.”
Founded in 1987, it offers a platform for aspiring actors, models, singers, dancers and songwriters to present their talents to agents, casting directors and other leading entertainment professionals.
It boasts of some A-Listers who were discovered through IMTA, including Ashton Kutcher,
Katie Holmes and Eva Longoria.
For Alex, the opportunity “fell into his lap,” Christi said.
“He plays baseball, so I entered him into a contest where if he were chosen, he’d get a big metal picture,” Christi said. “He won, and afterwards he asked if it were possible to make money for modeling. I told him yes.”
His response? “I think I could do that.”
Before long, Alex connected with Joan Hawkins of Cameo Model Management in Birmingham and with Clair Sinnett, an acting coach and former casting director who has worked with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt and the late James Earl Jones.
“Once (Alex) decided to go to IMTA, he had six weeks to prepare,” Christi said, “All of this happened within a year.”
Before the competition, he had an acting class with Sinnett. The veteran acting coach gave him rave reviews.
“She said he had the ‘It’ factor,” Christi said. The factor is charisma that can capture a magazine cover or the silver screen. James Dean had it. So did Paul Newman. And after the IMTA, a Los Angeles management agency saw that in Alex Wise.
A centerfielder for Ashville High’s baseball team, Wise’s commitment to acting matches his commitment to baseball.
“The key quality that Alex possesses is dedication,” the agency said in an e-mail. “The best actors are those who continuously strive to improve. Alex is committed to bringing the same discipline he has for athletics to learning and growing in his craft as an actor, whether through classes, mentorship or experience on set. His work ethic is truly impressive for his age, and we know that he will show up prepared and eager for every role. His commitment to improvement will make him
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Wise brings charisma and a “thoughtful presence,” the agency said. “He grabs attention, not by being the loudest or most outspoken person in the room, but by having the ‘good human’ qualities that make people want to be around him, and as an actor, want to watch him. That charisma often translates to how generously he engages with his peers, even in competitive situations.”
At IMTA, “we saw Alex demonstrate camaraderie and support for his fellow competitors, a truly admirable quality to observe. When combined with his dedication, Alex’s charisma and genuine caring for others will make him an unforgettable young actor, creating positive impressions that will help him build a long career.”
The entertainment business is tough, but for the Wise family, there is peace. There’s also a strong belief that for Alex, this is not a career, but a calling.
“We have a lot of faith,” Christi said. “We have definitely prayed for every door opened to be opened and for every door that’s shut to be shut. I really feel like Alex’s life has prepared him for this, that his steps have been ordained.”
She added, “He’s very grounded. He’s very rooted. A lot of kids his age don’t know who they are. But he knows who he
is, and he doesn’t let the world influence his thought process That’s why I don’t worry about him because he knows who he is and what he wants to achieve.”
Even with all the attention, Alex is still just a kid from Ashville who plays baseball, attends small group Bible studies with friends and who has done the hot, hard work of cutting and baling hay. Family members describe him as a “natural born leader.”
For his part, Alex enjoys the process of modeling and acting for a variety of reasons.
“I like getting myself out there and opening myself up. Growing up, I was super, super quiet, scared of everybody. I didn’t really talk to anybody. Now, in the last year or two, this has helped me tremendously.”
Alabama has had more than its share of people who made it in the entertainment business, from Jasper’s Tallulah Bankhead to Birmingham’s Walton Goggins. Alex Wise has a message for aspiring performers, especially small-town kids like him.
“He wants people to know you can be from a small town and do this,” Christi said. “These dreams are reachable.”
Making dreams come true isn’t easy. Alex Wise knows that.
“It’s not as easy as it seems,” he said. “It’s going to take hard work and dedication. But it’s also going to take a strong person, period … It takes a strong person to stay in this business.” l
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H0104_PRNT26_M
Story by Paul South
Photos by Max Jolley
Under a blazing St. Clair County summer sun, Mallory Walls worked at her art, transforming a blank exterior wall at Small Town Blanks – a T-shirt shop – into an 11foot brick canvas of patriotism, pride, military service and memory.
As Walls painted the work of art at the intersection of Cogswell Avenue and 20th Street North, motorists honked their horns or called out words of encouragement. Pedestrians came with ice cold lemonade or brownies. As she toiled on the orange scaffold, art became life in a small town.
Some veterans stopped to say thanks. Others wept. A country was celebrated. Veterans were honored.
And with a single letter and two numbers, a local boy was remembered.
This story is about more than Pell City’s first downtown mural
The mural was commissioned by Michelle and Craig Tumlin to honor veterans, men and women close to their hearts. Their story is well known.
Their son, Houston Lee Tumlin served honorably in the United States Army. He was known to the wider world for his role as Walker Bobby in the Will Ferrell film, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby. But to folks in Pell City, he was just Houston, a kid who “lit up a room,” his mother said.
But after his military service, Houston, plagued by CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, Houston sadly became a heartbreaking statistic – one of the 22 veterans who each day take their own lives.
Using a scissor lift to get to the taller sections
A decorated veteran, he died on March 23, 2021. He was 28.
Even as they walked through the valley of the shadow of grief, the Tumlins created Houston Project, a charity working to help veterans and their families.
Mallory Walls’ creation, funded by money raised at Houston Project’s recent gala, is just another way to honor veterans and their service and sacrifice.
THE ARTIST AND HER ART
Mallory Walls can’t remember a time when she wasn’t painting. She began art lessons in kindergarten. Her mother, Rachel Gilbreath, was also an artist who crafted murals.
Mallory got her first commission at 14. Her first mural, a casino-themed portrait for a Nashville, Tennessee, bed and breakfast came at 19. She’s painted more than 100 murals in her career.
“Ever since my first commissioned piece, I’ve painted a lot. I decided to go full time with art in 2024.”
As for the Houston Project commission, Walls is a longtime friend of Craig and Michelle Tumlin and their family, attending Victory Christian School with their daughter, Hayden. As well as Pell City’s Victory Church.
“I got to know them through a small-group Zumba class at church,” she said of the Tumlins. “They commissioned a couple of pieces from me before,
watercolor paintings.”
The process for the downtown mural began two years ago, to create a piece that honored vets. From the time she began painting, it took five days – 10 to 12 hours a day –to finish the 11 feet tall by 18 feet wide work of art. She completed it during one of the hottest weeks of the year, through rain and shine and off-the-charts humidity.
She had an umbrella to fend off the sun and rain and also got a helping hand from her cousin, Mia Holland, who helped her fill out the red and white stripes of Old Glory.
“I wouldn’t have been able to finish it in five days without her help. We really had to work to get in between the bricks coated. It paid off to be deliberate with it.”
The goal for the piece?
“We wanted to create a piece that was very timeless,” Walls said. “We wanted something that people could enjoy not just now, but for years to come. The message behind it was to honor our veterans who had done so much and the families of veterans. Most everybody knows a veteran or is related to a veteran. We wanted to let veterans know that they are seen and honored and that we are so thankful for them.”
More broadly, there is a deeper meaning. In the painting, a male and female soldier stand facing the Stars and Stripes with a smart salute, their backs to the viewer. It’s not known if the soldiers are Black, white, brown, yellow or red, Catholic or Protestant, Republican or Democrat. They are simply American soldiers.
“You can’t see their age. You can’t see their race. Everyone who knows or is a veteran can relate to it and be
Michelle Tumlin reflects for a moment at mural
Mallory signing her work
impacted by it on some level,” Walls said.
As she worked, townsfolk stopped to ask questions, or offer words of encouragement.
“Of all the murals I’ve done, I’d have to say this was the most community involved,” I got to meet so many people. I grew up around Pell City, but I met so many people and got to experience Pell City in a whole new way. Strangers were so kind, bringing me lemonade and brownies to keep me going. It was just amazing to see the community response. It was very special in that way.”
She added, “That’s one of the things I love about doing an outdoor mural is the community response. I love it … Even in the early days when it was in its ugly stage, people would come up, and I’d say, ‘You have to come see it when it’s done.’”
What does she hope townsfolk and visitors to Pell City take from the mural?
“I hope it tells veterans that we see them, we honor them, and we thank God for them.”
Michelle Tumlin has received a flood of messages – phone calls and social media posts –even the wife of a veteran who was moved to tears by the mural.
But she is quick to give thanks, to donors at the Houston Project gala, to Joanna Hagan and her son, Wayne, who own the building that’s home to the mural, to city officials like City
Manager Brian Munger.
And she’s thankful for Mallory Walls, the artist.
“She’s very talented,” Tumlin said. “She’s done work for us over the years, and I knew there was no better artist to do this.”
The idea for the mural was an extension of the work of Houston Project.
“We’re a non-profit that helps veterans, but we also honor our son,” Tumlin said. “I’ve been brainstorming. I called Mallory and told her, ‘I see a flag. I see a male and female soldier saluting,’ and she made it happen.” Captioning the image were two words: “Never Forgotten.”
“It could not be more perfect,” Tumlin said. “I wanted it to be a mural that all veterans’ family members could go, think of their loved ones and have ‘that moment’ (of remembrance), you know. I think it has done that. Just the reaction of this town was … I felt like we were part of a patriotic Hallmark movie.”
Fittingly, the mural gives the Tumlins “that moment,” too. As Michelle remembers Houston, tears flow. And tucked in a spot on the mural are dog tags bearing a letter and a number. For the Tumlin family, every time the number comes up, it’s a message from their beloved son.
The letter on the dog tag is H for Houston. The number is 44, the number he wore on sports teams growing up.
“My heart is just beaming,” Tumlin said. “And I know Houston Tumlin is just smiling down from heaven. When I see that mural, I see my son.” l
It has become an annual tradition at Museum of Pell City each November as it seeks to honor, preserve and promote its military history in Salute to Veterans Nov. 7
Now in its third year, the museum is redesigning and expanding its military exhibit space, increasing its focus on more modern-day wars and conflicts and adding an impressive interactive display – a fighter jet simulator. It will open Nov. 7, kicking off with a special reception at 11 a.m. in the banquet room of the Municipal Complex below the museum.
Headlining the event will be St. Clair County District Attorney Lyle Harmon, a veteran helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Much of our exhibit space to this point has been on earlier wars – World War I and II, Korean and Vietnam,” said President Carol Pappas. “What we wanted to do is provide a more comprehensive picture of our military history – bringing in more photographs and artifacts from the Persian Gulf War and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have so many veterans from those conflicts in our community, and we wanted a way to preserve and share
Existing military displays getting redesign
Challenge coin memento given to veterans at inaugural salute
their stories.”
One of the centerpieces of the new exhibit will be photos and artifacts from the estate of Admiral Dennis Brooks, who served as Commander of the Joint Forces in the Persian Gulf. His long and storied career includes a visit aboard his ship from then President Ronald Reagan. His flight jacket as a fighter jet pilot in earlier days is on display among many other artifacts.
“We’ll have oral histories from his son, Mark Brooks, who also served as a fighter jet pilot and rose to the rank of …, who relates his father’s stories of achievement, sacrifice and the principles that guided him. We have other veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, who share their own story, all of which will be presented in our own documentary,” Pappas said.
“An examination of this era must also include the painful transition of coming home, and we will feature on film the story of a mother whose son took his own life, an all too familiar account, and her fight to help other veterans.”
Excitement is building as museum designer Jeremy Gossett and pilot consultant Donnie Todd put together the fighter jet simulator exhibit. “I won’t spoil the unveiling, but I can promise that it will be an attraction for all ages,” Pappas said.
This project could not have been possible without community support. “In an effort led by our treasurer, Zachary Gentile, and Museum Coordinator Erica Grieve, we were able to raise nearly $7,000 to bring this plan to fruition. We thank donors Glenda Harris, Paula Hereford, Inpac, St. Clair County Airport Authority, Dream Home Inspections, David Smith, Alan and Sandra Furr and Donnie and Ellen Todd. They stepped forward in a big way to make this project happen.”
As is the museum’s custom, a reception honoring all veterans with a keynote talk by Harmon will be held at 11 a.m., followed by the exhibit opening, tour and film showings.
“We invite everyone to this special tribute,” Pappas said. “It is truly a community event, and we are honored to present it.” l
Popularity of veterans section guides desire for redesign, expansion
It seems almost fitting that as Pell City Rotary Club just finished celebrating its 50th year, a new generation of leaders believing in Service Above Self has stepped up to join its ranks.
Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. Over the past few years, younger members have gravitated to this growing civic club because they wanted to make a difference in their community.
And their impact is being felt in all corners.
Jay Jenkins, the oldest tenured member of the club, sees this new generation as lending to “a greater overall good” for people who may not see that side of a public official, for instance. They only see them in their official role.
But as they roll up their sleeves and give blood during the club’s blood drive for Red Cross, help sort groceries for the Christian Love Pantry distributions or deliver hot meals to first responders, the community sees them as true public servants.
He singled out the presence of the new city school superintendent and three board of education members now on Rotary’s roster. “I’m really proud that the new superintendent and board members got in Rotary. We do a lot of good things around our city,” he said, noting its good works can be found in impacts big and small.
Its major fundraising events – Rax Cox Memorial Golf
On the heels of Pell City School System’s move to make meals free for all students, Rotary paid off parents’ existing lunch debt. From left, Supt. Dr. Justin Burns, Child Nutrition Coordinator Andrew Clark, Rotary President Brian Muenger and Treasurer Cam Williams.
Tournament, Jingle Bell Run, FatherDaughter Dance and Tennis/Pickleball Tournaments – provide significant support for dozens of organizations and projects needing help. Without Rotary, St. Clair Community Health Clinic, St. Clair Sheriff’s Boys Ranch, CEPA, Museum of Pell City and countless other organizations might go lacking in their much-needed missions. Rotary also gives two college scholarships each year to deserving high school students.
With a younger set of leaders coming in with new and fresh ideas and varying vantage points of identifying needs in the community, Rotary is able to do so much more. “It’s a good trend right now,” Jenkins said. “We’re in a good spot. Hopefully, it will continue.”
As membership climbs upward of 80 members, it’s not showing any signs of slowing anytime soon. President Brian Muenger, who serves as city manager, sees the growth as making the club even stronger, which in turn, makes the community stronger.
“The majority of our member growth in recent years has been from young working professionals in their 30’s and 40’s,” Muenger said. “Bringing together like-minded people of all age groups is what Rotary is all about, and having a diverse membership ensures that we stay attuned to the changing needs and opportunities within our community.”
A sampling of a few of the new members illustrates their dedication to service, leadership and opportunities.
Eddie Wilson, a sales executive and newly appointed member of the Pell City School Board, views his membership as a way to get involved. “The genesis was the intersection of being a new board of education member and being invited to Rotary several times over the past year. It’s important to be involved in service. The service side fits. I like the people of Pell City, and I was really interested in giving back.”
Hiliary Hardwick serves as director of the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home and sees joining as an opportunity to do more. “I wanted to serve our community but also to enhance relationships with fellow business leaders and make new connections. In just the few
members are getting involved. Among the
of
from
Each month, Rotary delivers meals to first responders
months I’ve been in Rotary, I’ve met several new people and reconnected with old friends, too. Pell City Rotary Club is the best group of leaders, and I can’t wait to see us continue to increase our impact to our community in the coming years.”
Jordan Franklin, an aviation consultant, echoed Hardwick’s enthusiasm. “I’m honored to join the Pell City Rotary Club and excited for the opportunity to give back to a community that has supported me throughout my life.”
The three are indicators of what this new generation of leadership is focused on as they seek to serve.
Their impact will be felt throughout the community because of support for fundraisers making their mission possible.
The golf tournament is the longest running fundraiser –almost as old as the club itself at 45 years.
Sponsors and golfers make it a success year after year, coming together at Pell City Country Club for a fun event to raise money for worthy causes throughout the community.
As Tournament Chairman Joe Paul Abbott puts it, “We can give because you give.”
Held in June each year, it offers all kinds of opportunities to get involved – as a player, a sponsor or a volunteer. The funds generated by the tournament go to deserving organizations, schools and community projects.
This tournament has evolved over the years, each year bigger and better than the year before and going from tennis to the wildly popular pickleball. But it has one constant. It is held in October during the Halloween season, which lends itself to costumes, decorations and a whole lot of fun for the whole family.
This year’s multiple events for “Vampires and Volleys” on Oct. 23 at Pell City Pickleball Center will include juniors, men’s, women’s and mixed matches.
Jingle Bell Run, Rotary’s newest fundraiser, continues to grow, and community impact growing along with it
One of the most anticipated events of the year, the FatherDaughter sees hundreds of fathers and daughters taking to the dance floor in a special time for both.
In February each year, Rotarians transform Pell City High School into a gala event venue and serve dance attendees dinner and offer plenty of music and dancing throughout the night.
The entire evening is dedicated to fathers and daughters making memories together that last a lifetime.
Rotary’s newcomer is the Jingle Bell Run. Now in its third year coming up Dec. 13, the Jingle Bell Run has become a certified 5K and 10K run and a 1-mile fun run/walk through Pell City Lakeside Park.
Benefitting charitable organizations throughout the community, the run has already raised over $100,000 in its first two years for St. Clair Sheriff’s Boys Ranch and The Children’s Place Child Advocacy Center.
The holiday season event attracts runners from all over and is supported by community sponsors who value the missions of those on the receiving end. This year’s recipients will be Boys Ranch, Ann’s New Life Center, WellHouse and Arc of St. Clair County.
And of course, Santa, is guest of honor, making it a fun holiday tradition for the entire family.
It’s all about service and making the community a better place. l
Historic Downtown Pell City’s business district is growing of late with ribbon cuttings and grand openings becoming almost commonplace. In the past few months, four new businesses have opened, a fifth is relocating and expanding and a sixth and seventh say, “Coming Soon.”
Already adding to diversity of what downtown has to offer are Lake House Antiques, Willow Tree Bookstore, The Grove and Studio on 1st. Gilreath Printing, a longtime downtown resident in a log cabin building on Cogswell Avenue, is moving to 1st Avenue behind Venue on 20th into a much larger facility they are renovating. Gilreath plans to rent its existing building, paving the way for yet another business.
Studio on 1st is a cutting-edge hair salon located on First Avenue South between 16th and 17th streets. Just across the way in the next block facing the railroad tracks is a children’s embroidery shop called Little Stitches & Co. Abbye Grimes is the owner, and she is working toward an October opening.
Inside, beyond the French doors, will be a completely separate business operated by Grimes’ sister-in-law, Tina Dailey, who is planning to run her hair salon and real estate ventures.
Meanwhile, The Grove opened a café featuring acai bowls, smoothies and salads in September and is already garnering rave reviews. It is located on Cogswell Avenue in the former Dot Wood Appraisal building between 16th and 17th streets.
Just a couple of doors down is the new Lake House Antiques, an eclectic blend of antiques, vintage and home accessories.
And just beyond Lake House is Willow Tree Bookstore, the senior citizen on the block at nearly 120 days.
They all represent a shot of vitality for downtown, and residents and visitors alike are already showing their appreciation, following through on the demand for new and diverse shopping, dining and services options in a pedestrian friendly, downtown setting.
For Samantha Herrington, her Cogswell Avenue bookstore is a dream come true.
She loves to read, and combining her passion with business seemed a perfect fit. She renovated the space with a willow tree theme (hence the name). “I
always loved weeping willow trees,” she said, so she gave it an enchanted forest look, and “the name kind of went with it.”
She has created an inviting space. “I really wanted a bookstore downtown that was nice, cozy and welcoming, a place where people could come and get away from everything else.” She achieved those goals basically from the start, opening in June with 21 different genres of books – “a little something for everybody.”
She has books for all ages, “zero to as old as you can get,” she said. She even has a novel approach to novels called “Blind Date With a Book,” which is a book in wrapping so you cannot see the title. On the wrapping are hints so that you can get to know the book without seeing it first. Surprises await inside along with the book – a bookmark, notepad and pen. And just like a blind date, she said, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
The reception has been phenomenal. “Everybody who comes in here is super excited we’re here.” Her biggest surprise? “More customers than I expected.”
She’s enjoyed meeting everyone. “They have been nice and friendly. There is a big book community here,” she said, noting that she discovered a growing local authors community and is featuring some of their work. Authors like Shawn Bailey, Cherith Fluker and Kyle Hannah’s book company clients are among the books she features.
Herrington is already eyeing the future with plans to offer book clubs for different genres, story time for the children, author signings and a café with coffee and pastries.
“I want to grow a place when the outside is too much, they can come in here, get away and read a book.”
Jacob and Adam Castleberry moved their yearold business from U.S. 231 South to downtown in August. Actually, it’s their second business. They own a thriving property management company that operates in Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida.
Antiques are a pastime-turned-business. “We’ve been curating and collecting for 10 years,” said Jacob. “Our goal was to open a shop.”
While the property management company was based in Trussville, they never found a spot that “caught our eye,” he said.
When they moved to Cropwell, they found space in Lake Plaza. But when space became available downtown, they knew that’s really where they wanted to be. And customers are showing they’re glad they came.
“It’s been overwhelming,” Adam said. “It’s been great,” echoed Jacob.
The business started from their own experience and abilities. Their former home in Trussville was an
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eclectic blend, and friends and family encouraged them over the years to design spaces for others or open a shop.
They describe their place as “Grandma’s house,” Adam said, noting that the paintings, quilts and other items blended with vintage and new make it look like Grandma’s. “It’s lived in comfortable.”
He’s right. Alongside an oil painting or a pair of newly upholstered French wing-backed chairs with brass nailheads, you might find a tiffany lamp, a mosaic-top table, a regal dining room suite, an urn, photo frames, china or a Victrola turned cocktail bar.
On Sundays and Mondays, Jacob and Adam are traveling to source new items to feature Tuesday through Saturday, their days of operation.
“We want something new every day or every week at least,” keeping the shop vibrant and fresh, Adam said. And customers are responding with a steady flow of traffic heading their way since opening.
With a nod to the recent growth of that part of the downtown area and the camaraderie that has followed, Jacob said, “We’re excited to be a part of the new business downtown. We hope more is coming. We’re excited to see the growth of downtown Pell City and be a part of it.”
Customers say the shop has an appealing vibe that brings them back. “Hopefully, we’re going to be successful,” Jacob added. “It gives them another spot to browse around on a Saturday afternoon.”
Studio on 1st is the city’s newest destination point for professional hair care and skin care. The salon offers services for men and women tailored to them.
Owned by Briana Allen, Studio on 1st could be seen as continuing a family tradition of locally owned business. Next door is her father and grandfather’s longtime business, Allen Service Co. “They played a big role in why I opened my own place,” she said.
She opened July 15, but celebrated a grand opening in late September. She had worked in Birmingham but wanted to return to her hometown so that she could become more involved in the community personally and through her business.
“I’m loving it so far. It’s more than I imagined it would be. I really do love it,” she said. Besides being able to locate next to her family’s business, she chose downtown because of its small town charm. “You can walk to all the places. They know me, and I know them.”
Business owners refer business to each other, she said. “We’re all like close together, helping each other. It’s the perfect spot to start this.”
Joining her is stylist Shelby Dunaway, whom she says shares the same goals for the business – offering quality services and being involved in the community.
Coming on board in October is esthetician Morgan Russell, who will be handling the skin care part of the salon with facials and waxes.
Plans call for one more stylist, “then we’ll have a full house,” Allen said. But the planning hasn’t stopped there. She hopes to extend the back of the building to include a nail technician and
perhaps a massage therapist.
Studio on 1st, she said, is “committed to delivering exceptional service and an experience you’ll love coming back to.”
It only took four months for an idea to spring into a full-fledged business. For Whitney Gunnison, the genesis of The Grove evolved from a need. She suffers from celiac disease, an immune reaction to gluten that prevents nutrients from being absorbed and requires a gluten-free diet.
There weren’t any good options locally, so she decided to create a restaurant that filled that need. She renovated the building on Cogswell Avenue and set out to create healthier options with fresh, whole ingredients.
Her story blends her food creations with nourishment for the soul, she said. “I am strong in my faith. I wanted to share the love of Jesus in this building so people could feel the joy, hope and love the Lord has given to us.”
While a traditional downtown may spark memories of yesteryear, there’s a new feeling up and down Cogswell and First Avenues these days.
With Acai, smoothies and fresh salads heading the menu at this café, it’s evident that it is more than just a place to grab a healthy bowl or a smoothie — it’s a place to be “rooted, refreshed and renewed,” she said.
It actually got its name from those ideals – and a sign. She and her husband had considered a few different names but couldn’t decide. The Grove was one of their choices, but they prayed for a sign. He was on a job site in Cullman when he spotted a huge white sign up ahead, proclaiming, “The Grove.” It was their sign – literally and spiritually.
They set out to create a menu by gathering her team together, and they would try different ingredients and “figured out what was great and not so great” through many evenings of taste tests.
Team members who helped with the renovation were paid in bowls and smoothies, she said.
The end result was a comprehensive menu of açaí bowls, smoothies and fresh salads. And it appears she landed on a winning recipe. Judging by the response in the opening days, it’s a hit.
“The grand opening was super chaotic, but in the best way, she said. “We ran out of acai. We tripped a breaker. We had to close early because Pell City sold us out. After Friday (opening day), I hired four more people.”
But, she added, “everybody was rooting for me. Everybody has been so supportive. They’re excited to have a healthy spot.”
Ashville’s Elaine Hobson Miller has been named the 2025 Communicator of Achievement of Alabama Media Professionals.
The St. Clair County resident won the award previously in 2017. That year, she went on to be runner-up in the National Federation of Press Women’s COA race when NFPW held its Communications Conference in Birmingham that year.
As the Alabama winner, Hobson Miller again vied for the national award when NFPW held its 2025 conference in Golden, Colorado.
The Alabama honoree has been writing since elementary school, when she penned a piece for her school’s newsletter. Throughout high school, she worked on her school’s newspaper staff and served as news editor during her senior year.
Hobson Miller began her lifelong career as a professional journalist and freelance writer in1968, the summer before her senior year at Samford University. She accepted an internship at the Birmingham PostHerald, that city’s former morning newspaper.
The following year, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish. Hobson Miller accepted a full-time position at the Post-Herald Within a year, she became that newspaper’s first woman to cover the Birmingham city government beat.
She left the Post Herald in 1972 when her first child was born and freelanced for several years. She was a full-time features writer for Birmingham Magazine from 1978-1980, returning to the Post-Herald in 1980, working first as a copy editor and then as food editor and features writer.
As a freelancer, she was editor of PrimeLife, a Birmingham-based magazine for people over 55, during the four months of its existence in 1988. She wrote a twice-monthly house column for the Birmingham News, 1992-1997, and was a regular contributor to Southern Lumberman from 1990 to 2001. She also wrote content for various local corporate and government newsletters, brochures and pamphlets, including Jefferson County, Shelby Medical Center (now Baptist Health Shelby Hospital), First National Bank and Vulcan Materials. She edited Birmingham Home & Garden magazine in 2002.
Hobson Miller took a brief sabbatical from journalism in 1996 following the death of her husband, who owned an independent pharmacy. She did enough freelance writing during that time “to keep my fingers nimble and my brain active,” she said. She sold the pharmacy in 2012 and resumed her focus on writing.
Although the honoree considers herself semi-retired, her work has appeared regularly in the magazine, Discover the Essence of St. Clair, since it was launched 15 years ago. She also writes for its sister magazine, LakeLife 24/7, both published by the Pell City-based multimedia marketing firm, Partners by Design.
Active in mission work, Hobson Miller has made four medical mission trips to Peru with Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood and Texasbased E-3 Partners, plus an independent mission trip to Peru. She did one mission trip to Spain and continues to participate in mission trips to Zacapa, Guatemala, where three Alabama churches have an ongoing relationship with the small village of Conevisa.
If all goes as planned, Moody will begin seeing the beginning of a $100 million retail development along U.S. 411 and the Little Cahaba River.
Proposed by noted developer Stan Pate of Tuscaloosa, city officials are hailing it as a “real win” for the city, according to Moody Mayor Bill Lee.
The 200,000 to 250,00 square foot retail space is targeting property between 7 Brew and Joey Adkins Drive on Moody Parkway.
It took some incentives to land the deal, but Lee and the city council believe it to be a wise investment. The property has had its challenges because of the environmental concerns about the creek running through it, but the incentives will help overcome what had been financial roadblocks in the past.
According to the incentive agreement the council approved, worth about $65 million in incentives, it involves abatement of selected sales and property taxes, fees and permits, for up to 40 years or until the total it is paid. Pate has five years to begin the incentive process after his company invests a minimum of $10 million.
The 30-acre site will be mixed use of shopping and dining options. Clearing has already begun on the property. Existing property owners sold their land to Pate and businesses on that property now will be demolished after their leases are up.
Friends Bound for New Horizons
Friends Bound for New Horizons
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Trip Highlights: Trip Highlights:
10 Days • 13 Meals (8 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 3 Dinners)
Lisbon walking tour with UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Visits to Cascais, Sintra, Óbidos, Lagos & Algarve
Wine tasting, seaside cliffs, beaches and historic towns
For More Info:
Contact Deanna Lawley: 205-492-2345 or Danny Stewart at Pell City Library
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May 10 – 19, 2026 May 10 – 19, 2026
Commissions support the Pell City Education Foundation, Library, & Museum Only 10 Spots Left! Only 10 Spots Left!
Commissions support the Pell City Education Foundation, Library, & Museum
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Not every season of life will look productive on the surface. Some years are meant for planting, others for harvesting … but the fallow season – the one where the soil rests – often feels the longest and hardest. But in that rest, unseen forces are still at work. The ground is regenerating and restoring itself and what looks like emptiness now is actually preparation for future abundance.
Our lives often follow the same rhythm. There are seasons where we strive, create, and flourish. And there are seasons where we’re called to pause, recover, and be still.
This time may look and feel unproductive, even wasted. But the fallow season is not for nought – it’s a period of necessary preparation.
It’s a season of hidden and holy work, preparing the soil … and our soul … for the future fruits of our labor.
We
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