Elmore County Living

Elmore County

LivingM A G A Z I N E

WINTER 2011 | COMPLIMENTARY

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 1

publisher’smessage

Season to be thankful hasspecial meaning in 2011

e say it every year, as we’re sure you do, but it ishard to believe it is already Thanksgiving. Thatmeans Santa will be making his rounds in no time. The season of giving and Thanksgiving will becelebrated from Plymouth Rock to Pocatello and

points beyond. It is the one season every year when there is nobetter time for our nation to acknowledge whatwe’re thankful for.

I, too, am thankful for each of you who read ourmagazines and our newspapers each week. Weenjoy bringing them to you and much of that creditgoes to our staff – a top-notch bunch. This hasbeen an extra trying time for each of them, and Iwant to personally thank them for their extra hardwork during my absence from work due to my ill-ness.

I am thankful for God’s healing power and forall those who have paused to include me in theirdaily prayers. There is no greater strength an indi-vidual can find than from prayer. We at Price Pub-lications pray you and yours have a joyful andbountiful Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmasseason that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

The following is a story I always like to tell dur-ing the holidays about my father, who enjoyedThanksgiving more than most. God bless.

My daddy loved the holidays. It is probably why that legacylives on so deeply in our family every year. There is just some-thing about family gatherings that rejuvenate the soul. It makesyou feel good to get that big ‘ol hug from Aunt Betty Jo, see allyour cousins dealing with their young ones – now that yours aregrown – and eating all that food.

My grandfather Sumners enjoyed the holidays too. You neverknow in Alabama what the weather will be like during the holi-days, but especially at Thanksgiving it can still be in the 80s. Itmight be like that this year, but we hope it is cooler.

My grandfather loved his fireplace. I can remember that ittook all the grandsons and his sons to cut firewood for himabout every other weekend because he burned so much. He hadcentral heat in his house, but he liked that roaring fireplace. Weall did too, except when it was 80 outside on Thanksgiving.

I can remember my mother, my aunts and uncles fussing athim to stop putting wood on the fire – because my grandmotherwould already have the windows and the back door open. Themore air that came through that house, the hotter that fire wouldburn.

About the best thing that fire provided was a great setting fora nap after that big meal. There would be sev-eral of us fighting for couch space, especiallywhen we got older. When we were younger, wewould all head to the woods after lunch for alate afternoon deer hunt or some squirrel hunt-ing.

Holidays are also about eating. Lots. Mygrandmother Minnie was a good cook. No,THE cook of all cooks. She passed it on to mymother. She can cook with the best of them.My mawmaw’s speciality was the pecan pieshe made for the holidays. I could eat a wholepie if she would let me, but when you have 20or 23 folks fighting for a slice, you were luckyif you got one.

She would start baking the week beforeTurkey Day and keep on doing it throughChristmas. There were always plenty of sweetsaround, but she knew how to fix all those otherdelightful trimmings too. She could bake that

turkey just right so that it was juicy and tender, and still brownon the outside.

When my grandparents passed, it just seemed that our largerfamily quit gathering for the holidays and now each of our families gets together with our own children to celebrate the holidays.

We encourage you to do that too. Spend the holidays withyour family and friends. It is a special time that you will alwaysremember. And if you will, take along a copy of this month’s El-more County Living with you.

Our folks have put together another award-winning publica-tion for you, and it is filled with a variety of stories.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Kim N. Price is the president of Price Publications, Inc.

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2 Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

nother year is drawing to a close and a newone is on the horizon. It seems that everyyear passes more and more quickly ... That’sa byproduct of getting older, I suppose. But

across the span of those years, I can vividly remem-ber being in grammar school at Hohenberg Memo-rial, and the eternity it seemed for all of us childrenbetween the day school started and the day we gotout of class for the Christmas holidays. Back then,we truly meant it when we said something was “asslow as Christmas.”

Of course we spent our school years wishing forfirst Christmas to arrive, then for “AEA,” and fi-nally for school to be out for the summer. By theend of August we were ready for school again andthe friends we hadn’t seen for three months.

Along the way we began looking forward to get-ting in high school (for us that was seventh grade),to celebrating our 13th and then our 16th birthdaysand then to graduating. I wonder if we would have

wished as fervently to achieve those milestones ifwe had known that life went into fast-forward modeafter high school graduation?

Since then we’ve found out that life does move athigh speed and we need to cherish every momentpossible. This time of year often brings that hometo us. So I would like to wish you all a wonderfulThanksgiving and Christmas surrounded by yourfamilies and friends. And I hope you each experi-ence the very best in the coming New Year. Wow –2012 – I don’t know what else to say about that.

But enough from me ... Turn the page and readon. We’ve gathered a diverse selection of storiesfrom across the county that we hope you will enjoyand share with others. Look for the spring issue tobe on the stands in late February or early Marchwith more from right here in Elmore County.

Peggy Blackburn is managing editor of PricePublications, Inc.

editor’snote

Christmas couldn’t comesoon enough for schoolkids

A


Inside

Elmore County Living magazine is published by Price Publications, Inc. in conjunction with The Wetumpka Herald, The Eclectic Observer and The Tallassee Tribune. Copyright 2011 by Price Publications, Inc., all rights reserved. Any reproduction of this publication is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher.

Kim N. Price - President/Publisher David Goodwin - Political Editor TallasseePeggy Blackburn - Managing Editor Kevin Taylor - Copy Editor Ashley Vice - Managing Editor Jay Goodwin - Operations Manager Griffin Pritchard - Sports Editor Willie Moseley - News EditorShannon Elliott - Ad Manager Christy Cooper - Ad Sales Lauren Newman - Staff Writer

P.O. Box 99 • 300 Green Street • Wetumpka, AL 36092 • 334-567-7811

On the cover - The fourth year of “An Eclectic Christmas” begins Dec. 7 featuring a live natvity. Photo by David Goodwin.

Out and About 14Images of Elmore County

residents and visitors captured at events around the area.

Preserving History 8Redland resident’s digging leads

to extensive pottery collection.

You’re from where? 12Baltimore native’s musical

dream thrives in Eclectic.

Rare King 18Holtville gin one of few

operational gins left in the state.

Whittling Wonders 24Eclectic man turns blocks of

wood into materpieces.

Christmas Story 28Eclectic shares story of Christ

with live nativity.

33 OutdoorEnthusiastsTrio brings Central Alabamato thousands of televisionssharing outside adventures.

40 Musical MinistryKempters strike a chordof faith with audience.

44 Feature HomeLake Martin home offersultimate waterfront view.

48 Last of VincentiansLynch delivers finalMass at Tallassee’sSt. Vincent de Paul Church.

52 CalendarA guide to local events from late November through late February.

4

18

40

52

Volume 4 Number 2


Out and about at ...Bark in the Park

ECEDA Tailgate

Color the Town Pink


Titus Bluegrass Festival

Night of Bands

Wetumpka Candy Walk

Preserving History

Margaret Ann Mulder-Kelley has an extensive pottery collection, a majority of which was found just beneath theearth at her residence on Jug Factory Road.

PHOTOS BY DAVID GOODWIN


argaret AnneMulder-Kelleywas digging anew gardenwhen she heard

her shovel hit something. Just about 10 inches beneath the

soil, she found a little earthen pitcher,barely 5 inches tall. She is pretty sureher great grandfather made it.

Her family has recovered intact jugs,churns and pitchers, as well as a vari-ety of shards and pieces.

“Whatever I dig up, I keep,” shesaid, pointing out “great-grandfatherpitchers,” and “grandfather jugs”among her collection.

Margaret’s pottery collection linesalmost every shelf and tabletop in herhome.

She hits various antique shops andestate sales in the area looking for lo-cally made pottery.

The Redland area, which was knownas Pottersville more than 100 yearsago, is rich with folk art just below thesurface. The chief remaining evidenceof that heritage is in the curiouslynamed Jug Factory Road off AlabamaHighway 14. Few residents likely real-

ByDavidGoodwin

M

Formerly Pottersville,Redland rich with folk art


ize the slice of history that gave that dirt and gravel trailits moniker. But Margaret knows. She lives on the landwhere her family gave Jug Factory Road its name.

The foundation of her home was laid around 1840 byher great-great-grandfather William Mulder. It’s been oc-cupied by family members almost continuously sincethen.

William arrived in Elmore County with his brother-in-law James Williams. They first appear in U.S. Censusrecords in 1840 as residents of the area, which then wasa part of Macon County.

Bits of the jugs, chamber pots and pitchers of Pot-tersville litter the soil of the Redland area. Margaret saidshe’s always looking, and frequently digs in her back-yard and a few other sites looking for shards or, most ex-citing, intact pieces.

She has donated 15 pieces made in Pottersville to theAlabama State Archives for a new exhibit of the state’sfolk art.

“I want people to know more about it in years tocome,” she said.

Beginning in the 1840s, there were six pottery-makingsites known to have operated in the area that would be-come Elmore County. The area around present-day JugFactory Road, Marshell Road and Redland Road wasthen known as Pottersville for the earthenware expertswho migrated there in the early 19th Century.

“The work of Alabama folk potters reflects the many

cultural influences that have come together in Alabamaover the last 200 years,” said Joey Brackner of the Ala-bama Center for Traditional Culture. “During that time,the state developed several unique pottery regions andproduced individual potters with enormous skill and cre-ativity.”

The Mulders were Margaret’s ancestors, owners of thefamily spread that once covered at least 100 acres. Therewas James Williams, who married William Mulder’s sis-ter and migrated with them from Georgia. Other familiesin the area included the Ussery and Boggs families, andthat of churn-makers Moses Rushton, John Presley,William Vancuren, Aaron Evans and John Enslen “Pie”Pylant. Another potter named Cogburn is known only byhis signature on a shard unearthed in 1992.

They chose to settle here because of the pure textureof the clay and river sand from the Coosa and Tal-lapoosa, which were “exceptional for producing waresfor the new frontier,” according to an oral narrative ofthe Mulder family recorded this year.

Mulder pottery has a distinctive color, with greenishspeckles fading into browns.

In the 1930s, renowned local artist John Kelly Fitz-patrick painted the jug factory’s Pottery Kiln in 1934and Boggs Potter in 1936 as part of the New Deal-eraWorks Progress Administration. Since the kiln waslong gone before she was old enough to remember, theFitzpatrick rendering is the closest Margaret’s seen of

Margaret Ann Mulder-Kelley donated 15 pieces made in former Pottersville to the Alabama State Archives.


the industry that supported her ances-tors.

Among the family stories aboutMargaret’s forebear, William IsaacMulder, is his sales technique. Shesaid he’d peddle earthen jugs from hiswagon, ringing a bell as he went onhis way.

“A jug for a chicken,” he’d offer inan attempt to barter.

The trade was valued at 50-cents pergallon capacity, so the standard 3-gal-lon jug cost $1.50. The largest jug theMulders produced was a No. 6, or 6-gallon jug.

Most Pottersville jugs have no logoor signature to advertise their origin,Margaret said. Besides the color, mostjugs can be identified by the numberwritten near its rim giving the vessel’svolume, from one gallon to six.

Margaret is always on the lookoutfor items she can connect to her familyhistory, and documents that flesh outtheir lives in the area.

She found a pension letter written toher great-grandmother, Mary AnnJackson Mulder, promising her $7.50per month for William Isaac’s Civil

War service making medicine contain-ers for the Confederacy. The clay forthose jugs was dug near the south sideof Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl foot-ball stadium, she said.

The Mulders continued their workthrough the 19th Century. In the early1900s, as mass produced containersbegan forcing artisans out of business,Margaret said, the Mulders began“twig-art” where twigs were used to

adorn the pottery for more decorativepurposes. She has a few planters andflower pots from that era.

Last month, Margaret wasn’t aroundthe house too much. She was continu-ing her search for local heritage, help-ing a Wetumpka family sort items foran estate sale.

“You never know what you’ll find insomeone’s collection, and I’m alwayslooking for more,” she said.

Mulder-Kelley continues to add to her pottery collection.


“What’s in a name? That which we call arose by any other name would smell assweet.” – Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, ActII, Scene II

The meaning behind the Bard’s famouswords – that the names of things do not matter,only that those things really are – is generallyaccepted as truth. But often names originatefrom history that has direct bearing on whatthose things are, not just what they are called.

In Elmore County, many places weren’tsimply named for a family or an important per-son. The names of some locations are tied tostories and occurrences that generated thosemonikers. Included here are a few of the moreunusual city and community names.

SlapoutThose referencing one close-knit commu-

nity often use two names interchangeably forthe area located west of Lake Jordan. To someit is Slapout, to others Holtville. It can even beboth to the same person, with the communitydesignated as Slapout and the local schoolsbearing the Holtville name.

History shows that the name Holtville wasin use first. In the late 1800s, sisters Nancy andSamantha Holt operated a post office fromtheir home and the Holtville label originatedthere.

Then in 1917, Oscar Peeples moved toHoltville and in 1918 he opened a store at thecommunity’s main crossroad. The story, passedfrom generation to generation, says that some-times when customers asked for an item,Peeples would tell them he was “slap out” ofwhat they wanted. Eventually the area’s resi-dents began to call the location Slapout.

ByPeggyBlackburn

You’re from Where?Communities garnernames from thestrangest things


Flea HopIn 1892, a lumber mill operator (J.D.

Nichols) selected a site near Tallassee for anew mill. He and his 10-year-old son went tolook at the timberland in a small horse-drawncart. There they found an old log cabin in thecenter of the forest.

It was a hot humid day andthe boy began to swat bitingbugs from his face and arms;and he complained that the“place is hopping with fleas.” Thefather laughed and told his son hehad named the town and it would be calledFlea Hop.

SantuckThere are several

stories about the origin ofSantuck’s name.

One says the area was named Sand Tuckbecause the road into it was really nothing butdeep sand beds. When someone’s yoke ofoxen became stuck in the “sand,it was nip and tuck” asto whether ornot the ownerwould be ableto get themout.

A secondstory claims thecommunity wasnamed after two ofthe earliest familiesinhabiting the area -Sanford and Tucker. Yet another story saysthat because the area includes deep drifts ofwhite sand, some people said that “the sandjust tuck over.”

KowaligaToday the name Kowaliga refers to an area on the shore of

Lake Martin, but before the manmade reservoir was created aCreek Indian village named Kowaliga was located until 1836on the banks of Kowaliga Creek.

Indian lore claimed that a brave named Kowaliga fell inlove with a beautiful maiden and he asked her to marry him.She rejected him because her father had already promised herto another, and she left to live out her days with her husband.

Kowaliga vowed to wait for her return, and stood in placeso long he eventually turned to wood and he took root there.

The area gained fame in 1952 when Hank Williamsloosely based his song, “Kaw-liga,” on the Indian

legend.

WetumpkaThe name Wetumpka is derived from

the Indian words “we-wau” (water) and“tum-cau” rumbling. We-wau-tum-cau,

anglicized to Wetumpka was theCreek description of a prominentpoint in the Coosa River wherethe rapids roll and tumble overthe rocks in the riverbed.

CoosadaCoosada is another Indian-based name. The area

has also been known as Coosauda, Coosawda andKoasati (referring to the Koasati Indi-ans). The word means “white cane.”

TallasseeTallassee’s name also derives from

the Creek Indians. Some historical refer-ences indicate the name is based onthe Indian word Talisi or “old

town.” Others credit the name to theCreek word Talase or “town taken.”

WeokaLike many

other localcommunities,

sites and streets, Weoka takes its name from theIndians who dwelled in the area before settlers ar-rived. Weoka is a variant for Ouioukas and isnamed for the Creek Indian town of Wewoka,which translates as “water roaring.”

Red HillWhile there is nothing unusual about the name Red Hill,

the community’s previous names are. The Creeks called thearea Chanahatchee, and at some point during its history pio-neers labeled it as Tusslebug.

RAREKING


Holtville Co-Op one of few surviving gins in state

harles Woodall hopeshe’ll be working as lateas mid-December.

During the crisp lateOctober and early No-vember days, Woodall re-ports to work before 8a.m. and leaves sometime

after dark.This is typically when the Holtville

Gin Co-Op is at its busiest, and thisseason has not been a disappointment.

The cotton crops across the statehave been some of the best in almost adecade, according to area farmers. Notonly has crop production been high, sotoo has the quality, which in turnmeans a more profitable year.

And that’s good news not only for

the farmers, but those working at theHoltville gin, which has been opera-tional for almost 40 years.

Cotton gins are now becoming a rar-ity in some parts of the state. In theearly to mid-1980s there were almost80 gins throughout the state. Now,there are just 28 registered through theAlabama Farmers Federation. Thereare only two operational gins in ElmoreCounty, including the one in Holtville.

The number of gins in the state hasdecreased because of the growing de-cline of acres of cotton planted in thestate, said Woodall, who has managedthe Holtville Co-Op since 1982.

“A majority of the cotton fields havegone to make way for housing devel-opments,” he said. “In just the last 15years, we’ve seen a greater decline incotton coming in because there was notas much planted.”

Producers have suffered in a declin-

ing economy as well, according toWoodall.

“They have not earned as much inthe last 10 to 15 years as they did, sothey aren’t planting as much,” he said.

And like any agricultural product,cotton gins and producers go throughsome hard times and some banneryears. Reports indicate cotton farmerswere earning about 70 cents per poundlast year. But given such great harveststhis season, farmers are earning up to$1 a pound.

And with a higher yield from thefield, that means the Holtville Co-Op isprocessing more.

The roar from the gin shakes thewindows next door where Woodall’soffice is located, and where book-keeper Sarah Geddie has worked sincethe gin opened in 1974.

Hearing that roar is like music toWoodall and Geddie’s ears.

ByKevinTaylor

Holtville Gin Co-Op Manager Charles Woodall checks some of the processed cotton to be sent to the USDA for grading. PHOTOS BY KEVIN TAYLOR

C


“The more cotton that is processed,means more tickets for me to input intothe computer each day,” Geddie said.“But that’s OK; that means it’s been agood day.”

A piece of paper is taped to the panelingbehind Geddie’s computer. There on thepiece of paper is the number of bales ofcotton the Holtville Co-Op has processednext to corresponding years.

In 1995 the gin saw one of its worstyears with slightly more than 2,000 balesprocessed. The gin managed to processabout 2,000 bales again in 2007.

This year, Woodall said he hopes thegin will produce 6,000 bales.

“I was being conservative with thatnumber; I think we’ll do a little more thanthat,” he said with a grin.

Given the present reports from areafarmers, it could be another bumper crop.In 1992, the Holtville Co-Op processedmore than 10,000 bales.

Just as the Holtville Co-Op has becomean institution in the Slapout communityand Elmore County, so too have some ofthe workers there.

Woodall began working for the Co-Opin 1982. The Holtville High graduate hasbeen a cotton farmer all his life.

“I remember picking cotton by handwhen I was 10-12 years old,” he said. “Iwas raised on a farm, and I wouldn’t do

anything else.”Geddie’s job as the gin’s bookkeeper

hasn’t changed much in the 37 years shehas been with the Holtville Co-Op. Thenumbers fluctuate every day from thenumber of bales processed to the numberof tickets she has to record.

The biggest difference in Geddie’s jobhas been how those numbers have beenrecorded and kept.

When she left a chicken processingplant in Montgomery to work at the co-opin Holtville, all of the bookkeeping itemsin relationship to the gin were kept inledgers. Now, those ledgers are a thing ofthe past and a majority of her recording is

done on a computer.“I’ve been using the computer since

1995,” she said. “I remember when theyfirst brought it in – I was scared to death. Iwas so used to doing all the figuring man-ually. But when the computer works right,it’s great.”

Geddie knew she was destined to be abookkeeper. While in school, she tookyears of accounting and typing to train forher profession.

“I’ve always liked working with num-bers,” she said. “And I can keep thesebooks pretty straight.”

Geddie now works part time at the Co-Op to handle the bookkeeping. While thegin is in operation, Geddie is the mostbusy doing reports for the gin, the farmersand the government.

“It can be mentally stressful at times,but I wouldn’t want to do anything else,”she said.

Inside the gin, Charlie Dennis keeps akeen eye on the huge panel of greenlights, switches and dials in front of him.

Like Geddie, Charlie Dennis has beenworking at the Co-Op since the day itopened, 37 years ago.

Dennis worked his way up through theranks of the gin from pressing the cottoninto bales to his present job where heoversees a majority of the machinery,which processes the cotton into bales.

Woodall, top, stands in front of a block of raw cotton. In a matter of minutes that raw cotton is turned into processedbales, above, ready for delivery.


Dennis knew right away hewanted to work at the cottongin even when he was inschool at Holtville High,which is just a mile down theroad from the gin.

“I came here while I was inschool to see about a job, andthey said for me to wait untilthe next year,” Dennis said.“After I graduated, I came herelooking for work, and theytook me on.”

For 10 years Dennis workedon the cotton press then movedon through the gin beforebeing put behind a huge con-

sole in the middle of the gin,where he has been for the lastnine years.

“Everything but the pressworks from this panel righthere, and if I’m not here thenthe gin doesn’t run,” he saidwith a laugh.

The gin has been running ata brisk pace since late Septem-ber, which has been good newsfor everyone involved at theCo-Op.

The gin is still runningtoday.

Woodall might just get hiswish this year.

Charlie Dennis, far right, has been working at the Holtville Gin Co-Opsince it opened in 1974.


hen Richard and BrendaGrey of Eclectic movedto the area fromHouston,Texas, nearly

a decade ago they already hadhobbies: RVing and for Richardmaking stained glass.

But that didn’t stopRichard from attending awood carving class eightyears ago and now, hesaid, they have acommunity offriends, a relaxinghobby and a contin-ued love of learningto work new materialsand new methods withtheir hands.

From the Gourd Fes-tival in Cullman to theTitus Bluegrass Festivaland other local eventslike the Santuck FleaMarket and the Ala-bama National Fair theGreys enjoy traveling,exhibiting, selling andentering their work incompetition.

Richard won a blueribbon in the widdlingcontest at the fairthis year.

But the bestpart, he said isthe communityand cama-raderie suchevents offer.

“It’s just likesitting on the front porch andtalking to the people passing by. Younever know when you’ll meet a newfriend or encourage someone to try some-thing new,” he said.

And carving, he added, is something

anyone can learn to do. “I won’t say it’s not hard, but anyone

can learn or at least try,” he said.One thing he will say about carving,“It’s relaxing.”

There’s nothing better to Grey thansitting outside the RV with a block ofwood on a trip with his wife.

Grey works mostly with Cotton-wood bark of the Cottonwood tree,native to the northern regions of theU.S. and the Candian border. Thebark is harvested two to three years

after the treedies and in-stead ofbeingsloughed offof the treethe bark iscom-

presseduntil it

comprisesmany layers,each only afew thousandsof an inchthick. Theselayers form

the grainof the

bark

andpieces are oftenbetween 150 and 200 years old.

Grey said the original state of thebark he’s working with deter-mines the type of carving he

will make.“The piece just speaks to me, and when

it stops speaking I set it aside and work onanother piece until I’m ready to go back,”he said.

Grey most often carves whimsicalhouses, hollow on the inside, featuringbrick or wood patterns on the outside andfinished with a varnish of shoe lotion thatgives the wood a soft, satiny finish. Someof his carvings can even hold votives togive the house a warm glow.

Brenda, Grey said,enjoys carving forfriendship canes,where severalcarvers each craft apiece of the caneand then assemble

it. She also paintsand enjoys wood

burning. The work he’s

most proud ofthough, is largerand much moretime consuming—deep relief. Hismost prized piece is

an oval carving ofa bald eagle in

front of a wavingAmerican Flag.

Grey said the time and ef-fort involved in relief just

increase the reward ofthe finished product.

The Greys don’tconsider themselvesexperts, Gray said.

“Brenda callsherself a beginner

and I feel like a be-ginner a lot of timestoo,” he said. But

Grey said that shouldn’t stop anyone fromtrying something they might enjoy.

Grey whittlesmasterpiecesfrom woodBy

AshleyVice

Chip off the ole block

W


A ChristmasStory

rom a Roman centurionon horseback informing aHebrew couple of thecoming census, to theangel and shepherds who

gathered in a stable in Bethlehem,the Christmas story is lived bythousands at a horse farm outsideEclectic.

An Eclectic Christmas, the walk-through nativity story produced bylocal church members, is enteringits fourth year at the farm of Donand Rita Falk near the Eclectictown limits on Claud Road.

The Christmas story is told dur-ing a nighttime walk around theFalk’s pond. From the centurion’sannouncement, through the dra-matic appearance of the HeavenlyHost, to shepherds keeping watchover their flock by night, the littletown of Bethlehem and the mangerscene where Christ was born,members of First Baptist Church ofEclectic and the wider community

fill hundreds of roles.Becky Webb, a First Baptist

member entering her third year as a“cheese lady” in the streets ofBethlehem, was among about adozen church members and othervolunteers working to get ready forthe Dec. 7 opening.

“This is a way I can worshipGod while working,” she said, asshe carried a 2-by-4 bound for alittle shack that would be home tothe dancing girls who populate thevillage’s outskirts.

“I know lives are changed fromthis, and we’re all out here for thatsame purpose.”

They’ve been sprucing up thesets for An Eclectic Christmassince the first weekend of October,Falk said. The set includes a shep-herd’s stable, scattered shantiesand huts, the stable containing themanger and an ornate town ofBethlehem complete with citywalls, a blacksmith shop, taberna-cle and inn.

First Baptist debuted the walk-through drama three years agohoping to make the little town ofEclectic a Christmas destination. Ineach of its three years of operation,more than 2,000 people from theRiver Region and beyond have

Eclectic sharesstory of Christwith live nativity

ByDavidGoodwin

F

For the fourth year in a row, Don and RitaFalk’s farm on Claud Road has been hostto the live nativity An Eclectic Christmas.

PHOTOS BY DAVID GOODWIN


come for a guided tourthrough the Biblical Christ-mas story.

“We feel like this is a wayto share the Gospel storywith people, and it bringsthe community together in acommon goal,” the Rev.Britt Green, pastor at FirstBaptist, said.

The walk-through dramahas its roots in a productionrun for years at the home ofAnn Bearden. Thousandswould make the trek to Mt.Hebron Road near LakeMartin for the drive-throughdrama for nearly a decade.

Rita Falk said her sonTanner, who’s now 20 yearsold, played baby Jesus atBearden’s Bethlehem Re-visited. They’d originallyplanned to take it over whenBearden moved, but thatdidn’t work out.

“We always knew whatwe wanted to do with it,”Falk said. “When we bought thisproperty, it was never a question of ifwe’d do it, only when.”

Falk said it is “very fulfilling” tohost An Eclectic Christmas eachyear, despite the time and laborneeded to “invite 3,500 people toshow up at your house.”

“It’s a lot of work, but when it’sover, you know it was the right thingto do,” Falk said.

The Falks donate the use of 20acres of the 40-acre spread to the re-enactment. Their barn is the behind-the-scenes base of operations, withcharacters getting into costume, cof-fee and other refreshments prepared,and volunteers getting other thingsarranged.

There are always plenty of peoplearound to help, and there have beensince the beginning.

“It had a supportbase from before iteven started, becauseso many people hadgreat experiences upthere,” she said.“That made it a reallyeasy sell.”

Much of the sea-son’s involved polish-ing up and addingnew elements toBethlehem. This yearthey’re adding a taxcollector to wanderthrough town. Thecharacters often inter-act with those on thetour, with the harlotsoutside the gatesinviting folks over fora dance, or beggarsasking for some sparechange.

This year’s AnEclectic Christmaswill be Dec. 7, 9, 10and 11, with tours be-

ginning at 6 p.m. and the last groupsetting out at 9 p.m. Though walk-insare fine, Falk said, reservations areencouraged, especially for largergroups.

For more information or to makereservations for a tour, call thechurch office at 334-541-4444 orcheck online atwww.fbceclectic.org/eclectic-christ-mas.


hroughout the years, RickRedmon and Don Day —with trusty camera manCurt Gantt there to filmthe adventure — havetaken viewers down the

Coosa River, along Swayback Trail andeven 13,000 feet in the sky as part oftheir long-running television show, Ven-ture Outdoors.

“I can’t believe we jumped out of asemi-good airplane,” said Day with achuckle.

“We’re always looking for new stuffto do,” said Redmon. “We even did ashow about paintball. You ever been hitwith a paintball?”

Gantt, playing the role of bystanderchimed in: “Sounded like it stung.”

Venture Outdoors is a 30-minute tele-vision show which airs weekly on Sun-day mornings throughout central andsouth Alabama on WCOV-FOX 20.

“Rick and Curt were doing a showcalled Central Alabama Outdoors,” saidDay. “One of the last shows that theydid, I was the guest. We went fishing onthe Coosa, had a great day.”

Central Alabama Outdoors eventuallyended. Day and Redmon, however,stayed in contact.

The two fished together and attendedclay shoots together.

“We kind of talked about the showand decided to start it up again,” saidDay. “We talked to Curt and he wasgame so we were rolling again.”

Venture Outdoors, the title of the newshow, took a different approach than it’searlier incarnation.

ByGriffinPritchard

Outdoor enthusiastsTrio brings

Central Alabama to thousands of TVs

For the last five years Rick Redmon and Don Day have had camera man Curt Gantt chroniclemany outdoor adventures throughout Central Alabama. Those adventures are shared by Redmonand Day on the weekly show “Venture Outdoors.” PHOTOS BY GRIFFIN PRITCHARD

T


“When Curt and I were doing ourshow, it was a pretty straightforwardhunting and fishing show,” said Red-mon. “Our show now is more of enter-tainment than a how-to deal. We canshow them how-not-to catch a fish.”

According to Gantt, the show’s mainobjective is a simple one.

“We want to promote central Alabamaand all there is to do in the outdoors inthis area,” said Gantt.

To that end the trio has met their goal,attending multiple fishing tournaments,hunts and shoots held throughout thearea.

“That’s why we went into this thingthinking, ‘Let’s go do things two oldguys our age can do on camera andshow central Alabama families whatthere is to do,’” said Day.

The show’s cast has firsthand knowl-edge of the outdoor goings on becausethis is their home. And it’s been spon-sored by the City of Wetumpka since2005, according to Redmon “when westarted this Venture Outdoors deal.”

“We’ve covered the Coosa RiverChallenge two or three times and theWhiteWater Festival and a lot with thekids,” said Redmon. And we’ve donestuff on Ironman Outdoor Ministries,

which is disabled and disadvantagedkids. And we’ve done a good bit of stuffin the past couple of years with theWounded Warriors.”

The show is also frequented by Bass-master Elite series pro Greg Vinson.

“Whenever we need his help on stuff,he always lends a hand,” said Redmon.

According to Gantt, a majority of thenew shows are filmed during the springand the fall - with new episodes appear-ing during those two seasons.

“The two of us will be fishing andCurt will be filming,” said Day. “Curtwill have untold amounts of film andhe’s got to take that back and edit it.That’s the tedious part of the process.”

“Then he’s got to find footage of usactually catching a fish,” Redmon inter-jected with a laugh.

The editing process takes between 10and 20 hours to complete. Day and Red-mon added that it’s 52 shows a year.

“Our show gets out to an 80-90 mileradius of Montgomery,” said Redmon.“It’s around 300,000 households.”

The show can be seen from Demopo-lis to Eufuala to Alexander City and inElmore County. It airs Sundays at 9 a.m.on WCOV-FOX 20; Fridays at 9 p.m.and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on WFRZ

(The Frazer Channel).Redmon and Gantt added that the

dream is to expand the show into largermarkets or syndicate it throughout theSouth.

“But I’m still working, those othertwo guys are retired and get up at thecrack of noon,” said Redmon. “I’d loveto expand, but I’ve got to be able tomake money too.”

Money for the show would also help.“If some wealthy donor came along

and said ‘Hey, we really love your show.Here’s a pile of money. Run with it.’That would be nice too,” said Day.

When the group came together, one ofthe first tenets was that it couldn’t inter-fere with their real jobs.

“I had a real job and Curt had a realjob, Don worked in radio — eventhough it’s not a real job — he called itreal job,” said Redmon. “Second, it hadto still be fun. This is our hobby.”

For Redmon, the show is an opportu-nity to do new things that normallywould go unattempted.

“When the postseason deal was inMontgomery and up here,” said Red-mon. “One of the highlights I’ve had inthe 10 or 11 years I’ve been doing thiswas having the chance to carry Kevin


Van Dam out to this pond we haveaccess to for him to bring some ofhis Toyota sponsors who were intown and entertain them.”

Redmon said he, Day nor Ganttwet a hook the whole day.

“It was watching the greatest Bassfisherman that ever lived fish onyour place,” said Redmon. “Thatwas cool.”

Day said, from a fan perspective,the favorite show has been the onefeaturing the Snoopy Challenge.

“There was no Snoopy involved,” saidDay. “I took a child’s Batman fishingoutfit and Rick had a Barbie fishing out-fit and we had a competition. That was -and still is - the most talked about show.”

Redmon said another challenge showis in the planning stages.

“One of the most heartfelt shows wedid we had two young men fish for theirrespective universities and then wetalked to their dads,” said Day.

Redmon pointed out that of all theshows his involves someone falling inthe water.

“Personally, that was my favorite showof all,” said Redmon.

The show featured Ben Weldon andShaye Baker fishing at the Waters.

“The two parents and all of us were inthe boat filming. Ben had a 9-pounderon, set the hook and jumped,” said Red-mon. “He weighs 83 pounds soakingwet. He’s fooling with the trolling motor.He gets down on his knees trying to lipthe fish but falls in. Cell phone, micro-phone, rod and reel all go in the water.And he’s a diabetic with a pump, so thatgoes in the water too. He had like a mil-lion dollars worth of stuff going into thelake.”

Day said Weldon surfaced with rodand reel, sunglasses and pump in hand.

“Shaye leaned over the boat, pickedhim up out of the water and put him back

in the boat,” said Redmon with alaugh.

Redmon and Gantt said they arelooking for new show topics.

“You can only do something somany times,” said Redmon.

The Coosa River Challenge -going on its 10th year provided thebest example.

“One year, we actually tried someof the events - two old out of shapefat guys trying to do some of the

stuff these younger fit guys were doing -it was kind of ugly,” said Day.

The CRC, like the Anglers for Kidsfishing events, is a mainstay on theCoosa River.

“You are bringing a new generation ofbass guys up, we like to promote that,”said Redmon. “It’s a good thing for kidsto do. The ones that do that, have done itfor years, seem to turn out pretty good.”

This year, the trio is eyeing Tallassee.“We are going to cover the Civil War

Reenactment in Tallassee,” said Red-mon. “We haven’t done that before. Wearen’t sure how we are going to do it yet.But that’s something big for ElmoreCounty.”

Musicalministry


The Kempter family has traveled throughoutAlabama and now the country to deliver theirmessage of faith through music.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN TAYLOR

he Kempters aren’t yourtypical musical family.

The only member ofthe family who has anymusical background isthe father, Chaz.

He was part of a bandin his high school years and later leftmusic for tennis and cabinetry.

For four and a half years the Kempterfamily traveled throughout the UnitedStates playing in various tennis tourna-ments. The money to stay on the road sothe children could play came from hand-made cabinets Chaz, and later his sonsand daughters, helped construct.

Business was good in cabinetry untilthe recession hit.

Then there was little call for custom-made cabinets, because there was nolonger a housing boom.

As the recession started to really deal afinancial blow to the Kempter family,they took on a new calling – music.

Now the Kempters are known through-out much of the state as a musical familywhich plays in churches and festivals per-forming what they call bluegrass gospel.

“It’s a great gift that we’ve been givenand an unexpected pleasure,” ChazKempter, the father of four girls and twoboys said. “We feel like this is what Godwas leading to in this ministry.”

Indeed the family looks at their per-formances as strictly a ministry and noth-ing more. They don’t try to come off as

the second coming of the Partridge familyor any other famous musical family.

Their objective is to give those whomay not have a glimmer of hope in theirheart or their soul, at least a few minutesof hope through their music.

“We try to be light-hearted and be funfor everyone,” Chaz said. “People seethese kids, and they have hope.”

The idea of putting a band togethercame when the Kempters hosted a Brazil-ian family on a mission trip.

“They noticed Danielle’s keyboard andthey took to it and started playing andsinging,” Chaz added. “They were our in-spiration behind our music.”

But the Kempters went at putting to-gether their band in an abstract way.

“We did it a bit backward,” Chaz said.“We picked instruments and then the

Kempters strike a chord of faith with audienceByKevinTaylor

T


music to adapt to what we had chosen.”The oldest child, Nathan, decided he

wanted to take up the violin. A fewweeks later Nathan lost two of his fin-gers in an accident in the family shop.Now, he plays bass left-handed eventhough he’s a true right-hander.

Danielle, the second oldest of thedaughters, was taking classical musiclessons earlier on and now plays thekeyboard and the banjo.

JoAnna, the second youngest of thedaughters, took on the mandolin.

Sara, the oldest of the girls, had notselected an instrument, but the instru-ment chose her.

“My great uncle Danny wantedsomeone in the family to have my greatgrandmother’s (150-year-old) cello. Iwas the only one in the family whodidn’t pick an instrument, and I said Iwould sing,” Sara said. “Then I saw thecello, tried it, and now I would nottrade it for anything.”

Charli, the youngest of the family atage 8, now plays a beautiful hand-made harp which was given to the fam-ily.

And Chris, the youngest of the two

boys, took to the violin.“I was 10 years old when I started to

play,” said the 14-year-old. “I don’t liketo read music, so I play by ear … Ithink we all have the gift of music, andmom has the gift for travel.”

Teresa’s role with the band is on themixing board to ensure everyonesounds good, and she’s the driver. If thefamily needs to make a 14-hour driveto a performance, it’s Teresa who getsbehind the wheel to get her familywhere it needs to be.

“I just enjoy driving,” she explained.“I love to be on the road.”

Once the family found their musicalniche, they began just to play for them-selves.

“Three months after we picked ourinstruments, we started just goofingaround and began to play “Just As IAm,” and one of our customers heardus playing,” Chaz said. “She asked ifwe would perform at her church, andwe finally agreed.”

Since performing at a senior lunch-eon at First Baptist Church inPrattville, the Kempters have per-formed in churches throughout the state

Sara Kempter plays her great grandmother’s 150-year-old cello.


and recently in Tennessee,Colorado, Connecticut andRhode Island.

“Our goal is to try not toturn this into a business,” Chazsaid. “We are putting our focuson the ministry end of it.”

The Kempters go wherethey are invited. Most of thetime, they perform in andaround the River Region.

So far The Kempters haveconcerts booked as far aheadas October of next year.

They never charge for theirperformances except one con-cert a year. The Kempters willperform their annual Christ-mas concert Dec. 15 at the We-tumpka Civic Center. Ticketsare $10 per person and $15 atthe door.

“I think we are in it for thelong haul,” Chaz said. “…IfGod wants us to do this thenwe will. We are for whateverHe wants.”

Danielle, Nathan and JoAnna (from left) practice at home.

Soothingelegance


Lake Martin home offersultimate waterfront viewByKevinTaylor

ark Laurent saw the lot and knew itwas the perfect site for a dreamhome. A few years later that dreambecame reality when the 1,700 squarefoot, five bedroom, five and one-half

bath home was constructed on a point overlook-ing the pristine waters of Lake Martin.

The home takes full advantage of the terrificview of the lake with plenty of windows to givethat panoramic view.

The home, which is listed for $3.15 million,has an open floor plan to blend the family roominto the kitchen and dining areas.

In addition to the open space inside, the househas more than 1,000 square feet of covered anduncovered porch space.

Some of the other features of the home in-clude cathedral ceilings, a stone fireplace andexercise room, as well as a home theater.

The lot itself has more than 500 feet of water-front with a pier and boat lift which extend intowater more than 30 feet deep.

For more information on the home, contactBecky Haynie with ERA Lake Martin Realty atWillow Point. Call 334-312-0928.

The five bedroom,five and a halfbath home at The Ridge hasmore than 500feet of shorelineand has morethan 1,000 feet ofdeck and porchspace.

PHOTOS BY SHERRY WATKINS

The homewas

designed tohave an

open floorplan so that

the residentsand

visitors couldenjoy the

breathtakingview of Lake

Martin.

M


astern Elmore County has a uniquehistorical relationship with theCatholic Church.

Franciscan priests, traveling withSpanish explorer Hernando DeSoto,conducted the first Mass in Alabamain 1540, in an area that Creek Indians

called “Talisi.” The community would later becomeknown as Tallassee.

Elmore County’s first Catholic church was built inTallassee soon after the middle of the 20th Century

on Gilmer Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare. Land for the church was donated by Mildred and

Roberts Blount, an affluent local couple, and the newchurch was erected next door to their home, knownas Seven Gables.

Construction on the new church began in July1954, and was overseen by members of the Vincent-ian order of priests, which has been the case forother churches in East Central Alabama.

Named for the saint whose name is also themoniker of the Tallassee church, the Vincentianshave a centuries-old history of working with thepoor.

The dedication ceremony for St. Vincent de PaulChurch was held in October 1955. The first Mass at

Last of theVincentiansLynch delivers final Mass in Tallassee

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Tallassee was dedicated in October 1955. PHOTOS BY WILLIE G. MOSELEY

ByWillie G.MoseleyE

Father Francis Lynch receives best wishes from parishoners of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Tallassee during a receptionat Seven Gables following his final Mass on Oct. 9.


the Tallassee church was conducted byBishop Fulton Sheen, host of a nationalreligious program, “Life Is Worth Liv-ing,” broadcast on the Dupont Televi-sion Network. Sheen had befriendedMildred Blount and had promised that ifshe was instrumental in building aCatholic church in Tallassee, he wouldperform the first Mass there.

The Vincentian order staffed the Tal-lassee church from the beginning, andthe most recent Vincentian priest to

helm the local parish was Father FrancisLynch, a native of Philadelphia, wherethe Vincentians are headquartered.

Ordained as a priest in 1950, Lyncharrived at St. Vincent’s in 1982, and thesmall church’s membership grew underhis guidance.

At a celebration in 2010 to mark his60th year in the priesthood, Lynch saidhe had no inclination to slow down, butmore recently, at the age of 90, he de-cided to return to the St. Vincent’s Semi-

nary in Philadelphia.The Vincentians did not have a re-

placement for Lynch so discussionsamong the Vincentians and the Archdio-cese of Mobile, which oversees otherCatholic churches in Central Alabama,led to the appointment of Father CharlesTroncale of Montgomery to serve at St.Vincent’s.

Troncale is the first archdiocesan/non-Vincentian priest to be assigned to theTallassee parish.


“His boss is the Bishop of the Mobile Arch-diocese,” Lynch said with a chuckle. “My bossis in Philadelphia.”

Troncale had previously served at HolySpirit Church in the east Montgomery area.

Lynch conducted his last Mass at St. Vin-cent’s on Oct. 9. The event was attended byArchbishop Thomas Rodi, who heads the Mo-bile Archdiocese.

A reception following the Mass was held atSeven Gables, the former residence of theBlounts.

Numerous parishioners and well-wishersgathered around Lynch to express their appre-ciation for his years of service to the churchand the community.

Troncale attended that event after preachinghis own final Mass at Holy Spirit.

Lynch was en route to Philadelphia the nextday, leaving behind a considerable legacy toemulate in the eyes of many of his parish-ioners.

However, the former local priest insistedthat the future of St. Vincent de Paul is in goodhands.

“I’m sure it will be a good transition,”Lynch said of his status as the last Vincentianpriest at the Tallassee church. “I’ve known (Fr.Troncale) for a long time; he’s a good man.”

Father CharlesTroncale, right,took the placeof retiringCatholic priestFather FrancisLynch at St.Vincent dePaul.


Mark Your CalendarWetumpka Tree Lightingand Illuminated NativityNov. 29, 5 p.m.Gold Star Park and RiverwalkPhotos with Santa, seasonalmusic, introduction of Christ-mas on the Coosa pageant win-ners, announcement of paradegrand marshal. Christmas onthe Coosa shirts on sale and re-freshments. The official treelighting will be at 6:30 p.m.Following will be a new fea-ture - nativity scenes will be litalong the riverwalk and churchgroups will provide refresh-ments and music, along withlive nativity vignettes. Thescenes will be illuminatedthroughout the season.

Wetumpka Depot Players:“The Best ChristmasPageant Ever”Dec. 1-3, 7 p.m.; Dec. 4, 2 p.m.

Wetumpka Depot TheatrePresented by the WetumpkaDepot Players. For informa-tion, call 334-868-1440, visitwww.wetumpkadepot.com oremail [email protected].

Millbrook Tree LightingDec. 1, 6 p.m.Village Green ParkActivities will include seasonalmusic and caroling and light-ing of the tree. For informa-tion, call 334-285-0085 or visitwww.cityofmillbrook.org.

Tallassee Tree Lightingand Christmas ParadeDec. 2, 5:30 p.m. (tree light-ing); Dec. 3 (parade) Tree lighting at Veterans Park;Parade begins at TallasseeChurch of Christ and ends atJ.E. “Hot” O’Brien StadiumThe Tallassee Holiday Market


will be held in conjunction with the twoevents. It will be open at Veterans ParkDec. 2, 12 to 6 p.m.; an d at Mt. VernonTheatre Dec. 3, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. For in-formation, call 334-283-6571 (tree light-ing and parade) or 334-991-1001 (holidaymarket).

Eclectic Christmas Parade, Festival andTree LightingDec. 2, 4 p.m.Downtown EclecticActivities include arts and crafts vendors,food and live seasonal entertainment. Theparade will begin at 6 p.m., followed bylighting of the town’s Christmas tree at ap-proximately 7:30 p.m. For more informa-tion, call 334-541-3581.

Millbrook Christmas Parade and Artsand CraftsDec. 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Downtown MillbrookArts and crafts and concession vendorswill be in Village Green Park all day. Theannual parade will begin at 2 p.m. atSouthgate Plaza Shopping Center, travelup Main Street, turn left onto Edgewoodand end at the Village Green. Call 334-285-0085 for information.

Downtown Open HouseDec. 6, 5:30 p.m.Downtown WetumpkaThe Wetumpka Area Chamber of Com-merce will hold its annual open house, andencourages all downtown businesses tohost open houses the same evening.

Wetumpka Pearl Harbor RemembranceDec. 7, 10:55 a.m.Gold Star ParkThe annual observance will mark the 70thanniversary of the bombardment of PearlHarbor, an event that precipitated U.S. in-volvement in World War II. Everyone isinvited to attend.

An Eclectic ChristmasDec. 7, 9-11, tours begin at 6 p.m. andcontinue every 10 minutes until 9 p.m.1733 Claud Road, at Eclectic’s town limits“star”Local residents and youth will reenact theChristmas story, from the angels’ appear-ance to shepherds announcing Christ’sbirth, through downtown Bethlehem andJesus’ birth in a manger. For informationor to make reservations, call 256-794-7789 or visit www.fbc eclectic.org.

Christmas on the CoosaDec. 10, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Downtown WetumpkaThe city’s 28th annual holiday festival willoffer a children’s character breakfast,12Ks of Christmas run, arts and craftsvendors, concessions, entertainment, an-tique car show, quilt show, motorcycleshow, art shows, a street parade, Santa onskis, a boat parade, fireworks show andmore. No admission fee to most activities.For information, call 334-567-1384, visitwww.cityof wetumpka.com or find We-tumpka Christmas on the Coosa on Face-book.

Christmas at the Alabama Nature CenterDec. 10, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Alabama Nature Center, Millbrook

Participants can dine with Santa during aspecial luncheon, make Christmas candy,create handmade Christmas decorationsfrom native Alabama plants and enjoy aholiday hayride with Santa and his elves.Admission charged.

Luminaria NightDec. 16, beginning at 5 p.m.WetumpkaSpectators are encouraged to drive throughthe city to see luminaries lighting thestreets.

“The Holiday Bug”Dec. 16, 6 p.m.; Dec. 17, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Dec. 18, 2:30 p.m.Wetumpka Performing Arts Center


A puppet show suitable for allages, which teaches the impor-tance of selflessness and helpingothers. Admission $12, 12 andyounger; $7, 13 and older. Forinformation, email cros [email protected] or visitcrosstitchproductions.com.

Christmas on the Coosa BallDec. 17, 7 to 11 p.m.Wetumpka Civic CenterDance music from the StillCruzin’ Band of Nashville.Heavy hors d’oeuvres. Ice andsetups (tonic water, Sprite,Coke) provided. Semi-formal.Tickets are $25 per person or$175 for a table for eight. Forinformation, call 334-567-1384or 334-567-5147.

Christmas CampDec. 19-21Camp ChandlerFor children 5-14. Activities in-clude fishing, archery, riflery,canoes, broom hockey, fieldgames, pedal boats, putt putt,campfire with s’mores, holidaycrafts, Christmas goodies,

Christmas tree trimming, a partyand more. Fee charged, whichincludes T-shirt and visits to thecamp store. Deadline to registeris Dec. 16. For complete details,visit www.campchandler.org.

New Year’s Eve Asteroid Dropand FireworksDec. 31Plaza of old Elmore CountyCourthouse, WetumpkaWelcome in 2012 with a varietyof activities including a count-down clock, live entertainment,an “asteroid drop” and fire-works. Free.

New Year's BashDec. 31-Jan. 1Camp ChandlerFor ages 5-14. Activities will in-clude fishing, archery, riflery,broom hockey, field games,pedal boats, canoes, putt puttand more. Campers will bring inthe New Year with a party, fire-works and a ball drop. Feecharged, which includes T-shirta visit to the camp store. Dead-line to register is Dec. 29. For

complete details, visitwww.campchandler.org.

Millbrook Mardi Gras Festival and ParadeFeb. 11, 9 a.m.Downtown MillbrookA family-oriented event cele-brating Mardi Gras sponsoredby the Millbrook Revelers. Of-fers live music, entertainment,food, vendors (from five states),inflatables and children’s ridesin Village Green Park. Paradeon Main Street at 12 p.m. Nocharge for parade entries. Forinformation, call 334-799-1636or visit www.millbrookrevel-ers.com.

9th Annual IBO RumblingWaters ChallengeFeb. 17-19Bennett’s Archery, WetumpkaHundreds of archery enthusi-asts, vendors and other partici-pants will attend the first leg ofthe International BowhuntingOrganization’s Southern TripleCrown of Bowhunting Champi-onships. For information, call

334-514-1286.

Wetumpka Mardi Gras ParadeFeb. 18, 12 p.m.Downtown WetumpkaVisitors can catch beads, moonpies and other “throws” at thefamily-friendly event coordi-nated by the Krewe of Toulouse.Vendors will be open before theparade. The parade will begin atthe west end of the Bibb GravesBridge, turn right onto S. MainStreet and end at the parking lotbeyond Faith Rescue Mission.No charge for parade entries.For information, visit krewe-oftoulouse.com.

16th Annual Elmore CountyNWTF Hunting and Heritage BanquetFeb. 24, 6 p.m.Wetumpka Civic CenterTicket cost includes admission,dinner and annual NWTF mem-bership. For information, callChet Matthews at 334-799-8885or [email protected].


A LAST LOOKThe angel said to them,"Do not be afraid. Ibring you good news ofgreat joy that will befor all the people.Today in the town ofDavid a Savior hasbeen born to you; he isChrist the Lord.”

— Luke 2:10-11

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