Elmore County Living

WINTER�2010 • COMPLIMENTARY

Elmore CountyElmore County

L iLi vv ingingM A G A Z I NM A G A Z I N EE

Elmore County Living • Winter 2010 1

publisher’smessage

That holiday fire would runus out of the house

y daddy loved the holidays. It is probably why thatlegacy lives on so deeply in our family every year.There is just something about family gatherings thatrejuvenate the soul. It makes you feel good to getthat big ‘ol hug from Aunt Betty Jo, see all your

cousins dealing with their young ones – now that yours aregrown – and eating all that food.

My grandfather Sumners enjoyed the holidaystoo. You never know in Alabama what theweather will be like during the holidays, but es-pecially at Thanksgiving it can still be in the80s. It might be like that this year, but we hopeit is cooler.

My grandfather loved his fireplace. I can re-member that it took all the grandsons and hissons to cut firewood for him about every otherweekend because he burned so much. He hadcentral heat in his house, but he liked that roar-ing fireplace. We all did too, except when it was80 outside on Thanksgiving.

I can remember my mother, my aunts and un-cles fussing at him to stop putting wood on thefire – because my grandmother would alreadyhave the windows and the back door open. Themore air that came through that house, the hotterthat fire would burn.

About the best thing that fire provided was a great setting fora nap after that big meal. There would be several of us fightingfor couch space, especially when we got older. When we wereyounger, we would all head to the woods after lunch for a lateafternoon deer hunt or some squirrel hunting.

Holidays are also about eating. Lots. My grandmother Min-nie was a good cook. No, THE cook of all cooks. She passed iton to my mother. She can cook with the best of them. My maw-maw’s speciality was the pecan pie she made for the holidays. Icould eat a whole pie if she would let me, but when you have20 or 23 folks fighting for a slice, you were lucky if you gotone.

She would start baking the week before Turkey Day and keepon doing it through Christmas. There were always plenty ofsweets around, but she knew how to fix all those other delight-ful trimmings too. She could bake that turkey just right so thatit was juicy and tender, and still brown on 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 always

remember. And if you will, take along a copy ofthis month’s Elmore County Living with you.

Our folks have put together another award-winning publication for you, and it is filled withholiday stories.

From a look at some of the many stained glasswindows in our churches in the area, to a beauti-ful Lake Jordan home, to a clay sensation just upthe road to some local artists, ECL is a great readfor the holidays.

We want to also remind you to remember ourmen and women serving overseas, especiallyduring this holiday season. I am amazed at howthe national news media takes the story off thefront page and these warriors are still in the fightdefending our freedoms. It is not over inAfghanistan and Iraq for that matter.

We have thousands of area men and womenon military assignments in many countriesaround the world. Please join us and say a

prayer for them, and thank them for defending our country.On a personal note, let me add a couple of items. I am

pleased to have been nominated by my colleagues at Quail For-ever as one of Outdoor Life’s top 25 conservationists in 2010. Itis quite an honor and I am humbled by their nomination for ourwork with quail. I appreciate the PPI staff filling in for me dur-ing all those trips I make every year on behalf of Covey Riseand Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever. This nomination is trulydedicated to all of you for your efforts on my behalf!

And, as the year 2010 winds down, let me thank you as thehead of Price Publications for your devoted support throughoutthis year. Our newspapers and this publication have continuedto grow because of your support. We cannot thank you enoughfor that support and from our family to yours, have a wonderfulholiday season. We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, a veryMerry Christmas and a joyous New Year!

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

M

2 Elmore County Living • Winter 2010

‘ll go ahead and say what every-one is thinking --it’s hard to be-lieve Christmas is already here. Itseems like the holidays roll around

faster every year. If you haven’t gotten into the spirit of

the season yet, this issue of ElmoreCounty Living will help to put you inthe mood.

In these pages, you will find an as-sortment of stories and photographs re-lated to the holidays -- specifically herein Elmore County. Read about some ofyour neighbors who embrace Christmaswholeheartedly -- some who createelaborate villages for their friends andfamily to enjoy and others who devoteconsiderable time and effort to displaysthat are open for everyone to view.

You will also see what the AlabamaNature Center has to offer duringChristmas. And, you can take an arm-chair tour of some of the beautifulstained glass windows featured in localchurches.

In addition, you will meet the creators of some popular local cook-books -- and find some sample recipesfrom their publications. And, there’smuch more to discover inside this edi-tion. We hope you all enjoy this issueof Elmore County Living -- we thinkyou will.

So, settle in for a relaxing read.We hope you all have a Merry Christ-

mas and a Happy New Year!Peggy Blackburn is managing editor

of Price Publications, Inc.

editor’snote

Time to get intothe holiday spirit

I


InsideWindows 10

for the soul 14A look at the beautiful stained

glass windows of several churches around Elmore County

A taste 12of home 12

Local groups producecookbooks that preserve

recipes and memories

River clay to 12unique creations 17

Family business transforms unusual clay

into popular figurines

Going home 12again 21

Faulkner Universitypresident is proud of

Tallassee roots

30 Christmas24 collectionsResidents’ holiday villages grow largerevery year

30 Sharing the26 holiday spiritTwo local families sharetheir Christmas displayswith visitors

30 Old-fashioned28 ChristmasThe Alabama Nature Centeroffers traditional holidayactivities to participants

30 Resident32 artistsLocal artists Steve andDeb Garst share love of creating beauty

Elmore County Living magazine is published by Price Publications, Inc. in conjunction with The Wetumpka Herald, The Eclectic Observer and The Tallassee Tribune. Copyright 2010 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 - News Editor Christy Cooper - Ad Sales TallasseePeggy Blackburn - Managing Editor Kevin Taylor - Copy Editor Ashley Vice - Multimedia Manager Jane Parker - Assoc. Publisher Jay Goodwin - Operations Manager Griffin Pritchard - Sports Editor Jessica Hargett - Staff Writer Willie Moseley - News EditorShannon Elliott - Ad Manager Lauren Newman - Staff Writer

Wes Sinor - Sports EditorNatalie Wade - Staff Writer

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

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Windows for theSoul

ByECL Staff

For more than a thousandyears, designs and picturesformed of colored glass havegraced churches and cathe-drals. These “stained glass”

windows originated in medieval Europe, and the concept came to theUnited States with those who immigrated here.

In Elmore County, severalchurches are home to intricatestained glass pieces, some datingback more than a century.

Ben Alford, rector ofTrinity EpiscopalChurch in Wetumpka,looks at one of thestained glass windowsin his church.

PHOTO BY KEVIN TAYLOR


Elam Baptist Church –East Tallassee

Elam Baptist Church was established in1872 in an old log schoolhouse less than 2miles away from its present location on Ala-bama Highway 14 in East Tallassee. Whenthe church moved to its present location itwent through a number of renovations.

The present sanctuary was completed in1952 and 40 years later went through an-other round of renovations.

The entire interior of the church sanctu-ary was transformed, but there was stillsomething missing.

Ten years later, the stained glass nowseen in the church was installed. The stainedglass lines the sides of the church showingthe stages of the life of Christ with a singlelarge piece just above the doorway.

All of the stained glass pieces were hand-made and were purchased by members ofthe church to honor their loved ones.

A close-up view of an inset in one of the stainedglass windows at Elam Baptist Church.



Eclectic United Methodist ChurchThe windows of Eclectic United Methodist Church glow

with color in the Sunday morning light. In the sanctuary, the chapel and the fellowship hall, beauti-

ful stained glass images shine. Each one dates back to thechurch’s old location on Main Street. That building has sincebecome Eclectic’s town hall.

The windows still bear the names of the prominent familiesthat purchased and donated them: Edwards, Hale, Hardin andCousins, among others.

Longtime church member Monroe Griffith said the win-dows were carefully packed up when the church relocated tothe current location near the town limits in 1955.

Neither Griffith nor other longtime church members re-

called much about the colorful panes. “They were not cheap,” Griffith said.

First Baptist Church – TallasseeTallassee’s First Baptist Church houses six tall stained glass

windows in its sanctuary. The windows, manufactured byKansas City Stained Glass Works in Kansas City, Mo., in theearly 1920s, are the same ones used at the church’s first loca-tion when it opened in 1924.

When the Learning Tree School bought the church’s origi-nal building, Tallassee First Baptist moved to its current loca-tion on Friendship Road on Sept. 26, 2004. The windows wererestored in Tennessee before being placed in the new sanctu-ary. The wooden frames were replaced with aluminum ones.

“The members feel (the windows) look better in this build-ing than they ever have,” said current pastor Derek Gentle.“It’s a bigger room, and it gives everyone a chance to see thembetter.”

There are three names dedicated on the colorful windows:A.J. Lilly, who was a Sunday School superintendent, and for-

A stained glass cross is a prominent feature of the Eclectic UnitedMethodist Church. PHOTO BY DAVID GOODWIN

Six stained glass windows are located in the sanctuary of Tallassee’sFirst Baptist Church. PHOTO BY WESLEY SINOR


mer pastors Dr. Collis Cunning-ham and Dr. David Bentley.

The other three windows arenot dedicated to any specific per-son. One is dedicated to fallenWorld War II soldiers, one is ded-icated to those who lost theirlives in the battlefields of Francefrom 1917-1918 and the last isdedicated to the memory of thosewho have passed since the found-ing of the church on Aug. 2,1852.

First BaptistChurch – Wetumpka

The history of First BaptistChurch of Wetumpka dates backto May 26, 1821, but it did notsettle into its permanent home atthe current site until 1846.

For the first 20 years, it wasgenerally known as the CoosaRiver Baptist Church. The con-gregation sought several loca-

tions, and eventually settledalong the banks of CallowayCreek. The church grew, but in1836 a few members moved toWetumpka because of doctrinaldifferences. In 1837, the congre-gation united with a small churchin town and became the CoosaRiver Church of Wetumpka.

The church was located inwest Wetumpka, but in 1843 afire burned it to the ground. Themembers then began to meet in avacant store in east Wetumpka.That building burned in 1845.

In 1846, the congregation ac-quired the present site and beganconstruction of the original sanc-tuary, and in 1847 the name waschanged to First Baptist Church.

There were few alterations tothe church until 1909. At thattime the stained glass windowswere installed, along with new

A pair of stained glass windows gracethe front of the original First BaptistChurch building in Wetumpka.

PHOTO BY PEGGY BLACKBURN


pews and pulpit furniture.“The congregation bought all of

the stained glass windows in the oldsanctuary for about $400,” said JoeAllen Turner, local historian andmember of First Baptist. “Theywere brought to Montgomery, thenshipped to Wetumpka on wagons.”

In 1932, the sanctuary was re-modeled to install a new pipe organ.

“The windows were taken out inthe 1950s and cleaned,” said Turner.

The current sanctuary, locatedadjacent to the original one, wasbuilt in 1967. It, too, featuresstained glass windows.

“You can’t tell from the outside,but on Sunday morning with thesun shining through they are verycolorful and beautiful,” said Turner.

First UnitedMethodist Church –Wetumpka

After more than a century, thestained glass in the sanctuary of

First United Methodist Church ofWetumpka still glows with warm,vibrant color. The windows – com-posed of various sized and coloredglass pieces – form an intricate de-sign of columns and leaves framinga circular inset in each.

The insets in the individual win-dows depict different biblicalscenes and symbols, such as Noah’sArk and the stone tab lets of the 10Commandments.

The present-day building whichhouses the church sanctuary on itsupper floor was completed in 1854.Until the early 1900s, the windowsconsisted of small panes of clearglass.

But in 1909, the unornamentedwindows were replaced with thecurrent stained glass ones. Most ofthe windows were given to thechurch as memorials.

The church chapel on theground floor at the rear of thebuilding also features brightly-colored stained glass windows,complete with insets showing biblical scenes.

One of the stained glass windows in the First UnitedMethodist Church of Wetumpka. PHOTO BY PEGGY BLACKBURN


Lake Hill BaptistChurch – Slapout

The interior of Lake Hill BaptistChurch will catch newcomers off guard.The exposed wood sanctuary is high-lighted with bright mural windows de-picting different scenes throughout thelife of Christ.

“I told them it was like me putting a$500 suit with a pair of tennis shoes,”

said former minister Rudolph Esco.“But we’ve been able to do a lot at thislittle church.”

According to Esco, who pastored thechurch for 45 years, the windows are anew addition to the building built in1952. Esco said the windows were in-stalled by a company from Clanton.

“The two front windows look nice,”said Esco. “And the rest of the windowslook great. Everybody is satisfied. Theman who made these things put a lot of

work into them. And they were expen-sive to install. It cost $375 each to installthem. But, they’re pretty.”

The murals depict the cross and thefishers of men parable. Another windowhas an angel while another features a setof hands coming together in prayer.

Lake Hill Baptist is located near LakeJordan in the Slapout community.

Trinity EpiscopalChurch – Wetumpka

Trinity Episcopal Church is one ofthe newly renovated churches in ElmoreCounty. The church opened its newsanctuary in 2009 where almost 20pieces of hand-made stained glass stand.

Trinity was founded in 1947 in westWetumpka and its original sanctuarywas moved across the river to its presentlocation in 1970.

While at its present location on the5000 block of U.S. Highway 231 in We-tumpka the parishioners soon outgrewthe sanctuary to make way for the newand much larger sanctuary.

Some of the stained glass pieces weretransferred to the new sanctuary, andnewer pieces were also installed.

The church’s calling card, if you will,is the 14-foot by 7-foot stained glasspiece of Christ outstretching his arms toall on the River Jordan.

Trinity Episcopal’s rector Ben Alfordsaid that one piece in the nave of thechurch defines Episcopalians.

“It kind of defines our beliefs thatwe are a welcoming church,” he said.“We see Christ welcoming all into hisarms just as we do as a church. Whatmakes this piece so special to me, per-sonally, is I don’t actually see Christ onthe River Jordan. I see him on theCoosa River welcoming all within thecommunity to our church, and it’s thatwelcoming aspect that means so muchto me.”

One of the stained glass windows at Lake Hill Baptist Church depicts an angel.PHOTO BY GRIFFIN PRITCHARD

View more photos of the stained glass in local

churches online at www.thewetumpkaherald.com


One of the stained glass windows in Trinity Episcopal Church. PHOTO BY KEVIN TAYLOR


Throughout ElmoreCounty manychurches and organ-izations put together

recipe books in an effort toraise money for differentcauses. These books not onlycapture recipes from differentpeople, but they also capturememories, history and a tasteof “down-home cooking.”

Members of all of the or-ganizations featured here saidthey are proud of their booksand excited about sharingtheir recipes with others.

Charis Crafters“Recipes from the Heart”

and “Favorite Recipes,Recipes from the Heart Vol-ume II” are two recipe bookscreated by Charis Crafters, agroup of ladies who put on acraft show every year in El-more County.

Their first cookbook,“Recipes from the Heart,”which includes about 500recipes, can still be purchasedfor $10 by calling NancyBrunson at 334-399-0350 orAnn Key at 334-451-0415.

Their most recent recipebook, “Favorite Recipes,”can be purchased for $10 andincludes about 650 recipes

contributed by friends, familyand all of the Charis Craftersmembers.

Proceeds from the book goto pay off the cost of thebook and to missions workmostly around ElmoreCounty.

Charis Crafters memberssaid one of their favoritethings about their book issharing their recipes with oth-ers. A favorite recipe of AnnKey’s is Dishpan Cookiesfrom their first book, and apopular recipe with CharisCrafters members from theirnew book is HomestyleCheese Biscuits.

All in all, the group’s fa-vorite part about their book is

that when they get ready tocook most of the recipes inthe book, they usually haveeverything they need in theirpantry.

“There’s no need to goshopping,” Ann Key said.

Dishpan Cookies

1 c. white sugar2 eggs1 tsp. vanilla2 c. all-purpose flour1 c. coconut½ c. maraschino cherries½ tsp. salt1 c. brown sugar1 tsp. baking soda1 c. oats1 (8 oz.) pkg. chopped dates

ByJessicaHargett

A Taste of HomeLocal cookbooks preserve

recipes and memories

Members of Charis Crafters with copies of their two cookbooks. PHOTO BY JESSICA HARGETT


½ c. oil½ c. nuts

Mix all together in dishpan (any largebowl). Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at350 for 10 to 20 minutes. Makes 6 to 7dozen.

Trinity EpiscopalChurch Ladies

“Shall We Gather – Recipes and Re-membrances of a River Town,” is arecipe book created by The ChurchLadies at Trinity Episcopal Church inWetumpka. Not only is this book forcooking and baking, it’s also for learn-ing facts and details about the history ofthe River Region.

Created to raise money for theirchurch, the books can be purchased for$20 at many hometown merchants aswell as many stores throughout theSoutheast.

Each page is filled with favoriterecipes, tested before being selected forthe book. Some pages also have stories

from the area that line the edges of therecipes, giving the cook a bit of historyabout the area.

Two favorite recipes of the group areTurnip Green Casserole, which is anoriginal from Hotel Talisi and

Asheville’s Cranberry Orange CheeseBall.

Overall, the group members said theyare excited about their book and the in-dividuality that sets it apart from otherbooks.

Some of Trinity Episcopal’s “Church Ladies” with the Shall We Gather cookbook.PHOTO BY JESSICA HARGETT


Asheville’s Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball

Makes 2 Cups

16 ounces cream cheese, softened1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges,drained and crushed1 cup dried cranberries1 Red Delicious apple, chopped1 teaspoon seasoning salt1 cup chopped pecans

Combine the cream cheese, mandarinoranges, cranberries, apple and season-ing salt in a bowl and mix well. Shapeinto a ball and roll in the pecans. Wrapin plastic wrap and freeze for 8 to 10hours. Thaw for 2 hours before serving.Serve with crackers.

Cain’s Chapel UnitedMethodist Church

“Raisin’ Cain II Cookbook” was cre-ated by a group of women at Cain’sChapel United Methodist Church inHoltville/Slapout, one of the oldestchurches in the River Region.

The 230-page book includes manyrecipes contributed by the men andwomen of the church, and is also specialbecause it features the history of thetown and artwork by local artist ShirleyEsco.

Proceeds from the book go to thechurch’s scholarship fund for studentchurch members, which the group saidis one of their favorite parts about thebook, “putting some kids throughschool.”

The book is $20 and can be pur-chased at local merchants and busi-nesses in the area.

Some of the group’s favorite recipesare Fluffy Pink Salad and Poppy SeedChicken.

Overall the group said the bookbrings out the “togetherness” of thecommunity and even helps keep somepeople’s memories alive.

Fluffy Pink Salad

1 can cherry pie filling1 can Eagle Brand milk1 (8 ¼ oz.) can crushed pineapple,drained1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

1 (10 oz.) carton Cool Whip1 T. lemon juice1 c. chopped nuts

Combine all ingredients, mix and chill.

Children’s Harbor“Harbor Hospitality” and “Friends of

Children’s Harbor Cooks at the Lake”are two recipe books that benefit Chil-dren’s Harbor in Kowaliga near Eclec-tic. Both books serve as a fundraisingopportunity and can be purchased atChildren’s Harbor for $15 a piece.

Individuals, businesses, churches,clubs, foundations and many othersmade contributions to the book. Pro-ceeds are used to provide services to thechildren who benefit from Children’sHarbor services and their families.

Children at Children’s Harbor FamilyCenter drew pictures in the Friends ofChildren’s Harbor recipe book, and thelogo on the front was drawn by LilaGraves.

Cain’s Chapel women’s group with their cookbooks. PHOTO BY JESSICA HARGETT

The Children’s Harbor cookbook.PHOTO BY JESSICA HARGETT


CommunityHospice Care

“Recipes to Remember II, With Lovefrom Community Hospice Care” is arecipe book sold by Community Hos-pice Care in Tallassee. The book costs$10, includes 275 recipes and can bepurchased at Community Hospice Careor by calling the switchboard of Com-munity Hospital of Tallassee.

Community Hospice Care and Com-munity Hospital of Tallassee staff mem-bers contributed recipes. The proceedsare used to send care packages to thosewho have lost a loved one.

The primary purpose of the book is toassociate recipes with memories, so withmany of the recipes there is a story inhonor of or in memory of someone.

Humane Societyof Elmore County

“More Purr-fectly Good Recipesfrom Bark Avenue” is the second recipebook of the Humane Society of ElmoreCounty. The book serves as a fundraiserfor the animal shelter and is a popularitem among customers, employees andvolunteers. The books are $10 and can

be purchased at the shelter, The TailsEnd Thrift Store (in conjunction with theanimal shelter), the Prissy Hen andAustin Flowers in Wetumpka.

Shelter donors, supporters, staff andvolunteers contributed all of the recipes.One favorite recipe from the shelter’sbookkeeper, Dawn Sullivan, is PopoverPancakes.

Popover Pancake

½ c. flour½ c. milk

2 eggs, beaten½ stick butterpowdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mix-ing bowl, combine flour, milk and eggs;beat lightly, leaving the batter slightlylumpy. In a heavy skillet, heat the butteruntil very hot. Pour in the batter; placeskillet in hot oven and bake for 20 min-utes or until pancake is puffed all aroundthe edges and golden brown. To serve,sprinkle with powdered sugar or servewith syrup or marmalade.

Staff members of Community Hospice Care with their recipe book. PHOTO BY JESSICA HARGETT

Rea Cord, Humane Society of Elmore County director, with the society’s cookbook.PHOTO BY JESSICA HARGETT


kind of magic hap-pens in an unob-trusive workshopon Alabama High-way 14 in We-tumpka. There

clay from the bed of thenearby Coosa River is trans-formed into one-of-a-kind ce-ramic pieces that captureattention with their coloringof off-white and orange-brown swirls.

But the popular figurinescan be difficult to obtain --the business doesn’t conformto set hours, it doesn’t boast awebsite and there are nosigns to attract visitors. Andthat’s just the way CarlStephens, owner of Carl’sClays, and his chief assistant,daughter Karen Stewart, likethings to be.

It wasn’t always that way.“Dad was a helicopter pilot

in the Army and he retiredhere,” said Stewart. “He acci-dentally invented this.”

Stephens was looking for ajob in 1975 and his wife,

ByPeggyBlackburn

Coosa River claybecomes unique creations

A magnolia blossom is a popular item at Carl’s Clays.PHOTO BY PEGGY BLACKBURN

A


Maxie, was teaching ceram-ics. She recruited his help andencouraged him to try hishand at sculpture.

It was a long trip to Birm-ingham to obtain the clayneeded for the ceramics shop,and one day Stephens de-cided to try using clay he haddiscovered while he was fish-ing on the Coosa. The rest ishistory.

Stephens said the river clayappeared to be similar to thathe purchased, but when itwas fired in a kiln it changeddramatically.

“It came out feathered withorange streaks,” he said. “Mywife really liked it, and whenwe tried it again the samething happened.”

Maxie Stephens wasn’t theonly one intrigued by the un-usual color of the finishedpieces. When Stephens setout to market his product, theresponse was phenomenal. Ina short time the operation --then called Alabama Clay --had expanded to a full-timebusiness employing morethan 30 workers.

But that success took a toll-- Stephens worked countlesshours and the number of or-ders continued to grow. Sowhen he received an offer forthe business -- which in-cluded his serving in a super-visory/consultant capacity --he jumped at the chance.

“Not too long after that, thegentleman who bought it diedand no one else involved wasinterested in keeping itgoing,” said Stewart.

That occurrence offeredStephens a fresh start with hisclay -- but on a smaller scale.

“The only way my wifewould let me get back into itwas if I agreed not to have asign or advertise, not to get alot of store customers and notto have regular hours,” saidStephens. “I promised her Iwould never do that again.”Carl Stephens smooths a recently poured piece of a nativity scene. PHOTO BY PEGGY BLACKBURN



Even with the scaled-back productionschedule, there is plenty of work to keepfamily members busy -- starting withharvesting the clay. Stephens, his twosons-in-law and his grandchildren go tothe river occasionally and return with 10buckets full.

“Sometimes I think they go as muchfor the fishing as the clay,” saidStephens. “They always take their poleswith them and come back with a goodcatch.”

Stephens said there is work involvedin the excursions.

“We’re the only ones who knowwhere it is,” he said. “We have to wadeout in the river about knee deep to get it.We loosen it with a shovel and then digit out by hand.”

Once the raw material is at the shop,water is added and it is thoroughlymixed before being poured into themolds. Each batch of clay is test fired ina kiln to ensure it is suitable.

“You have to make sure there isn’tsand in it,” said Stephens. “And youdon’t ever know how it will come out.”

When he first began producing thepieces, Stephens said he had the claytested to find out the cause of the dis-tinctive coloration.

“Turns out there’s iron in it,” he said.“Some clay can have too much color andsome doesn’t have enough. That’s whywe take each batch, fire it and look atit.”

The biggest drawback to working with

the naturally-occurring clay is uncer-tainty. In addition to losing product be-cause the color is unsatisfactory, piecesmay have to be discarded at other pointsin the process.

After the clay hardens, the pieces(greenware) are removed from the moldsand inspected. The figurines can be re-jected for imperfections at that stage.

If they appear acceptable, the seamsleft by the molds are sanded smooth.Occasionally a piece isbroken during theprocess. After the figuresare “cleaned,” they arethen fired for the firsttime.

“We can lose somethen, because sometimesyou get cracks,” saidStephens. “So we look atit after the first firing andif everything is OK, wego ahead with it.”

Approved pieces arepainted with glaze andfired again, resulting inthe shiny finished prod-uct.

“It’s something youcan’t rush,” saidStephens. “The clay cantake anywhere from fourhours to overnight to dryin the molds, then youhave all of the othersteps.”

Carl’s Clays now has just a handful ofcommercial accounts, and Stephens andStewart stick to the promise of produc-ing only a comfortable number ofpieces.

“I had a few longtime customers I of-fered it to -- places like Southern Homes& Gardens and We-2 Gifts in We-tumpka,” said Stephens. “There are peo-ple who call wanting to be a newaccount, but we just can’t supply them.”

Much of the shop’s business is mili-tary personnel.

“Eagles are our best seller,” saidStephens. “We’ve gotten orders from thePentagon, the Secretary of the Air Force,the CIA and military intelligence.”

There are other popular figurines of-fered by Carl’s Clays -- dishes, vases,magnolia blossoms, hummingbirds, an-gels, Auburn University emblems, ele-phants, Indians and more.

“Our nativity sets are also very popu-lar,” said Stephens. “And, if you can be-lieve it, we have a little armadillo that’sreally popular, too.”

In fact, the shop is packed with abouta thousand different molds, representinga huge selection of pieces. Stephens saidhe makes many of them himself.

“I’m enjoying it now,” Stephens said.“If I want to go fishing, I go fishing.”

Clay from the Coosa River is the basis of the pieces created at Carl’s Clays.PHOTO BY PEGGY BLACKBURN

A hummingbird figurine is one of many items made at Carl’sClays. PHOTO BY PEGGY BLACKBURN


homas Wolfe mayhave had it wrong allalong. You can gohome again.

At least that iswhat Billy Dwight

Hilyer did.Hilyer was born and raised

in Tallassee until he gradu-ated high school. And then he

left.But since his return to Tal-

lassee a little more than adecade ago, he has put his hatinto community projects tomake it the best home he’sever had.

All the while, he still has afull-time job as president ofFaulkner University.

The beginningHilyer was probably your

average boy growing up in

Tallassee. He was raised with his

four siblings – James, Dale,Don and Alice – by his parents, Lucien and Lois Hilyer.

Hilyer said some of hisfondest memories come fromgrowing up in Tallassee.

“I really enjoyed growing

Going home again

Faulkner presidentproud of Tallassee roots

ByLaurenNewman

Faulkner University PresidentBilly Dwight Hilyer, a Tallasseenative. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

T


up and going to school here in Tal-lassee,” Hilyer said. “I enjoyed huntingand fishing with my father.”

Hilyer also had, and still has, a greatinterest in horses.

“I had horses from as early as I canremember,” Hilyer said. “Coming homefrom school and going through thekitchen to get a glass of milk and somecookies and going to ride my horse.”

He can still remember his very firstafter-school job after he became ateenager.

“I worked for the 10 cent store in

town, B.J. Elmore,” Hilyer said. “I wasa stock boy. On Saturdays, I walked thefloors and helped look for people whowere stealing. On holidays I helpedwrap gifts.”

Each week, Hilyer said he took homea hefty paycheck of $10 a week.

When Hilyer graduated from Tal-lassee High School in 1962, he set out tocollege, leaving his hometown behind.

Hilyer attended Alabama ChristianCollege, where he earned his bachelor’sdegree in religious education in 1966.

He then moved on to the University

of South Alabama to get a masters in ed-ucation degree in 1969. He also got asecond masters degree in Bible studiesfrom Southern Christian.

FamilyAlong Hilyer’s journey through edu-

cation, he fell in love.On Sept. 5, 1965, he married his

wife Kay. They just celebrated their 45thwedding anniversary.

The couple raised three children,Missy, Jonathan and David.

Hilyer’s only daughter, Missy Jones,said she has many wonderful memoriesof her dad as she was growing up.

“He was always making up sillysongs or dances, and he still does thatfor his grandkids,” Jones said. “He hasso many responsibilities and so muchstress related to his job, so I love to seehim let off a little steam. Few peopleoutside our family or close friends knowhow funny he is.”

Hilyer said he enjoys the company ofsix grandchildren.

Jones said she believes her father’sgreatest accomplishment is his family.

“He would say he is most proud ofthe family he and my mother haveraised,” Jones said. “We have all turnedout to be successful, happy and produc-tive citizens. We have all married won-derful spouses and have beautifulchildren. We all still attend and are ac-tive in the same church since 1974. Iknow those things mean so much toMama and Daddy. They would say weare their greatest accomplishment.”

Life at FaulknerHilyer became acquainted with

Faulkner University by first serving as aminister at the university’s church.

From there, he moved up the ladderto dean of students, vice president ofstudent services, executive vice presi-dent and finally, president.

“I’m beginning my 25th year as pres-ident,” Hilyer said. “I still enjoy it.”

Life as president of a universitycomes with major responsibilities. Andthough Hilyer said he thoroughly enjoyshis job, he does miss the connection heonce had with his students when he wasministering.

“I do it all for the students,” Hilyersaid. “I’m not as involved with the stu-

Billy Hilyer has a lifelong interest in horses. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO


dents as I used to be. And Imiss that. To see young peo-ple come and grow and de-velop in a number of ways isvery encouraging and excit-ing. I never get tired of see-ing that.”

A typical day, according toHilyer, is filled with meetings— a lot of meetings.

“My idea of retirement isno meetings,” Hilyer saidwith a laugh.

Other than meetings, Hil -yer said his duties includefundraising projects andworking closely with his “ex-cellent” administrative staff.

Returning homeHilyer said he never had

any plans of returning to hishometown of Tallassee. Butwhen an opportunity camehis way, he decided to take it.

“I lived in Pike Road foryears and years,” Hilyer said.“I never intended to moveback to Tallassee. My father

found this place we live nowbetween Tallassee and Eclec-tic. It’s a little farm withabout 40 acres. The grand-kids love coming to the coun-try. I think we’ve probablydecided we’ll retire there.”

Jones said her father al-ways had close ties to Tal-lassee.

“He has wonderful memo-ries of growing up here,”Jones said. “He still tells usstories about his time grow-ing up, and he paints a verynostalgic picture of his home-town. He has always beenvery interested in the historyof Tallassee and the sur-rounding area.”

Though Hilyer says hewill retire in Tallassee, judg-ing by his schedule, he doesnot plan to retire any timesoon.

While driving by theMount Vernon Theatre oneday, Hilyer said he saw thesign out front asking for vol-

unteers to help restore thetheater. He decided hewanted to be proactive in hiscommunity.

“I kept going by and see-ing that sign that had beenout there for so long,” Hilyersaid. “I mentioned to some-body that I had time to helpthem finish that project. Andthen somebody told some-body else and so on. Sothey’ve asked me to serve onthat committee.”

It is just one of a numberof committees Hilyer is a partof now.

Committees aside, he stillfinds time for his favoritepastimes.

“My biggest hobby is I’vealways maintained my inter-est in bird hunting,” Hilyersaid. “My dad and I used toalways quail hunt together.What I do now is I run dogsin these horse field trials.”

Hilyer’s many hobbies andactivities is just his nature,

according to Jones.“Daddy loves to know the

how and why of things,”Jones said. “My mother’s fa-ther kept bees when she wasa child and several years ago,Daddy decided to give it atry. He read every book writ-ten on the subject, got thesupplies he needed to be safe,and gave it a try. That’s theway he operates. He findssomething that piques his cu-riosity and then he absorbseverything he can to learn allabout it.”

After returning home toTallassee, Hilyer said thetown looked “essentially thesame” and wants to see itgrow into something peoplecan support.

Hilyer said Tallassee stillhas that “community spirit” ithad when he was growing upand thinks great things areyet to come.

“I love Tallassee,” Hilyersaid. “It’s my home.”


One corner of a Christmas scene in Jeanette Gantt’s home.PHOTO BY DAVID GOODWIN

Christmas collections


prawling villages spring up onshelves and tabletops in manyhomes each winter, as collec-tions of Christmas villagehouses add to the Christmascheer.

Some, like Jeanette Gantt of Titus,don’t even limit the Christmas loveli-ness to December. One whole room ofher house is dedicated to the littlehouses, stores and holiday scenes.

“I don’t have any favorites, I just likeall of them,” she said, though she wasespecially proud to point out one littlevillage in a corner of her dining room.

“That was the first thing I made inmy ceramics class,” she said.

The room near the front of Gantt’sfarmhouse is dedicated to the season365 days a year, with the houses and an

elaborate Christmas tree. More than 125Christmas houses and stores line the ta-bles and shelves.

Gantt said the collection started morethan 20 years ago, when the pastor’swife at New Home Baptist Church inTitus had a few in her home.

“I liked them, and began my own col-lection after that,” she said. “It’s beengrowing ever since.”

Gantt said she collects the houses be-cause she “just likes them.” With nomore young grandchildren in the family,it’s a hobby just for her, she said. Shehosts a couple of parties during theChristmas season, too.

She only bought one new address forher village this year. It’s a home withSanta Claus, his sleigh and reindeer hov-ering overhead.

“I just had to have that,” she said.“But I’ve got to stop buying them. Idon’t have any place left to put them.”

Linda Reed of Eclectic said it takesalmost a week to unpack and set up the

thousands of little houses and storesthat decorate her Fleahop Road home.

“I try to set them all up like littletowns,” she said, “with the farm stuff allgrouped together, the city stuff in an-other place.”

On one table sits a little RV park,with miniature Winnebagos, Airstreamsand other travel trailers and mo-torhomes.

“I love them because everyone, espe-cially children, love to look at them somuch,” Reed said. “Whenever peoplecome over at Christmas, it’s the firstplace kids go.”

Reed, too, said it started with one lit-tle house given as a gift years ago.Among the sprawling mini-metropolisin her family room, she said shecouldn’t remember which one camefirst.

But it was followed by dozens anddozens more.

“It’s a hobby that grew and just keepson growing,” she said.

ByDavidGoodwin

Holiday villagesjust keep growing

S

Part of Linda Reed’s display of miniature Christmas buildings and people. PHOTO BY DAVID GOODWIN


hildren’s faces press against carwindows as they line up in thelong driveway of James Mc-Clendon’s Wetumpka home. Il-luminated by thousands ofmulti-colored lights, they mar-

vel in wonder at the winter wonderlandthe local businessman creates aroundhis home. Thousands of lights adorn theyard where he and his wife Sandra havelived for about 40 years.

Glittering skaters frolic across apond, as Santa Claus fishes from the

bank. Elves slide down a hill just be-yond candy cane gates near the intersec-tion of Alabama highways 14 and 170.

McLendon said he began decoratingwhen his grandson “was a little bittyguy” 17 or 18 years ago.

“I added to it over the years, and itjust kept getting bigger,” he said.

He and Sandra started noticingstrange cars ease up the driveway.Never one to hide his Christmas spirit,McLendon “opened up the back sideand let them come on through.”

More than 11,000 cars roll throughhis yard every year, McLendon said. Onweekends when the weather’s nice, heand Sandra sometimes stand out on thedeck dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus,

waving to children who ride by. “If the weather clears,” McLendon

said, “there will be solid cars from myhouse to the highway. It’ll be bumper-to-bumper.”

Further out Highway 14, James Lee’sfront pasture glows with Christmasspirit for passing motorists. A sign atthe top of the driveway invites them todrive on up to the house.

“I have no idea how much is outthere,” he said. “We go buy some newstuff every year, and we’ve been doingit eight or nine years.”

With hundreds of sparkling Christ-mas trees, presents, angels and elves,Lee said the holiday decorating beginsin July. That’s when he unpacks each

ByDavidGoodwin

Local families shareChristmas spirit

C


attraction and plugs them upin his living room to seewhich lights need to be replaced.

Lee said he got startedsmall, but the display getsbigger every year.

“We go buy some newstuff every year to add to it,”he said.

His wife, who decoratesthe home’s interior as muchas James lights the yard,starts working in August, hesaid. In September he beginsto stage each attraction in thepasture, and runs the lightsthat illuminate his gentlycurving driveway.

“We both love kids andlove for them to enjoy com-ing to our house so much,”he said.

Lee has three power me-ters to run it all. Rain can bea challenge, he said. The ani-mated attractions requirecontrollers to keep elvesclimbing the Christmas tree

or Santa’s helicopter hover-ing.

McClendon said hispower bills reflect the inten-sity of his display.

“With a power bill that’llrun about $2,000; it’s a lot oflights,” he said.

The owner of Wetumpka’sDiversified Steel Fabricators,

McLendon said he’s putclose to $35,000 into the dis-play, and each year drops an-other $5,000 sending offparts to get wires fixed andbulbs replaced.

Setup isn’t too bad, hesaid. Beginning in late Octo-ber, it takes about fourweeks. After the holidays,

the real work begins. “When you take them

down, you have to be care-ful,” he said, adding he hastwo storage buildings wherehe stores every display. “Ifyou’re in a hurry to get themdown, you’ll mess up something. Then you’ve gotto fix it.”

One of many Christmas scenes dis-played at the McLendons’ home eachyear. PHOTO BY DAVID GOODWIN


Visitors to the Alabama Nature Center during last year’sChristmas event. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

HOLIDAY FUN


For one day during the off-season, the Alabama NatureCenter is atwitter with activ-ity for kids of all ages.

“I bring my kids everyyear,” said Karen Cooper ofPrattville. “They really enjoymaking the ornaments andgoing on the hayride.”

This year’s Christmas at theAlabama Nature Center is setfor Dec. 11 from 8 a.m. to 5p.m.

“The winter here at the Ala-bama Nature Center is kindof neat,” said Rebecca Bear-den of the Alabama NatureCenter. “It’s kind of magical.

“You get to go into thewoods and actually get to seea lot more of the woods thanyou do during the spring be-

cause you aren’t blinded byso much green,” she said.“You actually get to lookthrough and see animalhomes and aspects of naturethat only truly appear in thewinter.”

Another added bonus forthose attending the annualevent is the new wildlife thatfly in.

“One of the cool things tosee this time of year is our

winter birds that comethrough only during this timebecause they are migrating,”said Bearden.

Admission is $4 for adultsand $2 for children. Young-sters under the age of 3 enterfor free.

“For the kids we’ll do allkind of stuff,” Bearden said.“We’ll gather acorns andsweetgum balls and leavesand sticks and twigs and

Alabama Nature Centeroffers old-fashionedChristmas activities

ByGriffinPritchard


make all different types of or-naments. Some will look likeangels, some like squirrels.This will be whatever. We’llspray paint and make it allfancy and glittery.”

Participants will be able todine with Santa during a spe-cial luncheon.

Attendees will also have thechance to make their ownChristmas candy and cozy up

to the fireplace in the pavil-ion.

“Last year we got a choco-late dipper machine and gotpretzels and marshmallowsand dipped them in there,”said Bearden. “So the kidshad a good time and had stuffthey could take home.”

Children visiting were alsotreated to a candy cane scav-enger hunt.

“We’ll do that again thisyear,” said Bearden. “We’llhave different candy caneshidden along the trail and thekids will have to find themand check them off a list.When they find all of thecandy canes they bring thelist back and get a biggercandy cane to take home.”

For those searching for thatperfect Christmas gift, partic-

ipants will also have the op-portunity to create their ownhandmade Christmas decora-tions from native Alabamaplants.

While it might not be coldenough for a sleigh in Ala-bama, kids and adults canenjoy a holiday hayride withSanta and his elves.

“We encourage everyone tocome out and celebrateChristmas the natural way,”said ANC Director JimmyHarris.

“From holiday hayridesalong the beautiful wintertrails to decorations madefrom the wonders of the Ala-bama woods to lunch withOl’ Saint Nick himself, theactivities featured duringChristmas at the AlabamaNature Center offer some-thing for everyone.”

While the event is only oneday, the Alabama NatureCenter staff takes to the prop-erty nearly a month prior tobegin collecting materials.

“We’ll go out into thewoods and gather differentkind of vines like muscadinevines or grape vines,” saidBearden. “Anything that wecan make into wreaths. Andthen we’ll twist them up anddecorate them with nandina(red berries), holly, any kindof greenery that we can find.And that’s something that’smore for the adults to do.”

The Dec. 11 event is thethird to be hosted by Lanark.

“It’s been a really great wayto get the community out andget them involved.” saidBearden. “Plus, it’s a goodchance for people to tellSanta what they want forChristmas. They can comeand sit on his lap. We’ll havea set-up with the rugs and thefireplace, so if they want tobring their cameras, then theyare more than welcome to.”

For lunch, the concessionstand located inside the pavil-

Crafts created from natural materials are a highlight of Christmas at the Alabama Nature Center.CONTRIBUTED PHOTO


ion will have holiday themed meals.“You can take a hayride and that’s a big deal,”

said Bearden. “Our trails are beautiful during thewinter months. We really want to highlight thetrails here because they are so beautiful.”

Christmas at the Alabama Nature was created asa way to involve the people of Elmore Countywith Lanark.

“It’s an off season, so it’s another way to haveevents here when there is not a lot of kids hereand we are super busy,” said Bearden. “We arebusy in the fall and spring; and during the sum-mer, we have camps. In December it’s slow. Thekids are taking tests and getting ready for Christ-mas at their schools. This is a way for us to gen-erate some revenue, celebrate Christmas and getsome people out to see what all we have to offer.”

Since its inception in 2008, Christmas at the Al-abama Nature Center has brought with it a largeturnout.

“Every year we get more people involved,” saidBearden. “We’ve grown since we opened in2007. And as the word-of-mouth gets out then weshould see this thing grow again.”

Lanark, home of the Alabama Nature Center, islocated in Millbrook 10 minutes away from Inter-state 65. It is part of the Alabama Wildlife Feder-ation, which is the largest nonprofit conservationorganization in the state.

Visits with Santa Claus are a popular part of Christmas at the Alabama Nature Center,held at Lanark in Millbrook. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO


ResidentArtists:

STEVE & DEBGARST

Deb and Steve Garst outside their art studio. PHOTO BY ASHLEY VICE


Couple shares life, love of art

Art is exigent to Steve and Deb

Garst -- it isn’t extracurricular.

It’s necessary, mandatory; an

urgent, daily requirement.

“An artist doesn’t paint because

he/she chooses to, but because they have

to,” Deb said.

To the pair, both lifetime artists who

found each other in Wetumpka and mar-

ried in 2004, art is evolution and experi-

mentation and expression.

“There were times when I was work-

ing on something creative and my

friends couldn’t understand why I

wouldn’t go places with them. They just

couldn’t understand how these paintings

had to come out of me,” Steve said.

“I’m not sure I understand, but I em-

brace it.”

Though both worked in careers other

than art before turning to painting for a

living, the Garsts are lifetime artists.

Deb still has her first art award, earned

in third grade, and Steve boasts high

school art training from one of the most

respected instructors in Elmore County,

Bobby Carr.

Steve explained that art is evolution-

ary in the long term and the present

process, citing his realist roots, illustra-

tor background and day-to-day projects

in watercolor and acrylic. Deb said the

evolution of their individual projects is

also aided by their input on each other’s

art.

Though their styles and approaches

couldn’t be more different, Steve said

the benefit of living with and loving an-

other artist is the mutual understanding.

“For us this is about expressing our

inner feelings in such a way that some-

one would go, ‘I get what you’re saying.

I get it,’” he said. “We speak the same

language.”

Deb works with acrylics and just

about anything else she can fit on the

canvas from tissue paper to discarded

cardboard, feathers and paper remnants.

Her work is abstract, but alive with tex-

tures and colors. Her studio overflows

with projects in process.

“If it frustrates you, put it under the

bed,” Deb offers, explaining why some

projects are set aside before they’re fin-

ished. The practice is advice from her

late mentor Evelyn Hunker.

“I never realized that she meant liter-

ally put it under your bed; they had a

small apartment with no room for studio

so that was the only place to put it.”

The story is at the center of Deb’s

process, a method where paintings and

ByAshleyVice


collages go through drastic transformation

with time and distance and sometimes input

from Steve.

“I get joy out of watching her work,” Steve

said. He reinforces the evolution of art using

her pieces as an example.

“I’ll see a piece one day, and another day

when it’s finished I’m like ‘Wow, is that even

the same piece?’”

Steve’s work is realistic, often involving

wildlife and human subjects, but his liberal use

of color brings emotion and vitality to some-

times -ordinary scenes.

A vision of his dog, Marley, running on

psychedelic sands evokes the brightness and

warmth of the seaside sun. A current project

depicts a turkey strutting in an autumnal forest

near an old, rundown barn with oranges and

blues so true to fall the painting almost smells

like fallen leaves.

Both of the Garsts have earned acclaim and

awards for their work, but at high risk, as Deb

explained. Each art show requires membership

in the hosting society, so in addition to entry

fees, postage, mileage, materials and emo-

tional investment the Garsts have to pay dues

just to enter the show with no guarantee of

winning.

But winning is not a rare occurrence for the Deb Garst with a ribbon she won as a child. PHOTO BY ASHLEY VICE


Garsts and that risk paid off

in a big way recently when

both were given signature

status in the International So-

ciety of Acrylic Painters.

“The judge chose to give

us signature status on our

first shot,” Deb said.

That achievement isn’t the

only rarity in their ISAP ex-

perience. The Garsts were the

only two Alabama artists

given signature status this

year, and the first husband

and wife to be awarded that

honor at the same time.

It was also the first inter-

national show they’ve been in

together. Deb also has status

in the International Society of

Experimental Artists.

According to Steve the

main goal of their art is ex-

pression, but the pressure and

the joy lie in doing something

better than he/she did last

time.

Their art can be viewed at

www.garstart.com. Steve Garst in the studio. PHOTO BY ASHLEY VICE


This Lake Jordan Home is 3,800square feet on 10 acres..



There are few homes whichcan offer the best of bothworlds, but the 3,800 squarefoot home at 212 HighridgeDrive off the shores of LakeJordan in the Titus commu-nity certainly comes close.

This four bedroom, threeand one-half bath custom-built home is located just afew steps away from Lake

Jordan, while sitting on morethan 10 acres of land.

Before even entering thehome, you could just sit outon the front porch area andenjoy the night air and lakejust below.

Entering the front of thehome through the hugewooden double doors, youcan walk straight into enoughliving space for a large fam-

LAKE AND LANDHome offers best

of two worldsByKevin Taylor

The home features a spaciouskitchen. PHOTO BY KEVIN TAYLOR


ily or even to entertain.The living room is accentuated

by the 24-foot tongue and grooveceiling with exposed cypressbeams along with a floor to ceil-ing stone fireplace.

Opposite of the living room areais a formal dining area which con-nects not only with the livingroom, but the spacious kitchenarea.

The kitchen has all the modernappliances, but also offers somerustic flair. Mexican tile lines thekitchen area while the sink ismade of hammered copper. In themiddle of the kitchen is an islandwhich can not only house a mi-crowave and the dishwasher, butalso has another hammered cop-per sink.

In front of the kitchen is a spa-cious breakfast nook with largeframe windows to look out intothe pool area in the back yard.

If you want to entertain ormaybe enjoy dinner outside of thehome, there is plenty of room out-side.

A large screened-in porch has abar area, which includes a TV andbuilt-in sound system. Outside ofthe porch area is a large concretepatio area, which leads right tothe built-in pool.

All of the bedrooms are spa-cious and certainly familyfriendly and have large closets.

The master bathroom is a get-away of its own, complete with aspacious marble shower, hugewhirlpool tub and coffee stationwith a built-in wine cooler.

Upstairs is a large fun roomwhich is perfect to house yourown pool table and theatre.

Outside and opposite the pool isa hot tub, which is covered by agazebo.

The property also has a largeworkshop for additional storageand a treehouse for the children.

The home, which is listed byCathy Thornton of CornerstoneRealty Group of Wetumpka, islisted at $535,000. For more in-formation about the home, contactCathy at 334-478-3825.

Large fireplaces are a focal point in the home. PHOTO BY KEVIN TAYLOR


The four-bedroom home offers various outdoor living areas. PHOTO BY KEVIN TAYLOR


Out and about at ...ECEDA Unity Lunch


Titus BluegrassFestival


Elmore County Night of Bands


Tallassee Trade Day


Color the Town Pink Walks

Wetumpka Candy Walk

Veterans Day


Wetumpka Tree LightingNov. 29, 5 p.m.Gold Star ParkPhotos with Santa, seasonal music, in-troduction of Christmas on the Coosapageant winners, announcement of pa-rade grand marshal. Christmas on theCoosa shirts on sale, refreshments andthe official tree lighting.

Wetumpka Depot Players: “RedHeaded Robbie’s Christmas Story”Dec. 2-4, 7 p.m.; Dec. 4, 2 p.m.Wetumpka Depot TheatreRed Headed Robbie is chosen to makeup a story and tell it to the Christmasassembly, but when he’s nervous hiswords come out funny. His friendshelp him on stage, telling how theywere visited by a redheaded angel.Tickets are $10. For information, call334-868-1440 or [email protected].

Millbrook Tree LightingDec. 2, 6 p.m.Village Green ParkActivities will include seasonal musicand caroling and lighting of the tree.For information, call 334-285-0085 orvisit www.cityofmillbrook.org.

Millbrook Community Players: “White Christmas”Dec. 2-4, 9-11, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 4, 5and 11, 2 p.m.Millbrook TheatreThe play is based on the classic filmand features 17 Irving Berlin songs. Itis the story of World War II veteranswho follow two beautiful singing sis-ters to their Christmas show at a Ver-mont lodge. Tickets are $10 inadvance, $12 at the door. Visitwww.millbrook theatre.com or call334-782-7817 for more information.

Tallassee Chamber Open HouseDec. 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Seven GablesRefreshments provided with a cannedfood donation.

Eclectic Christmas Parade, Festival and Tree LightingDec. 3, 4 p.m.Downtown EclecticOpen house at municipal building at 4p.m. Phe parade will begin at 6 p.m.,followed by lighting of the town’sChristmas tree at approximately 7p.m. For more information, call 334-541-3581.

Tallassee Christmas ParadeDec. 4, 10 a.m.Downtown TallasseeTallassee rolls in the Christmas spiritwith its annual parade. For more infor-mation, call 334-283-6571.

Town of Elmore Tree LightingDec. 4, 5 p.m.Park across from Town HallIncludes tree lighting, music, livingNativity, concessions, arrival of Santa.Continues until 6:30 p.m.

Spirit of Christmas Festival and ParadeDec. 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Downtown MillbrookArts and crafts and concession ven-dors in Village Green Park all day. Pa-rade will begin at 2 p.m. at SouthgatePlaza Shopping Center, travel up MainStreet, turn left onto Edgewood andend at the Village Green. Call 334-285-0085 for information.

Sounds of the SeasonDec. 4, 7 to 9 p.m.First United Methodist Church, TallasseeThe McCraney-Cottle Singers will

perform in the Christmas concert fea-turing popular favorites and classics ofthe Christmas season. Tickets can bepurchased at Tallassee City Hall dur-ing regular business hours or at thedoor. For information, call 334-252-8506 or [email protected].

Wetumpka Pearl Harbor RemembranceDec. 7, 10:55 a.m.Gold Star ParkThe annual observance will mark the69th anniversary of the bombardmentof Pearl Harbor, an event that precipi-tated U.S. involvement in World WarII. The program will include remarkshonoring military personnel, prayerand the playing of “Taps.” Everyone isinvited to attend.

An Eclectic ChristmasDec. 8, 10-12, tours 6 to 9 p.m.1733 Claud Road, at Eclectic’s town limits “star”Local residents and youth will reenactthe Christmas story, from the angels’appearance to shepherds announcingChrist’s birth, through downtownBethlehem and Jesus’ birth in a

Mark Your Calendar


manger. For information or to makereservations, call First Baptist ofEclectic at 541-4444.

Christmas on the CoosaDec. 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Downtown WetumpkaThe city’s 27th annual holiday festival will offer the 12Ks of Christmas run,arts and crafts vendors, concessions,entertainment, antique car show, quiltshow, motorcycle show, art shows, astreet parade, Santa on skis, a boat pa-rade, fireworks show and more. Noadmission fee. For information, call334-567-1384.

Progressive NativityDec. 17, 6 to 8 p.m.Downtown WetumpkaThe annual walk-through will featurelive scenes from the traditional Christ-mas story, enacted by local churchmembers. There will also be free re-freshments and entertainment. For in-formation, call 334-567-1384.

Christmas at the Alabama Nature CenterDec. 18, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Alabama Nature Center, MillbrookParticipants can dine with Santa dur-ing a special luncheon, make Christ-mas candy, create handmadeChristmas decorations from native Al-abama plants and enjoy a holidayhayride with Santa and his elves. Ad-

mission is $4, 13 and older; $2, ages4-12; and free, 3 and younger.

Wetumpka Police Department Community Christmas PartyDec. 19, 2 to 4 p.m.Wetumpka Civic CenterThe annual event features food,games, a gift for each child 12 andyounger and a visit with Santa. Dona-tions to help fund the project can bemade at the Wetumpka PD headquar-ters.

Christmas CampDec. 20-22Camp ChandlerFor children 5-14. Activities includefishing, archery, riflery, canoes, broomhockey, field games, pedal boats, puttputt, campfire with s’mores, holidaycrafts, Christmas goodies, Christmastree trimming, a party and more. Feecharged, which includes T-shirt, campstore and group picture. For completedetails, visit www.campchandler.org.

New Year’s Eve CelebrationDec. 31, 9:30 p.m.Old Elmore County Courthouse PlazaWelcome in 2011 with activities in-cluding a tribute to POWs/MIAs, lu-minaries, a lighted American flag, acountdown clock, live entertainment,the “asteroid drop” and fireworks. Noadmission. No alcohol.

New Year's BashDec. 31-Jan. 1Camp ChandlerFor ages 5-14. Activities will includefishing, archery, riflery, broomhockey, field games, pedal boats, ca-noes, putt putt and more. Camperswill bring in the New Year with aparty, fireworks and a ball drop. Feecharged, which includes T-shirt, campstore and group picture. Deadline toregister is Dec. 29. For complete de-tails, visit www.campchandler.org.

Eclectic Girls ClubJan. 19, 10:30 a.m.Kountry Kitchen, EclecticLadies with an interest in Eclectic areinvited to attend the dutch treat lunch.

Eclectic Boys ClubFeb. 2, 11 a.m.Kountry Kitchen, EclecticDutch treat lunch open to any manwith an interest in Eclectic.

Millbrook Community Players: “The Mousetrap”Feb. 10-12, 17-19, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 13and 19, 2 p.m.Millbrook TheatreAgatha Christie’s hit about a group ofstrangers stranded in a boarding houseduring a snow storm, one of whom isa murderer. Admission $10 in ad-vance, $12 at the door. Visit

www.millbrooktheatre. com for moreinformation.

IBO Rumbling Waters ChallengeFeb. 18-20Bennett’s Archery, WetumpkaHundreds of archery enthusiasts, ven-dors and other participants will attendthe first leg of the InternationalBowhunting Organization’s SouthernTriple Crown of Bowhunting Champi-onships. For information, call 514-1286.

15th Annual Elmore County NWTFHunting and Heritage BanquetFeb. 25, 6 p.m.Wetumpka Civic CenterTicket cost includes admission, dinnerand annual NWTF membership. Forinformation, call Chet Matthews or e-mail elmorecountynwtf@yahoo. com.

Millbrook Mardi Gras Festival and ParadeFeb. 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Downtown MillbrookA family-oriented event celebratingMardi Gras sponsored by the Mill-brook Revelers. Offers live music,entertainment, food and vendors inVillage Green Park all day. Parade onMain Street at 12 p.m. No charge forparade entries, a small fee for vendors.For info, visit www.millbrookrevelers.com.


A LAST LOOK

One of Trinity Episcopal Church’s stained glass windows. PHOTO BY KEVIN TAYLOR

Documents

Elmore County Living