SPOTLIGHT

CEPA program shining brightly throughout county

Story by Eryn Ellard
Submitted Photos

When Spotlight took center stage five years ago at Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts, it was simply an idea to nurture and grow love of theatre – in all its forms – among young people. Today, it is as its name implies – illuminating.

It casts its light on acting, set design, writing, podcasts, short film, directing, sound, lights, music and all that goes into a production as part of Spotlight’s successful script.

In addition to CEPA’s community theatre troupe, younger versions are now flourishing through Spotlight Clubs at Pell City, St. Clair County, Moody and Victory Christian high schools. A kids drama program has evolved, and the awards ceremony for all of it held each year is now an event tantamount to the Oscars.

Shelby Duke, Spotlight coordinator

Born in 2015 in a collaboration with Jefferson State Community College, the CEPA program was gaining popularity for those interested in performing arts but was shuttered as a result of the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020.

Shelby Duke, Spotlight program coordinator, said that the program had to get creative in order to keep the program’s momentum moving forward. “In 2020, when the pandemic hit, we began using digital means to keep people involved in Spotlight since we could not be in the theatre for a few months,” Duke said.

In September of 2020, Duke said, the program began cultivating a digital media platform and expanding into a podcast in Spotlight Studio called The Black Box. “In October of 2020, we released our first podcast and asked our clubs to write podcasts as well,” Duke noted. “We had several podcast scripts submitted, and we made a season out of it.”

Spotlight Studio is also a place where people can find videos of the various clubs involved with the program, short films and other projects within it. Building on its successes, the program is in the midst of transforming another podcast into a short film.

Perhaps one of the most creative outlets within the program, The Black Box Podcast, is a dramatic audio theatre experience where club members write their own scripts for the podcast and record them. Subjects last year included a wide variety of subjects from comedy pieces about Christmas to more serious subject matters.

Miss Christmas Business developed by the St. Clair County High School club debuted at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham in 2021.

“We are planning on releasing a podcast this month, Project SEM;COLON written by Pell City High School student Anna Claire Hawthorn. Project SEM;COLON is a podcast and future short film that shines light on suicide awareness,” Duke said. “Anna Claire and other PCHS students have worked so hard on this project, and I am extremely proud of them.”

 A catalyst for all, regardless of age and performing arts experience, “this program brings people together who have an interest in theatre,” Duke said. “It has become a community of people who share that love or want to see what things are all about. It is open to anyone who wants to give theatre a try – on and off the stage.”

In addition to the program’s new digital platforms, Spotlight is still home to plays and musicals upon which it built its reputation. It also hosts a Summer Drama Camp for Spotlight Kids Club.

Now in its fifth year, Spotlight annually shines the light on its own through the Spotlight Awards, a way to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of the program and its members over the year. “We have categories for everything from actors awards to the best in crew awards,” Duke said. “It is also a way for us to get donations that go to the Spotlight program as well. We have food and entertainment to continue to build the Spotlight Award community and celebrate our wonderful talent.”

Another face also joined the Spotlight team this year, Nicholas Fason, who will be serving as Spotlight Studio coordinator and will be overseeing digital productions like podcasts and Spotlight Films.

“I am very excited to be stepping into the Studio coordinator role,” Fason said. “I am very passionate about giving students and community members every opportunity to express themselves.”

Fason will be coordinating between students and community members. “I am honored to be given this opportunity to make sure that we can execute the vision of the students and their creative endeavors,” Fason said.

The potential for the future is not lost on CEPA Executive Director Jeff Thompson, who along with Jefferson State’s Leslie Warren and Nicholas Kin, founded the program five years ago and carefully laid the groundwork.

In an impassioned speech at the Spotlight Awards Ceremony, Thompson discarded his notes, stepped from behind the podium and delivered a dramatic rallying cry for the program.

Five years ago, he said, he, Warren and Kin “had an idea that there would be enough of you out here to show this community that theatre was important, to keep this thing running, to keep more people coming through these doors year after year, doing play after play, growing exponentially, making people realize your art is important. And you’ve done it for five years, letting this community know that what you love is important,” he told the capacity audience of young people.

“And that’s what I love. I love that you love it. I love that you want to do it. I love that it matters to you. I love it that you chose it. I love it when you try hard and succeed, and I love it when you try hard and don’t. I love you, and I appreciate you.”

For five years, he said, “you’ve shown me, you’ve shown this board, you’ve shown everybody in here that we matter, and that’s what I want you to know tonight is that you matter. The things that you love matter. Keep doing them. Keep trying. Keep working. Be better every year. Happy five years, St. Clair County!”

Berritt Haynes

Pell City native building on performance, experience on The Voice

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submitted Photos

Berritt Haynes is no stranger to life-changing news, so when a talent recruiter from television’s The Voice told him to pack his bags and head for Los Angeles last May, it was sort of a “same song, different verse” situation. This time, however, the verse was a whole lot sweeter.

Competing on The Voice

The Pell City native and his family were first stopped in their tracks by unexpected news when Berritt was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart disease at age 8. Eleven years later, the call welcoming the 19-year-old aspiring singer-songwriter to Season 21 of the NBC reality singing competition was much more fun.

“We were all whooping and hollering,” Berritt’s mother, Monica Haynes, said. “It was so loud, Berritt had to go outside to talk to her.”

Although he was eliminated in the Knockout Round of the competition that aired last fall, Berritt said he has no regrets. He earned high praises from the celebrity judges, including country singer Blake Shelton, who was Berritt’s team coach, and he said he grew as a singer, a performer and a person.

“This whole experience has been so amazing!!” Berritt said in a social media post after his elimination. “This is only the beginning, y’all!”

Since then, Berritt has been playing as many gigs as he can, writing music, honing his craft and continuing to dream big. “I’ve gotten a lot more confident, and my voice is stronger than before I went,” he said. “I’m just playing as much as I can and hopefully, something will come of it.”

Heartbreaking news

Berritt, who turns 20 on April 12, was at his 8-year-old checkup when his pediatrician, Dr. Keith Stansell, heard a heart murmur he hadn’t heard before. “A lot of doctors would have said to watch it for a while, but he’d seen Berritt all his life and knew it hadn’t been there before,” Monica said. “We sing his praises all the time.”

Berritt was referred to a cardiologist, who diagnosed him with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s a disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. It’s often known as “sudden death disease” because it can cause life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms, and it’s the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in young people.

“They kept asking who in our family had died in their early 30s, but there was no one,” said Monica, adding that the disease is usually inherited. Genetic testing revealed that she has it as well, although her case is not as severe as her son’s. Berritt’s youngest sister, 13-year-old Kynlee, carries the gene but so far has not developed the disease. His father, Jeremy, and his sisters, EllaGrace, 14, and 17-year-old Ryleigh, have no heart issues.

“It was devastating,” Monica said. “I had a lot of mama guilt for a long time just knowing I gave that to my kid.”

Berritt’s lifestyle changed immediately after the diagnosis. He loved sports, but he had to quit playing baseball and football. At 14, after passing out on a hunting trip with his grandfather, Berritt had surgery to have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed in his chest. The battery-operated device detects abnormal heart rhythms and will provide an electric shock if necessary to make his heart beat normally.

Three years later, in 2019, 17-year-old Berritt underwent open heart surgery at the end of his junior year of high school. “My family and the Lord are what got me through it,” Berritt said when he shared his testimony a few months later.

Although Berritt had to give up a lot of things he loved, he discovered some new joys, as well. Right after the diagnosis, his parents started him in competitive BB gun shooting events so he could still compete in an outdoor activity. He won a number of awards in competitions all over the South, including a gold medal in the Alabama State Games. In 2013, he was named the ASF Foundation’s Male Athlete of the Year. “My dream is to one day compete in the Olympics,” Berritt said at the time.

Berritt credits family and faith in getting through open heart surgery.

It was music, though, that truly captured his heart. Both of his parents sing in the church choir, and even as a toddler, “Berritt would sit in our laps during practice,” Monica said. “He would sit there and sing his little heart out.”

That’s why they also enrolled him in guitar lessons after he had to give up sports. “We told him, ‘You can still be playing this when you’re 70, but you wouldn’t be playing baseball at 70,’” Monica said. In addition, Berritt started singing and playing with the praise band at his family’s church, Seddon Baptist Church, and he played the alto sax and tenor sax with the Pell City High School Jazz Band.

“I just love music,” said Berritt, who was singing with the praise band again two weeks after his surgery. “I really love singing worship songs.”

In full voice

Following his surgery, Make-a-Wish, a nonprofit that fulfills wishes of kids with critical illnesses, arranged for Berritt to be in the audience during a taping of The Voice and to meet the judges. COVID-19 derailed the plans, though, and Make-a-Wish refurbished Berritt’s pickup truck instead.

Berritt’s mom knew about her son’s dreams, though, so she took matters into her own hands and submitted a video of Berritt singing Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven to The Voice. He had auditioned twice before – once in middle school, once in high school – but the third time was the charm.

The initial call from the talent recruiter came during a family movie night. Monica saw a California number on her screen, thought it was spam, and let it go to voicemail. “Y’all are going to want to pause the movie for this,” she told her family after listening to the message.

When word finally came months later that Berritt had officially made the cut, he packed two suitcases, his guitar and a backpack and headed for Los Angeles. The shows were pre-recorded with audiences of about 150 screaming fans. “Sometimes you can’t hear what you’re doing,” he said.

The first time he took the stage during the “Blind Auditions” and sang Brett Young’s Mercy, Berritt tried not to think about the more than 7 million viewers who would eventually be watching the show’s premiere. “At that point, I was just singing for my coaches,” he said of celebrity judges Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Ariana Grande and Shelton. “When Blake turned around (to signify he wanted the singer on his team) all those nerves I had went away.”

Although Berritt, who graduated from Pell City in 2020, didn’t get a lot of air time during the show, the judges were quick to praise his talents. “I think you’re just a damn good singer,” Shelton told him following his first performance. In other shows, Clarkson said “his tone was cool” and told Berritt, “I was just captivated by you.”

During the two and a half months he was in Los Angeles, Berritt got to work with a vocal coach for the first time and enjoyed hanging out, singing and playing games with his fellow contestants. He also added a few new pieces to his wardrobe.

“There was nothing they gave me that didn’t fit me tight,” he said with a laugh. Although he got to keep a leather jacket, shirts and a few pair of jeans, he said the best thing he got from the experience was the feedback and encouragement from the coaches.

“Blake always had nothing but good things to say about what I was doing, what I was singing,” Berritt said. “They really build up your confidence. They want you to do good; they want you to be successful.”

Since he’s been home, Berritt has worked some as a substitute teacher to earn some extra money while continuing to do what he loves most – make music. He released a new single, Sidewalks of Birmingham, on all streaming platforms in January, served as grand marshal of the Pell City Christmas Parade and is performing as often as he can. In addition to playing Lakeside Live and other venues, he recently opened for Girl Named Tom, the Season 21 winner, at Iron City in Birmingham.

“The whole experience was amazing,” Berritt said. “With all the stuff I’ve been through, I just didn’t think I’d ever make it that far or amount to anything. It’s been a dream come true.” l

Editor’s Note: Want to keep up with Berritt’s career? Follow him on Instagram @berritt.haynes or on Facebook at Berritt Haynes Music.

Step into the ring

Professional boxing finds new arena in Pell City 

Story by Loyd McIntosh
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

On a sweltering hot Friday afternoon in late July, the parking lot of Total Body Fitness is so full, many cars have parked in the grass and mud in the vacant lot next door. Inside, the gym is just as packed as dozens of athletes, trainers and others mill about.

There is excitement and even a little tension in the air. All of this activity isn’t for a hot, new exercise class. No, excitement builds for the weigh-in for a boxing event taking place in a little over 24 hours at, of all places, the CEPA Building in Pell City. 

Organized by the Alabama-based boxing promotion company, One One Six Boxing, Saturday’s event, Logan Martin Rumble 2, is the second boxing “show” One One Six has held in Pell City, the first coming in December 2020. One One Six is also notable for being the state’s first and only boxing promotion owned and operated by a woman and St. Clair County native Brandi McClain. 

Anthony Stewart (right) stares down Jayvone Dafney (left) as referee Keith Hughes goes over the rules.

Since launching, One One Six has held close to 10 boxing events showcasing fighters from all over the country but with a concentration on boxers from the Southeast. Operating out of Gadsden, One One Six has hosted Money Powell IV, James De La Rosa and Michael Williams Jr., the undefeated prospect of Roy Jones Jr. This weekend, her focus is on a boxer named Anthony Stewart, who at age 40 is competing for the Alabama State Cruiserweight Title. 

“Anthony has a lot riding on him this weekend, but he’s a very talented fighter. He’s ready for this moment,” McCain says. “I think he has an opportunity to fight on TV, and I’m doing everything I can to make that happen for him. It’s my job to make my fighters’ dreams come true.”

At the weigh-in, Stewart is sitting at a table with his trainer, Dave Godber, a boxing lifer with extensive experience as a fighter and trainer. Currently, Gober owns Round 1 Boxing For Health, a gym in Vestavia where Stewart trains while he’s not busy with his full-time job as a welder for Ox Bodies in Tuscaloosa.

Since his last sparring session a little over a week ago, Stewart has geared down his activity to give his body the rest it needs for his title fight on Saturday. “My last week, really what I’m doing is I’m trying to focus my mind on rest, relaxation, how I can make my body 100 percent when I step in the ring,” says Stewart. 

His opponent is a little-known boxer named Jayvone Dafney, a 34-year-old cruiserweight fighting out of Los Angeles with a record of 2-3. Anthony and Godber have spent much of their preparation watching film and studying Gafney’s strengths and, more importantly, weaknesses. “Everybody has habits, and that’s what we want him to do. We want him to fight in his bad habits,” Godber says. “That’s what I’m really good at. In the first 30 seconds, I can tell you exactly how this man’s fighting.”

Godber is of the mindset that boxing is a 50-50 sport – 50 percent physical, 50 percent psychological. He’s been working tirelessly on Stewart’s mental approach to boxing, helping his protégé to think on his feet and react to whatever his opponent does in the ring. “Everybody’s got skill,” Godber says. “You can be the best fighter in the world, but you have to have the mental attitude to know how to survive and how to make good decisions.

“Everybody looks like a champion on the heavy bag,” he adds, “but when you get in that ring and the pressure’s on you, you have to overwhelm yourself with the mental aspect.”

“When I’m in there, I don’t just react,” adds Stewart. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘when I do this, what does he do? When I throw this punch, where does he move? When I throw this punch, where does he drop his hand? If he drops that hand, we’ll I’m going to come here.’”

Like many of today’s professional boxers, Stewart honed his fighting skills in the crazy world of ultimate fighting in what he calls “loosely organized” underground events in bars and joints in places like Jasper and Cullman. Stewart turned pro in June 2018, defeating a boxer named Andre Brewer. Leading into his title bout in Pell City, Stewart’s record stands at a healthy 5-1-2, four wins by knockout. Fit, mentally acute, and rested, Stewart is brimming with confidence just 24 hours before the bell rings in the biggest fight of his career in the heart of Pell City, the Main Event for Logan Martin Rumble 2. 

“I don’t like to say anything derogatory about anybody that I’m about to fight but …” he stops himself before finishing the statement and collects his thoughts before continuing. “It’s like this right here. I’m coming to handle business. Anybody that’s in my way of that title is going to get broken down. I want to see what kind of man he is. This is mano a mano. I want to see how he faces adversity because I’m going to touch him.”

Still, at the age of 40, one question Stewart is asked often is how much longer can he continue boxing? How will he know when it’s time to hang up the gloves? “Through all my amateur fights and most of my pro fights, I didn’t take many punches. There will be a time when I got to hang it up, but right now I’ve got a five-year plan, which takes me to 45,” explains Stewart. “We’re going to stay in shape and keep this going.”

Fight Night

It’s now Saturday evening and the gymnasium at the CEPA Building has been transformed for professional boxing. The ring sits at the center of the court with professional lights placed in opposite corners. There are 11 fights on the card with the Stewart-Dafney fight bringing the night to a close.

Most of the bouts are scheduled for four rounds, with three scheduled for six rounds, including the main event. The first three fights of the night ended in knockouts – two in the first round, one in the second round. However, one of the best fights of the night was the fourth on the card, the stunning debut of a young fighter named Nicholas Adams. 

A native of Pell City, Adams initially attended Pell City High School, transferred to Ashville High School, before eventually earning his GED. He worked as a corrections officer before recently devoting himself to boxing full time after deciding against pursuing mixed martial arts.

He signed on with One One Six Boxing but found himself in need of a new trainer and coach less than a week before his professional debut. He hooked up with Martin Juarez, owner and operator of Juarez Boxing in Irondale, who has been impressed with Nick in the short time he’s worked with him.

“I met Nick four days ago. He called me over the weekend and said he was without a trainer and needed some help,” Juarez explains. “Just the time we’ve spent in the gym, we’ve been able to build a rapport with one another, and I’ve taught him some stuff that he’s never known, this being his first professional fight.

“Nick shows a lot of great attitude and great effort and has come a long way in four days,” he adds. “I’m expecting only great things from him.”

Adams has a lot riding on this fight as well. He and his wife, Morganne, have a preschool-age daughter, Sophie. Not only is this Nick’s pro debut, but his primary source of income for his young family. At the weigh-in on Friday, Morganne was both excited and apprehensive about her husband’s bout. “I keep thinking I am ready for this, and we keep getting closer, and I don’t know. My stomach’s in a knot,” Morganne says. “I’m very nervous, but I know he’s going to win.”

Adams’ opponent Saturday evening is 32-year-old Keith Criddell, boxing out of Atlanta in a Super Middleweight bout scheduled for four rounds. Despite his record of 0-3, Criddell has almost a year of experience as a pro boxer, having made his debut in August 2020. Adams’ path to victory is clearly uphill.

From the opening bell brought through the end of the third round, the action was exciting and, to the general boxing fan, evenly matched. In reality, Adams was winded, having come out too hot in the first round throwing a flurry of punches and expending a lot of energy. By the end of the third round, Adams was in danger of losing the fight should it go the distance. Adams’ new trainer and cornerman, Juarez, was there to encourage his fighter, but also to give him the unvarnished truth.

“I was tired. He got in my face and told me ‘you can’t forget everything that we’ve done these last four days. You’ve been amazing. Don’t forget everything you’ve learned, and, oh, by the way, you’re losing this fight,’” Adams says. “That wasn’t something he didn’t have to tell me, I could tell. I was falling behind. But when he got up in my face, all the numbness that I had in my legs went away. I don’t know what that man said to me, but it was the way he said it. I knew I was going to lose the fight if I didn’t put him out in the fourth round.”

Adams regained his stamina and focus in the fourth round, connecting on a vicious right hook that sent Criddell to the canvas once and for all. “I took everything (Juarez) gave me and applied it as best I could. It took me four rounds, but I did it,” Adams says. “I put him down and pulled out the win for my debut.”

Back to the Main Event

After 10 fights, all but one ending in a knockouts or technical knockout, the crowd is ready for the main event. Dafney makes his entrance into the ring first to little more than polite applause.

It’s clear this crowd is here to see Stewart. He doesn’t disappoint. Following a light show and a short but loud pump-up performance by a Tuscaloosa-based hip-hop artist, Stewart makes his way into the arena. Wearing red and black trunks with his last name emblazoned across the front, Stewart enters the ring, his tattooed chest and arms already glistening with sweat, his jaw clenched, eyes staring straight at his opponent. Referee Keith Hughes goes over the rules and sends each man back to his corner to wait for the opening bell. 

One day prior at the weigh-in the question was posed to Godber, where does Stewart have the advantage over Dafney? “Anthony throws more punches,” says Godber.

“We’ve been working weight on six and seven punch combinations. I don’t think that young man’s ready for Anthony because he doesn’t throw much more than three,” Godber continues. “You won’t see Anthony on the ropes. You’ll see him in the center of the ring. It’s hard to fight going backward, and if (Dafney) goes to the ropes, he’s going down.”

The bell rings and the fight plays out exactly as Godber described. Stewart began the bout measured, even taking a couple of shots from the taller Dafney, before exploding into a fury of punches.

As Round 1 progressed, Stewart continued his onslaught of punches, pushing Dafney back on his heels and into the ropes. Finally, Stewart broke down his opponent’s defenses before connecting with a fierce right hook and sending Dafney to the canvas. No 10-count. Hughes jumps in and immediately stops the fight at 2:55 in the first round. It’s over. Hughes lifts Stewart’s arm in the air. McCain enters the ring to place the belt around the victor’s waist. 

Anthony Stewart is the new Alabama State Cruiserweight Champion.

A Night at the Opera

Summer-ending concert may become
yearly event on Logan Martin Lake

Jason Rogoff and Jeff Thompson found the cure for the quarantined summer blues: an outdoor rock concert … during Labor Day weekend.

But it cannot be your normal concert.

This one has to be arranged in less than eight weeks; it has to feature a sought-after performer who just happens to be available because of pandemic cancellations; it has to provide seating that socially distances audience members attending by land and huge video screens visible to those attending by boat; it has to raise funds for two entities, and it has to be full of energy.

That concert – which was on Sept. 4 at Pell City Sports Complex on the shores of Logan Martin Lake – fulfilled all the requirements and quite possibly began an annual event.

For the concert, the Black Jacket Symphony performed the songs from the Queen album, A Night at the Opera, and featured the vocal talent of Marc Martel.

The stage lights up the night

Martel provided some vocals for Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic about Queen’s late lead singer Freddie Mercury, said Rogoff, director and producer of the Black Jacket Symphony.

Thompson, who is director of the Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA) in Pell City, said Rogoff approached him about an outdoor concert patterned after others that the Black Jacket Symphony had held in Birmingham.

For the Black Jacket Symphony, this would be a return visit to Pell City.

In February 2020, the Black Jacket Symphony performed Fleetwood Mac’s album, Rumours, in concert at CEPA and had scheduled Led Zeppelin IV for May. But COVID containment measures canceled Led Zeppelin IV.

Visit the Black Jacket Symphony online
at blackjacketsymphony.com

Marc Martel once again playing guitar during a BJS Queen show

Mustang Museum of America

St. Clair celebrates an automotive icon

Story and photos by Graham Hadley

The Mustang Museum of America is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its opening in Odenville and cementing its place as a regional go-to attraction for automotive enthusiasts from around the country.

It joins the likes of the Barber Motorsports Park and museum in Leeds and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega County.

For many automotive enthusiasts, two car lines have dominated the highways in America.

One of them, the Chevrolet Corvette, has had a museum all its own in Bowling Green, Ky., for years.

Now, thanks to the efforts of one family and backed by local businesses and the City of Odenville, that other car, the Ford Mustang, has a museum right here in St. Clair County.

Housed in a huge steel climate and humidity controlled building, the Mustang Museum of America opened March 17, 2019, on Forman Farm Road in Odenville, and since then, the expansive attraction had been drawing hundreds of fans of Lee Iacocca’s famous Pony Car from across the country.

The museum is the brainchild of Robert Powell, who says, “I had been thinking about a car museum for 15 years” and finally decided to make it a reality.

Powell, who had been working for Progress Rail, was nearing retirement — which he officially took Feb. 1 — and started putting the pieces in place about five years ago.

“With the collection of Mustangs I had put together, and the help of my two sons and their cars, we started to figure out what we were going to do,” Powell said.

It was a natural move for Powell — he had been the president of a local chapter of the Mustang Club of America in Tampa, Fla. Even back then, they were thinking about the possibility of a museum.

Powell grew up in Alabama. In fact, he saw his first Mustang at a gas station in Odenville as a teen. “I thought it was the most beautiful car ever put on the road. I was in high school, so of course I could not afford one. But I started following the line. Back then, I would get together on weekends with my friends in high school, and we would drive around looking at car dealerships to see what they had on the lots.”

When work brought him back home from Florida, he and his wife and sons only thought it would be natural to open the museum here.

“We think this could be an anchor attraction for North St. Clair County,” he said. “I moved here when I was 6. I grew up here, went to school here. St. Clair has been good to us. We feel a loyalty to this area.”

With the support of local civic leaders and business owners like Lyman Lovejoy, Powell unveiled his plans for the Mustang Museum of America during a special community meeting in mid-2016. They had already procured the necessary property, were starting on plans for the building, and between Powell, his wife, Carolyn, and sons Jonathon and Gary, already had upwards of 70 Mustangs in their personal collection.

Plans called for the museum to house between 100 and 120 Mustangs — a number they are already close to reaching with 102 cars on hand. “We want to have one of every model year through 2015, plus a police car version from every state that used them,” Powell said.

Thanks to the generosity of collectors and organizations dedicated to preserving Mustangs, who have either loaned the Mustang Museum cars or donated them outright, there are only a few gaps in the long rows of cars on display where they are still missing models.

And alongside the standard models are a number of specialty cars of historic note, including the Mustang test bed used to benchmark the SVO Mustangs. It is one of the compact, slant-fronted Fox bodies that marked the return of the Mustang as a dominant force in American automotive manufacturing in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

That car looks rough, but Powell says that is part of the history of the test vehicle. “I wanted it left this way. It is part of what makes the car unique. This is the standard Mustang that they ran against the SVOs in tests to see how they performed.”

They also have the Fox-body Mustang Ford sent to California to be used to test the viability of Mustangs as police — and much more commonly, state trooper — cars. That test eventually opened the door for states across the country to adopt the Mustang as a go-to law-enforcement interceptor vehicle.

Other cars that were limited runs to promote brands, pace cars and race cars are also part of the collection.

And though there was a time when many die-hard Mustang fans would not admit that Ford’s smaller Mustang IIs were part of the Mustang family, the museum boasts a large collection of those, too. And that includes some of the sporty models that were seen on TV shows, Charlie’s Angels in particular.

Times have changed, Powell said, and most Mustang enthusiasts now consider the Mustang IIs as part of the Pony Car family, with a number of people who specifically seek out and restore them, helping with the museum’s collection.

In addition to the cars, the walls of the museum are adorned with advertising, magazine articles and other art – even an original, full-size billboard – that tell the story of the Mustang.

“Lee Iacocca had to really fight to get the Mustang built,” Powell said. Ford had just taken a big hit with the failure of the Edsel, and when Iacocca said, “We need a new car line,” he was told he must be crazy. But Iacocca, who passed away in 2019, was known for his dogged determination, and the first Mustang was built — the 1964 1/2 model. The official launch of the 1965 Mustang would be Ford’s most successful roll-out since the Model A.

The museum is a non-profit effort overseen by a seven-member board of directors. Powell serves as the managing director. His son, Gary, is the manager, and his other son, Jonathon is the assistant manager.

Powell admits it has been a learning curve for him, his family and everyone else involved in the project, but their hard work is paying off.

Visitors from around the country are making their way to Odenville, some just go a little out of their way while passing through the area, others as parts of organized car clubs and similar events. They even had a Honda Goldwing motorcycle enthusiast club make it a point to put the museum on one of their routes.

That is exactly how Powell had originally envisioned the project – not just as a museum, but as a venue with large outdoor spaces and plenty of parking to host crowds and bring events to St. Clair County.

He also readily admits the business they are seeing now is just a small part of what the museum can mean to the community. They did a soft opening and have gradually been seeing business ramp up as word gets out about the museum, something Powell says will be key to its success.

And he was quick to point out that they are part of a much bigger picture – drawing motorsports enthusiasts to the region. Races at the Talladega Superspeedway and events at Barber Motorsports Park are part of that draw, especially since both of those tracks also have museums on site, with more on the way at Barber.

Powell said the people at Barber have been especially helpful.

“When I first started thinking seriously about doing this, I talked to the people at Barber, and they were very supportive,” he said. They have even talked about creating a regional motorsports museum pass to cover several of the museums on one ticket.

His sons have been bringing some of their cars to events at Barber and reached out to the venue for guidance and the possibility of cross promoting their attractions. The response and support have been more than Powell ever could have expected, he said, lauding them for taking the big-picture approach to making the museums and tracks regional and national attractions.

Other local businesses, like BEI Electronics and Graphics and SVP are also important parts of the community effort that have made the museum possible, helping with paint or custom decals to return even the most worn-out Mustang to original condition. Powell tries to keep cars in as close to original condition without restoration as possible, but some vehicles need a full bumper-to-bumper rebuild before they are suitable for display.

The Mustang Museum of America is open Thursday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but Powell said they will open pretty much any time to accommodate visitors; they just need to call ahead and let them know they are coming. l

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Cinertainment comes to Pell City

Story by Linda Long
Photos by Graham Hadley
and Wallace Bromberg Jr.

Heads up, Pell City and environs, Cinertainment has come to town, and there’s nothing else like it anywhere around. When people talk about the ‘wow factor,’ this place defines it.

Take it from Mark Vaughan, facility director of the 47,892-square-foot facility, which houses seven theatres with reclining seats, 12 bowling lanes, a café and bar, and an arcade complete with zip-line – all under one huge roof.

The name is a derivative of the words, cinema and entertainment, but that barely begins to describe the multiplex, multifaceted attraction. 

As Vaughan explained, the innovative concept is geared toward serving as a destination point, drawing patrons from Lincoln, Leeds, Anniston, Oxford and Talladega.

“Of course, we would love to draw from the Birmingham area as well, but those cities are where we expect to get our customers,” said Vaughn.

Ten years in the planning and construction phase, Cinertainment opened its doors in January to record crowds. As Vaughan points out, the facility was a long time coming but well worth the wait.

“We offer something for just about everybody,” he said.

Mayor Bill Pruitt, who cut the ribbon on opening night and took his turn on the zip line, echoed the sentiment, crediting multiple city administrations; St. Clair Economic Development Council; developer Bill Ellison, president of I-20 Development; and St. Clair County Commission. 

“This very well could be the single most important date in Pell City history,” Pruitt said, making a joke about Facebook and the years of discussions and comments from an impatient community. “This is the fourth administration to have this dream, he said, singling out former Mayors Adam Stocks, Bill Hereford and Joe Funderburg. “Joe worked diligently,” he said. Ground was broken on the complex just past the end of Funderburg’s term and the beginning of Pruitt’s.

“I deserve no credit for this,” Pruitt continued. “I am just honored to be a part of this and to be able to stand here tonight. After walking around inside and seeing this place, it was well worth the wait.”

The mayor also talked of Ellison’s role. He said Premier Cinema CEO Gary Moore told him how excited he was to finally meet Ellison a couple of years back. He remembered Moore telling him, “ ‘ Who in the heck is this Bill Ellison who keeps calling me about bringing this movie theater to Pell City?’ ”

Ellison, long known for his persistence in recruiting business to Pell City, recalled, “I stayed on him. I kept calling him and telling him about Pell City. We started building a relationship, and it progressed to the point that we could put the right people together to make it happen.”

Ellison noted that it indeed was a team effort of the city and county, noting that St. Clair EDC Executive Director Don Smith played a major role in “putting the package together.”

Moore agreed, saying Smith and City Manager Brian Muenger’s support for the project ensured its success. “Without their support and enthusiasm, this project would never have happened.” He added thanks to Funderburg as well.

So now the dream is finally reality. “It’s not only a great thing for Pell City,” said St. Clair Commissioner Tommy Bowers, “it’s a great thing for St. Clair County.”

Moore took it a step further. “This is a destination attraction. It will draw from counties from miles around. It is a lifestyle enhancement, we think, of great proportions.”

He’s right. From 12 state-of-the-art bowling lanes to seven “luxury experience” movie theaters, an indoor zip line and obstacle course, Cinertainment’s management take their night-out-on-the-town experience to a whole new level.

“We’re offering what we call the ultimate luxury in movie going,” said Vaughan.  “All the seats are reclining. The recliners are electrically powered in all auditoriums, complete with USB ports and swivel tables for dining. Movie goers may order their food. We’ll give you a buzzer. When your food is ready, we’ll buzz you and you go right to your theater door to get your meal.”

As Vaughan explained, “this way you can have your popcorn and Coke or a full meal right there at your own table.”

The expanded food and beverage options are expected to be a huge draw, with a full-service kitchen, a pub and full bar, offering four top drafts, four light beers and four craft beers from local breweries.

Food choices include pizza, hamburgers, grilled chicken, wings, onion rings, fried green tomatoes, chef salad and fried pickles.

For those who might want to work off some of those calories, Cinertainment offers a zip line and an obstacle course. And, of course let’s not forget the arcade.  “Our game room has about 46 different games. “You can redeem points here, then take them to the redemption center to see what you can buy,” said Vaughan. “We’ve got winnings ranging from trinkets to an Xbox.”

The facility also offers space for private events such as birthday parties and business meetings.

“We’ve even gotten a couple of churches interested in holding Sunday services here. Like I said, something for everybody,” said Vaughan. l

 

Cinertainment is located at 2200 Vaughan Lane in Pell City.
– Carol Pappas contributed to this story.