St. Clair County Fair

Arena, event center earn rave reviews

Story by Cherith Fluker
Photos by Mackenzie Free

If the St. Clair County Arena and Event Center needed an exclamation point on its value to the community since its inception a decade ago, the St. Clair County Fair delivered just that.

Reminiscent of days gone by with attractions for the whole family, the fair offered a free, two-day event packed full of fun and community spirit.

Day 1 featured a vendor market, carnival rides and a petting zoo along with a Veterans Appreciation dinner and live bluegrass music. Day 2 offered even more entertainment with a car show, livestock competitions, carnival rides and the popular greased pig contest.

The fair’s finale was a high-energy performance by local band Big Country. It was an ideal way to celebrate a decade of service to the community, and plans call for its return next year.

Children try their best to capture the greased pig

Since 2014, the St. Clair County Arena and Event Center has grown into a hub for both the local community and visitors from across the state.

The covered arena spans 22,000 square feet and features a dirt floor. The space includes room for approximately 800 spectators, a concession stand, and restrooms with showers. It has become the ideal setting for community events of all kinds.

Over the years, the arena and event center have transformed into a destination point that hosts a wide variety of events that appeal to all ages and interests. Rodeos, barrel races, vintage markets, dog agility shows, and car exhibitions are just a few of the diverse range of activities that draw people from all corners of the community and state. It has truly become a must-visit venue.

“The community has greatly benefited from the arena,” said St. Clair County Commission Recreation Asset Manager Ashley Hay. “By providing free or affordable events throughout the year, it offers high-quality entertainment without the need for residents to travel to Birmingham or other neighboring counties.”

The local economy has seen a boost as visitors patronize nearby restaurants, gas stations and shops. “Event hosts and spectators are encouraged to engage with local vendors, further fostering community connections,” Hay noted.

And the arena continues to broaden its community reach by hosting events like livestock shows and the St. Clair County Farm-City Banquet.

She proudly cites recent improvements to the arena, such as expanded parking, upgraded lighting and a new PA system. “We are committed to creating a welcoming and efficient environment for attendees.” The wash bay, ample parking and the ability to accommodate multiple types of gatherings make the arena a flexible and highly valued resource.

Aslyn Weaver and father, Randall, entertain crowd

County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon shared his vision for the arena, emphasizing its role as a “respite from the busy world.” He also revealed his long-term goal to transform the facility into an agricultural hub for the county. “It’s nice that we have the event space, but we don’t want to compete with other event spaces in our area. We want to continue making improvements and partner with schools and farmers to host events.”

The event center was built using federal pandemic relief funds, with the county contributing an additional $1 million to complete the facility. Located next to the arena, the climate-controlled center features a multi-use court that accommodates pickleball, volleyball and basketball. Open-play memberships are available for $10 per day or $100 per year for individuals, with the option to add a family member for an extra $50.

Chairman Batemon has a vision of expanding the space to include an agricultural center that could serve as a 4-H and FFA training facility. “This place could be a central location for schools to host bigger events than what they can on their campuses,” Batemon added. “It would provide a space for students interested in agriculture to learn and grow.”

Looking ahead, planned expansions, such as RV parking and additional recreational spaces will only enhance the arena’s role as a cornerstone of community life in St. Clair County.

Editor’s Note: For updates and a calendar of upcoming events, follow St. Clair County Arena on Facebook at  facebook.com/stclaircoarena.

Gatway Community Garden

The place where hope grows

Story by Paul South
Photos by Mandy Baughn

From an acre of God’s good earth, a small army of volunteers at Pell City Community Garden helps feed the hungry

Ten years ago, Renee Lilly and like-minded people had a vision for a place where hope and fresh food grew for the food insecure.

On the old Avondale Mills property in Pell City, Lilly wanted to create a space where needy folks could learn to tend a small piece of God’s good earth and grow their own  herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Two years later, Pell City’s Gateway Community Garden and its small army of volunteers moved to an acre or more of land donated by St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church across the road from the church.

 The result? A bumper harvest, not just of fresh food, but of hope. The garden, Lilly said, has exceeded expectations.

When the garden began at Avondale, the hope was to inexpensively rent out plots to individuals to allow them to grow their own food. But there were few takers.

Renee Lilly and Rhonda Dial talk to a crowd at the garden

Two years later the effort moved to the church and the mission changed direction.

“We just decided, we’ll grow the food, and we’ll just distribute that food to the people who need it,” Lilly said. “Once we made that decision, everything just took off.”

Since 2018, the garden has produced more than 14,000 pounds of fresh food for county residents in need, Lilly said.

Volunteers – the number varies, but usually there is a core group of a dozen – tend, nurture, harvest and distribute seasonal fresh foods.

More have joined the effort. In fact, some 3,500 volunteer hours have been sown into the garden since 2018.

The work is vital, especially in a county where 13 percent of residents are food insecure, according to U.S. News and World Report.

“Boy Scouts have helped us. We’ve got the Boys and Girls Clubs, and other groups have helped us,” Lilly said.

Because the garden has been so successful, and because of its partnership with the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama, it has been designated as one of 16 “Open Spaces, Sacred Places” sites located in nine Alabama counties.

Those sites are “intended for the encouragement of community well-being and resilience of mind/body/spirit of both individuals and communities,” according to the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama website.

“Our garden is one of those sacred spots. It’s an incredible thing that we have that here,” Lilly said.

For Lilly, certain things make the garden sacred.

“It’s a healing and restorative garden,” she said. “Not only is it a working garden where we are harvesting chemical-free food out of that garden. We also have an area in nature where people can come and sit. We have a bench with a little book library, and there’s a picnic table in the nature area where people can come and reflect on the beauty of the garden.”

The garden wouldn’t happen without the collaboration with the Community Foundation and St. Simon Peter, as well as corporate and individual support, Lilly said.

Attendees tour the garden and grab food and drinks

Though a secular organization, Gateway’s work dovetails with the mission of the church by feeding the mind, body and spirit of those in need. “We’re serving people,” Lilly said.

The garden’s harvest changes with the season. This fall, cabbage, kale, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and Swiss chard made up the crop. In past years, collards were a fall staple.

Herbs – parsley, thyme, basil and mint among them – call the garden home.

What does the success of the Gateway Community Garden say about the people of St. Clair County?

“What it says was that there was a core group of people who decided that it would be nice for Pell City to have a community garden that could take care of people in need,” Lilly said. “I think that core group of people spread the wealth, if you will, with their hard work, and more people have joined that mission.”

There is a commonality they share.

“There is a love for serving and a love for gardening.”

Recent evidence of that growth, a woman who is a master gardener enlisted her green thumb in the garden’s efforts. Some volunteers are masters, others are newcomers to putting their hand to the soil.

“We have new people coming in and joining us all the time,” Lilly said.

One of the beneficiaries of the garden is a local senior center, where food is distributed. More than once, encounters with local seniors have assured Lilly that her vision was spot on.

“A lot of times, we get to see their faces when the food is brought in,” Lilly said. “They love it. They get all excited, and they run over to us to see what we’ve brought. It’s an awesome thing.”

Lilly recalled one senior who needed food during the Covid-19 pandemic. She was driving a vanload of cabbage.

“Would you like a head of cabbage?,” she asked the man.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with it,” he replied.

“You just put it in a pan with water, salt and pepper and cook it, and it’s awesome. You’ll love it,” Lilly answered. Cabbage may have won a new fan that day.

The problems of the underprivileged are often misunderstood or dismissed outright. Lilly sometimes hears that the reason her cadre of volunteers is not as large as it could be is “because they don’t want to distribute food to lazy people.”

As the product of a broken home that faced food insecurity, she bristled at the notion.

“I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, there are a lot of people who aren’t lazy who are just in situations out of their control. I understand people who are going through a divorce or they lose a spouse, or somebody gets sick, there are all kinds of situations where people need help,’” Lilly said. “That’s why we have been distributing healthy food to people in need since 2014.”

Along with its cultivation efforts, Gateway Community Garden celebrated its third annual fundraiser earlier this month. In exchange for a $20 donation, donors were given the opportunity to win a chest freezer full of beef and pork. Chili, white and red gave extra flavor to the event, along with live music. Polly Warren prepared the beef chili and Wade Reich of the popular barbecue eatery, “Butts To Go,” prepared white chicken chili.

Back in 2014, if someone had told Lilly that the garden would flower into a success, there may have been a few weeds of skepticism.

“I would have probably said, ‘I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work. But I would have never thought that it would be the place that it is today.’”

She added, “It’s an awesome space, and we do good work there.” l

Paws for a good cause

Animal-assisted therapy teams from St. Clair County

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free
Submitted photos

Four paws, one wet nose, a wagging tail, and two expressive eyes can turn a day around. Just ask Anki, an 80-pound crème golden retriever. She’ll even throw in a full body hug to complete the comfort package.

Two-year-old Anki is a natural at her work. She and her human, Daniella Cook, serve as ambassadors for Hand in Paw (HIP), an organization that offers animal therapy in the Greater Birmingham area.

When Anki was just a puppy, Cook’s veterinarian commented that she was exceptionally calm for her breed. Later, as they attended puppy obedience classes, the instructor commented on how she seemed like an “old soul” in a puppy body.

“Then a cycling buddy of mine asked me if I’d ever heard of Hand in Paw,” said Cook. “Anki was just six months old at the time and the minimum age for a dog is 18 months to be a part of that organization.”

Kelli Agnew with Tessa (left) and Daniella Cook with Anki love their work as therapy teams

So, Cook used the next year to research the steps to becoming a therapy team for Hand in Paw. Successfully completing obedience classes was just the first step. “We went on to take a Good Citizen dog class,” said Cook.  “There are 10 benchmarks you must meet and if you miss one, you’re out. She got them all, despite it being an adoption day at the pet store where she performed for her final Good Citizen evaluation.”

Cook, who works in Pell City at WKW, a German company that supplies auto parts, occasionally brought Anki to work with her. She noticed the effect her dog had on others around her. “We had a plant manager who had had a really rough day,” Cook recalls. “He asked if he could hug her, and in five minutes you could see a difference in him. He asked if I could bring her in once a week.”

At 18 months old, Anki was ready to be evaluated to partner with Cook as an official therapy team. Stephanie Stoltzner is the volunteer and program manager for HIP. “We take them through a four-week workshop, then evaluate them to make sure they can deal with outside influences and the many things that can happen in the environment they would be working in,” explains Stoltzner. Anki and Cook passed with flying colors and received their new uniforms – a bright yellow bandana for Anki and a matching yellow shirt for Cook.

Cook’s face lights up as she shares details of some of the animal therapy experiences the pair have been party to. Recently the duo was sent to the Exceptional Foundation in Birmingham, an organization that provides social and recreational services for adults and children with intellectual disabilities. Cook and Anki were positioned in the center of the room, and each person had an opportunity to interact with the beautiful pup and her owner.

 “On this day, there were all adult clients,” recounts Cook. “When they saw Anki, their faces lit up, and they talked about their own dogs. One client told me how she trained her dog and asked if she could train Anki. Anki leaned into her in a hug and just made her day. I still get goose bumps thinking about it! I was just so proud to have this dog and to be able to make a difference.”

Cook and Anki are the second HIP team from St. Clair County. Kelli Agnew and her seven-year-old corgi, Tessa, have been a busy Hand in Paw team for over two years. This is Agnew’s 13th year as a volunteer for HIP. Tessa is her second therapy dog. 

Her first pet therapy partner was a Pell City animal shelter rescue cat named Asher. One of her most memorable therapy moments involved Asher and a visit to a memory care facility. “We were visiting with a lady who would not speak; she hadn’t spoken since she’d been there,” Agnew remembers. “This lady was so happy to see Asher and started making happy noises to this cat. The nurses were shocked that she was communicating with him.”

After Asher passed, Agnew spent five years as a Hand in Paw team with her corgi, Oliver, working with the child and adolescent psychiatry unit at UAB. They also participated in the organization’s delivery of the Sit, Stay, Read! program, an animal-assisted reading program for early education. This program has shown great success in encouraging reluctant readers to read to an animal companion.

Tessa, the Welsh Pembrook Corgi, greets Collier

Five years after Oliver passed, Agnew adopted Tessa, another corgi, this time a Pembroke Welsh and former show dog.  Having had experience with the animal dispositions that make for good therapy pets, she saw something special in Tessa. “You could tell from the beginning that she was going to be a great therapy dog,” said Agnew. “You take her anywhere, and she instantly goes to people. She just loves everybody.”

It’s that temperament that helps deliver effective animal-assisted therapy. In a 2008 study by the National Institutes of Health, human interaction with pets was shown to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and to reduce anxiety.

In 1996, Beth Franklin, a Birmingham native and animal advocate, started Hand in Paw to improve the health and wellbeing of people through interaction with pets. She was serving as executive director of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and worked with juveniles who were serving court-mandated community service.

Intended simply to provide help to animals in need, the program had an unexpected benefit. Franklin was struck by the positive behavioral changes to the volunteers because of their interactions with the animals.

In the 28 years since its founding, Hand in Paw has become a national leader in the growing field of animal-assisted therapy. They now have 92 owner/pet teams, who go out to a variety of intervention sites, including universities, hospitals, nursing homes, veterans’ homes, schools, physical therapy facilities, hospice and respite care and libraries. They also offer first-responder decompression visits.

“We’ve been to the Birmingham Police Department during shift change,” said Cook. “I’ve seen officers get down on the floor with Anki. They come by to say hello as they’re leaving to go home and as they are arriving for shift.”  Agnew and Tessa spend some of their volunteer time working with clients at the Bruno Cancer Center, Girls, Inc., and at Lakeshore Foundation.

Stephanie Stoltzner has been working with Hand in Paw since long before she worked there. She has a team of two dogs, Olive, a mix who looks like a golden retriever and Fern, another mix, who Stoltzner describes as looking like “she stuck her tongue in a light socket.” Their greatest reward as a therapy team, she says, is the people. “It doesn’t matter how bad a day I’m having,” she says. “I see the pure joy and happiness people get from seeing the dogs. Now I work here and get to work with my dogs all the time. it’s a dream.”

Anki and Tessa know that when they get bathed and fitted with their yellow bandanas, it’s time to go to work. Both Cook and Agnew say they seem to know they’re “on” and take matters seriously.

Spreading joy and encouragement is serious business. Paws down.

Editor’s note: Hand in Paw is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and survives on donations and grants. There is never a charge for their services. If you are interested in working with them or helping with their mission, contact Hand in Paw at handinpaw.org.

St. Clair Outdoors

Hiking Big Canoe Creek Preserve

Story by Loyd McIntosh
Staff photos

Located just off of St. Clair County 9 in Springville, Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve can make you forget you’re just a mile or two away from the highway’s busy intersection of U.S. 11  in the middle of town.

As you drive along the winding, two-lane road covered with trees, you can already feel the temperature drop, even on this hot-as-molten-lava day in mid-August. It’s possible to roll your window down and take in a nice breeze.

The entrance to Big Canoe Creek is just under a half-mile past Homestead Hollow, but, if you’re not paying attention, you can drive right by it without noticing it.

Once you arrive on site, you’re reminded immediately of just how spectacular this part of St. Clair County truly is. On today’s visit, the sky overhead is mostly blue with a few clouds meandering by, and everywhere you look, you see green – undisturbed green. In a word, it’s breathtaking.

The Preserve, which opened to the public in February 2024, began to take shape when Alabama’s Forever Wild Land Trust purchased 382 acres of land in Springville in 2018. A year later the trust added 40 acres, bringing the Preserve to its massive footprint of 422 acres.

Preserve’s Historic Path

The Preserve’s caretaker and longtime advocate is Doug Morrison, now manager of it for the City of Springville. His interest in the area’s preservation goes back to 2007 while serving as the president of the Friends of Big Canoe Creek. Upon learning that the property was being eyed for development, Morrison and other members of Friends of Big Canoe lobbied the Springville City Council to take action to protect the creek.

Doug Morrison on the trail

At minimum, they asked for a riparian buffer, a strip of trees, grass, or shrubs either planted or left intact to protect bodies of water from development. Morrison said they even looked at what other nearby cities were doing to protect other bodies of water.

“A lot of times, developers will just clear every tree, and all of that sediment just goes into the creek,” says Morrison. “We were just trying to get them to be better stewards of the earth and at least leave riparian buffers.

“We even looked at some ordinances that Trussville had, for instance, with the Cahaba River and how they have setbacks leaving riparian buffers, basically just saying ‘leave the natural vegetation that’s already there,’ “ Morrison recalls.

Soon after the developers scrapped their plans altogether in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and Morrison and others continued their quest to preserve and protect the creek and surrounding property.

Upon learning about the Forever Wild Land Trust, an initiative created by the state of Alabama in the early 90s, Morrison began approaching landowners about nominating their land for a potential sale to Forever Wild, a goal that took almost a decade of negotiations to accomplish.

With help from Springville and St. Clair County leadership and the owners of Homestead Hollow, the initial 386 acres were sold to Forever Wild in 2018.

Morrison says the creek had been affected by other developments in the area over the years, but it is now well on its way to full recovery. Big Canoe Creek is home to more than 58 species of fish, making it number one in Alabama in aquatic biodiversity. It is number four nationally in total biodiversity, and number one in the nation in aquatic diversity.

Still, Morrison says efforts are needed to protect “the special critters” of Big Canoe Creek. For instance, the creek is home to the Big Canoe Creek Club Shell, a mussel that can only be found in Big Canoe Creek that was listed as endangered in 2022.

“That’s one of the things we’re trying to tout and educate people about is our waterways are important, they’re special. They are home to a lot of different species of animals, and they’re disappearing at an alarming rate,” explains Morrison. “So hopefully with this preserve, we can get an educational program off the ground to help teach people about our great biodiversity.”

Today’s Path(s)

Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve boasts four trails, Creek Loop Trail, Easy Rider Trail, Fallen Oak Trail and Slab Creek Trail, ranging from 1.2 miles to 2.5 miles in length available for a mixture of uses – hiking, biking and horseback riding.

All sorts of interesting finds along the trail

You can also canoe or kayak with outfitters on the creek offering gear rentals and guided tours along the creek.

This writer, on the day of his visit, hiked for a bit along the Fallen Oak trail and the Easy Rider Trail, and was struck by the preserve’s natural, rustic beauty – if the word “rustic” isn’t redundant when discussing nature. After a few yards of crushed gravel, the trails give way to narrow dirt paths winding along the natural topography of the land under dense tree cover. The trails are suitable for novices and children, however, anyone who is moderately active to the most experienced hikers will enjoy the trails and the chance to see a variety of wildlife, including the occasional deer.

Morrison says this is the ultimate goal of Big Canoe Creek Preserve: to give everyone a chance to experience the natural surroundings and biodiversity of Big Canoe Creek. He added that the organization, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is exploring grants for the construction of a pavilion where they can hold educational events and field trips for the county’s school children.

“We want classes to go on field trips and along the trails and along the creeks and just experience nature,” Morrison says. He references an influential book by non-fiction author and journalist Richard Louv titled, Last Child In The Woods. In the book, Louv coined the term “nature deficit disorder,” a concept that resonated with Morrison and one he hopes to remedy over time.

Through the Preserve, he says, “We’re hoping we can do away with nature deficit disorder in St. Clair County.” llock repairman.Goforth, Mayor Thomas, Lucy Cleaver, Lee Jeffrey, Mandi Rae Trot, Candice Hill, Blair Goodgame and Morrison; Springville Parks and Rec Board; bands and individual musicians who played on the side stage and vendors.

Banners honor Moody’s heroes

Story by Cherith Fluker
Photos by Graham Hadley

In the heart of Moody, a touching tribute to military veterans has taken root.

The Veterans Banner Program, which began in 2023, is a community-driven initiative to honor those who have served in the armed forces. Spearheaded by city officials and embraced by residents, this program is more than just a display of banners; it’s a testament to the city’s deep respect and gratitude for its local military service members, past and present.

The idea for the Moody Veterans Banner Program was inspired by similar efforts in nearby cities like Jasper and Montevallo. City Councilman Ellis Key, after visiting these towns, was enthusiastic about bringing a similar tribute to Moody. Mayor Joe Lee and Mayor Pro Tem Linda Crowe had been advocating for a way to honor local veterans, and after three years of planning and discussions, the program finally launched.

In August of 2023, the city began selling banners to families who wanted to honor their loved ones who have served the country. By Veterans Day, the first nine banners were proudly displayed. The program’s popularity grew quickly, with additional banners added for Memorial Day and Patriots Day. In the first year of the program, the city displayed 14 banners.

Each banner tells a unique story. One banner honors a West Point graduate and decorated Vietnam War veteran, while another recognizes a Vietnam War veteran who received both a Bronze and Silver Star. Three of the banners displayed honor a father who fought in WWII and his two sons, one of whom fought in Vietnam.

Banners around the Moody Library

Moody resident Jimmy Banks surprised his mother with a banner honoring his father and her father. Additionally, there is a banner dedicated to a WWII soldier who was killed in Luxembourg.

Program organizers are hopeful that the Veterans Banner program will continue to inspire future generations.

Moody’s Mayor Assistant Melissa Fraser says the community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents frequently inquire about the cost and eligibility criteria for the banners. Fraser emphasized that the banners are not limited to veterans. They can honor anyone currently serving or who has served in the past.

Longtime Moody resident Kathy Lunsford shared her excitement about the Moody Veterans Banner Program. She recently purchased banners for herself and her husband, William. Both Kathy and William are Air Force veterans who met during their service. Kathy was inspired to participate after seeing the banners displayed while leaving the library. Lunsford said, “As a veteran, I am proud of the time I served in the military. It is an honor to have served my country. I’m looking forward to my and my husband’s banners being displayed soon. I can’t wait to show our children and our family.”

The banner program has received an overwhelmingly positive response from honorees and the community. “One particularly memorable reaction came from a woman who surprised her husband with a banner. Responses like these show the pride families feel in recognizing their loved ones’ service,” shared Fraser.

Starting the program wasn’t without its challenges. Initially, finding appropriate locations to display the banners was a concern. Currently, the banners are displayed near the Civic Center at 200 Civic Center Drive in Moody. This location has been well-received by the public.

Additionally, maintaining the banners, which are subject to weather wear and tear, requires careful logistics. The city’s Public Works Department plays a crucial role in displaying the banners during patriotic holidays.

Gilreath Printing and Signs, LLC, a Pell City business, has been instrumental in creating high-quality banners. The Gilreaths have consistently produced banners that families and the community are proud of. “Even when families submit older photos that are worn and faded, Mr. and Mrs. Gilreath, along with their graphic designer, Dani Chistopherson, have made the banners look fantastic,” Fraser added.

The program is not designed to be a money-making venture. The $200 fee for each banner covers the costs of production and their picture being featured in an exhibit at the Moody Museum. This exhibit will have a dedicated room where the veterans’ legacies will be preserved for future generations.

As the program grows, there are plans to expand the banner displays to Moody Crossroads and eventually along Highway 411.

Fraser believes that other cities could benefit from starting similar programs. Her advice is straightforward: “It’s a deeply rewarding program that brings communities together and honors those who have served.” The cooperation and dedication of city partners and local businesses have been key to the program’s success.

For those interested in purchasing a banner, Fraser advises contacting her at least a month before one of the key patriotic holidays for the displays that are expected to continue to grow.

And rightly so, say city officials. The program stands as a beacon of gratitude and community spirit, honoring the brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving their country.

Banners can be purchased for $200 each, which guarantees three years of display. Additionally, the honoree’s picture will be featured at the City of Moody Museum and on the city’s website. l

Editor’s note: If you have any questions or if you would like to purchase a banner for a service member, contact Melissa Fraser at the City of Moody at (205) 640-0307 or mfraser@moodyalabama.gov.

Keep on tickin’

Pell City man repairs clocks, jewelry

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Graham Hadley

James Denney had been a jewelry repairman for six years when a woman brought him an antique Ansonia clock. Probably made in the late 1800s or early 1900s, it had not run in 40 years.

 “I know you do jewelry repairs, think you can do clocks?,” she asked Denney. He could tell her heart was in it, so he took a stab at it.

“Turns out all it needed was cleaning and oiling,” he says. “She had tears in her eyes when she picked it up. That got me started.”

Denney had gone to school to learn jewelry repairing, but there are no such schools for repairing clocks. So, he bought a series of video tapes on the subject and began tinkering with grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks, the latter being smaller versions of the former. And yes, there are (even smaller) granddaughter clocks, too, but he hasn’t serviced any of those. He also works on mantel and wall clocks.

James Denney heating up a piece of jewelry he made

The first clock that he actually repaired came back to him, but he got it right the second go-round. “It’s very rare that someone doesn’t say how happy they are with my being here because it’s so hard to find a clock man,” Denney says.

Even though self-taught, he does have a filial background to draw from. His step-grandfather, Kirk E. Ross, ran Ross’ Jewelry in downtown Pell City in the 1960s. “I watched him my whole life,” Denney says. “Also, my dad was a jeweler for about five or six years, and an uncle had a jewelry shop in Florence.”

His business name, X-Dross Jewelry & Clock Repair, is a blend of names and a Biblical meaning. “My dad’s name was Denney, and his stepfather was named Ross,” he explains. “I wanted to blend my step-granddad’s name with mine, hence Dross. Then I found that word in the Bible, in Exodus, where God describes his people as having become ‘dross,’ meaning having impurity or foreign matter to them. In other words, slag. So, I added an ‘X’ to indicate ‘no dross,’ because it was Xed out.”

His shop is on the second floor in a building that houses several shops at 1600 Martin Street, just off US 231. His wife, Crystal, has a specialty dog boutique, Jazz’m Up Pet Salon, on the first floor. The front room of X-Dross is both the entry area and his clock workshop. It’s decorated with plants, clocks and paintings of Jesus, while a Bible can often be found on the arm of a comfy sofa.

A back room serves as a place for jewelry repair and includes a high-speed steamer for cleaning small items, a small Crockpot for acid dips, and an ultra-sonic jewelry cleaner. His watch and jewelry lathe is in his storage room, and there’s another storage room that he hopes to turn into a display area some day. He’s buying a new lathe for clock works because bigger gears require bigger tools.

If you’re in the shop at the top of the hour, you’ll hear five of his own clocks chime, but not all at once. He set them to chime in succession. At home, he has two clocks, one a grandfather that’s a “regulator” clock (powered by a weighted and geared mechanism). He changed out the handles with drawer knobs, painted the case and used adhesive blue varnish over the paint, and replaced its Korean-style motor with a German movement by Hermle.

He has serviced many brands of antique clocks, including a green mantel clock with Greek columns on each side of the clock face that was manufactured by the Sessions Clock Company.

He once took in a Black Forest cuckoo clock that had a “messed up” music box. He replaced one mechanism on it. He’s working on an Hermle mantel clock for a friend. “It probably has a bent timing arbor,” Denney says.

He restored the body of a crystal-enclosed mantel clock from the late 1700s or early 1800s by sanding it with fine sandpaper and steel wool, then buffing it.

Grandfather clocks are his favorites to work on because they are bigger, so it’s much easier to see the components. “I really enjoy restoring the cases as well as the workings,” he says. “The other day, a man brought me a Waterbury Clock Company clock from an old fire station that had caught on fire. Half the gears were bent. I bent them back, and it worked fine.”

 The toughest he’s ever worked on was a Herschede brand, a grandfather clock with a tube in back and a big hammer that hits on the hour and plays music. “The pendulum was not in sync with the gears, but I fixed it,” he says. “I had to readjust the pendulum’s swing and adjust the verge (tick-tock motion) mechanism.”

Another man brought in an Ingraham clock, and Denney replaced the motor, because the man was in a hurry and did not have time to wait for him to fix the movement. “Every job finished brings me a sense of accomplishment,” Denney says.

He has also repaired small timepieces, like a clock face in a tiny figure in the shape of a teapot. That one simply needed its hands bent and a new battery. “I work on all types of clocks now, but eventually will give up battery-powered ones,” he says.

So, what are the requirements for what he does? “Patience and finesse,” he says. “I don’t get bored with my work, and I have an eye for details.’

Showing how the hammers in a chime mechanism are timed

A favorite aspect of his business is making house calls. That’s right, this clock repairman will go to your house to service your clocks. “I like to service clocks in people’s houses because I like meeting people,” he explains. “Often, all the clock needs is a slight adjustment, but they want to keep their clocks going so I will oil them. I use a synthetic oil because it cleans and lubes without leaving a residue to build up, the way natural oil does.”

Recently, Denney has started “messing around” with gold plating on jewelry. He picks up a chain with an initial pendant on it, explaining, “That one didn’t turn out as shiny as I wanted.” He’s doing it for a friend. He can make gold or silver rings using a mold made of cuttlefish bone. “Each mold can only be used once because the hot metal burns it,” he says.

As for watches, their seals tend to dry rot and break, or corrosion can set in, or the hands come loose. Sometimes, the numbers on a watch face come off. But he can handle any of those problems. Ironically, there’s a wooden puzzle hanging on one wall of his shop that functions as a clock … when it works. That makes for an interesting conversation with a clock repairman.Goforth, Mayor Thomas, Lucy Cleaver, Lee Jeffrey, Mandi Rae Trot, Candice Hill, Blair Goodgame and Morrison; Springville Parks and Rec Board; bands and individual musicians who played on the side stage and vendors.