Tag: Features

ASPCI to the rescue

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Susan Wall and Arline Lynch

On a brisk Saturday morning this fall, a group of foster parents gathered in a Pell City parking lot to say their goodbyes. In their care had been 25 puppies — loved, nurtured, protected – as if they were their own.

Just like a sleeping infant finds solace in the crook of a strong, comforting arm, these wide-eyed puppies had found their haven, if only for a little while. On this November morning, they were about to find even more. Tears and smiles intermingled as farewells and a final hug marked the occasion. It was time, time to head to their permanent, “forever home.”

The same scene plays out each month as ASPCI, Animal Shelter of Pell City Inc. volunteers give up their precious cargo for what they know will become the life their four-footed friends deserve.

The road to this point

Happy endings weren’t always the case in St. Clair County for dogs and cats, puppies and kittens. Turn back the clock a couple of decades, and there was no animal shelter, no caring group to come to the rescue.

But a handful of persevering St. Clair Countians pushed, prodded, rolled up their sleeves and went to work to establish a safe place and a system to take care of them. It took different forms in the early years, but it finally emerged from their dreams and into a real animal shelter built in Pell City with the dollars they raised. And ASPCI was born.

The organization is still evolving. It no longer is affiliated with the shelter they built, manned and enhanced. They have moved exclusively to the original goal – finding as many forever homes as they can for the county’s animal population.

“The things we did inside that building that brought pleasure to our heart is what we’re doing now,” said Barbara Wallace, the organization’s president.

Operating from an administrative office on US 231 South in Pell City, they welcome volunteers on board, recruit foster parents, sell spay and neutering certificates and best of all, they help find forever homes through other shelters with the same caring goal.

“The thing I am proudest of is that the group that started the shelter has stayed together,” said Sandra Embry, a former president, memorial chairman and one of the early movers and shakers to get the job done. “There has never been any disagreement between any of us. This group stayed together for 15 years, and that’s pretty remarkable.”

There is no mistaking Embry’s passion. From the thousands of handwritten thank you notes to adopters and contributors she must have written over the years to the sound of her words as she speaks, her overriding love of animals is ever present. “They have no voice. We’re their voice. That’s what it comes down to.”

It’s difficult to tell her passion from that of Sylvia Martin. She and Karen Thibado helped found the fundraising gala, Fur Ball, now called Mardi Paws Fur Ball. It is the organization’s major fundraiser and has become one of the signature social events of the year. Her handiwork was seen in Doo Dah Day, which became Paws in the Park – an outdoor celebration of people’s precious pets and an opportunity to raise awareness about those animals who were not so lucky.

When Martin saw a need, she set about to fill it. In the 1970s, the lakeside area in which she lived was a destination point for abandoning dogs because it wasn’t developed as much. “My limit was six (dogs). I kept six – all strays except two,” Martin said. “There wasn’t any program about spaying and neutering. There wasn’t a leash law.”

Over the years, that all changed, and Martin and others were a part of that group that brought the improvements about. They pushed for education programs, spaying and neutering and enforced laws. “It was a community effort,” she said, noting that it took “years and years of people donating time and money. Everybody involved had a real love for animals.”

Others came on board, trading day jobs and management positions for a broom or mop or manning the phones. Jo Mitchell and husband Marty Kollmorgen were among them. Mitchell’s husband was an executive, a division manager with AT&T, but it was not unusual to spot him cleaning kennels and doing what needed to be done. After Mitchell retired, she became more and more involved and has served as treasurer since 2006.

Wallace, a friend of Mitchell’s, got involved the same way. After her retirement and a time of caretaking for her mother, who was ill, she joined the organization. Paws in the Park planning was under way at the time. “I needed something to do, and they needed help,” Wallace recalled. “It went from there. I enjoy it.”

Every organization needs an historian. Arline Lynch, camera in hand, has been instrumental in preserving the history of people and events that marked the success of ASPCI over the years through her photographs. Her remembrances are especially helpful in ensuring that the long list of people who wrote this success story aren’t forgotten. “So many have helped through the years and continue to do so,” she said.

It is impossible to name them all. Their stories are not unusual. It is one of identifying needs and working to make sure they are fulfilled.

Arlene Johnson was involved at the beginning of the organization’s nonprofit status in 1995. “I was recruited by the first President, Herb Doynow. Herb and his wife, Billie, (both now deceased) were neighbors in the Seddon Point area where I lived at the time,” Johnson said. Herb and his wife had several cats who were taken care of at Dr. Galen Sims at Cropwell Small Animal Hospital. The Doynows learned of the need for a local shelter from Galen as there was no shelter anywhere in St. Clair County.”

At the time, local animals taken into custody by animal control officers were delivered to the Birmingham pound. Herb had a home-based business and his wife provided his office support, and they filed the first 501c3 papers with the help of Jan and Charles Trotter.

“Our first board consisted of Herb as president, Galen as vice president, Billie as treasurer, and me as secretary. I served two three-year terms as president the first period between 2000 and 2003.” She also served as vice president, treasurer, secretary, newsletter chair and fundraising chair. “Pat Tucker was the president prior to me and was instrumental in gathering local support and improving the fundraising aspect of our mission. She remained active in ASPCI business and fundraising until moving back to Georgia to be near her mother about five years ago,” Johnson said.

In 2000, the shelter opened on a piece of property across from St. Clair County Airport. The organization that had started out as a rescue organization had to meet the immediate needs of the community as an intake facility for the county and cities in St. Clair County and adjacent communities who were legally required to operate or contract for a pound. So, through the commitment of the Pell City Council, St. Clair County Commission, and many local business supporters, including the Airport Authority, Alabama Power, Goodgame Company, many other local small businesses, all local veterinarians, several individuals and regional and national animal foundations, funds were secured to build, furnish and operate the facility.

“The most challenging aspect was the first 10 years of operation when the intake from animal control officers as well as the animals surrendered from their owners grew from about 300 animals a month to at a peak of over 800 a month,” Johnson said. “The shelter facility had to grow with more workers, volunteers and space to handle the incoming animal population. Most citizens don’t realize the volume of unwanted animals in their community, but many households with animals contribute to the problem by not spaying and neutering their pets.”

Gene Morris, a telephone company officer, well remembers those early years and the impact of the group. He joined the board shortly after 2000 and served as treasurer for many years. “Several executive level people were running the group for free as a good service to the community. It wasn’t long before the community saw very few stray animals.”

Mission Continues

Today ASPCI’s mission remains strong – “to rescue/adopt as many as possible, offer low-cost spay-neuter certificates, and to remain visible and have a voice in the community,” Johnson said. They take in animals from other shelters, get their shots, arrange for foster care and adoptions. Through rescue agreements with other shelters, the animals in their care now have forever homes throughout the country.

Their stories and updates appear on ASPCI’s Facebook page, usually accompanied by a photo and a big thank you to the organization for uniting the pet and the family.

They also take rescues to Pet Smart in Trussville as part of the adoption program. Facebook also is one of their tools for adoption, where they post photos, names and descriptions of adoptable pets.

They operate a Managed Admission Program locally, where they work with people who may not be able to keep a pet and assess if they can facilitate adoption. Or, someone may just need help with providing food, and ASPCI steps in to help.

They work with Lakeside Hospice in a program called Pet Peace of Mind, where hospice patients may not be able to take care of their pets any longer. ASPCI is there to ensure they find another loving home. And they own and operate a pet cemetery in Moody.

Organizations like ASPCI are only as strong as the people who are involved in it. Just as those who have come before to build a strong foundation and continue their support to this day, fosters are key to the group’s success. They keep adoptable animals two to four weeks in their homes to allow time to arrange for adoptions and rescue runs to other shelters en route to forever homes.

Tammy Hart serves as foster, rescue and adoption coordinator. A computer engineer by trade, she represents a new generation of ASPCI volunteers, getting involved just four years ago. “It is one of the most rewarding thigs I’ve done,” she said, noting that through fostering, she has helped save hundreds of animals.

People may be reluctant to foster, Hart said, because they say ‘they can’t give them up.’ She is quick to tell them, “When they go, you know they are going to a good home. If you don’t let them go, you can’t make room for others.”

They find comfort in those words and the compassion behind them. Fosters are a dedicated group that finds rewards in the work they do to unite pets with their forever homes, just like Embry and others who came long before them.

Embry shared a poem by Helen Inwood, whose words, she said, “spoke to my heart so deeply many, many years ago….and has been my mantra always.” It is the same mantra that ASPCI seems to bring to life in the work it does.

All involved would simply tell you it is a labor of love. To Pell City and St. Clair County, it has been an answered prayer.

PRAYER FOR THE HELPLESS

Let me be a voice for the speechless,
Those who are small and weak;
Let me speak for all helpless creatures
Who have no power to speak.
I have lifted my heart to heaven
On behalf of the least of these-
The frightened, the homeless, the hungry, I am now voicing their pleas.
If I can help any creature,
Respond to a desperate call,
I will know that my prayer has been answered By the God Who created them ALL.

To learn more about ASPCI or to donate, go to aspci.org or follow on Facebook. Mardi Paws Fur Ball is March 3 at Celebrations, the group’s major fundraiser for the year, and support is encouraged.

Features

Last Call at Local Color

Springville’s ‘colorful’ music spot closing its doors, unless …

Story by Paul South
Photos by Susan Wall
and Jerry Martin
and courtesy of Local Color

Imagine a magical music box that when opened played music from virtually every era. And from the box wafted the sweet aroma of cornbread cooked in a black, cast-iron skillet and chicken and dumplings like your Grandmama used to make.

And imagine a place so intimate and acoustically perfect, you could, as Merle Dollar puts it, “hear the smiles” of the audience.

So it is with Local Color, Springville’s musical treasure box. But unless Dollar and her husband, Garry Burttram, find a buyer, this precious box will be locked after the iconic Alabama bluegrass trio, “Three on a String,” plays the venue’s final show on New Year’s Eve.

Dollar and Burttram taught in area schools until both retired. But instead of kicking back, the couple went to work. Burttram and a partner went into the barbecue business, which later expanded into a burger and barbecue restaurant. But Garry “got tired of all the grease.”

So in 2001, Burttram and Don Dollar, Merle’s former husband, decided to open a different kind of place. At the same time, Merle and her sisters were renovating the site of what’s now Local Color.

“The whole premise was to do really good food and have music. It would be a great place to do art stuff and have t

With a budget of practically zero, Garry and Merle scavenged for chairs and tables and poured do-it-yourself sweat into the place. And by the first weekend in October 2002, the doors opened, offering classic Southern cuisine.

It was not a sparkling opening night.

“It was a stupid thing to do,” Dollar said. “To open smack in the middle of the college football season was not a good idea.”

It became clear Local Color needed a hook. Sylvia Wade (Garry’s sister) and our cousin, Peggy Jones, had been singing together for 20 years, crooning tight Andrews Sisters’-style harmonies and became the “house band.” Soon, they brought in local musicians and storytellers.

“Everybody who plays an instrument in Springville or the surrounding area has played our place at least once,” Merle said.

Soon word got around. The first big-name to grace the Local Color stage was a Birmingham-based jazz singer Elnora Spencer.

“Elnora could blow the walls out,” she said.

Before long, Local Color, with only about 70 seats, became a hot venue for local, regional and national storytellers, singers and musicians performing all types of music from jazz to Celtic, even 19^th-century Alabama tunes set to jazz arrangements. Trumpeter Robert Moore, for example, traveled from his home in Portland, Ore., at least once a year to play Local Color. And Steve Young, writer of the Eagles’ hit, “Seven Bridges Road,” has also played the room.

And then there is Bobby Horton. Part of the iconic string band “Three on a String.” Horton earned national acclaim for his work in the dazzling documentaries of filmmaker Ken Burns, the scores he wrote and played for 21 films of the National Park Service.

The band performed at Local Color at least eight times a year, including a “Month of Sundays,” where each Sunday for a month, Three on a String brings a friend along to perform to sold-out Sunday shows.

Horton has played as part of the trio and has performed his solo act a number of times, including an annual performance of Civil War-era music and a musical history of Christmas.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve played there, but every time I do it’s very special. It’s just wonderful,” Horton said.

Horton can’t put a finger on what has made Local Color so wonderful and so popular over the years. Merle is the bubbly one who greets the public. Garry cooks great food and is sometimes “crotchety.” Horton loves them both.

“Garry’s the tension, and Merle’s the release,” Horton said with a laugh.

“They’re definitely a part of the Local Color family,” Dollar said

As far as its restaurant menu, diners make a reservation for the night, giving Local Color a classic “supper club” feel.

“We’re not fussy, not prissy, but we do try to keep it classy. Dinner is served from 6 to 7:30, then the lights go down and the performance begins. Quiet from the audience is expected.

“We frown heavily on talking and yakking during the performance,” Dollar said. “People are paying money to see a particular group and they are entitled to the best possible time they can have. Once the music starts, that’s when the magic happens.”

There is something magical going on. Even with a concrete floor, a metal ceiling and narrow walls, Local Color seems to defy the laws of physics and acoustics.

“There’s something magical about that room. It’s got a resonance that is so good,” Dollar said. “The audience is so close, and the musicians are so close performers can literally hear the people breathing. It’s just like they’re in your living room.”

Horton agreed. You can see every single person in the room and that is very fun,” he said. “You play in a big venue and you love the people, but you sure can’t see ’em.”

As for the acoustics, Horton said, “The minute you walk in and start to play, you just get the warm fuzzzies. It’s great.”

And, it’s a place to test the waters for new material, Horton said.

“We looked at it as one of the strong suits for playing there,” he said.

That intimacy no doubt plays a role in the packed houses over the years. But so do the dinners. Remember the chicken and dumplings and cornbread? That’s just part of a limited menu.

“It’s just great, old-time Southern cooking, which I love. You can’t find that very many places anymore,” Horton said. “It’s biscuits and stuff your wife won’t let you have at home because of your diet, but you can have ’em at Local Color.”

Springville is a very artsy part of St. Clair County,” Dollar said. “They love music. They love theater. We have several authors who live in the area. It’s just a hotbed for entertainment kinds of things. I don’t know why it is. Maybe it’s the water we grew up with. Springville seemed like an area where this would go over. We thought if we liked it, people would like it, too.”

Indeed, they have. But Merle and Garry have decided to close up shop, to enjoy retirement and do other things. It’s something they’ve kicked around for years.
“We kind of wanted to go out on top, and we have really good memories,” Dollar said.

Horton is grieved by news of the closure.

“If you wanted to copy that place, you couldn’t replicate it. It just sort of happened. I’m just so sad that they’re quitting. I can’t stand it,” Horton said. They’re going to miss it more than they know. And so will I.”

As Local Color’s last waltz nears, Dollar knows the tears will come. It’s bittersweet.

“I’m going to miss it like crazy,” she said. “At the same time, there’s so much life to be lived out there. We’re ready to take the next step.”heater and all the things that we loved to do,” Dollar said.

Features

Heart of Pell City

A Group Effort

Story by Paul South
Photos by Susan Wall

When it began three years ago, Heart of Pell City’s mission was to bolster and grow downtown businesses.

In its short history, the nonprofit organization has grown into much, much more. Heart of Pell City wants to put the town on the map as a destination location for visitors from Birmingham and beyond and not just as a lake town or a spot near the Talladega Superspeedway just down Interstate 20.

One of the key initiatives for the organization is to bring together similar local organizations and governmental leaders – like the Heart of Pell City, the Chamber of Commerce, Pell City’s Gateway Community Garden, Council of the Arts Inc. (Artscapes Gallery), CEPA (The Center for Education and Performing Arts), St. Clair County Economic Development Council and others — to move the city forward.

“We all need to be meeting and working together to build this downtown,” said Renee Lilly, one of Heart of Pell City’s founding members. “We’re going to bring these organizations together and start meeting and brainstorming to see what we need to do to put this town on the map to make it a destination location for Birmingham residents and others from outside communities as far as a 100-mile radius who want to come enjoy a small-town fun experience.”

The Heart of Pell City wants to showcase the historic downtown, said Urainah Glidewell, the organization’s acting president.

“If we can highlight those areas as far as tourism is concerned, that would be of benefit to the entire city. Yes, we are a lake town. But people like to do other things besides that,” Glidewell said.

One of the organization’s key goals is to be designated as a Main Street Alabama community. Main Street Alabama’s focus is on “bringing jobs, dollars and people back to Alabama’s historic communities,” and to revitalize city centers and neighborhoods, according to the Main Street Alabama website.

In that light, the organization also wants to explore more effective zoning and long-range strategic planning with positive input from all corners.

“Involvement is key. If we can bring different groups of people together and show that this is important for the city to help bring more commerce and tourism in to help revitalize and restore our historical district for the future generations of children growing up in this town, the benefits will be far-reaching,” Glidewell said. “It’s just a matter of getting it in front of them and showing them it is a really good investment in the town.”

Frank Lee, Heart of Pell City treasurer and director of multimedia, sees the potential of an entertainment and an historic district.

Creation of an entertainment district would help fuel growth, Lee said.

“In all the cities I’ve traveled, I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of historic preservation. Historic preservation is one of the key elements of sustained growth in a city,” he said. “When you have an historic downtown, that draws people in, it becomes your prime real estate in a lot of cases, especially when it’s fixed up and revitalized.”

He added, “What we’re trying to do is restore our past, revitalize it and show people the example of how other cities have used (preservation) as their springboard to economic prosperity and sustained growth.”

But along with showcasing history, the organization has helped spruce up downtown with small touches, like hanging baskets to adorn the historic areas.

In April, The Heart of Pell City, along with the Alabama Department of Tourism, sponsored walking tours of downtown. People flocked to the downtown area on Saturday mornings in April to learn more about its history, and it was a significant step in sparking interest into the city’s historic past.

Along that same line, the Heart of Pell City also celebrated the city’s historic ties to the textile industry with Avondale Mills Day. The city actually grew up around the mill beginning at the turn of the 20th century, with generations of Pell City residents working at the factory.

“It was an effort to tie the city with its past,” said A.J. Wright, the organization’s secretary. “This city was built around Avondale Mills,” she said.

The festivities centered on downtown with a puppy parade, doughnut-eating contest, even a Moon-Pie-eating contest and other entertainment. It culminated just a few blocks away at CEPA with the presentation of Our Town, a locally written play based on the city’s history and performed by the high school’s Drama Department.

Heart of Pell City has ventured into the political arena as a non-partisan civic venture. Partnering with the Pell City Rotary Club, the organization sponsored a candidates’ forum in advance of municipal elections at the Center for Education and Performing Arts.

But its main emphasis remains returning downtown to what its name implies – the heart of Pell City. “We have to preserve it and save it,” Lee said. “By investing in our history, it’s also an economic investment. We have a very rich history, and it needs to be promoted.”

Pell City already has certain areas designated for their historical significance, like the Mill Village. Downtown is in a nationally-designated historic district, as is the residential area behind the St. Clair County Courthouse and Cogswell Avenue. Historical markers aimed at drawing people from nearby Interstate 20 to the downtown area would help boost those districts.

“This is a great historic area, and we need to get a historical marker on the interstate to help bring people downtown,” Lilly said.

Glidewell agreed. “We are in beautiful buildings that have so much character,” she said. “Any new business that comes in brings more life to it. Being able to celebrate that and pass it on and share that with everyone is just a wonderful thing.”

Lilly, who has watched the organization grow from its earliest days, believes the Heart of Pell City has made progress in its short history. She also gives Glidewell high marks for her hard work and leadership as the interim president. The committee overall is working very hard. Lilly has been involved in a number of local organizations and currently serves as vice president of Gateway Community Garden, which will brings people together to grow gardens and reap their benefits.

“I think that it is on track and we’re growing momentum every day,” Lilly said. “There’s always going to be change, but it seems like we’re moving forward, and it’s exciting. I feel like we are moving in the right direction.”

It’s all about community. A newly created set of chalkboards on Cogswell Avenue between Gilreath Printing and Lilly’s shop, Lilly Designs, A Design Resource, is yet another example of that. In the days leading to Thanksgiving, the boards offered an opportunity for passersby to express what they were thankful for and share it with others in the community. l

Editor’s Note: The Heart of Pell City meets at 8:30 a.m., on the first Wednesday of every month at Toast Sandwich Eatery in the Old Gray Barn at 1910 Cogswell Avenue. For more information on The Heart of Pell City, call 205-533-5594. You can also learn more from its Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Instagram accounts, where it promotes downtown businesses and community events.

Features

Star Gazing Chandler Mountain

Chandler Mountain lures star gazers

Story and photos by Jim Smothers
Submitted photos

Every month members of the Birmingham Astronomical Society make their way up Chandler Mountain past Horse Pens 40 for a cliffside “Star Party” to enjoy their hobby and the company of other like-minded individuals.

Well, almost every month — if it’s cloudy, there’s always next month.

“Partly cloudy sounds like a nice forecast, but it can be an awful thing for our hobby,” said Preston Pendergraft, a club member and a security specialist with a regional banking group.

Members keep a close watch on weather forecasts and some of them use special-purpose apps that predict when the skies will be clear. They are helpful but not perfect.

Saturday nights closest to new moons give the stargazers the opportunity they need to stay up late with the darkest skies of the month.

“There is lower humidity at the site, so that helps,” said Sterling Deramus, a Birmingham-based attorney and president of the club.

It also helps to get away from the light pollution in the metro-area that creates a haze they can’t see through very well.

“Dark sky is a big deal for us,” he said.

Even from Chandler Mountain, the number of security lights throughout the area is becoming more noticeable. Lights that shine into the sky collectively create a haze that makes it difficult to see objects in space, and clouds can spoil everything.

Deramus said that at some star parties there will be 20 or 30 people on the mountain with their telescopes. It’s hard to predict.

For the October outing there were only two members there. A partly cloudy sky and competition from college football may have kept others from making the trip, and Deramus’s “clear sky” app missed the mark this time — patchy clouds made for limited viewing.

Pendergraft said a public television program about the Voyager spacecraft piqued his interest in astronomy when he was a child, and he has been interested ever since. He collected golf balls from a water hazard on a golf course near his childhood home in Las Vegas and sold them to save money for his first telescope.

Deramus said he was interested as a kid, but it was a college class in astronomy that got him hooked.

It’s easy to see why. The stars, planets and other objects in space hold deep connections to mankind’s past, present and future. Throughout man’s time on the planet, objects in space have stirred his imagination, with impacts not only on the understanding of the sciences and mathematics, but also on the arts, history, mythology and more.

People can enjoy astronomy as a hobby today in a number of different ways, and not all of them even involve telescopes. A simple star chart and a clear sky can be enough to start learning where and when the different constellations and planets can be seen. A pair of binoculars and a steady hand can work very well for viewing.

Some hobbyists barely look at the skies at all — an organization with a website called Zooniverse offers computer-based opportunities for amateurs to assist professionals with real-world scientific research. In astronomy, the projects include time-intensive viewing and comparison of photographs of objects in space. One project in particular is Planet Four, which involves thousands of images of Mars, and there are other astronomical studies on that site as well.

The club is active with a lecture meeting each month and two scheduled star parties — one on Chandler Mountain and another on Oak Mountain — plus outreach opportunities. Sometimes they will set up telescopes in public areas in town and invite non-members to take a look, and some of the members recently participated in a school program to introduce students to the hobby.

Lectures each month at Samford University feature a variety of speakers. One recent program featured a University of Alabama professor who spoke about galactic research, and another program was given by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Sometimes the lecture will be a “how-to” program to help people get more out of the time using tips and tools more effectively.

It’s all about the camaraderie, about spending time with others who share a common interest.

Party time

At a typical star party, individuals set up telescopes and seek the objects they are particularly interested in seeing. One may be looking for a particular planet.

“Saturn is a good one to see,” Deramus said.

Someone else might be trying to find separation between two stars that appear in the sky to be a single star. Others may be using photography to record deep-space galaxies. There are different goals and methods to explore the skies.

“There are different things to see in each season,” Deramus said. “There are always good things to see, good star clusters…Andromeda is a good one to find.”

Some hobbyists get started by looking for the Messier Objects, a list of about 100 bodies compiled by French astronomer Charles Messier in the 18th Century. Messier was looking for comets, and made a list of objects that look like comets — but are not — so that he could avoid spending time on them in the future. Finding and keeping a log of their locations helps hobbyists get started with learning their way around the sky.

“None of them are really that challenging to find,” Pendergraft said. “You can see a lot of them with binoculars. A lot of people go from there to the Herschel 400, which is kind of like the intermediate list. It’s a list of 400 objects that were discovered by William Herschel in the 1700s in England, and some of them were actually discovered by his sister, Caroline, as well. She was an accomplished astronomer in her own right, and she discovered some comets, too.”

Deramus uses a camera-equipped telescope to help find objects that can’t otherwise be seen. Using a series of long exposures and specific computer programs, he is able to find galaxies that can’t be seen through a telescope with the eye.

“Galaxies are a challenge,” he said. “I’ve seen some really good ones from up here, but they are very, very faint. That’s why I’m doing photography now. That was my first challenge, finding all the galaxies I wanted to see. May is the time to see galaxies because you have what’s called the Virgo and Leo clusters, which we are actually a part of — our galaxy is part of the Virgo cluster, on the outer edges of it. There are hundreds and hundreds of galaxies, it’s just amazing how many.”

Pendergraft said there is a scale for the brightness of stars and space objects. Vega is rated at 0, with higher numbers assigned on a logarithmic scale for decreasing brightness. The unaided human eye can see down to about 6, depending on the individual. With binoculars, stars down to about 9, more or less, may be seen, depending on the binoculars and how steadily they are being held. Some telescopes can extend that to 14 or 15 on a good night, and telescopes with cameras can get to 15 or 16. The Hubble telescope, by comparison, gets to 22 or 23.

“That’s probably the limit,” Deramus said.

At a typical star party, members enjoy spending time with others who share the hobby and share the excitement of seeing parts of the universe for themselves.

Some even make the trek to larger star parties in other parts of the country.

“I’ve been to one in Texas a couple of times near the McDonald Observatory,” Pendergraft said. “It’s kind of like the ‘Woodstock of Astronomy.’ Everybody who is anybody in astronomy is there.”

More places in the West have the dark sky stargazers need, and that event draws hundreds each year. It’s partly a trade show and partly a social gathering, and is a key event for hobbyists.

But there’s plenty to see from atop Chandler Mountain.

“Some people try to see the ‘Pup’,” Pendergraft said. “Everyone knows Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, but right next to it is a dimmer star everyone calls the ‘Pup.’ It was discovered in the late 1800s, not far from here, through a telescope at the University of Mississippi…there are always challenges for people to see faint objects. There are galaxies and nebulae. There are bright objects, which people want to see features inside them.

“It’s a hobby that you can take as far as you want to go, from the naked eye to custom built scopes that cost as much as your car.” l

Learn more about the Birmingham Astronomical Society at www.bas-astro.com or on Facebook at The Birmingham Astronomical Society of Alabama.

Features

Teddy the Wonder Dog

Four-legged friend learning to help others

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

Teddy has the kind of face guaranteed to make you smile. Wavy chestnut-colored hair frames a pair of big brown eyes – if you can see them through the hair – that reveal the gentle spirit that resides within.

Around the St. Clair County School System, where he often visits, they call him “Teddy, the Wonder Dog.”

To his owner, Melinda Splawn, director of personnel for the school system, he’s just plain lovable, huggable, affable Teddy whose personality is perfect for bringing comfort to those when they need it most.

Teddy is a Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon who will one day be a Hand in Paw therapy dog, offering that same lovable, huggable, affable personality to people who are in need of a sizable lift in spirits. They may be nursing home residents, Alzheimer’s patients, children in cancer treatment or a weary caregiver. Teddy will be there to brighten the roughest of days.

Teddy’s story begins with a specific search for just the right puppy, according to Melinda. “I wanted one who doesn’t shed. He had to have the temperament for Hand in Paw.” And, because Melinda’s father was an avid bird hunter and she treasured those outings with him, she thought, “if the dog could be a bird hunter, that would really be cool. I didn’t think such a dog existed.”

But as fate usually intervenes in everyday life, Melinda spotted the object of her search or at least the idea of it.

One Saturday, she was at Birmingham’s Pepper Place, an outdoor market, buying fresh vegetables. One of the vendors had a dog with him, and she remarked how “beautiful” the dog was and inquired about the breed.

She asked about his temperament, and the man replied, “He sleeps in the bed with us. He doesn’t shed.” Then, he added, “He loves to swim. He has webbed feet.”

That’s all it took. “Oh my gosh, that dog is wonderful!,” she recalled saying.

Then, she set out to find one just like him. She started looking for online breeders with a simple email message to each one: “Do you have any pups?”

Several answers were “no,” but then she received a reply from a breeder who said he had a puppy, but it was picked out to go to a family with special needs although he was rethinking that decision and would have to know more about her.

Melinda wrote back, pouring out emotions about “my dad’s love of bird hunting, my desire to continue work with Hand in Paw and the opportunity to continue enjoying special times with my dad and brother.”

The breeder said he and his wife spent the night talking about the letter and concluded, “ ‘Your home seems like the perfect place for the dog.’ ”

When she picked him up he was 12 weeks old. Melinda said the longer puppies are with their mother the better it can be. “He bonded with me just that fast. It was amazing.”

But then it was time for a name. She had just watched the Ken Burns’ documentary on the Roosevelts, where his family called Teddy Roosevelt “Great Heart” because of his blend of strength, courage and gentleness.

When she looked at her new puppy, she saw the same attributes. “Although he loved to run and play, this puppy loved to be loved on. He was gentle. That’s the Hand in Paw side, gentle and sweet.”

And that was all it took. “I think we have a Teddy,” she said.

Teddy has already demonstrated his gentleness. He diffused a couple of emotional incidents at the school system, offering comfort merely with his presence.

As he progressed toward the Hand in Paw goal, Melinda took him to a trainer, who exposed him to other people – old, young, children. He was exposed to elevators and electric doors, anything that he might encounter on a Hand in Paw mission, to make sure his reaction was positive, even-tempered. Teddy, of course, passed.

An apparently gifted student, he passed bird training, too.

At 2, Teddy is a bundle of boundless energy, regularly galloping at a frenetic pace through the woods at his favorite exercise spot – the cross country course at St. Clair County High School. He disappears momentarily to take a swim in the marsh among the towering reeds. He emerges, soaked, his tongue swinging back and forth like a pendulum.

He’s unmistakably one happy fella. And judging by the looks of him, he is on the trail of making others who need a lift just as happy.

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O Canada

Wonder of Canadian Rockies fulfills ‘bucket list’ for Pell City group

Story and photos by Carol Pappas
Submitted photos from Friends Bound for New Horizons

I heard the phrase so often along the way, the name just stuck. It was indeed a “bucket list” trip, the descriptor made famous by the 2007 Rob Reiner film starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman – a list of things you need to do before you ‘kick the bucket.’

As we made our way through the Canadian Rockies, it was almost as if you could hear the sound of each member of our group – pencil in hand — crossing it off of their own list.

The trip was part of an annual trek by Friends Bound for New Horizons, a group formed to travel the world while helping raise money for the Pell City Schools Educational Foundation and the Pell City Library. What an intriguing concept. Through travel, we learned our own lessons about the world, which in turn, will in myriad ways provide resources for children and adults alike to learn about the world.

These ‘friends’ came from Pell City, Atlanta, Jasper, Trussville, Talladega, Calera, Charleston, S.C. and Centre. They were friends of friends and strangers who all became friends in the end, brought together by their bucket list bond.

Pell City’s Deanna Lawley, a member of the education foundation board, captained the trip. A retired teacher, her passion for learning – and teaching – cannot be disguised. Her unmistakably well-researched anecdotes punctuated the narrative of our German-born guide, Karina. Together through the miles, they painted a story of this land, its mountains, glacier-fed lakes and its people that came to life for all of us at every stop along the way.

As Deanna puts it, Collette Travel, the company she partnered with to organize the trip, puts the “fun” in fundraising. In 2016, the trips had earned $25,000 for the community – teacher grants, enhanced library programs and support for the YWCA’s Our Place shelter for abused women.

We began our journey in Calgary, Alberta Province, Canada. Mounties stationed at the airport were our first hint that something special was about to unfold before our very eyes. Looking in virtually any direction from then on, and a sea of cowboy hats met your glance. It was the eve of the Calgary Stampede, the world famous rodeo billed as “The greatest outdoor show on earth.”

The Stampede had its beginnings in 1912, when Vaudeville performer and trick roper Guy Weadick pitched a six-day event to would-be investors called the “Frontier Day Celebration and Championship.” According to the Stampede’s history, he envisioned “a world-class rodeo competition that would celebrate the romance and culture of the “disappearing” Old West.”

In July 2016, this world championship rodeo, extravaganza of events, entertainment, shows and a nightly explosion of fireworks, arguably second to none in the world, drew a cumulative 1,088,039 people over its 17 days.

We anticipated we were about to experience something special early on our first morning when the Calgary Stampede opening day parade marched through the immaculate streets of downtown Calgary. The pageantry, the impressive floats, the music and the pride of a country in its heritage were unmistakable as tens of thousands lined the sidewalks to get a closer look.

We were among them, wide-eyed as the rest.

Donning our own white cowboy hats, our group then headed to the Stampede, joining the opening day chorus of ‘oohs and ahhs’ from attendees, mesmerized by everything from world class bucking competitions to barrel racing to name brand musical entertainment under the stars. A fireworks show like no other shot across the Canadian sky that night, offering its own exclamation point to an unforgettable day.

Movin’ on up

Early the next morning, it was time to move on to higher ground, but not before a breakfast spread worthy of even the hungriest of cowboys and a shot size sampling of a Bloody Caesar, a Clamato juice cocktail concoction invented in 1969 at our very hotel, the Calgary Inn, now the Westin. It was originally created as the hotel’s signature drink in celebration of its new Italian restaurant at the time.

Aboard the motor coach with everyone accounted for, we were off on our adventure. Next stop: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, located where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains begin their rise from the prairie.

The name and the subject matter are none too palatable, but their historic value in how First Nations (akin to our Native Americans) hunted its game is nonetheless interesting. It involves the stampeding of a herd of buffalo to the edge of a cliff, but I don’t think I need to finish the story for you.

High atop, though, the scenery is spectacular and illustrates some modern day applications along with the storied history. A mule deer wanders nearby as you take in the panoramic view of prairie land, an iridescent blend of green and gold plants that will eventually become canola oil. A contraction of Canada and ola, meaning oil, it is the world’s only Made in Canada crop.

Wind turbines off in the distance tell the story of the push for clean energy.

According to the Canada Wind Energy Association, the country has 259 wind farms and 6,066 wind turbines. They produce 5 percent of Canada’s domestic electricity demand, which is equivalent to 3 million Canadian homes powered by wind.

Back down the mountainside and into the town of Fort McLeod for lunch, a noon time march of mounted police through its main street was an ideal dessert.

Scenic drive

We headed toward Waterton Lakes National Park. Parks Canada describes it as the place where “the prairies of Alberta meet the peaks of the Rocky Mountains…Clear lakes, thundering waterfalls, rainbow-coloured streams, colourful rocks and mountain vistas await hikers and sightseers. With an exceptional diversity of wildlife and wildflowers and a cozy little waterfront town to serve as a home base, Waterton packs a big natural punch into a relatively small and accessible area.”

Postcard perfect views there and along the way were nothing short of awe inspiring. At Waterton, where we would spend the night at the Prince of Wales Hotel, snow-capped mountain peaks towered over deep blue water. The multi-story glass windows overlooking it all from our lodge framed the entire scene perfectly.

Waterton Lakes is the Canadian side of Glacier National Park in Montana, and we ventured back to America the next day to see it. We made our way to Logan Pass, elevation 6,646 feet, along the Continental Divide and at the summit of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It is the highest point at which you can drive a vehicle.

Our mode of transportation was in Red Jammers. These are specially designed vintage 1930s buses with four rows of seats. The fabric tops can be rolled back on pleasant days for passengers to gain a better vantage point of the views as they head up to the pass. That day was a pleasant day in more ways than just the weather as we climbed higher and higher in our Red Jammers with incredible views all around.

Actually, the buses are called reds, and the bus drivers are called jammers because of the sound the gears would make when shifted on the steep roads. The “jamming” sound came from double clutching. The drivers would pause now and then at scenic overlooks and other points of interest like glaciers, waterfalls and wildlife. You could actually stand with your head above the open roof to snap a photo or two. “Prairie dogs up!,” shouted by your driver, meant you could stand up in the vehicle, much like the prairie dog stands on his hind legs. “Prairie dogs down” warned you it was time to sit.

It became a running joke among our group when you wanted someone to stand up or sit down the rest of the trip.

On the way back as we talked over the majestic sights, we crossed the continental divide, thankful for what we had seen. It seemed the perfect spiritual moment for a blessing by fellow traveler Linda Prewitt and an inspiring acapella rendition of “Amazing Grace” by Donna Watkins. And it was.

On to Banff and Lake Louise

Up and out of the Prince of Wales Hotel early the next morning, we headed to Banff. I had seen photos of the Banff Springs Hotel, where we would be staying for the next three days, and the beauty of Lake Louise. A photograph simply cannot do those sights justice, but we all tried just the same.

Banff is a mountain town, quaint but bustling. The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel sits high above, like a European castle carved into the mountainside. In fact, they call it “Castle in the Rockies.” From the window of our hotel room, we overlooked the picturesque Bow River flowing between two mountain ranges with a dusting of snow on scattered peaks in the center.

The Banff Springs Hotel is a magical place. Built more than 125 years ago, its architecture inside and out is grand, luxurious and stunning. The next morning we were on our way to Lake Louise, but not before a stop at Ski Louise Lodge, where we rode a gondola – an open or enclosed ski lift – to the top of a mountain to get a bird’s eye view of Lake Louise. The top was 6,850 feet above sea level. My sense of adventure kicked in unexpectedly, and I chose the open ski lift.

On the way up, we had a view of a different sort – a grizzly bear who seemed unfazed by the pairs of legs dangling overhead from the lifts. He seemed a bit more interested in foraging. We had a contest to see who got the best photo of the grizzly. Mine, of course, was the wrong end of the bear, and Jackie Reinheimer and Carolyn Hall emerged with award winning, full-faced grizzlies.

The stop at Lake Louise was as promised – breathtaking. Shimmering, turquoise water flanked by snow-covered mountains and a glacier that feeds into it, creating that precise color. It is hard to imagine a more impressive backdrop or a water’s hue more vivid.

But in that same day, we visited Peyto Lake, seeing it from a perch high above. The turquoise color was as unbelievable as Karina, our guide, had said. She described it as looking as though someone had created that distinctly beautiful color of paint and poured it right into the lake below.

Walking on a glacier

Our final day of excursions was the perfect ending. Not much could top it. We walked on a glacier. There was no fear of falling through, though. It was 1,000 feet thick, the largest accumulation of ice south of the Arctic Circle.

We started our trip early that morning, traveling on the Icefields Parkway. Along the way was a kaleidoscope of cliffs, waterfalls, rushing rivers, glacial peaks and snow covered mountain ranges. In short, all were sights to behold in awe.

We boarded Ice Explorers, bus-like vehicles with tractor-type tires as tall as we are. We inched our way down a steep incline of ice and slush and then up again to the glacier.

The Ice Explorer stopped, the door opened, and we descended, precariously making our way across the ice. Exhilarating, giddy, inspired…those are the first few feelings that come to mind as I recount the experience.

Karina waited at the top near a glacier stream, where you could fill a bottle with pure glacier water, the turquoise color its unmistakable signature. When we were on the motor coach, she had told us of her tradition – a shot of Crown Royal Canadian Rye on the glacier – “because I can’t think of any place cooler to drink rye on the rocks.”

A few of us, admittedly, found our way to Karina and had the most memorable toast in the most unforgettable place.

The next day we headed home, full of memories to last a lifetime and a bucket list wish fulfilled. l

Editor’s note: To learn more about or join Friends Bound for New Horizons, contact Deanna Lawley or the Pell City Library.

Special thanks to fellow travelers: Steve and Judy Hager, Gayle Wood, Cherry Bass, Pam Foote, Barnett and Deanna Lawley, Lois Harris, Michal Hopson, Mike and Marion Lowe, Nan Strickland, Jackie Reinheimer, Carolyn Hall, Debbie Jordan, Billy and Kaye Cloud, Hilda Moon, Diane Ray, Randy and Donna Watkins, Bill and Judy Hardwick, Bill and Sandra Norton, Bill and Linda Prewitt, Steve and Donna Prewitt, Lewis and Ann Freedman, Dianne Cleveland, Barbara Money, Darlene Norris.

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