The City of Ashville has been awarded the prestigious “Alabama Communities of Excellence” designation, joining only 45 other communities across the State of Alabama.
The recognition was presented at the 2024 Graduation Ceremony hosted by the Alabama League of Municipalities, celebrating Ashville’s commitment to sustainable growth, economic development, and enhancing the quality of life for its residents.
The “Alabama Communities of Excellence” designation highlights Ashville’s strategic efforts in community planning, fostering local business development and prioritizing initiatives that make Ashville a vibrant, welcoming, and resilient place to live. This honor underscores Ashville’s dedication to maintaining high standards in community excellence and its proactive approach to ensuring a prosperous future for the city’s residents.
“Receiving this designation is a tremendous honor for our city and a testament to the dedication of our residents, city staff, and local leaders who have all worked tirelessly to make Ashville a great place to live, work, and visit,” said Ashville Mayor Derrick Mostella. “We are proud to be recognized by the League of Municipalities and will continue to prioritize the needs of our community as we look to the future.”
St. Clair County Economic Development Council Director Don Smith shared his excitement, saying, “This designation is a well-deserved recognition of the hard work and vision demonstrated by the City of Ashville’s leadership. By earning the Alabama Communities of Excellence title, Ashville has positioned itself as a model for sustainable growth and community development across Alabama.”
The Alabama League of Municipalities’ program, which awards the Communities of Excellence designation, identifies municipalities that are proactive in creating and implementing projects that positively impact their communities and align with the League’s vision of excellence in local government.
In addition to the city’s Communities of Excellence designation, Candice Hill, the St. Clair County EDC’s Grants and Leadership director, received the esteemed ACE Star Ambassador Award. This award honors her dedication and leadership in guiding Ashville through the process, ensuring the city stayed on track to reach this notable achievement.
EDC officials say they look forward to seeing the positive impact this designation will have on Ashville and commended the city for its dedication to fostering a thriving and supportive community environment. This achievement is a reflection of Ashville’s commitment to ensuring that future generations benefit from the city’s progress, infrastructure improvements and economic opportunities.
One day the lens of retrospection will come into focus, and we will see clearly the beauty and redemption that was woven into our darkest days.
Those times we most struggled – when our faith was tested, our hearts were broken or we felt lost and defeated by the harsh realities of life … we couldn’t see all the light that illuminated us then because we were so consumed by the shadows.
We have heard it before, but we don’t always understand until we face it ourselves, but our most transformative experiences are rarely lovely or radiant. They are dark and painful and exhausting.
But on most occasions, we are found and forged in these moments of pain and suffering. Our resolve and resilience are fortified in the valley of darkness and despair. It’s here we unknowingly develop our potential, our character and integrity.
Our faith is often found on the crucible of conflict. And that really is beautiful … Even if we can only ever appreciate its beauty and redeeming effect on our lives in retrospect. People don’t always tell you that the Road to Redemption is often found in the Valley of the Shadow of Death … But it is.
– Mackenzie Free –
Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama
As Veterans Day approaches, St. Clair County is preparing to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Across St. Clair County, flags flying, special tributes, events and exhibits will express gratitude to the veterans who have sacrificed so much to protect the country’s freedoms.
This year, the Museum of Pell City will host its annual Salute to Service event. “Salute to Service promises to be a heartfelt and meaningful experience for all who attend,” said Museum President Carol Pappas.
The event, set for Nov. 8, had its beginnings in 2023 with an expanded military exhibit at the museum, approximately three times the size of the regular exhibit. This special tribute highlighted the history and contributions of veterans, and the museum premiered a short film it produced, War and Remembrance, which featured local veterans of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War.
“It was our very first outreach project, and over 100 attended the first day followed by others throughout the month of November.
This year, Salute to Service will include a reception and special presentations to honor the veterans in attendance, says Pappas. Each veteran will receive a special challenge coin as a token of appreciation for their service.
Expanded exhibits include more in-depth looks at some of Pell City’s “hometown heroes” and photographs, artifacts and other items of interest.
The museum is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is always free.
St. Clair County Extension Veterans Outreach will host its Veterans Program is slated on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Springville Methodist Church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
St. Clair County Extension Outreach Veterans program at Springville Methodist Church
This program will feature tributes in honor of all who served. Highlights include a proclamation from Dave Thomas, mayor of Springville; a Veterans’ Appreciation speech by Greg Bailey, U.S. Air Force Veteran; musical performances by the Something Else Trio and Springville High School Tiger Chorale; and the 13 Folds Ceremony.
It also will include the Run for the Wall Presentation by Chuck Wright, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and the Missing Man Table Presentation by Wayne Johnson, U.S. Air Force veteran.
Greg Bailey, administrator of Outreach Programs for the St. Clair County office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, is partnering with the Josiah Brunson Chapter, National Society Daughter of the American Revolution, for the Springville event.
“This program is the least we can do for our servicemen who have done so much for us,” Bailey says. “Our office is focused on ensuring veterans are aware of the resources available to them. “
In addition to the Veterans Day program, Bailey and his team are also partnering with local schools and community organizations to honor and celebrate veterans across the county.
Throughout the month of November, cities and towns across St. Clair County will also honor veterans in various ways. Flags will be flying high in public spaces, special banners will be displayed along main streets, and communities will participate in events that pay tribute to those who have served. These collective efforts create a powerful visual reminder of the respect and gratitude the county holds for its veterans.
All of these events are open to the public and free to attend, but registration is required. Those interested in attending the Salute to Service reception event may register on the Museum of Pell City’s website, museumofpellcity.org.
The event at Springville Methodist Church is free as well, but attendees are asked to RVSP by calling the St. Clair County Alabama Cooperative Extension System at (205) 338-9416.
“Veterans form the very foundation of all of our communities across our country,” Pappas said. “Their history is what our history is built upon, and we truly thank them for their service.”
Faith and family feed the sweet taste of success at Pell City eatery
Story by Paul South Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted photos
On Pell City’s Cogswell Avenue, there’s a sweet spot that fills hearts and tummies with comfort and joy with a combination of homemade candies, cookies and cakes, down home Southern dishes and soft serve ice cream shakes and malts.
And it all started as a cottage food business in Sarah Deese’s home kitchen.
The place is Brittle Heaven & More. And while it’s hundreds of miles from the 80-acre Arkansas farm where Deese’s mother, Sadie Miles, taught her time-tested, generations-old recipes, the spirit of that kitchen is never far away.
“I couldn’t have done it without her influence,” Deese said. “She would always let me help in the kitchen. And with the brittle, she would always let me help her during the holidays when we were making it to give out as Christmas gifts.”
She added, “She was an excellent cook, so we were always busy doing something.”
Putting the icing on one of the best carrot cakes around
It seems that Deese and her staff are always busy, especially since she moved from her home kitchen in Pell City where she started in 2019, to a brick-and-mortar storefront that opened downtown in September 2021.
“I really had no idea that it would take off like it has,” Deese said. “My main goal was just to help my son, who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. He had a lot of doctor bills, hospital bills, student loans that he was having to pay for. I just wanted to help him out.”
Pardon the pun, but to Deese’s surprise, folks went nuts over the candy sparked by her dream.
“When you saw how it was received, it was kind of hard to stop,” Deese said, “because when you see you’re making people happy, you know you just want to keep making them happy.”
Brittle Heaven & More attracts that happiness with nut brittles of all kinds, old-fashioned confections like Martha Washington balls, Turtles, fudge, buckeyes and pecan Divinity and new creations like Almond Joy cookies, sweet treats not found in the grocery store.
“(Customers) say it reminds them of their grandmother or their grandfather, who used to make the brittle.”
But when Deese opened her brick-and-mortar shop, she knew she had to do more. So, she added cakes, pies and cookies, sourdough and banana nut bread to her growing basket of goodies.
Then came prepared meals. At J&S Country Store, she and Melissa Parker, a colleague she had met at an Alabama Cooperative Extension cottage foods course, began to make breakfasts, lunch and dinner, with daily specials customers could take home. Seating is limited.
“We try to specialize in home cooked plates,” Deese said. “Like today, we had chicken and rice and corn and tomorrow we’ll have meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans. Wednesday is chicken and dumplings.”
She added, “We don’t go all out meat and three. We just try to make whatever we do that day as a plate.”
Breakfasts feature omelets, breakfast burritos and croissants.
But Brittle Heaven & More is best known for its sweets. And for the weight conscious, she also has sugar-free offerings.
What drives the store’s popularity? Maybe it’s a longing for a taste of childhood and home.
“I guess people just love home-cooked food,” Deese said. “Everything we make is from scratch. You don’t find that everywhere. I think that’s one of the reasons we’re so well received. It’s different from the store bought.”
Deese and her team – something of a family itself – tries to create a warm, homey atmosphere. “We try to be as friendly as we can,” Deese said.
And with the holidays just around the corner, Brittle Heaven & More is gearing up for its busiest time of the year, when the shop’s high demand for sweets would make Buddy from the movie Elf sing at the top of his lungs.
Asked if there is a holiday hustle and bustle, Deese didn’t hesitate. Perhaps it would be best call it the “nuttiest time of the year.”
“Oh Lord, yes,” she said. It is the craziest time of the year. We have to shut down breakfast and lunch in November and December, especially December. We just can’t do anything except mostly make brittle and supply the store.”
Deese also gets a number of orders to ship out to other parts of the country.
“I’m just constantly making brittle during the holidays,” she said. “It’s almost 24-7.”
Deese is surprised by the store’s success.
“I feel like I gave birth to a baby, and I’m watching it grow,” she said. “Whenever we had the grand opening, I felt like that was the birthday. It’s just like a child. It’s going to grow slowly.”
Two years in, like any new parent, she knows what to expect. But in the stores’ early days, she admits, she didn’t even know how to run a cash register.
“Eventually, (the business) is going to carry itself,” she said. “In the beginning, I was thrown into a management position that I knew nothing about. All I knew is I wanted to make brittle.”
But those challenges have turned to joy. With her kids and grandkids grown and gone, she fills time with the business and her customers who have become friends.
And her staff has become family. Brittle Heaven & More has created four and sometimes five jobs for the local economy. Along with Parker, the staff includes River Goodwin, Tammy Ray and Gloria Todd. Niece Jada Wade helps when home from college and Deese’s sister, Frances Brown, pitches in during the holidays.
“That makes me happy” Deese said.
And like any successful business, she loves her customers.
“I love people. And it’s just inspiring to know that they appreciate our hard work. It inspires you to keep going. Anytime you feel appreciated, you want to do more.”
Deese cleaned houses for 28 years while raising her boys, Now in an empty nest at home, Brittle Heaven & More has provided sweet relief from boredom. And it’s kept customers happy and well fed.
Two ingredients fuel the business more than sugar and nuts, cinnamon and flour, chocolate and caramel. The first is faith.
“I gave God this business from day one,” Deese said. “I remind Him now and again that this is your business. I’m just in a position of managing it for Him. God has inspired me.”
The other key ingredient, a piece of counsel Sadie Miles gave her little girl in that Arkansas kitchen long ago, is more timeless than the recipes Deese and her staff cook up on Cogswell Avenue.
“Cook with love. If you don’t put that extra ingredient in it, you can really tell a difference.”
Making sourdough magic with an ancient recipe and a sense of humor
Story Paul South Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted Photos
From her home kitchen in Pell City – armed with the ancient staples of salt, flour and water along with a wicked sense of humor – Anna Warren fills the air with the warm, embracing aroma of fresh baked sourdough bread, cakes and cookies.
And she does it with a wink and a smile.
You see, sourdough begins as starter dough in a Ball jar. The living concoction is the heart and soul of the centuries-old recipe that’s fed and nurtured until time to bake.
In Warren’s world, every starter has a name. Her first was Lucille, named for television legend Lucille Ball. Another jar is named Ricky Ricardough. There’s also Betty, Martha and Jane Dough. And don’t forget Lucy’s friend Ethel, and Fran.
“Living, wild yeast has to be fed to stay alive, so they get named,” Warren said. “It’s more tradition than anything. And it’s fun.”
Make that deliciously fun.
Like many cottage food businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked Warren’s BFIT Bakery. It’s her second venture into the cottage industry. Her first was a home bakery in Florida. The Pensacola native learned to cook from a neighbor, back when Warren was barely tall enough to reach the counter.
Baked to order
“When COVID hit, I started watching TikTok, and I learned to do sourdough from another lady on the platform, and I decided to make a business of it.”
Her interest in sourdough came from her family’s digestive health challenges related to gluten allergies and her own battle against Celiac Disease. She wanted a better gluten-free product than what was available in stores.
Buying the store-bought foods, first if they’re gluten free they’re nasty, and they’re full of all kinds of crap,” she said with a laugh. “So, I wanted to find something that I could really enjoy for myself that wasn’t going to hurt my stomach.”
Also, she wanted to include her three children in the mix. She has two in college and another is a high school junior.
“Anything that I could do that would include them. They love coming into the kitchen when they’re here and making it with me and learning about it. Other people enjoy it.”
BFIT Bakery began in January 2024. Before that, it was just BFIT. I got certified as a trainer and worked at Workout Anytime in Pell City, so that’s where the name comes from.”
She added, “A lot of people think I call it BFIT because it’s healthy, and it truly is because it’s flour, water and salt. Those are the three ingredients and if you want something else to go in it, I add that.”
And it’s not just bread, but a pantry full of items.
“Cookies, cinnamon rolls, rolls. Around Easter, I do Resurrection Rolls, and I do kits for the kids with little flash cards that are really, really popular so they can learn about the Resurrection.”
At Christmastime, she makes assorted flavors – cinnamon and gingerbread – and at Halloween, pumpkin goodies are part of the menu.
She grows the herbs and flavors – like rosemary and lavender – in her own garden. Jalapenos and other produce for her goods come from the local farmers market in an effort to support local growers.
“It’s limitless what you can do with sourdough,” Warren said.
A first step in making bagels
Think about these flavors – triple chocolate espresso and lemon blueberry – like all her recipes crafted from scratch.
The process to make sourdough takes about 36 hours. Her sourdough starter begins with flour and water. Her recipe has evolved.
“When I first started learning, I wasn’t measuring with a scale,” she said. “I was just doing what I was taught through watching other people.”
And sourdough has risen into a community of bakers, some for business, others for family enjoyment.
“I’ve met so many people I wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for sourdough,” Warren said. “I’ve kind of come up with a recipe that works for me.”
Along with selling her goods from her home, Warren teaches others how to make tasty goods. She conducts community classes, where for $125 per person, Warren will come to your home and teach her tasty brand of kitchen magic. The classes are held once a month, except for a summer hiatus because of the heat and bad timing.
“When I teach these classes, I really explain to people that what works in my house, isn’t going to necessarily work at your house because your temperature and the humidity will play into how your bread turns out. So, you may have to tweak things.”
Her first class begins this month (October). She will conduct one or two monthly out of her home. The three-hour classes are limited to six people.
“They’re learning the very basics of sourdough,” Warren said. “They get a starter, and they get to name their starter, and they learn about feeding and maintenance. We make a loaf in class that I’ve already started for them. They get to watch it in different stages, and they get to take home a sourdough journal. It’s a whole kit in a basket, the starter, the journal, the scoring tool. They get it all as part of the class.”
For Warren, the passion for sourdough, baking and cooking burns brightly. “If food was a love language, it would be mine.”
It all started with Pensacola next door neighbor, Miss Karen, who taught young Anna the basics of the culinary arts.
“She had me at her house every chance she could from before I could reach the counter,” Warren remembered. “She taught me to cook and measure and all those things. It’s just something that I’ve always done.”
The philosophy of BFIT Bakery is simple:
“Making homemade bread and sharing it with the community. It’s good for you. It’s good for people who are diabetic. It can help breakdown the sugars because of the fermentation process. Just giving people another option because we don’t know what they’re putting in our food anymore. It’s not the same.”
Warren, who works full time for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, has seen her side hustle grow. Her bread and baked goods are wildly popular.
On Wednesdays and Saturdays, she fills her front porch bins with bread and other goodies, complete with cooler packs to fend off summer heat.
She also takes orders online at Bakesy.com. The address is https://bakesy.shop/b/the-bfit-bakery.
“I really had to set boundaries for myself, because I could bake from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed,” Warren said.
But the bread has become a staff of her life. The chill of fall and winter heats up her bread business.
‘It’s just become part of my every day at this point,” Warren says. “I feed Lucille. I bake bread. My co-workers love it because they get to try everything. They’re my guinea pigs.”
Her own starter
As often happens with cottage businesses, The BFIT Bakery started with a heart for family.
She acted on encouragement from friends and sparked by a desire to buy a lifetime sportsman Florida license for her youngest son, an avid outdoorsman. At Christmas, the licenses went on sale for half the normal $1,000 price.
Warren and “Lucille Ball” went to work baking bread, two loaves at a time. She then hosted a one-day event featuring her bread at Pell City’s 4 Messie Monkeys in Pell City.
“I sold out in an hour and a half, and I made $700,” Warren said.
The business has given her a chance to do more for her kids. But again, it all comes down to Warren’s love language – food – good, homemade food.
“Whether it’s baking, grilling smoking meat, whatever it is I’m doing, it’s always going to be food related. My Dad is Italian. My Mom is Maltese, so it’s a lot of food. A lot of food and talking with our hands. That’s how I show my family and friends that I care.”
And while some cottage food businesses have exploded into corporations or retail chains, Warren wants to stay grounded.
“There’s something special about getting up at 4 in the morning on a Tuesday to bake bread for the community. I want to harbor that and keep it safe and special.”
For ordering information about The BFIT Bakery, visit its Facebook page, at Bakesy.com, or email at awarren@121218@gmail.com.
Sitting out on the dock sipping your first cup of coffee, you watch the morning sun begin to cast a pinkish-orange glow on the water. Absorbed in the majesty of the morning, you startle as you catch the movement of the boat as it silently glides by just yards away.
Silent, that is, until the snap of the line as it is cast again, all the while drifting past the dock. Almost immediately, he jerks the line and reels in the prize. After a moment to inspect and admire his catch, the angler releases the fish off the side of his kayak.
Kayak fishing has exploded in popularity in recent years, thanks to huge improvements in materials, technology and available accessories. Fishing tournament organizers have even created competitive tournament series specifically designed for kayak anglers. Since having no live well makes transporting live fish to a weigh-in problematic, new rules were created for kayakers.
Kayak-specific tournaments and most tournaments with kayak divisions use cumulative length, rather than weight, as the unit of measure. Competitors in kayaks are often governed by the CPR (Catch, Photograph, Release) Rule, which includes catching, photographing the fish on a special measuring “ketch” board, then immediately releasing the catch.
Allen Norris and his catch
The evolution of the kayak from simple shell to tricked out vessel, loaded with fish-finding tech and gear storage has helped to define the growth of the kayak fishing industry. Technology and electronics originally developed for bass boats have been redesigned, and in some cases, retrofitted for use in kayaks. Live scope electronics can be added to fishing kayaks, too.
Arguably, the biggest development propelling its popularity has been the application of pedal drives to the hull, allowing the kayak to be moved through the water without the need for a paddle. The hands-free option allows anglers to cast and reel without having to switch to a paddle to maneuver the kayak. As anglers are known to say, it’s a numbers game. And more casts equate to more fish.
“There are so many options when choosing a kayak,” says Allen Norris, co-owner of Cropwell’s Yak Shak and veteran kayak angler. “When you see something labeled fishing kayak, lights should go off to let you know it’s going to be more comfortable, more stable, and be able to carry more gear.”
He and Jessica, his co-owner and wife, ask a lot of questions of potential buyers to make sure they get them into the right kayak. Buyers will likely need to do a bit of research to be prepared to answer those questions, which would likely begin with what you want to do in your kayak and whether you’re looking for a sit-in or a sit-on type design.
The sit-on design, according to Norris, is more stable and many models are large enough to allow stand-up fishing. Also, with sit-on designs, there is no worry of taking on water, as they are designed to allow water to flow over the top and to drain through scupper holes.
After having the pedal/paddle, sit-in/sit-on, stand up/sit down discussion, then comes the question of motor versus muscle. Fishing kayaks can be fitted with small trolling motors, if desired, although Norris admits to being a bit of a purist. “When I’m kayak fishing, I want to be as tactical and stealthy as possible,” he says. “I don’t want to put more in the water than I have to. If you’re into lots of vegetation and stumps, you can’t use the motor anyway.”
Jessica Norris’ catch of the day kayaking on the Coosa
In a sit-in kayak, be prepared to use a different set of muscles while casting, as opposed to those you’d use performing the same activity while standing. “Casting and aiming are very different when you are sitting,” says Norris.
“It’s very strenuous. A lot of people would describe kayak fishing as intense.” Being so close to the water and to the fish adds to the intensity of the fishing experience, Norris explains. “You can get close to the nooks and crannies that boats can’t, places where the fish really are.”
Adding to the excitement, he says, “You feel every movement on a catch in a kayak. You can also see the movement of wildlife and fish along the shore as you move through the shallow areas in coves and among boathouses and piers. Kayaks are perfect for wildlife photography, for exercise, and for just getting out and enjoying the water,” he adds. “The tranquility and therapy are very real.”
Josh Tidwell agrees wholeheartedly. He’s a huge fan of kayaking and fishing. He’s combined the two for more than 25 years and now runs a kayak rental and tour company at Big Wills Creek, a tributary to Neely Henry Lake. “It’s quite a bit of fun,” he says. “You get to be out in nature and even if you’re not catching, you’re still enjoying nature.”
Tidwell, an accomplished tournament fisherman, began fishing nearly three decades ago from creeks and riverbanks, either wading or by canoe. Kayak fishing made it easier for him to get to the tight places he wanted to fish. “Bass boats can’t get to where I go,” he says. “I like to fish smaller waters. I don’t want to look at the back of somebody’s house, when I could be looking at cliffs or waterfalls.”
Although he says he likes small water fishing, he says, kayaks are not just for lake fishing. He took his kayak to Gulf Shores a few years ago and hooked a 6-foot shark. His brother-in-law caught a 150–200-pound tarpon. For reasons which seem obvious, they did not try to bring it aboard their kayaks. “We got dragged all over the place. That’s part of the appeal,” he laughed. “You just have to prepare for it. And don’t go alone!”
The Coosa River system offers a variety of fish, from crappie to catfish, to several species of bass, including the Alabama bass. “On Logan Martin, I’ve pulled in a 15-pound channel catfish in my kayak,” says Norris. “I’ve seen a 50-75-pound catfish pulled in, unfortunately not by me.”
Strategies for success in kayak fishing are somewhat different, Norris explains. “We attack fishing in a very different way. We don’t fish the open waters as much as we do the tighter places. Where the bass boat world is launch as fast as possible, get to your spots as fast as possible, and cover lots of water. We might launch and stay near that launch fishing the harder to get places and cover only a mile or two.”
No matter what type of vessel you use or how you fish, all nautical rules apply. Kayaks are no exception. Before sunrise and after sunset, kayaks must have a stern light. The same holds true for red and green navigation lights. These are especially important for kayaks, which sit lower in the water and are harder to see.
Equipment add-ons for safety and for convenience and comfort make kayaking an activity perfect for anyone ages 5 to 95. Your grandpa’s kayak may have given you the inspiration to learn, but it is definitely not the only design option anymore. Today’s kayaks are lighter and stronger. They offer options in how they are propelled, how you fit into it and how you maneuver it. They can be outfitted for whatever activity you want to do on the water.
A final reminder that whatever fun you’re having in a kayak, be sure to remember safety is paramount. Alabama law requires all boaters, including kayakers to have a personal floatation device onboard for each occupant.
While it’s not required that boaters wear them, it’s a good idea. It’s also a good idea to always include water, a hat, and sunscreen in your float plan.
You may catch a beautiful sunrise, too, so don’t forget your camera. And give a wave to the lady sipping coffee on the dock as you drift by.
