No’Ala Huntsville, March/April 2016

TENNESSEE’S ELEPHANT SANCTUARY | A 40-YEAR PUBLIC AFFAIR | IT TAKES A VILLAGE

noalastudios.com

MARCH/APRIL $4.95

Dr. Juanita Harris, one of 28 people,

chosen by our readers, who is helping to make

a diff erence in the Valley and beyond.

| noalastudios.com | march/april

march/april | noalastudios.com |


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Join us for

9:00am—4:30pm Guillot University Center, University of North Alabama

6:00pm—9:00pm McFarland Park - under tent

•Rain location: Norton Auditorium, UNA Campus

Wednesday, May 187:00pm, GUC

Performance Center

AN EVENING WITH

DONALD DAVIS

SEPARATE TICKET REQUIRED: $10 • May be

purchased prior to the event or on location.

Thursday, May 199:00am and 1:00pm

$25.00

SHOALSHISTORICAL

TOURThis tour will include Ivy Green– the birthplace of Helen Keller, the Rosen-

baum House— designed by Frank Lloyd Wright,

and Tom’s Wall– a Native American memorial,

noted as one of the top 10 environmental arts in the

United States.

10:00amGUC Performance Center$5.00 (Cost included for

Tour Ticket holders)

The MUSCLE SHOALS

DOCUMENTARYA private showing of the

award winning film about

the music history of the

Shoals area.

1:30pm, $25.00

The SHOALS MUSIC TOUR

Visit the W.C. Handy home & museum and

the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, along with

such landmarks as FAME Studios and the Muscle

Shoals Sound Studio. With tour guide Walt Aldridge,

singer/songwriter.

2:00pmGUC Performance Center,

$5.00 (Cost included for Tour

Ticket holders)

Kathryn: The Story of a TellerA private showing of a

documentary about world renowned Kathryn Tucker

Windham.

Thursday, May 197:30pm, GUC Perfor-

mance Center — FREEFeaturing Walt Aldridge,

Kate Campbell, Donny Lowery and Mark Nar-

more

SINGING RIVER SONGWRITERS’

ROUNDHave you ever wondered what meaning lies within

the lyrics of your favor-ite songs? Join us for a

songwriters’ round to hear some amazing music and stories of the inspiration

behind them!

Friday, May 20 9:00-12:30, GUC/Loft

Morning Session

Lunch - PREPAID ONLYGUC Performance Center, ONLY $12 PER PERSON!

COUNTRY FRIED CHICKEN WITH

ALL THE FIXIN’S Served on site as lunch

on Friday, May 20. Meal tickets must be purchased by Friday,

May 13. Tickets may be purchased via mail-in

registration or online at www.una.edu/storytelling.

NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THE DAY OF

EVENT.

1:30-4:30, GUC/Loft

Afternoon Session

6:00-9:00pm

BACK BY POPULAR

DEMAND:

THREE ON ASTRING

threeonastring.com

Saturday, May 21 7:00pm

THE DILLPICKERSthedillpickers.com

This year, we are kick-ing the festivities off

early with exciting pre-festival events—so sit

back in your rocker, sip on some sweet tea,

and stay awhile!

On the University of North

Alabama campus

Florence, Alabama

www.una.edu/

storytelling

1-800-TALK UNA

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, MAY 20 and 21 STORIES, SONGS, AND THE SINGING RIVER

www.una.edu/storytelling

16WLRH in Huntsville: A 40-Year Public Aff air

WLRH: A peek inside the studio, as Alabama’s oldest public radio station celebrates the big 4-0.

by roy hallphotos by patrick hood

6 » March/April

50

features

Portrait of Anna Chilton by Lauren Tomasella Carney

Th e Heart & Soul of the Valley

Twenty-eight Valley residents whose lives and works inspire us every day.

produced by sara wright covingtonportraits by sarah brewer, lauren tomasella carney, carole forêt, olivia reed, and jan renegar

90Th e Golden Girls

Th e Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee off ers solace to nature’s grande-est dames.

by jennifer crossley howard

42It Takes aVillage

A mighty vision to rescue Huntsville’s most vulnerable young people from the devastating eff ects of poverty.

by sara wright covingtonphotos by patrick hood, kenya epps, and carole forêt

34Old School

Th e fi rst in a regular feature revisiting some of the Valley’s most memorable people, places, and things. We begin our journey with Athens landmark, and downtown Huntsville new-comer, U.G. White.

by john kvach and chris paysingerphotos by guy mcclure, jr. and john kvach

Cover photo of Dr. Juanita Harris

by Jan Renegar

7 » editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson

no’ala huntsvilleadvisory board

Osie Adelfang

ARC Design-Build, Inc.

Lynne Berry

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

Sarah Brewer

Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer

Kimberly Casey

Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment

Donna Castellano

Historic Huntsville Foundation

Aissa Castillo

aislerchic.com

Dan Halcomb

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra

Lauren McCaul

deptofagraculture.com

Guy McClure, Jr.

Athens State University

Tom Patterson

knowhuntsville.com

Dr. Holly Powe

Calhoun Community College

Olivia Reed

Olivia Reed Photography

Patrick Robbins

Huntsville Hospital

Jennifer Swoboda

Hagerman & Company

Junior League of Huntsville

Lauren Tomasella Carney

Lauren Tomasella Photography

Ashley Vaughn

White Rabbit Studios/Vertical House Records

Charles Vaughn

Vaughn Lumber Company

Andrew Wilmon

Broadway Theatre League

In every community, there are people who quietly work in the background to make things better. This issue, we’re going to introduce you to 28 of them.

Th is year, we asked our readers to tell us about the people

in the community who work tirelessly behind the scenes

to make this a better place. Th ere were only two rules,

really: the person had to be living at the time of nomina-

tion, and the person could not be a politician. We wanted

the people in the shadows, the unrecognized heroes who

roll up their sleeves and volunteer or do extraordinary

things with their careers to help other people, to help the

community, or to help make this a better place.

You responded. We carefully vetted your suggestions, divided them amongst

some extraordinary photographers, and put together our second Heart and Soul

issue. David, Matt, and the rest of the staff here at No’Ala had nothing to do with

the nomination or selection of these people—but we could not be happier with

the group. If you see them in the grocery store, at church, or downtown, stop them

and thank them for all the things they do. And as you look around and consider

the wonderful people who make up this community, jot down a name or two for

our next Heart and Soul issue—we’ll do it again in a couple of years!

We take a look at some other varied topics in this issue, as well. John Kvach and

Chris Paysinger have written a marvelous piece about the history of U.G. White,

a downtown staple in Athens and a new resident of downtown Huntsville. We’ll

introduce you to an elephant sanctuary in nearby Hohenwald, Tennessee—you

read that right, an elephant sanctuary!—and we’ll show you some really wonderful

things you can fi nd when you shop locally. It’s a varied issue—but fun!

Th e groundhog didn’t see his shadow this year, which means we are supposed to have

an early spring—and we are ready. As this issue goes to press, we’re hard at work on

the Entertainment issue, which always signals the beginning of warmer weather. Shop

the Valley, y’all, and thank our advertisers for their support. Happy spring!

g g

support. Happy spring!

8 » contents

MARCH/APRIL 2016

Volume 5: Issue 2

• • •

Editor-in-Chief C. Allen Tomlinson

Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles

Creative Director David Sims

Advertising Director Jamie Noles

Advertising Sales/Distribution Duell Aldridge

Features Manager Roy Hall

Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan

Web Designer Justin Hall

Shopgirls Aissa Castillo, Lauren McCaul

Proofreader Carole Maynard

• • •

Contributing Writers

Sara Wright Covington, Sarah Gaede,

Roy Hall, Jennifer Crossley Howard, John Kvach,

Guy McClure, Jr., Chris Paysinger

• • •

Contributing Photographers

Sarah Brewer, Lauren Tomasella Carney,

Kenya Epps, Carole Forêt, Patrick Hood,

John Kvach, Guy McClure, Jr., Danny Mitchell,

Olivia Reed, Jan Renegar

• • •

No’Ala Huntsville is published six times annuallyby No’Ala Studios

PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: (800) 779-4222 | Fax: (256) 766-4106

Web: noalastudios.com

Standard postage paid at Huntsville, AL.A one-year subscription is $19.95for delivery in the United States.

Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors.

Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements.

© 2008-2016 No’Ala Studios, All rights reserved.

Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson, Editor, at the postal address above,

or by e-mail to [email protected] may be edited for space and style.

To advertise, contact us at(256) 766-4222, or [email protected].

The editor will provide writer’s guidelines upon request.Prospective authors should not submit unsolicited

manuscripts; please query the editor fi rst.

No’Ala Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inks.Please recycle.

Connect with us on Facebook: No’Ala MagInstagram: noalastudios, Pinterest: NoAlaStudios,

and Twitter: @NoAla_Magazine

everything else

3410 Calendar Selected Events for March/April 2016

12 Cryin’ Out Loud “Th at Which Does Not Kill Us…” by sara wright covington

34 Old School by john kvach and

chris paysinger

80 ShopGirls by aissa castillo, lauren mccaul

photos by lauren

tomasella carney

98 Bless Th eir Hearts“Mike the Protector”

by guy mcclure, jr.

100 Food for Th oughtPuttanesca on the Ritz

by sarah gaede

102 Parting Shot by lauren tomasella carney

© Guy McClure, Jr.

Steps in the right direction

We apologize!

When we put together the last wedding issue, we made a mistake and listed Brooks Photography three diff erent ways. As you take a look at that issue—and we know it’s one you tend to keep—please note that Brooks Photography, David Brooks Photography, and Kerry Brooks Photography are all one and the same. The two ten-page features have credited him correctly; we apologize!


Now – Sunday, May, 15Celestial Dreams: Th e Art of Space Jewelry

Using precious gems, minerals, and metals, artist Kathy Chan interprets the genuine awe of the cosmos and its vibrant oasis, Earth. A self-taught jewelry artisan, Huntsville-based Chan’s instincts and talents have earned her numerous accolades, in-cluding 14 international awards. Sun-Mon 9:00am-5:00pm; Admission Charged; US Space and Rocket, One Tranquility Base; (256) 837-3400; rocketcenter.com

Tuesday, March 1 – Friday, April 29Th e Visitors Center presents Th e #IHeartHSV Collection

Th e Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with Th e Arts Council, presents a brand new collection of locally made and curated items celebrating Huntsville and Madison County, to celebrate the Year of Alabama Makers. Sun Noon-5:00pm, Mon-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm; Free; Visitors Center, 500 Church St; (256) 533-5723

Friday, March 4 – Friday April 29 (Fridays Only)Friday Night Artist Market

Th e market features art vendors, open artist studios, independent shops, hallway demonstrations, performances, relaxed open houses, and a strong sense of community and connectedness. Patrons are invited to come early for shows in the theatre and peruse art of all kinds in this comfortable indoor setting. 5:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr; (256) 489-7000; fl yingmonkeyarts.org

Saturday, March 5 – Saturday, April 30 (Saturdays Only)Downtown Huntsville Food Tour

Th is guided walking tour winds through Huntsville’s historic downtown, visiting six unique food tasting locations. Stops include Huntsville’s premier gastro-pub, a delectable European inspired eatery, and the coff eehouse that introduced the city to the delights of gourmet roasting over 30 years ago. 11:00am-1:30pm; Admission charged; Location provided with ticket purchase; (800) 656-0713; huntsvillefoodtours.com

Saturday, March 12Th e Americas: Canadian Brass

“Th e world’s most famous brass group,” the engaging and dynamic Canadian Brass, delight with a broad repertoire including trademark Baroque and Dixieland tunes, along with new compositions and arrangements created especially for them. 7:30pm; Admission charged; VBC Mark Smith Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-4818; hso.org

Saturday, March 19EarlyWorks Society’s Bunny Brunch and Egg Hunt

Th e EarlyWorks Society hosts their third annual Bunny Brunch and Egg Hunt at the Children’s Museum, with two reserved seatings. Th e Easter Bunny will be available for photo opportunities during each brunch. 9:00am and 11:00am; $15, Free for children under one; EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, 404 Madison St; earlyworks.com

Friday, April 8 – Sunday, April 10Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre presents Cinderella

Witness this enchanting story told through dance in Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre’s annual Fairy Tale ballet. Fri 7:00pm, Sat 2:00pm and 7:00pm, Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; VBC Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 881-5930; alabamayouthballet.org

10 » calendar


Saturday, April 9 – Sunday, April 10Huntsville Ballet Company’s Peter Pan

Th e Huntsville Ballet’s season closes with the world premiere of Peter Pan, featuring original choreography by Artistic Director Phillip Otto. Th e Huntsville Ballet Com-pany is excited to interpret J.M. Barrie’s enchanting story through the beauty of ballet. Sat 2:30pm and 7:00pm and Sun 2:30pm; Admission charged; VBC Mark Smith Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; huntsvilleballetcompany.org

Wednesday, April 13Night of a Th ousand Flowers

Th is highly anticipated event includes live music, a spirited live auction, and a less hectic, but sometimes more com-petitive, silent version. Both auctions feature unique plants rarely seen at public off erings, and large container ar-rangements designed and planted by local plant suppliers. Experts will be available to answer questions and provide a shopping partner to make your experience more enjoy-able. 5:30pm-7:30pm; $45; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Th ursday, April 21An Evening with Glenn Lowry, Director, Th e Museum of Modern Art

Lowry lectures and writes in support of contemporary art, on the role of museums in society, and on other topics related to his research interests. He is a member of the An-drew W. Mellon Foundation’s Board of Trustees, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the steering committee for the Aga Khan Award for Archi-tecture, and a resident member of the American Philosoph-ical Society. He also serves on the advisory council of the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University. In 2004, the French government honored Glenn with the title of Offi cer dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. 7:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

Friday, April 29 – Sunday, May 1Th e Illusionists

Praised as “a high-tech magic extravaganza” by Th e New York Times, this mind-blowing production has shattered box offi ce records across the globe, dazzling audiences of all ages with its powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on stage. Fri 8:00pm, Sat 2:00pm and 8:00pm, Sun 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St; (256) 518-6155; broadwaytheatreleague.org

Friday, April 29 – Sunday, May 1Panoply

Th e Southeast’s premier arts festival, featuring art, music, and more, in downtown’s Big Spring Park. Fri 5:00pm-9:00pm, Sat 10:00am-9:00pm, Sun Noon-7:00pm; $10 day passes, Free 12 and under; Big Spring Park; (256) 519-2787; artshuntsville.org

One of my favorite guides to writing, a book by William Zinsser titled On Writing Well, advocates letting someone else’s brilliance tell your story in their own voice, using their direct quota-tions. Zinsser writes, “His own words will always be better than your words, even if you are the most elegant stylist in the land.” I’m going to do exactly this, as some brilliance I’ve recently come across is of

greeting card writer Emily McDowell, whose biting wit more eloquently illustrates the point of this essay far better than I ever could: “Together, we can fi nd a cure for the phrase ‘what doesn’t kill us

makes us stronger.’” Very simply put, McDowell is marketing to the masses the universal truth that people say really, really ridiculous things when they are at a loss for words. My youngest

daughter was diagnosed with cancer last summer, and I began following McDowell on so-cial media when my friend Stephanie and I were marveling over how it seems that when

people simply don’t know what to say, they often say the fi rst thing that comes into their brain. McDowell is also a cancer survivor, and her sass and snark have mani-

fested throughout her illness. Her version of dark sarcasm peppered with non-fl oral hints of hope have resonated deeply with me, as I found myself fl ailing to cope in a sea of everything happens for a reason-esque phrases thrown at me everywhere from doctor’s offi ce kitten posters to cashiers at Publix. I’ve never met Emily McDowell, but if we did meet, I would be tempted, in a very non-stalker-like way of course, to throw my arms around her and declare us soul mates.

Th ree days after my daughter’s diagnosis, we were sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and told to pack bags for two weeks, but to be prepared to stay for a month. In that excruciating three-day waiting period, I quickly realized how many times I have been guilty of using those very same cliché comfort phrases I now found echoing in my ears. In the past, I’ve often prid-ed myself on always thinking before I speak. I’m rarely the person who puts her foot in her mouth, and on the rare occasion when I do spew off the fi rst thought that enters my brain, I’m regretful almost immediately and will lie awake for days turning it over in my head. But again, people, myself included,

sometimes say really, really ridiculous things when they don’t know what else to say. Lucky for me, very rarely were these people close to me, but usually just ac-

quaintances or, in a couple of cases, complete strangers who were just scrambling for something to say when they somehow caught wind of the situation. A few of

my favorites:

Your daughter is going to be fi ne! I read all about her type of cancer on the internet. It has, like, a 95% survival rate.

I know how hard this must be. My little one just had his tubes out and it was awful.

Do they think there is something that causes this type of childhood cancer? Do your kids take vitamins? Maybe they should start taking vitamins.

Were these things said will ill-intentions? Of course not. Was I hypersensitive to any phrase I saw as even a remote insinuation, however silly that might seem, that this was my fault in some way? Yes, defi -nitely. As a mother, I’ve learned that “mommy guilt” ranges from neglecting to hand make your child’s valentines for the class party to skipping a night or two of the recommended 20-minute reading at

12 » cryin’ out loud » Sara Wright Covington

THAT WHICH DOES NOT KILL US…

I’ve realized that a crisis can bring out the crazy in us all, and we fi nd ourselves saying things completely outside of who we are.

advocates letting someontions. Zinsser writes, “Helegant stylist in the land

greeting card writer Eessay far better tha

makes us strongthat people sa

daughter wacial media

people stheir b

festedhinta sefroMw

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I know how ha

Do they think there vitamins? Maybe the

Were these things said weven a remote insinuationitely As a mother I’ve l


bedtime to make sure they get into an Ivy League college to, yes, them getting a cold because you weren’t making them wash their hands enough. And even though I could mostly let these things slide, they still made me want to grab a roll of duct tape and start taping people’s mouths shut.

My youngest daughter had cancer—I think this phrase rolls through my head at least a couple of times an hour every day, and I imagine it will forever. And even though it mostly just stays in my head, it’s defi nitely escaped my lips a time or two over the months as well. I’ve used it as an excuse: I’m sorry I can’t keep the church nursery. My daughter can’t come to church because she had cancer and is immunocompromised from chemotherapy. I’ve used it as a warning: I’m sorry that your dog died. My daughter had cancer last year. And some-times even as a verbal retort: (to a cab driver when he picked me up at the front gates of St. Jude and asked me if I was enjoying my stay in Memphis) Yes. Cancer research hospitals are just like Disney World. My child may have cancer, but I’m having a fl ipping phenomenal time. (I cried in the next breath and apologized to him profusely.)

So, yes. I’ve realized that a crisis can bring out the crazy in us all, and we fi nd ourselves saying things completely outside of who we are. But, through everything we have gone through over these months, I’ve also learned that we have friends whose blood runs as thick as that of our own families. And for all of the thoughtless things that were said, the people who mattered the most just showed up. And didn’t say stupid things. Th e days after our daughter’s diagnosis are mostly a blurry vision of dinners brought to my doorstep, care pack-ages for our Memphis stay assembled, and friends shielding phone calls from people for which I didn’t have the energy for making conversation. I even have a vague memory of walk-ing in to fi nd one friend scrubbing the dirty fl oor of my laun-dry room on her hands and knees, while two others washed and put away dishes in my kitchen. Another thoughtful friend brought us a notebook and organizational folder fi lled with maps of Memphis and driving instructions to various plac-es, as well as a list of things to remember to bring (insurance cards, driver’s license, etc.) because she knew I would be too frazzled to think of these things. Friends brought sweaters and blankets to ward off the chill of the hospital, toys and games for the baby, and even books and magazines to keep us occu-pied. I didn’t ask them to do any of this. Like I said, they just showed up. And didn’t say stupid things.

So my advice when faced with comforting a friend having a diffi cult time is to try and keep your Google searches, home remedies, and Chicken Soup for the Soul quotes to yourself. Sometimes there is so much solace in admitting we don’t have the words for someone, but that we are there for them none-theless. If you do fi nd yourself without the words, do as I often do and steal someone else’s, provided they aren’t cliché. And when all else fails, there really isn’t a wrong occasion of crisis to say the following: “I’m so sorry you have been dealt this hand. I love you. Now here’s a casserole and a bottle of vodka for you to enjoy while I do a load of your laundry.”

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

14 » scene

Annette Birchfi eld and Jeannie Galloway

Cathey Carney and Tricia Williams

Bob Gibbs and Dave Davidson

Emily Watkins, Christy Hall, Gary Huckaby, Jr., Zac Daniel, and Michelle Price

Cheryl Maddox and Michelle Price

© Xx

Xx

Above: Th e Historic Lowry House

Preservation Fundraiserjanuary , · the wine cellar, huntsville

Below: Arts Huntsville’s Art Tour of Homesjanuary , · private residences

Jane Tippett, Brandon Hunt, and Cynthia Tippett Masucci

Anne and George Lewis and Patricia Woolfork

Dr. Gary Huckaby

Katrina Weber, Peggy Bilbro, and Phoebe Graham

Carri Walters, Evan King, and Alicia Revelle

Steve and Sue Johnson

Jani Brill and Eric Osborne

Sheri Belmont and Nona Carson

Cathy Van Valkenburgh and Cindy Hallman

Patricia, Mark, Lynn, and Bryan McCarter

Lara Isbell and Ken Chojnacki




by roy hall » photos by patrick hood


ALABAMA’S OLDEST PUBLIC RADIO STATION is easier to locate on a radio dial than on the

campus of UAH. Tucked quietly away in an unassuming single-story offi ce building, the studios of

WLRH fade away among the university’s glass and concrete mid-rise buildings, human-made lakes, and

sudden streets that spring out of nowhere faster than digital cartographers can plot them on your GPS.

On the day we visit, Morning Blend host Ginny Kennedy’s voice travels from her microphone to the

station tower on Monte Sano, ricochets off a satellite, and

arrives in our speakers before her location ever appears

on our newfangled digital display. We are lost.

Nearby, and in a similar predicament, is violinist William

Harvey, Morning Blend’s live guest for the day.

We manage to locate the studio before the GPS or the

violinist and are greeted at the door by none other than

Ginny Kennedy herself, who takes a quick break from

her live mike to serve as receptionist. Eager to begin the

interview, Kennedy ushers us toward her studio. A mo-

ment of uncertainty ensues.

And then, in quick succession, one lost violinist is found,

identities are sorted, and no beats are missed.

Th e show goes on.

It goes on the same way it has at WLRH for 40 years:

thanks to the wits, resourcefulness, and dedication of the

six employees who constitute the on-air talent, research,

news, programming departments, IT support, grant-

writers, and, yes, receptionists, for a 24-hour-per-day,

seven-day-a-week, 100,000-watt radio station dedicated to the public interest.

And while the number of permanent employees has held mostly steady for the past 40 years, the one

constant throughout four decades of broadcasting excellence and creative mayhem is Morning Blend

co-host Judy Watters, whose arrival at WLRH was just as circuitous as both our own and Harvey’s.

As the violinist plays the Star-Spangled Banner live on-air, Watters tells us her story and WLRH’s, be-

ginning where the two converge, on a mountaintop, in America’s Bicentennial year, 1976, with a music

teacher’s modest proposal .

A MODEST PROPOSALPublic television beat public radio to Huntsville by a few years, so when Judy Watters took her idea for

a music education children’s program to a public broadcast station in the spring of 1976, she visited the

unassuming home of WEBT, on Monte Sano mountain.

WLRH IN HUNTSVILLE: A 40-YEAR PUBLIC AFFAIR


“I HAD TAUGHT HUNDREDS OF KIDS.BUT A MICROPHONE, ME, AND THAT’S IT? IT WAS TERRIFYING.”

—JUDY WATTERS



JUDY WATTERS

“Th ere was a block building with an antenna, and inside, one

engineer running the whole show.”

Watters’ young sons were big fans of WEBT’s children’s

show Grunches and Grins, and Watters, a music educa-

tion major and former teacher, thought Huntsville children

might benefi t from another show, one featuring musical

edifi cation as entertainment.

Showbiz can be tough, even when it’s in the public inter-

est, and the engineer informed Watters that WEBT wasn’t

currently in the market for new programming, musical or

otherwise. In fact, Grunches was the station’s only original

show. But if Watters was really serious about her idea, she

might want to introduce herself to a gentleman by the name

of George Dickerson.

A former commercial TV newsman, Dickerson’s interests had

shifted, according to the engineer, and now he had a mind to

bring public radio to Huntsville. In fact, Dickerson was in the

process of converting a fi rst fl oor room at the Huntsville Times

into a radio studio, if Watters wanted to drop by.

“So, I gave George my spiel,” Watters says matter-of-factly of

her second stop that day, and her unscheduled appointment

with destiny.

Exactly what Judy Watters said to George Dickerson in 1976

is anybody’s best guess. Whatever she said, and however she

said it, the meeting led to a career beyond anything she’d

imagined. Watters has all the charm and generosity of a nat-

ural born storyteller, as congenial in person as her voice is

assuring over the airwaves. She knows music inside and out,

too, and the sheer joy she exudes when she talks about it and

the station she loves is palpable.

But before Watters could even be considered for a job at a

radio station, much less begin transmitting her love of music

to the Tennessee Valley, she had to clear some bureaucratic

hurdles that seem unnecessarily byzantine in hindsight.

“In those days, to be a broadcaster, you had to have a third

class radio license,” Watters relays. To get the license, you

had to take a test. “It was diffi cult stuff ; Ohms and watts,”

among other technical not-so-niceties, according to Watters’

recollection. So, off she went to the library to study, every

day for seven weeks, and then to Atlanta, where she sat for

the three-part test.

Th e test results were foregone, written into her DNA, in a

way so neat and convenient they would elicit eye-rolls if one

of Watters’ Sundial Writer’s Corner author’s wrote it down

in a book.



“My dad had a radio and TV store and played in a Glen Miller-type big band. I’ve been in the symphony,

taught public school, private horn, private music lessons, been a church choir director.” Her and hus-

band Harry’s sons, Ken and Harry, are both professional musicians.

Even so, she says, “Much to my surprise, I passed all three parts.”

George Dickerson looked surprised, too, when Watters reappeared in his still-unfi nished Times building

studio and informed her future boss that he was looking at the proud holder of an Alabama Th ird Class

Radio License, and that she was still interested in hosting a kids’ music show, if he was still interested.

He was still interested all right: he hired Watters on the spot, but not to host a children’s music show.

He hired her as a full-time public radio announcer.

“I was almost 40.”

And they say there are no second acts in American lives.

LIBRARY RADIOWatters recalls that Dickerson and his freshman class of broadcasters, managers, and grant writers—

around 20 employees total—completed the transformation of Times studios, and on the morning of Octo-

ber 13, 1976, Library Radio Huntsville (the station’s fi rst license was held by the Huntsville Public Library)

went on the air.

Th e early days: WLRH employees and volunteer producers, 1976.



Left to right: Huntsville Library board members Eleanor Murphyand Jane Roberts, and Huntsville Library board president, Elbert Watson,

beneath the original WLRH tower on Green Mountain

Judy Watters, with her Morning Blend crew, circa 1987

Press coverage of WLRH’s launch, October 13, 1976. Left to right: George Dickerson with special guest and old-time radio star

Chester Lauck, of the Lum and Abner radio show

Morning Blend co-hosts, Judy and Harry Watters


Watters refers to that fi rst day fondly as “one of the scariest of my life.”

“I had taught hundreds of kids. But a microphone, me, and that’s it? It was terrifying. I used to have to

read the news at the top of the hour. I tried to put the most important things fi rst, because my voice

would start shaking.”

About that familiar voice, Watters says she was never aware of it or its potential radio appeal. “I just want-

ed to be surrounded by music. As it turns out, I have a low-pitched voice, and that seems to work well.”

Indeed. An encyclopedic knowledge of music helps, too, of course, and Watters makes use of hers, along

with WLRH’s impressive music library, to plan her shows. “I go by the classical—and classic—calendar:

Beethoven, Bach, Willie Nelson. I take home the CDs I plan to use for the next show, and I sit at the kitch-

en table with my boom box and a legal pad, and ask myself, ‘What would follow in a graceful manner?’”

Th at fi rst year at WLRH didn’t proceed quite as gracefully as an episode of Morning Blend. Funding prob-

lems and growing pains marred those early days, and nine months in, WLRH’s signal almost went silent,

and for good. Th ere was no blueprint for a fi rst-time public radio station; the hiccups and hurdles of bal-

ancing a large staff with a limited budget proved almost insurmountable. Th e staff began to drift away—

some were let go; others, Watters included, sensed the end was nigh and left of their own volition.

“Only George was left in the studio, ultimately, pressing buttons,” Watters says.

At the last minute, the Alabama Educational Television Commission (AETC) stepped in and off ered to

take over WLRH’s license and to pay a limited staff . But not until the new fi scal year began in October

of ’77; it was still the end of May. In a last-ditch eff ort, Dickerson went before the Huntsville City Coun-

“I’D LIKE PEOPLE TO REALIZE WE’RE NOT AN ARMY; JUST A HANDFUL OF FOLKS KEEPS THIS GOING.”

—BRETT TANNEHILL



BRETT TANNEHILL

cil and made the case that a city with

a reputation grounded in technological

progressiveness needed a public radio

station. Th e Council agreed, ponying

up $100,000 to keep WLRH afl oat until

the AETC could take over in the fall.

“Th ey saved the day,” Watters says.

“IF YOU LISTEN TO THIS STA-TION AND DON’T GIVE MONEY, IT’S JUST PLUMB TACKY.”—KATHRYN TUCKER WINDHAMToday, WLRH is still funded by the

AETC and the Corporation for Public

Broadcasting.

And by listeners like you—and Kathryn

Tucker Windham.

Th e Jeff rey author’s honorary aristo-

cratic stature as one of Alabama’s most

beloved writers aff orded her the luxury

of speaking the plain truth during her

frequent appearances on Writers Cor-

ner. And while WLRH would never be

so bold, they do appreciate any support

their listeners can off er. Th ey depend

on it, in fact, even when that support

isn’t necessarily monetary.

“I’d like people to realize we’re not an

army; just a handful of folks keeps this

going,” says WLRH General Manager

Brett Tannehill, who, in his college days,

interviewed Ms. Wyndham for APR on

many occasions. “Pitching in 50 bucks

makes a huge diff erence.” If you can’t

aff ord a donation, “send us a comment.

Let us know how we’re doing.”

In return, the WLRH family sees part of their role as reciprocating their listeners’ appreciation.

“We want people to feel like this is a community radio resource, in all areas,” says Tannehill. One of the

ways they do that is their creative use of Public Service Announcements.

NPR provides its affi liate stations with time blocks in the mornings and afternoons for local content,

and WLRH uses those time slots to publicize local non-profi ts. “We’re giving away time for free. Some

stations prefer to give that time to themselves or too their underwriters.” Rather than burying their

FCC-mandated PSAs in the middle of the night when nobody’s listening, WLRH places theirs front and

center, devoting prime air time to 60 or 70 non-profi ts.



SHANE SCOTT

“Driving up from Tuscaloosa, I wondered why they were doing all those PSAs,” Tannehill recalls of his

trip up I-65, radio on, headed for his job interview in Huntsville. “But the more I wrapped my head

around it, I realized how important the PSAs are to the community.” As WLRH’s new General Manager,

Tannehill maintained the station tradition. Instead of a burden, WLRH sees PSAs as a rich opportunity

for community-focused programming.

And the way they produce PSAs is diff erent, too.

“You don’t hear PSAs anywhere else the way we do it here,” Tannehill says. “Th ey’re a big part of our

on-air sound.” Unlike almost every other station, the voices we hear in a WLRH PSA are not voice

over actors. “Th ose are the voices of the

people who work to improve our qual-

ity of life.”

Th is generosity is a product of empathy:

“We don’t have a marketing budget and

neither do the non-profi ts we feature.

Th ey should be spending their money

on their mission, not on promotion.”

“We have a wonderful arts communi-

ty, and they don’t get the recognition

they deserve.” Th at’s Ginny Kennedy’s

take, and the reason she incorpo-

rates interviews with local artists into

Morning Blend.

Kennedy grew up listening to WLRH.

A master’s in communication took her

to Atlanta, before motherhood brought

her back to a more manageable lifestyle

in north Alabama.

“I wanted to be a stay at home mom,”

she says.

Kennedy returned to 89.3 on the FM

dial, too, and one afternoon, she had a

question about one of their infamous

PSAs, so she rang up the station. Judy

Watters answered the phone. Th e kin-

dred spirits instantly recognized one

another, and after Kennedy mentioned

her work at Atlanta’s public radio sta-

tion, WABE, Watters interrupted: “Let

me transfer you to a manager.”

Kennedy’s innocent phone call led to

a two day-a-week hosting gig, and an-

other familiar verse in an established

refrain at WLRH, where smarts, moxie,

and resourcefulness trump more tradi-

tional job requirements.


GINNY KENNEDY

“I had to work really hard at it,” Ken-

nedy says of her early days as a classi-

cal music producer and host. Atlanta’s

WABE pre-programmed everything.

Not so at WLRH. “I wrote everything

down, timed it, had binders full of play

lists to keep myself on track. It’s like

knowing your way around the forest.”

Or, in the case of Morning Blend’s Fri-

day request show, a game of Jenga.

Ginny Kennedy isn’t Dr. Frasier Crane;

she has no Roz on the other side of a

glass window, fi elding calls and feeding

information into an ear piece. Kenne-

dy pulls music in advance of each live

request show, and answers her own

phone. If a caller requests, say, Rhap-

sody in Blue, “I think, ‘Okay, I’ll pull the

18-minute piece I had scheduled, and

stick that in its place.’”

And no fl eet-footed production assis-

tants dart between the studio and the

CD library, either. It’s just Kennedy

“running back-and-forth from the mu-

sic library and answering the phone.”

Callers are sometimes a little fl um-

moxed by that last bit. Kennedy hears

diff erent versions of this almost every

week: “You’re Ginny! Why are you an-

swering the phone?”

“Because it rang!”

Kennedy’s Morning Blend co-host and Lowe Mill-based artist, Beth Norwood, rang the station years back, too, off ering her ser-

vices as a former University of Alabama radio announcer. Six part-time years later, her playful sense of adventure and a stalwart

commitment to her station’s mission have made her a WLRH fi xture.

“You don’t remember all the shows you do,” Norwood says of her years at WLRH, “or the schedules.” What you do remem-

ber? Th e musicians, artists, and community leaders who’ve told their stories—and ours—over the course of 40 years. “You

remember the people.”

“YOU DON’T REMEMBER ALL THE SHOWS YOU DO, OR THE SCHEDULES. YOU REMEMBER THE PEOPLE.”

—BETH NORWOOD

BETH NORWOOD



march/april | noalastudios.com | march/april | noalastudios.com |

You remember the small WLRH team, too; the ones still here and the ones who have gone. And they

do seem like a family—supportive and complimentary of one another, even when out of earshot, the

WLRH staff feels more like a family than a family, sometimes.

Kennedy. Norwood. Tannehill. Th en there’s Chief Operator Joe Cook, and All Th ings Considered host

Shane Scott. Scott’s commitment to WLRH’s proud legacy of journalistic integrity guides him as he choos-

es what stories to cover, and how he covers them, avoiding the sensational in favor of the meaningful.

And Bob Labbe, “Microwave” Dave Gallaher, and Brad Posey, who donate their time, allowing WLRH

to serve as broad an audience spectrum as possible, seven days a week.

Come to think of it, the concept of family is more than a metaphor at WLRH. Judy Watters and her

husband, NASA engineer Harry Watters, co-hosted Morning Blend and Sundial for years. Family com-

mitments led Watters original co-host, Wayne Blackwell, to leave the show. After a series of temporary

fi ll-ins, Harry Watters, always “very proud of the station and also very musical,” stepped in. Watters and

her husband negotiated their professional partnership with the same ingenuity and inventiveness the

staff brings to bear on all their challenges.

It was Harry’s idea to get a jar and some black marbles. “If either of us is ever unhappy, we’ll drop a

black marble in the jar. We won’t discuss it,” she remembers. Harry and Judy worked together until three

weeks before his death from cancer in 2000.

“Th ere was never a black marble.”

One of the things that holds families together is a sense of shared tradition. Th is is as important to the

WLRH family as any other. But the successful operation of a public radio station requires more than just

tradition; namely, it requires keeping up with the technological times. Even if GPS technology hasn’t

kept up with WLRH, WLRH intends to keep up with sweeping trends in media delivery, in order to

continue reaching the “family” of listeners it serves.

But whether that future content is delivered through podcasts, streaming video, the Internet, or tradi-

tional radio is ultimately not the point. Th e medium is not WLRH’s message; serving the community

is. And as WLRH looks toward its 40th anniversary in October 2016, they invite their listeners to travel

with them on their journey into the future, wherever, and via whatever medium, that journey leads.

In the meantime, keep an ear out for one heckuva birthday party, as WLRH prepares to celebrate the

start of its fi fth decade later this year. Exciting details to follow.

Stay tuned.



WLRH’S LOCALLY-PRODUCED CONTENT, COURTESY OF THE FOLKS YOU’VE JUST READ ABOUT, IS LISTED BELOW. For a full program guide, including information about WLRH’S all-news and all-music HD channels,

streaming audio of previously-aired WLRH programs, or to listen online, visit wlrh.org.

Morning Blend, Mon-Fri 9:00am-NoonSundial Writers Corner, Mon-Fri 9:30am and 6:44pm

Brass, Reeds and Percussion, Sat 1:00pmTh e Arts Underground, Sat 2:00pm

Th e Invisible City, Fri 7:00pm and Sat 10:00pmTalkin’ the Blues, Sat 8:00pm

Really Good Music Show, Sat 9:00pmReelin’ in the Years, Fri 9:00pm

Radio Reading Service, Mon-Fri 7:00pm on 89.3 HD3



STEM Teaching Toolsnow available at Free 2 Teach!

Free 2 Teach is known for providing free classroom resources to public school teachers in Madison County. Now, we’re excited to launch the Free 2 Teach STEM Lending Library! The first building block of this innovative program is a series of high-quality, reusable, 3-D biology models.

These models can be borrowed by high school life science educators from the Free 2 Teach store.

Each kit features 3-D plaster models of the four classes of macromolecules that are found in living cells: proteins, DNA, carbohydrates and cell membranes.

The Molecules of Life Kits will help our public school teachers provide enhanced classroom instruction for our community’s high school students for many years to come.

Free 2 Teach, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been serving teachers in Huntsville City, Madison City and Madison County public school systems since 2013. Free 2 Teach operates a free resource store stocked with teaching materials and classroom supplies, funded and donated by the community. These resources are available for free to more than 3,800 public school teachers and their 52,000 students, improving the educational experience of our children and strengthening our community’s future workforce.

To find out more about the STEM Lending Library or to support Free 2 Teach, please visit www.free-2-teach.org.


88.7 FM Muscle Shoals • 100.7 FM Huntsvillewww.apr.org

News, classicalmusic and more

34 » old school » John Kvach and Chris Paysinger

So, a scientist, his son, an airline pilot, and some city government employees walk into a bar…

photos by guy mcclure, jr. and john kvach



As a kid who loved history, I felt pretty

cheated. Just over the horizon, beyond my

grandfather’s cottonfi eld, there stood a rocket.

It was plunked there at some point to welcome

people from the North to Alabama as they

zipped down I-65 with cars full of rambunctious kids bound

for our sugar-white sands along the panhandle of the Gulf. I

suppose that it was to translate our state’s achievements and

progressiveness to those outsiders who still remembered our

fi rehoses and police dogs from their grainy black and white

TV sets.

My distance from history didn’t just end with my rocket. I

lived in a 1970s brick rancher, built by my grandfather for

my parents. I grew up in Elkmont, only a few miles from the

Tennessee state line. It was a “town” in only the loosest sense

of the word. It was really just a community, with a small kin-

dergarten through high school, with roads spoking out from

what was then a dilapidated downtown.

Now, 30 years later, I fi nd myself a history teacher. And I also

realize that I am no less frustrated with my experiences with

the past than those days from my childhood. In the interven-

ing years I received a teaching degree at Auburn University

and have taught American history in Alabama public schools

for 18 years. It would be very simple to blame my frustrations

with history on the condition of education in this state or

nation. Or, perhaps, students are apathetic about school in

general and history in particular. And, of course, the subject

has increasingly been marginalized in the curriculum ever

since Sputnik was launched into the ozone. But the truth is

that I have had, for 40 years, an historical itch that I just can’t

seem to scratch, no matter how hard I try.

I think that I am attuned to what is going on in the world of

history. I care about the content. I read history books. I at-

tend meetings of my local historical society in Athens, where

I live. My wife and I have renovated two historic homes in 13

© Guy McClure, Jr.

years of marriage. I collect old junk. I have been on the board

of directors for an antebellum home/museum. I have toured

far too many Civil War battlefi elds. I have spoken at state

historical conferences. I have a master’s degree in history

from the University of Alabama, Huntsville. I watch, every

Monday night, Antiques Roadshow.

In reality, my experiences with the past probably closely re-

fl ect those of the average person who considers himself a

“history buff .” Even though I have the ability to experience

history on my own terms now, until recently I might as well

have been eight again, trapped in my brick rancher, staring

at that damn rocket.

And, maybe for years, I blamed the proximity to Huntsville

on my woes. I’ve never looked in the Yellow Pages, but I am

very sure there are more than a few businesses employing

“rocket” in their brand.

But thankfully, something is happening in the Rocket City

that is changing the town for the better. And even perhaps,

changing the way I look at the past.

In the fall of 2014, I was talking to my buddy John Kvach, a

history professor at UAH. He was rambling on about some-

thing and mentioned that he and Chad Emerson, the CEO

of Downtown Huntsville Inc, had talked about reaching out

to a large outfi tter as a destination retail store in Huntsville.

It just so happened that I was leaning on the Case Knives

display at U.G. White in downtown Athens. It would be easy

here to say that the rest is history. But that would be a little

too simple. And it would wash out the better part of the story,

which brought together a fairly unlikely cast of characters.

Derrick Young has owned U.G. White for the last eight years.

He also fl ies airplanes for American. But he is a guy couched

in the past. He stepped in to keep U.G. White going when it

seemed it would shutter, after having anchored downtown

Athens retail since 1917. He even remembers at age seven,

standing at the Case Knives counter, leering at the sharp

glint of the blades, until his dad broke down like so many

others and bought one for his son.

Soon enough, Emerson, and a cadre of Huntsville people,

trekked to Athens, to try and make sense of whether U.G.

White Mercantile would be the right fi t for the Rocket City. I

watched this part as an interested bystander, a friend of Der-

rick’s, and a fan of U.G., but having no skin in the game. But,

looking back now, what I saw was the beginning of a change.

The potential problem was that few downtown Hunts-

ville buildings really reflected what a 100 year old mer-

cantile needed. And it was at this point where the inter-

section of past, present, and future began to get a little

more than cloudy.

If, in this tale, Derrick Young refl ects the past, and Chad

Emerson the present, it only stands to reason that someone

working toward things that don’t really even exist be the

future. Enter the Hudson family, co-founders of HudsonAl-

pha Institute for Biotechnology, a Huntsville based genetics

company, mapping, literally, our better future. Th ey owned

an available building downtown, most formerly known as

Crossroad’s Music Hall. So now, Young had to make his way

over to survey what Huntsville had to off er.

Downtown Huntsville has spent the past 200 years molding

itself to a world bent on change. Plans to improve the town

sprung up almost as soon as the fi rst houses and storefronts

emerged around Big Spring. Twickenham mansions, new

church spires, and smoke from busy factories replaced the

old-growth trees along the cotton frontier. Paths gave way to

dirt roads, dirt roads became paved avenues, and paved av-

enues yielded suburbs that stretched beyond the shadow of

Monte Sano. If the defi nition of history is change over time,

then it is easy to see that Huntsville has succeeded more than

it’s failed.

Each successive generation has built, rebuilt, and improved

upon what others had done before them. Yet, in more re-

cent years, downtown Huntsville has struggled to remain

relevant as bedroom communities, research parks, and con-

trived shopping malls pulled people away from the city’s

core. Empty storefronts sat as silent reminders of past fail-

ures memorialized in granite, concrete, and glass. Ameri-

cans became tethered to cars, making close, accessible park-

ing a natural right rather than a mere convenience in many

minds. For these reasons, and many more, it seemed as if the

American downtown was going the way of telegraph wires,

railroad stations, and daily newspapers.


Clockwise, from top, left: Taken soon after the removal of the stage and wall that blocked the front windows, which created a decidedly cave-like eff ect; During the installation of vintage oak fl ooring (sourced from Evolutia in Decatur) over the existing concrete; Stained fl oors and paint in progress—softening the interior of the space with wood and details was key in bringing the Mercantile back to life; Vintage beadboard, painstakingly installed in small sections overhead, makes the space soar and draws the eye upward.


© Photos by John Kvach


In Huntsville as of late, however, the opposite has happened

as the forces of urban and suburban have come together in

a way that highlights the strengths of both. In early spring

2015, those forces aligned at a building appropriately named

“Th e Crossroads” in downtown Huntsville.

Th e Crossroads Building, or Mason Building, as it was origi-

nally named, was built in 1927, with a fl air and style that re-

fl ected the Roaring Twenties. Good times and better profi ts

allowed James Mason and John Manning to hire an architect

rather than just a draftsman for their commercial furniture

store. Yellow terra-cotta tiles, large plate glass windows, and

Art Deco embellishments stood out in a downtown marked

mostly by brick and mortar. Although the growing skyline

of Huntsville became a symbol of agricultural, commercial,

and industrial dominance in North Alabama, looming behind

these exciting days was personal and professional loss, collec-

tive failure, and intense suff ering. Th e Great Depression hit

hard, snuffi ng out the spirit of a generation that would not

be relit until the end of World War II. Th e Mason Building

survived economic panic, war, and changes in ownership

but failed to make it beyond the shifting demographics of the

1970s. Urban renewal proved to be too much for Mason’s Fur-

niture, and in 1977 they closed the building and the business.

For the next 40 years the building became home to various

night clubs, bars, and restaurants. Its elaborate facade stood

as a reminder of what had been and, perhaps, what could be

in downtown Huntsville.

Th e third act of this story, however, starts with the same sense

of optimism that marked the fi rst two. Like the founding of

Huntsville and the construction of a modern skyline, the re-

emergence of downtown Huntsville and of U.G. White Mer-

cantile in the old Mason Building relied heavily on individu-

als with a vision to improve the city. Th ree entities crossed

paths at the right moment with the same vision. It would take

the combined eff orts of a scientist and his son, an airline pilot

turned small business owner, and forward-thinking city gov-

ernment employees to rescue the old building and contribute

to the reemergence of downtown Huntsville.

Th rough all of this, these objects,the idea of place and context, all of the things

normally associated with history,somehow took on a new life.

© Guy McClure, Jr.


When Derrick told me the building on which he had settled

for the new U.G. White Mercantile, I was doubtful. When I

went in it with him, I was downright incredulous. I had spent

years in the Athens store, in which crossing the threshold

was something akin to teleportation to sometime simpler,

much like what your grandparents tried to conjure when

they insisted you listen to old stories.

My memories of the Crossroads building involved late nights

listening to my hometown favorites, the Alabama Shakes.

Or, watching Jason Isbell reunite for one night with former

bandmates, the Drive-By Truckers. Or the night I found a 20

spot lying on the ground, and bought rounds of cold PBRs

for my buddies. Th ose were my memories of the building,

however cloudy.

But, in the brightness of day, and without the eff ect of cheap

beer, the building seemed worse than I remembered. At least,

it didn’t remind me of my Athens U.G. White. It was black

from the ceiling to the concrete fl oor, with red “accents” that

most closely resembled the color of blood. It still reeked of

stale booze, with no natural light piercing the black abyss

within. “How long do tetanus shots last?” I asked Derrick.

But Derrick wouldn’t be swayed. He almost ran laps inside

the building, painting a picture of what could be. “Case

Knives will go here,” he said, and the need for an extra long

table to keep the taff y. He envisioned light, and color, and the

re-creation of time, place, and meaning, all from what I saw

as thinnest air.

And according to Emerson, the Hudson family had seen the

potential in the building too when they renovated, upgraded,

and rescued it after years of neglect. “Th e initial visionary

leadership of Jim Hudson for Downtown Huntsville contin-

ues to result in exciting growth for our city center. Buildings

like the former Crossroads location, now known as the Mer-

cantile Building, continue to be transformed into destina-

tion retail, like the U.G. White fl agship store.” So, what was I

missing in all of this?

© Guy McClure, Jr.


Perhaps I was only looking at what had been, rather than

what could be. Derrick saw that potential. He recognized the

upgraded electrical, the sleek new kitchen upstairs, the new

sprinkler system, all of which had been added by the Hud-

son’s. Emerson looked to a beautiful downtown that needed

a few more options to cause people to linger, rather than use

Clinton Avenue as a shortcut home from Redstone Arsenal.

And Emerson wanted something real, and authentic not a

plastic version of a downtown experience. Th e Hudson’s per-

haps saw it sooner than most, investing early in what today

Emerson sees as “just the beginning of a massive re-position-

ing of Downtown Huntsville as a major live, work, and play

asset for the city and the region as a whole. “

Huntsville has been blessed with minds that see the past as

a foundation for the present, and the present as a spring-

board for the future. In the early 19th century Th omas Fearn,

a physician and planter, invested his time and treasure into

the Indian Creek Navigation Company, Huntsville Water

Works, Planters’ and Merchants’ Bank, and the fi rst city li-

brary. He saw these assets as a way of pushing a small cot-

ton town beyond its mark. Today we are more familiar with

his accomplishments as being the beautiful canal that links

both sides of Big Spring Park, and his bank, now called the

First National Bank building, silently sits on the southwest

corner of Huntsville square, a photographic oasis for bridal

and prom pictures.

A century later another forward thinker moved to Huntsville

and changed the complexion of the city. Tracy W. Pratt, like

Fearn before him and Emerson after him, moved to North

Alabama and began to make changes at a time when Hunts-

ville was at a crossroads. Pratt built the West Huntsville Cot-

ton Mill and enticed the Merrimack Manufacturing Com-

pany to set up shop in town. Pratt brought thousands of jobs

to his adopted community, helped get trolleys to new mill

villages, and started a Chamber of Commerce to represent a

new way of thinking in Huntsville. Like Fearn’s accomplish-

ments before him, Pratt’s legacy still is a part of our commu-

nity. Pratt’s mill would eventually be bought and renovated

by Jim Hudson and turned into Lowe Mill. Th e visions of

past and present stand as testaments to why a new genera-

tion of downtown stakeholders, among them Derrick Young,

are willing to look to downtown Huntsville as a new place to

reinvent and grow, for the better of many.

And so Derrick set off to renovate what is now the Mer-

cantile Building on Clinton Avenue. Th is might sound a bit

too easy, unless you know Derrick. He has a penchant for

authenticity and a disdain for cutting corners. Th e renova-

tion became an exercise in measuring, scraping 100 year old

beadboard to get the right fi nish, fi nding just the right vin-

tage oak fl oor treads from Evolutia in Decatur, mixing and

dobbing paint—the list is inexhaustable.

As the project began in earnest, I had the unique opportuni-

ty to spend a great deal of the summer of 2015 searching out

vintage goods for the new U.G. White. Derrick was tied up

with the decisions of a massive renovation, lighting, fl oors,

installation, and, always, budget. Because I am a teacher, I

had the time to explore and fi nd just the right things for a

“new” old mercantile. (My daughter Avery is nine, and every

day we would climb into my truck and set off .) We crawled

through basements, attics, junk stores, and backyards, and

we almost suff ocated in a stifl ing hot barn in Tennessee. We

drank Coca-Cola out of glass bottles, ate barbecue at tumble-

down roadside shacks, and talked over the impending world

of fourth grade. And found some awesome stuff for the store.

I helped Derrick load 20-foot-long heart pine counters

from general stores, disassemble, and then reassemble, 80

feet of shelving from an old hardware store in Tennessee.

He stepped on more rusty nails than I could count, dancing

and kicking until the off ending board became dislodged. We

sweated buckets through humid August days. We hauled,

moved, and cleaned 40 years of dust and fi lth from glass dis-

play cases. Th rough it all, he couldn’t have been happier. We

would walk into an abandoned hardware store, and the dark-

Yet during the process of standing aside,watching U.G. White take shape through the

eff orts of three people, with very diff erent expectations for what defi nes a place like

Huntsville, I fi nally began to see beyond that rocket. And, it seems Huntsville has too.


ness would fade until the veiled silhouette of history took

form, and his crooked grin would break into a laugh, only

because he could already see it in place, and that it would

make people happy in downtown Huntsville.

Th rough all of this, these objects, the idea of place and con-

text, all of the things normally associated with history, some-

how took on a new life. Previously for me, and assuredly for

the typical high school or college student, history was the

dusty stuff of textbooks. It sat fl at, on paper, immutable and

static, and then manifested itself on a test as an essay, which,

admittedly, sounds amazingly miserable.

Yet during the process of standing aside, watching U.G.

White take shape through the eff orts of three people, with

very diff erent expectations for what defi nes a place like

Huntsville, I fi nally began to see beyond that rocket. And, it

seems Huntsville has too.

During the process of U.G. White coming to fruition, I began

to realize that history and the future aren’t necessarily mutu-

ally exclusive of one another. And to my amazement, Hunts-

ville was already proving that downtown, right under the

noses of many of us. In 2013 Charlie and Sasha Sealy opened

Belk Hudson Lofts, taking the time and eff ort to integrate

vintage brick and save old murals in the design of a “new”

living space. Soon, another of their projects, Th e Avenue, ris-

ing on the corner of Holmes and Jeff erson, will reimagine in

new form a previous model of downtown Huntsville archi-

tecture, loft living above, retail below. Th e guys at Old Town

Beer Exchange wanted a bottle shop, supplying downtown

with a steady stream of suds that seem to have sprung from

the mind of a boozy scientist. Yet they sourced brick from

the Coca-Cola factory, tracked down a thick slab of ancient

wood for a bartop from a tumbledown local barn, slicking it

with inches of glistening lacquer, and keep the wine selection

stacked in vintage shotgun shell crates.

Perhaps the most ironic twist in the new life of the Mercantile

Building is that U.G. White will occupy the bottom two fl oors,

while Pints and Pixels will be opening soon on the third. Th ey

will be off ering up cold local beer and serving Anaheim Chili.

Th ey have a full stable of vintage video and pinball games,

with walls covered in futuristic murals, another blending of

past, present, and future for the Mercantile Building.

Now, I fi nd myself wanting to linger in downtown Hunts-

ville, increasingly looking for an excuse to come over. I will

end up at OTBX, sitting next to a row of locals, comparing

the saison to the porter to the Hefeweizen, all agreeing on

the virtues of each. Or I will crave the charcuterie at Th e Bot-

tle, or the cozy atmosphere at Church Street Wine Shoppe,

or the faire at the food truck rallies. And I look forward to

what hasn’t happened yet, which gives me a better reason to

explore downtown Huntsville, in the future.

Sh l k H l eesSh l k H l es

by William Gillette and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle April 14 - 16 at 7:30pm April 17 at 2pm April 21-23 at 7:30pm

McCandless Hall Athens State University Tickets at the door

The Athenian Players of Athens State University present

www.athens.edu/athenianplayers

A four-act play written by William Gillette and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, based on Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes. Directed by Dr. Hugh K. Long

by sara wright covington » photos by patrick hood, kenya epps and carole forêtccccovovovov kekek nn cacacaroooorr lelelel fffooorêtêtbbbybyby sssaaarrrrrraaa wrwrrigigighththt vvininingtgtgtononn »» phoph tos by patriiccccccccccccci k kkk k k hhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooododod,,, kkk nynynyaa a epepe psps anand c


© Carole Forêt


© Patrick Hood

It Takes a Village


Dr. Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis and Bobby Bradley


As they embrace for pictures, it’s apparent that Village of

Promise leading ladies Bobby Bradley and Dr. Kreslyn Kelley-

Ellis have the sort of relationship that goes beyond just con-

versations at board meetings and exchanges through emails. “I

knew this girl before she was even born,” says Bradley smiling

fondly. “Her mother and I grew up in the same neighborhood.”

Th at very same self-described neighborhood of poverty

would become the motivation for both of these women to

move mountains in order to make certain that a childhood of

poverty did not defi ne them, but pushed them to prosper—

both dedicating their lives to helping create a vision, and a

defi nitive path of action, for children to break the cycle of

generational poverty.

Th at vision has taken on form in non-profi t organization Vil-

lage of Promise, a group born from co-creators Bradley and

Gloria Batts, who made it the group’s mission to eradicate

generational poverty one neighborhood at a time.

“Poverty is a cycle,” says Executive Director Kelley-Ellis, “and

we model what we see. So until we can provide a diff erent ex-

perience, children will end up in the same place.” Th is diff erent

experience they are setting out to create involves a model of

educational and social support programs, positive reinforce-

ment, bountiful resources, and, most importantly, family.

From its very inception, Village of Promise has made it a

duty to not only provide a diff erent experience for children

of poverty, but to continue to provide that experience from

cradle to college, a model of sustainability that sets it apart

from other nonprofi ts. Co-founders Bobby Bradley and Glo-

ria Batts fi rst identifi ed the need for an organization like

Village of Promise while working within the Lincoln Village

community here in Huntsville. “Gloria and I became aware

through our independent experiences that poverty was at a

level in the city that we didn’t even fully see,” says Bradley. “I

think the whole idea was to help move children from their

current circumstance of poverty into sustainability.”

After further research, Bradley and Batts organized a group

of local leaders and educators to travel to Harlem, New York,

to study the Harlem Children’s Zone, a 24-block area of Har-

lem, where President Geoff rey Canada focused his eff orts on

creating a village of educational, emotional, and social sup-

port for children of the impoverished areas of Harlem. From

their time in Harlem, they were able to conclude that although

Huntsville had poverty, its circumference was much smaller

than Harlem’s and Huntsville neighborhoods didn’t face many

of the obstacles present in the Harlem neighborhoods. “We

decided then that we knew if they could do it there, we could

do it here,” says Bradley. “Our community is not as large and

we don’t have as many varied problems. We have poverty, but

it’s a smaller community and we felt that the population in

general is very philanthropic here in Huntsville.”

Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis was one of the educators summoned

for the focus study in Harlem, and was involved as a vol-

unteer from Village of Promise’s early beginnings. Her own

impoverished background, combined with her experiences

as a multi-faceted educator, gave her essential insight for the

program’s initial vision. “I have a background in business and

education,” says Kelley-Ellis. “I’ve been a special education

teacher, a school curriculum specialist, and a school princi-

pal all at Title One schools, which are high poverty schools.

I grew up in poverty and my mother grew up in the same

neighborhood as Bobby and Gloria.”

In her new role as Executive Director, Kelley-Ellis focuses on

ensuring children the surroundings she didn’t have as a child.

She says the most common obstacles they see for the kids are

general environment, lack of access to medical care, diet and

nutrition, and even transportation—major stumbling blocks

for a child to overcome in order to succeed. “A lot of these

kids are from single parent homes and have young mothers

who aren’t emotionally mature,” she says. “Th ere are just so

many issues there and we just try to fi ll the gap. We don’t

want to just plant the seeds, we want to nurture them and

watch them grow. I was the only one of my mother’s four

kids to graduate from high school and I left home at the age

of 19. I wanted to live in a community that refl ected what the

real world was.”

After over two years of planning and research, Village of

Promise was offi cially born in January of 2011. Bradley says

the group focused on four well-defi ned goals to get them

off the ground, modeled closely after the Harlem Children’s

Home. “First, we picked a neighborhood where we would

focus,” says Bradley. “Th e Harlem Children’s Home is very

place-based. You select a neighborhood to focus on because you can’t focus on everyone. So we picked

the neighborhood where our building now stands, as it had the highest level of poverty. Based on the

2010 census data from our original research, we found there were about 1,770 kids at the age of 17 and

below in this neighborhood with a 48 percent poverty level. We had a willing principal at the school and

that launched us. We have been working there since then.” Once a geography was established, Bradley

said they worked to identify a series of best-practiced programs—programs with proven track records

of success they could begin implementing with the kids. Along with establishing solid programs, Village

of Promise also sought to establish solid relationships within their community. “We wanted to not only

be in the community, but to establish community partners,” says Bradley. “We want to work with the

other organizations.” Village of Promise has formed partnerships with Huntsville Housing Authority,

Manna House (Bradley says food is key), Huntsville City Schools, UAH, Randolph, and Cornerstone

Initiative, just to name a few. “One of our goals is to make sure the organization has relationships with

other organizations that can meet all of their needs even if they fall outside of a program,” she says.

Lastly, the group set out to have a system of accountability to make certain their programs are eff ective

in their implementation. When a child signs up, the parents sign release forms giving Village of Promise

access to school records, medical issues, and other statistical data about each child. Th e data they col-

lect depends on where the child is in the program. “We wanted to initially focus on data to make sure

we could track the kids from the moment we pick them up in the program to the moment when they

leave,” says Bradley.

In addition to forming strong relationships within their neighborhoods and community, Village of

Promise builds its model on forming relationships and trust with the families. “Parents across the board

are involved. Th ey love their children, and they want the very best for them,” says Bradley. “Th e whole

idea here is to guide the support system for these children from cradle to college, so that at the end of

that process, they are in a career that will sustain them and their families.”


“THE WHOLE IDEA HERE IS TO GUIDE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THESE CHILDREN FROM CRADLE TO COLLEGE, SO THAT AT

THE END OF THAT PROCESS, THEY ARE IN A CAREER THAT WILL SUSTAIN THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES.” BOBBY BRADLEY

© Kenya Epps

It Takes a Village


Building that support system begins as early as before babies are even born with the program’s Infant

University program, a nine-week course off ered to expectant parents and parents with infants and

children up to four years of age. “Th ey start off with a healthy breakfast,” says Kelley-Ellis. “Th ey have

a workout class, and then we have diff erent presenters. We have someone who comes in who provides

assessment for the kids to identify any early speech issues. Th e parents are in class also and they are

learning about brain development, healthy discipline versus punishment, and even how to use art with

their kids. We even have an interpreter for our many Hispanic and Latino families.”

After a child reaches the age of three, Village of Promise off ers multiple educational, spiritual, and social

programs for elementary age children all the way through high school. Kelley-Ellis says the long-term

vision will be for children and families to begin with the Infant University Program and then to transi-

tion seamlessly into successive programs with no gaps, fulfi lling their “cradle to college” mission. “So

after Infant University, they can go to Family Connections, which is focused on family and child time,

family mentoring, and family service learning,” she says. “A lot of that programming is creating that time

for families to spend time with their peers, other families, and for them to think about how they want

to change their community.” Beyond Family Connections, children have the option to move onto the

Freedom School, a six-week summer reading program designed to instill a love of reading at an early

age. “I envision we will eventually have a seamless pipeline, where there will be no gaps,” says Kelley-

Ellis. “Every time they fi nish one program, they can start another. We are slowly fi lling that pipeline up

so the kids can be involved at all times.”

Now entering its sixth year in the Huntsville community, family continues to be the focus for Village of

Promise, and after years of sharing offi ce space at Genesis II, Inc., their monumental growth has led to

the organization transitioning their space into what was formerly the Center for Development Learning

School—a facility much more able to house their growing family. With the new location in the neigh-

“POVERTY IS A CYCLE AND WE MODEL WHAT WE SEE. SO UNTIL WE CAN PROVIDE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE, CHILDREN WILL

END UP IN THE SAME PLACE.” DR. KRESLYN KELLEY-ELLIS

© Kenya Epps

borhood where they operate, Village of Promise is now able to bring kids to their own location, versus

conducting all of their programs out in the schools. “At the beginning of the program, we started with

about 12 or 15 students at Butler High School, and of the group we were working with, six of those kids

are in college now,” says Bradley. “Th ere are others who are starting to work in jobs. So those are early

successes. It changes the course of the legacy.”

With six successful programs in place, Village of Promise now has a board of 15 people, an advisory

council of 22, and over 150 volunteers in their organization. Co-founder Gloria Batts remains the Pro-

gram Director while Bradley has recently transitioned from Executive Director to a position on the

board. Kelley-Ellis has moved easily into Bradley’s former role, and both women couldn’t be more ex-

cited about the growth of the Village of Promise family. “We have built momentum so quickly,” says

Kelley-Ellis. “I envision in the next fi ve years we will have 1,000 kids in our pipeline, and that we will

be able to prove just how eff ective our programs are by how well our kids are performing. I envision

that our kids will exceed in terms of their academics. I see them having entrepreneurial pursuits with

us helping them tap into their inner hopes and dreams, and I see Village of Promise continuing to make

sure we are steering them in the right direction to fulfi ll those hopes and dreams. I think we will become

an organization that other communities fl ow to, to learn how to eradicate generational poverty in their

own communities.”

It’s a big goal—one that Kelley-Ellis says she often likens to her experience of viewing the massive

expanse of the Grand Canyon for the fi rst time. “Our tour guide said ‘just a little bit of water at a time

created the Grand Canyon,’” she says. “Any little bit of growth we see is worth celebrating, and just that

little bit of celebrating can put a child into the next ste p. I love to see our families smiling and saying

‘thank-you’ and ‘gracias’. I love knowing that when I go to sleep tonight that I am part of an organization

that is really making people’s lives better.”

© Kenya Epps


It Takes a Village


| noalastudios.com | march/april | | n| n| n| n| n| | n| nnnn| n| n| n| n| nnn|| | n| n| n| nn | nnnnn| n| nnnnn| nn| n| n| nnn| n|| nnnoalastudios.com | march/april

produced by sara wright covington

portraits by

sarah brewer, click photo designs by sarah brewer

lauren tomasella carney, lauren tomasella photography

carole forêt, carole forêt fine art

olivia reed, olivia reed photography

jan renegar, green tree photography


Ever notice how the voices that pass through the media’s

megaphone aren’t always the ones that ought to be amplifi ed?

Over the course of the next several pages, it’s our pleasure

to buck that trend by introducing you to 28 people who

really have something worth saying.

Educators, volunteers, activists, caregivers,

community-minded businesspeople, each of whom,

in big ways and small, make life in the Valley

a little bit sweeter for all of us.

It’s our way of saying thank-you.

Th e next time you run into one of them at the bank,

or the post offi ce, or the grocery store, you may want

to say thank-you, too.

We’d also like to say a very special thank-you to the

fi ve local photographers who lent their talent to this feature.

We’re never at a loss for inspiration or beauty in the Valley,

and that’s something else to be thankful for.


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Karen Th omas, Creator of Casa Grande Farmers Market to benefi t Th e Princess Th eater, Decatur

What or who is the biggest motivator in your life?

Service, community, and love have been tremendous motivators. I’ve learned from others how important it is to be present in life and participate in a meaningful way. When we allow ourselves to truly know each other, it presents a wonderful opportunity for authentic connection, where it then becomes possible to use our similarities and even diff erences to create a brighter set of futures.

© Jan

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Dr. Alexander Ly, CMD, Lac, Founder, Dr. Ly Natural Health

What are you most passionate about?

I come from a family of Chinese medicine practitioners—my grandfather and father were skilled acupuncturists and teachers of Chinese medicine in China and Tai-wan. I learned from my father, and I have been practicing Chinese medicine and acupuncture for almost 50 years now. I think integrative medicine is the future of healthcare. My daughters, Drs. Helen and Amy Ly, are both neurologists and medi-cal acupuncturists. By blending the best of Chinese and Western medicine, we can provide healthcare that is at once safe, eff ective, and accessible.

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alleyHeather Bookout, Photographer


My greatest passion is to photograph a woman in such a way that she is able to look at her portraits and really see herself. Th at always involves a revelation about her beauty. It gives her proof that her beauty exists and is real. Th at proof is life-changing for some and encouraging for all that experience it.

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William Hampton, Huntsville Revisited


I love Abraham Lincoln’s quote, “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”

My passion is to share the rich, diverse history of Huntsville-Madison County and to encourage young people to interview older family members in order to collect and archive their family history. I am on a lifelong mission to collect stories and photos to share with future generations.

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march/april | noalastudios.com | marmarmarmarmarmarmarmarmarararrrrarch/ch/ch/ch/ch/ch/ch/ch/ch///ch/ch///ch/ch/ch/ch/c apraprapraprapraprapraprprpaprapraprapraprraprppraprprapraprapra rril il il il il il ilil lil il ilil il liliill | | || | | nnnonononoon alaalaalalastustustutus diodiodiodioiodios.cs.cs.ccs.cs omom om om ommmom | | | | | | | | |

Marshall T. Schreeder, M.D., MPH, Co-Founder of Clearview Cancer Institute and Board Member of Russel Hill Cancer Foundation

Who is the most inspirational person you have ever met?

My patients. At the time that is their valley of fear, they inspire and motivate me constantly by their courage, their love for one another, and their faith. Every day they show me new insights into the purpose and meaning of life.

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Anna Hubble Chilton, Senior at Grissom High School

Is there any cause or nonprofi t important to you?

Merrimack Hall, and the Johnny Stallings Art Program, because I can dance there, take some classes there, hang out with my friends, and things like that. If I couldn’t go to Merrimack Hall I wouldn’t be learning all these things, and that dancing is like art. I love to perform, and dancing there makes me happy and all the classes like yoga, art, choir, Project Up, general fi tness, and creative writing are fun.

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Chaundra Weston Jones, Johnson High School Parent Coordinator


I am passionate about advocating for youth. Th e greatest limitations on a child’s potential are opportunity and support. So many of our kids could be great, but they never get the chance. Opportunity without resources is not opportunity at all. I make it my life purpose to see that more kids get chances, so each child has the opportunity and the resources to be great.

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Kevin Wieseman, Director of Athletics and Extra-Curricular Activities for Huntsville City Schools


My father, Bill Wieseman, spent nearly 40 years as a teacher and coach. I would sit on the living room fl oor as his former students and players would come by the house and introduce their new bride or baby. It was as if they were saying thank you without actually saying thank you. Th is also occurred in grocery stores and community events all over North Alabama. I knew at an early age I wanted to be a teacher and a coach one day simply because of the appreciation people had for my dad.

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Cheryl Carlson, Owner of Karma Rags at Lowe Mills Arts & Entertainment


I love small-scale local projects; how people put their heart into a project they believe in. Th at’s why my shop, Karma Rags, off ers two micro grants every year, one each for a local artist and a project organizer. It’s $250 unconditional dollars to create an artwork or organize a project that in some way makes a diff erence! In 2015 our micro grant artist recipient created 52 artworks and then gave them away. Our 2015 community project micro grant allowed the residents of a local veteran’s living group to landscape their house.

© Jan

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Josh Williams, Veteran Consultant, Turning Point Consultants


I am passionate about the emergence of a noble warrior class of leaders from our nation’s veterans, so that through their wisdom our young men and women will be given the tools they need to transform our society from a state of fear to a reclaimed state of hope.

Reverend Kerry Holder Joff rion, President and CEO of Turning Point Consultants

What are some of your hobbies and interests?

I have a special passion for empowering people, and my greatest joy comes from working with veterans and military personnel in the area of healing, particularly with challenging treatment of PTSD. Th e servicemen and women in our country are honor-worthy, but fi rst we have to truly see them.

Zara Renander, Consultant, Turning Point Consultants

Is there a cause or nonprofi t that is important to you?

My extensive travels have given me the ability to bridge gaps between cultures. As Director of a Center for Pilgrimage and Reconciliation in Huntsville, I expanded my understanding of confl icted situations, as well as my awareness of the many opportunities for healing. I am particularly interested in the ways we may welcome our service men and women coming back from war.

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From left to right:

Josh Williams

Kerry Holder Joff rion

Zara Renander



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Bill Roark, Cofounder and CEO of Torch Technologies


Over the past few years, my passion has been to build Torch into a great place to work, as well as a trusted community partner. With the help of my Torch colleagues, we continue to make that happen. More recently, I have begun to engage more personally with the community in other areas. Currently, I serve as Chair of the Community Foundation, where I am committed to ensuring that the resources and organizational structures necessary to aide North Alabama nonprofi ts are present, well into the future.

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Gay Hinds Money, Retired Logistics Analyst, Redstone Arsenal


I am very passionate about Maria Howard Weeden and the Weeden House Museum and Garden. As a member of the Board of Directors, I am proud of the work we have done to restore this historical home to its past glory, and for the creation of a gallery to showcase Maria Weeden’s fabulous paintings. Huntsville is so fortunate to have this restored 1819 home showcasing the work of a renowned, nationally-recognized artist and Alabama Poet Laureate.

© Jan

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Ranae Bartlett, Executive Director of Madison City Chess League and Vice-President of Madison City Board of Education


I am an advocate for public education, and its promise that every child receive equal educational opportunities. I am also passionate about introducing chess education to our students. I serve on a State Department of Education task force that has initiated a Chess in Schools program throughout Alabama. Some think smart people play chess, but it’s actually the other way around—chess makes you smarter. It’s a confi dence builder, too. It also helps students exercise a part of the brain necessary for pattern recognition and understanding consequences.

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Kristina Hendrix, Athens-Limestone Community Association


I really enjoy learning about causes that bridge people together. I think it’s important to fi nd causes and organizations that make history relevant to our everyday lives and to help us not repeat the past. I joined the Athens-Limestone Community Association because their purpose is to create a connection between the history and future of Athens and Limestone County. Th rough their eff orts, more people understand a part of our history that was not taught in our schools and are eager to learn more.

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Dr. John Dunkel, Retired Physician


I still maintain an interest and passion for the profession of medicine, Th rive Alabama (previously, Th e Davis Clinic and AIDS Action Coalition), and the lives of those infected with HIV.

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John and Carol Dunkel



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alleyErin Owens, President of Th e Women’sGuild of Huntsville Ballet


My two favorite nonprofi ts seem quite diff erent, but they do have at least one thing in common. Th e fi rst is the Huntsville Ballet. As Huntsville’s only professional ballet company, they bring artistic excellence, educational opportunities, and community outreach to North Alabama. Th e second nonprofi t is Bags of Blessings, a weekend food backpack program that works with the CARE Center and the New Hope Children’s Clinic to address the problems of rural poverty. One supplies food for the body and the other food for the soul, and we need both!

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Antonio Leon McGinnis, Executive Director of Harris Home for Children


I come from very humble beginnings. I grew up in Public Housing and had to overcome a lot of obstacles just to be able to make it out. Th is has been my biggest motivator in life, because I feel it is important for those who make it out to come back and inspire others to know that they can do the same. Young people need role models, and I choose to be that role model for those who are often forgotten.

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Jerry and Amanda Lee, Co-foundersof the Rise School of Huntsville


Jerry: Our greatest motivators are our faith, family, and ensuring barriers to a fully inclusive life are removed for people with special needs.


Amanda: Who inspires me are all the parents who also fi ght for inclusion for their child, especially in the public schools. It’s a tough fi ght with not a lot of support. We are a small group peppered across the state and United States.

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James Duke, Th rive Alabama


Helping others, giving back, and making a diff erence in someone else’s life while remaining humble.

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Lyla & Woody Peebles, Sixth Generation Mooresville Residents and Founders of Th e Dance Hall

Woody and I love creating life out of old things. We created a lovely dance hall for our daughter’s wedding out of an equipment shed. Eight thousand bricks, overhead lights and fans, and country counters were added to make magic for brides and grooms in a common farm setting. But the most important thing about our area is the land—the fertile red soil is the breath and soul of every living thing. We attribute everything we have learned to our parents and their experiences in life.

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alleyKathleen Paul, Director of Happy Trails Th erapeutic Riding Center, Inc.


Th e motivators in my life are the children we serve. In 2014, a three-year-old girl spoke her fi rst word (“GO!”) on the back of our pony, Snowball. One of our little ones, who struggles with autism, made eye contact and gave me a big smile during a recent session, and three-year-old triplets will soon take their fi rst steps. I’m also motivated by the courageous parents who advocate for their little ones every day. Th eir struggles are legion, but so are their rewards!

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Noel King, Vice President King Insurance Agency


Other than traveling when I can, I also love being neck-deep in community service. I volunteer my time and skills for many nonprofi ts and serve on various boards. I am jokingly referred to by my Facebook friends as “Mr. Decatur” because I love being in the know about new businesses coming to town and fun activities to participate in, and I love sharing that news with others. I am a vocal advocate for our city and love helping friends and acquaintances remember that Decatur is a great place to be.

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Eula Battle, Executive Director, Free 2 Teach


I taught school for 31 years. Teachers spend a lot of their own money to compensate for dwindling funds allocated by the state. While volunteering at a holiday gift drive in December 2009, a friend and I noticed a collection bin for school supplies. Th e seed for Free 2 Teach was planted. We talked to businesses about collecting supplies to be donated to teachers at no cost. Initially, those supplies were stored in my garage. Today, Free 2 Teach operates a 10,000 square foot retail and warehouse space, providing free supplies to all full-time classroom teachers in Madison County’s three public school systems.

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Dr. Juanita Harris, Director of Weapons Development and Integration at Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center


Th e most inspirational person I have ever met would have to be Mrs. Lynne M. Jackson, great-great granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott and President of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation. I recently met her when I became a recipient of the Dred Scott Freedom Award. What inspires me most about Mrs. Jackson is that she took a negative historical event and refocused it to aff ect positive change in the community. It was amazing to be in the presence of a descendant of someone who fought for the freedoms I am now aff orded.

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* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

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A busy schedule shouldn’t get in the way of a plan for your future.


by jennifer crossley howard » photos courtesy of the elephant sanctuary in tennessee



Seeing an elephant cavort in the snow looks unnatural, yet

Asian species fare better in cold weather than their African

sisters. Hohenwald, which means “high forest” in German,

accurately describes the elephants’ playground and “forever

home,” as DeYoung calls the sanctuary. Popular elephant pas-

times include pushing down tall, skinny trees and sleeping in

the woods.

In its 21 years, 27 elephants have lived at the sanctuary, and

retiring an elephant to Hohenwald can take months or years.

Histories of dangerous encounters with their keepers send

some animals here, while private owners of some animals

decide to remove them from public life for their wellbeing.

Others retire after a life of performing that can lead to health

problems. Elephants can live 70 or 80 years, DeYoung says,

and many come to the sanctuary at midlife or younger.

“We take in elephants of any age,” she added. “It’s not just a

bunch of old ladies who come here.”

Hohenwald is the only other elephant sanctuary accred-

ited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries in the

United States besides one in Galt, California. Th e sanctuary

In the small town of Hohenwald—population 3,700—Th e

Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee provides a place for ele-

phants that have lived in captivity to thrive, shielded from

the public.

In midwinter, with its skeletal trees, gray sky, and one front

yard full of clawfoot bath tubs, Hohenwald looks more like

the setting for a Southern gothic fairy tale than the home to

14 elephants.

Th e sanctuary’s elephants are veterans of zoos and circuses,

often both, and all of them are female because they tend to

cooperate better in performance environments than bulls.

Th e public watch African and Asian elephants online through

EleCams, which fi lm behavior ranging from the mundane to

spirited rumbles, trumpeting and trunks beating against the

ground. On a recent 20-degree day, the elephants stayed in

their barns. If the sun is out and it is below freezing, they are

usually allowed outside briefl y.

“From sunup to sundown we’re checking on them, throwing

them hay,” said Stephanie DeYoung, the sanctuary’s director

of elephant husbandry. “Every day is diff erent.”

In the rural outskirts of Southern Tennessee, some 80 miles from Nashville, lies the path to the Volunteer State’s lesser known destina-tion for stars. Here, on more than 2,700 acres of loblolly pine, bamboo, and lakes, former en-tertainers retire to run wild.


survives on total private funding from 30,000 donors around

the world, and it employs 44 people on a $2 million payroll.

Th e sanctuary’s 2015 budget was $3.5 million, and fundrais-

ing yielded more than $4 million. Donors stretch from as far

as Fiji to down the road.

“Our mission is focused on providing them a natural habitat

and giving them as much of a natural habitat as possible in

captivity,” said Janice Zeitlin, CEO of the sanctuary.

Often cramped living conditions in zoos and circus stalls can

lead to chronic arthritis and foot disease.

“Elephants need vast amounts of space and the ability to

move, and a lifetime of performing in the circus has very

limited opportunity to do that,” DeYoung said.

Newfound freedom provides amusement and education

to staff . When Hadari, an elephant from the Nashville Zoo

came to Hohenwald in September, she didn’t know what to

do. Most elephants at zoos are on a schedule so they are vis-

ible to visitors as much as possible.

“She would kind of stand out by the barn like ‘am I okay to

walk around and do what I want?’” DeYoung said.

At night, Hadari split her sleeping between the barn and out-

side just because she could.

Asian elephants roam a 1,700 acre habitat, and African ele-

phants occupy 70 acres, with 230 acres to be added for them.

Elephants that retired together from a circus dwell on 200

acres. Th e sanctuary began leasing 200 acres from Interna-

tional Paper in 1995 and purchased land in 2003, expanding

to 2,700 acres.

Th e sanctuary’s eldest elephant is Shirley, whose life at 68

years old rivals Hemingway’s legendary adventures. She was

captured in Asia when she was fi ve years old. In the 1950s,

while she was traveling with a circus in Cuba, Fidel Castro

took power, and his forces held the circus captive. Shirley

then survived a shipwreck off the coast of Nova Scotia that

killed two other elephants. In 1975 while in another circus,

an elephant broke Shirley’s right hind leg, which left a per-

manent bend, but she’s still standing. She came to the sanc-

tuary in 1999.

Misty enjoys a morning stroll.


“Th e stories these elephants have are almost as if someone

made them up,” DeYoung said. “Th at’s the reality of captive

elephants.”

Th e sanctuary’s brick welcome center in downtown Hohen-

wald—nestled between a market and a print shop—will trans-

form this year. Th e expanded, renamed Elephant Discovery

Center will open in early 2017. Additions are projected to

cost $1 million for the purpose of teaching visitors about the

sanctuary’s mission and its residents. An outdoor breezeway

area is set to open this fall, and a 40-seat theater, expanded gift

area, and multimedia exhibits will open next year.

“It’s going to be really busy, noisy, and exciting in a very short

amount of time,” said Todd Montgomery, education man-

ager at the sanctuary. “I know we will have people from all

over the world.”

Howard+Revis, a Washington, D.C.-based design fi rm that

has worked with the Museum of Natural History and the

Smithsonian Institution, is heading the project.

“We know that educating the public is what will provide a

better life for captive and wild elephants for generations to

come,” Montgomery said.

He visits area schools and leads distance learning programs

online, connecting to 19 states, Canada, and the United

Kingdom in 2015. He has also connected virtually to librar-

ies, a birthday party, and a hospital in chats akin to Skype.

During such chats, children, perhaps craving their own free-

dom, usually understand the plight of elephants in captivity.

“Th ey get it, like yeah an elephant should have time to push

over a tree if they want to,” DeYoung said.

She is not surprised by intrigue of elephants.

“Th ere’s something about elephants that people just love to

learn bout,” she said. “In general, people think elephants are

really fascinating animals. Very rarely do you have someone

who says, ‘Uh, I’m not into elephants.’”

Th e Elephant Discovery Center will add three jobs at most

and will rely heavily on volunteers. Besides the discovery

center and school visits, the sanctuary maintains a public

face through national ambassadors, and a YouTube channel,

and by providing college scholarships to Lewis High School

seniors.

“Something we work on and are really proud of is how we

do a lot of work and show people we are a part of this com-

munity,” Montgomery said.

His classroom visits earned him fame with local school kids.

“He’s got his own little fan club here, it’s great,” DeYoung said.

Leaving the elephants off display garners a mystique and oppor-

tunity for education that can be lost at the zoo, DeYoung said.

Asian elephants roam a 1,700 acre habitat, and African elephants occupy 70 acres, with 230 acres to be added for them. Elephants that re-tired together from a circus dwell on 200 acres. Th e sanctuary began leasing 200 acres from International Paper in 1995 and purchased land in 2003, expanding to 2,700 acres.


“Our ability in being really creative in teaching people about

elephants, you lose a lot of that if you’re standing there star-

ing at an elephant,” DeYoung said. “You’re not reading the

graphics and really taking in the educational experience.”

Zeitlin and DeYoung attribute some of that growing interest

to Th e Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus decision

to retire all of its performing elephants by this May. Th ose

elephants will reside at the circus’s Center for Elephant Con-

servation in Florida, a facility that has attracted controversy.

“[Th at decision] has boosted a lot of interest in this facility

because people Google ‘elephant’ or ‘where do elephants go

when they retire’ and that sends them here,” Montgomery

said. “At a micro level, we are getting a lot of phone calls and

a lot of emails asking what does retirement mean, what hap-

pens with your elephants? So It’s moving the public conver-

sation about that forward.”

Th ough the public is not allowed inside the sanctuary, VIP

donors may tour the sanctuary’s infrastructure but have no

interaction with elephants or guarantee to see them, accord-

ing to Montgomery.

Th e Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries guidelines

recommend limited public access at sanctuaries, including

tours strictly for educational value, and no direct interac-

tion with elephants. Researchers occasionally study there,

but they do not interrupt the solitude of the elephants. Last

fall, Duke University tested night drones to be used in the

African country of Gabon to count forest elephants. And

when elephants die, necropsies precede on-site burials.

Veterinary staff from the University of Georgia and Univer-

sity of Tennessee perform necropsies. Th e sanctuary shares

fi ndings with organizations to learn more about caring for

geriatric elephants.

Elephants are encouraged to bond, but they aren’t expected

to get along, DeYoung says.

But time has eased bad blood.

“We have elephants who have been here 10 years and could

not get along and had playdates, and for some reason about

six months ago during one of their playdates they didn’t want

to separate and have been together ever since,” Zeitlin said.

Th ose three elephants—Minnie, Ronnie, and Debbie—

moved to Hohenwald after residing in Illinois with the

Hawthorn Corporation. Th e United States Department of

Agriculture prosecuted the corporation, which trained and

leased elephants to circuses, for violating the Animal Wel-

fare Act.

“You see one, you see all three,” DeYoung said. “I can’t help

but think it’s because they’ve been allowed to build their re-

lationship in their own time in their own way.”

Sukari and Rosie followed Hadari in November from the

Nashville Zoo. Together, they make up the “Nashville trio,”

as DeYoung aff ectionately calls them. She speaks of the el-

ephants the way a bemused but no-nonsense mother might

talk about her children.

Sanctuary caregivers use no dominance with the elephants,

practicing Protected Contact Management. Th ey use a bar-

rier, usually a 10-foot wall, between them and the elephant as

well as physical distance and fences. During a medical exam,

vets use bamboo rods with masking tape on the ends to guide

the animals to place their body parts into wall compartments.

Th ey receive positive reinforcement if they comply.

Shirley, the sanctuary’s oldest resident, snacks on pumpkin in the late afternoon.


“Th ey have the choice to participate,” DeYoung said. “If they

show a fear of something, we build up that confi dence, they

can walk away.”

“We have a saying around here,” she added. “We go by El-

ephant Standard Time. If the elephants today aren’t feeling

it, we will try another day. Th at’s where not having visitors

really makes a big impact on how we manage our day.”

Th e decision to adopt Protected Contact Management fol-

lowed the death in 2006 of caregiver Joanna Burke, accord-

ing to Zeitlin. She was killed by Winkie, an Asian elephant

from Burma, who still lives at the sanctuary. Burke was

standing close to Winkie assisting during an eye exam when

the animal knocked her down and stomped on her. During

that time, the sanctuary followed Free Contact where barri-

ers are rarely, if ever, used.

Discriminating elephants with dangerous pasts or being lax

around more docile animals is not an option, DeYoung stressed.

“Th at’s how accidents happen,” she said.

Anxiety is far from DeYoung’s thoughts when she’s with the

elephants.

“It’s not a fear,” she said. “It’s a healthy respect. Th ere’s a big

diff erence…Th e fear would be if you worked with people you

didn’t trust.”

To build confi dence among caregivers and other staff , a full-

time safety manager audits safety practices and equipment.

Almost three years ago, the sanctuary introduced training

levels for working with elephants that includes months of

reading, tests, and mentoring.

“People underestimate all the hard work that goes into it,”

DeYoung said. “Th ey are dangerous animals, and we don’t

take that for granted at any point in our day.”

Following Burke’s death, the sanctuary received more na-

tional attention when a co-founder sued after she was fi red.

Ronnie, Minnie, and Debbie take in the sanctuary’s 2,700 plus acres.


Th e sanctuary is still involved in a lawsuit with Carol Buckley

over the ownership of an elephant. In 2010, the sanctuary

board fi red her. She was also president and chief executive.

“Th ere were no answers,” Buckley said, by phone from Ne-

pal. “Th e board completely surprised me with their action to

remove me.”

She was barred from the sanctuary, where she lived, and

left behind Tarra, a now 42-year-old Asian elephant she had

raised since Tarra was two years old. Th e pair had not been

separated for 35 years, and before settling in Tennessee, they

traveled for 10 years with circuses and for 10 years worked

in zoos. Buckley realized that zoo life left Tarra with little

stimulation and space to roam.

“As time went on, Tarra grew larger, and I was not satisfi ed

with the lifestyle,” she said.

After 10 years of dreaming and studying about a place for

captive elephants to reside, Buckley found a piece of land in

Tennessee, which she calls “special and holy.” She and Scott

Blais, then a former elephant keeper, opened the sanctuary

in 1995.

“It was glorious,” Buckley said. “It was culture changing

in America.”

She generally supports non-dominant free contact when

taking care of elephants. Buckley says caregiver Joanna

Burke was under strict instructions not to be around Winkie

without a barrier. She did not disclose this fact after Burke

died, she said, because she did not want to appear like she

was blaming Burke for her own death.

In collaboration with the National Trust for Nature Con-

servation in Nepal, Buckley’s Elephant Aid International or-

ganization began providing training for elephant handlers,

trainers, and riders and elephant foot care in 2010.

Buckley said the sanctuary has not allowed her to see Tarra

in fi ve years but, “I do know how she’s doing,” she said.

Montgomery, in an email, said the sanctuary has allowed

Buckley to see Tarra. Regarding Buckley’s surprise at her

dismissal, he wrote, “I believe that those many people and

board members that were involved in addressing the events

that were presented to the board because of Ms. Buck-

ley’s actions and complaints from others about her would

strongly disagree.”

Blais departed from the sanctuary in 2011, and is building an

elephant sanctuary in Brazil, for which he recently received a

grant from the Hohenwald sanctuary.

Zeitlin commends Blais’s and Buckley’s work.

“It’s great that they’ve taken their experiences here and

are building them to help elephants around the world,”

Zeitlin said.

She declined to comment on Buckley and her relationship

with Tarra, but said the lawsuit “is down to one issue and it is

on the ownership of Tarra.”

Buckley is optimistic that she will see Tarra again soon.

Despite their diff erences, Buckley and the sanctuary share

one common goal. She applauds Th e Elephant Discovery

Center and its purpose to inform the public.

“Any time you educate, I think that’s a fabulous thing,” Buck-

ley said. “Education is the key to change.”

In its 21 years, 27 elephants have lived at the sanctuary, and retiring an elephant to Hohen-wald can take months or years. Elephants can live 70 or 80 years, DeYoung says, and many come to the sanctuary at midlife or younger.

This is a story about fear and trust, and the unspoken connection between two beings who

share a morning ritual along a wooded path.

Whether or not you believe it is up to you.

About four years ago, I experienced the joy of the Swan Creek nature trail, in my hometown of Athens,

for the fi rst time. Th e Swan Creek trail was developed years ago by the city as a recreational respite for

those needing a bit of exercise, or those wanting to marvel in a fairly untouched part of the town. I’m an

early riser and usually make it to the trail as day breaks. Th e early hour means that most of my walks are

in solitude, allowing me to witness all types of animal life just starting their day as well. As I approach

the creatures, they scamper into the thick vegetation that line the path opposite the creek shore. Rab-

bits, squirrels, foxes, and deer; I’ve seen them all.

And on lucky days, I see Mike.

Given his name by a friend’s son, the majestic Great Blue Heron stands in the rushing water about half

way down the path. Often I miss him—Mike always sees me before I see him. But about once a week,

in a silent moment of discovery, I happen upon him. Every time, I’m so shocked by his beauty, I can

only stop and stare, awestruck by the sheer breadth of his span, the richness of his blue feathers, and

the grace of his propulsion. Mike tolerates my gaze for about 30 seconds before spreading his wings. He

does not fl y away in fear or out of aggression; I feel he just wants me to witness his power and ability.

Yes, it is always a lucky day when I see Mike.

I won’t know how lucky until early one winter morning.

Frost had stripped the foliage from the brambles and saplings that fl oor the woods on the west side of

the path, leaving only a mass of limbs and vines to serve as a hiding place for animals. Th e cold and

absence of early morning light had stripped the path of all but one of its visitors, too.

I notice fi rst an eerie quiet in the path, the woods, and the creek. Something is diff erent, and the

diff erence is unsettling. Next, I realize I haven’t seen any of the small animals that usually

dart away, bounding into the dry thickets as I turn a corner and come into view. As I prog-

ress further along the trail, I begin to notice small bits of fur and feathers scattered about.

Th en small bones, scoured and snapped into sharp points.

And fi nally blood—drops and streaks of it—as if a fi erce battle had been fought here overnight. A feel-

ing of uneasiness overcomes me. Halfway down the path I turn to make my way out of the woods and

leave the trail. Th at’s when I hear it, a guttural growl, low and monotone, coming from the thicket just

off the path alongside me. I quicken my pace, careful to deny the source of the sound the attention it

craves. Nevertheless, the growl keeps time with my steps, always just a couple of yards from my feet,

98 » bless their hearts » Guy C. McClure

“MIKE THE PROTECTOR”

Tension fi lls the air. It intensifi es, and now it is just a few inches from me, an unseen animal, possibly hungry. I am its prey.

unseen in the foliage. Tension fi lls the air. It intensifi es, and

now it is just a few inches from me, an unseen animal, pos-

sibly hungry. I am its prey.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, steam rises from the

nostrils of the still-unseen creature. I know in my bones the

animal is rising on its haunches, preparing to strike. As I

brace myself for the inevitable attack, a shadow crosses my

face. I close my eyes and curl into a ball. My blood and bones

will join the others that should have served as a warning.

Th en, joining the growl, a new noise—like a crow’s caw—

intense, but not malicious. I look up in time to see a blur of

blue cross the sky, and I know the shadow crossing my face

belongs to Mike. Th e Great Blue Heron hurls himself toward

the thicket, talons outstretched, striking the creature with

a thundering force. Mike’s enormous wings stabilize him,

grasping the undergrowth, freeing his instruments of attack

to do their damage. His beak pierces the animal’s skin, elicit-

ing screams of pain.

After what seems like an eternity, I hear the creature’s

wounded cries as it retreats deeper into the thicket. I sit

on the crushed gravel path as Mike straightens himself and

comes to a full stance. He doesn’t look at me. Th ere is no

acknowledgement of what he’s done. I hear myself saying

Th ank you, Mike, as he turns and fl ies away. Th e wind from

his wings as he fl ies over my head is the sweetest I’ve ever

experienced.

Months passed before I fi nally gathered the courage to re-

turn to the path. I saw the rabbits and squirrels and the other

early morning creatures. And I saw Mike. I came upon him

in his usual spot. I stopped and stared for 30 seconds, and

then he fl ew away.


I love to try new recipes, but once in awhile it’s good to have something to fall

back on, something requiring little thought that I can whip up at the last minute

without going to the grocery store. It recently occurred to me that I return to the

same ingredients over and over again—canned tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers,

garlic, and, of course, olive oil. It also dawned on me that I often use these same

ingredients in variations on a common theme—puttanesca.

Pasta puttanesca, which literally means “in the style of a prostitute”, or, as I like to

call it, “Naughty Girl Pasta,” is believed to date from the mid-twentieth century.

A 2005 article from Il Golfo, a daily newspaper serving the Italian island of Ischia,

claimed that sugo (sauce) alla puttanesca was invented in the 1950s by Sandro

Petti, owner of an Ischian restaurant and nightspot. According to the article, Petti’s

moment of inspiration came at closing time one evening. A group of customers

wanted something to eat, but he was low on ingredients. Th ey instructed him:

“Facci una puttanata qualsiasi” or “make any kind of garbage. All Petti had on hand

was pasta (of course!), four tomatoes, two olives, and some capers, with which he

made a pasta sauce that was an instant hit. He later included it on his menu as

spaghetti alla puttanesca.

Recipes for pasta puttanesca vary according to preference. Th e Neapolitan version

is made without anchovies. Chili peppers are sometimes added. With the salty,

fl avorful capers, olives, and anchovies,

and the fragrant garlic, it’s a real umami

bomb. Traditionally the sauce is served

with spaghetti, although it also goes

well with penne, bucatini, linguini, and

vermicelli.

I have provided three diff erent recipes

alla puttanesca: one the classic pasta,

one a pizza, and one a super-healthy

fi sh version I came up with recently

while I was experimenting with baking

in foil. All are easy to make, and just

enough diff erent from

each other to add

all three to your

repertoire.

PUTTANESCA ON THE RITZ

100 » food for thought » Sarah Gaede

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil• 4 large garlic cloves, fi nely chopped• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in purée, preferably San Marzano, squished through your fi ngers• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved• 3 anchovy fi llets, chopped, or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)• 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers• 1 teaspoon dried oregano• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper fl akes• Salt and black pepper to taste• 12 ounces spaghetti or other pasta• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley• Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, anchovies or paste, capers, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Simmer sauce over medium-low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add sauce and parsley. Toss over low heat until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Serve with Parmesan if desired (I like mine without). Serves 4. I cut this recipe in half for 2 people, and refrigerate the extra tomatoes (not in the can!) for another day.


Puttanesca Pizza

I make pizza at least twice a month. Th is is one of my absolute favorites. I make my own dough, and bake it on a pizza stone that has been preheated in the oven for an hour at 500 degrees. You can buy prepared dough at Publix in the bakery, press it into a metal pizza pan, and bake at 450 degrees until browned and bubbling.

• Prepared pizza dough, enough for a 12-inch pizza• Cornmeal• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 1 teaspoon dried oregano• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend (NOT the kind with cream cheese)• 2 large garlic cloves, fi nely chopped• 20 or so Kalamata or other Greek olives, pitted and coarsely chopped• 3 tablespoons capers, drained• 3 thin slices red onion, separated into rings• 1 large ripe tomato (8 ounces) seeded, diced, lightly salted, drained, and squeezed dry• Freshly ground black pepper• Dried red pepper fl akes to taste

While dough is rising or coming to room temperature, preheat oven and stone, if using. Combine the shredded cheese with the garlic, and prepare the other toppings. When ready to bake, place a sheet of parchment paper on the peel, sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, and stretch the dough out into a large circle (or press it into the pan). Pour the olive oil on the dough to help smooth it and make it easier to stretch. Sprinkle the oregano on the crust, followed by the cheese, olives, capers , onions, and tomato. Add a few grinds of pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges of crust are golden. Serve with red pepper fl akes on the side, if desired.

Snapper Puttanesca

• 2 6-ounce red snapper, grouper, or tilapia fi lets• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil• Salt and pepper to taste• Dried oregano to taste• 1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced• 1/2 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes, tossed with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper• 1/2 cup Kalamata or other Greek olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (I like to mix black and green) • 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed• 1 1/4-inch thick slice red onion, separated into rings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tear off a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, twice as long as it is wide (18x36 inches.) Fold crosswise across the middle, then unfold. Dry fi sh with paper towels, rub on both sides with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, and place next to each other left of the fold line. Sprinkle fi sh with salt, pepper, olives, and oregano to taste. Scatter garlic, tomatoes, capers, and onion rings over fi sh—it doesn’t really matter in what order. Fold the right half of the foil over the fi sh, and seal on all three open sides with double folds. Make sure the folds are tight. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit unopened for about 3 minutes before serving. I use my kitchen shears to cut the package open from the middle, being careful of steam.

I like to serve this with couscous, orzo, or rice to soak up the juice. To double, make 2 packets with 2 fi lets each.

102 » parting shot » Lauren Tomasella Carney

MAKING A SPRING BREAK FOR IT

Saturday, April 16, 2016, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 17, 2016, 3:30 p.m.

Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Von Braun CenterHuntsville, Alabama

Tickets: 256-539-4818 or www.hso.org

Join the

for a

Brahms Festival


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