MorLyn’s in Clanton sold a peach necklace last year. It was so popular the Clanton store added matching earrings this year.

By Stephen Dawkins

MorLyn’s hopes to add a new tradition to the long-established Chilton County Peach Festival.

The jewelry and gift store on Second Avenue North in downtown Clanton is offering a unique, peach necklace and earrings leading up to Chilton County’s most famous event.

“We’re trying to make it so that getting the peach jewelry is something people look for this time of the year,” owner Ann Glasscock said.

Glasscock said she and other family members associated with the business were at a jewelry show in Atlanta when they came across a company selling fruit-themed pieces.

“We wondered out loud whether they could do a peach,” Glasscock said.

Indeed they could, it turned out.

MorLyn’s sold 250 peach necklaces last year—every single one ordered from the company, Chelsea Taylor. Earrings are available alongside the necklaces this year.

“Most everybody who bought the necklace last year is wanting the earrings now,” she said.

Glasscock said a Chelsea Taylor representative told her the peach theme belongs solely to MorLyn’s.

“He said, ‘The peach is yours—we only sell that one to you,’” Glasscock said.

The necklace and earrings are made of sterling silver with Swarovski crystals cemented in. The necklace can be purchased for $60, while a pair of earrings costs $100. Glasscock said the jewelry has been popular with local residents and with natives living elsewhere, as a way of paying tribute to their home. Also, the pieces make good gifts for graduation or Mother’s Day.

Local residents Dian and Jimmy Easterling have done their part in making the jewelry synonymous with the Peach Festival by giving a peach necklace to each of the Peach Queens as a gift. The couple plans to do so again when new queens are crowned this summer.

Of course, MorLyn’s will keep the items on the minds of residents.

“Next year, maybe we’ll add a bracelet or a ring to go with it,” Glasscock said.

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Studies show that connecting youth with the outdoors and the natural world promotes healthier lifestyles, lessens stress, improves academic achievement and self-esteem, and encourages community and social development. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages children to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Because nature has the potential to improve one’s physical, mental, and social health, the CDC advises children to engage in healthy outdoor activities in nature and parks. To encourage physical activity and sustained weight loss in children, allow them free, unstructured outdoor play (lifestyle-related physical activity), as opposed to aerobics and calisthenics.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, wrote, “Time in nature is not leisure time; it’s an essential investment in our children’s health.” However, outdoor activity in the natural environment has been reduced by demanding school and extracurricular schedules and by television, video games and computers. Poor housing conditions, high-volume traffic, and lack of parks limit low-income and minority children’s access to nature. Loss of contact with the natural environment creates missing opportunities for youth to participate in physical activities, reduce stress, and develop healthy life skills.

4-H, a youth development organization serving more than 6.5 million young people, provides hands-on learning, research-based youth development programs with a focus on science, health and citizenship. Through 4-H environmental programs like Junior Master Gardener, Forest in the Classroom, and Skins and Skulls, the natural environment comes alive. From planting school and community gardens, to evaluating renewable natural resources, to protecting our native wildlife, students give back to the community, become better stewards of the environment and gain healthier life skills. What better way to teach a respect and understanding for the environment, environmental stewardship, and healthy life skills than by getting into nature, getting physical and going green – the 4-H way?

During the summer, Chilton County youth will have several opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors the 4-H way. Jason Powell and Petals from the Past, will once again be partnering with 4-H and local Master Gardeners to provide a Junior Master Gardener program. Youth will participate in activities from Wildlife Gardening, Literature from the Garden, and Health and Nutrition from the Garden curriculums. They will learn basic gardening skills, the importance of wildlife in gardens, health lifestyles and eating choices and spend a quiet moment with a good book in the shade of the bean plant tepee.

The upcoming Outdoor Recreation program will have Chilton County youth centering on environmental education, outdoor survival, water sports, outdoor cooking, and overnight camping. After completing a series of hands-on programs, the youth will put their skills to the test during an overnight camping experience. Get your hiking boots on and your camping tents ready.

If you are interested in participating (or volunteering) in these outdoor activities, contact Jo Walter, 4-H Regional Extension Agent, jaw002@auburn.edu, 334-750-2032, for more details.

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Students of the boarding school in Kisii walk 3 or more miles to and from school each day.

By Scott Mims

To go from a drug dealer to a youth minister is nothing short of an amazing transformation. But if you stopped there, you would have only begun to tell the story of Philander (Phil) Browder.

Browder’s journey has taken him from the streets of Birmingham to a hospital room to the lights of Hollywood to an East African village and back to Central Alabama—where he has made it his life’s calling to tell everyone that God has a purpose for their life.

Browder has no qualms about recounting his old way of life. Prior to 1991, instead of pointing kids away from the streets, he was part of the streets, dealing drugs and then doing drugs.

Phil Browder is pictured with some of the children he ministered to in Kisii, Kenya.

The night of March 8, 1991, he told his now wife, Lucinda, that he was going out to meet some friends. Drunk and behind the wheel, he ran a Birmingham red light and was blindsided by a fast-approaching vehicle.

“That’s where I got this hole in my head,” he said.

But Browder didn’t merely survive the crash. What happened next may be hard for anyone to visualize.

“When I looked up, there was a lady with long, white hair, and she knelt down with me and said, ‘Phil, everything’s going to be OK,’” he said.

Right there on the street, he got down on his knees and prayed. In the hospital room, he remembers hearing a police officer say he was going to go to jail. But when he awoke, he was at home.

“That was my Damascus Road,” Browder said, referring to Saul’s biblical conversion to the Apostle Paul.

Interestingly, Browder bears tattoos which read “Prophet” on his right arm and “Apostle” on his left. He is pastor of Kingdom Builders Ministries on Second Avenue North in Clanton, which recently partnered with Anointed Remnant International Ministries in Prattville in an effort to grow its youth department.

The concept of identity in God’s kingdom is a central part of Browder’s ministry, which is enforced by his ever-growing testimony.

“We’re going to teach the word of God and make sure you know who you are in the Kingdom of God,” Browder said.

Browder says social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have “destroyed” youth through the effects of cyberbullying, badgering and unhealthy relationships.

“It could be good,” he admitted, “but it’s a bad thing also. This is a global, demonic spirit that’s out to kill our youth.”

Browder wants young people to have positive role models in their lives to teach them how to be successful. That’s why he wants to start a Boys and Girls Club in Chilton County.

“When we teach everyone who they are and whose they are, they will walk as kings and queens,” Browder said.

An unexpected trip to L.A.

Every ministry needs money to grow, and sometimes this support comes from the most unexpected places.

Browder, a service technician with DirecTV, was one of 10 employees selected to participate in an “interview” in which he would tell his life story. Soon thereafter, he was asked to train a new employee by the name of Tom Peters.

Little did Browder know he was “training” DirecTV CEO Michael White and was being filmed for the CBS reality TV show “Undercover Boss,” in which CEOs of major corporations disguise themselves as ordinary employees and get familiar with their stores and workers on a more personal level.

The show was filmed within just a few months of White being named CEO, so most employees would not have recognized him.

“I’m just being me,” Browder recalled. “When I was training him, I was trying to find out what kind of person he was. He started asking me questions.”

Browder shared his testimony with White and talked about his ministry. At the time, Browder and his wife were planning a mission trip to Kenya in East Africa to help provide food and minister to struggling families. He told White of his desire to help local kids find direction in life.

“We had money, but we needed more,” he said.

Then one day, out of the blue, DirecTV informed Browder he would be flown to Los Angeles to vote on a potential employee. On the day of the trip, his best friend from high school met him in his driveway with a limo.

When Browder arrived in L.A., he walked into a room and found Tom Peters, only without the beard and glasses, and found out his true identity. White offered $5,000 toward the ministry, a display of generosity that brought Browder to tears.

A CRUSADE IN KENYA

In Kisii, Kenya, kids walk 3 to 5 miles a day to get to school. They each have one pair of shoes and one uniform. During the rainy season, they must stop to wash their shoes because most families do not have the luxury of running water.

In October 2010, Phil and Lucinda Browder spent eight days in Kisii, working with Pastor Onchoke of Rhema Worship Center and ministering to children of the local orphanage and boarding school.

“If they (the orphanages) run out of food on February 25, they don’t get any until March 1,” Browder explained. “It’s the same thing with boarding schools.”

Churches are not the same as in the United States. In Kenya, a church building is more like a barn. A gas generator supplies electricity.

Upon learning that Pastor Onchoke had lost the property for his church, the Browders prayed about it and made a budget while on the 24-hour flight back home. They decided to buy the property, which they found would cost only $180 every six months.

“I said I’m going to pay rent and you just preach the Gospel; you just do ministry,” Browder told Onchoke.

The church’s first service in their new building was held Easter 2011. During that service, 150 people gave their lives to Christ.

The Browders plan to return to Kisii in October 2012 for a 13-day crusade.

“Those eight days, they really changed us,” Browder said. “That Sunday, when we got ready to leave, we cried.”

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Cogongrass is an invasive plant from Asia that was introduced in the U.S. back in 1911.

By Patrick Cook | Regional Extension Agent

Invasive plants, non-native plants that outcompete desirable vegetation, have been a problem in Chilton County for decades. Plants such as kudzu and Chinese privet have long been loathed for the problems they cause. However, there is now a plant invading the county that has the potential to wreak havoc on a scale never before seen.

Its name is cogongrass, and it poses a serious threat to our farms, forests, wildlife and even public safety. It spreads by windblown seed and rhizomes (underground stems similar to roots). The seed can be blown for more than 15 miles. The rhizomes have pointed tips so sharp they can pierce the roots of other plants thereby killing them. The grass also releases chemicals into the soil that inhibit the growth of other plants.

When the grass invades open areas such as fields and pastures, it quickly overtakes the site, rendering it useless for livestock production and wildlife because the plant is low in nutritive value, and the leaves have serrated edges that cut the tongues of grazing animals.

To make matters worse, cogongrass actually promotes wildfire. Its structure and chemical composition make it very combustible, and it burns hotter and more intensely than other plants. Even our most fire-resistant tree, longleaf pine, cannot tolerate cogongrass fires. Following a fire, the rhizomes sprout and the plant is able to spread more rapidly in the burned area now devoid of trees. Successive fires turn a forest into a sea of cogongrass. The increased number of wildfires threatens people and property. The thick smoke produced from cogongrass fires often settles on highways resulting in automobile accidents.

Cogongrass is native to Asia and was first introduced into the U.S. in 1911 at the port of Mobile from packing material that contained its seeds. Like most invasive plants, it went through a lag period before becoming an aggressive invader.

It is now spreading rapidly and has made its way into the county. Brian Smith, Forestry Commission forester serving Chilton County, stated “Cogongrass was first discovered here four years ago. This is not to say it was not here before, it most likely was, it just grew undetected.”

He also added, “We are doing the best we can to identify it on public land such as rights-of-way, but the majority of land is owned by private individuals. We strongly encourage them to learn how to identify cogongrass so we can help them eradicate it.”

To stave off the potentially disastrous consequences of a full-blown infestation, landowners and other residents need to be proactive and vigilant. Early detection of an infestation is critical for eradication. It is very difficult to control. Repeated treatments of herbicide for up to three years are required.

If left unchecked, the infestation can reach a point at which control becomes cost-prohibitive. The best time to spot infestations is right now in early spring. Cogongrass blooms earlier than other grasses, usually in late March and continuing into June.

At this time of year, the blooming infestations stand out, contrasting well with surrounding vegetation. The blooms occur on a spike and the seeds are light and fluffy, like dandelion seeds.

Infestations begin as small, dense, and circular patches. A good distinguishing feature of the leaves is a central vein that is off-center, especially near the base of the leaf.

If you find a patch of cogongrass, exercise caution. Do not mow through or near the area that has cogongrass, especially if it is flowering, as this may aid in dispersing the seeds. Do not disk, grade, or do any other soil work in or near the area.

Rhizome fragments can stick to equipment and be carried to other areas where the equipment is used. Contact the Forestry Commission office (205-755-3042) or the County Extension office (205-280-6268) for control recommendations and help with identification. More information can also be found at www.aces.edu, www.forestry.alabama.gov, and www.cogongrass.org.

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Tom and Renee Powers built a home in the Greek revival style common in the United States in the mid-1850s.

By Stephen Dawkins

Houses are expensive and can take a while to build, and certainly no shortcuts were taken with Tom and Renee Powers’ new Greek revival style home.

But by utilizing uncommon materials and doing much of the work themselves, the Powers were able to build a home that is ideal for them and unique to the community.

The project lasted about 10 years, as the couple lived above a workshop on their property. Finally, they are enjoying the fruits of their labor.

“It just shows that if you keep after something, you can make it happen,” Renee Powers said.

The Powers, who formerly lived near Chilton Medical Center, knew what kind of home in which they wanted to spend their retirement years. Mrs. Powers had an interest in Greek revival architecture—which would have been common in the time period around 1850—and spent 18 months studying the style.

She relied heavily on The American Builders Companion, which was written in 1827, and Creating a New Old House. Most homes in the South built in the Greek revival style were destroyed during the Civil War, but Powers was able to find some case studies in Eutaw and Natchez, Miss. She visited the homes and took lots of notes. “What we were trying to do is create a new home that looked old,” Powers said.

The Greek revival period, which could also be called neoclassicism, represents the revived interest in ideals that influenced European and American society during the 18th and 19th centuries through several venues such as thought, politics, fine art and architecture. Many of the most recognizable structures in the United States were built in this style—constructed after but hearkening back to classical Greek society.

The style is marked by an emphasis on the wall, as individual rooms and the entire structure is planar and symmetrical. Another obvious feature is the use of columns on the front.

At first glance of the house, one realizes it is not a structure typical to Chilton County. The most striking feature upon entering the home is the foyer area.

The dining room off to the right of the foyer is the first example of the unconventional approach the couple took to building their home. Powers had read such dining rooms typically featured a botanical mural. The couple eventually decided that a painting of a peach tree would be appropriate for the area while also in keeping with the style they wanted. Local artists Carolyn Cumbie and Peggy Smith were enlisted for the painting.

The formal dining room, above, features a peach tree mural. Such botanical murals were common in Greek revival homes of the 1800s.

The wood floors in the home are reclaimed hardwood pine out of a mill in South Carolina. The cabinets in the study were designed by Tom and crafted by local woodworker Bobby Lane, and the beadboard in the room was taken from an old office in downtown Clanton. The mantle above a fireplace on one of the back decks is a slab of wood taken from a cedar tree in the front yard of Tom Powers’ old homeplace in Clanton.

Renee Powers credits her approach to the home building process to her days spent as a kindergarten teacher, when she had to find creative uses for items that could be used as instructional tools and make a small amount of supplies go a long way. It helped that Tom and Russ, one of the couple’s sons, possessed most of the skills necessary for construction.

“We utilized a lot of materials that people would never even look for, and we did a lot of the work ourselves,” Tom Powers said. “We wanted to build a home that would stand the test of time.”

Russ, who is a building contractor, was short on work because of the economic recession and was hired by his parents for a year to work on their home. He told his mother: “Mom, I know you and dad are paying me for my work, but I’m having the time of my life working with dad.”

Russ’ twin brother, Sam, also gets credit for the home. He helped Tom build the workshop, which would lead to the construction of the home on the same property.

Despite some unexpected circumstances—Tom served as the county’s tax assessor, and Renee was asked to help with the state level campaigns of two politicians—the home was eventually completed. The Powers are thrilled with it, of course, but Renee said she also thinks the house belongs to family and the community.

“God has richly blessed us with this so that we can share it with family and friends,” she said.

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Teacher Needra Henderson and students in Clanton Elementary’s after-school program help organize snacks for kids to take home over the weekend.

By Emily Beckett

Hunger – it’s a basic feeling all humans are equipped with at birth.

It is a part of daily life, and it normally goes away when a person eats enough.

Only when a person eats enough.

In Chilton County, some children dread leaving school on Friday afternoons because they know they will not have enough food at home over the weekend.

Enter Linda Anderson, a second grade teacher at Clanton Elementary School and organizer of the Snack Sack ministry at First United Methodist Church of Clanton.

Anderson started the Snack Sack ministry last year after realizing how many children at CES alone were suffering from hunger, especially on Saturdays and Sundays when school meals are not available.

“That’s where I work. I know the children. I see the need,” Anderson said. “It just broke my heart to see children coming to school hungry.”

Anderson enlisted help from her Sunday School class to start the Snack Sack ministry, which provides bags of nutritious, non-perishable food for children to take home every Friday.

The ministry also provides teachers with snacks to keep in their classrooms for the same children who do not usually have one during snack time.

Food in the sacks includes Chef Boyardee or Vienna sausage cans, peanut butter or cheese and crackers, pudding cups, 100-percent fruit juice boxes, Pop-Tarts, breakfast grits, applesauce, oatmeal, granola bars and fruit chews.

“We started out doing this last year as a trial project,” Anderson said. “We didn’t want to start something and just not be able to continue it. We couldn’t do everybody, so we started where we were.”

Anderson said the ministry serves from 25-28 students at CES, kindergarten through second grade.

Last year, FUMC partnered with West End Baptist Church to launch the ministry.

This year, students involved in the CES after-school program called Tiger Trails are helping to pack the sacks every Thursday as part of their community service.

“They really enjoy helping other children their own age. It’s done something to their hearts,” said Anderson, who is co-director of the program. “It’s giving them a desire to serve other people. We want them to be productive, caring citizens of society.”

This is the first year the Snack Sack ministry has served children since the first day of a new school year.

“We did 15 (children) last year just to kind of see if we could do it and maintain it,” Anderson said. “It was so important for us to do it consistently and the whole year.”

According to Anderson, the ministry has never run out of food or money to buy food for the snack sacks.

Associated Foods in Clanton has consistently donated white bags for the snacks, and numerous members of FUMC have contributed to the ministry.

“If another church or group wanted to participate, there are still children,” Anderson said. “The need is so great, we would still have a group that they could service as well.”

Anderson said she and her volunteers work with teachers and the guidance counselor at CES to determine which children need help.

Those children are sent home with a letter about the Snack Sack ministry, and their parents must sign the letter if they approve of their children being recipients.

Adult and student volunteers discreetly deliver the snack sacks to the designated classrooms every Friday afternoon.

“The part that’s been most satisfying for me is watching children develop hearts to help others,” Anderson said. “Providing others with something they don’t have. They start fighting over who is going to get to deliver the next set of bags.”

Each snack sack is double-bagged so other children cannot see through.

“We double bag them into two white plastic bags and tie them up with a card that says Snack Sack Ministry of FUMC,” Anderson said. “It’s not anything that would attract attention of bigger kids on the bus.”

Anderson said they would like to put copies of the New Testament, coloring books or small gifts in the sacks by the end of this school year.

“It’s not a project. It’s a ministry,” she said. “We’ve really looked at it as people helping people. We’ve all been helped and we’re just taking our turn now to help others.”

Each bag is designed to last an entire weekend to help keep children full between meals.

Anderson and a group of volunteers meet at Associated Foods about once a month to purchase groceries for the sacks with donated money.

“My class spearheads it, but the entire church participates,” she said. “The money has replenished just like the product does. We haven’t run out of anything.”

Anyone is welcome to donate food, money or time to the ministry, Anderson said.

At least 25 children will be better off for it.

“They are so appreciative,” Anderson said. “You’ve never heard a complaint about the types of foods in the bags.”

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Chilton County’s own Minooka Park offers a scenic walking trail along the banks of a lake there.

Spring is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the warmer temperatures and more hours of sunlight in the evenings.

It’s also a great time to plan a hike — wildflowers are in bloom, rivers and creeks are flowing and bugs and other pets are (for the most part) not a problem yet.

Chilton County has a couple of terrific hiking spots, while many more are within a couple of hours’ drive.

IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

MINOOKA PARK

A hidden gem in Chilton County, Minooka Park offers something for everyone.

The park opened around five years ago as an ATV playground because the county had been awarded an Off-Highway Vehicle Grant available for those kinds of parks.

But Minooka has so much more than the multiple ATV trails that wind their way throughout the park’s 295 acres.

A 1-mile walking trail follows the banks of a lake, which is stocked with bass and bluegill.

It’s free to walk around the lake, but passes are needed for the ATV/dirt bike trails and fishing.

For more information, call (205) 287-1217 or (205) 312-1376.

CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL PARK

Confederate Memorial Park in Mountain Creek has its roots in the Civil War.

The park, which sits on 102 acres, originally opened in 1902 as the Old Soldiers Home for Confederate Army Veterans. It operated as that until 1939, when the retirement home closed.

There is a nature trail that wanders across the park and more than 250 Confederate veterans and their wives are buried in the cemetery, making it a great draw for nature and history lovers.

Admission to the park is free but there is a charge for admission into the park’s museum.

For more information, call (205) 755-1990.

A ROCK, SKIP & THROW

OAK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

The miles of trails that wind through Oak Mountain State Park offer something for everyone.

The park, Alabama’s most visited one, is just a short drive up Interstate 65 in Pelham.

From meandering streams to breathtaking views, chance wildlife encounters to beautiful Peavine Falls, the park serves as a sanctuary for those wanting to get away.

Several of the park’s trails offer breathtaking views from Double Oak Mountain. Visit in May or June when everything is alive and green or October for fiery foliage.

The two most popular destinations at Oak Mountain are Peavine Falls and the Treetop Trail.

Peavine Falls

Oak Mountain features 24 miles of hiking trails, most of which make their way to Peavine Falls.

The 65-foot waterfall roars down a rock wall into a collection pool, perfect for splashing in during summer months.

The waterfall tends to dry up some during summer, trickling down the rocks, but its still worth the effort to get there, if just to cool off.

Peavine Falls is just a short walk from the South Trailhead parking lot.

Treetop Trail

The Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center works to return injured and orphaned animals to the wild. Sadly, some animals can’t ever be released.

The Treetop Trail offers close-up views of hawks and owls along an elevated walkway.

The half-mile trail is family-friendly and handicap-accessible. The trail starts near the park office on Terrace Drive.

Longer trails

Foothills Trail (Yellow Trail) – 8.2 miles point-to-point, 5-6 hours, moderate to difficult in the beginning but easy for the last half.

Peavine Falls (Green Trail) – 4.6 miles out-and-back, 3-4 hours, difficult for most of the way with steep climbs.

South Rim Trail (Blue Trail) – 6.7 miles point-to-point, 3-4 hours, starts with difficult climb but soon levels out.

Shackelford Point Trail (White Trail) – 6.3 miles point-to-point, 3-4 hours, easy with a few moderate climbs. Crosses the Shackleford Point, the highest spot in the park.

Double Oak Trail (Red Trail) – 17 miles loop, moderate to difficult. The Red Trail is a mountain biking trail that hosts several races throughout the year. Hikers are allowed on the trail, but watch out for bikers!

Loops (Endless fun) — Due to several well-maintained trails at Oak Mountain, the possibilities for loop hikes are almost endless. Get a map at the park headquarters or online at alapark.com/oakmountain and plan out your own unique adventure.

There is a $3 fee for adults to use the park and discounted rates for children and seniors ($1). For more information, call (205) 620-2520.

CONSIDER THE LILIES

Every May, a couple of bends in the Cahaba River become one of Alabama’s most beautiful sights to see. That’s when the Hymenocallis coronaria, more commonly called the Cahaba Lily, blooms.

The flowers bloom between early May and late June and are more commonly found in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

A great time to visit is the last Saturday in May, when the annual Cahaba Lily Festival is taking place in West Blocton.

The best spot for viewing in Alabama is easily Hargrove Shoals on Bibb County 24, just past West Blocton Elementary. For a map and more information, visit cahabalily.com. For a map, visit cahabalilly.com.

IF YOU HAVE A DAY

MT. CHEAHA

If you have a day to explore, consider visiting Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. There’s a mountain of reasons to visit the park, which stands at 2,407 feet above sea level.

Several trails work their way up and over the mountain, most noticeably, the Pinhoti National Recreational Trail, which continuse on into Georgia.

Hike the Cave Creek Trail-Pinhoti Loop to hit the best views in the park. The 7-mile hike crosses the famous McDill Point and breathtaking views of the Cheaha Wilderness, two plane wrecks from years ago and several other great lookouts.

Cheaha State Park, in northern Clay and southwestern Cleburne counties, also has a lodge, restaurant, general store, campsites and more. It is Alabama’s oldest continuously operating park.

For more information, visit alapark.com/cheaharesort or call 1-800-ALA-PARK.

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The home that is now known as Pledger Manor was built in 1901 by Dr. Emmett A. Matthews.

If only Pledger Manor’s walls could talk. They would have a number of stories that come with being one of Clanton’s most renowned landmarks for 111 years.

Long before the Peach Water Tower reminded Interstate 65 travelers of Chilton County’s main crop, or before Peach Park and Durbin Farms Market sold that fruit and the delicious treats made from it, there was the mansion on Second Avenue North.

Dr. Emmett A. Matthews and family were the original owners of the large house on Second Avenue North. Just a few years after its construction, it was sold to William Archie Reynolds.

The house was built in 1901 by Dr. Emmett A. Matthews. A few years later it was sold to William Archie Reynolds and belonged to the Reynolds family until the late 1960s or early 70s.

Reynolds Mansion, as it was known at the time, became synonymous with Clanton because of its size, location and beauty–and because the family that owned it was one the city’s most well known. A family “watermelon party” was held at the mansion each year, bringing relatives even from out of state.

But the stately home fell on hard times after it left the hands of the Reynolds family. A column by Thomas F. Hill in the Feb. 2, 1976 edition of The Birmingham News raised the question of whether the building should be saved or razed. People who lived near the house asked the Clanton mayor and city council to condemn it. The city officials did so, and Reynolds Mansion was in line to be demolished until it was added to the Alabama Register of Heritage and Landmarks, according to the column.

Warner Floyd, director of the state’s historical commission, urged Mayor Bill Bennett to preserve the mansion, which had fallen into disrepair and had even had chandeliers, mantles and other items stolen from it. “This house is Clanton’s largest and most outstanding landmark,” Floyd wrote. “It also is one of the oldest residences in the area and we hope it can be reclaimed and put to public use.”

Repairs were made and the house obviously was not torn down, which wound up as good news for the home’s current owners, Jerry and Sharon Pledger. They bought the house in 1991. Some minor renovations were done, but mostly just a lot of cleaning up.

The main stairway is one of the house’s most striking features.

Sharon Pledger said she was in the market for a house with history, and she found just that. She has looked into the house’s past, including how it burned before the original construction was complete and then was rebuilt—with blocks instead of bricks but otherwise according to the original plans. A member of the Reynolds family once gave her a booklet with some history of the house and old photos. Pledger finds it strange to see a picture of a group of strangers standing in what is now her parlor.

Also, there are quirks for a modern family living in a historic home. Though the house is as spacious as would be expected, there is only one bathroom on each floor. Also, there are no closets. Pledger said it’s because at the time the house was built, property tax was based on the number of rooms in a house, and closets counted as rooms.

Then there are the ghost stories. Pledger’s husband and son say they’ve heard the mysterious sound of boots coming up the home’s main stairway, and people over the years have claimed to have seen an apparition of a young man in a military uniform.

Pledger, who calls herself a “logical person,” scoffed at the notion, especially because the house was built after the end of the Civil War…until she discovered Dr. Matthews’ younger brother was killed in battle.

“My philosophy is, if they don’t bother me, I don’t bother them,” Pledger said. “We haven’t had any problems, so I guess they’re happy with what we’ve done with the place.”

Haunted or not, Pledger has no plans to leave the house. And she definitely won’t let it fall back into its former state of disarray. “In a way, I feel like it belongs to the town,” she said. “It has touched so many people in one way or another through the years. It would be a shame for it to be destroyed.”

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Jesus’ entire life is acted out during Providence Baptist Church No. 2’s Easter sunrise program, from his birth to Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Nearly every year since 1981, Providence Baptist Church No. 2 in Clanton has held an Easter sunrise program.

The program is an all-in-one outdoor drama and worship service in which Providence congregation members act out the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday.

Only inclement weather would prevent Providence from carrying out its annual Easter tradition, one that draws hundreds of people from Chilton County and farther away.

Actors recreate Jesus praying at Gethesemane.

“Through the years, it’s grown with more cast members and more of the story,” Pastor Glenn Bonds said. “It’s just been a spiritually life-changing event for people in our church. It’s not just a production; it’s a worship service.”

Bonds said Nila Minor, secretary at Providence, envisioned the program years ago as being an event for the church and the entire community.

“It started on a small scale that year,” Bonds said. “It’s just grown since then. I’m the fourth pastor since it began.”

Bonds came to Providence in 1998. By then, the church had held the program for about 17 years.

The cast ranges from 75-100 members, including children and adults. One family even has four generations in the drama.

“Years ago, the children in our church would play the parts of the children,” Bonds said. “They’ve grown up in being a part of the Sunrise service every year. They’ve been educated to the truth of the Gospel. That’s been an advantage for them.”

Bonds said anywhere from 100-400 people gather outside of Providence each year to watch the story of Christ unfold through acting, narration and song.

“We’re telling that story with a purpose at the end to invite people to trust Christ as their Savior,” Bonds said, “To be spiritually awakened through the drama every year. All of the music in the actual service is live music.”

Cast members will rehearse every Sunday afternoon beginning March 4 until Easter Sunday.

“They’ve almost got it perfected,” Bonds said of the cast. “We have props that we’ve been building through the years.”

The Easter sunrise program will start at 6 a.m., but Providence will also hold an open dress rehearsal on Palm Sunday, April 1, at 3 p.m.

“We’ve begun to use that as an extra performance,” Bonds said. “Last year was the first year we had it in the new location. We moved it from the cemetery (across the street) to our new property next to the church.”

The program usually lasts about an hour, Bonds said.

“It’s unusual that you would see this kind of production in Chilton County,” Bonds said. “(It is) our gift to this community.”

Providence Baptist Church No. 2 is located at 6197 County Road 97 in Clanton.

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This and several photographs below are examples of Jackson's work.

When Sarah Jackson isn’t capturing life through her camera lens – and her Nikon D60 goes with her practically everywhere – she is simply capturing life.

Jackson, a wife and mother of three, is not afraid to try her hand at new jobs, new hobbies and new endeavors if it means channeling her creativity into something she loves.

Jackson, above, takes pictures of people, places and things that interest her everywhere she goes.

In recent years, her work in photography, writing and design have brought her awards, attention and an all-consuming motivation to continue to nurture and share her God-given gifts.

Nearly three years ago, Jackson created a profile called “Sarahredhead” on HubPages.com, a prominent website where writers can publish articles, blogs and more.

For her, HubPages is “an awesome outlet,” a place where she shares nuggets of wisdom and humor, as well as her photography, in blog posts, or “hubs.”

Her hub titled “PHOTOGRAPHY: A Living Palette” won her the grand prize in the international “HubPatrons of the Arts” contest for National Novel Writers Month. The contest, sponsored by HubPages, was divided into different categories in the arts.

Jackson’s submission – an article on photography that included 21 of her photographs – beat more than 1,700 entrants in that category.

“I was very shocked,” she said. “I saw the competition, and there was some really intense talent on HubPages for anybody who’s familiar with that website.”

Jackson’s prize included $500, an announcement in The Wall Street Journal and an interview published in the HubPages monthly newsletter.

Jackson happily shares her work with her family, friends and Internet “followers,” but humbleness keeps her too quiet to shout her achievements from the rooftops.

“My husband is extremely excited; of course, he’s my biggest cheerleader,” Jackson said. “He’s very supportive, and I really don’t talk about it a lot.”

Jackson; her husband of 15 years, Jimmy; and their three children, Aidan, 12, Gannon, 10, and Quinn, 8, have lived in Chilton County for about 16 years now.

Her HubPages award may have slipped through the cracks if not for her good friend and fellow artist Allen Turcotte, for whom Jackson said she harbors much respect and admiration.

Last year, Jackson was chosen to design poster art for the 2012 Greater Birmingham Humane Society Jazz Cat Mardi Gras Ball.

“Her design was so impressive the GBHS would like to have prints made and then auction off the art,” Turcotte said. “Sarah is not a full-time artist or photographer. She’s a full-time mom and works part-time at Little Angels Grooming Salon. To do such a great job for the GBHS and do everything else in her life is great.”

In addition, one of Jackson’s photos secured a spot in the top 20 of more than 10,000 entries in the Sony Corporation’s photography contest last year.

“I didn’t win the top three, but that was fine because I made the honorable mention,” she said. “To me, that was a huge deal.”

Jackson attended the University of Montevallo, where she was a theater major. She has worked as a children’s theater instructor, barista at a coffee shop, wedding planner, professional mural artist, horse groomer, waitress and bookstore clerk.

“My friends always joke – they’ll see me, and they’ll go, ‘So, what are you doing now?’” Jackson said. “Right now, I’m in the foxhole of motherhood. We’re a little chaotic.”

Jackson grew up on a 200-acre farm and said people were non-existent in her early photographs; instead, her primary subjects were trees, animals and architecture, painted barns and old farmhouses.

“I didn’t have people in any of my early photographs,” she said. Jackson seems to have made up for lost time.

People permeate the photographs in her “Living Palette” hub, from her daughter rescuing a fish, to her son exploring a giant piece of driftwood on a beach, to her goddaughter holding a live rooster.

It’s difficult not to see a trend in Jackson’s photographs and blog posts. The majority of her visual and verbal handiwork is poignant proof that family takes precedence over everything else in her life.

Not surprisingly, when Jackson and her kids realized they could participate in the Vidalia Onion Jingle Contest two summers ago, she snatched up the opportunity as if it were a winning lottery ticket.

Although they came away without the prize, Jackson said they don’t regret entering the contest and would do it again in a heartbeat.

“The kids loved it,” she said. “It’s not every day you get to do a commercial.”

For about three years, Jackson has contributed to an online artistic forum called DeviantArt and established her portfolio on the website she referred to as “a community that was all-encompassing.”

“I started writing articles about the art world for them, because that’s another lifelong thing that I’ve been involved in for years and years,” she said. “There are so many really great websites out there for the art world – for photographers and artists and all. I’ve tried probably a dozen of them over the past 15 years, but DeviantArt is my favorite.

“There’s a lot of heaven on DeviantArt.”

Jackson said she has been writing ever since grade school. She has kept a journal since first grade, and she served on her high school’s yearbook staff.

But Jackson didn’t hold her first camera until she was about 10 years old, when her father taught her how to use a Minolta he had brought home from Vietnam before she was born.

“He taught me how to use it. I fell in love with it and adopted it,” she said. “My parents let me take it on trips or do what I wanted, and that’s when the addiction started.”

Her blogs reveal colorful details and anecdotes about her photography, but her photographs speak volumes on their own.

With momentum from her HubPages honor, Jackson entered the Smithsonian Ninth Annual Photography Competition. The winners will be announced this month, and Jackson said she can’t wait to find out how she did.

“This year for some reason, I’ve been entering a lot of contests,” she said. “My pipe dream would be to be recognized by National Geographic. I don’t know where it will go, but I’m going to keep taking pictures.”

Another brushstroke on Jackson’s canvas has been ghost writing a book with her goddaughter, Rosemary, 21.

“Rosemary has Asperger autism, so she and I had the idea to write a book that is a combination of a biography about autism and her experiences,” she said. “Also, it provides a lot of information about how to live with that, how to function.”

Jackson said she and Rosemary have sent out query letters and received interest from an agent.

“We’re learning as we go; the whole process,” she said.

Together, she and Rosemary have completed nine chapters so far.

“I’m full of continuous inspiration, and it has to come out somehow,” Jackson said. “Art, photography and writing are three of the most therapeutic things, I think, across the board.

“I’ve heard a lot of other people say the same thing,” she said. “If they’re involved in any one of those, that’s how they cope. That’s their therapy.”

Jackson’s artistic wellspring flows into her daily life, and she allows it to take her to great, often unexpected, places.

“I’m a huge advocate of going around and asking people what their gift is or what their talent is, because I believe that everybody has one,” she said. “I am well aware that whatever their gift is, they’re capable of inspiring somebody else or making a change.”

The SafeHouse organization in Birmingham approached Jackson in January about helping with its photographic campaign for abused and battered women. True to form, she didn’t hesitate before saying yes.

“This subject is very dear to my heart because I grew up in a violent household,” Jackson said. “My mom lived in those Birmingham shelters for three years. I hope I can use my talent to make a difference.

“I feel like an important door has opened,” she said. “Everything happens for a reason, and things are on the right path.”

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