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MAR/APR 2010 $3.95 noalamag.com MAKING THE L EAP David Adamo’s Olympic Quest RENAISSANCE A WARD WINNERS F ASHION FORUM SPRING BREAK SHOPPING

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No'Ala's Renaissance Awards Winners, Profile of Equestrian David Adamo, Spring Fashion Forecast, Shopping, Party Pictures, Bless Their Hearts

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Page 1: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

MAR/APR 2010 $3.95

noalamag.com

MAKINGTHE LEAP

David Adamo’sOlympic Quest

RENAISSANCE AWARD WINNERSFASHION FORUM

SPRING BREAK SHOPPING

Page 2: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

From colored pencils to color printing

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From office supplies to party invitations, gifts and everything in between,check with us for all of your home and office needs!

Printing • Office Supplies • Furniture • Gifts113 North Court Street, Florence AL 35630

256-764-8061

Page 3: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

Dr. Joel Rainer

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We have been recognized for the quality of care you receive when it comes to matters of the heart.

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Page 4: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

4 | No’Ala

DANNYMITCHELL

PHOTOGRAPHY

Member, Professional Photographers of America

PHOTO RESTORATIONPORTRAITS

COMMERCIALADVERTISING

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116 South Main StreetTuscumbia, Alabama 35674

256-386-0944 (office)256-627-3056 (cell)

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BEFORE

AFTER

Page 5: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 5

On the cover: Meadow Run Farm trains champions, and David Adamo and “Prince Noah” hope

there is a spot on the Olympic team for them. This issue celebrates people in the Shoals who are

stretching and learning and working hard to make good things happen. We’re calling it the

No’Ala Renaissance issue in honor of an area that has undergone a renaissance of its own.

{ contents}

Page 6: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010Volume 3: Issue 2

• • •

C. Allen TomlinsonEditor-In-Chief

David SimsManaging Editor/Design Director

Contributing WritersCharles Wickwire

Contributing PhotographersDanny Mitchell

Contributing DesignersJustin Hall

Business ManagerMatthew Liles

Marketing CoordinatorJeff Linholm

InternsBethany OliverClaire Stewart

Printing and DistributionPrinters and Stationers, Inc.

• • •

No’Ala is published six times annually by ATSA PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630

Phone: 256-766-4222 | Fax: 256-766-4106Toll-free: 800-779-4222

Web: www.noalamag.com

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

Signed articles reflect only the views of theauthors and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the editors.Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements.

© 2008-2010 ATSA, All rights reserved.

Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson, Editor,

at the postal address above, or by e-mail [email protected].

Letters 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 notsubmit unsolicited manuscripts;

please query the editor first.

No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inkson 100% recycled paper.

{ contents}

8 Contributors10 Calendar14 David Adamo’s Olympic Quest24 Shopping: Spring Break28 Renaissance Award Winners54 Fashion Forum60 Bless Their Hearts:

Charles Wickwire Talks Some Trash

64 Twenty Questions for Giles McDaniel

66 Parting Shot

6 | No’Ala

6024

Page 7: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 7

{ editor’s letter} BY DAVID SIMS

Our RenaissanceAward was craftedin the Shoals bysome very talentedindividuals. Ala-bama Metalworkscut and hand-fin-ished the steelpiece, Robin Wadecrafted the beauti-ful walnut cubes,and Side Lines sup-plied the sterlingsilver “R” initial.

“A creative man is motivated by thedesire to achieve…” —Ayn Rand

I’ve got a little confession to make. I have always had a lifelong goal to bea Renaissance man—to excel in all areas of knowledge. And I’m frus-trated that today we don’t seem to appreciate those samemultidisciplinary talents that were revered in the 14th to 17th centuries.As a society we’ve lost appreciation for academic achievement in general.Politicians and athletes seem to get all the accolades; reality stars andmediocrity are celebrated. That’s why, in part, we decided it was high-time some high-achieving “polymaths” received the recognition theydeserved. And so, we created the Renaissance Awards.

For the past year, No’Ala has been accepting nominations from our readers for people who trulyembody Renaissance qualities. There were five categories: Arts & Culture, Business & Leader-ship, Service & Spirituality, Education, and Science. We received 37 nominations in all,individuals—and even some couples—from all across the Shoals. We could not have hand-pickeda more deserving group of people. After the nominations closed we put together a panel of res-idents whom we thought exhibited the very same qualities we admired in the nominees and wesent them a ballot and a directive: choose one winner in each category and one overall winner—one Renaissance Man, or Woman, or Couple. And to make it completely fair, we also sent a ballotto each nominator so he or she could vote for the person they nominated. The winners are pro-filed beginning on page 28. We think you will find their stories to be both inspiring and surprising.In any case, you will be proud of these Shoals residents who make such a vital contribution to ourculture and community.

Recently, we were surprised to find that the Shoals is home to a world-class equestrian trainingfacility, and two world class trainers and athletes. Jim Graham and David Adamo own and oper-ate Meadow Run Farm just north of St. Florian, and Adamo is training to become a member ofthe 2012 Olympic team. Read more about Adamo and Graham on page 14 and learn how you canhelp Adamo reach his golden goal.

You’ll enjoy our feature on color trends in fashion and interiors, which includes input from someof the Shoals’s very own fashionistas and decorating gurus. Find out what the “colors of the year”are (yes, there is such a thing), and whether or not our panel even pays attention to such things.Our shopping pages include some great spring break finds and and Charles Wickwire shares histhoughts and frustrations about our litter problem and how we can stop it. To round out thisissue, Shoals Entrepreneurial Center Director Giles McDaniel answers our “Twenty Questions”.

Thanks again to all of you who took time to nominate our Renaissance people. We will begin totake nominations again in 2011 and will award the second awards in January of 2012. Until then,maybe some of you will try a new venture or explore a new hobby—and maybe you will becomeour next Renaissance person.

Page 8: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

8 | No’Ala

{ contributors}

Charles Wickwire is a retiree from Norfolk South-ern Corporation where he served as Senior ClaimAgent. A resident of Florence, he has served on theBoard of Directors for Shoals Habitat for Humanityand is now working with several Shoals area anti lit-ter groups. He is a Keep the Shoals Beautiful (KTSB)Board Member.

It happens almost every time we’re on a photoshootwith Danny Mitchell. Someone always recognizeshim as the man who took their school pictures. Foryears Danny worked for Lifetouch, one of theworld’s largest portrait photography companies.When he retired, he decided to try his hand at com-mercial and editorial photography, and we’re gladhe did.

We’re always on the lookout for talented writersin the Shoals area, especially those who have aunique point of few on a variety of subjects anda great sense of humor. If you would like to beconsidered as a “Bless Your Hearts” guest colum-nist, send us a sample of something you’vealready written or a link to your writing samples.See our mast for details and addresses.

Charles Wickwire

Danny MitchellCall 256-740-0706 or256-757-9008Email [email protected] www.annewillsell.com

Looking for a home this spring?I’m Anne Bernauer and I want to be your Realtor® — for life.

Page 9: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 9

Nothing sets the mood quite like the proper

lighting. And even though we sell everything

electrical for your home, it’s the lighting that

will get the attention. Like the Bolla collection

from Hinkley, just one of the many styles and

brands we feature. If you want to set the

proper mood for your home, visit our lighting

showroom—or visit our website at

www.sbselectric.com

625 South Cherry Street, Florence, AL 256-764-8481

Page 10: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

10 | No’Ala

MarchMarch 1–5Art of the StateJuried art competition, open to all full-time and part-time art studiofaculty at any Alabama college or university; 9:00am–5:00pm; adults$5/students $3; Group rates available; Tennessee Valley Museum ofArt; 511 N. Water St, Tuscumbia, 256-383-0533

March 1–25Watercolors by Clint HerringMonday–Friday, 9:00am–4:00pm; Free; Kennedy-Douglass Center forthe Arts; 217 E. Tuscaloosa St, Florence; 256-760-6379

March 2–April 6Artistic Renderings of YouthKennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts; 217 E. Tuscaloosa St., Florence;9:00am–4:00pm; Monday–Friday; No admission charged; 256-760-6379 or florenceal.org

March 6Art for Heart Ball 2010A black tie fundraiser for the American Heart Association6:00pm; Marriott Shoals Conference Center, Florence; Tickets: $175

March 6The Country ShindigFamily-oriented country music show featuring the host band “Show-down” and a variety of Shoals Area talent; $7 adults/$5 children 6-12years/5 & under free; 7:00pm; Deshler High School Auditorium, N.Commons East, Tuscumbia; For more information: Keith Davis 256-765-2466

March 11Reception for Artistic Renderings of YouthKennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts; 217 E. Tuscaloosa St., Florence;5:30pm–8:30pm; No admission charged; 256-760-6379 orflorenceal.org

March 12–13Quilts by the RiverEdgemont United Methodist Church, Florence; Friday,10:00am–6:00pm; Saturday, 9:00am–4:00pm; Admission $5; Contact:256-757-1308

March 13Huff & Puff 15K Race & RelayThe 15k Alabama State Championship foot race is a fundraiser for theNorthwest Alabama Red Cross; Free to the public/Fee to participate;9:00am–until; Sheffield Recreation Center; for more information: (256)366-0040, [email protected] or www.huffnpuff15k.com

March 14–April 2Works from the CollectionThe Tennessee Valley Museum of Art features works from its perma-nent collection; Tennessee Valley Museum of Art; 511 North WaterStreet, Tuscumbia; Sunday, 1:00pm–3:00pm.; Monday–Friday,9:00am–5:00pm; Contact: Lori Curtis, 256.383.0533, [email protected]; www.tvaa.net; Admission: Monday–Fri-day: $5 adults/$3 Students/ Sundays free; Group rates available;Group reservations required;

March 15–April 2Easter EggstravaganzaMeet the Easter Bunny. Tour of the museum. Easter Egg Hunt. Eachstudent receives a gift from the Easter Bunny, teachers too! Refresh-ments served; $6 student/teachers and bus dDrivers are free;Rreservations only; Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia; DixieConnell 256-381-4417 or 800-239-2643; [email protected]

March 16Florence Camerata presents Haydn’s The CreationChrist Chapel, 3051 Cloverdale Road, Florence; 7:30pm; Admission $10

March 21Princess and Pirate Party 2:00pm–4:00pm; Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa; Children of all agescan meet and greet some of the most famous princesses in theworld—Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Tiara, and Tinkerbell; as wellas one notorious pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow. Attendees will have teawith the Princesses, have their photo taken and spend one-on onetime with the Princesses and Captain Jack all while helping to raisefunds for the Children’s Miracle Network. Call 256-768-1751

March 30—April 4George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival9:00am– 4:00pm; various venues; see www.una.edu for details

March 31Empty Bowl LuncheonMarriott Conference Center of the Shoals, Florence; 11:30am–1:30pm;$12 per person in advance; $15 at the door; Benefits the SalvationArmy

AprilApril 2010 – Earth Month ConcertTickets $16, includes light refreshments; 7:00pm; Gas CommercialPhotography Studio, 109 W. Sixth St., Tuscumbia; for more informa-tion: 256-767-2909 or 256 383-0783; [email protected]

April 2010Earth Month Family Fun WalkSeveral walks are scheduled to culminate at the Old Railroad Bridge;Free; 5:30pm; Old Railroad Bridge, Sheffield; for more information:256-767-2090; [email protected]

April 2“First Fridays”Downtown Florence

April 2–May 4Ceramic Works by Paveen ChunhaswasdikulKennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts; 217 E. Tuscaloosa St., Florence9:00am–4:00pm, Monday–Friday; No admission charged; 256-760-6379 or florenceal.org

Calendarof events

Page 11: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 11

April 3Ritz Benefit Sale–Spring SaleThe Ritz Benefit Sale supports the Tennessee Valley Art Association’shistoric Ritz Theatre and educational outreach programs at the Ritz,Tennessee Valley Museum of Art and in local schools; Foodland Shop-ping Center, Sheffield; 9:00am–1:00pm; Contact: Keith McMurtrey,256-383-0533; www.tvaa.net

April 3Rogersville First SaturdaysDowntown Rogersville

April 3 The Country ShindigFamily oriented country music show featuring the host band “Show-down” and a variety of Shoals area talent; $7 adults/$5 children 6-12years/5 & under free; 7:00pm; Muscle Shoals High School Auditorium,East Avalon Avenue; 256) 415-0803, Keith Davis: 256-765-2466

April 3, 10, 17 and 24Landscape PaintingStudents will explore working with oil paints and learn techniquesthat are unique to painting on location in an outdoor setting. Class isappropriate for all skill levels. Class size is limited. Registration dead-line is March 26. 1:00pm–3:00pm; Ages 16 and older; Instructor: AnnMcCutcheon; Lori Curtis, 256-383-0533 or [email protected];www.tvaa.net; Cost: $50.00 for TVAA /for non-members

April 8-11Shoals Community Theatre presents the Zodiac ProductionDon’t Dress For DinnerComedy directed by Michael Hill; Friday, April 9, 2010Starts at 7:30pm; Sunday’s performance begins at 2:00pm; adults$10/students $8; Zodiac Theatre, 426 N. Court Street, Florence; 256-764-1700

April 15On Stage presents “Bravo Broadway!”7:30pm; Norton Auditorium, UNA campus; Admission charged;Tickets at Kennedy-Doulgass Center for the Arts and www.shoalson-stage.com

April 18Opening Reception and Gallery Talk by “At Home in Alabama”Curator, Zac AbramsonTennessee Valley Museum of Art; 511 North Water Street, Tuscumbia1:00pm; Contact: Lori Curtis, 256.383.0533 or [email protected]; www.tvaa.net; Admission: FREE

April 18–May 28“At Home in Alabama”“At Home in Alabama” is a decorative arts exhibition curated by Mr.Zac Abramson. The display will reflect the aesthetic and practical val-ues of the north Alabama home from the late 19th century throughthe 20th century; Tennessee Valley Museum of Art; 511 North WaterStreet, Tuscumbia; Hours: Sunday, 1:00pm–3:00pm; Monday–Friday,9:00am–5:00pm; Admission: Monday–Friday: $5 adults/$3 students;Sundays: Free; Contact: Lori Curtis, 256.383.0533

April 18–May 28Hummingbirds of the Nineteenth CenturyAn exhibit of fine art prints from the collection of Billy and WandaIsom; Tennessee Valley Museum of Art; 511 North Water Street, Tus-cumbia; Exhibition Hours: Sunday, 1:00pm–3:00pm; Monday–Friday,9:00am–5:00pm; Contact: Lori Curtis, 256.383.0533 [email protected]; www.tvaa.net; Admission: Monday– Fri-

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Continued page 12

Page 12: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

12 | No’Ala

day: $5 adults/$3 students; Sundays: Free; Group rates available;Group reservations required.

April 22 Celebrate Earth Day at the Alabama Music Hall of FameSpecial Earth Day observance hosted by the Alabama Music Hall ofFame and the Colbert County Tourism & Convention Bureau. Outdoorevent is free; Admission to the museum is half-price; Student fieldtrips are welcome; 11:00am–1:00pm; Alabama Music Hall of Fame,Tuscumbia; 256-381-4417 or 256-383-0783; www.alamhof.org;www.colbertcountytourism.org

April 24Global Culture Night at UNA10:00am–05:00pm; www.una.edu

April 24 Tuscumbia Chili Cook-OffTuscumbia’s first Benefit Chili Cook-Off; Over 17 chili chefs will partici-pate; Tickets $5 to taste the chili entries and vote; free drinks; tobenefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of ColbertCounty; Noon; Main St., downtown Tuscumbia; 256-383-7492, ext.5

April 24 Shoals Earth FestivalFestival events include music, arts and crafts, children’s art and activi-ties, and public service booths; Free; 11am– 6pm; Wilson Park,Florence; Nancy Muse: 256-767-2090, [email protected]

April 24 Cemetery Stroll, FlorenceActors from community theatre groups portray important, interestingpersonages who are interred at this cemetery which dates back to1818; Admission charged; 10am–Noon; Florence City Cemetery256-768-3031; www.florencehistorical.org

April 24Swampers 5K & 1 Mile Run/Walk, 4th AnnualFlat, fast certified course. All runners will receive medal, duffel bagand t-shirt; Pre-registration requested, go tohttp://foundation.mscs.k12.al.us/index.html8:00am; Muscle Shoals Football Field, off Avalon Avenue behindMcBride Elementary; 256-314-4631

April 29, 30 and May 1Center Stage: The Adventures of Tom SawyerCurtain Lecture: 6:30pm, Performance: 7:30pm; A stage adaptation ofMark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Tom SawyerRitz Theatre, 111 West 3rd Street, Sheffield; Contact: Keith McMurtrey,256-383-0533 or [email protected]; www.tvaa.netIn Advance: $10 adults, $8 students/at the dDoor: $12 adults/$9 stu-dents; www.ritztheatre.ticketleap.com; 256-383-0533

April 30–May 1, 2010Lagrange College Site “Recall LaGrange”A vignette of Civil War life and more; Friday & Saturday: 10am–4pm;1491 LaGrange College Road, Leighton (7 miles southwest of Tus-cumbia); 256-446-9324; www.recall-lagrange.00me.com; Email:[email protected]

Calendarof events Continued from page 11

Page 13: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 13

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Page 14: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

14 | No’Ala

{ everybody’s business}

TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSONPHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

Page 15: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 15

California is known as the GoldenState, but native Californian David Adamo moved to theShoals in pursuit of a different kind of gold—Olympicgold. David is training for the 2012 London Olympics inthe hills just north of Florence at Meadow Run Farm. Ifyou haven’t met David yet, it’s probably because trainingfor the Olympics requires dedication and hard work,seven days a week, rain or shine, from sunup to sundown.It’s an all-consuming job.

David’s partner and coach, Jim Graham, knows—becausehe’s no stranger to competition himself. Jim is a Shoalsnative, and he has been eventing for more than thirtyyears, even serving as a member of the 3-Day Team atThe Hague World Equestrian Games in 1994. Jim has aresume a mile long, and a reputation as a first-class coachand teacher, and he thinks David has a real shot.

“The rider is only part of the equation,” says Jim. “Eques-trian events are team events, and the team is made up ofthe horse and the rider. David is working with three dif-ferent horses, and it’s important that he bond with eachof them. Athletes become Olympians because they payattention to the smallest of details.”

Meadow Run Farm, nestled in the hills above St. Florian,is an impressive place, with plenty of room and lots ofactivity going on. There are students there, practicingjumps on the stadium practice field or grooming theirhorses in the stable. David is riding cross country on theday of the interview, training “River King”, a young horsewho is new to competition. “River King” is beautiful, talland majestic and silvery in color, and even those of uswho know nothing about horses can tell that there issomething special about this horse.

David Adamoon “River King”

Page 16: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

16 | No’Ala

But for those of us who don’t know anything about horses, thewhole prospect is confusing. Jim patiently explains.

“There are three parts to a competitive event,” he says, “andeach part is judged differently. The three parts are Dressage,Cross Country and Show Jumping.”

On the circuit—that’s a series of competitions, held beginningin the late winter and running through the late fall—thesecompetitions allow the horses and riders to accumulate points.Points determine who competes seriously, and, ultimately, whobecomes an Olympian.

The Circuit generally begins in south Florida, where it’s warmenough to ride comfortably even in the late winter, and moves

up the East Coast as the weather gets warmer. Jim and Davidare preparing to travel to Florida to compete, because this willbe an important year for David.

“The first part of the competition, Dressage, is all about preci-sion,” explains Jim. Everyone competing does the same routine,a combination of circles, sidestepping and figures. The horse andrider are judged on how well they work together as a unit, and it’simportant for there to be a chemistry between them. The horseneeds to be compliant, because not only are the horse and riderscored on how they perform the routines, they are even scoredon how they hold their heads or move together as one unit.

For the spectator, this is a beautiful competition; for the rider,it means one-third of the score. Riders are dressed in formalriding attire, complete with hats and riding boots. “It kind oflooks like the riders are dressed like butlers,” says Jim, laughing.“But judging a dressage event is challenging because there areso many details involved… and Olympic athletes are made orbroken in the details.”

The second competitive event is called Cross Country. This isa fast sport, and dangerous; horse and rider are jumping overfixed jumps, much of the time at a gallop because this is atimed event and the course must be completed in six minutes.That means the horse and rider have to move at about 570meters per minute.

It also means that the horse has to completely trust the rider.Many of the fixed jumps are at the tops of hills or in locationswhere the horse can’t see what’s beyond them. Some of thetime, the horse tops a hill, makes a jump, and lands in water. Ifthe horse hesitates or balks, both horse and rider could be introuble. The rules state that the rider can walk the coursebefore competition—but the horse cannot. The horse just hasto trust the other member of his team, the rider.

Jim pauses a minute to watch David and “River King” gallopup a hill, jump what looks like a tall fence, and then run downthe other side of the hill into a pond. The horse is young, butalready trusts David, and there’s no hesitation; it’s obviousDavid’s work is paying off.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize what a dangerous sport thiscan be,” says Jim. “I’ve broken arms and legs, and have even bro-ken my jaw, and other competitive riders I have known havebeen killed. The audience watching this at home just thinks it’spretty to watch horses jump over things, but I don’t think theyrealize how athletic a sport it is, and how dangerous.”

The final part of competition, Show Jumping (also called Sta-dium Jumping), requires agility. The horse and rider arejumping over rails, but the rails are loose, and if a rail falls therider is penalized. If the horse refuses to jump, the penalty iseven greater. This can be especially difficult after a CrossCountry Event, because if the horse is tired he might make amistake—or become stubborn.

“The rider is only part of the equation. Equestrian events are teamevents, and the team is made up of the horse and the rider. David is working withthree different horses, and it’s important that he bond with each of them.”

Page 17: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 17

Page 18: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

18 | No’Ala

Adamo leads“River King” into a jump.

Page 19: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 19

Circuit events are three-day events, witheach part of the competition on a differ-ent day. The competition is fierce,because the points earned in competi-tion qualify riders and horses for the“Long List,” the list of riders who arequalified to become a member of theU.S. Equestrian Team.

David has been riding horses since hewas six years old, and he’s 42 now. Helived in San Diego as a child and thenmoved north to Sonoma County. “Rid-ing in California is very different fromriding in Alabama,” he said. “For onething, much of California is desert, andhere in Alabama there is a lot of grassfor the horses to graze on. California isalso a lot more urban, and business iseasier there but there is not this kind ofspace.” He pauses a minute to look out

over the pastures below the stables.“This place has long had a reputationfor being one of the best facilities in thecountry for this sport, but I didn’t real-ize how great it was until I got here acouple of years ago.”

Twenty six years ago, when David was16, he was introduced to Eventingthrough his local Pony Club. Three yearslater, he achieved his USPC HA and Aratings. (For those readers who do notunderstand horses, suffice it to say thatthis is impressive.) At the University ofCalifornia, Davis, he was captain of his

UCD Eventing Team and became a trav-eling instructor while he earned hisdegree in Agricultural Science and Man-agement.

David’s resume isn’t impressive justbecause of the competitions he won orthe points he’s earned in circuits. It’s alsoimpressive because he’s a trainer and ateacher, and he has helped mold horsesand riders into champions. In fact, hisvery first working student, Gina Miles,was the 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist.This is not an inexpensive sport. “It costsabout $90,000 a year to keep one horse,

“Judging a dressage event is challenging because there are so manydetails involved… and Olympic athletes are made or broken in the details.”

not counting competition expenses, andwe have three horses on this team,” saidJim. “Stabling and feed, horseshoes, vet-erinary costs and grooming supplies arepart of it, and entry fees and event travelis another part. It will cost about$375,000 a year for the next two years toget David ready for Olympic competi-tion, and other than the opportunity forcorporate sponsorships, there are nosubsidies in this sport.”

“River King”, the youngest horse in thetrio, has just been syndicated. Thatmeans he is owned by a syndication, a

Jim Graham and“Prince Noah”

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20 | No’Ala

Want to help? Any privategift is appreciated, but donationsare tax deductible through anaccount set up for David Adamowith the American Horse TrialsFoundation, a non-profit taxexempt corporation (Federal ID#52-145923). Please make checkspayable to the American HorseTrails Foundation, and do not putDavid’s name on the check. Thecheck will be deposited with theFoundation, and you will receivea receipt for any contributiongreater than $50. Non-monetarydonations, such as riding equip-ment, grooming and veterinarysupplies, frequent flyer airlinemiles or any other item may besent in care of David’s account.For more information, contactDonna Field at the AmericanHorse Trials Association, 105North Lake Drive, StevensvilleMD 21666. Phone 410-643-2445or fax 410-643-2598.

group of investors who think he hasOlympic potential. Syndication can payoff big if the horse becomes a champion,in stud fees and additional corporatesponsorship opportunities. “Marveles” isowned by Mike and Marion Martin, and“Prince Noah” is privately owned,although syndication is a possibility forhim. A fourth horse, from Chicago, isavailable for syndication and David andJim think he also has Olympic potential,but his initial cost is greater than the costof a fine European sports car.

Life at Meadow Run Farm is hectic,because both David and Jim juggle a fullschedule of teaching, riding, and com-peting. Jim is an International Judge,which makes him in demanding at com-petitive events all over the world(although he is unable to judge any com-petitions in which David takes part.) He

also travels to horse clubs around thecountry to give weekend-long seminars,and, according to one of his students, heis such a good teacher that he crams alot of knowledge into a weekend. Hisabilities as a coach are evident in thequality of his students; Linden Wiseman,from Columbia, Tennessee, made theOlympic team, and Carolyn Wolden-burg, Katie and Liza Clement, all fromFlorence, competed in the JuniorOlympics. Patte Clement has competedall up and down the East Coast, andyoung students from all around theSoutheast come to Meadow Run Farmfor training.

And David is working with his horses toget ready. “I spend most of my time ondressage, since that is the most precisecompetition,” he said, “but it’s importantthat my horses are comfortable and

skilled in every aspect of competition.”The plan is to try for the 2011 PanAmerican team, and then win a spot onthe 2012 Olympic team—a team that isonly made up of four riders.

And so, they work. Seven days a week,from sunup to sundown, David is work-ing with his horses, and Jim is watchingand coaching to make sure they are pay-ing attention to every little detail. Ifeventing this year and next go the waythey plan, you might see David Adamogoing for the gold in a couple of years—from the Golden state of California to thegolden hills of northwest Alabama, andfinally to Olympic gold in London. N

Rebecca Midgett is the Groom atMeadow Run Farm, shown here with“Marveles”

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March/April 2010 | 21

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Page 22: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

22 | No’Ala

{ guess who I saw}

Trees of Christmas ExhibitDECEMBER 6, 2009 TENNESSEE VALLEY MUSEUM OF ART, TUSCUMBIA

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Page 23: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 23

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24 | No’Ala

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March/April 2010 | 25

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Page 26: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

26 | No’Ala

{ guess who I saw}

Shoals Community Theatre’s Production of RentFEBRUARY 4, 2010 SHOALS THEATER, FLORENCE

Some of Rent Cast, KatieCockrell, Peter Peter John-son, James Baxley, andHunter Jackson

Rent Cast and Crew

Brittney Letsinger, Sarah Jane Shaw, EmilyCreasy, and Lyndsie McClure

Susan Puryear and Emily Creasy

James Baxley as “Angel” andPeter Peter Johnson as “Tom Collins”

Audrey Cohenour as “Joanne”and Katie Cockrell as “Maureen”

Nick Franks as “Roger”

Hunter Jackson as “Mark”

Laura Connolly and Dixie Hill

Music Director Kristi Montero, Dave Futrell,Guitar; Jimbo Hart, Bass; and Thomas RisherJr., Drums

Happy audience members

Alison Spangler and NickFranks as “Mimi” and “Roger”

An ensemble during the play

Katie Cockrell and Grace Ashley

Adam Bowers, Dixie Hill, and Leslie

PHOTOS COURTESY OFLAURA CONNOLLY

Director Nathan Clemmonsand Jan Clemmons

Page 27: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 27

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Page 28: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

28 | No’Ala

2010 NO’ALARENAISSANCE

AWARDSTEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON

PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

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March/April 2010 | 29

For the past year, No’Ala has invited itsreaders to tell us about people you con-sider to be “Renaissance people.”Readers responded, and No’Alareceived 37 nominations, all of themoutstanding, and all who can be con-sidered to be Renaissance People.

After the nominations were received,we convened a panel made up oftwenty community leaders and thepeople who made these nominations.Our panel narrowed the field to onewinner each of five categories: Science,Education, Service & Spirituality, Busi-ness and Arts & Culture. We also askedeach panel member to choose one per-son from the nominees as ourRenaissance Person of the Year. Choos-ing one person in each category wasdifficult. After all, each person wasnominated because they are consideredby someone else to be a mentor, ateacher, a role model and an inspira-tion; it was difficult to pick one personfrom so many winners.

In the pages that follow, you’ll get aglimpse into the lives of the five win-ners. We must also thank those whowere nominated and did not win, whoinclude:

SCIENCEDr. Patrick DaughertyDr. Amit RoyDr. James Ryerson Dr. Mary Leigh Gillespie

EDUCATIONCarolyn EckGene GoochNicki GrahamBill GriffinDr. Dorothy C. Hardy

SERVICE & SPIRITUALITYElba BarnesDr. Carl GebhardtRobert and Sybil LaytonSandra Stutts

BUSINESS & LEADERSHIPMax and Terri AkinJoel AndersonTori BaileyFrancisco GuerraJackie HendrixTodd OuelletteHarvey Robbins

ARTS & CULTUREMary Settle CooneyAlan FlowersAudwin and Sandi McGeeEdsel HoldenJean Gay MusslemanJean SchulmanRobin WadeDebbie Wilson

“I am still learning.” —Michelangelo

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MARY WHITERenaissance Person of the Year/Renaissance Award for Arts & Culture

Mary White is involved in the cultural life of the Shoals, but she doesn’t do it for the attention.

She does it because she’s an artist, she loves music, and she wants this place she lives to be a better place.

First, there are a few things you should know about Mary. She’s not originally from here; she grew up inNew York City. Her parents were Southerners, though, so she went to college at Duke University in NorthCarolina. Tom was there, too, and they were married after her sophomore year; she finished her degreeat Boston University, one of the many cities she and Tom and the children that came afterward lived in.And there were lots of cities: Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Charlotte, Durham, and Columbus Geor-gia, to name a few.

Nineteen years ago, Tom took a job with Monarch Tile as President. “My first trip to the Shoals was in thepouring rain, with one of my children in the car.” There are three of them, all grown now: Marcy is mar-ried to a German architect and lives in Munich; Clinton just got married and builds wind farms from hishome base in Anchorage, Alaska; and Spencer is a financial planner in Atlanta. But nineteen years ago,piled up in a station wagon trying to find her way around the Shoals in the rain, Mary had to wonder whatlife was going to be like in this new town.

So, she got involved by doing two things. She volunteered with the Friends of the Kennedy Douglass Centerfor the Arts; and she enrolled at the University of North Alabama to earn another degree, this one in art. Sheloved every minute of her studies, earning a BFA and re-learning her love of painting, sculpture and drawing,under the direction of Elizabeth Walter and the wonderful art faculty at UNA.

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But that wasn’t enough. She also loves music, so she becameinvolved in the Shoals Symphony, a group that had just startedas a way for people who loved music to have a chance to playtogether. It’s grown, of course, and is now affiliated with theUniversity; it’s also grown to be a full-fledge and respectedregional symphony orchestra. “The relationship with UNA isa symbiotic one,” Mary says. “Our affiliation gives us freerehearsal space, and our musical director is a part of theirmusic faculty. The growth of this organization is thanks to thehard work of a lot of people, like George Petty, Mary SettleCooney, Robert Gonce, Nell Pendleton, Dave deWolfe, Harri-ett Edwards, and a lot of others.” Mary is President this year.

So, Mary settled in to this place that had given her such a soggyfirst impression, and started working to make it a beautiful andmusical place. But then fate took a turn; Monarch Tile failed,and Tom was looking for something else to do. The Whiteswere exploring in Franklin County and looking at limestonequarries there when they learned about a marble quarry out-side of Knoxville, Tennessee, that was for sale. They ended upowning five of them.

“Being in the marble business was fascinating,” said Mary. “Ourquarries supplied the marble for the Clinton PresidentialLibrary, the Newseum in Washington, DC, the Capitol Visi-tor’s Center, and many, many more.” For a sculptor and artist,it must have been heaven, to be surrounded by all of that stone,but it was also a demanding business, and although the Whitesspent a lot of time in eastern Tennessee, they were determinedto remain citizens of the Shoals.

A couple of years ago, they sold the quarries and returnedhome to the Shoals. That’s when Mary set about creating hernewest project—The St. Francis Fund at Trinity Church.

“When we lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, our EpiscopalChurch there had a St. Francis Fund,” she said. “It started witha building fund, and the church raised $500,000 for a newbuilding. Instead of building the church, they decided to giveevery penny of it away, and re-raised the money for their build-ing. Today, that church has over five thousand members, andit is a revitalized, strong and growing group that does a lot ofgood.”

When the Whites lived in Columbus, Georgia, their churchthere started a St. Francis Fund that transformed the congre-gation. They are on their second Fund project right now.

Two years ago, Trinity Episcopal Church in Florence took aleap of faith and decided to start their own St. Francis Fund.Part of the reason was “to find a compelling way to connectourselves to each other and to our community,” Mary said.“The timing was just right. We decided to raise and give awaya million dollars over the course of ten years.”

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Last year was the first year of this St. Francis Proj-ect, and fundraising exceeded its $100,000 goal by$15,000… in a recession year. And not all of the par-ticipants are Episcopalian; “our goal is to make thisa community-wide outreach program,” said Mary.

Overseeing the bake sales and bazaars andfundraising parties that have to take place to raisea hundred thousand dollars or more is time-con-suming… but Mary still finds time to work at theHelp Center or volunteer at the Tennessee ValleyArt Association in Tuscumbia. All because shewants to make this community the kind of place that’s alwaysstriving to be better, and all because she has the time and tal-ent to get involved.

“I think this area really needs a Community Foundation,” shesaid, citing examples from cities where she and Tom and thechildren have lived. “It just takes someone who can jump startsomething like that, and it would do so much good….”

Of all the places they have lived, why choose the Shoals as theirpermanent home? “On reason is that Tom promised me wewouldn’t move ever again,” she says with a laugh. If you knowMary, though, you know it’s because this is the kind of place theWhites really love, and she is willing to roll up her sleeves andwork hard to make sure it remains that way. We all benefit. N

Above left: Mary stands next to an unfinished painting of herson. Above: The White family at Nags Head, North Carolina

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March/April 2010 | 35

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March/April 2010 | 37

DR. NOLAN RICHARDSRenaissance Award for Science

Nolan Richards is a native of New Zealand, but he has lived in the United States longer than he lived there.After earning his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Auckland, onNew Zealand’s North Island, he moved to the University of Pennsylvania for post doctoral work and thento England to study as a Research Fellow at the Imperial College in London. It was there that Basil Horse-field, from Reynolds Metals Company, found him and recruited him to come to the Shoals area.

Mr. Horsefield wanted to hire someone with strength in basic research, and Nolan was the man. Nolan andhis wife, Helen, decided to come for two years, to give it a try. That was in 1957.

“We were immediately attracted to this place because of the lake,” Dr. Richards said, “because I am an avidsailor. When we moved here, we asked everyone we met ‘Where are the sailboats?’ and we were told thereweren’t any because there was no wind.” One thing Nolan Richards is, above all, is a research scientist, sohe set about determining just how much wind there really was. He discovered that there was plenty of wind—about 10.5 knots—but it wasn’t a steady wind; the variation between gusty and calm was great. Unde-terred, the Richards began sailing the lake, and so did some of their new friends. Four years later, in 1961,they helped found the Muscle Shoals Sailing Club, an organization that today owns a beautiful clubhouseand 13 acres, and has 65+ members who own over 100 boats.

The work at Reynolds was also going very well. Nolan’s job was to help determine how to extract alu-minum more efficiently. The production of aluminum is a labor and energy intense process, and theresearch lab, which grew to 68 people under Richards’s direction, worked to create automatic controls, con-trol the environmental impact around the Reynolds plants worldwide, improve recycling, develop and

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38 | No’Ala

Nolan Richards in his lab at Reynolds MetalsCompany in Sheffield, and today (inset).

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refine electromagnetic casting, and make the entire processmore efficient. Reynolds International was supported world-wide from the lab in Sheffield, Alabama.

Prior to his retirement, in 1993, he was the second recipient ofthe Alabama Academy of Science Wright Gardner Award; thefirst recipient was a NASA scientist. After his retirement, hespent a great deal of time traveling the world presentingresearch papers and contracting with companies to assist themwith their research, primarily in aluminum production. Heholds 17 patents and has presented 65 papers, and was aninstructor at the International School for Aluminum Technol-ogy in Trondheim, Norway, for more than fifteen years. In2003, he was presented the Light Metals Award for the bestinternational paper presented in Charlotte, North Carolina,based on work he had done in Norway.

But let him tell you about sailing. Nolan originated a handicapsystem for sailboats in North America that is still in use today;it’s called the Portsmouth Yardstick for U.S Sailing, and wasoriginally adopted by the Dixie Inland Yacht Racing Associa-tion. He holds all sorts of yachting honors, but a real sailingmilestone happened in 2005, when Jim Loew, a retired CoastGuard officer who was the Florence-Lauderdale Port Directorand a friend, recommended that Nolan be invited aboard theU.S. Eagle, a Coast Guard sailing ship used for training, for atrip from the Canary Islands to Bermuda. There were 155Coast Guard trainees and five invited guests aboard, includ-ing Nolan, and the trip took 19 days. That was awesome.

In his 50 or so years as a member of the Shoals community,the Richards have been very involved. They raised two chil-dren, Bruce, a family doctor in Nashville, and Robin, a waterquality and environmental manager in Washington, DC.Nolan is a Rotarian, helped start the YMCA, worked withHabitat for Humanity, and served on the Board of the UnitedWay and the Vestry of the Episcopal Church. And a hundredyears from now, how would he like to be remembered? Hesmiles at the question. “I’d like to be remembered for what Itaught,” he said, “and my ability to develop people to becomecompetent and internationally recognized in their fields. I’dalso like to be remembered for my contributions to sailing inNorth America, and most of all, as a responsive and responsi-ble citizen of this place we love, Florence, Alabama.” N

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ARNEDA HEATHRenaissance Award for Service & Spirituality

“Service is what you do,” says Arneda Heath. “Spirituality is who you are.” Arneda knows a lot about both.

Arneda and Jim Heath moved to the Shoals in 1979 when Jim, a banker, got a job with First Colbert Bank(now Bank Independent.) Arneda had been working with the Council on Aging Services in Athens—hergraduate work was in gerontology—and when she arrived in Tuscumbia she started looking for some-thing to do over here. “Joe Ware, at Jim’s Bank, knew I was looking and he told me that there was a newgroup forming, called Safeplace, and that they were looking for an Executive Director.”

The idea for Safeplace grew out of a task force committee meeting at UNA to assess the community’sneeds. One area of need that was identified was a shelter for the victims of domestic violence, and thecommittee, including Betty McCutcheon, Nancy Gonce, Jean Gay Mussleman and others, was determinedto do something about it. They literally met around Betty’s kitchen table, and were writing grants andmaking plans until Safeplace became a reality.

Awarded their first substantial grant, the organization was able to select a location and get it ready. WhenArneda was hired, the house, located at the corner of Walnut and Mobile Streets, was ready to serve. Ithad been painted and renovated and contained three bedrooms upstairs and two down.

And it was filled to capacity the first night it was open. “I think we did a good job of letting the commu-nity know what we were doing,” said Arneda, “and the newspaper and local media helped us tell thecommunity when our start date was going to be.” The location remained a secret as long as they werelocated there (Safeplace has long since outgrown this location and moved to a larger location), but the

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Heath (left) and Nancy Goncein January of 1981

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organization spent a lot of time educating people about itsmission, and, sadly, the need was overwhelming.

How did Arneda stay upbeat and positive, when she was serv-ing people who had such troubles? “We were so busy workingto make sure the needs were met, we didn’t have time to con-centrate on each individual sad story,” she said. “Instead, weworked to see that they were safe, helping to change court pro-cedure to allow the victims to leave the court early so theydidn’t have to face their batterers, and giving them shelter.”

“The most dangerous time for the victim of domestic abuse iswhen that person decides to leave,” said Arneda. “These peo-ple are leaving their homes, many times with only the clothesand medicines they can take with them. That’s an upsettingprocess, and we discovered it can happen to anyone, regardlessof their economic situation, their education level, or any otherfactor in their lives.” Even men can be victims of domestic vio-lence, and Safeplace provides support for them as well.

After twenty seven years of hard work with Safeplace, Arnedaretired to spend time with her husband. They traveled, includ-ing a trip to Costa Rica, before Jim unexpectedly passed away,and Arneda decided it was time to tackle another project: sheis now Community Relations Director for Hospice of theShoals, a not-for-profit hospice.

Hospice of the Shoals provides hospice and palliative topatients living in Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin counties.Hospice provides in-home care, pain management, socialworkers and chaplains, to help the patient and their families.The organization also provides bereavement counseling for 13months following the death of a loved one. The staff of 24 isheaded by President and CEO Debra Pruitt with the help ofMedical Directors Dr. Robert Webb and Dr. Ranel Spence.

The difference with this job is that her work with Hospice ispart-time. “I have always wanted to be more involved with mychurch, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Florence, andnow I can.” She is a chalice bearer, a Vestry member, a visitorto the sick and infirm, and is even involved at the diocesanlevel.

Service is what you do; spirituality is who you are. Arnedawants to be remembered as a caring person who enabledchanges in society to be made to help others. Then she pausesfor a moment, and reflects. “I want to be remembered as awell-loved wife and mother,” she says. N

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Marigail and Tommy Mathis,St. Remy de Provence

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TOMMY AND MARIGAIL MATHISRenaissance Award for Business & Leadership

Ever been to the Shops at English Village in Florence? It’s a unique experience, with surprises in everystore. The atmosphere there is upbeat and upscale, and the shop keepers there have transformed whatcould have been an ordinary strip shopping center into the Shoals area’s version of Rodeo Drive.

Near the center of it all are store owners Tommy and Marigail Mathis. Marigail oversees Marigail’s, a styl-ish woman’s clothing store full of color, with the best window displays in north Alabama. Next door,Artifacts features beautiful art in every style, and proprietor Tommy offers artistic advice and expertise,along with a stunning selection of art from all around the world. Which, by the way, includes work he andMarigail have created.

“When I was in the fourth grade, I was a swimmer, but I developed allergies and they eventually forced meto stop,” said Marigail. “To give me something new to do, my grandmother introduced me to a sewingmachine, so at 8 or 9 years old I discovered the beauty of fabric.” The fact that her father was in the tex-tile industry made it easy to study color and texture, and Marigail was fascinated by fabric design. Althoughshe originally wanted to be a journalist, she ended up studying textiles.

Tommy, on the other hand, was the oldest of three boys, and while his brothers got sports equipment asgifts, Tommy preferred paint by number, Etch-A-Sketches, and paints. He began his serious artistic workwith pen and ink, but over time developed the bright signature acrylic and oil style he is best known fornow. Two businesses ago—he owned an upscale men’s clothing store called “Albert’s Haberdashery” anda landscaping business before becoming a professional artist and art gallery owner—he picked up a paintbrush, started painting, and he hasn’t stopped.

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Marigail and Tommy Mathis,Les Baux de Provence

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Tommy and Marigail met on Halloween of 1981, were engagedthe following Valentine’s Day, and married on May Day. Atthe time, Marigail was a textile and fashion designer, respon-sible for the design direction of her family’s manufacturingbusiness, and creating a woman’s fashion line that she sold to600 boutiques nationwide. “While I was doing all of that, Ibegan to see the potential for having my own retail stores,” shesaid, and as textile design and manufacturing began movingoffshore, she phased out of the design world and into retail.

“I love selling,” she said, “but mostly what I love is merchan-dising and display. Southern women respond to color, so I tryto make sure there’s always a pop of color in the store, and Ilove to work on whimsical and beautiful displays and greatwindows. My slogan has always been ‘This Is Going To BeFun!’ and it has been!”

Tommy loves offering our region the opportunity to enjoy andown works of art from artists around the world. “Marigail andI love to travel, and when we travel we’re always looking forartists whose work we think would fit our market. Many of theartists we represent have become our friends, and we love thediscovery of new beautiful things we can bring back to theShoals.” It’s not often that galleries are owned by producingartists, and most galleries are content with what the artists givethem. Artifacts, instead, practices “editing,” where Tommypicks what he wants to take into the gallery and offer to thepublic. It’s a concept that works, especially here in northernAlabama.

As business leaders, the Mathis’s have helped set a standardfor English Village. “Because of our makeup and because ofour home ownership, we’ve been able to draw an amazingcrowd,” said Marigail, “and the Marriott Hotel has helpedbecause that’s an upscale audience who wants to shop whilethey’re on vacation or traveling.”

Last year was challenging for the Mathis’s, because Marigailbattled challenging health issues. Both Tommy and Marigailkept their positive and upbeat attitudes, and, according toMarigail, “it actually makes life sweeter. We remind each otherto enjoy today, and do something wonderful each and everyday, because we can’t do anything about the days that havepassed, and we’re not guaranteed any days beyond this one.It’s the best day of our lives, today—even in challenging times.”

And how would they like to be remembered a hundred yearsfrom now? Marigail wants to be remembered as a mentor. “I’dlike to have someone say ‘she helped my great-grandmotherget started,” she says. And Tommy? “I’d like to be rememberedas the man who lived more than 160 years,” he laughs. N

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Page 48: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

48 | No’Ala

Page 49: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 49

CYNTHIA A. BURKHEADRenaissance Award for Education

“If you’re doing something you love, you’ll find time for it.” That is according to Cynthia Burkhead, the Ren-aissance Person for Education, to explain how she can be involved with so many different things at once,all successfully. And according to her students, she finds time to put them ahead of everything else and bean inspiration.

Cynthia is not a native of the Shoals, and, in fact, she and her husband live in nearby Athens. They movedthere in 1997 when her husband accepted a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) position at RedstoneArsenal, and they chose Athens because it was halfway between the Arsenal and the Shoals. Cynthia hadfinished her Master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and found work teachingat UNA. She teaches Freshman Composition, Sophomore Literature, and a class in Oral Traditions atUNA while she finishes her Ph.D. at Middle Tennessee State University in television and film.

That’s the first thing she’s involved with: her students. According to the students who nominated her forthe Renaissance Award, she brings a personal touch to teaching and makes the subjects relevant and inter-esting. Her teaching style is engaging, and she’s able to make a basic course like English Compositionactually fun.

When she was approached by Habitat for Humanity and asked to interview for the position of facultyadvisor, it was a no-brainer. “In my life I’ve been a single mother, living paycheck to paycheck, and I cer-tainly understood the need that Habitat fills,” she said. “Habitat home owners are working and struggling,and this organization provides a needed service with dignity.” Habitat for Humanity builds houses fromthe ground up for deserving families, who participate in construction and dedicate sweat equity to their

Page 50: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

50 | No’Ala

Ph

oto

by Sh

ann

on

Wells

Burkhead on site of a Habitatfor Humanity house

Page 51: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 51

new home. Under her leadership as advisor, the UNA Habitatprogram has built two houses, including the first solar Habi-tat house in the state of Alabama. “I’m so proud of thesestudents,” says Cynthia, “because they are so committed to thiscause.”

There are about 50 members of the campus Habitat organiza-tion, which meets every two weeks on campus and alsoparticipates in a spring break trip to build a Habitat house inanother location. (This year, UNA students will travel toMeridian, Mississippi, to build a house during spring break.)

Teaching, Habitat, and a commute every day from Athenswould be enough for most people—but that’s not all Cynthiais involved in. “Four years ago I was asked to become involvedin the George Lindsey Film Festival at UNA, and I agreed. Iworked with Garry Warren until he retired, and then I co-chaired the event with David Shields, the Vice President forStudent Affairs at UNA. I’m so excited about this year’s Festi-val, because it will include the 25th Anniversary “Back To TheFuture” Reunion and will feature appearances by actors LeaThompson, James Toklan and Claudia Wells, along withscreenwriter Bob Gale.” This year’s Festival will be March 4through 7.

“I love teaching at the college level because I want to be in aclassroom where the students are involved,” she said. “I was ateaching assistant when I went through my Master’s program,and I loved it because I learned from the students every day. AtUNA, I find that the students are gracious, polite, and gener-ally more adult than in other places, and that makes for a greatrelationship. This is a good place to teach.” And she considersthe Shoals a good place to live; she and her husband will prob-ably move to Florence when he retires as director of the airfieldat Redstone. That should free up a couple of hours she spendsbehind the wheel; wonder what she will get involved in to fillthe time?

Teaching, Habitat, a dissertation and a film festival—whatmore can Cynthia cram into a busy week? Well, motherhood—she has twin boys who are both in college, and twostepchildren, a daughter in Austin, Texas, and a son in LosAngeles. And how would she like to be remember a hundredyears from now? “As someone who made every minute count,”she said. And as our Renaissance Person for Education, she’salready there. N

Page 52: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

52 | No’Ala

{ guess who I saw}

No’Ala Renaissance AwardsJANUARY 14, 2010 DISH CAFÉ, FLORENCE

Linda Wade and Sandi McGee

Bill and Janet Griffin

Nicki Graham, Dr. David and JeanGay Mussleman

Jackie and Debra Dombrowski-Hendrix

Dr. Carl and Susan Gebhardt

Dr. Mary Leigh Gillespie

Edsel Holden

Tori Bailey

Alan Flowers

Jean Schulman and Nancy O’Neal

Nicki Graham, Frankie Guerraand David Messer

Dr. James Ryerson and Mary White

Virginia and Gene Gooch

Mary and Tom White,and Robin Wade

PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

Elba Barnes

Page 53: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 53

Dr. Nolan Richards

Mary Settle Cooney and Audwin McGee

Odessa Bailey, Tori Bailey, Bill and Janet Griffin

Katy Wilson, Debbie Wilson,and Lola Fossett

Dr. David Mussleman andMary Settle Cooney

Tommy & Marigail Mathis

Arneda Heath

Inez Holden

Tori Bailey and Edsel Holden

Frankie Guerra and David Messer

Nicki Graham and Dr. David Mussleman

Dr. James Ryerson

Curtis Flowers and Dr. Dorothy Hardy

Marigail Mathis

Dr. Dorothy Hardy

Tommy Mathis

No’Ala Renaissance AwardsJANUARY 14, 2010 DISH CAFÉ, FLORENCE

Page 54: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

54 | No’Ala

Three-piece suit and accessoriesfrom the Billy ReidSpring 2010 line

© C

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Actress Devon Aokiin an asymmetrical off-the-shoulderpurple gown

Actor Josh Duhamelin a classic three-piecesuit and purple tie

Padma Lakshmiin an asymmetrical off-the-shoulderturquoise gown

“Classic looks are big rightnow, and it’s all aboutquality over quantity.”

» Marigail Mathis

“I’m seeing one shouldershirts and dresses, lace,and also anything withcolor.”

» Christy Dolly

“My design work isinspired by cultural influences—the perfect‘French’ chair, a great ‘Italian’ mirror or a fab‘Moroccan’ pillow.”

» Lynn Coleman

Blues and Greens are hot as well as architecturalprints and botanicalprints.

» David Smith

© B

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nc.

Page 55: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 55

What will be the “big thing”this year, and will Shoals consumers embrace it?

Environmentally friendly designs arefashionable this year, and people in theShoals want to be responsible, fashion-able, and reasonable with their budgets.

» Susan Trousdale

Natural products are big this year, butwe are buying them sparingly to makesure Shoals consumers will embracethem.

» David Smith

Vintage pieces add character and depthto any space, and it’s all about the mixof old and new.

» Suzanne French & Edy Carlton

People are entertaining more at homeduring this recession, so they are buy-ing new dinnerware or freshening uptheir dining rooms and living spaces,with shades of purple and raspberry,mixed with shades of chocolate, blueand green. It just doesn’t get betterthan a large print of all of your favoritecolors on a soft linen background.

» Jenny Hill

It doesn’t really matter what colors arehot—it’s all about how you use them.With the current economy, the reallybig thing is the ability to update, andwe are all having to be more creative.

» Lynn Coleman

Design Panel

Edy CarltonOwner, Halsey House

Leslie CassadyOwner, Audie Mescal

Lynn ColemanInterior Designer

Christy DollyOwner, Frolic

Suzanne FrenchOwner, Halsey House

Jenny HillInterior Designer, The French Basket

Marigail MathisOwner, Marigail’s

Tommy MathisArtist/Owner, Artifacts

Billy ReidFashion Designer, Billy Reid

David SmithInterior Designer/Owner, David Christopher’s

Paige ThorntonInterior Designer/Owner, The French Basket

Susan TrousdaleInterior Designer

The big thing I see this year is theintroduction of comfort into the home,and allowing this comfort to beexpressed in your entertaining. Relaxedslipcovers, old farm and pastry tables,refurbished hand-me-downs, a wornantique rug, mix and match tabletop, arefurbished sink or tub, earthy materi-als such as wood or stone, and candlelitchandeliers. I love the fact that we canmake our own personal style.”

» Paige Thornton

Classic looks are big right now, and it’sall about quality over quantity. Peoplewant to buy quality, so they are invest-ing in clothing that will look good,never go out of style, and will last along time.

» Marigail Mathis

Boots have been appearing more thisyear and will continue to be a goingtrend for a while. I have also noticed alarger amount of white denim this year.

» Leslie Cassady

I’m seeing one shoulder shirts anddresses, lace, and anything with color.

» Christy Dolly

I’ve seen bright yellow feather suits andfolks wearing brown uniforms…’Indi-vidualism’ is what is hot. People arebeing who they are and dressing bytheir own rules. People are more inde-pendent than ever, with every bit ofinformation available at their fingertipsthese days. Trends are reaching thestreets at microwave speed these days!

» Billy Reid

What’s hot—and what’s not? No’Ala asked local design professionals four questions about direc-tions in fashion, both for clothing and for the home, to get their opinions about national trendsand to see if they thought Shoals shoppers would follow. The answers were varied, but revealeda lot about how the Shoals shops and whether or not we follow the fads.

TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON WITH BETHANY OLIVER AND CLAIRE STEWART

Page 56: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

56 | No’Ala

What colors and prints are hot right now?

I see bold accent colors poppingagainst a creamy natural palette ofbrowns, grays and khakis. This allowsyou to be brave enough to accent withhappy colors, such as shades of orange,bright yellow and kiwi green, or with“old soul colors,” the turquoises, violetsand blues.

» Paige Thornton

Variations of oranges like coral andtomato red will be great accent colorswith neutrals such as gray, rich brownsand milky whites.

» Suzanne French & Edy Carlton

Blues and Greens are hot as well asarchitectural prints and botanicalprints.

» David Smith

Neutral colors with a pop of gold orbright color. Clean colors and cleanlines are key.

» Susan Trousdale

Bright colors such as teals and bluevariations are popular as well as mutedfloral prints and abstract designs.

» Leslie Cassady

Variations of yellows and teals are hot.Anything bright like hot pinks are alsopopular.

» Christy Dolly

In our stores, we always have a pop ofcolor—it’s the “candy.” We’re seeinghappy colors, like turquoise, coral, softneutrals and orange and red—in fash-ion and in home design

» Marigail & Tommy Mathis

How much are you influencedby trends? Do you tend to fol-low them, or do you rely onyour own experiences, expert-ise, and intuition? Or do yourely on input from your cus-tomers?

I am always excited by the newest fabricbook with the latest colors and prints,or by a trip to market—that gives meinspiration. But at the end of the day,my intuition and my client’s needs dic-tate my overall design decisions.

» Paige Thornton

I like to watch and study trends but Itend to go more with my instinct. Mostpeople can’t afford to redo their houseevery year, so I have to go with whatthey like and makes them comfortable.

» Susan Trousdale

I’m inspired lightly by trends, but I dowatch them. I tend to do what I think isbest. My main focus is what the cus-tomer wants because it’s their house,not mine.

» David Smith

I just do what I do, and hopefully peo-ple relate to it.

» Billy Reid

It’s hard not to be influenced by trendsa little, but typically it’s by our ownintuition. We do listen to the cus-tomers and focus on what they aretelling us that they want.

» Suzanne French & Edy Carlton

I usually go half and half as far as fol-lowing trends and going with my ownintuition. I have to look for things thatwill stand the test of time and look formore of a style than a trend. I do relyon input from customers as well.

» Leslie Cassady

My design work is inspired by culturalinfluences—the perfect “French” chair,a great “Italian” mirror or a fab“Moroccan” pillow.

» Lynn Coleman

The race for disposable fashion is over.People are going back to basics, back toelegant style. It’s “slow fashion,” a return

“Vintage pieces add character anddepth to any space, and it’s allabout the mix of old and new.”

» Suzanne French & Edy Carlton

Page 57: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 57

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Page 58: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

58 | No’Ala

to classic style that looks good no mat-ter where in the world you happen tobe. We value good wardrobing thatlasts, rather than hopping on trends.

» Marigail Mathis

I do pay attention to trends, but I alsolike to create my own trends too. Havingyour own style and edge is important. Ialso like to know what my customerswant, so I listen to them as well.

» Christy Dolly

I love trends, but they are not for every-one. It really varies from client to client,and I definitely listen to what they want.I want to help my clients use the thingsthey love and make it look fabulous forthem no matter the style. After all, theyare the ones living with it.

» Jenny Hill

We’re spoiled. We go to market and seethings six months before anyone else,so we edit, edit, edit. We run more oninstinct than trends, based on years ofexperience.

» Tommy Mathis

Is the “green/environmental”movement affecting thechoices at market? Is it influ-encing your design direction?Are your customers request-ing green materials?

Everything is beginning to lead moretoward earthy tones and looks, but cus-tomers are not currently requestinggreen materials.

» Susan Trousdale

Very little choices are directed towardthe “green” movement. Never had acustomer ask for it.

» David Smith

Design is moving towards more organi-cally inspired textile patterns, furnitureand materials.

» Lynn Coleman

Organic linens are going to be popularas part of the going green trend. It’salso a color-trend. Moss green is goingto play a larger role this year.

» Suzanne French & Edy Carlton

We are seeing a fresh organic move-ment in many of our lines. It gives us asense of pride to know that the handcarved stool is salvaged wood, or table-top linens are made from organic homegrown cotton. The customer isattracted to organic and appreciates it,although we haven’t had a huge requestfor it.

» Paige Thornton

There are more items offered, but I amnot getting any requests for any of itfrom customers.

» Leslie Cassady

I haven’t seen that the “environmen-tal/green” movement has had a majorimpact yet, and I haven’t had anyrequests for it, but we may see anincrease in it once consumers start toembrace it more.

» Christy Dolly

We are seeing it more and more, andmore of our vendors are going green. Alot of our merchandise is made fromrecycled materials, and our customersnotice that. They appreciate productsthat are environmentally friendly.

» Jenny Hill

People appreciate it, but they aren’trequesting it. But they appreciate it—look at the success of Alabama Chanin,for example!

» Marigail Mathis

Our store in New York was built using100% southern recycled materials, andmuch of our Florence store was, too. Itwasn’t something we did to be “green”—it’s just something we believe in.

» Billy Reid

Color Forecast

Right this moment, as you’re readingthis magazine, people are meetingto decide what the hot colors aregoing to be for the next couple ofyears. This is not a joke, and it’s not ahuge corporate plot against the con-sumer; instead, according to theColor Marketing Group, which is thelargest organization that determinescolor trends, their members aregathering to “identify the directionof color and design trends.” CMG wasfounded in 1962 as a means bywhich design professionals couldexchange non-competitive informa-tion about color, because, as theysay, “Color Sells, and the Right ColorSells Better!” CMG is just one of manydesign direction groups—there isalso the Pantone group and onecalled ICI (International Color Insti-tute)—but all three predict “cooltones” for 2010. ICI has chosen “IcyBlue” as its color of the year; CMGchose “Mardi Grape,” a neutral pur-ple, and Pantone has selectedturquoise.

“IcyBlue”

“MardiGrape”

Turquoise

“I see bold accent colorspopping against a creamy naturalpalette…This allows you to bebrave enough to accent with ‘old soul colors,’ the turquoises,violets and blues.”

» Paige Thornton

Page 59: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 59

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Page 60: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

60 | No’Ala

{ bless their hearts}

BY CHARLES WICKWIRE

When I gave thought about a commentary on litter, I wondered if there was anyhumor in it. Other than good exercise picking litter up, there is not much good tosay about it. As I think about it, however, I have picked up a total of $26.15 in changethat was thrown out. In addition, some folks seem to forget to open their purchasesbefore throwing the bags out the window, and cosmetics seem to be the most fre-quent find in that category. I don’t have any use for those, but I do have someappreciation for the discarded screwdrivers and wrenches.

There is not much humor in the eye-sore of litter and trash on our roadways andvacant properties. Instead, those plastic sacks, cans, bottles, cigarette butts, and foodbags make us look lazy. The containers and plastic bags create a health issue as theycatch water and breed mosquitoes. Animals search for food and spread the messeven farther. Mowers and bush hogs have no humor as they shatter bottles, shredpaper and cardboard, mash the plastic into the grass, and send bits of metal flyingeverywhere. As the litter ebbs and flows across the landscape, it is sometimes caughtin a rustic fence or is found hanging from utility wires or wrapped around a branchor found caught in a storm drain or culvert. The folks living in low-lying areas mightwant to invest in some flood insurance unless they are willing to pick up the litterthat has washed into the storm drains surrounding their property.

There is certainly no humor in our litter tax. Our cities and counties spend quite alarge share of our tax dollars picking up litter. Of all our taxes, the litter tax wouldbe the easiest to “vote down.” Simply stop littering and the tax goes away!

There is no humor when litter jeopardizes our children’s future and the future of theShoals. Litter costs us new jobs and services. Industrial recruiters and Quality of Lifeteams constantly survey communities for industries seeking new locations. Qualityof Life teams arrive in areas unannounced and survey our community, looking at thequality of our schools, city services, health care, shopping, and in general the qual-

There’s Nothing Funny About Litter

“When we team uptogether to solve ourcommon problems, weare in good company.”

Page 61: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 61

Miss Effie’s Hospitality House is a 100-year old guesthouse ownedby Cypress Realty Group. It’s our way of inviting newcomers to

get acquainted with the Shoals area and all the wonderful things thearea offers to someone looking for aplace to call home. The Hospitality

House is fully furnished in a beautiful neighborhood with side-

walks in Florence and convenientlylocated to restaurants, churches,

antique shops and more. Lookingfor a home in the Shoals? You are

welcome to be our guest while yousearch! Please call one of us for

reservations at Miss Effie’s.

ity of the community. They want their re-located employeesto like their new hometown. Litter is also a consideration inthis survey. If the community is littered, chances are the teamwill respond with a negative report. A nearby community iswelcoming a new auto parts plant. All cities that were evalu-ated were equal in most respects, but this city excelled byhaving far less litter. Let us help our children remain in theShoals with good jobs and a promising future by making ourShoals area presentable.

While there may not be much humor in litter, there are somepositive steps we can take to do something about it. The Shoalsreally is the one of best places to live. We can be thankful for ourcommunity of friends and neighbors in the Shoals. We canshow our pride in our hometown by taking care of it. We canmow our lawns, care for flowers and shrubs, and rake ourleaves. We can help our neighbors. There are numerous eventsthroughout the year to remove litter. Let’s join together to stopthe litter problem by not littering and if we see litter, pick it up.

And, by the way, there really is some good in litter—or, moreaccurately the enjoyment of fellowship in common service.When we team up together to solve our common problems, weare in good company. We laugh and enjoy each other’s companyas we work away the problem before us. We are in this together.Let’s get together and do something good about litter.

About Keep The Shoals Beautiful (KTSB)Since its founding in 1953, KTSB’s parent organiza-tion, Keep America Beautiful, has provided areplicable framework for community education andhands-on stewardship that reduces litter and waste,promotes grassroots volunteerism, and makes sus-tainable improvement possible for communities of allsizes, from coast to coast.

For more information on becoming a member and get-ting involved with your local affiliate, Keep The ShoalsBeautiful, contact the KTSB Coordinator at (256)764-4661 or [email protected].

Page 62: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

62 | No’Ala

{ guess who I saw}

Eagle Watch Cruise Aboard the Pickwick Belle · A Benefit for the St. Francis FundJANUARY 23, 2010

PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

Page 63: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 63

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Page 64: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

64 | No’Ala

{ 20 questions}

20 Questions for Giles McDanielExecutive Director, Shoals Entrepreneurial Center

Most people think starting a business is more complicated than it is. The big dealis growing the business and clearing the obstacles you face in the first few years.

The biggest mistake I see people make is over-estimating the amount of the mar-ket they can capture in the early stages of the business.

Our greatest success story is the success rate of the companies we serve. 90 per-cent of the companies that have their roots at the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center arestill in business and have created over 1,300 jobs.

At the Entrepreneurial Center, we’re not just creating businesses, we’re fos-tering a culture of business innovation in the Shoals area.

I never thought I’d see the vast number of small businesses with the ability to com-pete with much larger companies in international markets. Technology has leveledthe playing field for small businesses. Applying this technology is critical for smallcompanies to grow.

The most rewarding part of my day is seeing one of our clients benefit from aresource that we have made available.

This place would not have been successful without the foundation layed fromthe beginning by the original Board of Directors and Staff. They put quite a bit oftime into educating the public and were blessed with early clients that grew rapidly,graduated and proved the concept to the community.

When it comes to creating jobs, small businesses do it best.

If you want to start a business, the first thing you need is a working knowledgeof the industry segment in which you are going to compete and a niche to attack.

My work is successful if I can witness a company creating a quality job that impactsa family and their community in a positive way.

The best business owners are the ones who can manage all the details while keep-ing their eye on the big picture.

Page 65: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

March/April 2010 | 65

The biggest misconception about owning a business isbeing your own boss. If the boss is not working and effective,no one gets paid.

It’s not how smart you are, it’s how creative you can be inleveraging all the resources it takes to run a business in today’seconomic climate.

I think the Shoals area is ready for the film industry toemerge as an economic factor.

I wonder why no one here has ever set up a recreationalcompany providing access to the lake and river for activitiessuch as boating, jet skiing and canoeing.

It’s all worth it when we see an entrepreneur leave our facil-ity and become a self-sustaining member of the Shoals areabusiness community.

They said it wouldn’t work, but look at EBAY, the ComputerChip and probably even the light bulb. All were ideas birthedand nurtured by entrepreneurs who changed the world.

The most unique thing about the Shoals is the percentageand quality of small businesses that have impacted the nationaleconomy from here in the Shoals.

I wish everyone knew the obstacles an entrepreneur facesdaily and the efforts it takes to be successful.

The three most important qualities a person needs to besuccessful in starting a business are knowledge of the indus-try, tenacity to succeed and good health to carry them throughthe long days.

Giles McDaniel is the Executive Director of the ShoalsEntrepreneurial Center (SEC). Giles is a native of Mis-sissippi and a graduate of Mississippi State University.He has served in multiple state and internationalorganizations promoting entrepreneurial growth andasset based economic development.

Page 66: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

{ parting shot} BY DANNY MITCHELL

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66 | No’Ala

Page 67: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

Five convenient locations to serve you.www.firstsouthern.com

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Page 68: No'Ala Magazine, March/April 2010

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