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How To Help Out Hotel Talisi Fire Victims
Though not technically on Lake Martin, Tallassee’s Hotel Talisi has been a regional attraction for decades, until early this month. It was destroyed by an alleged arson.
The new owners of Hotel Talisi have apparently lost everything, and are in need of our help. A donation fund has been set up by one of the members of lakemartin.com forum.
If you would like to help out, please send any donation to:
Bodenburg/Shores Fund
c/o Banktrust
P.O. Box 780607
Tallassee, AL 36078
(334) 283-7000
Any donation will help. According to this post on the forum, “It is a total loss…..Some really great local folks put a lot of work into refurbishing it. It caught fire from a building behind which caught fire. A wonderful couple who moved from Minnesota were living in and managing the hotel. They got out with their lives Thank GOD, however, they have lost everything including their jobs and insurance.”
Thanks!
Coverage of the fire in the Montgomery Advertiser:
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Tallassee plans meeting on downtown area Thursday Thu Dec 10, 2009
Tallassee will hold a town hall meeting Thursday evening to discuss the future of the city’s downtown. A fire destroyed the Hotel Talisi on Nov. 30. The landmark was considered the anchor of downto… more…
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Juvenile in custody, charged in Tallassee blaze Wed Dec 9, 2009
A 17-year-old male remains in custody for his involvement in last week’s early morning blaze that swept through the city’s downtown area and eventually destroyed Hotel Talisi, one of Tallassee’s ma… more…
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Juvenile may be charged as adult in Hotel Talisi fire Wed Dec 2, 2009
The Elmore County district attorney’s office wants to charge as an adult a juvenile accused of starting the fire that destroyed the historic Hotel Talisi. If the juvenile is tried as an adult, the … more…
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Blaze destroys Tallassee icon Wed Dec 2, 2009
One of Tallasee’s most historic landmarks was destroyed by an early-morning blaze that swept through the city’s downtown area on Monday. An effort by more than 100 firefighters from nine different … more…
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Investigators: Hotel Talisi fire began to cover up burglary Tue Dec 1, 2009
TALLASSEE – Investigators believe a fire that destroyed a landmark hotel in east Alabama was started to hide a burglary in a nearby business. A spokesman with the state fire marshal’s office, Ragan… more…
Bailey Jones’ Growing Up As A Lake Martin Litmus
Bailey Jones‘ book Growing Up tells you nothing you need to know to enjoy Lake Martin, but in it he tells you everything that you should feel if you really love it.
A couple of months ago, I got on a kick to read a bunch of history related books about Lake Martin. I even went so far as to create Lake Martin Voice Library. There are quite a few good ones out there that go into much rich detail about the land before the lake, the Indians, the settlers, and the people that developed it after the dam.
Sandwiched in between those readings, I returned again and again to a privately published collection – Growing Up by Bailey Jones.
I had heard of him before. I used to look forward to reading his column every month in Lake Martin Living. To me, it was a highlight of the magazine. So you can imagine my pleasure to secure a copy of this book, a collection of some of his more popular columns. At first I figured his quick reads would supply a brief palette cleanse in between chapters of history. Yet I found myself sneaking more reading time on Bailey’s book instead of doing my homework.
I have been writing this blog for a couple of years now, and some of my more complimentary friends joke that I am the Garrison Keillor of Lake Martin. Hogwash. My writing stinks in comparison.
I say Bailey Jones is the Garrison Keillor of Lake Martin, except without the nose whistle and constant references to Scandinavian superiority. Plus, I doubt Keiller has any real skilz like catching frogs and running from responsibility, getting stuck and unstuck in red clay mud. Has Keillor known both the impotent feeling when the outboard won’t crank, and the Ragnar the Viking like thrill when it roars to life, when you have to hang on to the jon boat with one hand and steer with the other?
I think it’s relatively easy to spin fictional fables about the frozen north. Give me a writer who can catch ring necks, get out of yard work, conquer wasps, scare weaklings in the dark, and take a good nap.
That’s why it doesn’t matter where you like to go on Lake Martin, you will see yourself in Bailey’s childhood memories. His book isn’t filled with location specific stories. In fact, I only figured out where his cabin was by reading a (now timely) piece about the original Catherine’s.
It doesn’t really matter that you currently own or rent a place on the lake. If you read this book, and have taken it personally when you don’t catch fish, or have known the pride of a decent TV antenna giving you clear reception in otherwise bandless lands, then you will smile and nod as you read.
His dedication to boredom, to doing absolutely nothing, is chief among his wise advice. That’s what I loved the most about going to the lake when I was young, was the nothing. I guess now “experts” would call it time for creativity. Whatever. But Jones gets the fact that the most fun, the richest experiences are gained when nothing is going on. Do you want a total immersion experience? Why travel to France when it’s available in Elmore County?
When I was growing up, especially in my post teenage years, we Coleys tested each of my new girlfriends (such as they were) and my sisters’ boyfriends by one simple rule – do they love the lake? If we sensed any sort of hesitation about swimming in the lake, they were out. If they did not absolutely swear that the Blounts put on the best fireworks show, they were traitors. If they so much as raised an eyebrow at The Herculon and Kelvinator, well, they never got a second chance. Sure, it was an extreme standard. But Jones gets it, and I hope he would approve.
I could go on and on, but I guess I would risk over-hype. I will say this – buy the book. Go to Bailey Jones’ website here and order it. When I scrape together some more advertising dollars, I will be buying 10 more copies. In all the Lake Martin homes I tour, I have never seen this one sitting on the coffee table. I’d like to think that those who are in the know, and own the book, have it sitting, well read and well loved, on their bedside table.
Just don’t buy the book if you want to know about the number of miles of shoreline on Lake Martin, or who won the Miss Wind Creek contest in 1954. He doesn’t tell you.
What he does tell you, is the why of Lake Martin. To me, that’s all you need to know.
Richard Scrushy’s Lake Martin Home on CNBC – American Greed
CNBC re-ran the story on HealthSouth founder and former CEO Richard Scrushy – On a show called “American Greed.” Not exactly the sort of bio that any businessman wants.
Every story I have ever read or watched about Scrushy inevitably mentions his “Lake Martin mansion.” Don’t get me wrong, it is a mansion all right. By almost anyone’s standards.
I don’t know if it is the biggest home on Lake Martin. I know of one that may be larger by square feet. But it is up there. His home is located inside the gates of Willow Point, one of Lake Martin’s most exclusive communities.
That home wasn’t his only dealings on Lake Martin. Scrushy also developed a neighborhood called Marina Marin (apparently his middle name is Marin) – off of Highway 50 on the south side of the lake. While not as upscale as Willow Point, it is pretty nice itself; former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville owns a home there.
I can see why CEO types such as Scrushy enjoy Lake Martin. You have relative anonymity, unless you rip around in a loud speedboat like he used to do. Plus, coming from Atlanta and Nashville, executives see a relative bargain in the homes, where $500,000 gets you a very nice home and $1 million is close to the top of the market.
Would you like to browse around Lake Martin homes for sale? Click here for my home search, it includes all realtors and brokerages that participate in the Lake Martin MLS. For my exclusive listings, go here. If you see anything you like, give me a shout.
Related Posts:
For everything I have written on Scrushy, see Scrushy Category
Discover The Old Cemetery In The Pleasure Point Area
I was over in the Pleasure Point area the other day, going by two homes for sale that I have listed over there. One is on Claytons Lane and the other in on Captains Road.
If you are ever riding around in that section of Blue Creek, off of Tallapoosa County Road 34, you might find it interesting that there is an old cemetery off of, you guessed it, Old Cemetery Road.
I snapped these pics:
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Here are some closeups:
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And one last one:
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If you do happen by there, BE CAREFUL. Proceed at your own risk.
Cherokee Ridge Trail – Lake Martin
To continue the post I did yesterday on Lake Martin’s Deadening Alpine Trail, I wanted to include these photos of the Cherokee Ridge Trail.
The Cherokee Ridge Trail is also maintained by the (duh) Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association. Its trailhead is on the Scenic Overlook, on Overlook Drive off of Highway 50, just east of Martin Dam. It’s kind of near Ghost Hollow and Whiskey Ridge if you know where they are.
The Scenic Overlook offers stupendous views of Lake Martin, looking west, all the way to Kowaliga Bridge, with a little bit of a vision to the south (Martin Dam) and the northeast towards Chimney Rock. If you ever want to get a sense of the VASTness of Lake Martin, head here. Take a picnic, there are lots of little tables and lots of paved parking. From there you can drive down to Martin Dam (if the road is open) and check out the Dam close up.
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The Cherokee Ridge Trail is actually a system of trails. There are 3 that can be accessed here, The Cherokee Ridge Alpine Loop, The Chimney Rock, and the Kowaliga Bay Trails. Depending on how you hike it, you can take a 1 mile up to 7 mile hike.
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The trailhead is similar to the one on Deadening Alpine Trail in that you have a little sign in box and can borrow a staff if desired. Be sure to sign in so that they have an accurate count of visitors.
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As on all trails, please be careful and proceed at your own risk. This particular trail gives spectacular views, especially in the winter and fall when the leaves are changing colors or have no leaves so you can really see the water.
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Related Post:
Clean Lake Martin And Get A T Shirt To Prove It
The Annual Lake Martin Cleanup portion of the Renew Our Rivers program will be held this Saturday, June 7, 2008.
Renew Our Rivers is a joint effort between Alabama Power and the Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership. If you pitch in and help, you’ll get a free T shirt and all sorts of other cool swag. Plus you get the satisfaction of helping keep Lake Martin clean.
How long have you just ridden by that old air conditioner that’s laying in the woods just off the road to your cabin? What about that fast food bag that someone threw out last Labor Day? How long do you actually plan to keep those 4 silver bubble floats that have been punctured since 1991?
Depending on your location, sometimes it’s hard to find legitimate places to dump trash around Lake Martin. So if you have procrastinated cleaning up because you didn’t know where a dump was, here’s your chance to do a good deed and get a T shirt to boot.
Here is some more info taken from this article in the Outlook:
“Collection sites will be Dare Park, Real Island Boat Ramp, Kowaliga Boat Ramp and the Alexander City Coley Creek Boat Ramp. The event begins at 8 a.m. with Alabama Power giving volunteers t-shirts, plastic gloves and trash bags at each collection point.
Last year, the Lake Martin Cleanup Day saw 167 volunteers collect 6.17 tons of trash.”
Why not go ahead and sign up for the Poker Run to benefit the Sherriff’s Girls’ Ranch so that you’ll have something to do after the cleanup? It’s sponsored by 93.9 FM – call 334–887–9999 for more details.
Related posts:
How To Get One Up On Lake Martin Wannabes
Little Kowaliga’s Little Steel .. errr… Concrete Bridge?
If you have a Lake Martin house in the Little Kowaliga area, you are well aware that Little Steel Bridge Road aka Elmore County Road 55 is closed. If you are heading to the Real Island or Parker Creek areas of Lake Martin, and are coming from the south, be aware that you must detour. Keep going north on highway 9, when you hit downtown Equality, take Coosa County Road 2 east.
I have a home for sale near Real Island, and was heading over there last Friday. I took that chance to snap these pictures. I came away with a few observations:
a.) Little Steel Bridge is steel no longer. Mostly concrete with some steel girders thrown in for good measure (read engineering).
b.) It’s going to take a while to complete. Get used to the detour.
c.) Will they change the name of the road? Unlikely.
Lake Martin Maps: Pre Civil War And Web 2.0
For anyone that likes old maps of Alabama – or if you would like to see what your Lake Martin property looked like before the lake was built – I have a great site for you.
The University of Alabama is a great site resource for these old maps. Some of them date back to the early 1800s. Here are links to Lake Martin counties:
Old Tallapoosa County Maps Old Elmore County Maps Old Coosa County Maps
Click this link for other Alabama Counties. Hat tip to boataholic on the Lake Martin Forum for the heads up on this link!
While I’m on the subject of maps, please click on my map of Lake Martin. I have made a Google Map that shows Lake Martin marinas, restaurants, my listings of Lake Martin real estate for sale, and Coley Real Estate office locations. If you click on any of the listings, I have added in little pictures of the homes for sale, links to their information on my blog, and also links to their online video tours.
Since it’s a Google Map, you can switch back and forth between street map view and satellite photo images. They recently have updated parts of Lake Martin with the ability to really zoom in tight, so it might be fun to zoom way into your spot on the lake.
Alabama And Lake Martin Win Battle In Water War
Lake Martin and Alabama have won a victory in the long running “water war” with Georgia and Florida.
In this press release, Governor Bob Riley calls it “the most consequential legal ruling in the 18 year history of the water war.”
What happened?
The US Court of Appeals ruled that a “secret settlement” between Georgia, the Corps of Engineers, and Atlanta area water users is illegal under federal law.
What was the “secret settlement?”
It would have allocated about 23% of Lake Lanier for Atlanta’s water supply. Lake Lanier is a federal reservoir.
Why should anyone outside the state of Georgia care what Georgians do with Lake Lanier’s water?
A federal reservoir means it is owned by all tax payers of the US government, not just Georgians. As Riley said in this article: “”It establishes that the decades-old practice of Atlanta taking more and more water from the federal reservoirs in the Coosa and Chattahoochee Rivers without any legal authority to do so will not stand.”
How does this affect Lake Martin’s water level?
If Georgia is forced to take less water out, there is more water flowing into the Coosa system, which means Lake Martin has to put less water out to hold up the level in the Alabama River (which is formed by the Coosa and Tallapoosa).
What does this victory mean for Lake Martin in the larger scope of the water war?
The Guv thinks that this decision could be used to challenge other withdrawals by Georgia communities upstream. More water coming in, and less going out, equals more water for Lake Martin, and a more stable water level. Hoo-yah!!
For related reading, please see all posts that relate to Lake Martin water level:
Gov Bob Riley On Water Wars And Lake Martin
Alabama Governor Bob Riley has recently played a huge role in lobbying FERC on behalf of Lake Martin’s water level. He is also Alabama’s most visible representative in the ongoing “Water Wars” – the struggle of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama to determine the future water usage of each state, and how that impacts the other two.
The Guv recently spoke to the Montgomery Lions Club, of which I am a member. He spoke on a variety of topics, then opened the floor for questions. Since I am keenly interested in feeding my children, I asked:
“What is the update on the Water Wars?”
Thankfully, The Guv limited his response to include some examples that affect Lake Martin. Namely he talked about how the recent drought caused Georgia to nearly suck their lakes dry, which of course directly and indirectly affected water flow into Alabama, and therefore Lake Martin.
He made two interesting points that cause me to have hope for Alabama’s 
(and Lake Martin’s) negotiating positions:
1. Georgia’s reservoirs (like Lake Lanier) were built by the Federal Government. Not a private company (Martin dam was built by Alabama Power) or even the state government. Since federal tax dollars were used to build those dams, don’t they belong just as much to the citizens of Alabama and Florida as the citizens of Georgia?
2. Apparently all of these dam projects must have charters where they state the purpose for building the dam in the first place. In my deliberately cursory and extremely biased review of the COE site, I saw no mention of using the water for watering golf courses in Buckhead, water amusement parks by ATL, or boiling hot dogs at The Varsity. To the contrary, their charters state that among their purposes is to regulate water flow to navigable rivers. True, Lake Lanier and Lake Martin are on two different watersheds. But I think the Guv was trying to point out the inherent responsibility of downstream flow when the Georgia lakes were built.
I realize that this is a huge subject, with points and counter points on all three states’ sides. The above two items hardly encompass the entire argument. I also realize that it is possible that I misunderstood Gov. Riley, however hard I tried not to just hear the good news selectively.
But, I do feel confident that Lake Martin stands a great chance of coming out of this with more than we started with, such as a higher winter water level.
Do any of you out there in Lake Martin readerland have more to add to this topic? Please click “Continue” and then “Leave A Reply.” I am sure that others would benefit from your comments.
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