Lake Martin Magazine

Governor’s Island got its name just the way you’d think … it was where Alabama Gov. Gordon Persons had a lake cabin in the early 1950s.

Local residents have long believed Lake Martin was a treasure. Now, state officials are finally recognizing that fact.
Lake Martin will likely be the first reservoir in the state to be declared a “Treasured Alabama Lake.” Just before he left office, Gov. Bob Riley signed an executive order creating the new waterway designation that will apply to impounded waters such as Lake Martin.

One of the more unusual-looking fish in Lake Martin and its tributaries is the longnose gar, a fish with the build of a fashion model and the teeth of a top-of-the-food chain predator. It’s not just the nose that’s long – these fish are built like darts. But their “nose” or snout is very elongated, more than twice the length of its head, and the upper jaw is filled with a single row of long, sharp teeth.

Tim Head remembers when he didn’t know the meaning of the Children’s Harbor lighthouse. That was more than 15 years ago when the Pelham resident would visit Lake Martin to fish. It was before 1996 when his daughter, Jennifer, was born with spinal bifida, a developmental birth defect that left her a paraplegic.

Driving a car is a much more controlled activity than piloting a boat. For one, a car travels on a public road marked with road signs, various meaningful lines on the roadway and speed limits. The lake is, well, wide open. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t rules of the road.

Alexander City residents Deano and Janene Vopal have traveled a long way from their native Wisconsin.

When I was much younger, I used to flip channels on the television as I still do today. But, there was one channel in particular that caught my attention. It was dedicated solely to weather.

Well, here we are already into our second month of the New Year! Are you sticking to our New Year’s resolutions or are you already burned out? Have you set your goals to high?

Regular readers will recall from last month’s column that the 2011 plan for this feature is to discover fantastic wines and explore the complexities of style and flavor that make them so. The quest is, but not limited to, the finding of exciting wines to share and to enjoy on special occasions.

Keep It Simple Stupid! Now that we are beginning a new year it’s time to think about the things you want to work on to make you a better player.