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VALLEY — Kelly Caldwell, the editor in chief for Lake Wedowee Life magazine, was the guest speaker at Monday’s meeting of the Valley Lions Club. The magazine has been a very successful undertaking for the Caldwell family for the past 16 years. So much so that they started a second magazine, Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns, in 2010. A third publication, Southern Holiday Life, comes out every October and a fourth one, Alabama Foodie, will be unveiled in January.

“We worked hard to promote our Lake Wedowee magazine in 2007, but that was not a good year to get it started,” she said. “We had a drought that year and the lake was well down. It was not ideal for taking pictures. We waited till the next year when the lake was back to full pool. Our first issue came out in 2008.”

Lake Wedowee Life is printed every other month by Publication Press in Montgomery and circulated in the east Alabama-west Georgia region in the near-driving-area of Lake Wedowee. One of the more popular issues of the magazine is the one that comes out just before the Thanksgiving-Christmas holiday season. Southern Holiday Life allows its readers, friends, family and advertisers share recipes and stories they have about the holiday season.

“I am so grateful I still have my parents,” Kelly wrote in one of the holiday issues. “I know that’s something not all people my age can say. Yes, we drive each other crazy on the regular, but I do appreciate them and what they have done for me and with me over the years.”

“I love Christmas and everything about it!” she writes in an issue Southern Holiday Life. “I love everything from it being Jesus’ birthday to decorating the tree to the man in the red suit. I love it all. I enjoy gathering with friends and family, hunting the perfect gift and paying it forward with acts of kindness.”

Family members who play important roles of the three, and soon-to-be, four publications include Leisel Caldwell, the general manager, and Lavoy Caldwell, the advertising manager.

The Caldwells have a pretty-well-known relative in Chambers County. That would be Sheriff Jeff Nelson.

With Lake Wedowee Life having much going for it in the area surrounding the lake, the Caldwells took a bold move some 14 years ago to go statewide for their next publication. Five downtown districts in small towns in the state are featured in each issue of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns.

These stories make the collective point that people feel safe in small towns. “In traveling to these towns and telling their stories we have found out that the small towns in Alabama don’t get the same kind of promotion the larger towns do,” Caldwell said.

Understandably, the first issue included Wedowee. Gadsden, Sheffield, Wetumpka and Oneonta were also featured.

“We have stories about what’s unique in each town we go to,” she said. “Enterprise has the boll weevil monument, and they embrace that. There are miniature statues of boll weevils all over town. There’s one in front of the local McDonald’s. People like to promote in a positive way what their town in known for.”

The boll weevil monument depicts a woman holding a pedestal with a boll weevil perched on top. It’s been in downtown Enterprise since 1919. It’s unusual to have a statue in tribute to an insect, but it’s the town’s way of thanking the boll weevil for convincing farmers in the area to diversify their agriculture and not to depend solely on cotton production. Farmers had to do that when the boll weevil started wiping out many a cotton crop.

Wetumpka, Alabama is near one of only six places in the U.S. known to be an impact crater from a comet or asteroid. An abundance of iridium and shocked quartz in the area offer proof that a cosmic event took place there more than 80 million years ago. Locals call it their star wound.

“When we write about a small town we like to tell their story,” Caldwell said. “Many small towns have artworks and murals that tell their story. We like to talk about that. Wedowee, with 800 people, is a microcosm of a small town. We are so fortunate to have a lake in our backyard.”

Those of us in West Point, LaGrange and the Valley area can relate to that as well.

When covering small town Alabama, the Caldwells have come across some truly amazing restaurants. “We love to deliver copies of the magazine there and to have face time with people we do business with,” Caldwell said. “In lots of advertising, you don’t see the decision makers involved in the production. You do with us. Ours is a family-owned business, and people get to know us.”

A member of the club asked Caldwell if she was familiar with the Haunted Chicken House near Hollis Cross Roads on the way to Anniston.

She said many, many people had seen the Halloween season promotion. Passersby on Highway 431 have no doubt seen the big statues of roosters and old ambulances lined up near the road.

“A lot of people have been there, including Norman Reedus (the actor who portrayed Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead),” Caldwell said.

In her travels across small towns in Alabama, Caldwell has come across some first-rate wineries and breweries. Most Alabamians probably don’t know it, but the blackberry is the official state fruit. Distillers in the state have a practiced art into making it a very good-tasting wine.

Located in the large city of Birmingham. Redmont Distilling is becoming widely known outside the state. It’s chief spokesperson is former Auburn and NBA basketball star Charles Barkley.

“Some small towns in Alabama have tea festivals,” Caldwell said. “We write about them in our magazine. Our Sweet Home Tea is a culinary delight in Alabama. Clay County does something a bit different. They have a Yellow Meat Watermelon Festival. Every town needs something a bit weird. Whatever you have that’s weird and different can attract people to your town.”

Caldwell has found that old gas stations make neat restaurants. “You can find some truly amazing food in those old stations,” she said.

The next magazine the Caldwells are working on, Alabama Foodie, will be coming out at the first of next year. As the name suggests, it will be all about the great food that’s being prepared every day someplace in Alabama most people in the state may not be aware of. Some of the state’s best food is served during special events certain towns are well known for. “Opelika has an amazing Christmas celebration every year,” Caldwell said. “Eufaula has a Christmas tour of homes that’s really great every year. Cullman has a really neat German Christmas market. Some towns have amazing light shows.”

Valley has something special during the holiday season with a Christmas Merry Go Round that’s been running every holiday season since 1956. Daniel’s Drive In is a special place to pick up a hamburger that’s unlike something you’ll find nowhere else.

Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns comes out twice a year. The magazine has an extended shelf life and can be found in 50 locations including state parks and welcome centers.

“Having traveled all over the state many times I have to tell you that we have  some really exceptional people at our welcome centers and our state parks,” Caldwell said. “They do great work in promoting our state and making people feel welcome. There’s a first-rate welcome center right here in Lanett. We appreciate them carrying our magazine. We are with them in the spirit of promoting Sweet Home Alabama.”