POWERGRAMS

Wellborn Musclecar Museum has nation's largest collection of high-performance Dodges. "I raised my kids here," said Carter. "The school system is great." Elizabeth Roberts was raised in New Hampshire but returned to her birthplace 11 years ago. She and her husband, Doug, a local chiropractor, made the decision after years of vacationing around Lake Martin. Last year, Elizabeth and friend Stephanie Smith entered an idea in the Main Street program's "Missing Pieces" business competition. They saw a void downtown for a handmade crafts store. They came in third behind Coffee Corner, which opened recently, and the Community Theatre, which is a work in progress. Smith also owns the Little Black Dress shop just up the street. Five months ago, Alabama Street Makers Market began selling only Alabama-handcrafted goods, including furniture, picture frames, foods, pottery and other artwork. Most of the items sold in Makers Market are from within a 10-mile radius. Roberts hopes to begin selling local beers and wine by Memorial Day. She and her business partner are excited about helping revitalize their town. "It's amazing how many artists we have that are from Alex City," Roberts said. "I used to have to search for artisans but today three different people came in and brought unique goods to sell." Another unique downtown feature is Wellborn Musclecar Museum on Broad Street, which opens each Saturday (and by appointment) to showcase autos from the 1960s and '70s. Classics such as the Charger, Roadrunner and Superbee are showcased in a remodeled 1940s car dealership building. Opened by kitchen cabinet entrepreneur Tim Wellborn, the museum houses the nation's largest high-performance Dodge collection. "The museum is constantly rotating through its inventory of amazing vehicles, so you never know what you might see," said museum manager Phillip Love. Kathryn Picard's mother moved to Alex City a decade ago after Hurricane Katrina hit their native Louisiana. She was glad for her mother's safety, "But me move to Alabama? I thought, 'No way!'' In 2014, Kathryn opened Vapor Queen along lawyer's row downtown and has since had a thriving business in her new hometown. Dr. Graham Howorth opened Alexander City Orthopedics in 1989 and has never left. The surgeon came to town in part to be near the serene waters of Lake Martin but was also attracted by the top-notch medical facilities. "I have patients coming from Montgomery, Prattville and other bigger cities because they like the care they receive here so much," Howorth said. "The Russell Medical Center is a very good rural hospital." Before being trained at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Howorth quarterbacked the Selma High School Saints in the early 1970s. He later volunteered for 15 years as team physician for Benjamin Russell High School's football team, working alongside Alex City Chrome fuel cap from a 1970 Dodge Challenger. 21

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