Mold Remediation in Huntsville, AL

The Huntsville YMCA wants to sell Camp Cha-La-Kee, its lakeside overnight camp, to offset some debt as it goes through bankruptcy proceedings, and a federal court will hear the case on Monday.

There is a “buyer who’s ready to purchase. But we have to go through the process that the court requires,” Interim CEO Jeff Collen told AL.com.

The nonprofit filed for bankruptcy in August after more than $15 million in loan repayments came due. The negotiation failed with the lender, Redstone Federal Credit Union, who froze the organization’s account. The nonprofit later regained access to that account after the court’s intervention, Collen said.

According to court documents, a buyer is willing to pay $1.75 million for the 62-acre Camp Cha-La-Kee beside Lake Guntersville in Marshall County, which has not been profitable for many years.

“I can say that over the last 10 years, the Y has lost over $900,000 at the camp,” Collen said.

This is not the first time Collen is leading a YMCA branch to sell properties to offset debt after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following his retirement as Racine, Wisconsin YMCA CEO in 2020, Collen has been interim CEO at two different YMCA branches before his stint at the Heart of the Valley YMCA beginning in September 2023.

In St. Joseph, Missouri, Collen led the sale of two properties to offset debts, and in Jackson, Mississippi, he said he renegotiated a debt burden of $11 million to $1 million.

“I was in St. Joseph, Missouri, for about nine months,” Collen told AL.com, “In St. Joseph’s, we sold a building downtown that they weren’t using anymore and a camp that hadn’t been successful in a long, long time.”

The Heart of the Valley YMCA, in 2022, valued the lakeside property at $350,000, but after filing for bankruptcy in August, received two separate $1.75 million offers.

One offer was from one Shannon Provence; the nonprofit did not name who made the second offer, except that it came with some unnamed conditions.

The organization has decided to go with Provence’s offer. Provence told AL.com he could not comment for the story at this time.

Collen said he could not make further comments on the planned sale of the lakeside property, which is restricted for recreational use and must not be divided up for sale or lease, court documents say.

The YMCA wants the court to allow it to consider Provence’s offer and market it further to see if better offers would come in. It has tapped SVN AVAT Realty, LLC, and Andrew Agee will market the property sale.

Agee did not respond to a request for comments for this story.

The motion to sell Camp Cha-La-Kee “is still on the docket for Monday (10 a.m.),” Huntsville YMCA attorney Kevin Heard said in an email.

Collen said selling the camp is “important and really necessary” and hopes to “come up with a solution” with Redstone.

“I’m very hopeful that we’re close on that,” he said.

“The bank balloon payment on the banknote was not something that the Y could handle,” he said. “Fifteen and a half million dollars, and we were working with Redstone to negotiate the next loan schedule, so to speak. And, you know, at some point it just wasn’t working and all of a sudden, you know, we found our accounts frozen.”

“And, so we had no choice but to seek the court’s protection in order to be able to pay all our bills because this bankruptcy is not typical,” he said. “It is not an operational issue. The Y had plenty of money to keep paying its bills, but we just hadn’t come to an agreement for the next loan option moving forward.”

He said that YMCA branches have experienced membership slumps nationally.

“Across the state of Alabama, membership is still about right where we are, about 25-27 percent lower than what it was at the end of 2019, again, across this state and very similar across the country.”

But IRS records show that Huntsville YMCA has been recording losses long before the pandemic.

The nonprofit recorded more years with losses than other YMCA branches in Alabama between 2012 and 2022. It only reported two years in the green, 2012 and 2020. Birmingham YMCA had the best profit record recording one year in the negative.

Collen said he recognizes the need to be profitable.

“We need to have surpluses because we need to be able to take care of our facilities to provide the services; you know, a lot of times it doesn’t happen that way,” he said.

“It makes us have to reduce expenses, sometimes we don’t always take care of our facilities as best as we can because there’s not the funds to do that so we have a lot of deferred maintenance.”

Birmingham YMCA revenue between 2012 and 2022 includes an average of 13% from donations, while Huntsville had 9%, IRS records show. The rest of the revenue is mostly from program services.

“We’ve got to help raise money because we’re giving a lot of services away to people who can’t afford it,” Collen said.

Have you ever heard of “paint and sip”? It’s a rising trend where couples or friends can express their inner artists while enjoying a glass of wine.

If that sounds like fun to you, you’re in luck! Here are a few places we recommend in the Huntsville area.

Pinot’s Palette

Pinot’s Palette is a popular spot to enjoy a beverage as an artist guides you through the step-by-step painting process.

Each class features a different painting from cute animals to scenic views.

Both in-studio and paint-at-home classes are available.

Where: 8 Parade Street Suite 102, Huntsville, AL 35806

Event calendar

Color Me Mine

If you’re into ceramics, Color Me Mine is the spot for you.

This paint-your-own pottery studio offers private parties where you can bring your own wine.

It’s the perfect place to “dish, wine and design.”

Where: 1024 Mid City Drive Huntsville, AL 35806

How to book

Wine & Design

As the name suggests, Wine & Design is a great spot to enjoy a glass of wine and get crafty.

Located in Madison, they offer a variety of DIY classes, such as artist-led canvas painting classes and the option to reserve private parties.

Also, check out their “Art Buzz Kids” classes for more family-friendly fun.

Where: 12060 County Line Road Suite G | Madison, AL 35756

Event Calendar

Looking for new spots to try in and around Huntsville? Follow Hville Blast on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

Here’s your guide to celebrating Día de los Muertos in the Huntsville area this weekend, plus a bit of background if you’re unfamiliar with the holiday.

Table of Contents

What is Día de los Muertos?

Día de los Muertos is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated over two days annually Nov. 1-2. The colorful celebration honors the lives of loved ones who have passed away. The event’s timing coincides with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which have similar themes.

Unlike Halloween, which emphasizes frightful themes, Día de los Muertos is a colorful celebration that appears joyous while carrying the deep meaning and emotions of honoring ancestors.

Día de los Muertos traditions

You’ll see many common themes, motifs and materials in Día de Muertos observances. Here are several that have long been part of the tradition.

Día de los Muertos trends

As more people learn about Día de Muertos and host community celebrations, you’ll see many features that have made their way into the tradition in modern times, such as:

Día de los Muertos Celebration in Decatur

Decatur began hosting North Alabama’s only large-scale Día de Muertos community event in 2021, and it has grown in features and popularity every year since. This year’s event includes a community altar, restaurant specials, food trucks, art activities, a DJ, live music in the early evening, traditional vendors, cultural dancers and kids’ activities.

A new feature in 2024 will be a Quinceañera Pageant at 2PM on the steps of the Alabama Center for the Arts. One of 15 contestants will be crowned the city’s first Day of the Dead Queen. See the info link below for a detailed schedule of events.

Día de los Muertos at Straight to Ale in Huntsville

A community ofrenda, specialty drinks and a musical performance by GORRIO highlight the Día de los Muertos celebration at Straight to Ale in Huntsville this Saturday. People and pet remembrances are all welcomed on the altar.

Día de los Muertos at High Cotton Arts in Athens

Look for the beautifully painted windows of High Cotton Arts just off the Athens square to celebrate Día de los Muertos in creative style. The event features a community ofrenda to memorialize loved ones, food vendors, live music, face painting, door prizes and more.

Want to stay in the know about fun events in Huntsville and beyond? Follow Hville Blast on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Alabama is one of three states that do not offer some form of early voting.

In Tennessee, almost 40 percent of eligible voters have already cast their ballot.

If you want to vote before election day in Alabama, you need to vote absentee and you would need a reason why you can not be at the polls on election day.

Would-be voters like Jason Burnett say early voting would save him from having to make a tough choice in the future.

“I live in Morgan County and work in a different county and it’s problematic to get home in time to vote so I would definitely support that,” he said. “Unless I took off work or made some kind of sacrifice, it would be hard to vote for me.”

Secretary of State Wes Allen has made it clear he will not be bringing early voting to Alabama.

Since before I was elected as Secretary of State, I have been clear that I believe in Election Day, not election month. Alabamians deserve a fair, secure, and transparent election. I have worked to make sure our current absentee elections process promotes election integrity and provides strong protection for the absentee ballots cast in our elections. That process is now more secure than it has ever been in Alabama. Initiatives like no excuse absentee voting, unsolicited mass-mail voting, curbside ballot drop boxes, and same-day voter registration can lead to chaos and confusion, like we have seen in other states.

Secretary of State Wes Allen

Tennessee early voters like Adam Moore believe the chaos comes from waiting in long lines to vote.

“I knew that the lines were going to be at least a couple hours of standing as we got closer to the election so early voting enabled me to vote for only about 20 minutes,” Moore said.

Allen’s predecessor, John Merrill, says even though many may want early voting, he believes the data shows it will just make voting easier, but it won’t increase turnout.

“Empirical data has proven over the years that prior to the COVID experience in 2020, early in-person voting did not increase the number of people who voted in the process throughout the nation. It simply allowed those people who were voting early to vote earlier than they would on election day,” he said.

Election Day is Tuesday. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Copyright 2024 WAFF. All rights reserved.

Find your sample ballot for the 2024 Alabama General Election on November 5, 2024.

Credit: WZDX

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The 2024 Alabama general election is coming up on Tuesday, November 5. Find your sample ballot here. All information comes from the office of the Alabama Secretary of State.

What you need before you get your voter card

Voter registration is open throughout the year, except during the 14 days leading up to an election and on Election Day itself. During the closure period, it will allow election officials time to compile an accurate voter list for the upcoming election.

Not sure if you're registered to vote or if you're still on the voter rolls? You can check here.

If you plan on mailing in registrations, the form must be postmarked no later than the registration deadline for a specific election. For in-person registrations, they must be received before the close of business on the registration deadline. Electronic registrations need to be submitted before 11:59 PM on the registration deadline.

hen it comes to casting your vote, it's important to keep in mind that Alabama's polling places operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. It's worth mentioning that polling locations in the Eastern Time Zone may adhere to the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time schedule. A reminder: those attempting to join the voting line after the clock strikes 7:00 p.m. will not be allowed to cast their vote.

Alternatively, voters can verify their polling place by visiting the Secretary of State's website. Keep in mind that for municipal elections, it's advised to check with the City Clerk for details.

Alabama has outlined specific identification requirements that voters must adhere to before casting their ballots. People must present one of the following valid forms of identification to be granted permission to vote. However, for those without any of these forms, a solution is provided in the form of a free Alabama Photo Voter ID card:

Examples of acceptable identification include:

Those who currently do not have an acceptable form of photo ID can acquire a free Alabama Photo Voter ID by visiting their county Board of Registrars office or by requesting a home visit by calling 1 (800) 274-VOTE (8683). On Election Day, if a voter lacks a valid photo ID, they can still cast a regular ballot if their name is on the official voters list and they are identified by two election officials. In cases where this isn't possible, voters can use a provisional ballot.

RELATED: FOX54 Voter Guide: Things you must know for the Nov. 5 general election