Live HealthSmart Alabama celebrates Farmers Market, East Selma park reopening

UAB’s Live HealthSmart Alabama held an event at East Selma Community Park on Saturday to celebrate a partnership that revitalized the park, the fishing pond and the residents using it.

The celebration that featured music, yoga, fishing and a fish fry recognized the first Popup Farmers Market that started in early November last year. It also gave residents a chance to enjoy the walking trail and fishing pond that was renovated through a partnership between Live HealthSmart Alabama, the City of Selma and many others.

“We started in Selma two years ago with the Live HealthSmart initiative - so basically to transform lives by eating healthier - and one of those initiatives was a popup farmers market,” Taylor said.

Another part of the three-year initiative was to renovate the East Selma Pond that was in disrepair by replacing sidewalks that were caving into the pond and patch up the gazebo that was in need of renovation. Live HealthSmart Alabama, the city of Selma and others came together to reinforce the pond walls and then stocked it with fish in the spring so the community could fish there.

For the celebration, the fishing pond that had been closed for the season was reopened for the day. The pond has been so popular that Selma City Councilman Michael Johnson said he used $4,000 in discretionary funds to restock more fish in the pond after residents fished it so much. 

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“We wanted to keep the people happy and the excitement going,” said Johnson who also covered the cost for fish fried for Saturday’s occasion. 

The pond is city owned and available for anyone in the city to use, not just Ward 8, Johnsons said, and the park is also available for family-friendly church or social events.

Resident Dianne Hurry, who lives just a block from the pond and shops the farmers market often, said she and her granddaughter walk the trail around the pond regularly. She credits her frequent walks for improving her health.

“I was born with a hole in my heart,” Hurry said. “And I’ve been told I have to lose weight.” After eating too much Church’s chicken recently, she said she headed for the walking trail to “walk it off.” 

“I feel better in the morning when I walk,” she said.