By Maggie DiGiovanni
EAN Reporter Maggie DiGiovanni recently sat down with members of the Winslett family of Eclectic. The family owns the Sugar and Spice Bakery, and since moving to Eclectic have become very active in the community. Here is their story.
June 2012, the Winslett family including Carmen, Mark, Carolyn and Rob, moved to Eclectic, Alabama. Today they own the Sugar & Spice Bakery, located at 190 Main Street, Eclectic. You can follow them on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EclecticSugarSpice/
In the ensuing years, they have become part of the town’s backbone, involved in almost every facet of life and making it a better place with their presence.
As Carmen Winslett put it, “I like to stay busy, because the more I do, the better I do, as I work better under pressure. I become more organized when challenged.”
With a son who played baseball, that was the first place that kept her busy. But all volunteered to help their local team succeed. Soon other opportunities arose and not one of the Winsletts hesitated to lend a hand. Not long afterward, there were more challenges coming their way.
EAN – “I have seen you and the children working on the front lines, but Mark seems happier working behind the scenes. Is that right?”
“He’s not as much as a people person, although he enjoys sitting and talking one-on-one,” Carmen said smiling, as she often does when speaking of her husband.
On the subject of public school, Carmen noted that the kids went to public school, with two graduating there, but as the mores of society changed, with her last child Rob, she opted for home schooling. She stated that it was not the schools as much as things outside affecting school life that pushed her toward home schooling. Rob graduated from home school in 2022.
When asked about her children stepping up to help anyone who needs it, her face softened with pride as she answered.
“With Rob, it was teaching him to be a gentleman. I’m old-fashioned; not a feminist, and when I am carrying things or walking in the door, I like it when my husband opens doors or offers to take the item. I tried to instill that in Rob, as well. I tried to teach my children respect for people older than them, not necessarily senior citizens, but just older than themselves struggling at an event to set up a tent or a table, to offer help. That is how I was raised. Everybody helped everybody. It’s not like that anymore. People will often sit and watch people struggle, never offering to help.”
She continued, “The kids remember the struggles we had. Carolyn was fourteen and Rob was a lot younger at age five. We had some serious troubles we went through, and they remember and appreciate the people who stepped up to help and recognized those who did not. They do not want to be the ones who do nothing. They do not want to sit back, and watch people suffer or struggle. They will help anybody in any way they can.”
The conversation returned to Carmen and the projects in which she is involved. As the Event Coordinator, she has the enormous task of bringing the Cotton Festival to life. She has her hands full as the festival is not even two weeks away. Yet, while doing this, which is a jewel in her crown, she manages to work full-time and run her own bakery.
As for the festival, it has grown under her leadership from 4,500 in attendance in 2017 to an expected 20,000 people this year, as well as 300 vendors! Even the Covid crisis did not stop the growth, although in 2021 it had to be canceled.
In addition to the Cotton Festival, while a member of the Eclectic the Beautiful, Carmen assisted in coordinating the Taste of Eclectic event. She moved it from the local school lunchroom to a huge warehouse that offered more room for vendors and ambiance for the guests. Also available were seats and tables more suitable for the many adults attending. With additional room, people could sit and chat without feeling rushed to eat and leave. It was a hit.
“I enjoyed doing that event,” said.
It would hard to detail all of the activities which she enjoys, to be honest.
“I’ve been on Town Council for 2 or 3 years. We have done ‘Whobilation.’ By ‘we’ I mean my daughter, Carolyn, and I because we are a team. It is a Grinch theme and everyone enjoys it. This is our fourth year. Merchants get involved and the kids love it. We add more decorations to the town each year to make it more like Whoville. We want to improve it every year, but not to the size of the Cotton Festival.
“We have the Fall Festival which was turned over to the Town by the churches that formerly ran it. We do a hayride and Trunk R Treat in the parking lot. Some of the businesses stay open to participate. We had a huge turn out last year, which was awesome for our first year.”
“The Town did the first Veteran’s Day service at Veteran’s Park this year. We worked with Mike Stanley, who is the caretaker of the park. It was really nice and again, the attendance was good.”
When asked if the merchants saw an increase in business from the events, Carmen said merchants all agreed Cotton Festival was the best day they had each year.
“One reason I got involved was to help the businesses grow. And the best way to grow businesses is to get more people coming into town. If people don’t come in on a regular basis, special events pull them into town.”
Questioned about whether volunteers were plentiful, Carmen replied, “No, ma’am, volunteers are almost impossible. Covid really put a damper on getting help. People are just not stepping up to help like they used to, but it is not just us. It is happening everywhere. High schools are asking for help, and other organizations in town have the same issue, so we have our chair people. This year we have the best chair people. All are returning, except for one. He is the new cornhole chairperson. He has joined a group that carries a huge load. Thirteen people in total make the Cotton Festival possible this year. They all step up, bring their families onboard to help.”
Evidently working more than one job is a Winslett tradition, as both Carolyn and Rob work full-time at Madix, Inc., working 10-12 hours days. They will be helping bring the festival to fruition and Rob cuts yards. Both work in the bakery, whether helping with the baking or working the cash register. Not to be outdone, Kris McGinty, who dates Carolyn, and Riley Burgans, Rob’s girlfriend, come in to help when needed. Mark also works outside the home and has contributed some of the favorites to the bakery.
“Not only do he and the children provide their special items to the shop, Mark’s homemade pizza is a family favorite.”
Asked about her relationship with the City Council, she had nothing but good things to say.
“The Council has backed me all the way. I have a great relationship with them. They have full confidence in me, which means so much. Council people show up at the events. That lets the people, the merchants and the people working on the events know they care and are with them all the way.”
EAN – “Does working as a family pull you closer together?”
Carmen thought a moment.
“Overall, yes, but there are times like when we are exhausted and someone takes what another says the wrong way, the sparks may fly.”
EAN – “You have a creative streak. Did it move forward to the children?”
“Yes. All decorating at the bakery is Carolyn all the way. I do not have that talent. She made the shirts for the shop. She has so many ideas. As for Rob, although he is my heavy lifter, he enjoys wood burning, which makes some great pictures.”
All in all, the Winslett family works together, plays together, but realizes even the best families need time for the individual. They have proven to be treasures in the Town of Eclectic. And they run a bakery with such delicious food, that on Luau Day, more than one person over-sampled the samples.
