Those present: Ashley Winkle, Carolyn Waterman, Mary Peck, Iva McClure, Hester Cope, Jerry Dowd, Betty Champion, Amanda Perry, Charlotte Dean, Judy Tiffin, Jim Ingrum, Lee Freeman, Brett Wood, Billy Warren

1. Carolyn Waterman made the motion that the minutes of the 2-22-10 and 3-22-10 meetings be approved. Ashley Winkle seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

2. Billy Warren presented these financial reports:

a. March 22, 2010:

i. Checking Account Balance $2,895.73

ii. Forks of Cypress Account Balance $3,234.78

iii. FDR Fund Balance $5,000.00

iv. Bailey Springs Project Balance $3,768.38

b. April 26, 2010:

i. Checking Account Balance $2,895.73

ii. Forks of Cypress Account Balance $3,234.78

iii. FDR Fund Balance $5,000.00

iv. Bailey Springs Project Balance $1,265.40

Ashley Winkle made the motion that the financial reports be approved. Brett Wood seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

3. Billy Warren:

a. Distributed and briefly reviewed copies of a letter to HPI from Senator Richard Shelby in which the Senator pledged his consideration of H.R. 3670, Historic Homeowners Revitalization Act should relevant legislation come before the Senate; and

b. Reported that he received a very kind telephone call from a staff member in Senator Jeff Sessions’s office pledging the Senator’s consideration, also, of H.R. 3670.

4. Carolyn Waterman reported that she attended the re-enactment at eth Sweetwater Mansion on Friday, April 23, and noted that the mansion does, indeed, have great potential for development.

Charlotte Dean reported that Melanie Betz, a staff member at the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC), called to say that the AHC would like to present an award to Suzan Smithson, owner of the Sweetwater Mansion, in recognition of Suzan’s efforts toward restoring it. Everyone present agreed that an award for Suzan would be good. Charlotte agreed to notify the HPI Board of ways that it might help make such an event happen.

7. Billy Warren made this report on the proposed Master Plan at UNA:

a. Darrell Meyer, head of the consulting group that assisted in developing the plan, has stated in an email dated 3-25-10 that:

i. The plan does not propose the removal of the three homes owned by UNA on West Irvine Avenue between North Wood Avenue and North Court Street;

ii. The plan does not propose that West Hawthorne Street serve as a primary entrance to UNA from the east; and

iii. The intent for improvements to both intersections of Willingham Road is to reduce traffic through the neighborhood.

b. The plan does call for three dormitories to be constructed where the UNA tennis courts now exist on Hermitage Drive at the end of Walnut Street – which would probably result in structures that loom over the existing historic homes in the neighborhood.

c. The Master Plan may be viewed on UNA’s website, along with an invitation for the viewer to record reactions and comments on the Master Plan or any portion of it.

8. Billy Warren noted that the new fountain at the corner of North Seminary and East Mobile Streets was unveiled on Friday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m. It has four small-scale spillways to simulate the spillways at Wilson Dam. Each of the four is labeled with the name of one of the major towns in the Shoals area and the date of the town’s incorporation:

a. Tuscumbia – 1820

b. Florence – 1826 (founded in 1818; incorporated in 1826)

c. Sheffield – 1885

d. Muscle Shoals – 1923

9. Billy Warren distributed copies of two historically important photographs:

a. The corner of North Court and East Mobile Streets in 1942, showing the spectacular façade of the First National Bank building (now the corporate offices of Anco); and

b. Jean-Paul Sartre and local dignitaries in Muscle Shoals when the existentialist author visited here in 1945.

10. Ashley Winkle made this report for Main Street:

a. The patio at Legends Restaurant, which will seat 45, is scheduled to open on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 9) – with plans to offer light entertainment three nights per week.

b. Work is beginning immediately on the revamping of Mobile Plaza.

c. The Route of Art is slated to open soon on the second floor of the former Stephano’s Restaurant. Workers recently opened a transom on the front of the building which is a vast improvement of its overall appearance.

d. Various businesses in downtown are looking for expansion room – a good sign, indeed!

e. New Experience, next door to Billy Reid on Court Street, is going out of business. The owner of the building, who has a business on the second floor, is considering improvements to the building’s exterior.

f. Benji Wilson has built and sold an infill house on Prospect Street that is compatible with surrounding architecture. He is currently working on the construction of two more infill houses on West Alabama Street and has purchased two lots on the southwest corner of West Tuscaloosa and North Cedar Streets for the same purpose.

g. ADECA, the state agency that funds all kinds of projects throughout Alabama, has recently declared that it doesn’t have money to fund the revitalization of the statewide Main Street office, so that long-awaited dream won’t happen for awhile.

h. The Search Committee is in the process of selecting a new Executive Director of Florence Main Street.

11. Billy Warren distributed copies of the program that Lee Freeman prepared for the annual Cemetery Stroll that was rained out on Saturday, April 24. Billy thanked Lee publicly for his hard work on the creation of the printed program and on the time-consuming research on the twelve personages to be highlighted this year.

12. After much discussion of the topic, it was decided that the annual Cemetery Stroll will be rescheduled for Saturday, May 15, at 10:00 a.m., with a rain date of Sunday, May 16, at 2:00 p.m.