HERITAGE PRESERVATION, INC.

Minutes of Meeting, 11-27-06

 

Those present:  Mary Peck, Hester Cope, Betty Champion, Iva McClure, Lee Freeman, Carolyn Waterman, Charlotte Dean, Bill McDonald, Bob Torbert, Vince Brewton, Brett Wood, Cathy Myers, Billy Warren

 

  1. Bill McDonald made the motion that the minutes of the 10-23-06 meeting be approved.  Lee Freeman seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

     
  2. Billy Warren presented this treasurer’s report:
    1. Checking Account balance                                            $4,678.53
    2. Forks of Cypress Account                                              3,223.38  + 11.40
    3. FDR Fund                                                                      5,000.00
    4. Riverview Historic District                                                  109.43

       
  3. The Cemetery Stroll on Sunday, November 19, was declared a huge success.  Carolyn Waterman reported that 140 people attended, creating an income of $700.  There were hearty rounds of applause for Cathy Myers (re:  the absolutely great publicity in the Times-Daily), for Lee Freeman (re:  the excellent research on each of the featured personages), and for Keith Hager (re:  the fine job of casting and directing the actors).  Billy Warren distributed copies of the printed program as a memento of the event.

     

Billy Warren stated that we learned that, for the next Stroll, we must:

·        Announce the beginning time only (probably 2:00 p.m.), not the come-and-go 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. that we publicized for this one;

·        Provide at least one porta-john; and

·        Divide attendees into groups with an HPI Board member leading each group (as we did for this one).

 

Charlotte Dean made the motion that the next Stroll be set for Saturday, April 28, with the rain date on Sunday, April 29.  Carolyn Waterman seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

 

Betty Champion made the motion that HPI pay Keith Hager the agreed-upon fee of $300 and that the $700 realized from the Stroll be dedicated to the cemetery restoration project headed by Bob Torbert.  Carolyn Waterman seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

 

  1. Bob Torbert:
    1. Reported that all but three of the larger cemeteries (those with at least 50 graves) in eastern Lauderdale County have now been catalogued and posted on the website maintained by Pat Mahan; and
    2. Stated that he will soon begin the restoration of the cemetery at Sweetwater.

       
  2. Billy Warren distributed copies of the letter which he wrote to Col. John A. Neubauer, CEO of the Alabama Historical Commission, asking that Col. Neubauer be the speaker at HPI’s annual meeting on January 21.  Billy stated that he has had no response to the letter, so he will call Col. Neubauer as a follow-up to the letter.

     
  3. Carolyn Waterman reported that she has still not heard from the officials at APT regarding the proposed program on 12 Bed and Breakfasts in Alabama.

     
  4. Billy Warren thanked everyone who attended the ceremony on November 16 designating UNA a National Literacy Landmark because of the University’s connection to T. S. Stribling.  Billy noted that this designation is the first for the State of Alabama.  HPI played a role in this accomplishment since the T. S. Stribling Committee is an arm of HPI.

     
  5. Billy Warren noted an article in the 11-14-06 edition of the Times-Daily which announced the renaming of the Hartselle Public Library as the William Bradford Huie Library in honor of this world-famous Alabama author.

     
  6. Charlotte Dean reported that Edy Hand, co-author with the late Buddy Killen of A Country Music Christmas, will be at Anderson’s Bookland on Court Street this Friday, December 1 (the official “First Friday” celebration), at 5 p.m. to autograph copies of the book.  A portion of the proceeds will go to St. Jude’s Hospital.  Later that same evening, she will autograph copies of the book at the preview party at Coby Hall.  A portion of the proceeds will go toward scholarships at UNA.

     
  7. Billy Warren reported these memorials to the public library by HPI:
    1. Authentic Color Schemes for Victorian Houses by E. K. Rossiter & F. A. Wright – in memory of Katie Sparks Tiffin (late mother-in-law of HPI Board member Judy Tiffin)
    2. 100 Small Houses of the Thirties by the Brown-Blodgett Company – in memory of Mildred Rosenbaum
    3. 110 Turn-of-the-Century Houses – in memory of Mary-Eliza Southall Moore

       
  8. Brett Wood reported that he told Debbie Wilson at the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Bureau about the antique bottle that he found inside a wall of his house during restoration work.  Debbie will share the story with a representative from HGTV’s If Walls Could Talk to see if it might be accepted by the program.

     
  9. Hester Cope:
    1. Asked fellow HPI Board members to help spread the word that the Martin-Bounds House is on the market for $199,000 and is considered one of the most important historic homes in Lauderdale County;
    2. Reminded everyone that the official “First Friday” for December is this Friday, December 1, and will feature such special events as the official Christmas tree lighting in Wilson Park; and
    3. Reported that the Ehles’ home on Wood Avenue (the house on the cover of the 2007 Main Street calendar), the Farris home on Walnut Street and Billy Reid’s business location (Pickett Place on Seminary Street) are scheduled for the Candlelight Tour sponsored by UNA on Thursday, December 7.

       
  10. Billy Warren reported that we will soon receive 100 copes of the DVD version of “Follow the River.”  Debbie Wilson has agreed to stock it in the recently-established mini-gift shop in the offices of the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Bureau.  Debbie has also agreed to run interference through the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel to try to get “Follow the River” aired on APT.

     
  11. Brett Wood suggested that we list historic houses that are for sale on the HPI website.  We will discuss this excellent suggestion at a future Board meeting.

     
  12. Betty Champion made the motion that, should Col. Neubauer not be able to speak at our January 21 annual meeting, Dr. Randy Cross be invited to speak.  Carolyn Waterman seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

     
  13. Billy Warren distributed copies of an old document entitled “See10,000 years of man unfold in this richly historical region.”  It was published in the early years of the existence of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Association.  It features very interesting information about the 14-county region, along with photographs of the Forks of Cypress and the Indian Mound.

     
  14. The terms of these five Board members expires December 31, 2006.  Those marked with “yes” agreed to serve another three-year term (until December 31, 2009):
    1. Hester Cope – yes
    2. Susan Hargett
    3. Bill McDonald
    4. Mary Peck – yes
    5. Brett Wood – yes

       

Betty Champion made the motion that Bob Torbert fill the vacancy left by the expiration of Susan Hargett’s term.  Mary Peck seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

 

  1. Billy Warren noted that these people have been nominated, but not selected, in past years for the Capital Award:
    1. Pat Mahan – Individual category
    2. Tom Hendrix - Individual category
    3. Jerry Dowd - Individual category
    4. Jim Cox - Individual category
    5. Jane & Sid Hamm - Individual category
    6. Bob Torbert - Individual category
    7. Heath Colcock – Commercial category
    8. Cliff Coldiron – Commercial category
    9. Shaolin Computers – Commercial category
    10. John Harris – Commercial category

 

The owners of Legends Steakhouse and Rosie’s Cantina were added to the commercial category today.

 

These and others that HPI Board members might suggest at the December meeting will be considered at that time.  Final decisions will be made at the meeting so the awards may be presented at the annual meeting in January.

 

  1. Because of the Christmas holidays, the next meeting of the HPI Board of Directors will be MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 12:00 NOON, at the Florence Board of Education office.