Those present: Lee Freeman, Betty Champion, Bob Torbert, Vince Brewton, Ashley Winkle, Mary Peck, Judy Tiffin, Iva McClure, Billy Warren

1. It was noted that the minutes of the 11-12-09 meeting should be corrected thusly: item #13 should say that the magazine subscription is for the public library; item #16.f. should say Chuck Hyde. With those changes, Bob Torbert made the motion that the minutes of the meeting be approved. Ashley Winkle seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

2. Billy Warren presented this financial report:

a. Checking Account Balance $2,709.73

b. Forks of Cypress Project Balance $3,234.78

c. FDR Project Balance $5,000.00

d. Bailey Springs Project Balance $5,655.80

Vince Brewton made the motion that the report be approved. Betty Champion seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

3. In the absence of Charlotte Dean, there was no update on the status of the Sweetwater property. Billy Warren reported that he received a call from a person who stated that a program will be held on the Sweetwater grounds – with no date specified – as part of the ongoing fundraising efforts to raise money for restoring the mansion. According to that person, the program will consist of a series of vignettes depicting life at the mansion from the year it was built to the present.

4. Lee Freeman reviewed a proposed list of personages to be portrayed at the annual Cemetery Stroll on Saturday, April 24, 2010. He will e-mail the list to Billy Warren who will, in turn, e-mail it to the entire HPI group. There will be discussion regarding the list and final decisions made at the February 22, 2010, meeting of the HPI Board.

5. Billy Warren distributed copies of a multi-page write-up on Woodlawn, the house at Three Forks built by the Hood family and recently restored by its current owners, Mr. and Mrs. David Abramson. The write-up includes references to the Hood family and their descendants: John Murray Hood for example, graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1879 and, following a successful career in the Navy, was honored by having a U.S. destroyer named for him.

6. Ashley Winkle gave this report for Florence Main Street:

a. The tree lighting in Wilson Park on Friday, December 4, was hugely successful. It was the inaugural lighting of the live tree that has been cared for over the past few years as it grew to sufficient height.

b. The annual Christmas parade on Friday, December 11, brought thousands of people into downtown Florence.

c. The Holiday Houses of worship Tour is set for this Thursday, December 17, beginning at 5:30 p.m. It’s a grand opportunity for people to view the interiors of the five churches on the tour and to learn about the churches from a guide at each site.

d. Work has begun on the replacement fountain next to Legends Restaurant on Mobile Plaza, as has the construction of a structure designed to allow outdoor dining at Legends. It is hoped that the City of Florence will adopt guidelines for such structures so there will be standardized requirements for future projects.

7. Following a discussion on the proliferation of halfway houses in certain areas of downtown Florence, Billy Warren agreed to research possible city ordinances relative to halfway houses and their permitted location(s).

8. Billy Warren reported that Mr. Frank White, Executive Director of the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC), sent an e-mail recently in which he stated that he cannot attend HPI’s annual meeting on January 17 because of a previous commitment.

9. Besides those who were nominated for the Capital Award at the November meeting of the HPI Board, these were added at today’s meeting:

a. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Glasscock (commercial – Ye Ole General Store)

b. Shoals Community Theater – Shoals Theater

Following a discussion, Betty Champion made the motion that David Martin (Infill/Adaptive Reuse – Rosie’s Cantina) and Pat Mahan (Individual) receive the Capital Award. Iva McClure seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

10. Ashley Winkle suggested that we try to get Alice Boshear, a prominent author on preservation topics, to speak at our annual meeting in January. All agreed! Ashley will make contact with Ms. Boshear in HPI’s behalf. If she can’t come, the meeting will focus entirely on HPI’s accomplishments in 2009 and its goals in 2009.

11. These people agreed to provide items for the refreshments to be served at the annual meeting on Sunday, January 17, at 2:00 p.m.:

a. Betty Champion – punch,

b. Iva McClure,

c. Mary Peck,

d. Judy Tiffin,

e. Bob Torbert, and

f. Billy Warren.

12. Billy Warren exhibited a poster created by an elementary-school student for the recent contest sponsored by the Florence Kiwanis Club. The theme of the contest was: "My Community." The poster which Billy exhibited featured a child’s drawing of the fountain in Wilson Park – with the replicated third tier! Billy stated that several entries featured the fountain. Everyone agreed that, for the fountain to appear in children’s art work, it’s verification that the fountain is an integral part of our community.

13. Billy Warren announced that Board member Bob Torbert made arrangements for cubicles formerly used in TVA offices and recently donated to the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity to be installed in an elementary school classroom where they were greatly needed. Another act of thoughtfulness by Bob!