Florence Main Street

Shoals Ghost Walk 2011

2011-10-20T11:58:00.003-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
October 20, 2011

Calling all ghost busters!
Starting Friday, October 21 Debra Johnston Glass will delight those brave enough to join her on the Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk with local ghost stories. Glass is a local tour guide and has also written several books about the haunted past of the Shoals, including Skeletons in the Closet and Skeletons on Campus.
The walk, sponsored by Applebee's, will begin at the Handy Statue in Wilson Park at 7:30 p.m. and is $10/adults & $8/students; tours will run nightly through October 31st. For more information go to Shoals Ghost Walk or call 256-757-7506.
For you brave souls who come out, Applebee's will be rewarding each adult with a voucher for a free appetizer and each child with an A for Applebee's coupon good for a free kid's meal.

Happy chills....

Continuing Education at UNA

2011-08-18T09:44:00.004-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 18, 2011

In yesterday's blog I wrote about language classes offered through UNA's Office of Continuing Studies and Outreach and wanted to briefly expand on that today.
This office is a great resource for not only those in the professional word, but to retiree's, empty nesters, and just about anyone within the community who has a desire to learn something new. Those currently in the workforce will be interested to know that they offer numerous certificate programs, such as Alabama Planning Institute, GIS, Public Safety & Leadership and Paralegal. There are also courses in MBA prerequisites, law enforcement training, and professional development. UNA is now an official testing center for the Microsoft Office Specialist exams and they offer courses that help to prepare for these exams.
Personal enrichment classes are also offered through this office and include Beginning Guitar, East Coast Swing, Basics of Interior Design & Decorating I, and Yoga I, among many others.
If you are interested in any of these or would like more information, I encourage you to call their office at 256-765-4862.

Language classes at UNA: Continuing Ed

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 17, 2011

Have you ever thought about learning a second, or even third, language? Well, now is the time and UNA is here to help, through their Continuing Studies and Outreach program. Beginning August 24 they will offer several language classes in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Languages, such as French, German, Spanish. They will also offer more critical languages, like Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese.
These courses will be held at various times on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or on Tuesday and Thursday, depending on the class. The cost is $249 per class and workbooks are required, which can be purchased from the UNA bookstore at an additional cost. The classes will conclude on December 16, 2011.
If you are interested, please call 256--765-4289 for more information or to register.

Wild about art: Todd Reed

2011-08-16T09:31:00.004-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 16, 2011

The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts has a new exhibit starting Thursday, August 18 featuring wildlife artist Todd Reed, and it's one you won't want to miss. Reed grew up in Shelbyville, Tennessee where drawing and painting the various wildlife he encountered was his passion. The medium he uses include gouache, acrylic, graphite and watercolor.

Reed attended the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, graduating with a BA in graphic design and currently is the Art Director for an ad agency in Chattanooga, though at heart he considers himself a wildlife artist. He has won numerous awards at such events as the Arts Alive Festival, the Southern Wildlife Festival, and the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association Wildlife Art Expo.

Being an avid outdoorsman, Reed's inspiration for his art work comes from his own observations in the field. He keeps a camera and sketchpad at the ready, just in case an opportunity presents itself.

The exhibit runs through September 27th and can be seen Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and there is no charge. The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts is located in Downtown Florence at 217 East Tuscaloosa Street and they may be reached at 256-760-6379.

Get to Know...Unraveled!

2011-08-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 15, 2011

Calling all knitters!
There is a great new place for you to find your supplies in Downtown Florence and that place is Unraveled. The shop is owned and operated by Anna Carbine and is more than just a place to go and buy yarn and other supplies.
The moment I walked through the door I was taken in by the sense of warmth and liveliness that greeted me from this shop, a far different experience than walking into a chain craft store! I was able to talk briefly with Anna, who told me that her shop is not just a place to go and pick out supplies. It is one where you can go and seek not only guidance with a current project but also provides a place to sit and knit with fellow crafters. As a matter of fact, there was a group in there doing just that, and have a high time doing so! Unraveled provides classes, such as Beginning Knit and "Lunch & Learn Thursdays", where you can get help or ask questions about a current project.
I asked Anna what prompted her to open this type of business, which she said came from her love to knit and the need to fill a niche for fellow knitters. She would like customer's to know that hers is a friendly and warm environment and she enjoys hearing their stories about knitting and crocheting and who has taught them, such as their mother or grandmother.
So, if you're thinking of taking up knitting, or have done so for years and are looking for a place to connect to others in your craft, look no further! Unraveled is open Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

What's in a weekend?

2011-08-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 12, 2011

Well, once again the start of a new weekend is upon us and looming right behind it is the start of another school year. Some of you are cheering, some of you are jeering and some are probably like me, a mixture of both. I want to encourage you to get downtown this weekend with your family and enjoy this last carefree time before the hustle and bustle of school and the activities that go with it set in.

On Friday night the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will be performing at the Shoals Theatre at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are $35/advance and $45/day of show.

On Saturday The Sticky Wickets will be playing games and providing improv at the Zodiac Theatre at 8:00 p.m., with tickets a mere $5/person. This is a great family event you won't want to miss! Before you head over to the Zodiac, grab some dinner at one of our downtown eating establishments, such as Rosie's, Ricatoni's, or perhaps Legends. Be sure to save room for frozen yogurt at Makadoo's!

Pope's Tavern is a great place for learning about the cultural history of the Shoals and is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., as well as the Indian Mound & Museum. There's also Wilson Park, which offers benches and a fountain for the kids to make a wish in; grab a picnic lunch and head on over! After lunch be sure to walk across the street and enjoy some quiet time at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, perhaps snuggling and reading with that little one you about to send off to kindergarten.

See you downtown...

Think local: Think downtown Florence!

2011-08-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 10, 2011

Have you visited downtown lately? If not, then you're missing out on all it has to offer.
Downtown Florence does indeed provide a place for great food and shopping, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. I was speaking with a friend recently and was reminded that there is more to downtown than meets the eye. My friend experienced a plumbing issue and instead of going to one of the big box stores to tackle the issue, she stayed within her downtown community and gave her business to a local store. By doing this she was able to make a positive impact within her community. How, you might ask? Well, locally owned businesses generally make use of other local services, such as a bank; they provide more in the way of income and jobs to their local community and tend to be more accountable to the local area. According to the 3/50 Project for every $100 spent in a local business, $68 is returned to the community by way of taxes, payroll and various other expenditures. If that same amount is spent in a big box store the amount returned to the community is reduced to $43; and when items are purchased online none of that is returned to the local economy. The positive impact to the environment is another consideration when thinking of buying locally and this is due to reduced fuel consumption, as this reduces how far shoppers have to travel.

Locally owned businesses also tend to know their product a little bit more than a big box store and can generally guide you to what you need in a timely manner, rather than wandering all over a store that can be up to 250,000 square feet.

So, next time you need something, be it copy service, a toilet, a photographer, a new door or window, a wedding dress, or something as simple as an ice cream cone, think local: think downtown Florence!

Get to Know...Makadoo's!

2011-08-08T15:22:00.000-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 8, 2011

Step 1: Grab bowl & fill with yogurt
Step 2: Add your favorite toppings
Step 3: Weigh & Pay
Step 4: Relax and enjoy

These are the steps to a successful experience at Makadoo's, a wonderful new yogurt shop that has made it's way into downtown Florence. As you step up to the yogurt machines to make your choice, you will see these words on the giant chalkboard above, guiding you through the process. And mind you, it's not an easy choice! Gone are the days of simple vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. No, Makadoo's tempts you with flavors such as Lemon Ice Box, Banana Pudding, Raspberry Tart, and Jolly Rancher Fruit Punch Sorbet. And then come the toppings, and the choices abound!
You might be asking yourself, "Where did they come up with the name Makadoo's?" When I sat down to talk with owner Michelle Winkle, she laughingly told me that is the nickname given to her daughter, Makadyn, by her brother-in-law. She said she and husband David had been trying desperately to come up with a name when he suddenly asked, " What does Steve call Makadyn?" So, Makadoo's it was!
The shop is something that David and Michelle have talked about for a couple of years, they just needed that perfect location. And boy did they get it! Located at 120 North Court Street, in what could be considered the "heart" of downtown, their shop definitely catches the eye. Painted with lively pastels that are at the same time easy on the eyes, the inside is quite roomy and engaging. There is a party room in the back with a giant chalkboard and a kids only table up front with a never ending supply of crayons!
Whether you're looking for a quick treat or a place to host your next birthday party, Makadoo's has got you covered! Hope to see you there soon...

W.C. Handy: The man behind the festival

2011-07-22T14:57:00.001-05:00

By: Laura Ivie Staff Writer July 22, 2011

With all the festivities surrounding the Handy Festival, I thought it important to take a step back and remember the man the festival celebrates…William Christopher Handy.

W.C., as he was know, was born in a simple cabin in Florence on November 16, 1873, not more than a mile from the Tennessee River. Born just eight years after the end of the American Civil War, he entered the world in a time that was turbulent and experiencing hardship in the form of the Long Depression. Perhaps he was destined from birth to be the "Father of the Blues", a musical genre that roots itself in adversity, yet also draws from African chants, hymns, spirituals, work songs and rural life in general.

W.C. grew up a pastor's son and grandson, where an interest in music was not looked on favorably by his family or his church. He had the ability to visualize notes when he heard a bird song and could identify the individual whistles from the many riverboats that went up and down the Tennessee River. We call people with amazing musical talents prodigies and thank goodness for the music world he had a bit of a rebellious streak and went against his fathers wishes to pursue a musical career.

To be continued...

Oopma-Loompa Doompadee Doo...

2011-07-21T11:18:00.003-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
July 21, 2011

That's right, the oompa-loompa's are in town, along with Willy Wonka, of course, and Charlie, too!

Starting tonight through Sunday afternoon, The Gingerbread Players will be presenting "Willy Wonka", under the direction of Patty Hughes. This promises to be a wonderful family event that will delight not only the young, yet the young at heart as well.

Shows on Thursday through Saturday will begin at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2:00 p.m. Advanced tickets may be purchased by going to The Gingerbread Players website; tickets may also be purchased at the door.

"...Cause I've got a golden ticket. I've got a golden chance to make my way. And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day..."

Court 'N the Blues

2011-06-20T14:29:00.001-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
June 20, 2011

Well, we've got the blues over here at Main Street! It's time for the fourth annual Court 'N the Blues, which is the kick off parade for the W.C. Handy Music Festival. This year's parade is sponsored by the great folks at Big River Broadcasting, as well as by Jim Bishop Toyota/Chevrolet/GMC/Buick.

We are handling the coordination of the parade and are currently seeking entries to help make this another banner year! The participation of our local community helps to make this a successful event. We are in need of groups, businesses, and bands to help kick off this year's festival and carry on W.C. Handy's love of music.

The entry forms, as well as the regulations, are available by contacting our office at 256-760-9648.

What are you waiting for...

Novel Destinations...

2011-05-26T12:55:00.004-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
June 1, 2011

Well, it's begun....summer vacation and you're wondering what to do with the kid's.

The Florence-Lauderdale Public Library will be kicking off their summer reading program on Tuesday, May 31 and this is for all ages. There will be programs for children 10 and under, 11-15 and the adult program will be for those 16 and older. "One World....Many Stories" is the program for those 10 and under and will be a daily program, beginning at 2 p.m. in the Youth Services Department. There will be a different country explored each week, starting June 5 and ending with the week of July 17. "Crave" is the program for those 11-15 and features computer classes every Monday at 11:00 a.m. as well as different activities on Thursday evenings at 5:00 p.m. The adult program, known as "Novel Destinations", offers a prize entry for every 5 books read. For more information on any of these programs, please contact the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library at 256-764-6564

On Wednesday's in June between 11:30 and 1:30 head downtown early, have lunch in Wilson Park and listen to some tunes with the kids during the city's "Music in the Park". The schedule of musicians can be found on the city's website, so be sure to check it out!

And don't overlook your local university! UNA offers various classes to kids throughout the summer, such as "Stones & Bones", where kids will learn about archeology to "Creating with Clay" and "Lego-Vehicle Engineering". The classes are for kids that range in age from 5 to 16. For more information contact the Office of Continuing Studies at 256-765-4862.

Have a great summer!

Talk a walk!

2011-05-25T21:15:00.003-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
May 24, 2011

Over the course of the next month, the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism office will be hosting the Annual Walking Tours of Historic Florence. This is an excellent way for residents and visitors alike to learn more about the history of our wonderful town! The tours will be each Saturday, starting May 28, with the last tour of the season on June 25; they last approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours and are free to the public. Each week a local historian will guide attendees through a particular district and point out the historic sites, neighborhoods, and unique architecture.

The first of the tours will be Saturday, May 28 in the North Court and Seminary Street area, beginning at 10 a.m. Those who wish to participate should meet at Rogers Hall, otherwise known as Courtview, on the UNA campus. Billy Warren will be your host for the morning.

On June 4, Harry Wallace will guide you around the Florence City Cemetery, pointing out unique headstones, as well as the resting place of two governors. This tour begins at 10 a.m. and attendees should meet at the cemetery entrance.

June 11 is one tour that is sure to please, as Harry Wallace takes us to The Forks of Cypress Plantation and Cemetery. Those interested are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for the beginning portion, which will be followed with a walk to the Jackson Cemetery that is located on the property. Once again, 10 a.m. is the meeting time and directions are: take Cox Creek Parkway to Jackson Road and make a right; turn right at the dead end and park either along the road or enter the gate to park in the field that lead up to the columns. I'll definitely be attending this one, as I've been wanting to photograph the site for a couple of years now!

June 18 brings us back to downtown Florence for the Wood Avenue tour with Lee Freeman, beginning at 10 a.m. The Wood Avenue Church of Christ at 400 Wood Avenue will serve at the starting point.

Billy Warren will wrap up the tours on June 25 with a walk through the Walnut Street Historic District, starting at 10 a.m. The parking lot of the UNA Tennis Courts will serve as the starting point, as well as parking for those attending.

Once upon a time...

2011-05-17T09:35:00.007-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
May 18, 2011

This weekend The University of North Alabama will be hosting the Front Porch Storytelling Festival, and it promises to deliver family friendly fun!

The festival will take place on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 and will run from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., with breaks throughout the day. There will be be many renowned storytellers, such as Sparky and Rhonda Rucker, Bill Lepp, Dolores Hydock, Donald Davis, and many others. Many of the featured storytellers have numerous awards under their belt and have a long history at various storytelling festivals.

There will be ghost stories both evenings, starting at 8:45 p.m., however, are not recommended for small or impressionable children.

There will also be stories to be heard aboard the Pickwick Belle on Saturday evening from 6:30 until 8:00, featuring Sparky and Rhonda Rucker. The cost for cruise will be $25 per person.

The cost for each day will be $15 for adults; $5 for students (with ID) and children, with children under the age of 5 being free. Also, the ghost story portion of the event is something to be enjoyed at no charge.

So, be sure to get out and enjoy some tall tales this weekend! I know I will...

The South will rise again...

2011-04-29T11:45:00.005-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
April 29, 2011

In the wake of such unimaginable tragedy that our state experienced just a couple of days ago, the response to help has been overwhelming and I wanted to highlight a few in Florence that have joined in the efforts.

I spoke to Brett at McDaniel Window & Door this morning and he let me know that they are accepting donations in the parking lot of what used to be Brinley Brothers, on the corner of Tennessee Street and Wood Avenue. According to Brett, the response has been overwhelming, with people dropping off carload after carload of bottled water, non-perishable food, clothing and various other items. They have several trucks, including one of their own, that are taking all donations to Franklin Pharmacy in Russellville, which is serving as a drop-off point. If you are interested in helping, the trucks will be there until about 5 p.m. Friday evening, and among the much needed items at this point are feminine hygiene products and tote bags to put stuff in.

Another drop-off point can be found at First Baptist Church in Florence, which is on North Wood Avenue, across from the Florence Library. I spoke with Debbie in the church office and she let me know that they are collecting mostly non-perishable food items, baby items, and socks. They will be available until 4 p.m. Friday evening to receive donations, or you may bring items to service on Sunday. Their trucks will take donations to the Phil Campbell area.

Lastly, I stopped in McGraw's Coffee House today and Melissa informed me that they are joining in the efforts to assist those that have been affected by this week's devastating tornadoes. If you go by their shop and donate $5 to the Red Cross, you can walk out with a free loaf of bread! Great deal, huh?! She said they will be doing this "as long as Richard can keep making bread", so don't wait.

As we become aware of more opportunities to help, I'll be sure to pass those on. I urge all of you to help, in whatever way you can. I know of several friends who are cleaning out closets of clothes and other items that they no longer need. A word of caution, though: please only donate gently used items; if it is something that you would throw out, go ahead and throw it out. This will be a trying time for many of our neighbors, however, this too shall pass and the South WILL rise again...

"Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!"

2011-04-20T16:01:00.003-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
April 20, 2011

Well, maybe not tigers and bears, but definitely lions!

Join Leo and Una at Rosie's Cantina on Thursday, April 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. for UNA Day.There will be a giant slide and free shaved ice, courtesy of Southern Pride Pest Control. This will be a great event to take the family to and then duck into Rosie's for dinner after; 20% of sales that night will go to Leo and Una and the UNA Lion Habitat, just be sure to grab a flyer at the hostess stand!

Get to Know: The Coiffure at 108

2011-03-31T11:06:00.008-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
April 18, 2011

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting John and Kris Walls, owners of The Coiffure at 108, a hair salon located at 108 East Tuscaloosa Street in Downtown Florence. John and Kris both hail from the Shoals, he from Muscle Shoals and she from Sheffield. Both have lived away in Birmingham, New Orleans, and Huntsville; and, have recently returned to their roots. John, a hairdresser since 1982, graduated from Ray's University of Beauty here in Florence before going on to study with some of the biggest names in the industry. In New York City, he trained with Kim Lapine of LaCoupe Salon and Michael Gordon of House of Bumble; in Toronto it was with George Koukoulus of Lacoupe Salon. He also trained at Cheynes of Scotland, a number 1 salon during the 1980's. John has also taught at some of the nation's top salons, such Essanelle, where he was a part of their design and education team. He has worked with Zig Ziglar, as a communication and stage presence liaison. The department store Pizitz also had John working on their print and television advertising team. Back here in the Shoals, John and Kris keep pretty active! They are members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Florence, where they sing with the choir; likewise, they sing with the Florence Camerata. Supporting the arts of the Shoals is something that is important to them both, with John sometimes doing hairstyles and wigs for different community theatre groups. They enjoy cooking, sometimes having impromptu gatherings by the pool of friends and family. Taking their vintage motor home to McFarland Park for a quick "stay-cation" is one their favorite pastimes. John expressed to me that he and his staff enjoy doing color and cut work and are excited to accommodate special occasions, such as weddings and proms;the salon features Rusk haircare products and Nuskin haircare, vitality and facial products. This is a place where he wants clients to feel that they have come into his home, and speaking from personal experience, it's a home worth visiting! The Coiffure at 108 works by appointment, Tuesday through Saturday 8 a.m. until, however will accept walk-ins; they can be reached by calling 256-577-8391.
Until next time, be sure to get to know John and Kris Walls at The Coiffure at 108!

Come out and play!

2011-03-28T08:37:00.009-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
March 31, 2011

This is a great weekend to be in Downtown Florence, as there is much to do!

First Fridays will be back on Court Street from 5 to 8 p.m., so be sure to come down and support our local artists and businesses! Be on the lookout for neat things to put in your Easter baskets. Also, Tide Fans don't forget that McDaniel Window & Door will be hosting a "Meet a Greet With Eli Gold" on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., so bring your sports memorabilia to be signed.

While you're downtown this Friday, be sure to bring the whole family and grab a bite to eat! We have great places to choose from, such as Rosie's Cantina, Ricatoni's and The Chicago Cafe, which offer kid friendly fare. However, if it's a more "grown-up" night out you're looking for, give Dish Gourmet Cafe a try, as they have announced they will be open for dinner (for the 1st time), in honor of First Fridays! There's also On the Rocks and Smokehouse Billiards & Grill, both which offer live music starting at 9 p.m. In addition, The Wine Seller will be having a wine tasting on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will feature 5 new wines from United-Johnson as well as some tasty treats by Tony from The Grilling Room. The charge for this event is $10 per person.

This weekend the Shoals Theatre promises to wisk the kids to far away places with the Gingerbread Players production of "Disney's Aladdin Jr". The show, which runs for approximately 70 minutes, starts at 7:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights, with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The tickets may be purchased in advance at www.shoalstheatre.com or at the door. Be sure to grab a bite to eat at Legends Steakhouse, which is right next door!

Since it's now officially Spring, why not take a cruise? The Pickwick Belle is offering two different cruises this weekend, both on Saturday, and they leave from the Florence Harbor Marina. The Spring Sightseeing Cruise runs from 1 until 2:30 p.m. and the Christian Comedy Dinner Cruise runs from 6 until 8 p.m., and they couldn't have picked a better weekend, as the weather is supposed to be beautiful! Need more info? Contact Tanya Irwin at 1-877-936-BELLE.

We'll be seeing you.....

Spring Cleaning is in the air...

2011-03-23T11:38:00.003-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
March 30, 2011

On Saturday, April 2 Florence will have its 3rd Annual Citywide cleanup from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. This event is an excellent way to "spruce up" where we live and show visitors and residents alike how much we value our community. Participants will be supplied with all necessary equipment, including vests, bags, and gloves, breakfast, and lunch. Yes, that's right, breakfast AND lunch! Great deal, isn't it? This event is open to individuals, organizations, businesses, and the like. If your scout troop, fraternity, sorority, church group, or school is looking for service hours, look no further. Also, if you have a property that is in need of cleanup, this is a great way to have that accomplished. If you are in need of help, or you want to volunteer to help, please call 256-760-6495.
Speaking of cleaning, there is a more long term project that the city has going and that is the Adopt-a-Street program. This is the promise by an individual or group to keep a street free from litter, and again, lets visitors and residents know how much our community is valued. The materials are provided by the City and even displays a personalized sign on the adopted street. Those interested may call 256-760-6460 or 256-760-6495.

Guess who's coming to First Fridays!

2011-03-17T20:05:00.006-05:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
March 21, 2011

Tide Fans: Take note!
Brett at McDaniel Window & Door let Florence Main Street in on a great event they are planning in conjunction with First Fridays in April and you won't want to miss it. Here's what he had to say:

First Fridays is a wonderful way for people of this area to get out and see friends, make new ones, and see what local vendors have to offer. McDaniel Window & Door Co. is a proud supporter of First Fridays and will be hosting an Open House with Eli Gold on the First Friday of April. We view this as a great opportunity for Eli Gold to meet the avid sports fans of our community, share memories, and sign autographs.

In the spirit of First Fridays, this is also an excellent opportunity for McDaniel Window & Door Co. to get to meet the people of our community and let them know about our doors, windows, and other products.

Thanks to McDaniel Window & Door for this wonderful opportunity! The time coincides with First Fridays hours of operation, which will be from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. See you there....

Much ado about.....

2011-03-10T13:11:00.003-06:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
March 9, 2011

Our wonderful downtown community has much going on, from upcoming plays and weekly music at various venues to the new arrival of merchandise. To start off St. Patrick's Day, the Zodiac is featuring Ray Bradbury's Irish pub comedy Falling Upward, starting tonight at 8 p.m. and continuing through Saturday night, with a final 2:00 p.m. performance on Sunday. Tonight's performance is pay what you like, while Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be $10/adults and $5/students and advanced tickets may be purchased at Rivertown Coffee Company, which is located at 117 North Seminary Street. Be sure to grab a latte while getting your tickets!

If it's music you're interested in, you're in luck! On the Rocks has something going on practically every night; be sure to check out their "Wine Down Wednesday". Likewise, Smokehouse Billiards offers live music several nights throughout the week. If it's a lunch time jam you're looking for, look no further than McGraw's Coffee House, usually featuring live music Thursday through Saturday at noon.

Billy Reid has recently received their 2011 Spring Collection, which I'm sure will turn some heads! Also, Jewell's Accessories Boutique has been receiving much in the way of Spring clothes and accessories, as has Grassroots Market. Be sure to check them out (as if you haven't already!) and the rest that downtown has to offer in terms of shopping.

Finally, don't forget that there are wonderful opportunities that exist within our downtown community that offer more cultural and historical outings. The Kennedy Douglass Center for the Arts does an excellent job of offering citizens and guests alike exhibits that feature local and regional artists. Our own library, The Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, also does and excellent job of offering classes, lectures and events. Right now they are featuring a weekly "Get Dirty" series, which focuses on gardening topics, as well as a weekly computer classes. Be sure to check out their website for all the updated information, as well as other offerings, such as kid's events. Don't forget that we have two beautiful parks located within downtown; Wilson Park is right across from the library and McFarland Park is right on the river. Both are great choices for a weekend picnic! After you've had that picnic, stop off at The Rosenbaum House, located at 601 Riverview Drive and check out the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Alabama.

I hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and look forward to seeing you around town!

Jos. A Bank is coming!

2011-03-04T13:35:00.004-06:00

By: Laura Ivie
Intern
March 4, 2011

Mayor Bobby Irons announced yesterday that the national chain of Jos. A Bank, a men's clothing retailer, will be coming to Downtown Florence and will locate within the Rogers Building. Florence Main Street welcomes them to our wonderful downtown area and looks forward to working with them as a community partner. Be sure to read the whole story from the Times Daily here..
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20110304/NEWS/110309932/1011/NEWS?Title=Old-Rogers-store-to-get-new-tenant

First Fridays Logo Unveiled

2009-09-21T14:15:00.004-05:00

The new First Fridays logo was created by Clyde Beaver.

By Brian Hughes
Staff Writer

Thursday, September 17, 2009

FLORENCE - Clyde Beaver is facing some pressure now that he's been declared the artist for the artists.

The marketing consultant bested more than a dozen other artists who wanted to design the logo for First Fridays, the monthly downtown event where local jewelry makers, musicians and artists line the streets to show off and sell their work.

"Hopefully, all the artistic people involved won't sneer at it," he said, jokingly.

Clyde's logo, which shows the flor de lis broken into pieces and set against four lightly-colored background panels, was unveiled at Downtown Florence Unlimited's Wednesday meeting.

Beaver said he examined logos used by bigger cities for similar artistic events and merged that with his personal style - having created nearly 50 logos in his career - to come up with the final design.

His first logo, in fact, was for Lewis Electric Supply Co. in Muscle Shoals when he was 16. Beaver recently relocated to Florence after working in Atlanta.

The logo will be used on promotional materials for the event, and DFU members tossed around the idea of putting it on a banner.

DFU President Van Morgan said the logo won because it "captured the whimsicality of the event."

Despite being a relatively new gathering, First Fridays has already become a monthly must for some locals. At the initial event this month, hundreds attended and were treated to everything from belly dancers to twang music.

This will not be an annual contest. Morgan said they will use the logo until "they get tired of it."

And Beaver's wallet isn't any thicker for his efforts, as he won't be compensated for the work.

"It was an honor just to be considered," he said. "It never gets old - when you're able to match a logo with a vision."

Brian Hughes can be reached at 740-5720 or brian.hughes@TimesDaily.com.

City Leaders Compose a Downtown Wish List

2009-09-08T14:29:00.003-05:00

By Brian Hughes
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, August 29, 2009

FLORENCE - Some downtown leaders made their Christmas lists early this year, as they've compiled what they most want regardless of cost.

At the urging of Councilman Dick Jordan, downtown groups and members of Downtown Florence Unlimited (DFU) and Florence Main Street sent him their top priorities for the evolution of the downtown scene.

They range from bank-busting projects - downtown trolleys, a new science building at the University of North Alabama and replacing College Street with greenery - to philosophical changes - easing up on parking tickets downtown, encouraging more street parties and taxing buildings that remain vacant for a prolonged time.

As with almost any Christmas list, however, respondents acknowledge they can't get all these requests.

"What we're trying to do is distill a whole lot of suggestions and pick one or two things to focus on," said DFU President Van Morgan.

The thinking is it will give Jordan more authority when he tries to get funding for projects during a time when there is less money to spend on such ideas, Morgan added.

For Morgan, however, plenty can be done without spending a dime.

"The state of empty buildings downtown needs to be addressed," he said. "I'm not sure the city is enforcing the current ordinance."

A city ordinance sets standards for the upkeep of empty downtown buildings.

In addition, Morgan said they still need to evaluate whether it is in the city's best interest to have parking meters downtown.

For Ashley Winkle, director of Florence Main Street, a major necessity is the renovation of Mobile Street Plaza.

Redone more than three decades ago, she said the stamped concrete is breaking apart and causing problems for pedestrians and vehicles. Winkle also wants to eliminate the curbs to enhance accessibility.

"We want to be sure that the plaza gets taken care of," she said.

Jordan said money has already been set aside for that project and he anticipates work there in the near future.

Winkle also tossed out the idea of setting up automated machines downtown for parking so drivers without change could swipe a card to pay.

Additional suggestions from the groups include: revamping Wilson Park, establishing entrances to UNA's campus from Pine or Court Street, offering free parking in the downtown deck and connecting McFarland and River Heritage parks to downtown through walking trails.

City officials are still forming the budget for the next fiscal year.

Without reservation, Jordan said he felt the downtown area should receive more funding for projects than other districts.

"The downtown affects your whole city," he said. "You've got to keep a viable downtown. That's your first impression and that means so much to the direction of a city."

Brian Hughes can be reached at 740-5720 or brian.hughes@TimesDaily.com.

Local Business Bucking Area Trend

2009-09-08T14:22:00.003-05:00

By Trevor Stokes

Staff Writer
Published: Monday, September 7, 2009

A half hour after closing time for most businesses, Danny Vaughn is opening his shop.

Daniel Giles/TimesDaily Surrounded by comic books, Nate Bivens and Ryan Vines contemplate strategy as they play a miniature battle game at of House of Heroes in downtown Florence.

Two years ago, Vaughn opened House of Heroes, a comic book store on Mobile Street in downtown Florence. Instead of the regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. of many nearby retailers, Vaughn opens from 5:30-9 p.m. most days.

"Most folks who have money have jobs," Vaughn said on a recent Wednesday - the day of the week when new comics are released. Some of these workers are customers who cannot shop until they get off from work.

Vaughn is bucking the trend of neighboring business owners, who can trace their store hours to the 19th century.

The 1880s not only produced the Labor Day holiday, the decade also marked a movement for workers to shift from 12-hour, six-day work weeks to a 9-to-5, five-day work week. It's a time frame many local businesses still follow.

"Work often began at sunrise and ended at sunset," said Richard Greenwald, dean of the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University in Madison, N.J. Trained as a social historian, Greenwald's work focuses on both American and global labor issues.

The 9-to-5 work day started in the 1880s among the skilled artisan members of the American Federation of Labor, he said.

The union argued that instead of working 12 hours, six days per week, a worker's day should be split into three: eight hours each for work, sleep and "for what we will."

The 9-to-5 standard also has roots in the agricultural economy before reliable sources of electricity, when sunlight dictated a worker's schedule.

It wasn't until the 20th century that 9 to 5 became a mainly white-collar work pattern - a predominant one by the 1930s and 1940s. One potential reason was that the stock market fit the 9 to 5 pattern, which banks followed, then retailers.

Now that there's the Internet, 24/7 superstores and flexible work scheduling, why do local retailers open during hours when their customers are potentially at work?

"Or why are they opened for the unemployed?" joked Ashley Winkle, director of MainStreet, a downtown advocacy group.

"More of them need to be opened at odd hours to generate more business," said Joann Maxwell, program coordinator for the Shoals Chamber of Commerce. "It would be good if some of them did stay open until 7 or 8. There are a lot of places I would like to go, but they're closed at 5."

Winkle said several downtown Florence stores are open until 6 p.m., giving a narrow gap for 9-to-5ers.

Winkle, citing data from the national MainStreet organization, said for a business to break from traditional hours, it would need to adhere to the non-traditional hours for at least a year for customers to make the adjustment.

"They may lose money for a year, but the return on it could be great," Winkle said.

El Sol, a barbershop in downtown Russellville, had 9 to 5 hours when it opened in late June, but by mid-August, owner Juan Sanchez shifted hours later in the day and into the evening.

Sanchez said he started his day at 9 at the beginning, but no one showed up until after noon.

Now, he not only can grab customers up to 8 p.m., but he has mornings free to do chores and other work.

"Business is better," Sanchez said at his two-chair salon that also includes a variety store in the front. "It's better than staying here doing nothing for several hours."

Leslie Cassady, owner of Audie Mescal Clothing, in Tuscumbia, said her trial with later hours wasn't as successful - so she now stays open until 5:30 p.m.

"If we did it on a regular basis, I might have to hire additional employees," Cassady said. "If it was regular, I wouldn't want to be here at 8 o'clock every night."

Others say the tradition is strong enough that to switch hours would mean lost business, even if more shoppers could browse. Many argue that customers can zip in during lunch or work break or wait until Saturday.

"As far as the business hours, it's the way it's always been for me," said Angie LeMay, owner of Village Florist Flowers and Gifts that opens 9 to 5, and mornings on Wednesday and Saturday. "My customers are used to these hours, so why change?"

Many larger national chains have eliminated 9 to 5 - some to the extreme of 24/7. For smaller, locally owned shops, however, that is nearly impossible because of staffing and insurance expenses.

Coldwater Books is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and until 9 p.m. weekends.

"A bookstore isn't a place where you just run in," said Debbie Malone, general manager.

For the hours to work, Malone said, "We all work crazy hours. Employees know they are subjected to working these hours - it's understood in the hiring process," she said of the evening workers, many of whom are college students.

The future of 9 to 5 is questionable since workers are now connected beyond the office.

"In some ways, the notion of a 9-to-5 job is an illusion," said Greenwald, who is working on a book on the rise of the freelance economy.

Americans are now working more than 40 hours and "the challenge will be that there was a vibrant labor movement that made the work day 9 to 5 and eight hours for leisure," Greenwald said. "There really isn't any compatible labor movement.

"The challenge will be for this coming generation - what they define as normal when it comes to work," Greenwald said.

Back at the comic store, Vaughn works a 9-to-5 day as a medical sales representative before opening his shop.

Around eight guys - and one female - spent Wednesday evening at the shop that is more of a collective, where both customers and owner spend time behind the register.

"Basically, we built this thing to be a hangout," said "Big Dan" Nichols, one of the regulars who was involved in the business from day one.

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.

Historic Walnut Street

2009-07-30T11:13:00.003-05:00

Holiday block party brings back fond memories for residents

Thaisi Da Silva/TimesDaily

Jenny Ozbirn and her 3-year-old daughter, Gracie, share a kiss Thursday night during a block party in the Walnut District in downtown Florence.

By Brian Hughes
Staff Writer
Friday, July 3, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.

FLORENCE - Mason Ingram, spry at 88 years old, took in a block party Thursday, reminiscing on the street he lived on as a boy back in the 1920s.

Scanning over Walnut Street, now part of a historic district in downtown Florence, he pointed to the bungalow he lived in for 17 years before joining the military.

"The children who live here now, they don't realize that when I was their age I took my cow to school," he said of the former Coffee High School. "I would leave it outside and it would cut the grass."

Flash forward seven decades, and it's apparent why Ingram proclaimed, "My, how things have changed."

The first sign? The artificial snow machine that spit out white flurries behind him as he spoke about his days spent there during the Great Depression.

But that's what the organizers of this block party wanted - a tribute to the history of the street and appreciation of its evolution.

When Billy Ray Warren, a Florence historian and Walnut Street resident, moved here in 1971, there was only one child on the street. Now, there are 22.

"There was a 50-year gap in the time it took to build this neighborhood," he said, standing in front of a cornucopia of American flags. "Because of that, there's a lot of diversity in the homes and makeup of the neighborhood."

That diversity was on full display this pre-holiday night.

A few children rode tricycles less than a football field's distance from an old shuffleboard court recently discovered by the neighborhood. Back then, kids weren't allowed to play there, said Walnut resident Jimmy Hill, who co-wrote a book with Warren about the history of the street.

In a way, the Walnut Historic District looked like a mini-city, as police barricades blocked off the party from incoming traffic.

Lisa Beumer, another home owner there, said they paid a $10 fee for the permit.

"They used to have these Fourth parties all the time but they stopped having them a while back," she said over the phone. "A few years ago, we started it back up again as a way for everyone to come together."

Ingram approved of the move.

"It looks great," he said. "It's certainly different, but it's amazing what they've also been able to preserve here."

Brian Hughes can be reached at 740-5720 or brian.hughes@TimesDaily.com.

20 Things Every Shoals Resident Should Do, See

2009-07-30T11:07:00.003-05:00

TimesDaily/File

Visiting University of North Alabama mascots Leo III and Una made the list of 20 things every Shoals resident should experience.

By Bernie Delinski
Staff Writer
July 6, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.

They're all around us: Pieces of history and parcels of fun.

Heart-tugging scenes, breathtaking views, lip-smacking treats and quirk-filled traditions are part of the Shoals.

They are what make us unique - and bring tourists to the area.

Yet, many of us live here our entire lives and pass up chances to experience these opportunities.

Killen resident Justus Cole said he and his family have gone to many local attractions but still have more to see.

"I don't think we've been to Helen Keller's home or saw 'The Miracle Worker' play," Cole said. "We intend to do that some day.

"In most cases, you take for granted where you're at and tend not to appreciate your home. I think that's true of pretty much anywhere people live," Cole said.

Muscle Shoals resident Jewell Howell said her grandchildren enjoy playing at Spring Park in Tuscumbia, and she enjoys W.C. Handy Music Festival events. She's seen a lot of local attractions but wants to see the Indian Mound in Florence - a place she's never visited.

"A lot of people are like me; maybe they never have the time to go to these places," Howell said. "There's a lot of tourist places right here in this area."

Debbie Wilson, director of the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Office, has heard residents comment on area attractions they see for the first time when they take visiting relatives there.

"A lot of people don't know what's in their own backyard," Wilson said. "You hear, 'Oh, I didn't know this had that. I've been meaning to go here all these years.' "

With that in mind, here are 20 things we recommend every Shoals resident experience before they die:

1. Get a close-up look at Wilson Dam by locking through the structure.

2. Touch a miracle by feeling the water pump at Ivy Green in Tuscumbia that enlightened Helen Keller to the world of communication. If the season is right, you can experience a re-creation of that miracle during the summer production of "The Miracle Worker."

3. See the trumpet at W.C. Handy's Home in Florence, which was one of the instruments Handy used to earn the nickname "The Father of the Blues."

4. Imagine the horrific scene where countless brave, mortally wounded Confederate and Union soldiers died at a hospital and stagecoach stop that today is the historic Pope's Tavern Museum in Florence.

5. Slowly circle around and get a 360-degree bird's-eye view of the Shoals without leaving your seat atop the Renaissance Tower in Florence.

6. Sip on a milk shake at the Palace Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop in Tuscumbia.

7. Enjoy the scenic route along Waterloo Road, ultimately ending up in the beautiful town of Waterloo. You can even make a turn along the way onto the Natchez Trace Bridge.

8. Attend a funeral - or at least read the clever and heartwarming inscriptions on the tombstones - at the Coon Dog Cemetery in Colbert County.

9. Purchase something you can't find anywhere else at a local shop in one of the Shoals' historic downtowns.

10. Read the autographs from legendary musicians on the bathroom door at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. For that matter, check out FAME and other area music studios where world-famous performers have recorded.

11. Got a pair of shoes you don't need? Travel along U.S. 72 to Cherokee, where you'll find the "Shoe Tree." Nobody is certain how it started, but it's a tradition to toss a pair of shoes in the tree. Occasionally, people in need of shoes even pick off a pair.

12. Record a song at an authentic music studio at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

13. Visit Leo III and Una, the live lion mascots at the University of North Alabama in Florence.

14. Marvel at the craftsmanship of our earliest residents by checking out arrowheads at the Indian Mound and Museum in Florence.

15. Enjoy a sandwich and dessert at Trowbridge's Ice Cream and Sandwich Bar in downtown Florence.

16. Grab a rod and reel and experience the thrill of landing a bass at Pickwick Lake, the "Smallmouth Bass Capital of the World."

17. Ride the small train and check out the waterfall and evening water show at Spring Park in Tuscumbia.

18. Take in the view from the 18th hole of the "Fighting Joe," one of a set of twin 18-hole Robert Trent Jones golf courses in Colbert County.

19. Enjoy a dinner cruise along the Tennessee River aboard one of the Shoals' newest members, the Pickwick Belle steamboat.

20. Walk alongside the Tom Hendrix Wall in Lauderdale County, built by Hendrix as a monument to his great-great-grandmother, a Yuchi Indian who was among American Indians forced to leave for an Oklahoma reservation when she was 14.

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 740-5739 or bernie.delinski@TimesDaily.com.

The Map

2009-07-30T11:03:00.001-05:00

Audrey Lindsey for the Courier Journal
Published: 07-29-2009

Sannoner’s Vision Preserved in Granite

On any given day Downtown Florence can be seen bustling with life. The many stores and events paired with the energy of UNA college life give the area a vibrant flow of activity. This is due in large part to the work of Florence Main Street.

Main Street organizations were funded across the country by grants approximately two decades ago. Their purpose? To bring interest back to the downtown area and help the community to thrive, which is exactly what Ms. Hester Cope dedicated her time and energy to from 1992-2007.

On July 17 Florence Main Street presented a piece of art to the people of Florence in honor of Cope’s commendable service. The art was a 4’ x 6’ granite map of Florence copied from a drawing rendered by Ferdinand Sannoner in 1852. The granite copy was commissioned by the Design Committee of Florence Main Street and retains the original spellings, which differ somewhat from the current spellings.

Said Shaler Roberts,“We celebrate the day that we can never lose the last copy of this map.”

The granite map cost an astonishing $8,000 to re-create. The money for this historic artwork, which is now embedded in the sidewalk on the corner of Tennessee and Court Streets, was raised through the sale of the annual Downtown Florence Historic Homes Calendar.

“At five dollars a throw, (per calendar) it takes awhile to present the kind of art we want to present,” said Billy Warren, President of Florence Main Street, at the presentation.

The hard work and dedication that went into the creation and placement of the map is a direct result of the team work demonstrated inside of the Florence Main Street organization. Every speaker at the presentation–including Warren, current Director of Florence Main Street, Ashley Winkle, Kevin Jangaard, Roberts, John Harris and Hester Cope herself–gave credit for the astounding piece to other members of the team.

“Everyone involved in this did it with love,” said Jangaard.
Cope was the name in every speech, however brief. She was repeatedly thanked, honored and applauded.

“This is a unique occasion and such a great idea,” said Mayor Bobby Irons. ”I really want to thank the Design Committee, and thank you, Hester, for what you’ve done for our city.”

“She is beautiful. She is strong. She is immoveable,” Roberts said, warranting a round of appreciative applause.

As she stood before the crowd with her grandson and granddaughter, Cope praised the map and the layout of downtown Florence, from the wide, four-laned roads to the abundant parallel parking spaces available, and thanked the members of the committee, “I cannot say thank you enough to them,” she said. “It was my privilege to work with Main Street. You do not need to thank me - I thank God every day.”

Indian Mound and Museum

2009-07-30T11:02:00.002-05:00

South Court Street
Florence, AL 35630

The Indian Mound and Museum is the largest domiciliary mound in the Tennessee Valley Region and was built by mysterious early Indians who discovered Alabama before Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek nations inhabited this region. The mound, which measures 310Hx230Wx42D (feet) and named "Wawmanona" was built circa 500 A.D. and is thought to be locale for tribal ceremony and ritual.

The museum houses many fascinating Native American artifacts dating back 10,000 years. The museum is operated for the purpose of showing, teaching, and interpreting the cultural and natural history of the native Americans who inhabited this area within a 200-mile radius of Florence.

Outdoor Dining a Growing Trend in the Shoals

2009-06-11T10:59:00.003-05:00

Jim Hannon/TimesDaily

By Trevor Stokes
Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, June 6, 2009

Linda Austin and Marilyn Lee, co-workers on a lunch break, sat across from one another and discussed health care reform.

They're both professors at the University of North Alabama College of Nursing and opted to eat outdoors as they nibbled quiche and drank sweet tea at McGraw's Coffee Shop in downtown Florence.

"We hate it indoors," Lee said. "How many months do you have to sit indoors during the year? Any chance we get to go outside, we'll take. Plus, we like people-watching.

"Everybody should have outdoor seating. Ideally, you'd have it in the back (of a restaurant) so you don't have to smell the fumes from the cars."

"Right now, it's nice out here - in another month, it will be miserable, so we're enjoying it," Austin added.

Outdoor dining, also known as al fresco from the Italian "in the cool," has become increasingly attractive to eateries and diners alike throughout the Shoals.

On Tuesday, the Florence City Council approved a plan for Legends Steakhouse to build an outdoor dining patio that extends the restaurant onto the sidewalk of Mobile Plaza.

Tray Tittle, general manager of Legends, said the new patio would seat about 40-50 people.

"We're trying to grow this downtown area," he said. "Obviously it's going to be good for us, too."

A preliminary drawing shows a walled-in patio that leaves 6 1/2 feet of sidewalk on Mobile Plaza. Legends has proposed changing the existing water fountain in front of the restaurant into a rock waterfall. Existing planters will remain and outdoor diners will have access to the interior through a patio door.

Legends hopes to install a canopy or umbrellas to protect diners.

Al fresco's numero uno enemy is weather - the summer heat and the winter cold. Other common complaints include traffic noise, pollution and the sense that you may be dining on unfortunate bugs that land in your dish.

But that doesn't detract outdoor diners and restaurants from offering the option.

"Outdoor dining is a must for any downtown to thrive, and downtown Florence is no exception," Ashley Winkle, director of Florence Main Street, wrote in an e-mail response. "We are fortunate enough to currently have seven locations where patrons can enjoy our beautiful weather and a fabulous meal. We want to continue to see restaurants open their businesses up to outdoor seating as it is a favorite for locals and tourists alike."

"It's one of those features that restaurants really try to play up; it's an asset to them," said Jennifer Price, communications director for the Alabama Restaurant Association.

Many new restaurants seek outdoor dining as a hook for their patrons, she said.

When the proposed statewide smoking bill came up that would restrict smoking to 10 feet from the restaurant door, it included patio areas, which caused an uproar from restaurant owners.

"Part of the reason people go out to the outdoor patio areas is to drink and smoke and have a good time," Price said.

Downtown Florence in particular has several outdoor dining areas, from the elaborate bricked patios of Rosie's Mexican Cantina and Quiznos to the casual cafe setup of The Chicago Cafe and Dish.

Outdoor dining exists throughout the Shoals region, from Sweet Peppers in Muscle Shoals to the screened-in porch at Claunch Cafe in Tuscumbia to the tacquerias in Russellville.

Margaret Jackson and granddaughter, Megan Saint, sat outside under cloud covered, 86-degree skies at Sweet Peppers.

"I work inside all day - any chance I get I'm outside," Jackson said as a plate of tortilla chips and Rotel arrived. "It's cloudy outside so that's even better."

Megan gave her mother an update via cell phone on how an orthodontist appointment had gone while waiting for her Reuben.

"It's too noisy in there," Jackson said, pointing indoors and laughing.

Inside, conversation from the lunch bunch echoed in the cool air conditioning.

Jim Cobb, who retired from the Air Force, and Don Terry, a retired Muscle Shoals police officer, were having coffee near the door.

"It's too dang hot out there," Cobb said.

Terry said he usually likes eating outdoors.

"If it's got a little breeze - it's great," Terry said.

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.

At Home with Billy Reid

2009-06-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

Up in New York, Billy Reid is known for his refined take on a Southern gentleman's (and lady's) wardrobe, his appreciation for bourbon of all proofs, and the consistent hospitality at his Bond Street store. I'm happy to report that down in his adopted hometown of Florence, Alabama, he's beloved for those very same reasons. I spent the weekend in the Shoals—Florence, Muscle Shoals, and its surrounding area, famous for its blues legacy—for the opening of Reid's new store. (The upper floors will house his offices and design studio.) Of course, Billy being Billy, through the weekend, the space did double duty as concert hall and moonshine watering hole, too. In celebration of it all (and of a long-awaited sunny weekend after a week straight of rain), Florence held a party for its adopted son: Bands played on the street and in the office, ranging from Those Darlins to Billy's own the Seersuckers.

As for the new store, it shares a design scheme with the other locations and, as I discovered, the guy's own house. The floors and beams are reclaimed wood; the ceiling is pressed tin; and the decor features an abundance of antique china, taxidermy, and furniture, here complimented by artifacts and family heirlooms from the Florence community. Within walking distance is its inspiration: the 1860's manse Reid calls home, overhauled by the man himself. As Reid said over a dinner of shrimp and cheese grits, "We gutted it, laid everything out in front, and then put it back together." After checking out the town's attractions, from Ye Ole General Store (no, that's not ironic) to the pre-World War II ice-cream parlor, I was half ready to find one of my own and do the same.

JOSH PESKOWITZ

Photo: Staff

Granite Map Will Depict Replica of Early City Map

2009-06-10T17:08:00.002-05:00

By Brian Hughes
Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, June 10, 2009

FLORENCE - The original map of Florence, drawn in 1818 by an Italian surveyor who chose to name the city after the Tuscany capital, was tattered and battered before it was ultimately destroyed in a mid-19th century fire, according to Ashley Winkle, executive director of Florence Main Street.

The same surveyor, Ferdinand Sannoner, was given $25 in 1852 to replicate the map before it disappeared a few years later.

The only thing that could threaten the map this time around is a jackhammer.

Construction crews will pour the concrete this morning at the intersection of Tennessee Street Court streets for a 4- by 6-foot granite reproduction of Sannoner's map, said David Koonce, manager of the Florence street and solid waste departments.

If all goes according to plan, the work could be finished by early next week, he said.

It will be embedded in the sidewalk with a bronze plaque in neighboring shrubs detailing the rendering.

A design committee with Florence Main Street used proceeds from calendar sales to pay for the $8,000 project.

After plans for a Mobile Plaza statue or information kiosk were met with reservations, the group decided to turn to the map. It'll look a bit different from what is now known as Florence, said Billy Ray Warren, curriculum director for Florence schools.

"All that was really there was the downtown grid," he explained of the earlier map.

Back then, there was only one house in the area between Tuscaloosa Street and Hermitage Drive, he said.

Words will be displayed in their original American Indian spelling because the language had not been standardized at that point.

For example, Tombigbee Street will appear as Tombeckby Street, Winkle said.

Even with the map's longer lifespan, problems still exist. "Once it's in granite, you can't change it very easily," Warren joked.

Brian Hughes can be reached at 740-5720 or brian.hughes@TimesDaily.com.

SnowMasters Buys Park, Plans Upgrades

2009-05-22T10:47:00.005-05:00

Matt McKean/TimesDaily

Frankie Guerra blows debris from one of the putt-putt holes at Funland Park. Francisco Guerra, Frankie’s father, has purchased the park and is giving it a makeover to use as a test site for his SnowMasters products, such as Flogos, artificial snow and fog.

By Bernie Delinski
Staff Writer

Sunday, May 17, 2009

FLORENCE - Imagine skidding down a water slide with snow falling around you.

Or lasers and explosions interrupting your focus on a miniature golf course.

Those are among visions officials with the Lexington-based SnowMasters have for Funland park in Florence.

SnowMasters has purchased Funland, on Alabama 20 near the Florence Harbor, and will incorporate artificial snow, foam, Flogos and other products into a revamped version of the park.

Company officials said they hope to open in early June.

SnowMasters owner Francisco Guerra said Funland will be a testing ground for products and ideas SnowMasters could bring to large theme parks such as

Disney attractions.

"What we're looking to do is put in all our effects into this park," Guerra said. "We're going to make it a lot of fun."

He said Funland will be a family park, but he plans to dedicate Saturday nights to teenagers.

"It's a focus on children and our ability to wow them," Guerra said.

He said his son, Frankie Guerra, a Lexington High School junior, proposed the idea for teen nights on Saturdays. Frankie Guerra will be a manager at the park, which will be run by operations director Max Scott.

"There's nothing for teenagers to do around here, so this will be something for them," Francisco Guerra said.

The park will close at 6 p.m. Saturdays and reopen to teens. Frankie Guerra is a DJ and plans to provide music. He hopes eventually to bring in live bands.

SnowMaster products such as artificial snow, fog and Flogos, which are small clouds made in various shapes, will be common sights at the park. The products are used internationally at various locations, including Disney theme parks.

Funland is a longtime Shoals landmark. The top of its water slides are visible from O'Neal Bridge.

Frankie Guerra said it should be quite a scene when SnowMaster products are added.

"There's no way you'll be able to pass this bridge without seeing us," he said. "People have been ready for this. The park has the potential, especially with the reputation of SnowMasters, of really being something."

SnowMasters has been working on the park for a couple of weeks.

"People have been stopping off, asking what's happening," Scott said. "They get excited when I tell them what we're doing."

He said everything is being upgraded, including arcades, the party room, mini-golf course and go-carts. Scott looks forward to incorporating SnowMasters features such as foam pits.

"I'm real excited about the foam," he said. "I've been wanting to do something with that for a long time."

SnowMasters also will bring some of its inflatables to the park. Those range from trampolines to obstacle courses.

Frankie Guerra plans to bring lasers, shooting water and harmless explosions to the mini-golf course.

"It will be big theme-park attractions in a small park," he said. "We want to make it fun."

Fransisco Guerra said major theme parks and attractions use SnowMasters products, and Funland will provide a means for his business to try out new products and different uses for current ones.

He said the goal isn't necessarily to make a profit but to have something for the local community and test ideas for larger parks.

Francisco Guerra plans to put about $1.5 million into the park, including at least $1 million in equipment. That includes the company's most recent product, which produces scents.

"It'll be snowing when you go down the water slide," he said. "We just took over the property and are ready to do a lot of upgrading. This will be fun for toddlers to 65-year-olds and up.

"Just imagine playing golf, and all of a sudden, it starts snowing, or a layer of fog comes in. Or you smell pizza and decide it's time to eat. Or a golf ball goes in a ceramic monkey's butt and you smell flatulence. We want the kids to laugh and be freaked out."

He said a human slingshot is among new elements at the park.

"You put a person in a ball and shoot them," Francisco Guerra said. "They come unattached and land in a big glove."

He said he plans for costs at the park to be in line with what traditionally was charged at Funland.

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 740-5739 or bernie.delinski@timesdaily.com.

Quick History of Florence, Alabama

2009-04-27T14:22:00.002-05:00

A mound on north bank of the Tennessee River shows an advanced civilization lived in our area some 2,000 years ago.

Florence is county seat of Lauderdale County.

Seven trustees of a newly organized Cypress Land Company issued a charter to establish a town.

The company had acquired 5,515.77 acres of land for about $ 15.45 per acre for the town.

A first land sale was held in 1818, and a second in 1823.

One Hundred eighty people, including General Andrew Jackson purchased land during the sales

Florence laid out by Ferdinand Sannoner (pictured above), the Italian surveyor who named our city.

Sanonner named the city after his favorite Italian city, Florence, Italy which was built around the River Arno.

The Jackson Military Road was constructed through Florence between 1817 and 1822.

Three hundred workmen improved earlier Indian roads which passed through present day downtown Florence

The city was one of the first textile centers in this part of the country.

A cotton factory was located on a nearby creek in 1818.

Florence suffered greatly during Civil War.

The town repeatedly changed hands, part of the city was burned, and almost all industry was destroyed.

Population of the town jumped from 1,600 to 6,000 people from 1887 to 1890.

Work began in 1831, on construction of a canal to bypass Muscle Shoals. The attempt failed.

In 1875, an new effort to construct a canal was successful.

On November 10, 1890, a steamboat passed through locks on way from St Louis to Chattanooga.

Canal used until completion of Wilson Dam in 1925.

La Grange College moved from Colbert County to Florence in 1885.

La Grange College evolved to the University of North Alabama.

Florence has provided four Alabama governors: Edward A O'Neal, Emmett O'Neal, Robert M Patton, and Hugh McVay

W C Handy, the Father of the Blues was born at Florence in 1873.

2009-04-20T10:15:00.005-05:00

Dero Sanford

By J. Wes Yoder | Dec 08/Jan 09 | Garden and Gun Magazine

The Amazing Trace

Why drive the ancient route connecting Nashville to Natchez when you can ride?

I’ve never spent much time on a motorcycle, so when I told of my plan to cover almost a thousand miles on the Natchez Trace, my friends who ride told me I was stupid. So did my mother. But I picked up a rented Harley-Davidson one Monday in early fall and stuffed a bag of clothes in one saddlebag and some books in the other. It was a big black machine with lots of chrome and leather. It was wide and heavy, and I didn’t know if I could get it out of the parking lot. The weekend before, I’d taken a motorcycle safety course in which I’d practiced on a toy-size bike and chiefly learned two things: that in educational settings adults are no less socially awkward than children, perhaps more so, and that for some reason a majority of the people who choose to risk their lives on motorcycles are cigarette smokers. It’s just a fact, but not a useful one, I found as I fired up the bike under the watchful gaze of the goateed Harley agent.

Just the word motorcycle has always held romance for me. Like Mexico, it triggers an idea of escape, the fond illusion of freedom. And what better road than the unspoiled, undeveloped Natchez Trace, a 444-mile-long two-lane highway stretching from Natchez, Mississippi (Mile Post 0) to Nashville, Tennessee (Mile Post 444)? Nicknamed the Devil’s Backbone, the trace follows the curves and slopes of an ancient migratory route worn down by bison that drifted from the grazing pastures of central Mississippi, north through Alabama, to the salt licks of southern Appalachia in central Tennessee. Then followed Natchez, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians on the “trace” of the hunt, then explorers, traders, trappers, bandits, soldiers, scam artists, bootleggers, and preachers. The route became obsolete in the 1820s with the invention of the steamboat. But the National Park Service toiled for many years (intermittently, from the 1930s to 2005) to complete a scenic parkway that follows the route of the original trace. It was this route that I sought, an unadulterated Southern landscape, free from commercial traffic, strip malls, Cracker Barrels, and mega churches.

The Natchez Trace as a road trip is not for the young man trying to commune with the memory of Jack Kerouac or Hunter S. Thompson. There are almost no signs of human life, besides fencerows and the road itself. There are no billboards or roadside motels or beer halls. There is a different kind of sameness, the continuity of a land with more identity oozing from it than anyplace I’ve been. Vast and discordant truth and legend, where the trees can be more frightening than the ghosts, and a storm more spiritual than a baptism. So the adventure and romance are there, if you are open to them.

I started my journey in Nashville at the north end of the trace. Ten minutes after I left the dealership I was on the road, and as I toe-shifted through the gears, it sounded as if I were cocking then discharging a weapon, six rounds in a row. The curves were delightful. So was the sound of the motor mixed with the wind. An hour later I eased up to an overlook, where I found four official-looking Harley riders: two men with Vietnam credentials, and their girls in tank tops.

It was the first time I’d ever parked the thing, and as I went over to their picnic table, they all called, “Your lights are on.” I fiddled with the controls, and a man started walking toward me. I managed “It’s my first day on a bike,” and they all said they could see that. When I told them I was writing a story for a magazine, they offered to help: “Well, set your camera up. If it’s Hustler, we’ll take our clothes off for you.” They were weathered people who knew how to laugh. They might have offered me a Busch Light if I’d stayed awhile, but dark was coming and I needed to make it down to Florence.

On the Natchez Trace, it seems there is a historical marker every other mile. The National Park Service has apparently sifted every bit of folk history that ever mentioned the trace, from settler’s diaries to Native American oral histories to forgotten generals’ memoirs. If I had stopped to read every nugget on every painted plywood sign, I would still be out there. For me, the markers with the most meaning read only, “Sunken Trace.” Here I stopped off at every chance to see where the old road remains. Before the steam engine, any trader who floated goods down from middle America had to abandon his raft and hike home. And so the trace was paved with footsteps. I liked standing between the earthen walls of the old trail, among the roots that reach out from the banks, but not for long. This was a one-way street through the dark forest, a tunnel almost, and some of the ones who longed for home would never make it. In the half-light and shadows I was most struck by how, after all this time, the path refuses to be erased by erosion or undergrowth, as if damp travelers were still coursing through.

In downtown Florence, I pulled into a place called the Veranda on Walnut. Night was falling and the house was empty, so I got back on the bike and found a Mexican restaurant where I ate too much, drank a bit, and watched every last snap of a Monday night football game that I cared nothing about. In the morning the man named Ron who owned the B&B had his breakfast with me. He explained that he was on a diet as he ate eggs and bacon and grits with diet butter. That’s why he held off on the hot banana bread. A nervous white dog was on his lap, but it was me he called “son.”

I headed out that morning toward Tupelo, hoping the autumn chill would make me alert on my machine. In the dappled light on a low flat stretch of highway, I slowed for something dark in my path: a brown bull with straight horizontal horns that were short and sharp. He was a sickly looking creature with a knobby spine that looked as if he might have been cast from the pasture by a herd of put-off females. I revved the motor. He had stupid eyes and would not move. Remembering my horn, I took a while finding it, then in trying to get it to sound, I took my hand off the clutch and the bike lurched and stalled. The bull walked off into the trees. Before I rolled away, I reconciled myself to him. “Poor fool,” I said, “neither one of us belongs on this highway.”

I motored on between the trees and over the Tennessee River and down into the fertile and fabled Black Belt. Here the defining feature of the land is its will to sink into itself. Your eye goes not to what is high, but to whatever has managed to make itself lowly. It is as if that rich, dark soil is so lustful for moisture that it sinks down toward the water table, and when it gets there it becomes a swamp, never to see light again.

In Canton, I stayed in a place called the McWillie-Singleton House, a B&B that was so nice that I felt embarrassed to be sleeping there alone. I took a pecan brew from the fridge, walked across an ancient heart-pine floor under ceilings high enough to squint at, listened to Delta blues, and shot pool until the fridge was empty.

It had been warm. My wrists and nose were sunburned. But in the morning I could see my breath. I rode along one of the more beautiful stretches of the trace, ten or so miles beside a reservoir east of Jackson, and the wind I sucked was as cool as menthol. The land flattened out, and in the swamps there were trees that had no more branches and were white and smooth and stood like crooked pillars of something that had once been great.

I figure I’ll be trying to pen this land to page until the day I die. But the land changes even as we try to stay the same. Once there were swamps with panthers and gators and bears. But men drained and burned that off to farm. Then crops didn’t pay, so they planted ugly pine trees for making cardboard and toilet paper. And they dug lakes to farm catfish. And today they’re draining those because corn feed is too expensive, and people are scared.

I was coming to Natchez, and I wanted to see that river. But first I stopped in Raymond on a tip that I would find a most unusual record store. I pulled up to the old cedar train station just as a hipster girl was pulling a cardboard Elvis out onto the porch. Going in I noticed the peeling paint on the walls and the fading lettering on a side door that read, “Colored.” Inside there were thousands of albums—only good stuff. Lamenting my lack of trunk space, I bought only two. I asked the girl what this place was doing there.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But they come from all over the world.”

Toward Natchez the live oaks draped in Spanish moss were like limbs coming unbandaged. There were lily pads in the swamps, hay in the fields. That evening, after I had checked into my room and walked down to the river, I ate a slab of ribs, drank some bourbon, and went to sleep happy.

I wasn’t planning on burning the highway back in one straight shot. And I can’t recommend that any novice rider sit on a seven-hundred-pound hog for nine hours straight, but I did. For much of the ride home I counted the mile markers. But two or three times that day, and I’m not sure where, I stopped watching my speed, stopped counting the markers. I saw the trees and the light in them. I smelled the fallow fields and the things the vultures circled. The highway carried me nowhere in those long moments. The land was unbroken—it knew no boundaries, no state lines, no mile markers, and at that time, which was no time, I didn’t either.

Home away from Home

2009-04-20T10:11:00.002-05:00

Beds and breakfast offer in-and-out-of-towners new scenery

By Shelbia Brown

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Exotic vacations and getaways can be expensive with airfare and hotel costs adding to the equation.

Click to enlarge

The Veranda on Walnut Bed

Matt McKean/TimesDaily

But a nice staycation at a bed and breakfast can be an inexpensive way to reach the final destination of R&R.

At The Veranda on Walnut Bed & Breakfast, Ron and Doris Ross welcome their guests with baked pecan brownies. For breakfast, it's Belgian waffles topped with homemade strawberry jam or a traditional breakfast of biscuits, sausage, eggs, ham, bacon and fresh fruit.

The Rosses opened The Veranda six years ago, and according to Doris, the perks of a bed and breakfast include meeting new people.

"It's a very interesting business to be in because you meet so many different people from all over the country," Ross said.

Ross said customers come from as far as Florida and Georgia, but some of their most faithful clients are from the Shoals.

"That makes me feel very good knowing that they picked us over going out of town," she said.

The Veranda features three rooms. The largest room, the Christopher Suite, includes a California king bed, private bathroom and kitchen. Newlyweds often choose the suite, hence the nickname "The Honeymoon Suite."

"It gives them a neat place to stay without staying at a hotel," Ross said.

Ashley Winkle, of Florence Mainstreet, and her husband stayed at the Veranda for Valentine's Day 2008. Winkle said it was their first time doing a bed and breakfast and the stay was great.

"You get to get away from the house," Winkle said. "It's just a change of scenery."

She said the biggest benefit was not being stuck with the daunting task of packing and unloading luggage.

"It was nice to just go and stay somewhere different," Winkle said.

Carolyn Waterman, owner of The Limestone House Bed and Breakfast in Florence, said more people are staying in town for their vacations.

"We've noticed in the last 6-7 months we're getting more people from a 15-mile radius that just wanted to get away," she said. "It's a nice weekend getaway for them."

Attractions such as the theater, restaurants and downtown night life in Florence bring more people to the area, Waterman said. In addition, people often take a weekend to come to the area for the museums including the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts and Pope's Tavern.

"I think the Shoals has a lot to offer," Waterman said. "People are enjoying downtown a little bit more."

The Limestone House opened almost five years ago after Waterman and her husband relocated to Florence from Washington, D.C. The inn features two rooms, The Ford Room and The Edison Suite, both adorned with antiques.

"It certainly is more economical, and it still feels like a vacation," Waterman said. "People like bed and breakfasts because it is not like a hotel."

She said most couples return to the inn after staying there once. "Our business has increased every year," Waterman said.

The Emma House nestled in Killen offers wedding packages and celebratory event planning for anniversaries, parties and romantic dinners. But the Emma House is not a typical bed and breakfast. It features a medical spa that offers hair and nail care and Swedish massages.

Shelbia Brown can be reached at 740-5733 or shelbia.brown@timesdaily.com.

Lost Forever

2009-04-17T14:25:00.001-05:00

Hawkins-Sample House, 219 Hermitage Drive, Florence, Lauderdale County, AL

Here is an historic photo of a Florence home we have sadly, lost forever. Pictures like these remind me of why preservation is so important. I can just imagine this house being painted soft, creamy yellow with dark green shutters while bright red geraniums hanging from baskets sway in the breeze and a young family talks to passersby.

Residents of downtown Florence don't just live here they are ambassadors of Downtown! They exude a pride of place not found in newer neighborhoods. Downtown residents know their neighbors and their kids and can tell you more than just a name about the people next door.

I invite you to explore the historic homes of downtown Florence. They are all worth saving! Revitalize YOUR downtown by becoming a resident and save our treasured places.

http://www.preservationnation.org/

From:
http://ltc4940.blogspot.com/

Visit of the Birthplace of the Muscle Shoals Musical Style

2009-04-03T11:22:00.001-05:00

TRACEY TEO / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – Nashville has long been known as the country-music capital, and Memphis proudly claims to be the home of blues and birthplace of rock 'n' roll. Tiny Muscle Shoals, which spawned the famous Muscle Shoals Sound, was once touted as the "hit recording capital of the world," but it has never had the glamour of more sophisticated Southern music meccas.

It's a world away from the LA music scene, and that's partly what attracted such diverse music legends as Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart during Muscle Shoals' heyday in the '60s and '70s.

The rural area was a refuge from the limelight and gave musicians a place to focus on their work with no distractions. But the main reason artists flocked to this obscure corner of northwestern Alabama was to get that indefinable, funky sound that couldn't be duplicated elsewhere. Many attribute that trademark sound, a confluence of country, rock and soul, to the smoking hot Muscle Shoals rhythm section known as the Swampers.

A tour of the recording studio of Florence Alabama Music Enterprises, known as FAME, takes visitors back to a time when a revolution was under way in music. In the '60s, the lines between musical styles were blurred, and FAME became a hit factory for artists bold enough to experiment and find their own sound.

Alabama native Wilson Pickett, a major player in the development of Southern soul music, produced some of his best work at FAME, including the 1966 sensation "Mustang Sally." Many consider his soulful rendition of "Hey Jude," with Duane Allman on slide guitar, to be the birth of Southern rock.

Ben Tanner, a FAME engineer who often conducts studio tours, directs attention to the Wurlitzer electric piano that Spooner Oldham played on Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit "I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Love You)." He says it's still played today.

Old photographs of Otis Redding, Little Richard and Clarence Carter adorn the studio walls, and fans get a chuckle out of the far-out, groovy fashions.

Tanner points out that a number of successful black artists recorded at FAME, and he calls the studio "one of the first racially integrated workplaces in Alabama." While the battle for civil rights was raging in other parts of the state, black and white musicians played side by side in Muscle Shoals.

In 1969, Cher released her album 3614 Jackson Highway, the address of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio where the record was cut. Although that was almost 40 years ago, Cher fans still show up to have photographs made in front of the unglamorous building, imitating Cher's album cover pose.

"It happens all the time," studio owner Noel Webster says. "People make pilgrimages here."

Thanks to Webster, this building that was once vacant and condemned is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fans from around the world arrive clutching albums and CDs by Lynyrd Skynrd, the Rolling Stones and many other bands that made history here. Some seem almost reverential as they check out old sound equipment and the instruments that were played on their favorite classic tracks.

Webster bought the studio in 1999 as a venue where he could record his own music, but with so much interest in the studio's history, he has been thrust into the role of museum curator and tour guide, telling stories of legendary Muscle Shoals jam sessions.

Even the bathroom is a source of fascination. David Hood, a bassist for the Muscle Shoals rhythm section, left behind his signature, as did many other renowned performers. Legend has it that Mick Jagger penned "Wild Horses" here.

The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is a tribute to Alabama's musical heritage and honors distinguished Alabama music professionals of every genre. On entering the lobby, visitors take the "Walk of Fame," a path inlaid with a series of bronze stars. Each is engraved with the name of a famous Alabama musician.

The Inductee Gallery features portraits of Hank Williams, Nat King Cole and W.C. Handy.

A tour of "Southern Star," the tour bus once used by the country band Alabama, offers a glimpse of what life on the road was like. Band members slept in bunk beds and had a makeshift living room where they could relax between performances.

For aspiring singers with dreams of chart-topping hits, making a CD in the museum's recording studio is a Hall of Fame highlight.

A musical odyssey through northwestern Alabama wouldn't be complete without paying homage to W.C. Handy, father of the blues. The W.C. Handy Home and Museum is a two-room log cabin in Florence that originally stood several blocks from its current site.

A knowledgeable tour guide sheds light on how Handy overcame some of his early struggles and how his most famous composition, "Memphis Blues," became a success. The piano on which Handy composed another famous piece, "St. Louis Blues" is on display as well as his trumpet and other memorabilia.

TRAVEL DETAILS

ATTRACTIONS

Note: FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio are both working studios; call ahead for a tour.

•Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Highway 72 West, Tuscumbia; 1-800-239-2643; www.alamhof.org.

•FAME Recording Studio, 603 E. Avalon Ave., Muscle Shoals; 256-381-0801; www.fame2.com.

•Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, 3614 Jackson Highway. Sheffield; 256-783-2641; www.muscleshoalssound.org.

•W.C. Handy Home and Museum, 620 W. College St., Florence; 256-760-6434.

WHERE TO STAY

•Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa, 800 Cox Creek Parkway South, Florence; 1-800-593-6450.

WHERE TO EAT

•On The Rocks, 110 N. Court St., Florence; 256-760-2212; www.florenceontherocks.com. This is a great place to catch the Muscle Shoals Sound. Local bands play here regularly.

Tracey Teo is a freelance writer in Indiana.

Heritage Area Now a Reality

2009-03-31T14:48:00.004-05:00

By Bernie Delinski & Tom Smith
TimesDaily
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

What began as a discussion in 1999 became a reality Monday when President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Land Management, which created the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area.

Congressman Parker Griffith, D-Huntsville, joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers at The White House on Monday as the bill was signed.

Former Congressman Bud Cramer, who retired in 2008 after serving in Congress for 18 years, first introduced the bill to form the Muscle Shoals Heritage Area in 2001.

"The Shoals has always proven to be a strong driver of our economy in North Alabama," Griffith said. "I am proud to see Congressman Cramer's work to grant National Heritage status to northwest Alabama and its surrounding areas be finalized. The Shoals is home to a rich and unique history that has impacted the cultural, educational and economic development of our entire country."

The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area will include Wilson Dam, the W.C. Handy Home, the birthplace of Helen Keller, as well as the expanse of Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan counties.

By being named a National Heritage Area, the Shoals can receive funds from the National Park Service to support publications and marketing for tourism, economic development, historic preservation and other related opportunities. There are 37 National Heritage Areas in the country.

The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area is the first in Alabama.

Colbert County Tourism Director Susann Hamlin said the designation helps bring clout to the area. She said the National Park Service helps market territories that are part of the area.

"It means prominence," Hamlin said. "This will help our museums and any attractions related to arts. We've gotten recognition from various groups, but to be given this heritage area will make a big difference for us."

Hamlin said the designation fits perfectly with the goal of promoting the area's music heritage and projects related to it, such as the Roots of American Music Trail.

Debbie Wilson, director of the Lauderdale County Tourism Office, said many people have worked toward this designation throughout the years. She mentioned Nancy Gonce, a member of the music trail's project development team, among them. Wilson said the University of North Alabama, Griffith and Cramer also were integral to obtaining the designation.

"It's going to open a lot of doors for additional promotion on the national level and make a lot more people aware of the history we have, especially our music heritage," Wilson said. "It'll also bring more opportunities for grants."

Sue Pilkilton, director of the Helen Keller Birthplace museum in Tuscumbia, said Ivy Green is an example of the type of place that benefits from the designation.

"This brings attention to history and brings attention to tourism," Pilkilton said. "That additional tourism means more people eating in restaurants, staying in hotels and buying gas locally, so it really benefits everybody.

"Not everyone can say that they're just so rich in history and heritage, but that's definitely something the Shoals has."

Griffin said the local coordinating entity for the Muscle Shoals Heritage Area is the Muscle Shoals Regional Center at UNA. It will be responsible for preparing a management plan, submitting an annual report of expenses and income, encouraging economic development, serving as a catalyst for the implementation of projects and programs among partners in the heritage area and making grants to and entering into cooperative agreements with the state.

"The heritage area will create jobs and increase property values for our rural economies across North Alabama," added Griffith. "With unemployment numbers breaking 22-year-old records, this is a great opportunity to jump-start the struggling economies of the Tennessee Valley."

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 740-5739 or bernie.delinski@TimesDaily.com.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.

Despite Economy, A Few Local Businesses Expand

2009-03-30T16:03:00.007-05:00

By Trevor Stokes

TimesDaily
Sunday, March 29, 2009

Increased unemployment, decreased consumer spending and tighter credit markets. Sounds like a bad time to expand a business, right?

Wrong. Some businesses in the Shoals are bucking the local and national trend of corporations in holding patterns, waiting for better financial times. From fitness to pharmacy, art to stationery, several business have expanded during the record-long recession.

Printer & Stationers, or PSI, completed renovations to their 75-year-old business in November and expanded their commercial focus to include retail.

"We've had this on the drawing board for months," said co-owner Mike Johnson of the 90-day renovation. "Part of bucking the trend is renovating the store and renewing our commitment to downtown."

The owners hired a retail consultant who advised them on roughly 2,000 items that constitute 99 percent of most stationery businesses.

"We wanted to address the retail segment," co-owner Bob Cox said.

PSI has six copier technicians who maintain thousands of copiers. The store also now sells $200 printers. An open house is planned for Friday.

Steven Barnes, owner of Barnes Health Care, said that his vendors gave him incentives to expand after several local banks turned him down for small business loans.

The new location opened in August near the height of the economic meltdown but still managed to expand the floor space from 2,500 to 14,000 square feet.

He finds ways to keep the business active and current. For instance, Barnes leases a display from foot care specialist Aetrex for $250 per month to exhibit orthopedic shoes, insoles and an iStep station that measures foot size, arch and pressure points and displays results on an LCD TV. Golden Technologies, which produces lift chairs, gave Barnes extended payment terms.

"It is difficult to open a business during a recession. People are not spending as far as your smaller items," Barnes said. "We do a lot of insurance (business) compared to cash (business)."

Barnes also developed an online presence in November, which now constitutes 10 percent of his business with 70 packages shipped daily, many out of state.

"We are trying to grow that now so we are not depending on the person buying that toothbrush," Barnes said.

Barnes said small business is the backbone of the American economy, a claim backed by numbers.

Small businesses, defined as those under 500 workers, employ half of American workers, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Other businesses that have recently expanded include:

Gold's Gym, which opened a new location on Cox Creek Parkway.
Fashion designer Billy Reid will open his Florence headquarters in May after he opened his New York City store in October.
McGraw's Coffee House expanded next door into the Artisan Showcase that sells art from 65 artists and offers classes and art demonstrations.
Tennessee Valley Printing Co., which includes The Decatur Daily and The Moulton Advertiser, expanded its operation with the acquisition of the TimesDaily.

Expanding businesses are bucking the wait-and-see trend.

"Everybody right now is playing it cautiously, looking for indicators that the economy is showing an uptick," said Steve Holt, president of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce. "Businesses can handle positive news, businesses can handle negative news - iffy news or no news, the business community deals cautiously with that."

David Winkle, owner of Winkle World in Sheffield, said the facility will be getting a facelift, including a reintroduction of go-carts and relining the pool in an effort to try "to get our stuff back in shape."

Instead of loans, Winkle said the company will use cash reserves from the business.

One of the main incentives for the renovations: Material costs for amusement parks have dropped, Winkle said.

By the mid-April opening, Winkle expects to have the go-carts up and running, with bumper boats possibly by early 2010, depending on the economy.

"We're mainly trying to get everything back in shape, then look for additions," Winkle said.

Not only retail businesses are expanding.

Margaret Forsythe, a mechanical engineer and founder of Forsythe & Long Engineering, said the business is in the process of expanding.

The expansion was preceded by lean times when work was extremely slow - the slowest in 15 years of the company's history, Forsythe said.

The engineering firm focused on the auto industry, but Forsythe realized the slowdown a year and a half ago and the firm decided to change focus to what Forsythe called a "recession proof" industry.

Forsythe said during the slowdown, the company used reserve funds and a credit line to keep afloat.

"And I didn't get a bailout," she said.

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.

Replica for Park Fountain Approved

2009-03-24T13:50:00.006-05:00

By Trevor Stokes
TIMESDAILY
Tuesday, March 24, 2009

At a glance

The issue: Replacement/repair to the Wilson Park fountain.

What's new: The city council voted at its meeting today, on a plan to replicate the bird bath for $32,800.

What's next: If approved, the fountain will undergo six months of work and is expected to resemble the original 1932 fountain.

FLORENCE - After rejecting a granite replacement for the concrete fountain at Wilson Park, the city council is expected to vote on a replica of the 75-year-old structure at its meeting today.

If approved, The Design Center, based in Franklin, Tenn., will build a scaffolding around the fountain and make a rubber mold of the second tier in order to develop a concrete replica. The bottom tier will have a partial rubber mold made as a safety measure in case the structure is unstable, said Councilman Dick Jordan.

The Design Center made a photo-based replica of the third tier, a picture of which is available on the University of North Alabama archival Web site.

A work estimate of the project, in the best-case scenario, is two months.

In December, the council tabled a decision to buy a $28,935 granite surplus fountain that would have been shipped from New York. Several historians were concerned that it was too unlike the fountain that was originally built in 1932.

Jordan, who represents downtown, presented the plan to members of Heritage Preservation Inc., a non-profit community-based historical group. Since the 1970s, the third tulip-like tier on the fountain has been missing, said Billy Ray Warren, Heritage Preservation president.

"Several people have said they know where (the third tier) is, but no one is telling," said Lee Freeman, a historian at the Florence public library.

Through time, the freeze/thaw cycle and water in the fountain have worn the structure, which has exposed rebar and missing concrete chunks, Warren said.

Members of the historical group, including Brent Wood and Ashley Winkle, said the fountain has undergone several changes including an increased water arch and deepened water pool.

The proposed $32,800 fountain replacement, if approved, will be paid for from capital project funds, Jordan said.

Betty Champion, speaking on behalf of the historical preservation group, said they approved of the repairs and commended Jordan for working with them on the plan.

"This is exactly what we wanted," Warren said. "(Jordan) did what a district rep is supposed to do."

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.

Scooting Around Downtown

2009-03-19T09:17:00.004-05:00

This time last year gas prices threatened to put a stop to the great American pastime of.....driving....alone......long distances. And as gas prices rose, so did the number of two wheeled vehicles buzzing about in Downtown Florence. As the weather warms and the sun starts peeking through, I expect to see the return of the two wheelers.

I even jumped on the band wagon last fall and bought myself this beauty of a scooter! It is the perfect vehicle for toodling around downtown! I love the days I get to drive it. People smile and wave as you pass, some even giggle a bit but they all stop to see what you are driving. (I am sure they just want to be sure I am safe!) So get out and enjoy the friendliness in downtown. If you have a scooter or motorcycle, jump on it to come eat or shop or even just to spend the afternoon in the park with friends. If you aren't fortunate enough to get 80+ miles per gallon, wave to the friendly motorcyclists and scootists (what in the world do we call ourselves?) as they pass! It will make their day and yours!

HAPPY TOODLING!

Longshore Cycle Center
913 Mitchell Boulevard
Florence, AL 35630
256.764.3038

Riverview Scooters
120 South Poplar Street
Florence, AL 35630
256.648.1488
www.riverviewscooters.com

Rosie's Cantina Perfect Portion, Perfect Price $5.99 Meal

2009-03-16T10:37:00.004-05:00

Downtown Florence

302 North Court Street

256.767.5599

Enjoy Rosie's NEW

Perfect Portion, Perfect Price $5.99 Meal

11 to 5 Everyday

Entrees come with Mexican Rice, Refried Beans, your choice of a Soft Drink or Tea and Rosie's famous chips and salsa.

Your Choice:

Taco - Beef or Chicken (crispy or soft)
Echilada - Beef, Chicken or Cheese
Quesadilla - Beef or Chicken
Garden Salad* - with Spicy Beef or Taco Chicken
Chalupa - Beef or Chicken
Rosie Changa - Beef or Chicken
Tamale - Shredded Pork

Great Choices.
Great Value.

Please forward to co-workers, family and friends!

For menu or information, call Kim Parker at 256.668.2777 or email unagrad@bellsouth.net.

Have a Rosie Day!

For a limited time, Florence location only.
Price does not include applicable sales tax or gratuity.
*Salad served with drink, chips and salsa only.

Early Photos of Rogers Hall

2009-03-13T14:34:00.000-05:00

Courtview, 505 North Court Street, University of North Alabam, Florence, Lauderdale County, AL

Fireplace in front Parlor or Living Room

View Of Front Door In Downstairs Hall

Stairway In Hall

Front View From East

From:
http://ltc4940.blogspot.com/

Reid Headquarters Relocating

2009-03-11T11:16:00.001-05:00

Clothing designer moving flagship store downtown

Published in TIMESDAILY: Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Famed clothing designer and Florence resident Billy Reid is moving his flagship store and corporate headquarters to downtown Florence.

The Billy Reid clothing name is recognized worldwide and the company has retail stores in New York City, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Tenn., and Charleston, S.C.

Beginning in late May, company business will be conducted from 114 N. Court St. in Florence, in the building that housed Anderson's Bookland for decades.

Renovations have already started. When completed, the building will showcase the entire Billy Reid men's and women's collections, which were previously shown in full only at the New York store.

Reid's design studio will be placed upstairs, where he will also set up an area to fit customers for his signature hand-tailored, made-to-measure clothing.

The corporate offices will also be housed upstairs in the store, with about two-thirds of the bottom floor being dedicated to distribution, according to Reid. The corporate and warehouse operations are now being conducted in Dallas.

The other third of the downstairs portion of the store will be used for the retail operation. Reid said business in the Shoals has been good since he moved to the area, plus he added that many out-of-town customers shop at the local store.

Reid said Monday that 10 people will be involved in the Florence operation when it opens in late May. He said others will likely be added when the economy rebounds and business returns to normal levels.

"The Bookland building is really a great building with a lot of character and history," Reid said.

"There are some beautiful architectural details in the building, a lot of which had been covered up during moderation efforts. It is our intention to restore it to its original glory by exposing its incredible details and raw charm."

Reid said he and his staff had been contemplating for months the possibility of moving all operations under one roof. He said it made sense to move them to Florence where he lives, and the Anderson's Bookland building made perfect sense.

Billy Reid's local operation has been in the Pickett Place residence in Florence since spring 2004.

"Pickett Place has been a wonderful home for our shop and my studio over the past four years and we have fond memories of our time here," Reid said. "As our business grows, we felt the need to bring all our company's functions and key people to Florence. This move will certainly make us more efficient.

"Our goal all along was to build the company globally from right here in the Shoals, and this is a big step toward those objectives."

New York magazine recently cited Billy Reid as the best men's store in New York City. In 2001, Reid won the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Perry Ellis Award after he released the William Reid collection. His clothing has also earned recognition from media outlets such as GQ, Details, Elle, men.style.com, Vogue and others.

In addition to being available in the Billy Reid stores, the high-scale clothing and accessories are available at billyreid.com.

Reid said online sales continue to be strong.

Downtown Florence is ALIVE

2009-03-06T15:36:00.001-06:00

As the weather warms and the days grow longer, Downtown Florence is alive with shoppers, diners, workers and the pale faces of sunlight deprived southerners who have been aching for their slow, sticky hot summer days to begin. You can almost see the citizen's sighs of relief as bare winter gives way to the beautiful spring colors of green leaves lining Downtown Florence sidewalks and bright colorful window displays beckoning strolling pedestrians to walk inside the diverse mix of shops. With each new door opened browsers will find spring's new assortment of goodies from market and a far reaching palette of tastes representing an eclectic mix of the worlds population. Spring is representative of new beginnings, a fresh start. What better time to start your relationship with downtown Florence. Connect with her history and write her future.