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Turning Around

Musical Notes

Mayor's Address

Lady Bulldogs

The Standpipe

Ritz Theater

FDR Monument

Quality Schools

Why do most of us have a fond recollection of our home town? 

I dare say that part of the answer is that we found it to be perfectly suited for our growing up--not too small and not so big that we felt lost or intimidated.  

Lots of things to do to challenge us, stimulate us, and to give us pleasure. 

Lots of good friends, helpful neighbors, concerned officials.

We remember it as being a pretty place.   

We can justifiably brag about the Sheffield we remember.

Well, we've heard over the years that Sheffield is the little town that commerce and industry passed by and that difficult times have descended upon our fair city.  Billy Joe Gray has called to our attention the videos that Steve and Sheri Wiggins have produced which call recent administrations to task for poor leadership and planning to provide a way out of the morass.  Well, as those of you who have viewed the video, "Sheffield, City Hanging Over the Bluff," know, this was filmed some time ago during the administration of a former mayor of Sheffield, and this page is not about these low notes.

by Carole Driskell

Louis,

The City of Sheffield has received a $667,000.00 grant for a pedestrian and bike trail that will begin at Fifth Street & North Montgomery Avenue, where the Bob Love Plaza will be built, and continue north to the "Standpipe" where an overlook (of the Tennessee River) will be built.  The trail continues to Alabama Avenue and through Riverfront Park to 20th Street and back into downtown to the Love Plaza.  Work will begin as soon as the final design is approved.

Also, a $250,000.00 CDBG has been approved just a couple of months ago for the revitalizing of Third Street from Raleigh to Montgomery Avenue that will be known as the Ritz Plaza.  New sidewalks, underground utilities, lighting, street scape, and a new facade for the Ritz Theater are a part of this project.  It will be more pedestrian friendly for the many people who attend performances at the Ritz.  This was the second attempt to have a successful funding for this particular grant.  After the failed first attempt, Mayor Billy Don Anderson organized a group including himself, Mary Settle Cooney (Director of the Tennessee Valley Arts Association), and a NACOLG representative to visit Montgomery agencies including ADECA and ALDOT to find out just what it took to get a grant application funded.  After talking with folks for two days, NACOLG officials were successful when applying the second grant application.  Sheffield, as you know, is many years behind its sister cities in revitalization, street scapes, etc.  It takes years after being funded to see these projects completed as well.  In the next two years the completion of these revitalization projects should be at hand.  

The Shoals Master Gardeners have voted that the grounds of the historic Municipal Building in Sheffield would be their major project in 2008.  We will need volunteers to work with the Master Gardeners in the plantings.  The first project is to have a fundraising drive for a sprinkler system.  This is essential to maintain the future improvements, plantings, etc.  Again, volunteers will be needed from the business and civic organizations as well as our citizens to contribute dollars and helping hands to accomplish this.  Many people have expressed their desire to see improvements in Sheffield and it is now time to be active participants and rather than spectators.  Mrs. Marilyn Hyde of the Master Gardeners will be speaking to civic groups and volunteer groups such as SHINE (Sheffield Hometown Interests Needing Energy), Kiwanis, Rotary, etc. to enlist their help.  The "Gardeners" are really excited about it.  I cannot overemphasize the need for volunteer participation.

We look forward to seeing our town that we love become a more beautiful place to live, work, and bring up families.  Please pass on the good news.

Thanks,

Carole Driskell
Secretary to the Mayor
and
SHINE Chairman
mayorsec@Hiwaay.net

by Carole Driskell

Making a Joyful Noise!

The First Methodist Church of Sheffield Choir

Christmas Concert

First Methodist Church in Sheffield has been presenting a Christmas Concert for about 10 years.  The choir is composed of the church members and a few guest vocalists.  It is accompanied by an orchestra composed of instrumentalist from the Shoals, Nashvile, Huntsville, Athens and Decatur--strings, horns, and percussion.  

The church seats about 350--the concert is two nights.  It has become so popular that tickets are required-no charge.  They have more requests than tickets.  This year they had a waiting list of 150.  People had to be turned away.  Oliver Brazelle, Choir Director at FUMC Sheffield told me that they were able to get 460 people in the church each of the two nights for the Christmas Concert-2007.  He said that the list of requests exceeded the number of tickets available between 150 to 200.  They are considering a Sunday matinee to add a third concert in 2008--will have the date soon either 15 & 16 or 22 & 23 of December.

Visitors drive from all those cities to hear the concerts.  One woman who visits family in Sheffield for holidays schedules her visit when the concert is presented.  Oliver has been the choir director for 51 years.  He began his freshman year of college at UNA.  He is a special man.

The church's website is FUMCsheffield.com, and there are some pictures of the rehearsal and the performance.  This year they opened up the dress rehearsal to the families of the choir members so that they could have more seats for the visitors on the performance nights.  It is the most beautiful music (classical) you will hear in this area outside of the UNA music department.  Really something to brag about.

Ed. Note:    As I write this, I am enthralled by the sound of the choir coming from the speakers from my Bose 3•2•1 sound system from the CD, "Gloria in Excelsis," that Carole Driskell kindly sent me.  The instrumental background and the Prelude with the organ and piano duet enrich the program immensely.  If I hadn't seen the photos of the performers on the website, I would have thought the choir and orchestra were much larger.  The performance is on the scale of what I saw this past Christmastide in the PBS programs of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the St. Olaf Choir.  What a wonderful treat for the thousand or so folks who were able to get into the church to hear this fantastic local musical talent. . . . right here in little ol' Sheffield!

The Shoals Praise and Worship Choir

The Shoals Praise and Worship Choir was organized in Florence and is composed mostly of Florentines, but the 220-members number several folks from Sheffield as well as numerous communities in the Shoals.  They bring a lot of praise and admiration to all the hometowns of these songsters from the Shoals.  This link (CLICK HERE) will take you to an article published in the Times-Daily that brags on them--justifiably so, it appears. 

Keep up the good work, you good and faithful stewards of your God-given talents!  You, dear reader, need to go to their website and get the CD and the DVD that showcase their talents--until you can get to one of their performances to enjoy them live and in person.

Billy Don Anderson,

Ed. Note:  While a report like this one is not strictly a "brag," but rather a recitation of facts, it nevertheless paints a much more rosy picture than some of the naysayers do.  I read with interest the progress the Commissioners have made in restoring the education funds that had not been disbursed last year, creating such a hardship for SHS.  Hopefully, when the 5 mil tax kicks in, the rest can be restored and then some "to grow on" as they say when a kid gets his birthday spanking.

November 5, 2007

   As we reflect back on the accountability of this Council and Mayor, most of that responsibility can be classified within eight municipal subject areas.  This report will attempt to inform the citizens of Sheffield as to the progress and current state of the City. 

 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

    Without a doubt, one of the most significant accomplishments that will impact the citizens of the Shoals and Sheffield has been the successful recruitment of jobs.  Cooperative and unified efforts by mayors, councils and county commissions has set a new standard in the way we attract business and industry.  In the past two to three years over 3,000 new jobs have come to the Shoals and we strongly encourage the residents of Sheffield to qualify and apply for our share of those jobs. 

   Expendable income is the key to attracting business and retail business is the necessity for sales tax revenue. The City of Sheffield has re-organized a Redevelopment Authority composed of 10 volunteer Sheffield citizens who are dedicated to the recruitment and retention of retail business.  Armed with the identity of demographically matched prospects from the Buxton contract; the SRA searches for desirable sites within Sheffield to position retail trade. Because the City is over 120 years old, there is practically no space that has not been previously developed for one use or another.  Consequently, acreage for new shopping malls or centers is difficult to obtain.  One method of solving this dilemma is to re-zone those areas that have undergone traffic pattern changes that now render them more desirable for business.  A good example is the recent re-zoning of the north side of Avalon, across the street from the newly planned Helen Keller Medical complex, and both sides of Cox Blvd. 

   There are two other locations at the entrance to our City where high traffic counts have attracted the attention of potential retail businesses.  We recently were successful in convincing TVA to re-evaluate the appraisal of land near the Holiday Inn.  Developers and investors are now showing a genuine interest and we are expecting sincere proposals in the near future. 

   Speaking of the Holiday Inn, the 205 room Convention hotel has been purchased by a new corporation dedicated to keeping the “flag” with a $1.5m commitment to re-modeling. In September a big step forward was taken by the citizens of Sheffield when the voters approved, by a 2 to 1 vote, a referendum that allowed hotels and restaurants to participate in Sunday Sales.  We anticipate a successful legislative act early in 2008 that will level the playing field for draft beer in Sheffield.

   The City of Sheffield is proud to have Shoals Suzuki, located within our city limits.  Shoals Suzuki consistently competes with the Huntsville Suzuki dealership for the number sales position in the State, the Region and the Nation.

   We will not give up on the strategic plan to revitalize our Downtown Historic District into a viable commercial destination that embodies the rich musical heritage of the Sheffield and Shoals community.  Building codes have been enforced and several vacant buildings have been stabilized and saved from demolition. 

   As we pledged early in this Administration, Park West has been reclaimed.  Both pavilions have been renovated with roof decking, structural corrections, painting, floor and balcony repairs and new metal roofs. Grants will now be submitted for gap funding and potential revenue improvements. One of the most significant events in the history of our City occurred in the Park on September 8, 2007, when the historic Tuscumbia Landing (within our Park) was officially certified as the State of Alabama’s first site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail System. Representatives from the National Park Service, the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Poarch Indian tribes were present. 

  Recently it was announced that a group of private developers who have expressed an interest in underwriting a mixed use development involving several hundred acres of property in the City of Sheffield. They are evaluating a feasibility study. This project is in the embryo stage. It is too early to comment on the specific details but as soon as they are completed such information will be available to the public.

   Your City has taken a very aggressive position with the submission of a variety of grants that will assist Sheffield in the pursuit infrastructure development.  We have two MPO projects that are in the preliminary engineering and utility stage.  The first one is to make intersection improvements on Second Street from Dover Avenue to Montgomery Avenue.  This project, when completed, will allow traffic to flow straight through to downtown from Second Street without making the forced turn onto First Street. The other project will resurface Jackson highway, repair sidewalks and move utility poles from curbs to the backside of right-a-ways. 

   Another project is the 2006 Transportation Enhancement application that was approved by the Alabama Department of Transportation for a pedestrian/bike trail.  This is a major project that will allow citizens to stage-up at the future Bob Love Plaza downtown and take several optional routes to Riverfront Park, through and back, and to an overlook of the scenic Tennessee River at the end of Montgomery Avenue near the historic standpipe.  $558,307 of federal funds has been committed for this $697,000 project, with 20% matching funds coming from in-kind services and Utility Dept. lighting commitments.

   Before year-end the City will be adopting a long list of Codes for new privilege license fees.  Soon after this Administration took office there was an adoption of several new Building Codes.  Adherence to and the enforcement of City Codes is paramount to the ability of a city to control nuisance properties.  In some cases, with uncooperative owners, it has become necessary to demolish the building to avoid safety hazards.                                                                                      

   Several houses and business buildings have succumbed to this fate in this past year.  It is my belief that next to a good education system, housing is the most important asset that a city can offer.  It is important that we continue to press landlords and homeowners to keep their property in good repair.  The City is receiving good cooperation and expert advice from our Housing Authority to maintain and reach desired benchmarks.

TRANSPORTATION

   It has often been said that the rail traffic that loops through Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals is a major determent to growth, especially to Sheffield, the one city caught in the middle.  It is ironic because Sheffield prospered so much from the railroad when the most of the industry growth was within our city limits.  Today industry growth requires much larger land parcels and consequently, must be located outside.  One solution that has been proposed and studied is to relocate the major rail line south of highway 72.  Now that Norfolk-Southern has announced expansion and improvement throughout the Boston-New Orleans line, this study is being re-visited and has been requested by the MPO to be placed back on the Long Range Transportation Plan by ALDOT. 

In the meantime it is imperative that we insist that the 9 grade crossing through the three cities be kept in excellent repair, especially for safety reasons.  There was a major renovation that smoothed out these crossings about 2 years ago.

The 50-year old bridge over Spring Creek that connects our City to the west through the Rivermont residential area suffered some structural damage in the expansion joints and was down-rated to a 9 ton limit.  This was a major safety problem for several reasons because our fire trucks, garbage trucks and utility trucks exceeded that limit by several tons. We called on the Alabama Department of Transportation for assistance and expertise in repairing this bridge.  ALDOT’s bridge crew finished this project last month and now this bridge will be inspected for a new rating of around 35 tons.

UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY

The past conflict with Comcast has been settled and the City awaits a final version of contract to provide cable and high speed network to our citizens.

The Council recently approved of a joint contract with the Sheffield Utility Department to have Honeywell Technologies to study and provide a energy savings program for our facilities.

Early in this Administration term the Council called upon the Utility Department to assist with the upgrading of street and traffic lighting, particular in the downtown area.  A reserve is being put aside for these projects.  It is our plan to leverage these funds to assist downtown beautification projects with gap-funding from successful grant applications.   

EDUCATION

   If you are receiving a copy of the Sheffield Board of Education “Bell” publication then you are well informed about the continuing progress of our local schools.  The Council continues to work for the opportunity to eventually restore the lost appropriations from recent past.  Some has been re-budgeted in the 2007-2008 year.  We are very proud of the citizens of Sheffield for voting to re-instate a 20-year, 5 mil tax by 84% approval after its expiration last year. Likewise, the same support and understanding followed when a desperately needed additional 5 mil was necessary in September. 

PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

   There are two professional services the City provides to our citizens that stand out as paramount importance and that is Fire and Police protection. Even though these departments took a serious blow to personnel reduction when it was necessary to solve our financial dilemma, they have continued to operate in a most commendable manner. 

   Keeping dependable police cars on the road is a large expense.  This Administration has approved of the policy to lease automobiles to stretch this budget and make more dependable cars available. 

   Unfortunately, our 25-year old ladder truck experienced some major transmission problems to both the truck and the 100 ft ladder.  It was determined that repair was not feasible or economical so the Council approved of the purchase of a new 75 ft ladder truck.  That state-of-art truck was delivered last month and can be seen here today among the exhibit of City vehicles. 

   On the subject of new trucks, also a display you can inspect one of our two new robotic-arm garbage trucks.  Last year the cost of outsourcing contracts for garbage pick soared to the point where this Administration recommended that Sheffield re-establish a Sanitation Department.  This new technology has allowed us to put both efficiency and savings back into this all important service.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

   When this Administration took office there was no active website available.  A website has not only been recreated with a wealth of information about the City of Sheffield, but important links have been added from agencies providing relationships from tourism, utilities, education, chamber and many others.  Log on: www.sheffieldalabama.org.

   Enough cannot be said of our appreciation of the many support organizations that work with the City.  The professional service we receive from NACOLG has enabled us to qualify for many grants and other opportunities. 

   The Shoals Chamber of Commerce has been diligent with its support to business endeavors and assistance to the City of Sheffield.  And the Shoals Economic Development Authority has been incredibly successful in working for our community and bringing quality jobs to the Shoals, as has been previously referenced.

   Tourism is one of the fastest growing segments in the State of Alabama.  Thanks to the Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau, Sheffield is beginning to increase its share.  First of all, it is important to know that, outside of the new Marroitt Hotel, in Florence, the only other two hotels capable of hosting conventions in the Shoals are located in Sheffield.  The Holiday Inn and the Webster Hotel and Suites are why we worked so hard for Sunday Sales.

   Last year Sheffield was host to two major fishing tournaments that brought hundreds of fishermen to our City and filled our hotels.  One tournament was the Cabelas’ King Kat National Classic where national championship catfish records were shattered.  Another was the Cabelas’ Crappie National Qualifying Tournament.  That tournament was also held again in Sheffield this past spring.

   The City of Sheffield is proud of its connection with these agencies and the unified working relationships we have with our neighboring cities and county.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS

     The Ritz Theater shares with our Public Library the most important focal point of downtown activity.  The historic 1927 Ritz not only provides a venue for plays and concerts but there is a forum connection to its parent organization, the Tennessee Valley Art Association, that enhances our citizens’ exposure to all cultural experiences.  

   This Council has reactivated a Historic Commission with the appointment of 9 highly qualified and interested board members. The chairperson and the committee are to be commended for the work they have expended in writing successful grants to restore and save historic buildings owned by the City.  They are also involved with the writing of guidelines directed to the preservation and protection of historic homes within the City.

   For the past 4 to 5 years the Historic Room and Public Conference Room of the Sheffield Public Library has been closed as a result water damage from the adjacent Cox Building.  After successful litigation, the Cox Building was conveyed to the City as an annexation to the library and a new roof was installed. The good news is that under City control the restoration to the wall in these two rooms in finally almost completed and the library will be whole again.  Additional good news is that an investor has proposed a plan to completely renovate the three-story Cox Building into a coffee shop, a restaurant, office space and apartment suites.  

   Even though we recently repaired floors in the Sheffield Senior Citizen building, we are not satisfied with this facility.  Our seniors deserve a meeting place where the programs can be expanded in comfortable, safe and aesthetic surroundings.  That is why after being approached by the Helen Keller Hospital Board with a donation of a building site in the new Medical Complex on Avalon Avenue, the Councils of Sheffield and Tuscumbia agreed to submit grant requests to the State for a joint New Senior Citizen Facility. If we can find approval for this venture, then history will be made right here on our borders that could lead to other progressive methods by which these two sister-cities can find common ground and share savings for our citizens with other economies of scale.

   Our Park and Recreation Department continues to provide an astonishing return from their budget.  The City of Sheffield keeps up several parks scattered throughout all Districts and neighborhoods. Our beautiful Riverfront Park continues to improve within the limited area.  Much of this growth has been a result of volunteer efforts and private contributions.  Last year the addition of an outdoor stage, completely built with donated materials and volunteer labor, became a valuable addition to the Park.  The Boundless Playground and nearby pavilions are booked regularly. With the growing popularity of soccer, the Avalon Park is in constant use.

FINANCE AND PERSONNEL

   The City has long struggled financially as a result of flat to moderate growth in sales tax revenue. Last year was extremely difficult when we experienced an extraordinary increase in health care costs, in fact, so much so, that the City finished the year with depleted reserves and debt. By great sacrifices and budgets cuts, the City was able to rise above the financial difficulty and budgeted the 2007-08 year with positive position.  As we continue to lay groundwork for the attraction and retention of business, we remain optimistic that opportunities for improvement lay ahead. 

   We are extremely pleased to have approved a respectable and well-deserved salary increase for all City employees in the 2008 year. It should be noted that retired city employees were approved a COLA. Furthermore, even though health care cost continues to soar, the City will provide full coverage for each full time employee and his or her family. 

   Like all other governmental agencies and private business and industry, we must find a way to check health care cost in the very near future.  As you know, the City of Sheffield is self-insured, but this Administration has made sure that catastrophic insurance be in place to avoid sheer financial disaster.

   I would be remiss if this report did not gratefully acknowledge the work provided by all of the volunteers that serve on the many municipal boards.  There are too many to name but please pass on your appreciation to those you know and give serious consideration to any opportunity you personally may have to serve your City. 

   And finally, I cannot over emphasize the cooperative work of this Council.  I consider this a credit to our citizens for their judgment and effort to present the highest quality of leadership to represent their Districts.  I appreciate the fact that we do not always agree on all issues…but I appreciate even more the cooperative spirit in which we all seem to come together and recognize what is best for the City of Sheffield and the future of its citizens.  It has been a pleasure and an honor for me to serve in this position.

                               Billy Don Anderson

                                                       Mayor

                                                                                       Photo courtesy of Linda Methvin Smith

Coming into town from Muscle Shoals, you turn left off of Woodward Avenue (the continuation of Hatch Boulevard from Sheffield) onto Second Street, and right in front of WLAY studios, you see this expression of city pride in the accomplishments of the 2007 Lady Bulldog basketball team.  The very same sign has been erected on the other two entries into Sheffield.

Those huge dark green evergreen bushes by the electrical substation have been there since we were kids, and I believe they were just as large back then.

CLICK HERE to jump to the Standpipe's History

In 1983, the Tennessee Valley Art Association acquired the long vacant Ritz Theater which showed its last movie when the SHS Class of 1956 was in grade school.  In a massive restoration project this historic landmark was turned into a state of the art performing arts center which has been acclaimed by local patrons and theater critics all over.  The restoration concentrated on the interior, and the effort was focused on recreating the art deco look with which we were familiar growing up in Sheffield--the style that was chosen in 1933 when the theater was converted from its original neoclassical style.  The exterior got less of the restoration dollars, and the facade has fairly quickly deteriorated.  

The Tennessee Valley Art Association, with the aid of Dean of the Alabama Senate, Bobby E. Denton, has secured a generous grant to rectify the outer appearance of this community jewel by replacing the inexpensive make-do facade materials with the original material, replacement of the doors with exact replicas of the original doors and rebuilding the marquee to the exact copy of the original 1933 marquee.  This will return this historic building to its wonderful 1930's art deco architectural state, completing the work of the Art Association on this important project.  

At the risk of being labeled unseemly, we are proud of the public's acceptance of our efforts to restore the interior of the Ritz Theater to a fully functioning performing theater which has presented programs in a variety of media to enthusiastic Shoals theater-goers of all ages.  We look forward to an early beginning of the exterior work which, with the streetscaping project of the City of Sheffield to turn 3rd Street between Montgomery and Raleigh Avenues into a pedestrian plaza, will make this a Mecca for the performing arts of the Shoals.

The exterior of the Ritz Theater 6 years after the 1933 renovation

Vintage photograph from Jonathan Rosenbaum's book, Moving Places. A Life at the Movies

Ed. Note:  As you read in the first "Brag" above, the City of Sheffield has secured a $250,000 grant to do the streetscaping project that will close off the street to make this "theater district."  The city engineers and architects are busy preparing the working plans, and due diligence is being paid to the regulations regarding historical sites.  This will create a project time line that we will keep watch on over the coming months.  You, dear visitor, should keep checking back here from time to time to watch this project develop.  This whole project is quite a progressive approach to the revitalization of the central business district--something indeed to brag about.

Read more:

A brief history of the Ritz Theater:   http://www.tvaa.net/Ritz/Ritz1985Renovation.htm

A history of the Rosenbaums who ran our movie theaters:  http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft3s2005n8/

Sheffield had its day in the sun on January 21, 1933 when a newly elected president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his entourage steamed into Sheffield by rail and he announced from the rear platform of the train his plans to put Muscle Shoals on the map by creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.  This culminated a 7-year campaign by Sen. George Norris to have the government take over Wilson Dam and the nitrate plants to realize a dream of Sen. Norris to bring flood control, cheap electricity and regional economic boom to the Tennessee Valley.  The bill written by Sen. Norris was to be passed and signed by President Roosevelt after he took office.  It was to be the 9th one he introduced in those 7 years, the others having been voted down, tabled to death and even, on one occasion, vetoed by President Harding.

Nonetheless, the new President Roosevelt was drawn to support Sen. Norris' bill, and has gotten credit for its inception.  It was a great crowd of people who gathered at 1st Street, extending from the train station at the foot of Raleigh Avenue to Nashville Avenue across Montgomery Avenue.  The speech was quite short for such a mammoth turn-out of citizens and actually did not announce the creation of "TVA" as having already been accomplished.  In his speech, he said that he was here to fulfill a campaign promise to look at the facilities that were in question so he could make an informed recommendation to Congress.  The closest he came to stating the new administration's support for the project was, "We are here because the Muscle Shoals development and Tennessee River development as a whole are national in their aspect and are going to be treated from a national point of view." It must have given the folks a lot of comfort to hear him say, ". . . it (the visit to the facilities that day) is going to give me great advantage in putting Muscle Shoals back on the map."    

. . . . . and he did what he said he would do.  Sen. Norris' 9th bill was introduced 5 days after FDR was inaugurated on March 4, and the bill was passed by both houses of Congress and signed 75 days later by the President on May 18, 1933.  How much of a question about the passage of the TVA bill do you think there really was back in January?

                                                         Photo courtesy of Linda Methvin Smith

On the spot at which this 1933 speech was made, a grass roots committee of Colbert County citizens is erecting a commemorative monument to this occasion, consisting of a handsome "mortarless" stacked stone base and a commissioned a 3 ft. x 4 ft. bas relief portrait of FDR and the Presidential Seal and two smaller plaques--one with names of donors and the other with the historic wording about President-Elect Franklin D. Roosevelt's visits to Sheffield in January, 1933 and November 1934. 

As you drive down First Street you can see the stone wall erected by stone craftsman, Terry Hutchinson, waiting for the artist's completion of the bronze plaques.  The City of Sheffield has been generous in giving the property on which the monument  is being built and with work-in-kind.  The Sheffield Street Department poured the concrete foundation.  The Sheffield Housing Authority carpenters built plywood templates for the plaques.  The Sheffield Utilities will be installing lighting and they have located underground utilities to help with the layout for the wall. 


The unveiling and dedication of the monument is planned for Spring, 2008, possibly in May.   Linda Methvin Smith has promised to keep us posted on the progress of this tribute to an important moment in Sheffield history.

It's something to brag about when citizens celebrate and financially support their historical heritage.

________________________________________________________
Ed. Note:  The Committee for the FDR Monument is still accepting donations for the monument and bronze plaques, a flag pole yet to be erected on the site and landscaping.  After two fundraising events, they are still $2,000 short of the goal for the monument (plaques and wall) alone.  For a donation of $100 or more your name will be listed on the bronze donor plaque.  Your tax-deductible donations can be made to the "City of Sheffield-FDR Memorial Fund."  Mail to Mrs. Betsy Gardiner, 901 West Lamar Street, Tuscumbia, AL  35674.  Betsy is Treasurer of the Committee.  The City of Sheffield has provided a bank account for the funds. 

June 2008:  The FDR Monument has been completed and properly dedicated at a ceremony which took place May 22, 2008.  Here's a sequence of links to other pages on this website and elsewhere that present the story of this event:

Richard Sheridan's Presentation of the FDR visit at the Tennessee Valley Art Museum

Linda Methvin Smith's coverage of the dedication of the FDR Monument

Speeches at the Dedication

Jim Kimbrell's video slide show of the event (photos by Linda)

Steve Wiggins' video of interviews with some of the older citizens who attended the event.

The May 23 news article in the Times-Daily

Dr. Richard Gardner

Congratulations to ALL of you!!!  The Quality Assurance Review (QAR) Team recommends to the AdvancED Accreditation Commission that the Sheffield City Schools be awarded District Accreditation as a quality school system. (GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN)

The QAR Team had the following commendations to give to you as a Sheffield Education Family:

·         Caring and capable highly qualified staff

·         Sound financial management and the use of grants and educational foundations

·         Communication and collaboration with stakeholders, business and community leaders to enhance district programs

They made the following recommendations:

·         The district must establish written measurable objectives and utilize comparative data that can be used to determine progress during the evaluation process for continuous improvement.

·         Establish and implement a procedure to design, evaluate, and improve professional development aligned with student performance and district goals.

·         Expand and update the district website (and others) to market successful programs and to provide information on a wealth of topics regarding the schools system.

During their visit, they interviewed over 215 teachers, Board Members, parents, students, community leaders and administration.

The QAR Team was extremely “complimentary of your hospitality, support, and professionalism”.  They also were very “respectful and acknowledged what a quality school district Sheffield City Schools is and congratulated us on achieving district accreditation as a quality system”.

Once again I am very proud of all of you.  You are a very talented group of professionals who truly love young people. We all need to be telling this good news  everywhere we go. No other school district in Colbert County has this Accreditation as a quality school system.

Thank you,

Dr. Richard L. Gardner

Superintendent, Sheffield City Schools

"Success for today, Preparation for tomorrow, Learning for a lifetime."

__________________________________________________________________

Ed. Note:  SACS  is one of three professional accrediting organizations which make up the strong, standard-setting organization for accreditation and quality improvement in schools, colleges and universities in the states that blanket the south and north central United States.  In April 2006, the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), and the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE) came together to form one strong and unified organization under the name AdvancED.  This agency accredits primary and secondary schools in 30 states.  Only 4 public school systems in Alabama are listed on the AdvancED website as holding the designation of "quality school system."  Florence City Schools is reported to be a certified "quality school system," but it is not listed on the AdvancED website, yet.  There may be others, but the number in Alabama remains small.

To ask for an inspection for this type of accreditation requires much work developing quality assurance systems that far exceed teaching the 3 R's.  To see the requirements that our school system, K to 12, had to  meet by developing programs and meeting the standards, click on these links:

Standards:   http://advanc-ed.org/accreditation/standards/advanced_district_standards.pdf

Benefits of being accredited:   http://advanc-ed.org/products_and_services/advanced_benefit_product_catalog_and_order_form.pdf

AdvancED homepage:  http://www.sacsnet.org/

This achievement is quite a credit to today's Sheffield City Schools and the leadership in the office of the Superintendent.  Take a bow, Dr. Gardner and every staffer, principal, teacher and student in the SCS!

Restoring Grand Old Ladies

I know you remember the grand old Victorian cottages and mansions of our home town if you are a son or daughter of Sheffield.  Heck, some of you grew up in them.

Sheffield is a very young town, as municipalities go.  Capt. Moses, Col. Gordon and the investors in the Sheffield Land, Iron and Coal Company invented it in 1883-1884, near the end of the century which saw Tuscumbia and Florence emerging near its beginning.  From the early days, the north end of Montgomery Avenue, our "main street," was prime residential property.  Hizzoner Captain Alfred Moses, the first Sheffield mayor, chose the bluffside property to the left of the standpipe overlooking the Tennessee River.  That region of the north part of town that lies in the triangle formed by Montgomery Avenue, Alabama Avenue and the southern Tennessee River shoreline plus "the other side of Montgomery Avenue," makes up the historically best place in town to live.  There are many residential structures in this zone which were built by the first citizens of Sheffield.  Sadly, many, like Capt. Moses' home, have been destroyed in the 123 years since the incorporation of our town.

Sadly, too, the condition of the surviving grand old ladies of North Montgomery Avenue and Park Boulevard has deteriorated over the years, threatening to send them into oblivion.   

That's where some wonderful people with a sensitivity for the craftsmanship and detail that you no longer see in modern houses have stepped in to halt the ravages of time on a few of these "grand old ladies."  What motivates these people?  Surely, one of the reasons they save them is their awareness of historical significance of these places.  Or, in some instances it might be their love of beautiful old homes.  Or, the availability of the property--after all, some of the best real estate in Sheffield has remained in the possession of the same first families since the house or commercial buildings were first built.  Or, the new owner has the penchant for restoring old homes and the skills, talent and resources to make it happen.

One feature that brought this wonderful activity to the attention of your webmaster was the news that a goodly number of the new owners of these houses undergoing restoration are not long-term Sheffield citizens.  They are from other places--other towns and cities in Alabama and in the nation. 

That idea really intrigued me.  We who call Sheffield our first hometown have a fondness for her, and despite her financial woes that have affected her appearance in many ways, we remember those cool, tree-lined streets with neat cottages and sidewalks on both sides or the pristine mansions with their big lawns and luxurious landscaping in the historical residential areas or the wide open newer residential areas to the east of town with neat cottages and larger homes.  And we remember them as great places to call home.  But, why would someone want to come from another area to Sheffield when some would say that would not be a wise thing to do?  And why would they tackle the huge project of restoring a hundred year-old home?

THE WITFOTH "SWEET HOME ALABAMA"

Here's Linda's first report, a story in pictures about a home on Alabama Avenue, one block down toward the river in front of the old Alabama Avenue Elementary School (now the home of the Sheffield City Schools Board of Education.)

Seven years now in its transition from "fixer-upper," this home is what we remember being one of the big old homes we admired and aspired to have one day--a well-kept and graceful home, located in a perfect setting on a lofty promontory. 

This grand lady has been memorialized by the son of the present owners in a descriptive tour that is sheer poetry.  His words allow you to visualize every step of the way around the property and through the home.  CLICK HERE to read this tribute to Lady Ono.

The entire family has been caught up in the seven-year project that will give them a gathering place for rejuvenation of the body (just think of all that exercise) and the spirit.

THE TRAPP HOME

The Trapp House located at 910 North Montgomery Avenue, is the second in this series of video-slideshows devoted to the restoration of Grand Old Ladies of Sheffield. 

Jerry and Norma Trapp have owned the house for several years and are in the laborious process of lovingly restoring it to its grandeur of the 1890s.  The home was stick built in 1890 by Mr. Justin Chambers who was a sea captain.  Parenthetically, it is probably not a coincidence that in the same year another grand Victorian mansion was constructed virtually right across the street one block over on Park Boulevard by a William L. Chambers who was General Manager of the Sheffield Land Company.  We know this house as the Nathan Home.  They must have been related.

Jerry and Norma Trapp's devotion to this home is obvious.  The effort involved in such a restoration is enormous.  Craftsmen with the skills required to reproduce the details of the gingerbread and dental decoration are not easily located.  You will view these beautiful photographs of the exterior taken by Linda and say to yourself, "This is brand new construction!"  But then you will see the collection of Victorian fireplaces and the rich, hundred-year-old wooden floors and, especially, the heavy ornate stairway and know that this is an architectural heirloom.  The Trapp Dream has become a reality!  Our sincere thanks go to this wonderful couple for preserving one of those Grand Old Ladies that we remember so well from our youth.

Our on-the-scene reporter, Linda Smith, has been most impressed by this restoration project.  She has collected many, many photos, and due to the file size limitations on downloading time, Jim Kimbrell is creating a series of  video slide shows with wonderful background musical selections for you to enjoy.  Below, you will see a sample of thumbnail images of the slides shown on the Linda/Jim videos and a description of what you are seeing.  This follows the general sequence on the first video, and will allow you to orient yourself on both videos.  We hope you enjoy knowing that there are newcomers to our fair city that see value in some of these architectural prizes and they are working their hearts out to get them into the state we remember and admire them.

CLICK HERE to view the first video        

CLICK HERE to view the follow-up video

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