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Monday, November 20, 2006

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	Date	Outlet
Fairfield tries for comeback	11/20/2006	Atlanta Business Chronicle
Ex-Auburn trustee Glover dead at 83	11/20/2006	Birmingham News
Local icon Charles Glover dead at 83	11/20/2006	The Cullman Times
Exhibit Brings Ideas from Around the U.S.	11/18/2006	Times-Picayune


Fairfield tries for comeback 11/20/2006 Atlanta Business Chronicle		Return to Top
This business brief mentions AU's Urban Studio in Birmingham. Fairfield, once a proud center of the Birmingham area's steel industry, is gearing up to reclaim its place as a retail and residential hub of western Jefferson County. The city added an economic development director, Nigel Roberts, to its roster of city employees last year. And business leaders throughout the region are starting to take notice as Fairfield attracts new retailers and implements a plan designed by Auburn University's Urban Studio in Birmingham. Over the past several decades, the city has experienced what Roberts calls 'a stroke of bad luck' in the retail market with the loss of Kmart, Winn-Dixie, JCPenney, Parisian and several smaller retail tenants. The smaller ones left for newer markets in other communities, such as the bustling area of Trussville. Now, with the opening of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter, and several smaller downtown businesses, along with Miles College's recent purchase of the HealthSouth Metro West hospital campus, Roberts said the city is enjoying a great comeback. 'We have a mayor and a city council that understand economic development,' he said. Ted vonCannon, president of the , agrees. 'Fairfield can be one of the leaders of the west side of the county,' vonCannon said. Access and a viable work force are very important factors, he said, but willing city leadership is what makes things happen. 'We have some real opportunities to have a quality work force (in Fairfield) and the cost of doing business is very competitive,' vonCannon said. Cheryl Morgan, director of the Auburn Urban Studio, and her team of students worked with the Fairfield community for three months in 2004 and proposed what she called 'a grassroots-based vision and illustrative master plan, with focus on the historic downtown core and Aaron Aronov Drive,' the site of Western Hills Mall and home to the new Wal-Mart Supercenter.
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Ex-Auburn trustee Glover dead at 83 11/20/2006 Birmingham News Associated Press		Return to Top
The following media outlets carried similar AP stories: Gadsden Times, The Southwest Florida Herald Tribune, Columbus Ledger Enquirer, Opelika-Auburn News, Decatur Daily and Times Daily, and was broadcast on WEAR-TV, WTVM-TV, WALA-TV and WAFF-TV. Former Auburn University trustee and Cullman businessman Charles Glover died Friday at Huntsville Hospital. He was 83. Glover served on the Auburn board for 13 years from 1990 to 2003. Glover, a 1950 graduate of Auburn University, was an Army veteran who served in World War II. In Cullman, he owned a commercial real estate business and had operated a car and truck dealership. BIRMINGHAM: City marks 96th homicide Two men were shot - one fatally - early Sunday. Police were called to the 300 block of 19th Street Ensley just before 2 a.m. on a report of shots fired. They found Demetrius Jones, 41, on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced him dead. A 36-year-old man was also shot. The victim, whose name wasn't released, was taken to UAB Hospital. His condition was not available. Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jack Parker said the shooting happened when Jones and the other victim exited Wallace's Lounge about 1:50 a.m. Two men outside opened fired on them. Police said Sunday there have been no arrests in the shootings. Jones is the city's 96th homicide victim this year, compared to 90 for the same time period last year. Carol Robinson -- BIRMINGHAM: Huntsville freshman wins BSC crown Meredith Ervin of Huntsville is Miss Birmingham-Southern College 2007. The freshman chemistry/dance major was crowned Saturday night following a talent, swimsuit and evening wear competition. Carlon Alexandra, a senior dance education major from Muscle Shoals, was first runner-up. The pageant is a preliminary competition for the Miss Alabama Pageant. Lisa Osburn --
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Local icon Charles Glover dead at 83 11/20/2006 The Cullman Times Jimmy Simms		Return to Top
— On Iron Bowl Day Saturday, a day former Auburn University Board of Trustees member Charles Glover and thousands of Alabamians look forward to 364 days in advance, Glover's family, friends, business associates and acquaintances mourned the passing of a man many agree epitomizes what it is to be a true Southern gentleman. Glover, 83, a long-time Cullman businessman, developer and community leader, died Saturday morning in Huntsville Hospital as the result of injuries sustained when he was struck by an automobile on Childhaven Road Northeast late Friday afternoon as he was walking to his home located on Lake George. The accident occurred around 5:39 p.m. on Childhaven Road, just south of the Alabama Highway 157 intersection, according to Cullman Police investigating officer Shannon Cecil. "Cora Smith, 41, of Falkville, was driving her 1996 Pontiac Grand Am north on Childhaven Road accompanied by her two children. Mr. Glover was also walking northbound in the road. He was wearing dark clothing and was struck by the Smith vehicle as it passed," Cecil said. "She remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigation, which is ongoing." Cecil said Glover initially received treatment at the scene from Cullman EMS paramedics and Cullman City Fire emergency medical technicians. He was later flown by AirEvac helicopter from the scene to Huntsville Hospital where he was listed in critical condition upon arrival. He died of his injuries a short time later, Cecil said. For those who knew him best, the news of the accident and then his passing, left them stunned and in shock. "Shock, I suppose, is about as good a way to explain what we're feeling this morning as anything," said long-time friend and associate Harold Mayo, who visited Glover Friday afternoon at his Caboose at the rear of the Deep South Classics building he owned on Fifth Avenue Southwest. "I was with him until around 4 p.m. and I understand the accident occurred not long after that," Mayo said. "The battery was down on the little car he drives and so he was going to leave it at the caboose and come back and get it later. I offered to give him a ride home, but he said he was going to wait for his wife Marcia to come by and pick him up. I guess he decided to walk home to Lake George. It's a walk he has often made, but for whatever reason he didn't make it home this time." Mayo said he remembered Glover from their high school days together, and later they would see each other in church. "We played Rook together for years and when I retired I would spend most of my spare time at the office he had before he got his caboose, and afterward I spent all the time I could at the caboose," Mayo said. "We were close friends. He was a great guy. He loved Auburn and he loved Cullman County. It's hard enough to deal with the passing of someone who dies after a lengthy illness and Charlie has had his share of health problems recently. But to lose him like this. It was unexpected and it's difficult to deal with." Grover Reeves said he and Glover have been close friends for well over 30 years. "Charlie and I were friends way back in 1966. I moved away for a while and came back home in 1976. From then to now we have been the best of friends and when it comes to Charlie Glover you can’t have a better friend," Reeves said. "Charlie is what I would call a prince of a fellow and a dear friend in every sense of the word. We've gone to ball games and funerals together. We've spent a lot of time together and some of the happiest memories I have are of times spent with Charlie." A tremendous Auburn supporter, Reeves, a Mississippi State alumnus, recalled how he, Glover, Therman Murphree and Doice Smith, traveled together to this year’s Auburn-Mississippi State game. "We had the best time on the ride over and back. I enjoyed the time we spent visiting as much as I did the game," Reeves said. "Later, I surprised him with a belated birthday present of a Mississippi State cowbell. He got the biggest kick out of that." Reeves last saw his friend during lunch Friday at Grumpy's. "It's hard to believe we won’t sit down and break bread together again," Reeves said. "Charlie was what you would call a Chesterfield. He was a true gentleman and a friend. He will be missed so much." Raised on the family farm at Culpepper Hill west of Cullman, Glover graduated from Cullman High in 1942. He farmed for the next two years before entering the service. After the war he returned to the farm, briefly before attending St. Bernard College for two years then on to Auburn, then called Alabama Polytechnic Institute, where he received a degree in agriculture science. He worked for the Farmers Home Administration in Wetumpka, near Montgomery, for five years. He returned home to Cullman and soon after he and Horace Culpepper went into the automobile business together. In later years Glover delved into real estate and operated the Ugly Duckling used car rental business. He backed Guy Hunt when Hunt was probate judge and later elected governor. In 1990 some Hunt backers came to Glover to see if he would allow himself to be considered for a vacancy on the Auburn board from this district. His nomination sailed through. Glover's term on the Auburn board expired in December 2002. He could not be reappointed because he was past retirement age. Glover's devotion to Auburn and Cullman County is unmistakable, said his good friend Therman Murphree, who also saw his old friend for the last time during lunch Friday. "Charlie and I have so much in common. We shared a business partnership when we were in the warehouse rental business together. Together we developed his Deep South Classics property and personally did most of the work over there to preserve that site. He was so proud of that and his caboose. We attended the same church and we shared a personal friendship that goes back many, many years," Murphree said. "I know we should be comforted in knowing that Charlie is in a better pace, but there is no way to prepare for a loss like this. Cullman and Auburn have certainly lost one of their biggest supporters and ambassadors." Murphree and Glover were both among the original organizers of Cullman County's annual Farm-City event. It was during Thursday night's annual banquet that Glover reminded Murphree about lunch on Friday. "He wanted me to have lunch with him Friday. We usually try to meet for lunch at least once a week. I had made plans with the family to do something else Friday, but I told my wife Jean, Charlie is one of my dearest friends and I'm going to go have lunch with him and so we changed our plans and I went and I'm so glad I did," Murphree said. "We had a fun time and talked about the Iron Bowl. He had gotten some extra tickets, but I told him I couldn't go because of plans I had with the family." Afterward, Murphree said he had some misgivings about Glover attempting to go to the game by himself on Saturday. "For some reason I had the feeling something might happen if he were to try and make the trip by himself. I didn't think about anything happening on Friday," Murphree said. "We were out to dinner Friday when we heard about it. He was a very special person in my life. He inspired me and a lot of other people. He taught me to accept life as it is. Charlie Glover was a statesman in our community. He loved people and he could never do enough for you. I loved him like a brother." Former Alabama first lady Marsha Folsom, who leases an office in Glover's old warehouse building on Fifth Avenue, said she was stunned to hear about his death in such a tragic way. "I've known Charlie for many years. He and my father were friends even though they sat on different sides politically," Folsom said. "I came to know Charlie later because his wife Marcia and I are good friends. He was a kind, gentle, thoughtful man, who had a generous and giving spirit. He was very humble about his generosity. One of his greatest gifts, I think, was his humility and his desire to help others." "I'm so grateful I was able to get to know him. It was a delight to be able to visit him and tease each other about politics,” Folsom said. “He had a wonderful sense of humor. Charlie Glover was a gift to this community." Stan Voit, former managing editor of The Cullman Times, currently managing editor of the Mountain Press in Sevierville, Tenn., said he and Glover became friends soon after he and his wife Bonnie moved to Cullman from South Alabama. "I met Charlie when I was covering Auburn sports for the Montgomery Advertiser. I renewed that friendship when I moved to Cullman and we would often meet for lunch and occasionally Bonnie and I would join him for an Auburn game in the trustees box, which was a thrill for us," Voit said. "He was a really good friend and a classy Southern gentleman. He loved Cullman County and he never wanted to leave While he loved Auburn, and had a home there, he always looked forward to coming back to Cullman." Voit said it is difficult to put into words just how much Glover will be missed by this community. "Charlie was an ambassador for Cullman County. This community grew in stature among the people Charlie Glover came into contact with across this state because Charlie was so well liked and thought of," Voit said. In addition to his service as an Auburn trustee, Glover was a life deacon and trustee of First Baptist Church, and a Lions Club member for 55 years, currently serving as chairman of the Cullman Lions Club membership committee. He is also a past Marie Eddleman Award recipient. Funeral services for Glover will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Cullman Heritage Chapel with burial in Cullman City Cemetery. Visitation will be held today from noon to 3 p.m. at Cullman Heritage Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements.
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Exhibit Brings Ideas from Around the U.S. 11/18/2006 Times-Picayune Contributing, Carol Reese		Return to Top
This story includes a brief mention of AU's collaboration with Habitat for Humanity to use modular design in lost-cost housing. We are not alone as we struggle to rebuild our homes and our city. Out there across America, teachers and students in architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, urban planning and historic preservation have been devoting an incredible amount of time and energy to producing bright ideas for resuscitating New Orleans. Inspiring examples of their efforts have been gathered in an exhibition, Project New Orleans, on view at the New Orleans African-American Museum. The exhibition's organizers and the museum hope the show will be a resource for the Unified New Orleans Plan's 13 planning district teams as they work to create a rebuilding plan before the end of the year. UNOP not only will provide a guide for the investment of public monies, but also of private development funds, as the city rebuilds. The designs in Project New Orleans offer hopeful visions across a broad spectrum of needs, from regional transportation infrastructure and flood mitigation plans to public schools and community centers to multi- and single-family homes. A few of the exhibit's designs reflect projects already under way; others may never be realized but can certainly educate us to be thoughtful, informed planners as we meet week after week to discuss the future of our city. Projects that deal with the designs of new houses are particularly instructive. Modular houses designed by students at Auburn University and the University of Virginia in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, for example, demonstrate that low-cost, prefabricated housing can provide individual, attractive solutions for the varied needs of families. The URBANBuild Project undertaken by Tulane students with funding from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development, and with the local collaboration of Neighborhood Housing Services, shows how a low-cost, modern house can be a good neighbor in a historic district. Designed and built by students, the house at 1930 Dumaine St. in Tremé looks sleek and fresh while also emphasizing the qualities that make the neighborhood so special the garden on the street, the front porch stoop and the narrow, one-story profile, which responds to the typical New Orleans lot and the overall character of the district. Students from the University of Tennessee followed the same design principles when they created prototypical house designs for the Lower 9th Ward, drawing upon historic house types for new homes to be constructed with modern techniques and materials. Another HUD-supported project in the Pines Village neighborhood of eastern New Orleans brings students from Pratt Institute and the New Jersey Institute of Technology together with local families seeking to rebuild through the Retrofitting the Rancher program. A model block will be constructed showing homeowners ways to consider raising and otherwise modifying their slab-on-grade houses for flood safety. One element of this project is the every yard a wetlands scheme, which promotes the benefit of linked yards to increase soil permeability and distribute run-off and rising water more efficiently. The desire of many of us to live close to the water is met by a number of residential projects in the exhibition. Several of the proposed multi-family complexes, including those by students at the University of Pennsylvania, occupy high grounds near natural levees along the river, where they offer such amenities as jetties for leisure activities and wetlands and roof gardens. Many of the multi-unit complexes illustrated in the exhibition also address neighborhood planning issues. Schemes by design studios at City College in New York, for example, propose mixed-use complexes for eastern New Orleans that would incorporate small-scale retail establishments as well as park spaces for communal gatherings, light-rail transportation hubs and even public memorials honoring those who lost their lives after Hurricane Katrina. Residents of Mid-City and Tremé (Planning District 4), Gentilly (Planning District 6), Bywater and St. Roch (Planning District 7), the Lower 9th Ward and Holy Cross (Planning District 8) and eastern New Orleans (Planning District 9) will find many projects in the exhibition that pertain directly to their neighborhoods. Large-scale planning projects for the Claiborne and Lafitte corridors, for example, illustrate ways to reconnect neighborhoods internally divided and cut off from other parts of the city in the mid-20th century by the interstate highway system and, earlier, by railroad tracks and canals. They offer visions of rehabilitated neighborhoods made more easily accessible by revised street plans and more hospitable by hike-and-bike paths. Several planning projects celebrate community landmarks such as the Dixie Brewery in Central City and the St. Roch Market, which can become inspirational catalysts for neighborhood revitalization. Other urban-planning schemes are more revolutionary. One proposes re-imagining the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as a linear street festival that would stretch along Tulane Avenue, enlivening the neighborhoods along its route and culminating at a revitalized Louis Armstrong Park. All New Orleanians, no matter where they live, will find proposals in Project New Orleans that stimulate them to think imaginatively about the possibilities for renewing our city. Students at Columbia University in New York, led by professors in architecture and education, devised models for schools that engage their neighborhoods, whether through a dramatic location -- bridging a canal -- or through an innovative design -- incorporating a community center. Other students proposed new libraries, museums, health-care complexes and performance centers, as well as a re-engineered cityscape permeated by new canals to drain the city more effectively and to water a lush garden in which rebuilding could flourish. No matter how speculative or even outlandish the ideas in the exhibition might be -- houses on pontoons, or escape barges that double as party boats -- Project New Orleans encourages us to dream a new, improved New Orleans and to commit ourselves to building those dreams. Visitors need not be specialists to learn from the exhibit's ideas. Not every plan will be implemented, nor every project funded. But individuals and organizations can incorporate some of these ideas into their projects. And by sharing such inspirations and innovations, we can rebuild better and smarter. . . . . . . . Carol McMichael Reese, Ph.D., is associate professor and Harvey-Wadsworth Professor of Urban Affairs at Tulane School of Architecture and curator of Project New Orleans. She can be reached at creese1@tulane.edu. Copyright © 2006 The Times-Picayune Publishing Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
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