By Evan Belanger, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
The city of Decatur could jump-start construction of a 25,000-square-foot pavilion at Ingalls Harbor by fronting up to $2.8 million to cover the project’s cost.
The City Council will consider Monday a resolution calling for the city to advance funds for additional facilities at the city-owned harbor on the Tennessee River.
Requested by the local visitors bureau and the Hospitality Association, the improvements are intended to expand use of the facility beyond its primary function as a popular site for fishing tournaments.
Specifics call for construction of a large pavilion capable of seating 750 people at tables and a maximum of 1,500 people without tables.
The proposal also includes additional parking, lighting, irrigation, landscaping and electrical work.
Director of General Services Wally Terry said the project would satisfy the city’s need for a large meeting place.
“We have long needed a space to house more than 300 or 400 people,” he said.
“We’ve had gatherings with some of our companies — Nucor and others — that wanted to have their meetings here and we just didn’t have a space big enough.”
Repayment
According to the resolution, any money fronted by the city would be paid back from revenue generated by the Hospitality Association’s $2-per-night hotel room occupancy fee.
“It’s kind of like they buy a car for us, and we pay the payments,” said Tami Reist, president of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
It was not clear Tuesday how the city would structure the debt.
During a work session Monday, city officials discussed using funds from a $4.9 million surplus left from previous fiscal years.
“That way they don’t have to go to the bond market, because unfortunately, it costs so much to go to the bond market that it’s not worth it for $2.8 million,” Councilman Gary Hammon said.
However, that proposal is expected to draw opposition from Councilmen Ronny Russell and Billy Jackson, who claim city officials artificially created the surplus by reinterpreting the city’s financial-reserve policy last year.
Also, the proposed resolution leaves the city the option of reimbursing the debt through a future bond issue, but multiple city officials have described that as a precautionary measure.
Terry said Tuesday he was not aware of any immediate plans for a bond issue or a bank loan.
It was also unclear Tuesday how long paying off the debt would take.
Reist said the room-occupancy fee is expected to generate about $400,000 this year, and that about $167,000 of that would go toward paying off existing debt associated with Ingalls Harbor.
She said she is confident that the fund can support both the proposed and existing debt, estimating the combined annual payment would be about $340,000 if the city borrows the money.
Terry said the city has yet to determine a payoff schedule, which would likely be decided later as project progresses.
The resolution is expected to pass the council Monday.
“I think it will, but let me say that’s based on me being supportive and my hope that the other councilmen will be, too,” said Council President Greg Reeves.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Dream coming to Ingalls
International bass tourney to be held in US for first time
By Catherine Godbey, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
A U.S. congressman, an Alabama state senator and local leaders gathered at Ingalls Harbor Friday. The attraction — Koto Kiriyama, a professional angler originally from Japan.
“Wheeler Lake was chosen and selected for the launch of the inaugural American Dream Tournament, marking the first time the international bass fishing tournament will be held in the United States,” announced Tami Reist, president of the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith, R-Huntsville, called the tournament a recruiting tool.
State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, described it as an international relationship builder.
For Kiriyama, the competition’s organizer, the tournament is about bridging two nations.
“This is about connecting people and having more of a cultural understanding between Japan and the United States,” Kiriyama said. “I have loved fishing since I was 5. My whole life is about bass fishing. When I moved here 15 years ago, I didn’t speak any English and bass fishing helped me survive. I met a lot of good people who helped me learn the language and culture.”
Winners of the inaugural tournament, scheduled for Oct. 23 and 24, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Japan’s Lake Biwa, linking Kiriyama’s adopted country with his native country.
Officials expect more than 100 two-man teams to compete for the trip to the lake, where an angler caught a record-tying largemouth bass weighing more than 22 pounds.
The 2010 competition will be the fourth annual American Dreams Tournament.
North Alabama’s reputation for bass fishing and the support from the area’s tourism officials landed Ingalls Harbor the hosting duties, said Kiriyama, a six-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and champion of the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament at Lake Erie.
Originally held in Japan, the tournament awarded the winning team with a trip to fish at the BassCat Invitational in Arkansas.
“The winners come back and talk about how they are able to widen their view of life, and this is what I would like to achieve,” Kiriyama said. “I want to make Decatur an international city and help people understand other cultures.”
The tournament further strengthens an already strong relationship between Decatur and Japan, said Orr, citing the presence of Toray, Daikin and Toyota in the Tennessee Valley.
Along with cultural and industrial benefits, the tournament will produce financial benefits.
“The tournament is expected to provide an economic boost to the local economy through revenues generated by lodging, dining and retail sales, and the international exposure generated from hosting the event will further elevate Wheeler Lake into the fishing spotlight,” Reist said.
Since Ingalls Harbor opened in 2006, Decatur’s fishing reputation has climbed, capturing the industry’s attention and attracting regional and national tournaments.
So far, tournaments hosted at Ingalls Harbor have translated into an economic impact of $4 million.
For more information or to register for the tournament visit www.kotaamericandream.com or www.decatursports.com.
By Catherine Godbey, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
A U.S. congressman, an Alabama state senator and local leaders gathered at Ingalls Harbor Friday. The attraction — Koto Kiriyama, a professional angler originally from Japan.
“Wheeler Lake was chosen and selected for the launch of the inaugural American Dream Tournament, marking the first time the international bass fishing tournament will be held in the United States,” announced Tami Reist, president of the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith, R-Huntsville, called the tournament a recruiting tool.
State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, described it as an international relationship builder.
For Kiriyama, the competition’s organizer, the tournament is about bridging two nations.
“This is about connecting people and having more of a cultural understanding between Japan and the United States,” Kiriyama said. “I have loved fishing since I was 5. My whole life is about bass fishing. When I moved here 15 years ago, I didn’t speak any English and bass fishing helped me survive. I met a lot of good people who helped me learn the language and culture.”
Winners of the inaugural tournament, scheduled for Oct. 23 and 24, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Japan’s Lake Biwa, linking Kiriyama’s adopted country with his native country.
Officials expect more than 100 two-man teams to compete for the trip to the lake, where an angler caught a record-tying largemouth bass weighing more than 22 pounds.
The 2010 competition will be the fourth annual American Dreams Tournament.
North Alabama’s reputation for bass fishing and the support from the area’s tourism officials landed Ingalls Harbor the hosting duties, said Kiriyama, a six-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and champion of the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament at Lake Erie.
Originally held in Japan, the tournament awarded the winning team with a trip to fish at the BassCat Invitational in Arkansas.
“The winners come back and talk about how they are able to widen their view of life, and this is what I would like to achieve,” Kiriyama said. “I want to make Decatur an international city and help people understand other cultures.”
The tournament further strengthens an already strong relationship between Decatur and Japan, said Orr, citing the presence of Toray, Daikin and Toyota in the Tennessee Valley.
Along with cultural and industrial benefits, the tournament will produce financial benefits.
“The tournament is expected to provide an economic boost to the local economy through revenues generated by lodging, dining and retail sales, and the international exposure generated from hosting the event will further elevate Wheeler Lake into the fishing spotlight,” Reist said.
Since Ingalls Harbor opened in 2006, Decatur’s fishing reputation has climbed, capturing the industry’s attention and attracting regional and national tournaments.
So far, tournaments hosted at Ingalls Harbor have translated into an economic impact of $4 million.
For more information or to register for the tournament visit www.kotaamericandream.com or www.decatursports.com.
Friday, April 23, 2010
New arena owner has racking horse crowd celebrating
By Paul Huggins, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
PRICEVILLE — The 38-year-old Morgan County Celebration Arena has been called a broken-down old horse barn.
Some saddle-bred horse owners once described it as too unsafe to keep their horses there, and its former owner admitted it didn’t have the money to keep up with maintenance.
So why are participants at this week’s Racking Horse Spring Celebration beaming with the same sense of optimism their predecessors did when the facility opened in the early 1970s?
After three decades of unfulfilled promises to make the arena capable of hosting much more than horse shows, the new owner, the state Products Mart Authority, has shown it will make good on its promises.
Facility improvements, and the stated vision for as much as $1 million in additional improvements, are among the reasons the Racking Horse Breeders Association of America feels it is at the threshold of a new era, said Chris Walker, association president.
For starters, Products Mart, which bought the arena and the surrounding 218 acres in December, has built a covered warm-up arena. That had been on the association’s wish list for 10 years, Walker said, but it never had the funding.
In addition, the new owner made improvements to basic and longstanding needs, he said.
There’s a new water system, which is bringing adequate water pressure to all the barns. The concession stand received a thorough cleaning, and truckloads of fresh gravel helped smooth out ruts and pot holes around the property.
The first World Celebration was held in Birmingham, but the racking horse association’s founder, Joe Bright, and three local doctors built the Southeastern Horse Center giving the breed a permanent home from which to grow.’
Outdoor ring
It started as an outdoor ring. Then a roof covered the track, and in 1975, at a cost of $96,000, the walls were added, enclosing a 316-by-225-foot area.
At that time, it touted itself as the largest horse arena in the Southeast.
During its first decade, it hosted motorcycle races, tractor pulls, bluegrass festivals, 4-H competitions and flea markets, in addition to several large horse shows. In 1980, billionaire and former presidential candidate Ross Perot visited the arena to watch his walking horse compete.
But as early as 1982, the owners wanted out, and two years later they gave the facility to the Boys Club of Decatur. The club hired a full-time manager to promote the arena, and 1985 showed promise.
That year, country music stars Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, Lee Greenwood, Sawyer Brown and B.J. Thomas performed there, as did the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
But the arena went through three separate owners by 1990, with each aiming to bring in more events between horse shows. One owner even spoke of adding air-conditioned sky boxes and two restaurants.
Despite unfulfilled promises in the past, the RHBAA is confident Products Mart will not fail, Walker said.
Enthusiasm is apparent in the barns, where rented stalls for horses increased significantly this year. Last year’s Spring Celebration filled 180 to 200 stalls. This year’s event filled about 300.
Ed Monroe, Products Mart chairman, said he believes the arena can be in use every weekend if managed and equipped properly. He envisions it hosting high school graduations, large family reunions, concerts, motocross, tractor pulls and other sporting events.
‘Diamond in the rough’
“It’s just a diamond in the rough that hasn’t been polished in a good while,” he said.
Once the arena starts showing its full potential, Monroe said, it will be easier to get more investment from local groups and governments as well as state and federal grants.
His vision calls for repairing leaks in the roof, hooking up to natural gas so heaters can be installed and used for winter events, renovating restrooms, putting in new bleachers, installing powerful air return systems to allow events like tractor pulls that stir up a lot of dirt, and painting the entire facility.
“I guess our ultimate goal is to get grant money and build a new (agriculture) center that will be nicer,” he said. “But we’re going to maintain the one we got now and keep it in use.
“We’ve been promised a lot of help from state and federal (governments),” Monroe said. “If that transpires, we’ll be able to have that a showplace within a year or so.”
PRICEVILLE — The 38-year-old Morgan County Celebration Arena has been called a broken-down old horse barn.
Some saddle-bred horse owners once described it as too unsafe to keep their horses there, and its former owner admitted it didn’t have the money to keep up with maintenance.
So why are participants at this week’s Racking Horse Spring Celebration beaming with the same sense of optimism their predecessors did when the facility opened in the early 1970s?
After three decades of unfulfilled promises to make the arena capable of hosting much more than horse shows, the new owner, the state Products Mart Authority, has shown it will make good on its promises.
Facility improvements, and the stated vision for as much as $1 million in additional improvements, are among the reasons the Racking Horse Breeders Association of America feels it is at the threshold of a new era, said Chris Walker, association president.
For starters, Products Mart, which bought the arena and the surrounding 218 acres in December, has built a covered warm-up arena. That had been on the association’s wish list for 10 years, Walker said, but it never had the funding.
In addition, the new owner made improvements to basic and longstanding needs, he said.
There’s a new water system, which is bringing adequate water pressure to all the barns. The concession stand received a thorough cleaning, and truckloads of fresh gravel helped smooth out ruts and pot holes around the property.
The first World Celebration was held in Birmingham, but the racking horse association’s founder, Joe Bright, and three local doctors built the Southeastern Horse Center giving the breed a permanent home from which to grow.’
Outdoor ring
It started as an outdoor ring. Then a roof covered the track, and in 1975, at a cost of $96,000, the walls were added, enclosing a 316-by-225-foot area.
At that time, it touted itself as the largest horse arena in the Southeast.
During its first decade, it hosted motorcycle races, tractor pulls, bluegrass festivals, 4-H competitions and flea markets, in addition to several large horse shows. In 1980, billionaire and former presidential candidate Ross Perot visited the arena to watch his walking horse compete.
But as early as 1982, the owners wanted out, and two years later they gave the facility to the Boys Club of Decatur. The club hired a full-time manager to promote the arena, and 1985 showed promise.
That year, country music stars Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, Lee Greenwood, Sawyer Brown and B.J. Thomas performed there, as did the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
But the arena went through three separate owners by 1990, with each aiming to bring in more events between horse shows. One owner even spoke of adding air-conditioned sky boxes and two restaurants.
Despite unfulfilled promises in the past, the RHBAA is confident Products Mart will not fail, Walker said.
Enthusiasm is apparent in the barns, where rented stalls for horses increased significantly this year. Last year’s Spring Celebration filled 180 to 200 stalls. This year’s event filled about 300.
Ed Monroe, Products Mart chairman, said he believes the arena can be in use every weekend if managed and equipped properly. He envisions it hosting high school graduations, large family reunions, concerts, motocross, tractor pulls and other sporting events.
‘Diamond in the rough’
“It’s just a diamond in the rough that hasn’t been polished in a good while,” he said.
Once the arena starts showing its full potential, Monroe said, it will be easier to get more investment from local groups and governments as well as state and federal grants.
His vision calls for repairing leaks in the roof, hooking up to natural gas so heaters can be installed and used for winter events, renovating restrooms, putting in new bleachers, installing powerful air return systems to allow events like tractor pulls that stir up a lot of dirt, and painting the entire facility.
“I guess our ultimate goal is to get grant money and build a new (agriculture) center that will be nicer,” he said. “But we’re going to maintain the one we got now and keep it in use.
“We’ve been promised a lot of help from state and federal (governments),” Monroe said. “If that transpires, we’ll be able to have that a showplace within a year or so.”
Meeting Notes
Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau
By Paul Huggins, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
The Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors conducted the following business during its monthly meeting Thursday.
•Reported the city collected in $49,077 in lodging taxes in January, a 10 percent increase compared to the same month in 2009. It was the first monthly increase of fiscal 2010. Officials attributed the increase to contractors brought in by Nucor Steel and the Tennessee Valley Authority to work on plant outages.
•Reported the room occupancy rate citywide for January was 33 percent, up 1 percent from the same month last year.
•Reported the $2-per-night room occupancy fee generated $27,063 in January, which was $190 more than the same month last year. For the fiscal year, the fee has generated $190,951.
•Reported the bureau had $40,189 in revenue in March compared to $44,754 in expenses, for a net loss of $4,565. Total revenue for fiscal 2010 was $273,293 compared to $322,829 in expenses for a net loss of $49,536.
•Reported special events in March filled 541 room nights for an economic impact of $323,895.
•Passed a resolution to send a letter of recommendation to the Decatur City Council in favor of it adopting Garth-Dancy Cemetery for its historic value.
By Paul Huggins, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
The Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors conducted the following business during its monthly meeting Thursday.
•Reported the city collected in $49,077 in lodging taxes in January, a 10 percent increase compared to the same month in 2009. It was the first monthly increase of fiscal 2010. Officials attributed the increase to contractors brought in by Nucor Steel and the Tennessee Valley Authority to work on plant outages.
•Reported the room occupancy rate citywide for January was 33 percent, up 1 percent from the same month last year.
•Reported the $2-per-night room occupancy fee generated $27,063 in January, which was $190 more than the same month last year. For the fiscal year, the fee has generated $190,951.
•Reported the bureau had $40,189 in revenue in March compared to $44,754 in expenses, for a net loss of $4,565. Total revenue for fiscal 2010 was $273,293 compared to $322,829 in expenses for a net loss of $49,536.
•Reported special events in March filled 541 room nights for an economic impact of $323,895.
•Passed a resolution to send a letter of recommendation to the Decatur City Council in favor of it adopting Garth-Dancy Cemetery for its historic value.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tour of Homes
CHATTERBOX-The Decatur Daily
Take advantage of the season and enjoy the annual Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Decatur Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
The following homes will be open: Carol and Ken Hamilton, 2206 Country Club Road S.E.; Pam and John Howell, 2500 Meadowbrook Road S.E.; and Arabelle and Richard Wilder, 2009 Penny Lane S.E.
Afterward, head for the spring garden party at Decatur Country Club for refreshments made using recipes from cookbooks published by the Women’s Chamber.
Advance tickets are available for $10 at Jimmy Smith Jewelers, Tammy Eddy Antiques, Family Security Credit Union and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
On tour day, tickets will be $15 at all tour homes and the country club.
This Spring Pilgrimage will benefit Hospice of the Valley, Meals on Wheels, the Decatur Public Library, Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts and Calhoun Community College Foundation Scholarship.
Take advantage of the season and enjoy the annual Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Decatur Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
The following homes will be open: Carol and Ken Hamilton, 2206 Country Club Road S.E.; Pam and John Howell, 2500 Meadowbrook Road S.E.; and Arabelle and Richard Wilder, 2009 Penny Lane S.E.
Afterward, head for the spring garden party at Decatur Country Club for refreshments made using recipes from cookbooks published by the Women’s Chamber.
Advance tickets are available for $10 at Jimmy Smith Jewelers, Tammy Eddy Antiques, Family Security Credit Union and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
On tour day, tickets will be $15 at all tour homes and the country club.
This Spring Pilgrimage will benefit Hospice of the Valley, Meals on Wheels, the Decatur Public Library, Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts and Calhoun Community College Foundation Scholarship.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
A born (to be Wilder) DESIGNER
Wilder home — featured on tour April 25 — mixes old and new for an eclectic look
By Patrice Stewart, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
If you are perplexed when deciding what furnishings and accessories you need, Arabelle Wilder has some advice.
“If you love it, buy it and find a place for it,” said Wilder.
That’s what she does, along with incorporating family heirlooms into the design of a room.
You can see this eclectic look next Sunday afternoon. Wilder’s home will be one of three open for touring during the Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes sponsored by the Decatur Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
Allow plenty of time so you can view all the art, pottery and accessories Wilder has collected, as well as the many updates made through the years to the house.
“I call it traditional with a little artsy flair,” said Wilder. “But it took years of collecting pieces and art — and I just love to go to art shows.”
When decorating, she said, you might start with “a sofa or a rug or something else you love, and then go from there. For me, it’s more interesting when things don’t match.”
In 2000, her family moved into the house at 2009 Penny Lane S.E. that had belonged to her parents, the late Paull and Arabelle Jernigan.
She and her husband, Dick, and sons Richard and Knox gave the house where she grew up their own touches while keeping reminders of her parents.
The green silk damask living room sofa, for example, was the Jernigans, and although Wilder elevated it, she did not reupholster the 1960s piece but simply added new decorative throw pillows.
In the den, Wilder kept the colorful oriental print drapes and matching fabric-covered cornice boards that her mother put up about 35 years ago, when those windows looked out onto a patio.
Today the windows give a glimpse into a sunroom created where the patio once was, and beyond to the new terrace with arbor, outdoor stone fireplace and rock waterfall feature.
“I’ve added things through the years, because your taste changes some, and colors change. But I stick with the same kinds of things so I can move them from room to room,” Wilder said.
Her father was an accountant for Pearce & Gresham Co., a construction firm, and this house, built in 1957 for attorney Russell Lynne, was the only residence built by the company, which did mostly commercial buildings.
Her parents bought the house in 1966 and later made some renovations, such as converting the garage into a playroom that features a pool table, a game table and comfortable seating. They added a half bath and laundry room and enlarged the master bedroom to include a sitting room with fireplace and walk-in closet.
After her mother died in 1998 and the Wilders took ownership, they added the sunroom with vaulted ceiling and brick floors and the terrace features. Over the years, they also renovated the kitchen with Corian countertops, stainless steel appliances and a piece of marble found at an antique store for the breakfast area.
“We did everything in stages,” she said.
Slate, stained
concrete
The Wilders had some slate floors installed, and in some spots, such as the den, they ripped out the carpet to use concrete floors scored and stained brown. The renovated bathrooms have slate floors and countertops, showers and garden tub accents.
Her mother already had added the distinctive brown marble covering the brick hearth in the den (one of three fireplaces in the house) years ago.
Treasured items — like a marble-topped antique table that belonged to her grandmother and a pair of etched glass hurricane globes passed along by an aunt — anchor the rooms.
The heirloom antiques are supplemented by her own “finds,” like a hand-carved Venetian table with a faux finish that she found in an Atlanta antique shop. She displays it in her foyer, below a painting by Mississippi artist Patt Odom.
Paintings and groupings of art can be seen on every wall. Wilder has hung only a couple of her own paintings, while preferring instead to display pieces from local artists or those she finds at art shows and festivals.
Art collector
Pottery “face jugs” by Jerry Brown in Hamilton join figurines, bowls and other pieces from potters in Oxford, New Albany and Peppertown, Miss., on her den mantel and bookshelves.
Wilder likes diversity. “I don’t stick with any certain potter or artist,” she said.
She has a collection of works by Decatur artists, including Rickie Higgins, Scott Willis, Johanna Littleton, Trina Hunter, Joyce Lowery, Judy Seymore, Patsy Roby, Susan Estes, Robin Roberts, Glenda Sartain, Lucinda Burchel, Sloane Bibb, Lee Nabors, Matt Welch, Linda Livingston, Lori Clark, the late Shirley Perry and others.
Some are sentimental in nature. The sunroom has a corner of art created by son Richard, now a student at The University of Alabama, when he took art lessons at ages 6-8. Wilder also treasures a painting by a neighbor, the late Barbara Baugh, that she was given by a daughter.
For Wilder, a bathroom is another place to display some of her art collection. Hanging in the hall bath are 22 pieces of colorful folk art such as alligators, while the master bath artwork features angels and crosses.
Stained-glass pieces hang here and there, and the sunroom has, in addition to skylights, an antique fixture that holds candles.
And if you look high in the sunroom, that’s where she agreed to let her husband display the mounted heads of three deer he shot in Canada. She wouldn’t allow them inside the house, but she owed him a little space for his collection, probably because he is handy around the house.
Wilder’s art collection spills out of the house, too. The terrace and nearby yard and fence are sprinkled liberally with folk art and birdhouses that add a touch of whimsy.
“I pick up stuff everywhere — especially if it’s funny and makes me laugh,” said Wilder, pointing out a wooden pig attached to a fence that she got at a Junior League auction. Friends also look for things they know she will like, such as the cigar-smoking fish on a stake beside the terrace.
A born decorator
Wilder is a born decorator, and many people request her help with interior design and accessorizing, but you won’t find her name on a business directory of registered designers. While she has taken art classes as a child and an adult and minored in art, her college majors were psychology and sociology.
When hired to assist, she tries to work with what people already have and with local businesses that can supply other items.
“I’ll help them pick out colors and furniture and help them decide how to move things around,” she said.
Scott Willis, instructor for Wilder’s evening painting class, recognizes that talent in fellow artists and designers.
“Arabelle was fortunate to be born with this innate ability to put things together, and she has a good eye for color,” said the Willis Gray Gallery owner. “It comes naturally to her, and people call on her for assistance.”
He describes the Wilder home as a “comfortably casual, transitional style” where she mixes her family pieces with other antique finds and handcrafted items she finds at art festivals.
“Her palette is very warm and earthy,” said Willis, “and you won’t see anything very light or white or bright.”
He mentioned her floor treatments, including colored, scored concrete, “which is a more up-to-date floor treatment to mix with antiques, plus rugs to soften everything.”
Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes
On April 25, you can tour three homes in Southeast Decatur and then drop by a garden party for treats.
The Decatur Women’s Chamber of Commerce sponsors this Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes as a fundraiser for local projects.
From 1 until 4 p.m. April 25, these homes will be open:
•Carol and Ken Hamilton, 2206 Country Club Road S.E.
•Pam and John Howell, 2500 Meadowbrook Road S.E.
•Arabelle and Richard Wilder, 2009 Penny Lane S.E.
Afterward, head for the spring garden party at Decatur Country Club for refreshments made using recipes from cookbooks published by the Women’s Chamber.
Advance tickets are available for $10 at Jimmy Smith Jewelers, Tammy Eddy Antiques, Family Security Credit Union (Sixth Avenue and behind Decatur Mall) and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
On tour day, tickets will be $15 at all tour homes and the country club.
Proceeds will benefit Hospice of the Valley, Meals on Wheels, Decatur Public Library, Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts and a Calhoun Community College scholarship.
By Patrice Stewart, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
If you are perplexed when deciding what furnishings and accessories you need, Arabelle Wilder has some advice.
“If you love it, buy it and find a place for it,” said Wilder.
That’s what she does, along with incorporating family heirlooms into the design of a room.
You can see this eclectic look next Sunday afternoon. Wilder’s home will be one of three open for touring during the Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes sponsored by the Decatur Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
Allow plenty of time so you can view all the art, pottery and accessories Wilder has collected, as well as the many updates made through the years to the house.
“I call it traditional with a little artsy flair,” said Wilder. “But it took years of collecting pieces and art — and I just love to go to art shows.”
When decorating, she said, you might start with “a sofa or a rug or something else you love, and then go from there. For me, it’s more interesting when things don’t match.”
In 2000, her family moved into the house at 2009 Penny Lane S.E. that had belonged to her parents, the late Paull and Arabelle Jernigan.
She and her husband, Dick, and sons Richard and Knox gave the house where she grew up their own touches while keeping reminders of her parents.
The green silk damask living room sofa, for example, was the Jernigans, and although Wilder elevated it, she did not reupholster the 1960s piece but simply added new decorative throw pillows.
In the den, Wilder kept the colorful oriental print drapes and matching fabric-covered cornice boards that her mother put up about 35 years ago, when those windows looked out onto a patio.
Today the windows give a glimpse into a sunroom created where the patio once was, and beyond to the new terrace with arbor, outdoor stone fireplace and rock waterfall feature.
“I’ve added things through the years, because your taste changes some, and colors change. But I stick with the same kinds of things so I can move them from room to room,” Wilder said.
Her father was an accountant for Pearce & Gresham Co., a construction firm, and this house, built in 1957 for attorney Russell Lynne, was the only residence built by the company, which did mostly commercial buildings.
Her parents bought the house in 1966 and later made some renovations, such as converting the garage into a playroom that features a pool table, a game table and comfortable seating. They added a half bath and laundry room and enlarged the master bedroom to include a sitting room with fireplace and walk-in closet.
After her mother died in 1998 and the Wilders took ownership, they added the sunroom with vaulted ceiling and brick floors and the terrace features. Over the years, they also renovated the kitchen with Corian countertops, stainless steel appliances and a piece of marble found at an antique store for the breakfast area.
“We did everything in stages,” she said.
Slate, stained
concrete
The Wilders had some slate floors installed, and in some spots, such as the den, they ripped out the carpet to use concrete floors scored and stained brown. The renovated bathrooms have slate floors and countertops, showers and garden tub accents.
Her mother already had added the distinctive brown marble covering the brick hearth in the den (one of three fireplaces in the house) years ago.
Treasured items — like a marble-topped antique table that belonged to her grandmother and a pair of etched glass hurricane globes passed along by an aunt — anchor the rooms.
The heirloom antiques are supplemented by her own “finds,” like a hand-carved Venetian table with a faux finish that she found in an Atlanta antique shop. She displays it in her foyer, below a painting by Mississippi artist Patt Odom.
Paintings and groupings of art can be seen on every wall. Wilder has hung only a couple of her own paintings, while preferring instead to display pieces from local artists or those she finds at art shows and festivals.
Art collector
Pottery “face jugs” by Jerry Brown in Hamilton join figurines, bowls and other pieces from potters in Oxford, New Albany and Peppertown, Miss., on her den mantel and bookshelves.
Wilder likes diversity. “I don’t stick with any certain potter or artist,” she said.
She has a collection of works by Decatur artists, including Rickie Higgins, Scott Willis, Johanna Littleton, Trina Hunter, Joyce Lowery, Judy Seymore, Patsy Roby, Susan Estes, Robin Roberts, Glenda Sartain, Lucinda Burchel, Sloane Bibb, Lee Nabors, Matt Welch, Linda Livingston, Lori Clark, the late Shirley Perry and others.
Some are sentimental in nature. The sunroom has a corner of art created by son Richard, now a student at The University of Alabama, when he took art lessons at ages 6-8. Wilder also treasures a painting by a neighbor, the late Barbara Baugh, that she was given by a daughter.
For Wilder, a bathroom is another place to display some of her art collection. Hanging in the hall bath are 22 pieces of colorful folk art such as alligators, while the master bath artwork features angels and crosses.
Stained-glass pieces hang here and there, and the sunroom has, in addition to skylights, an antique fixture that holds candles.
And if you look high in the sunroom, that’s where she agreed to let her husband display the mounted heads of three deer he shot in Canada. She wouldn’t allow them inside the house, but she owed him a little space for his collection, probably because he is handy around the house.
Wilder’s art collection spills out of the house, too. The terrace and nearby yard and fence are sprinkled liberally with folk art and birdhouses that add a touch of whimsy.
“I pick up stuff everywhere — especially if it’s funny and makes me laugh,” said Wilder, pointing out a wooden pig attached to a fence that she got at a Junior League auction. Friends also look for things they know she will like, such as the cigar-smoking fish on a stake beside the terrace.
A born decorator
Wilder is a born decorator, and many people request her help with interior design and accessorizing, but you won’t find her name on a business directory of registered designers. While she has taken art classes as a child and an adult and minored in art, her college majors were psychology and sociology.
When hired to assist, she tries to work with what people already have and with local businesses that can supply other items.
“I’ll help them pick out colors and furniture and help them decide how to move things around,” she said.
Scott Willis, instructor for Wilder’s evening painting class, recognizes that talent in fellow artists and designers.
“Arabelle was fortunate to be born with this innate ability to put things together, and she has a good eye for color,” said the Willis Gray Gallery owner. “It comes naturally to her, and people call on her for assistance.”
He describes the Wilder home as a “comfortably casual, transitional style” where she mixes her family pieces with other antique finds and handcrafted items she finds at art festivals.
“Her palette is very warm and earthy,” said Willis, “and you won’t see anything very light or white or bright.”
He mentioned her floor treatments, including colored, scored concrete, “which is a more up-to-date floor treatment to mix with antiques, plus rugs to soften everything.”
Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes
On April 25, you can tour three homes in Southeast Decatur and then drop by a garden party for treats.
The Decatur Women’s Chamber of Commerce sponsors this Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes as a fundraiser for local projects.
From 1 until 4 p.m. April 25, these homes will be open:
•Carol and Ken Hamilton, 2206 Country Club Road S.E.
•Pam and John Howell, 2500 Meadowbrook Road S.E.
•Arabelle and Richard Wilder, 2009 Penny Lane S.E.
Afterward, head for the spring garden party at Decatur Country Club for refreshments made using recipes from cookbooks published by the Women’s Chamber.
Advance tickets are available for $10 at Jimmy Smith Jewelers, Tammy Eddy Antiques, Family Security Credit Union (Sixth Avenue and behind Decatur Mall) and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
On tour day, tickets will be $15 at all tour homes and the country club.
Proceeds will benefit Hospice of the Valley, Meals on Wheels, Decatur Public Library, Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts and a Calhoun Community College scholarship.
Monday, April 12, 2010
UNA earns split after Watts' gem
By From staff reports, The Decatur Daily
After dropping a 6-3 decision to No. 24 Arkansas-Monticello in the early game, the North Alabama softball team was able to salvage a split for the day by defeating Christian Brothers 4-0 on Sunday to wrap up play at the Gulf South Conference Crossover at Decatur’s Wilson Morgan Park.
The split on the final day gives the Lions a 22-25 overall record, including a 4-3 mark at the four-day event. UNA is also 9-12 in league play and leaves the Crossover in the same position it entered tied with West Alabama for the fourth and final spot for the upcoming GSC tournament.
North Alabama was able to pull even with the Tigers by downing CBU in the final game. Laurin Watts (8-13) picked up her third career shutout after striking out nine in the complete-game victory.
The freshman’s performance in the circle was much needed because of the lack of offensive output in recent games. Against CBU, the Lions scored four runs off seven hits but left 13 runners on base.
Andrea Palmer was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored as UNA plated single runs in the top of the second, third, fifth and sixth innings to get the win.
In the early game, the Lions committed a season-high five errors in the 6-3 loss. Only three of UAM’s runs were earned as the Cotton Blossoms took a 6-0 lead into the seventh inning. UNA was able to plate three runs before watching the rally fall short.
A two-out triple by Emily Barnes scored Allie Peterson and Ally Pridmore to break up the shutout. Palmer singled home Barnes to make the score 6-3 before UAM’s Faith Lund entered to pick up the save by recording the final out of the game.
Palmer and Peterson had two hits each in the game while Jennifer Sexton took the loss in the circle.
With the loss, Sexton falls to 14-12 after allowing six runs off 10 hits in six innings of work.
North Alabama will step outside of GSC play to close out the home portion of its 2010 schedule next week.
The Lions will host Miles on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
After dropping a 6-3 decision to No. 24 Arkansas-Monticello in the early game, the North Alabama softball team was able to salvage a split for the day by defeating Christian Brothers 4-0 on Sunday to wrap up play at the Gulf South Conference Crossover at Decatur’s Wilson Morgan Park.
The split on the final day gives the Lions a 22-25 overall record, including a 4-3 mark at the four-day event. UNA is also 9-12 in league play and leaves the Crossover in the same position it entered tied with West Alabama for the fourth and final spot for the upcoming GSC tournament.
North Alabama was able to pull even with the Tigers by downing CBU in the final game. Laurin Watts (8-13) picked up her third career shutout after striking out nine in the complete-game victory.
The freshman’s performance in the circle was much needed because of the lack of offensive output in recent games. Against CBU, the Lions scored four runs off seven hits but left 13 runners on base.
Andrea Palmer was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored as UNA plated single runs in the top of the second, third, fifth and sixth innings to get the win.
In the early game, the Lions committed a season-high five errors in the 6-3 loss. Only three of UAM’s runs were earned as the Cotton Blossoms took a 6-0 lead into the seventh inning. UNA was able to plate three runs before watching the rally fall short.
A two-out triple by Emily Barnes scored Allie Peterson and Ally Pridmore to break up the shutout. Palmer singled home Barnes to make the score 6-3 before UAM’s Faith Lund entered to pick up the save by recording the final out of the game.
Palmer and Peterson had two hits each in the game while Jennifer Sexton took the loss in the circle.
With the loss, Sexton falls to 14-12 after allowing six runs off 10 hits in six innings of work.
North Alabama will step outside of GSC play to close out the home portion of its 2010 schedule next week.
The Lions will host Miles on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
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