2003-08-14 Features

It may be hard to fathom, but in its earliest days Birmingham was an entertainment magnet attracting seekers of frivolity. “Developers were eager to cash in,” explains Regina Ammon, assistant archivist at the Birmingham Public Library, as she previews her August 20 Brown Bag Lunch Series lecture, “Birmingham’s Turn-of-the-Century Resorts” at the downtown library. “It seemed the way developers worked then was that they found some sort of scenic spot and made that the core of the new neighborhood.” As a result, such fancy retreats sparked a population boom, as Birmingham’s resident count jumped from 3,000 in 1880 to more than 26,000 by 1890. Ammon will include an in-depth presentation of 50 slide images as she recounts the glory days when posh resorts dominated Avondale, East Lake, West Lake, and Lakeview Parks.

	A turn-of-the-century photograph of of a young girl enjjoying a swim at East Lake Park. This former resort area and others will be discussed at the Birmingham Public Library’s lecture, “Birmingham’s Turn-of-the-Century Lake Resorts,” on August 20.

Today, Highland Golf Course occupies what was once Lakeview Park. By damming up springs in the area, a lake was formed that included an island where operas were staged. The dam is still visible directly behind the water hazard at the top of the course. The resort’s centerpiece was the Lakeview Pavilion, featuring a swimming pool in the basement beneath a dance floor, skating rink, and bowling alley. A 72-room, two-story hotel was built in 1887, and visited by Presidents Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. Later, the hotel began to lose patrons when visitors started flocking to East Lake Park. It eventually closed and became the Southern Female Institute, which burned to the ground a year later. The pavilion was finally torn down in 1900 to make way for the golf course.

	The Lakeview Trolley

East Lake Park’s growing popularity centered around its proud billing as “Dixie’s Most Popular Playground.” A 34-acre lake, originally dubbed Lake Como, was added in 1887. Between the late 1880s and early 1950s, East Lake Park offered a zoo, a hotel, a roller coaster, a miniature railroad, and an amusement ride called the “human roulette wheel,” which featured giant cup-and-saucer seats.

Located on the Bessemer Superhighway, West Lake Park was reportedly an early 1900s gambling mecca. It included the Pineview Resort Beach, which is said to have been as breathtaking as anything along the Gulf Coast. Avondale Park was the site of Birmingham’s first zoo, which included an elephant named Miss Fancy that reportedly escaped from her cage occasionally. Legend has it that Miss Fancy could be found hanging around Avondale School as thrilled children fed her their lunches.

The lecture is free and begins at noon. Call 226-3610 for details. —Ed Reynolds

By Ed Reynolds

The sabre of discontent once brandished by former Councilor Jimmy Blake has been passed to the Birmingham City Councilor Joel Montgomery. The new councilor’s contentious manner recalls meetings past when Blake relentlessly confronted former Council President William Bell about parliamentary procedure.Attempts to maintain orderly council meetings are nothing new to Birmingham politics. There may be more love on the council dais than ever before, but one antagonistic aspect remains: interruptions and objections to councilors speaking out of turn and for too long continue to spark heated debate. At the February 5 council meeting, Councilor Montgomery sought to establish official procedure with a resolution limiting how long councilors can speak to an item. The resolution referenced how the council president should run meetings; the ensuing debate predictably divided the council along previously drawn loyalty lines. Opponents condemned the resolution as being “too personal” for directing the president on such procedures as flagging a councilor for being out of order. Council President Loder was adamant that he has been fair in conducting meetings, arguing that no one will tell him how to run the show. “That is my statutory right, to govern the meetings as the chair and to make judgements whether a person should be called out of order immediately or not,” contended Loder.

Councilor Carol Reynolds called the spirit of the resolution “somewhat mean.” In the council chambers, Elias Hendricks agreed with Reynolds that the resolution is “mean-spirited,” explaining, “You don’t legislate good manners. You don’t have to pass a resolution to get me to act right!” Reynolds uttered a loud “Amen” as she noted that the Mayor-Council Act sufficiently addresses meeting protocol. “We don’t need to go and micro-manage every aspect of government,” said Reynolds.

Councilor Montgomery repeated that he was not going after Loder. He said the resolution does not mention Loder’s name; rather, the term “council president” in the resolution is generic. “When you disrespect me, when you talk while I’m talking, this is not personal with me . . . you’re disrespecting the people of my district.”

When all was said and done, only Gwen Sykes and Valerie Abbott supported Montgomery’s resolution. Earlier, the three had bonded on the day the present council was sworn in, backing Sykes in an attempt to derail Loder’s imminent election as council president. Montgomery is clearly not pleased. “Everybody alright?” Loder asks his colleagues as he always does after a vote that divides the Council.

Volatility between Reynolds and Montgomery had come to the surface a day earlier during a council Committee of the Whole meeting [a meeting conducted with a council quorum, outside the council chambers, for intimate debate but still open to the public]. During that meeting, Councilor Hendricks introduced a list of complaints about parliamentary procedure, including cutting off members of the public when they stray from the topic at hand while addressing the Council. He also urged a fairness policy that would force councilors to adhere to time limits when speaking to an item. Councilor Montgomery agreed with Hendricks. “This is a legislative body. We have to do taxpayers’ business,” Montgomery said. He griped about “slander” from Birmingham residents that only want to “rave at me, then rave at Judge [Councilor] Smitherman, or rave at the Mayor on something that has nothing to do with any business whatsoever pertaining to what we’re here for. It shouldn’t be allowed.” Councilor Carol Reynolds immediately disagreed, taking the side of the public, “It’s their constitutional right.”

Montgomery continued, ignoring Reynolds as he complained that a legislative body is not the appropriate place for people to address issues that do not concern city business. “This is a company, folks. This is where we conduct the people’s business.” Montgomery added, “I know of no other legislative body on this planet that allows this kind of stuff to go on.” Reynolds objected that Montgomery had used his allotted 10 minutes. “I find it very offensive,” she said, bolting from the room in apparent anger. Montgomery resumed talking, noting that he hoped Reynolds would not interrupt him again, setting the stage for the next day’s showdown.

Committee battles continue to spark tempers

Entering the second quarter of its first year as virtually a new legislative body, the Birmingham City Council remains plagued by internal squabbles over committee assignments. Insiders at City Hall have reported general confusion within the council ranks regarding day-to-day administration of duties, which comes as no surprise considering that eight of the nine council members are serving first terms. Council President Loder is the lone incumbent, handling the administrative reins with dexterity after deflecting an early attempt by Councilor Sykes to wrestle the presidency from him.

As the poster child for council rebellion from the outset, Sykes remains mired in controversy. Speculation lingers as to whether Sykes was acting independently in her lunge for power, or whether she was simply being inundated with outside advice from someone once intimately familiar with council power plays. Occasional outbursts of anger at committee and precouncil meetings and a penchant for tardiness have colored her record three months into her term.

Sykes initially was asked to chair the Public Safety Committee, which she claims to have embraced with vigor. Sykes said she has devoted more time to public safety issues than education, the committee she coveted from the beginning and eventually was given after the state Ethics Commission concluded that her job as assistant principal at Green Acres Middle School did not give an appearance of conflict of interest. Sykes even went on record at the January 29 council meeting saying that the Education Committee had really not done much in the past except “make some appointments.” [The past two Education Committee chairs were Loder and Mayor Kincaid when he served on the Council.]

After being named head of the Education Committee, Sykes found herself chairing two committees, prompting protest from various councilors. Council President Loder’s solution was to combine Public Safety and Education, but some objected that the two were not a natural fit. At a February 3 Committee of the Whole meeting, final resolution was sought on committee assignments. Elimination of the Public Health Committee, purportedly created to give former Councilor Jimmy Blake a committee to head, was the Council’s solution. Councilor Montgomery had originally chaired the Public Health Committee, but was named to replace Sykes as head of Public Safety.

Sykes refused to go silently, however. She stressed that public health issues need a committee of their own, citing concerns like pollution and “the rising AIDS problem with our young teenagers.” At the next day’s council meeting, Sykes asked that Public Health be left intact as a committee and that she be allowed to remain in charge of Public Safety as well as Education. “I think that [my removal] is a very unfair move,” she complained. “Nobody asked me about it.” Beseeching her colleagues, she pleaded, “I know that you have a vote to decide my destiny in terms of where I am. But votes don’t make it right.”

Councilor Hendricks explained that the importance of health issues was not lost on the Council; the name was simply eliminated and the functions divided between Montgomery and Sykes. Hendricks denounced as unfair any suggestion by Sykes that the Council was minimizing concern for health and environmental problems.

Councilor Carole Smitherman agreed. “I resent the notion that we are doing something unfair up here!” thundered Smitherman. “She can’t have two committees!” Smitherman attributed the committee dilemma to the inordinate length of time involved to designate final committee assignments.

New Public Safety chairman Joel Montgomery said he’ll serve on any committee. “Makes no difference to me,” said Montgomery. “What I do have a problem with, folks, is policy.” The councilor gestured in Loder’s direction. “I do not want this council to go down the same road again where we have someone who is making all the policy.”

Odds and ends

Councilor Sykes didn’t blink an eye when she turned part of the February 5 meeting into a commercial spot touting a Highland Avenue coffee shop. “You know, we’ve had some long meetings and we don’t have anything to eat,” Sykes said as she thanked the café that brought free “coffee and different Danishtries [sic] . . . so that our council members won’t get too hungry” The shop’s management promptly invited councilors to come in for lunch or coffee. Expressions of bemused horror crossed councilors’ faces, and Council President Loder finally halted the brazen advertisement. Sykes assured the Council President that she was unaware that blatant endorsements were going to occur. &

Sticky Fingers

Krispy Kreme doughnuts must be indulged with caution. The irresistible urge to lick one’s fingers after fumbling through a box while driving makes them more dangerous than cell phones. But for a couple of generations of Southerners, Krispy Kreme doughnuts have been indispensable staples of hearty breakfasts, after-school treats for car-pooled kids, or late-night gratification for bar-hoppers. Yet once the fabled doughnuts began migrating north to Wall Street, Krispy Kreme assumed a new aura, transformed into a national delicacy as Yankees first gawked, then giddily embraced cravings for fried shortening, flour, and sugar. Metaphors poured forth like sparkling waterfalls of sugary glaze as stockbrokers, jet-setters, and glamorous patrons of the arts compared the doughnut’s craftsmanship to manicured stock portfolios and Stradivarius violins. Krispy Kreme’s praises have been sung in publications as diverse as Elle, Forbes, and The New Yorker.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts were either invented or discovered in 1933, depending on how one interprets history. That year, Krispy Kreme founder Vernon Rudolph bought a Paducah, Kentucky, doughnut shop and a secret yeast-raised doughnut recipe from a New Orleans chef. The shop eventually relocated to Nashville in search of a larger market, where it was primarily a supplier for grocery stores. In 1937, Rudolph moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The alluring aroma of hot, fresh doughnuts drew locals to Rudolph’s doughnut emporium; endless requests for a dozen, which sold for 25 cents, convinced him to open the first sit-down Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.

Vince McAleer, owner of the Birmingham franchise, which includes stores in East Lake, Midfield, and now Hoover, started working at Krispy Kreme in Birmingham in 1975 at age 14, following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, who went to work for the company in 1953. There was no automated, mass production in those days. A cookie-cutter stamped out the circles of dough, which were tossed into frying kettles where they were flipped with chop sticks. McAleer brags that his father could put seven doughnuts on his thumb while operating two hand-fryers with a co-worker, turning out 400 dozen an hour. “It took 13 big-haired ladies to box them up,” McAleer laughs. “Hot glazed is number one, chocolate glazed is number two, the chocolate creme-filled is number three, and the creme-filled is number four. Ninety percent of our sales are those four items. But if you go up North, some of the stores sell more cake doughnuts than they do yeast doughnuts. I think we make the perfect glazed doughnut.”

In less than two minutes, Krispy Kreme’s national stores can make enough doughnuts to stack as high as the Empire State Building. In one year, the company produces enough doughnuts to encircle the Earth twice. And the recent induction of Krispy Kreme’s 60-year history into the Smithsonian officially anoints the doughnut as American as credit card debt and apple pie.

Kid’s Day at the new Hoover Krispy Kreme (1990 New Patton Chapel Road at Highway 31) will be Saturday, November 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

By Ed Reynolds

Hailed by local political observers as the greatest revolution in Birmingham politics since Bull Connor and his oppressive pals were chased out of City Hall 38 years ago, voters finished the job they started October 9 by eliminating almost every incumbent from the City Council during the October 30 runoff election. Only Councilor Lee Loder, an easy victor in the general election, was unaffected. A happy Mayor Bernard Kincaid bragged more than once during runoff night that he had been seeking a “council that would work with me.” Kincaid has been preaching public revolt for two years, ever since the council assumed many of the Mayor’s powers in order to bolster its control over city government.

Like most revolutions, it all started at the top. Elias Hendricks defeated Council President William Bell in a District Five landslide, lauding the “quality and caliber” of campaign workers that secured his victory. “My people were dedicated. They cared about what we were doing, and they also could articulate how I felt about certain issues because they took the time to listen,” Hendricks gushed. He defined his campaign as “the way politics really should be. It doesn’t have to be cutthroat, it does not have to be name-calling. It can be issue-driven. It can be conducted like ladies and gentlemen.”

When asked if he anticipated any butting of heads with Mayor Kincaid, Hendricks replied, “I hope we’re all dancing to the same page. I’m hoping that all the butting heads can happen in pre-council when people can explain their position and we can all come out with a goal that is for the greater good of the city.”

As expected, Hendricks side-stepped queries on his interest in replacing Bell as council president. “I think it’s a little premature for that. I think that what we should be concerned about is not necessarily who’s the head of it, but who’s going to be over Street and Sanitation, who’s going to be over the parks. That’s the work that has to be done. Who ends up being the person that conducts the meeting is kind of showboating,” he explained. “How do we work through those kind of things as a council, the real meat and potatoes of government. Who gets to be in Hollywood every Tuesday night [laughs] is not as important as who gets the real work done.”

At Jake’s Pit Bar-B-Q, where Carol Reynolds celebrated her lopsided runoff victory over District Two incumbent Bill Johnson, homemade paper signs touted reynolds’ attributes: “Honor,” “Integrity,” “Very Smart,” and “Trustworthy.” “We went out there with a vision about Birmingham: Returning accountability to government,” said Reynolds. “We talked it the whole time, and we never strayed off of it. We committed to a vision to rebuild Birmingham, to restore pride. We stuck to it. We never did any negative campaigning. We’re very excited.” Reynolds laughed as she admitted her main concern, now that the runoff results were in, was that the Yankees win the World Series.

Responding to a question about her interest in being council president, Reynolds explained, “We’re going to have four female councilors. Women look at things differently than men do. We want the basic services and the basic dignity returned to Birmingham. I’m not jockeying for any position. We just have to see when we all sit down and start talking about who needs to be where. At that time we’ll make the decision. I want the very best person, male or female, as council president. We have an all new council. This truly is the beginning of the millennium. It truly is.”

A funeral pall loomed over the headquarters of ousted Council President William Bell. A subdued, defeated Bell searched for a silver lining as he admitted that he could relax now that the council runoff was over. “I’ll get a chance to sleep a little bit later,” he said with resignation. Standing next to a pair of “Vote William Bell” vans plastered with signs that offered free rides to the polls, Bell recalled the lesson learned after 22 years in office: “The human spirit will always rise. I really believe that.” When asked if former mayor Richard Arrington’s failure to include him in a list of Jefferson County Citizens Coalition incumbents that Arrington wanted to see re-elected had prompted his defeat, Bell replied, “I don’t speculate on what helps or what hurt. This is fate, this is God’s will. We gave it our all, but the people of Birmingham decided something different, and I’m at peace with that.”

Apparently, Bell was not the only councilor God wanted removed from office. Councilor Sandra Little told local television newscameras, “Some things are gonna happen now, and God don’t [sic] want me to be a part of that.” Little went on to explain that serving her constituents “is like a ministry, and you’re always more concerned about other people than yourself. So now I don’t have to have the weight of the city on my shoulders.”

Bert Miller, who defeated Little in the District Seven bid, flashed across television screens later that evening with some subtle but funky dance moves as he entered his campaign headquarters on runoff night. When asked by Channel 33/40 News reporter Kevyn Stewart if there is any credibility to Sandra Little’s claims that Mayor Kincaid is hard to work with, Miller adamantly declined to respond. “I don’t even wanna discuss that. That’s her thing. That campaign is over!” Miller promised that there’s “a new Birmingham coming up in November.”

At Gwen Sykes’ Boutwell Auditorium headquarters, supporters surrounded her as they lined up to dance in unison, pausing long enough to allow Sykes to lead them as they simultaneously turned their backwards campaign caps to the front, chanting, “Since we have straightened it out, then we’ll turn our hats around!” Sykes promised Channel 33/40′s Pam Huff that there will be no more bickering between the Mayor and City Council.

District Nine councilor-elect Roderick Royal told Fox 6 News reporter Cynthia Gould that everything in his district needs to be addressed. “The district is in such a mess that anywhere is a good place to start.” District One’s Joel Montgomery minced few words expressing what is owed the people of Birmingham. “The people deserve to have a city council that people don’t laugh at — and that people don’t consider a circus act,” Montgomery told Fox 6 News. “We’re gonna do the taxpayers’ business and we’re gonna do it in a respectful manner.”

Inside Councilor Aldrich Gunn’s East Lake headquarters, the hum of a tiny space heater interrupted the silence while the defeated councilor, standing near a painting of Christ, reflected on his future after 12 years of council service. “I got a little bitty Aldrich Gunn that high (gesturing two feet off the floor). And to be as old as I am and to have a little grandson like that, two years old, named Aldrich — cause I never thought I would have someone to carry my name on . . .” Gunn still believes that the weakened Jefferson County Citizens Coalition that voted him into office in three council elections is a viable entity. “I think it’s wise to have a coalition,” he noted as he elaborated on the importance of political alignment. “Playing ping-pong or yo-yo are the only things you can play by yourself.”

When told that his malapropisms had added an irresistible charm to council meetings, Gunn recited a poem, as he frequently did during sessions. “‘A wise old owl lives in the oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why can’t you be like that wise old bird?’ Now that applies to me,” smiled Gunn. “I can say that. That’s called colloquialism. People talk about me splitting a verb. You do that for psyche things. You say something and they say, ‘Oh, he split a verb,’ or you say ‘peoples.’ Put an ‘s’ on ‘people’ and they get all excited, but you be done got what you want back there, and they be focusing on that!” laughed Gunn. “Just to be able to serve on that council means a lot to me.” When asked to comment on possible reasons for defeat, Gunn sighed, “I still believe if I had my old district, I would have prevailed. That just cut me down, the way they drew the lines. But I have no complaint. I’m content.”

Former mayor Richard Arrington sat down with Fox 6 News anchor Scott Richards in the days after the runoff election to offer opinions about the three main figures on the Birmingham political scene for the past two years. Admitting that he and William Bell fought out of the public eye over the years, Arrington said it was Bell’s idea to take over as interim mayor four months before Arrington’s 20-year tenure ended. “I felt I owed it to him,” the former mayor said of his agreement to step down early so that Bell could run against Kincaid as a semi-incumbent mayor. “Quite frankly, the corporate community was really pressuring me. And while they weren’t all that excited about William, I couldn’t give them anybody better than William that I thought could be elected. I still don’t know today how he lost that race. I have never been able to forgive him for losing that race to Bernard Kincaid,” Arrington laughed.

Arrington said that Kincaid was “a disciple of mine” when Arrington was a dean at Miles College. Arrington said he invited Kincaid to work on his team, but Kincaid felt that some members of Arrington’s organization were “incompetent,” even to the extent of “not liking the way they express themselves.” The former mayor called Kincaid a “bright guy, but he’s a nitpicker.”

Finally, Arrington offered an assessment of Councilor Jimmy Blake, who kept a promise eight years ago not to seek his council seat after two terms. “I consider Jimmy to be the most controversial, most dishonest individual I ever met. Jimmy brought a style of politics to City Hall that nobody was accustomed to,” said Arrington. “My perception of Jimmy Blake is a politician who’s a demagogue, who is very, very bright. He’s very good at handling people and winning them over, and Jimmy is always there. I grew old being very proud of the fact that I never met a person that I didn’t like, and then I met Jimmy Blake.” &

City Hall

October 23, 2001

Proper polling protocol

Councilor Sandra Little, noting that a representative of the Justice Department had called to ask her opinion about “some of the things that went on” at polling places during the October 9 council election, asks if the Justice Department has given preclearance for the election. Mayor Bernard Kincaid replies that redistricting was controlled by the council, which hired Reapportionment Group 2000 to perform the work. Jerry Wilson of Reapportionment Group 2000, which was hired by the council at a cost of $250,000 to draw new council district lines, sent a fax dated August 11, 2001, to the city attorney telling the city to proceed with the October 9 election as if clearance had been received from the Justice Department. Wilson in turn would work to facilitate preclearance, says Kincaid, who says that he has not heard from the Justice Department.

An unhappy Council President William Bell says with disgust, “Somebody’s lying,” alluding that it might be Wilson. Bell insists that Wilson’s contract did not include polling place designations. However, Kincaid tells Bell to read the “quarter of a million dollar contract you [the council] signed with Jerry Wilson.” Kincaid notes that Wilson has drawn $249,976 of the $250,000 contract, suggesting that Wilson might feel absolved of further action since he’s gotten most of his money. The Mayor says that Wilson’s contract calls for him to work through completion of the redistricting process, including Justice Department clearance of polling locations. Noting that identification of polling places is the province of the Election Commission, Kincaid reminds the council that the Election Commission asked councilors for polling place recommendations. Former Aldrich Gunn council aid Hezekiah Jackson chaired an Election Commission committee that also spoke with the Justice Department representative. According to Kincaid, Jackson stated on a local talk radio show that he told the representative that each councilor was allowed to recommend polling place choices. Labeling suggestions of impropriety in election proceedings as nothing more than “electioneering,” Kincaid notes that public reaction has reported the October 9 election as “one of the fairest elections in decades.”

After Kincaid explains that some poll workers were removed for not participating in the February Water Works referendum, Councilor Sandra Little disagrees with Kincaid’s assessment of fairness. Little complains that long-time poll workers were replaced, noting that one displaced worker in her district did participate in the February referendum. The councilor calls Kincaid’s explanation “a set-up.” As Kincaid responds to Little, Bell interjects, “Mr, Mayor, let’s move on.” A flabbergasted Kincaid replies, “Oh, I wish we could! But I’m gonna correct the statement that she made.” Irritated, Bell replies, “Just go ahead and take over the meeting, Mr. Mayor!” Kincaid wins the battle of wills and says that one poll worker that did participate in the February referendum was replaced at Brown School polling place by the Election Commission. The Mayor says he hopes that the worker’s termination will be corrected.

Little and Blake cross swords

“This has been a fascinating chat we’ve had,” observes Councilor Jimmy Blake as he points out that Jerry Wilson’s contract had been negotiated down from $500,000 to $250,000. Blake asks, “What is [Ms. Little's] goal, aside from throwing grenades and pretending that things were unfair?” He asks Little if it is her intent to nullify the decision of the voters in the council election. “Clearly, the council nullified the voters in the Water Works referendum,” Blake notes. “The Grand Imperial Wizard [presumably former mayor Richard Arrington] of the [Jefferson County Citizens] Coalition told people not to show up for the [Water Works referendum] election. How outrageous is that in violation of the law and proper procedure?”

Little responds that Blake’s admitted purpose in joining the council eight years ago “was to crush a particular organization [Jefferson County Citizens Coalition]” instead of working for his district. Blake replies, “Yes ma’am, and you know what, Ms. Little? My purpose eight years ago was to bring some honesty and some integrity to city government in Birmingham. And last Tuesday was a huge step forward, and we’ll finish the job on the 30th [runoff election], I expect.”

Blake questions Gunn’s sincerity

Councilor Lee Loder salutes the Mayor and his staff for moving swiftly on an initiative to expand the enterprise community (including tax incentives attracting business to economically deprived areas). Upset that housing development is not included with the economic improvement in his district, Councilor Gunn complains, “I get tired of us tearing up black communities!” Mayor Kincaid explains that previous enterprise community plans encompassed smaller areas, including only five neighborhoods that did not involve Kingston and other portions of Gunn’s district in the past. Councilor Blake interjects. “Mr. Gunn, I hear you start talking about protecting neighborhoods and protecting them from encroachment by economic development and stuff. And I sit over here and I say, ‘Right on, Mr. Gunn, you seem like you’re really speaking from the heart.’ But yet when it comes time to vote, you voted with the airport in a plan that was devastating to your district.” Blake admonishes, “And then you turn around and back up and support the scoundrels on the Airport Authority who are destroying their property values, who are ripping those communities in your district apart!”

Gunn responds, thanking God for not allowing him to become “distressed,” as was the case in the past when Blake made such comments. Noting that he supports airport expansion only if it does not destroy East Lake and surrounding homes, Gunn says that Blake’s district is “well done,” noting that alleys there are better than streets in Gunn’s area of town.

October 30, 2001

Eminent domain: The American way?

Discussion concerning redevelopment of land in Roebuck to accommodate a new WalMart store takes up the bulk of today’s council meeting. The Roebuck Parkway East Urban Renewal and Urban Redevelopment Plan targets land on Parkway East that includes buildings once occupied by K-Mart and the Old American Store, which have been vacant for about 18 months. Eminent domain and condemnation are tools available for the renewal plan should the city need them. The property is an example of the decline that some say has crept over the Roebuck area. Implementation of the urban renewal project is designed to eliminate blight and “serve as a catalyst to further revitalize the district,” according to representatives of the Planning and Engineering Department. The Mayor’s office is in support of the plan.

Sam Frazier, an attorney representing the city’s interest, defends the use of urban renewal projects to accomplish public purposes such as economic development and infrastructure improvements, all in the name of eliminating blight. There are 39 parcels of land affected by the proposed WalMart construction. Twenty of the 25 property owners have reached agreement with the developer, Concordia Southeast, while the five holdouts argue that they are not receiving fair compensation. The five in resistance own the larger buildings and prime locations in the area. Mary Hooker and her husband, who have owned a medical clinic there for 35 years, explain that their buildings cannot be replaced with what she and her husband are being offered, because the costs of re-location are possibly higher than what their building is worth. Fear of eminent domain has also forced some that rent office space from Hooker in the same area not to renew leases. She reminds councilors that WalMart is located in Arkansas, and is not a homegrown business. “We all go to WalMart, which is good. It’s an American thing, it’s the American way, except for their acquisition policies.” She quotes excerpts from the Pledge of Allegiance as she explains that the American way is “not to sacrifice a few for the good of many.” Hooker also contests attorney Sam Frazier’s reference to the area as blighted.

Christopher Jones, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, which owns three acres sought after by Concordia for the WalMart construction, defends the developer for “negotiating in good faith.” Jones says the area is indeed blighted, and emphasizes that another tax base will help pay for schools. “Don’t mess this up,” the reverend implores as he defends the development as a boost for the Roebuck area.

Councilor Jimmy Blake is appalled that city government would help a financially powerful corporation against Birmingham citizens. Calling the city’s actions “contrary to everything that government ought to be about,” Blake refuses to go along with the condemnation process sought by the city. He notes that the “American way” is to negotiate so that citizens can get fair deals. Accusing the city of “acting like gangsters,” Blake asks what the public purpose is in the recent closing of a WalMart in Huffman to open another in Roebuck. “Moving a WalMart four blocks is not my idea of overwhelming public purpose,” says Blake.

Council President William Bell offers a compromise. Bell is disturbed that WalMart closed the Huffman store to move out of Birmingham but now wants to move to Roebuck. But he admits that it is a golden opportunity to change the perception that Birmingham has let Roebuck “go to hell.” Stressing that eminent domain is a viable option in the future only if a property owner attempts to “jack up the price” after proper appraisals have been made, Bell suggests deletion of language in the resolution pertaining to “eminent domain and condemnation” for the time being. The council approves the resolution with Bell’s amendments to adopt the urban renewal plan. Blake votes against it. &

By Ed Reynolds

Birmingham city politics took a corkscrew turn Wednesday, September 12 when Hezekiah Jackson, long-time right-hand man for Councilor Aldrich Gunn, set local talk show airwaves ablaze with allegations of financial impropriety and personal sexual harassment by Gunn. Jackson resigned as Gunn’s council aid September 11 to enter the District Four council race against the veteran councilor. When contacted for this article, Jackson stated that his campaign advisers had advised him to cease commenting on his allegations against Gunn.

Jackson appeared on radio stations WJLD and WATV that week alleging criminal activity by Gunn, who has served on the Birmingham City Council for 12 years, and is currently mounting a legal battle to return his name to the ballot for the October 9 council elections. Gunn’s $50 entrance fee was hand delivered to Probate Judge Mike Bolin’s home at 10 p.m. on September 18, the final day for candidates to file. According to state law, 5 p.m. is the cut-off time for candidates to have fees paid and all preliminary filing work completed. Michael Choy, the attorney representing Gunn, claims that his understanding of the law suggests that the deadline occurred at midnight September 18.

Records in the probate judge’s office indicate that Gunn had filed for candidacy several weeks prior to the deadline, but had not paid the fee, as was the case with approximately half the candidate field. Gunn claims that he thought that Jackson had paid the fee earlier.

In other council news, Councilor Jimmy Blake, who is not seeking a third term, resigned his position on the city Election Commission. Noting that he did not want to “make a big deal out of it,” Blake explained, “I felt like I was simply a functionary. [Mayor] Bernard [Kincaid] and his lieutenants picked the election officials and presented them. I wasn’t even asked to participate until the last minute. I don’t have time to get in there and figure out who is who [election officials], and who can be trusted. If they had asked me a month ago, that would have been a different thing.”

However, Blake is confident that the standards for accountability have risen in light of past city elections. The councilor alluded to past voting irregularities at the Legion Field polling location. “People would wander around, interfere with the vote. There wasn’t really a secret ballot a lot of the time. [Jefferson County Citizens] Coalition members that were polling officials would not let poll watchers get close enough to watch,” said Blake. “Coalition polling places were something to behold.”

“I’m inclined to say we’re going to have a more honest group of election officials than we’ve had in a long time, primarily because a lot of the Coalition members didn’t show up for the Water Works referendum, and lost their positions because they didn’t show up to work,” explained Blake. “We have a better group of election officials than we had before. But I don’t think any one particular political organization ought to be picking people like that, not that I object to anyone in particular.” Admitting he thought the current group of election officials was a “good list,” Blake noted, “I don’t see anybody there that I’m really worried about.”

Nevertheless, Blake decided it was in his best interest to resign from the Election Commission. “I don’t want to sit on the commission and pretend. I don’t want my credibility to be used for some purpose other than what I think it ought to be used for. I’m not a hundred percent comfortable with it, so I’d rather not be part of it.”

Blake said that an un-named council member told him that some election officials are related to various council candidates. Blake said he was not told which official was related to which candidate. “I haven’t been given time to research [the polling official list] in any respect. [Election officials] should have been asked those questions.”

Blake said he reached his decision after the three-person commission received the list of polling officials Thursday, September 13. During the September 18 council meeting, Blake handed a note to Mayor Kincaid, City Attorney Tamara Johnson (both serve on the Election Commission, which needs only a quorum to function), and City Clerk Paula Smith. Blake also informed Council President William Bell, who had previously served on the Election Commission until he was removed by Mayor Kincaid, chairman of the commission. Bell is running for re-election, and therefore cannot serve on the commission. “There is nothing but downside for me. If it’s not done right, I will get as much credit for it as anybody. I don’t like the way the selection is organized, and I don’t want my credibility behind it because I can’t in good conscience say that I have done due diligence in terms of picking these polling officials when I didn’t do anything about picking the officials.”

In light of the current controversy between Aldrich Gunn and Hezekiah Jackson, Blake noted that his resignation allowed him to avoid the “Gunn foolishness.” &