MJP Journal 2014

The Newspaper of the 31st Multicultural Journalism Workshop at The University of Alabama

Setting THE

stage

FORT PAYNE THEATER PUTS CHILDREN IN SPOTLIGHT

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Gorham GETAWAY

FUTURE MAY HOLD ART CENTER, SCHOOL

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hotSPOT NEW HANGOUT BOASTS ECLECTIC ATMOSPHERE

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Director’s Note Director Meredith Cummings Co-Director Taylor Armer

ON THE WEB

See more from the Multicultural Journalism Workshop class of 2013! http://mjw2014. weebly.com/

ON THE COVER Photo by Moon Yang

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his is my favorite time of the year! Each summer the Journalism Department at the University of Alabama has the pleasure of welcoming high school journalism students to our beautiful campus. Students apply to be part of the Multicultural Journalism Workshop and come to campus for 10 days. High-schoolers enter our program with varying degrees of skill. Some have worked for years with their high school media, while others have never written a news story or picked up a camera. I am so proud of what these students have accomplished in the short time they were with us.

This year, students represented seven states, and traveled to four cities in beautiful Northeast Alabama, the gateway to the Appalachians. They visited Fort Payne, Mentone, Scottsboro, and Sand Mountain, and met interesting people along the way.

We hope you enjoy the great stories on these pages and the accompanying website.

Meredith Cummings June 2014

STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS

Savannah Katy Bullard

Cameron Liddell

Chandler Carter

Ally Minker

Savannah Katy Bullard, 16, is a rising junior at Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama. Bullard has been dancing for seven years at Heidi Knight School of Dance and sings alto for the school choir. Bullard devotes all of her time to babysitting and driving as far as her mother (and gas money) allow her to go. When searching for a final class to fill her schedule, Bullard stumbled upon the newspaper program and figured it would be better than joining yearbook. She instantly fell in love and is now the news editor of the nationally acclaimed newspaper, The Crimson Crier. Savannah is obsessed with writing and takes on any job offered to her, from posing for photos to writing the Web stories. Someone once said, “Newspaper doesn’t revolve around you, Savannah.” She has learned from the Multicultural Journalism Workshop that that

Lily Evangeline Cole

Taylor Nicole Rogers

Kendall Rae Criswell

Jerell Rushin

person was right. Newspaper doesn’t revolve around her. She revolves around newspaper. Bullard’s goals are to become editor-in-chief of The Crimson Crier and graduate from college with a degree in journalism and communication. When she is not writing, Bullard spends her free time reading and loving her cat just a little more than her boyfriend.

Chandler Carter is a 14-year-old rising sophomore at Madison Central High School is Madison, Mississippi. She is on newspaper staff for her high school and hopes to become the editor-in-chief. She is an aspiring journalist and wants to have her own talk show someday. She would also love to write for Vogue or a prominent fashion magazine. She is a competitive swimmer for Sunkist Swim Team in Jackson, Mississippi.

Carter enjoys traveling, her favorite

Tres Harrison

Allison Smith

Jordan Hutchinson

Eric Taunton

trip being to France and England on a People to People Student Ambassador Trip.

Lily Evangeline Cole is a rising senior at Etowah High School, who plans to study communication. She loves the written word, and has been writing since she was in the fifth grade. Her hobbies include international travel and hunting with her father. She enjoys lyrical, jazz and hip-hop dance, and spends her spare time reading, studying or hanging out with her friends. She has four siblings and maintains a healthy relationship with her two dogs. She has a job at her local movie theater and enjoys talking to new people and seeing movies for free. She is a member of her high school dance line. In her free time, she plays basketball and volleyball. Her favorite accessory is her cowgirl boots, and she would

Arniece Ibezim

Eric Tran

Moon Yang

always prefer to be sitting in the woods rather than on the beach. She loves superhero movies, and if she could have any superpower, it would be teleportation so she could transport herself into movies or books and live out the story as any character she desired. She considers herself an extremely bubbly person and loves to smile. During high school, she has come to realize that the best friends you could ever have are your family and that no dream is to far out of reach.

If you anagram Kendall Rae Criswell’s name, it turns into “Well!

Rascallike nerd.” Not surprisingly, the phrase is an accurate description of who she is. Kendall is a yerd, which, according to Urban Dictionary, is a “yearbook nerd.” She

See STUDENTS Page 4

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STUDENTS From Page 3

writes, designs and photographs for the St. Clarion, the yearbook at St. Clair County High School. Yearbook staff has helped her immensely, and she was even accepted into the 2014 National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Honor Roll. She is 16 years old and will be a junior this fall. She is part of her school’s BETA Club, JROTC program, and takes on the stressful challenge of AP classes, which she believes really stands for “Absolutely Painful.” Two amazing, creative and inspiring icons she looks up to, when it comes to writing and journalism, are John Green and Barbara Walters. She always has her nose in a book and headphones in her ears jamming to the sweet, and sometimes rocking, tunes in her music library. Besides writing and reading, Kendall spends most of her time fangirling over the boy band, One Direction, and hopes to one day be able to meet and interview them for a TV show that she will host. She has an interest in the paranormal, and hopes that she could also, maybe, one day conduct ghost hunts with a crew and document them. She hopes that after her high school graduation that she will receive a scholarship to attend The University of Alabama and study to become a broadcast journalist like her grandfather, Bill Markham, was.

Tres Harrison is a 16-year-old, upcoming junior from Stanhope Elmore High School. He is also the editor of his high school’s paper, The Mustang Post. He is a hardcore Alabama fan. Tres also plays the trombone in the band and loves photography. Roll Tide!!!

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Jordan Hutchinson, 15, is a reporter for The Northridge Reporter at Northridge High School and is a rising junior. He is obsessed with soccer and then some. He plays for his high school team, and can tell you just about anything about the sport. He

would love to go pro, but his backup plan is to be a sports radio host. “I figure if I can’t play it, I will talk about it,” he said. Hutchinson loves to express his opinions about soccer, as well as listen to other people’s opinions.

Arniece Ibezim, 16, is a rising 11thgrader at Watkins Overton High. She is an active member of Facing History and Ourselves and CAPA Choir.

She was born in Forrest City, Arkansas, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. Arniece sings in the CAPA choir and is an active member and facilitator of Facing History and Ourselves Student Leadership Group. Arniece plans to study biology, photography and minor in vocal performance.

Cameron Liddell is formerly from Pelham High School in Alabama. He was born March 5, 1999, in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a rising sophomore at the new Helena High School. He lives in Helena, Alabama, with his mother. His extracurricular activities include drumming in the band and creative writing. Before this camp, he had no prior experiences with journalism but now he feels more comfortable with reporting and writing. His longtime passions are writing and music, and he aspires to be either a screenwriter or a music teacher.

Ally Minker is a rising Sophomore at St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples, Florida. She loves to write about people and sports, and in 2011 was fortunate enough to work as a Kid Reporter for Sports Illustrated Kids. She enjoys cheerleading and playing basketball and softball for her high school. Ally has also been doing ballet since she 3 years old. She hopes to continue to learn about and eventually pursue a career in journalism. Her dream job is to work as a sports commentator on ESPN covering college football or Major League Baseball.

Taylor Nicole Rogers is a 17-yearold rising senior at Silverdale Baptist

Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Although she has no previous experience with journalism, Taylor has enjoyed reading and writing from a young age. An avid reader, Taylor recognizes the power of literature of all types and desires to create work that can inspire others the way she has been inspired by blogger Emily Shuman and author John Green.

Her hobbies include archery, acting, shopping, and scrapbooking. She serves as Vice President of the Beta Club, Interact Club, and National Honor Society chapter at SBA, where she is ranked in the top 5 of her class.

Taylor also has a heart for community service. In addition to annual mission trips to Honduras with her church, she volunteers regularly with the Chattanooga Area Foster and Adoptive Association. Her ambition is to study Journalism at Stanford University and write for a lifestyle magazine in San Francisco.

Jerell Rushin, 16, is from Atlanta. He attends Westlake High School as a rising senior. Rushin is in the magnet program, and took a Broadcasting and Video Production I class in the 10th grade. As a senior, he will take a Broadcasting and Video Production 2 class. He loves writing, and classes that include writing are some of his favorites. He is passionate about nearly all sports and he enjoys football the most. Rushin would like be a color commentator as a career, and says everything he does from now on “will be to better myself to become one.” His hobbies are hanging out with his friends and family. He enjoys playing basketball, football, pool and cards with anybody. He says he finds it fun to meet new people.

Allison Smith is a senior at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and a resident of Geismar, Louisiana.

She is the editor of The Renaissance, a member of the LSMSA Dance Ensemble, and the captain of the LSMSA cheer team. She attended the Louisiana Scholastic Journalism Institute in the summer of 2013 and

is grateful for being selected as a member of the MJP Class of 2014.

She hopes to attend college in the fall of 2015 and double major in history and journalism. After college, she hopes to be working as a successful print/multimedia journalist in New York City.

Eric Taunton is from Birmingham, Alabama. He is a rising senior at Huffman High School and one of two editors of his high school newspaper, which is where he discovered his passion for journalism. He developed a love for writing in the fifth grade, and has since made it his mission to discover a way in which he could use his natural ability to write.

He has grown fond of journalism because as a journalist, he is able to learn about people in a matter of a few minutes and, in addition, share their stories with others.

Eric Tran is a 15-year-old upcoming at Stanhope Elmore High School in Millbrook, Alabama. He is the online editor of the Mustang Post, the school’s student-produced newspaper. He plays tuba in the marching band and loves soccer. He was part of the first newspaper staff of his Middle School when it restarted. He joined the high school news staff as a freshman and has never looked back.

Moon Yang is a rising senior at Fort Worth Christian High School in Texas. She was born and raised in the Republic of Korea and came to America during her fifth-grade year to study as an international student.

She has enjoyed writing, mostly fiction, ever since she learned how to write properly. She took Photography I and II and Creative Writing during her sophomore year, and solo speech/acting has been one of her passions since she was sixth grade.

She enjoys playing instruments such as piano, clarinet and ukulele, and hopes to become an avid writer or a professor — unless her experience from MJW workshop convinces her otherwise!

PHOTO | ERIC TRAN

Big Mill Co. is an antique store and restaurant housed in a former cotton mill in Fort Payne, Alabama. Owner Lynne Brewer says most of her antique store business comes from out of town.

ERIC TRAN

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n a rural landscape dotted with abandoned cotton mills, Fort Payne, Alabama, has experienced a rebirth as artisans from around the state try to revive what once was.

Previously known as “The Sock Capital of the World,” Fort Payne produced more than half of all socks sold in the U.S. from the early 1900s until the late 1990s.

Once the production of cotton, the town’s largest natural resource, was outsourced to China, the town saw a dramatic loss of both jobs and population.

With a population of just 14,000

of ART recovery Former ‘Sock Capital’ turns old mills into tourist stop

(up from just less than 12,000 in 1990), the town is still struggling, but as tourists pass by on the way

to Lookout Mountain, Fort Payne is now a place to stop for antiques, artwork and food.

Fort Payne business owner Lynne Brewer owns The Vintage 1889 and Bill Mill Co., the adjoining antique store and restaurant.

“The hosiery business may not be as strong as before,” Brewer said.

“But the business owners of Fort Payne are attempting to make a name for themselves.”

Visitors new to Fort Payne might think that Brewer’s establishment is a working mill, but the inside tells a different story.

Big Mill Co. has presented a structural paradox for its patrons. With hardwood floors, steel beams and

See MILL Page 8

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Keeping history alive

BY KENDALL CRISWELL

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local Fort Payne author paints a picture with prose by adding a haunting twist.

With two published books and one in the making, Greg Starnes has acquired much fame and praise for his writing. Set in the quaint area of DeKalb County, Starnes’ first book “Hollers From The Hollows” compiles recollections of ghost stories and UFO sightings that were retold by people in the community.

A work like his had never been created, and he believed that the area should have many stories.

“I believe that history and haunts go together,” Starnes said of his work.

After mass recognition, Starnes wrote a second book “A Secessionist Christmas Carol,” a Civil War twist on the classic Christmas story by Charles Dickens. It is set in Columbia, South Carolina, on Christmas Eve 1860; the day South Carolina ratified its ordinance to secede from the Union.

“I do believe that history can repeat itself if we don’t learn from past mistakes,” Starnes noted. “I believe history is very important and should be taught.”

Starnes is a graduate of The University of Alabama and has a degree in broadcast communications. Before becoming a novelist, journalist, and historian, he founded his own video production company Star Productions. He took on all of the responsibility and accountability of creating and producing videos. After finding that he would rather express himself through words, Starnes began writing articles for newspapers and magazines ranging from the Fort Payne Times-Journal to Alabama Heritage magazine.

“After discovering Debra Glass, an author in Florence, Alabama, I

PHOTOS | ABOVE: KENDALL CRISWELL; BELOW: KAYLA COBB, KC PHOTOGRAPHY

The entrance to old DeKalb County Hospital, above, is surrounded by tall grass and debris, and the color of the red brick has begun to fade.

Below, author Greg Starnes says old buildings like the Dekalb County Hospital should be preserved.

became interested in writing a collection of ghost stories set in DeKalb County,” Starnes said.

Writing can be a challenging process. Starnes creates an outline with notes that he has taken to keep his train of thought going. He writes his first drafts on a legal pad and makes any adjustments before he begins typing. A source of inspiration for him can be anything: a personal experience, historical event, or something that just sparks interest. “The drive to write a story is the willingness to communicate shared experiences: enlighten, inspire, entertain,” Starnes explained. He loves to captivate an audience, no matter how mass it is. “Everyone and everything has a story to tell,” he said.

When it comes to the subject of history, Starnes has always been interested. He is part of the Civil War Trust, an organization that preserves the nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields. When it comes to old buildings in DeKalb County, like the old DeKalb County Hospital and the

“

If we lose our history, we lose part of ourselves.

”

– Greg Starnes, author Horton House, the buildings should be preserved.

“If we lose our history, we lose part of ourselves,” he said about historical preservation. “As a historian, I support historic preservation.”

When writing about history, the author also has to inform. Starnes doesn’t just stick to one source; he collects information from primary and secondary sources. He is always learning while he writes and believes that the more he writes, the better he becomes.

But what draws someone to an area like Fort Payne? Starnes feels that the natural beauty of the area is what appeals to him the most.

Many talented people call it their

home and he finds so much inspiration. When it comes to phantoms and UFOs, he shared that his own personal experiences create the spark of interest. From seeing apparitions in the DeKalb County Courthouse to witnessing cattle mutilations, all the historical places he has visited he has felt a presence of something.

Through the art of writing, Starnes has kept the dead truly alive, kept history in the moment and kept the people begging for more.

“Entertain, enlighten, inspire, and educate. The point is to elicit a response - positive or negative. When no one cares, that is when a writer has failed.”

Humble

Helena’s Mentone restaurant an unexpected treasure

BY TRES HARRISON

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t first glance, you may not notice it.

Yet Helena’s Gas and Deli in Mentone is a restaurant with a small menu but a big taste.

The average driver passing through Mentone on Hwy. 117 might not expect much from a restaurant connected to a gas station.

Most would likely pass it without even a second thought.

Helena’s is a small, lean-to attached to a gas station next to Mentone Town Hall. But once you experience it, the food and décor will stick with you.

The clunky television hangs in the corner and plays college baseball. Its volume is a low mumble in the background of local conversation.

Four mismatched, plastic tables are scattered around the room. One table, that sits by the only window, has a sole decoration of an empty, purple wine bottle with a pink, flowery lampshade.

A laminated, wrinkled sheet of paper hangs on the kitchen’s tiny window on the opposite side of the room, and serves as a menu. Burgers are less than $4 and fries cost $2.

There is nothing fancy about the presentation.

All meals are served on paper plates thick enough

See HELENA’S Page 8 PHOTO | TRES HARRISON

Helena’s Gas & Deli sign is as small and unimpressive as the building, but locals in Mentone, Alabama, love the restaurant’s food and eclectic decor.

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MILL

From Page 5 exposed brick walls, customers have traveled to the past and present within a matter of a few seconds.

Everything from soap to beer was available for sale, and the restaurant serves a mix of sandwiches, salads and desserts.

“I would say that 85 to 95 percent of my business is from out of town in the antique mall,” she said. “The percentage in the restaurant is much smaller.”

Brewer wasn’t alone in restoring Fort Payne to its former financial glory. Entrepreneurs have joined her to generate more tourist revenue for the town.

HELENA’S From Page 7

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to support the weightiest burger.

There are no drinks on this menu. To get a drink, take a walk into the gas station and make your selection. Open the refrigerator and pick anything from a standard Coke to a Budweiser.

Mentone’s Police Chief Lamar Bray bragged about the food.

“Helena’s has the best burger in Alabama,” he said.

The burgers are topped with a melted slice of American cheese ketchup, mustard, mayo, fresh tomato, crispy lettuce, onion, and are served on a toasted bun.

The juicy behemoth is intimidating, but it fills visitors to the point of satisfaction.

Town Clerk Wilma Fletcher agreed the food at Helena’s is mouthwatering.

“I eat at Helena’s two or three times a week,” she said, “The bacon cheeseburger is my favorite, but they have a great Philly steak.”

Among them have been Justin Sweeney, who opened The Spot in 2013, which has served as a cafe, music venue, arcade and art gallery that sells fair trade organic coffee and ice cream.

Olivia Grider, another town entrepreneur, co-created the local magazine Lookout Alabama with her husband, Randy, with the “hope to help tourists discover the natural beauty of Fort Payne.”

“The [decline of the sock industry] was actually the reason why we started the magazine,” she said.

“Tourism looks like the best avenue to economic growth”.

Visitors passing through Fort Payne probably won’t see as many signs advertising “The Sock Capital of the World,” but they will see a town full of stories to be told from every corner.

PHOTO | ERIC TRAN

Big Mill Co. is an antique store and restaurant enticing tourists to stop in Fort Payne, Alabama, on their way to Lookout Mountain. After cotton production was outsourced to China, entrepreneurs in Fort Payne have been working to increase the town’s tourist revenue.

Fort Payne gets a new hot SPOT

See story on Page 19

PHOTO | MOON YANG

PHOTO | MOON YANG

The Blackberry Little Theatre in Fort Payne runs a children’s theatre program, and is currently touring Alabama with a production of “Alice in Wonderland.”

Precious W

BY ERIC TRAN

performers Blackberry Little Theatre sets stage for children in North Alabama

“

hen I was 11, I had the opportunity to be in “Peter Pan” in North Alabama’s program … it was a magical experience,” said Olivia Mitchell.

It was her first time on stage. It became the origin of the Blackberry Little Theatre’s program for young actors up to 21 years old four years later.

Mitchell also teaches children younger than 10 in summer workshops. In Fort Payne, Alabama, she runs summer theatre tours, produces three shows and manages up to 60 children.

More and more children have become aware of the Blackberry Little Theatre.

“The size of the program has got-

ten bigger and bigger,” Mitchell said. “ [They] have about 50 percent homeschooled and 50 percent public schooled.”

The kids not only act, but they also are put into technical theatre (costumes, lighting, sound, etc.) “The kids are usually from the area or from the surrounding towns.”.

“The kids have been involved in several productions.” she said. Previously, she produced “A Little Princess” - 2009, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” - 2010, “The Prince and the Pauper” - 2011, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” - 2012, “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” - 2013. This year, the Blackberry Little Theatre is producing “Alice in Wonderland.” They had actually gone out of Fort Payne to tour around Alabama.

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Getaway at

Gorham

PHOTO | ALLY MINKER

Visitors arriving at Gorham’s Bluff will be greeted by this quaint lodge, above, built in 1995.

Longtime owner, Clara McGriff, below, has lived in Gorham’s Bluff since she was 8 years old.

‘We may be small, but we are a community’

A

BY ALLY MINKER

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mong the twists and turns of the roads in the small town of Pisgah, Alabama resides a small family run inn and community known as Gorham’s Bluff.

Gorham’s Bluff is a quaint, 186acre community that lies on a hill overlooking the Tennessee River.

Clara McGriff, current owner of Gorham’s Bluff, has been helping run the family business since she was young. McGriff helped to recount the detailed history of the small

village.

It all began with Civil War veteran, Billy Gorham, who founded the community in the 1890s.

While trying to start a business in the sleepy north Alabama town, his wife and two children tragically left him.

Shortly after, Gorham died of unknown causes and he left no family to claim his estate or new enterprise.

With no one to claim the land, the deed was left to the city, who later sold it to a couple that sold it to the McGriff family in the 1970s.

As the McGriff patriarch grew older he could no longer dedicate enough time to running the inn. He sold it to his daughter and her husband, Bill, in the early 1980s.

Clara McGriff recalls many childhood memories of Gorham’s Bluff.

From serving and cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Sundays to planting flowers, she’s done it all.

Born in 1934, McGriff still loves to greet her visitors with a warm smile

See BLUFF Page 15

PHOTO | ALLISON SMITH

PHOTO | ALLISON SMITH

“If I had to pick my very favorite part (of Gorham’s Bluff), it would be the view, because I’ve always been enchanted by it,” said Clara McGriff, longtime resident and owner of Gorham’s Bluff.

Tourist spot has plans for art center, school

BY TAYLOR NICOLE ROGERS

N

estled between the backcountry of Northeast Alabama and the banks of the Tennessee River is a quintessential Southern community of white farmhouses, green grass, and tree-lined streets.

Settled among the deteriorating barns of Jackson County and tractor-dotted County Road 457 lies Gorham’s Bluff, a vacation home community that was hit hard by the recession. But the area has found new life as a travel destination.

Originally, this planned community was a small town that consisted of vacation and starter homes. But this dream of the McGriff family, who has owned the property for four decades, was unraveled by instability in the housing market beginning in 2008.

Before the recession hit, 37 of the 600

GORHAM’S BLUFF ARTIST SHOWCASE

Opening reception: July 5, 11-1 pm. The exhibit will continue through the first week of August.

Inaugural Artist: Cynthia Massey Parons Where: The Lodge on Gorham’s Bluff lots on the 186-acre property had been developed. But in the years since, not a single home has been built.

“It’s slower to make the big dream happen, especially when you have little recessions in the way,” said Dawn McGriff, owner of Gorham’s Bluff.

“If you have a big plan for a piece of property, it could become meaningful to a great many more people.”

The person who has the greatest connection to the land is Dawn’s mother, Clara McGriff, who grew up on the Bluff with 11 siblings. She

fondly remembers picking violets there in her childhood.

Clara believes the land still has the ability to rejuvenate the spirit, which is what attracted her family there.

For the McGriffs, running Gorham’s Bluff is preserving a slice of a foregone time for future generations.

“This is a place for people to renew and connect with the people that they love,” Dawn McGriff said.

The community has a post office, visitor center, bed and breakfast, amphitheater and meeting hall. An

art center, school and quad are being planned for the future.

Before the recession, Gorham’s Bluff was a performing arts hub that hosted plays, symphonies and workshops for the Alabama Ballet.

The McGriff’s planned for the arts to play an important role in returning the estate to its former glory.

Beginning the weekend of July 4th, the bed-and-breakfast will showcase local artists for a month at a time.

Though it’s been challenging to reinvent the property as a vacation hub, Dawn believes that every experience is a gift. “I think the gift of this economic [struggle has been] to Gorham’s Bluff is that we are a community,” Dawn said.

“We may be small. We may be bigger some weekends, you know, but there is a group of people here that have an everyday vital life.”

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PHOTOS | ARNIECE IBEZIM

St. Joseph’s On-the-Mountain Episcopal Church in Mentone was built from a log cabin in 1870. Volunteers have built the church using wood from other buildings of the same age.

Home church A

BY ARNIECE IBEZIM

St. John’s known for impact on Mentone community The building that houses St. Joseph’s Onthe-Mountain was originally the home of Simmie Shermon Vernon, and more than 100 people can trace their ancestry to the family that lived there.

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nn Chestnut passes through the town of Mentone every morning to drop her daughter off at school.

Everyday it’s the same

thing.

As she passes by St. Joseph’s On-theMountain Episcopal Church, she slows down.

Her daughter asked her why.

“Well you have to, it’s a community,” Ann said.

Years ago, Ann joined a church in Scottsboro, but finding the congregation unfriendly, she left the church.

For a while, she didn’t have a church, but her desire to attend regular worship services persisted.

When she and her family moved to Mentone in 2004, St. Joseph’s caught

See ST. JOSEPH’S Page 15

Mentone mourns hotel

Burned landmark endures as city’s hope, tourist attraction

“

PHOTO | LILY COLE

The Mentone Springs Hotel is left in pieces, months after flames enveloped the historical building. The historic hotel was built in 1884, and was a key landmark for Mentone.

BY LILY COLE

T

he Mentone Springs Hotel is a total loss.

The historic 57-room hotel, built in 1884, burned to the ground on March 1, leaving nothing but the chimney’s ornamental stone standing in the smoky rubble.

No one was injured in the blaze.

“There were only 8 guests in the hotel at the time the fire started,

and everyone made it out safely with no injuries or casualties,” Mentone Police Chief Lamar Bray said. “Having a fire is like losing a family member, and that’s kind of how it was.”

Dr. Frank Caldwell didn’t name the city’s honorary family member some time until John Mason, a good friend of Caldwell, spoke to his daughter, Alice Mason, who had read accounts of Queen Victoria’s visit to a place called Mentone

in France.

The clipping gave the meaning of Mentone as “a musical mountain spring.” She suggested the same name be given to this spot where a rippling mountain spring flowed.

“The Mentone Springs Hotel has been here for so long, and it was basically the centerpiece of the

See HOTEL Page 15

Having a fire is like losing a family member, and that’s kind of how it was.

”

– Mentone Police Chief Lamar Bray 13

Poised for a comeback Depressed sock industry doesn’t take spring out of Fort Payne’s economic steps

BY ERIC TAUNTON

T

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hroughout Fort Payne, Alabama, old and abandoned textile mills stick out of the town like cold sores.

Trucks are still parked at the old buildings, as if they are ready ship the next batch of textiles across the country.

But the trucks are rusted and long silenced, with the one-story brick buildings abandoned with weeds taking over. That’s a great contrast to what once was when Fort Payne was proudly known as the “sock capital of the world.” The decline of textile manufacturing in the U.S. also brought the decline of the oncebustling textile north Alabama town.

“We’re still in business, but a lot of that business has moved offshore,” said John Dursham, the president and CEO of DeKalb Tourism in Fort Payne. “It, like many other American industries … found a lower cost of labor elsewhere.”

When the sock industry declined, 6,000 individuals were left jobless, which in turn affected 21,000 families in DeKalb County.

Though Fort Payne is making a comeback economically, the sock industry is not responsible. The main contributor of Fort Payne’s economic rebound is its tourism industry.

“Some of auto-parts manufacturers are doing well, so we’re bringing some of that back, but we’re not back 100 percent,” Dursham said.

Samuel Addy, director and research economist at the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research, used a childhood

saying to summarize what communities must do to rebuild themselves.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” he said.

Addy said residents and civic leaders must invest in researching their community’s strengths and weaknesses to form a realistic plan

See ECONOMY Page 15

PHOTOS | ERIC TAUNTON

Fort Payne’s economic dependence on the sock industry made it fall victim when the industry began outsourcing to China. When the sock industry declined, 6,000 workers lost their jobs, but now the city is putting its focus on tourism. Shown at right, is an old-fashioned textile machine, and shown below are old textile workers in Fort Payne.

BLUFF

in 2000.

She began as a chef, and later became an authority in nearly every position, helping wherever she could.

Arnold has maintained a lifelong friendship with the McGriff family and a love affair with the Gorham’s Bluff community.

Dawn McGriff, Clara’s daughter, believes the size of the town is reflexive of the spirit of the area.

“The gift of Gorham’s Bluff is that we may be small, but we are a community,” said McGriff.

This familiar aspect of the village helped Dawn to come up with the new plan for Gorham’s Bluff, the community.

Her vision, some of which has already been accomplished, includes nearly 600 residential lots, a downtown, a meetinghouse, art center, grass quad, school, and the main lodge.

The community continued to progress and prosper until the recession of 2008.

It still continues to provide first

and second housing for a few residents, but far fewer than it used to.

Gorham’s Bluff is memorable for many. From the Southern hospitality to the beautiful simplicity of the buildings, there is no place quite like it.

“You can’t come to Gorham’s bluff without a kiss,” Arnold said.

While she was referring to the chocolate, wrapped in silver paper, the village also leaves a kiss of history and picturesque beauty on your cheek.

ST. JOSEPH’S

ECONOMY

her attention because her husband was Episcopalian.

So they visited the church and quickly fell in love with it.

It’s no secret that St. Joseph’s is known as a warm and welcoming place by the people of Mentone.

The church feeds hungry families with its food ministry and provides financial assistance to low-income families.

On average, they feed about 49 families through the food ministry.

“St. Joseph’s does more outreach than any church in the Mentone community,” Ann said.

The church was built from a log cabin in 1870, and was originally the home of Simmie Shermon Vernon.

Through the years, volunteers built the church using wood from buildings that were the same age as the log cabin.

The house the church sprung from still remains, and more than 100 people can trace their ancestry to the family that lived there.

The church’s first service was conducted by the Rev. Graham Glover in 1971. From there, the congregation swiftly grew.

“We’re not just a church where people come on Sunday and go home. We actually work for the church.” Ann said.

for rebuilding an economy.

“The bottom line is, it’s really hard work, but anything can happen for a city that has lost a plant,” he said.

“The main thing is to play on the strengths, which are assets of an area.”

With proper research, Addy said areas are better equipped to find the right replacements for the lost industry. Additionally, Addy said

areas must work to promote, market, recruit and grow new businesses.

“There has to be a drive from the city to make itself better or turn itself around. The mindset has to be one of the investment, and it has to be investment in the right things,” Addy said. “Growing on your own is a much more long-term strategy than recruitment, and the expectation of that has to be realistic.”

Dursham firmly believes in the comeback of Fort Payne’s economy.

“We’ve made a good profit here and we hope see a lot more returning.”

From Page 10 and a bowl of Hershey Kisses.

The strong atmosphere of Southern hospitality is as much a part of the inn’s experience as turn-down service.

Thelda Arnold, McGriff’s “right hand,” has been adding to the level of Southern hospitality since she began working with the McGriffs

From Page 12

From Page 14

HOTEL

From Page 13

PHOTOS | ARNIECE IBEZIM

A stained-glass window adorns the wall of St. Joseph’s On-the-Mountain Episcopal Church in Mentone, whose first service was conducted by the Rev. Graham Glover in 1971.

town,” Bray said. “Every given weekend, you would see people out taking photographs and walking around the grounds, so by losing it, I’m sure it’s going to have an impact on us.”

Area residents, like Ann Chesnut, say the financial effects will ripple through the area.

“The hotel was a great draw of tourists to the community and has impacted us so much,” she said. “We are all still mourning this loss.”

The hotel was one of the oldest hotels in the state and was featured in The New York Times bestseller “1,000

Places to See Before You Die.” Jim and Darlene Rotch owned the White Elephant antique mall located behind the hotel, which suffered from the blaze also. Jim operated the nearly 100-year-old White Elephant since the late 1970s and ended up purchasing the hotel four years ago after the owner had passed away.

Even though there are only remnants of the hotel and mall visible from the loss, locals said its memory will remain and continue to affect residents and visitors.

“You’re still able to feel the spirit of the hotel,” Bray said. “The grounds are still there, and even though it’s gone, you still see people walking around the grounds. I think the spirit of the hotel will live on.”

15

He’s bored & happy Mentone’s low crime rate offers police chief peace

BY SAVANNAH BULLARD

T

16

his is a sleepy little hamlet nestled in the North Alabama hills, and that’s just the way Police Chief Lamar Bray likes it.

Bray spent the majority of his career with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department before transitioning to the Mentone police force.

“This is my ninth year,” he said.

“It’s just a pleasure to come to work every day. You’ve got to give credit where it’s due though; it’s the people. They obey the law, and it’s kind of like not having a real job.”

The most important thing to Bray is making a difference in his town.

By being a friend to the public, Bray has proven to himself that the police force can be redefined from “trouble erasers” to “true servicemen.”

“When I took this job over eight years ago, I wanted to do two things.

I wanted to leave the police department better than I found it, and I want to make just a little contribution to the town,” Bray said.

Bray grew up in the mountains of Valley Hill, a small town next to Mentone. By keeping his respect for the land high and his elders higher, Bray’s sense of humility spread into wanting to give back to the people he grew up around.

“If I am having a bad day, I can drive out to Mentone, and it is just so peaceful. I respect the townspeople, and they respect the police department and me,” Bray said.

“I’ve found that it’s a two-way street; if you treat others the way you wish to be treated, you’ll find that it works about every time.”

Mentone has had only three crimes

PHOTO | SAVANNAH BULLARD

Mentone Police Chief Lamar Bray poses with a police SUV donated by the three summer camps that take place each year in the town. The summer camps attract more than 1,000 visitors each year, nearly quadrupling the population of the North Alabama tourist town.

“

It’s really the lack of something to do in my line of work that I like about it.

”

– Mentone Police Chief Lamar Bray in the past two years, and that puts residents and tourists alike at ease.

From three yearly summer camps to handmade mountain crafts, this cozy town is a nationally acclaimed tourist hot spot and friendly home to 451 residents.

“What I like the most [about Mentone] is the friendliness; not even just the people who live here but our tourists who come through. They’re not up here to hoot, holler, raise Cain

and that sort of thing — they’re here for the peace and quiet,” Bray said.

“It’s really the lack of something to do in my line of work that I like about it.”

Independently owned shops line the quiet four miles of Mentone, clad with handmade jewelry, art and souvenirs.

Bray, nearing retirement, enjoys keeping the heart of Mentone close to his own heart through woodwork-

ing, a popular hobby among the locals.

“We had a teacher that specialized in woodworking, and I instantly liked it. Also my uncle owned a cabinet shop, and I used to work with him after school and on weekends,” Bray said. “When I retire I plan to get really acquainted with my woodworking.”

With his time on the force coming to a close, Bray has begun to draft the message he wishes to tell to the citizens of Mentone. After almost 30 years serving others, he concludes that the work done within himself is what is most important.

“When I leave this world,” Bray said, “I wont say the word legacy, but the way I’ve conducted myself and tried to run the department, I hope that’s what carries on.”

Story of storytellers

Sand Mountain journalists stress accuracy, community

BY JERELL RUSHIN, JORDAN HUTCHINSON AND CAMERON LIDDELL

E

very time publisher Ben Shurett prints a story, he knows the phone will ring the next day. The Sand Mountain Reporter is a smaller-than-usual publication in Albertville, Alabama.

Shurett, with the help of reporters including Malarie Allen and Elizabeth Summers, cover a wide variety of topics in the Albertville region.

Summers said that the duty of a journalist is to report all sides of the story, to be impartial in telling the story and get the people talking.

Columnist Jonathan Stinson discussed the controversial history between Hispanics and the area in relation to the paper.

He has been learning Spanish as the paper worked hard to mend the relationship between the paper and the Hispanic community.

“The paper used to have ‘Speak Out’ where people would call in and we put whatever they said in the paper,” he said.

“There were obviously some crazy people that called in and said very controversial things.”

Staff writer and columnist Malarie Allen stressed the importance of details. “[You] have to double-check [the spelling of] every name, even Bob,” she said. “You just have to be thorough.”

Summers learned the importance of thorough reporting when she wrote the wrong age of a sexually molested girl in an article. Both the district attorney and police chief of

PHOTO | KENDALL MAYS

The staff at the Sand Mountain Reporter meets at the newspaper’s offices in Sand Mountain. Publisher Ben Shurett says people need to understand the value of knowing what they need to know versus what they want to know.

Sand Mountain told her the incorrect age, which made the newspaper the face of the error.

“We have never gone to press knowing we’ve had an error,” Shurett said.

“It is bothering to make mistakes.”

After a family member of the victim filed a complaint to the paper, Summers returned to her sources with the correct information and the case was re-opened.

Although no additional victims

were found, Summers understood that the correction was important not only for the paper’s integrity but for the community.

“What started out as a complaint may end up being a catalyst for finding more victims,” Summers said.

Summers, who grew up in a family of journalists, also acknowledged that her job comes with unavoidable situations and she has used them as motivation.

“Criticism keeps you on your toes and humble …” she said.

“There will always be good, bad, and ugly but you cant let that get you down.”

News gatherers like Shurett shared their opinions on the permanent future of journalism.

“Always and forever, the news will be vital,” he said.

“People have lost the value of what they need to know and the value of what they want to know.”

17

A Pikeville treasure

Store-N-Deli known for atmosphere and cheeseburger

BY ALLISON SMITH

N

estled between two streets at a fork in the road in Scottsboro, Alabama, and surrounded by cornfields, has stood Pikeville Store-N-Deli since 1993, an old-fashioned general store with a small restaurant attached to the back.

When Connie and Dwight Wilkerson first opened the business, they had no idea it would grow into what it has become today.

Tourists and regulars alike have praised the Wilkersons establishment for their food and atmosphere.

“It’s the best place in the country,” Ronnie Gamble, a regular at the restaurant, said.

During lunch from Tuesday to Saturday, Pikeville is packed with people waiting to enjoy its famous cheeseburger, which was nominated

by AL.com for the best in the state.

Although Pikeville has gained popularity for its burgers, it has been its atmosphere that patrons and the

PHOTO | CHANDLER CARTER

Co-owners Connie and Dwayne Wilkerson say that while business has been growing, they have no plans to expand the Pikeville Store-N-Deli. To experience Pikeville’s famous cheeseburgers and atmosphere, visit the restaurant at 5182 County Road 21 Scottsboro, Alabama 35768.

Wilkersons find irreplaceable.

People bustle around the quaint restaurant talking about events to come and how they spent their weekend.

While the co-owners have experienced a growing business each year,

they still have no plans of expanding.

“Most businesses that expand tend to decline,” she said. “We are doing well as is.”

Pikeville Store-N-Deli has been also a second home for the Wilkerson family. Connie and Dwight’s niece

met her husband of five years at the restaurant when she was working there in high school.

“She leaned over and said, ‘Aunt Connie, you need to find out who that is … He’s leaving, be discreet,” Wilkerson said.

Connie promptly gave the young man her niece’s number and a relationship began. Photos of their wedding are prominently displayed on the diner’s back wall.

“I told all of my workers to join the business because I can match them up with a husband,” Wilkerson said, with a laugh.

Even though working for Pikeville’s has been a source of income for employees, they shape the communal spirit within the restaurant.

The kitchen crew Anna Wilson, Bonita Dooley and Tamara McKelvey alongwith the servers have agreed that their bosses were the ones that make the job a great one, because there’s “never a dull moment.”

“Connie can turn a bad day right into a good one,” Wilson said.

Deli proud of placing second in AL.com Best Burger Contest

BY CHANDLER CARTER

D

18

on’t ask the address.

Folks here will tell you the Pikeville Store-NDeli in the center of two back roads. You’ve just got to find it for yourself.

And a lot of people have.

Pikeville finished second in the AL.com Best Burger Contest, losing out to Vicky’s Lunch Van in Montgomery—by three-tenths of a point. But

locals will tell you there’s nothing like a burger from this former gas station.

“I go to church with the owners,” said Carolyn Staton, a regular at the restaurant. “I love coming to see the people, and the food is delicious.”

The only problem for Staton, 78, was that her favorite meal has disappeared from the menu.

“I loved the stuffed tomato chicken salad,” she said. “But the burgers— those are the big sellers.”

Pikeville was only a convenience

store and deli until owners Connie and Dwight Wilkerson decided to add a grill and flip burgers in 1993.

The couple estimated they produce 100 to 120 beef patties a day.

Customers have traveled hours to taste the award-winning burger.

Byron Dean and his family drove from Skyline, Ala.—a trip they make almost every week. Dean’s daughter, Bailey, says it’s her favorite place. “(The Wilkersons are) great folks that treat us real well,” Dean said.

Kitchen manager Bonita Dooley has worked for Pikeville since February 2011 and attested to the Wilkersons genuine nature as employers.

“There is never a dull moment when working in the kitchen, and I love working for my bosses,” Dooley said.

Even though their restaurant didn’t win the best burger contest, the owners have been “blessed” by it all.

“With the success of our restaurant,” Wilkerson said. “We feel like we’ve already won.”

PHOTO | MOON YANG

Local artwork is displayed on the walls of The Spot on Gault Avenue in Fort Payne. Classic motorcycles and bicycles add to the fun decor inside the coffee shop.

The D to be

Spot

Fort Payne coffee shop offers an eclectic place to hang out

BY MOON YANG

on’t let the name fool you, The Spot is more than a coffee shop.

On the streets of Fort Payne lies an eclectic masterpiece woven into different threads of food, drinks, arts and music.

Even before stepping into the antique building on Gault Avenue, the exterior intrigues passersby with a definite contrast from its surroundings. The black and red sign with a huge arrow pointing down at the bright red parasol umbrellas immediately draw attention and provide an easing atmosphere. The overall ruddy appearance well presents the passion of The Spot’s founders, Justin and Lori Sweeney, while raising anticipation even more.

The interior is pleasant and entertaining

at the same time. It is a well-blended mixture of the vintage ‘50s, gothic and modern decorations, all assimilated by the owners.

Starting from the ceiling that Justin scraped down to make it look antique to the gothic cathedral lightings, all are put together by the delicate effort of the Sweeney couple.

The walls are covered with numerous art works that were created by local artists, including James Dean, a well-known creator of “Pete the Cat” artwork who was born in Fort Payne. In different corners, classic motorcycles and bicycles are displayed as subtle mood setters. The loft at the back of The Spot, accented with strong red paint on the walls, supplies liveliness that the white walls on right and left somewhat lack.

See THE SPOT Page 20

19

THE SPOT From Page 19

20

Once visitors observe the environment, thoroughly enjoying the view, they will see the menu, hand-written in a neat and decorative calligraphy. There are various choices of drinks and other delicacies not often found in normal coffee shops like milk shakes and full plated meals.

One customer, Eric Tran, ordered chicken pesto and commented, “Just the words they used for the names of the foods made me hungry, and … the whole environment was really inviting.” During a brief interview with Justin Sweeney expressed his pride for the foods he made and served. “When we make something, we make it authentically,” Sweeney said. He also mentioned that his goal was to keep surprising people with what they taste in The Spot, making them happier than before they came.

Food is not the only pleasure The Spot has to offer, however, because some of the visitors’ sole reason for coming to The Spot was to simply hang out. Three teenagers, Michael Howard, Jacob McGrif, and Jimmy Swaine, who were all in the basement named the “Game Spot,” explained that they usually came to The Spot to hang out with their friends rather than to eat.

“The environment [is] really friendly,” McGrif noted. The basement is a very adequate place for a hang out. With the black lights on the ceiling and walls decorated with neon paints, the room seems quite a different place from what The Spot looks like upstairs. When asked what more made the coffee shop so favorable, McGrif added, “People who work here [are] really friendly and nice. [They] try to talk to people around.” “[The Spot] has live music. It’s one of the only places in Fort Payne that has a live music and lets under-age people come in,” Swaine said.

Recognizing the positive output, Justin Sweeney revealed his future plan for the coffee shop.

“Eventually, I would like to open up another location,” Justin said. He explained that he most likely would not open up more than five coffee shops, but that the details were vague.

“That’s all so far in the future. You can’t map everything out like that.”

He added wise advice that you have to move onward and take care of what lies in front of you as you go.

By the Sweeney’s effort in handling what’s in front of him, The Spot Coffee Shop has become a spot to visit young and old alike.

THE MULTICULTURAL JOURNALISM WORKSHOP WOULD LIKE TO SAY

Thank you!

To the financial supporters Alabama Broadcasters Association Boone Newspapers, Inc. UA Center for Community Based Partnerships UA College of Communication and Information Sciences

• • • •

Alabama Press Association Dow Jones News Fund UA Department of Journalism Selma Times-Journal

and board members: • President: Melissa Dixon, Oak Mountain High School • Vice President: Connie Nolen, Pelham High School • Secretary: Renee Quaife, Sparkman High School • Past President: Erin Coggins, Sparkman High School • ASPA Director Emerita: Marie Parsons

Thank you to the contributors of the Multicultural Journalism Program Endowment The Estate of John Brooken Gaines and Marci and Louis Henna Jr.

And to those who made MJW possible: al.com Deanne Winslett and The Crimson White Dr. Jennifer Greer, Dean, CIS Dr. Wilson Lowrey, Chair, Department of Journalism Paul Wright and the Office of Student Media Diane Shaddix and the C&IS Graduate Program Department of Communication Studies Department of Telecommunication and Film Department of Advertising & Public Relations Pat Duggins and Alabama Public Radio Steve Diorio and the Digital Media Center Greg Goldstein Andrea Matei Laura Owens

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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