Forest Park / South Avondale
Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
AVONDALE LIBRARY
November agenda items include:
Monthly Report from the South Precinct.
Monthly Report from Friends of Avondale Park, (April Merritt).
Monthly Report from District 3 Board of Education Representative (Mary Boehm)
Monthly Report from District 5 Councilor, (Darrel O'Quinn)
Monthly Report from District 3 Councilor, (Valerie Abbott)
Brush and Trash Pick Up dates.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18
https://www.birminghamal.gov/bulktrash
Missed Pick-up - Dial 311
Report Illegal Dumping - Dial 311
New Miss Fancy statue awaiting final permits for installation in Avondale Park
BYGABBY GERVAIS
After plenty of hard work bringing the bronze, 15-foot Miss Fancy to life, she’s almost ready for her official installation. We caught up with Nelson Grice, the artist behind the new Miss Fancy statue, to find out when we’ll get to see her in all her glory. Keep reading for sneak peek photos and details.
Making Miss Fancy
Bham Now has been keeping up with Miss Fancy’s progress every step of the way and we can’t wait to see the final results. When we last caught up with Nelson, he was in the midst of the final bronze pour for the long-anticipated statue. Since then, he’s been hard at work assembling Miss Fancy’s 146 individual pieces.
“Ted Metz and Hank Simpson were a huge help in assembling the big girl. We completed assembling the pieces at the end of July. Then I welded up all of the seams and by the end of this week, she will be completely finished.”
Nelson Grice, Artist
Based on the real-life Miss Fancy, a beloved elephant who roamed Avondale Park in the early 1900s, this 15-foot statue will be displayed front and center in Avondale Park.
How she came to be
The story of bringing a new Miss Fancy statue to Avondale Park traces back to one of the neighborhood’s most beloved civic leaders, Ron Council. When a smaller Miss Fancy statue in the park was damaged and later disappeared, Ron made it his mission to bring her back to her rightful place.
Tragically, he passed away before he could see Miss Fancy return. So, his wife Martha Council made it her mission to continue his legacy and raise money for a brand new Miss Fancy statue. Grice took on the project and has been bringing the beloved elephant to life ever since.
What are the next steps?
Wondering what exactly needs to happen before we can see Miss Fancy at the entrance of Avondale Park? Nelson filled us in on the next steps.
“Right now we are waiting on permits from the parts board in Birmingham. Once we get our permit, we will begin to excavate the land and pour the footer for the sculpture. Once we pour the footer, we will attach the plates and posts and weld her onto those plates. Then, we will build the pedestal box and pour the final layer of concrete. After that, we will place the stones around the pedestal to match the surrounding columns at the entrance of Avondale Park.”
Nelson Grice, Artist
Keep an eye out for the big reveal
The unveiling of Miss Fancy is scheduled for December 10 at 11:00 a.m
LINK TO BIRMINGHAM NOW STORY With more pics,
https://bhamnow.com/2022/10/24/now-the-news-50m-amphitheater-proposed-for-north-birmingham-avondale-parks-miss-fancy-statue-update-more/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=now-the-news-50m-amphitheater-proposed-for-north-birmingham-avondale-parks-miss-fancy-statue-update-more
CHRISTMAS VILLAGE 2022
DEADLINE TO DONATE GIFTS: NOVEMBER 28
The Samaritan Place Market: A Christmas Village is a shopping experience for invited guests to shop for the children in their home. Avondale Samaritan Place will be transformed into a Christmas market where local community members will be hired to work the shop and new gifts will be available at greatly reduced prices.
Here’s how you can help: You can make a child’s Christmas possible through whichever of the following is most convenient for you:
• Shop at your favorite local toy store and purchase gifts from the suggested shopping list below. Bring your unwrapped gifts to Canterbury or Avondale United Methodist Church before November 28.
• Purchase gifts from our Amazon wish list. Go to https://a.co/e3PrzLx. You can even change the delivery address to CUMC Village, 350 Overbrook Road, Birmingham, AL 35213, and they will ship directly.
• Financial donations are always welcome. These will allow us to shop and fill in with gifts that are needed. Please mark your donations with “Christmas Village” in the memo line, and mail to: Avondale Samaritan Place, 3829 - 5th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222.
Second Annual BakesGiving:
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Thanksgiving will soon be here, and Avondale Samaritan Place would love to share the season with our neighbors! This FREE community event will feature delicious samplings of the very best sweets of the holidays – cakes, pies, cookies, and other tasty treats. Face painting, a cake walk, crafting tables, and more. Prepare for outstanding family fun!
Download a flyer here: https://bit.ly/3sGIGnq.
CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CODE ENFOCEMENT RESOURCE GUIDE
https://www.birminghamal.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Code_Enforcement_Resource_Guide_Final.pdf ;
The City of Birmingham strives to maintain quality neighborhoods and a clean environment. In an effort to achieve this goal, we are committed to reducing blight by educating our residents, enforcing laws, targeting violators and encouraging ongoing compliance. In some instances, residents may not be aware of the various code and zoning violations that could be occurring on their property or properties around them; and may also need resources on how to address these violations.
The most common code violations include:
• High weeds, trash, junk and debris in yards
• Illegally parked vehicles in a front yard and inoperable vehicles
• Failure to maintain structures
• Businesses using residential property