The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part III

The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part III

A Guest Commentary By

Sarah Savant

I looked up the number for Miz Scarletts in Atlanta, called, and asked to speak to Susan. I was told Susan was at fashion week in Paris. This was early in January, and I knew the only shows in Paris at that time were haute couture and men's fashion. What prom dress store owner would be invited to something like that? I started laughing, but I did manage to say I worked at Sweetwater and gave them a false name.

Apparently I still gave store personnel too much information because it was only about five minutes later that Cynthia Johnson called me. It seems Susan had called her and was livid. How had I found her "private number?" She related that Susan didn't take calls because she got death threats, was involved in lawsuits, and the list just went on an on. I don't know what any of Susan's personal problems had to do with me, but if I had problems with Cynthia before, I really had them now.

She began telling other volunteers that I was out to get her and wanted her "job." At first I just shook it off, but then something happened that I couldn't just overlook. Cynthia was always relating things using her self-proclaimed psychic abilities, but now she began to tell others that she had a vision of me in the future and in this vision I was being raped.

When I heard this I was angry beyond words; I was sick to my stomach. When I confronted Cynthia she told me she was only concerned for my well being. Apparently she wasn't concerned enough to come to me privately and tell me this. What should I do? I didn't want to be around Cynthia any more, but I really loved Sweetwater, so I decided to stay at least until the Living History Days in April.

I wanted to be sure the stories told during the program were accurate, but Cynthia had her own version of things leading up to the actual event. If anyone ever asked about Susan, Cynthia told them that Smithson was in London working on Kate Middleton's dress for the royal wedding. I wish I could say she was joking, but she was completely serious. If this didn't kill any interest I had in the project, what happened next did.

*****

Well, we can hardly wait for the final installment. Designing Waity Katie's wedding dress? You'd think that would be up there with Jeff Dowdy behind enemy lines in Afghanistan or Hank Klibanoff winning a Pulitzer Prize. Oh, we get it. The TimesDaily just didn't report on it because Susan Leigh Smithson is a woman. Yeah, that must be it.



Shoalanda

The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part II

The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part II

A Guest Commentary By

Sarah Savant

Sweetwater's director Cynthia Johnson liked to paint a perfect picture of the supposedly wealthy owner. She never spoke of Susan Smithson without mentioning her great wealth, but by October of 2010, we began considering the source. We soon saw that Susan didn't pay for anything related to the house. Her mother Edith Smithson paid the bills, and we also soon learned that the money earned from any events was paid directly to Susan's mother.

At first I thought this looked shady, but Cynthia said Mrs. Smithson paid the utilities and taxes for Susan. When I asked Cynthia why the plantation hadn't received tax exempt status, she told me she had sent the paperwork to Susan's mother who had lost it. I didn't ask after that.

I did talk with two other volunteers who had similar stories about the finances at the mansion, but there was never a great deal of money involved. I would guesstimate less than four thousand was taken in each year the mansion was open to the public. Still, we thought this money should have gone to restoration rather than to pay Susan's electric or tax bill. We began to think the mansion would never be restored with Cynthia as director.

As the tours took shape, Cynthia told us stories of the original land owner, Gen. John Brahan, practicing voodoo in the basement and other ghost tales which she seemed to relish. About this time I became friends with another local historian who worked there. She shared her knowledge of Mr. McDonald's history of Sweetwater and also many things she had discovered through her own research. She was in possession of some writings of Jane Patton and other first hand material from that era. The two stories were so different, and Cynthia's was so unbelievable.

I began to use the story told to me by my friend when I led the tours, rather than the more lurid voodoo story that Cynthia had told me to relate. Cynthia then began to follow me around during the tours and "correct" me. I was becoming more and more disenchanted, but Cynthia told me in late October that massive restoration work was set to begin in early December.

I knew that Cynthia had promised this before, but I hoped this time it was true. When I returned to the home after Christmas break, again absolutely nothing had been done. It was then that I decided to call owner Susan Leigh Smithson...

*****

We had quite a response to yesterday's account of the Sweetwater director's vision of a werewolf in a volunteer's photos. According to local author Debra Glass:

That woman told me a story for my first book that I plan to remove on my next printing - and that won't be soon enough! She said there was a werewolf that lived in her house. I put her tale in the book but regret it. That was my Uncle Lee Stutts' house and I feel the story sullied the memory of what a fascinating man he was.

...and meter readers contend they're afraid of dogs.



Shoalanda

The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part I

The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part I

A Guest Commentary By

Sarah Savant

All my life I've been surrounded by people who volunteer to improve the community. I've always worked with various well-established school clubs and when I volunteered to work with Sweetwater Mansion, I expected it to be the same. I couldn't have been more wrong.

My first day as a volunteer was in the middle of August, and the director immediately handed me a camera and told me to take photos inside the house and on the grounds. Cynthia Johnson told me she was specifically looking for orbs that would suggest a ghostly presence. I do believe in ghosts, but I had volunteered to help restore the mansion, not take snapshots of what Ms. Johnson wanted to prove was on the property.

Nevertheless, I followed her instructions, and several of us volunteers took photos for Cynthia. After we finished up, Cynthia told one young man he had captured the image of a werewolf in his photos. She then proceeded to show off what she called her psychic powers by offering predictions to our group. My friends and I thought the whole set up was odd, but we believed that the director really cared about the house so her behavior didn't bother us that much at the time.

When we returned in October to begin the tours, we found that absolutely nothing had been done to restore the old home. These things take time and money, so we told ourselves "Rome wasn't built in a day." Cynthia told us that restoration would begin in earnest in early December, and we still had no real reason to doubt her.

As Cynthia began to tell us about the history of the house, she mentioned she had been William McDonald's personal assistant at one time. We found this impressive, but then she continued to tell us about Susan Leigh Smithson, the property's owner. According to Cynthia, Ms. Smithson had been a high fashion model in her younger days and was now a fashion designer. I consider myself pretty fashion savvy and had never heard of Ms. Smithson, so I decided to Google her when I returned home. I found that Susan owned a shop in Atlanta that specialized in prom dresses and she had some odd comments and reviews attached to her name.

Things definitely weren't adding up. I was left to wonder just what other statements we needed to take with a grain of salt...

Tomorrow: Part II (Things begin to deteriorate rapidly.)

*****

Yes, it only gets odder, folks. Many thanks to "Sarah" for sharing her experiences. Stay tuned...



Shoalanda

Who Is Behind Sweetwater Mansion? (A Re-Blog from O.B.)

Yesterday O.B.'s Corner blogged concerning some personal attacks the writer received from Sweetwater Mansion's Social Media Adviser Dot Bowers, aka D. J. Bowers. Since we are about to begin a multi-part expose' written by a former volunteer at Sweetwater, we are publishing slightly edited parts of O.B.'s comments as an introduction:

I just wanted to share a couple of the things I had gotten in messages and let you judge for yourself. I cannot make your minds up for you but it is my belief that the house is not in good hands. That has been my whole purpose in trying to let people know about what is going on. Apparently some people either do not care or are just so wrapped up in the history, they are blind or brainwashed.

With that said…here are a few snippets and my personal response to them. You can click on the snippets to enlarge them.

I took this as a personal threat from Sweetwater. Real classy.

First of all, I don’t blog on Ripples. Although I have commented on it. And in this case, the promise is nothing more than a threat wrapped in toilet paper. And me taking the fall? That and back off are two more threats as far as I’m concerned. But Dorkus Jane is correct, I don’t know her. Nor do I want to.

I have never posted her mother's name on my blog. Matter of fact I didn’t even know it. This is the only blog I do. People need to get their facts straight before running off at the mouth. Oh, and Ms. Drama? I have a life and a job. Thanks anyway for your concern.

So you see? This is what is leading the Sweetwater/Weeden mansion. This is the kind of people that are overseeing the goings on at the historical home that continues to lie in shambles. Would you want your child or yourself for that matter to be associated with this kind of temperament? Only you can answer that for yourself. I’ve been accused of trespassing there and even knocking on one of the volunteer's door. Amazing.

And yet again…I get accused of something. I have never mentioned SW having a Twitter account. This is just more of the same garbage these people spew. A hate group? That’s laughable.

I wasn’t going to even blog this today. I was going to delete the whole thing and just let it go. But I think the public needs to know what the leadership at Sweetwater is doing.


You may click on any image to enlarge.

*****

What is the leadership at Sweetwater doing? Apparently very little according to the reports that have reached us. It was and still is our belief the old house and property will be sold if the owner receives what she considers the right offer. We will assume Susan Leigh Smithson would consider much less than the nine million asking price of record.

Most of the volunteers at the ostensible renovation/restoration of Sweetwater are college and high school students. Tomorrow we'll publish Part I of one such volunteer's experiences working with the current Sweetwater Committee.



Shoalanda

Jobs for America? State Dems May Now Be Out of Luck

If Alabama Democrats are hoping to scupper the new laws concerning illegal immigrants scheduled to take effect September 1st, they will receive no support from US Rep. Mo Brooks. In a prepared statement he today announced:

...he has introduced new legislation, the Jobs for Americans Act of 2011. The Jobs for Americans Act removes federal barriers to states who undertake their own legal measures to control illegal immigration.

Congressman Brooks said, “Illegal immigration in our country is a serious problem. Illegal aliens suppress the wages of American blue collar workers, hold millions of American jobs, and drain local and state governments of critical resources.

“The Jobs for Americans Act of 2011 helps states like Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona, who are addressing the illegal alien issue because the federal government has failed to do so. The act ensures that the federal government will appreciate, not punish, states that do the hard work of enforcing our laws.

“Specifically, this bill provides that state and local governments may help the federal government by passing laws that identify illegal aliens, deter illegal aliens from entering the United States, apprehend illegal aliens, or encourage or otherwise cause illegal aliens to leave the United States. In other words, the federal government would give state and local governments the blessing to help the federal government do its job.

"While the Jobs for Americans Act of 2011 supports state efforts to curb illegal immigration, it does not alter the federal government’s roll. The federal government would still retain control over determining who qualifies as an illegal alien."

*****

We recently blogged of Eddie Frank Chandler's attempt to obtain youthful offender status in his upcoming murder trial. We speculated it could be the difference between three years for a youthful offender conviction and perhaps 30 if convicted as an adult. D.K. asked that we elaborate that Chandler, if convicted of Felony Murder, could be eligible for parole in as little as ten years.

This is certainly the case, and if not granted parole after that time, Chandler would again be considered in five more years. That does not mean he would be granted parole at any time, but for such crimes 30 years seems to be the rule of thumb. Obviously, if given a life sentence he could conceivably never be granted parole. With this, as many things in life, it very often comes down to whom you or your family know...or perhaps the whims of whoever may be in the office of District Attorney at the time.

Related posts:

Three Years or Thirty?

The Killer, the D.A., & the Parole

*****

Alabama is implementing new and supposedly improved restrictions for sex offenders. Those bearing the title of "sexual predator" will face dramatically increased restrictions. What constitutes a sexual predator? According to Ohio standards, former Sheffield resident Derek Logue has earned that distinction. Perhaps these proposed, and now adopted, tighter rules were the reason this self-proclaimed sex offender activist left Sheffield? It's a pity...an ankle bracelet would have so improved his social life.



Shoalanda

The Killer, the District Attorney, & the Parole

From our team member D.K.:

Maybe it is just me, right or wrong, I need to express my feelings. I feel Colbert County D.A. Bryce Graham dropped the Ball a couple of weeks ago and let not only the people of Colbert County down, but Joey and Harold Pugh and their family and friends down.

A Parole hearing for Donald Risley was held on the 13th of July, and Mr. Graham not only refused to go in person to protest an early release, but never sent a letter of protest. Yes it is true, Risley only had a year to serve his full sentence, but he agreed to 15 years not 14 years, for helping turn State's evidence against the other four scum bags.

He only had a year left?! A lame excuse for doing him the favor of not protesting. Risley did not assist the State out of the goodness of his heart or remorse for his part in the murders of 11 year-old Joey and his father Harold Pugh, two people only out doing what good fathers do with their children, enjoying a fishing trip to Cane Creek. He did this to save himself from a possible Life Sentence! It is true Risley did not pull the trigger, but neither did the other two who got a Life sentence.

He was a part of a plan to make easy money, Blood Money! Whatever it took to rob banks, and that is what they did the next day. Unlike Risley, Mr. Harold Pugh worked hard the way most all us do to enjoy things in life.

Risley had a 45 cal. weapon and when he saw what was going to happen, as they were taking Joey and Harold out in the boat, he had a chance to possibly save them. It bothers me enough to know this happened, but more so to know Joey had to watch his dad being shot, not once but twice and then himself being shot.

The birth mother of Joey (Harold's ex-wife) passed away last year. Joey's step mother and Harold's wife at the time of this horrible, senseless killing, has been sick and at the last minute was unable to go protest. I am sure other family and friends had written letters to the Parole Board to protest. I heard from someone in the know at Colbert County Court House, Asst. D.A. Kyle Brown, got took to the wood shed because he talked to the media without Mr Graham's approval.

The Parole Board I personally don't think was going to parole Risley: they even stated they wished they could keep him longer than the 15 years. Risley had broken a rule in June, found with Pot.

Thanks to Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May for sending a letter of protest. Also thanks to the Montgomery Bureau and M.J. Ellington for being there and covering this for the Times Daily, but I wonder why she did not hear as I did in what rule Risley had broken? She stated "Noting Risley had committed an infraction of Prison rules in June. Officials did not elaborate on what rules were violated". Yes the Parole Board did elaborate, by saying "Risley was found with pot."

I wonder who Risley's defense Attorney was. Anyone know?

"Justice For All--Even The Victims"

*****

We especially appreciate D.K.'s information concerning Risley's possession of marijuana. That would be considered a major disciplinary and lower Risley's chance of parole to almost zero. What if Risley had maintained a perfect record for those 14 years? It's our opinion he still deserved to serve his full sentence. This raises many questions concerning Colbert D.A. Graham. We, too, would like answers.

Shoalanda

Ya Gets What Ya Pays Fer

We hope the reader who sent this item to us will forgive us using his line as our title today. It seems to fit both his news item and ours. From the regular reader:

A Birmingham based security company was recently in the Shoals area recruiting applicants for a security job at a local defense contractor. The positions require that the security officers placed must be able to possess a TOP SECRET security clearance. That's totally understandable, especially considering the nature of what is being made at the site. What ISN'T understandable is the rate of pay for these TOP SECRET security clearance positions: $8.35/Hr.

*****

Now we'll venture to Sweetwater Mansion, whose Facebook page had a busy weekend. Dorcas Bowers, the Sweetwater media committee member, is now warning attendees at First Fridays not to donate to those taking up money for the mansion's renovation--according to her, they aren't connected to anyone at Sweetwater.

Since one must have a permit to set up at First Fridays, it should be easy to narrow it down as to who is "illegally" collecting funds, if anyone. Our sources tell us that July was at least the second or third month at which collections jars/buckets were set up. It's nice to know that some of the Sweetwater committee wishes to know where this money is going, but they do not reveal how the money they collect is being used. We have had some interesting reports on this and will offer a blog in the near future. Those who have contacted us are concerned that the renovation is almost non-existent. Yes, Ya gets what ya pays fer.

*****

It's no secret that we here at Shoalanda are good friends with several local bloggers not connected with our own political blog. One of our favorite blogs is O.B.'s Corner. We have him linked and doubt that we have missed any of his offerings so far. So it comes as a shock to learn that the Sweetwater media czar, Dorcas Jane Bowers, has accused our friend of mentioning her 89 year-old mother in one of his columns. It also came as a shock to O.B. who knows nothing of Ms. Bowers' mother and states he has never referred to her in any manner.

Again, as much as we would like to see Sweetwater restored and in the right hands, we can't ethically promote the current committee who oversees the work, including fund raising. Ya gets what ya pays fer...and apparently that's not much. Apologies from Ms. Bowers are in order.



Shoalanda