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Message
TulaneLSU's Top 10 signs of Jasper Mall
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:37 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:37 pm
Dear Friends,
Jesus said, “Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.” Besides being a general repudiation of violence and the use of physical force, it is axiomatic that things born of sin shall be consumed by the very thing that it is. Shall you become a glutton or drunkard, so too shall you die of gluttony or alcohol. So it also is with materialism and its forever quest for the novel. That which is new shall be devoured by the new.
Cousin came to town this past weekend. As you know, he moved to Shreveport a couple of years ago, much to my sadness, as he has always been one of my best friends and a role model of sorts. You may recall that that short period of time in his teens when he was slipping into sin. If you do not, let me refresh your memory: the trip to Down’s Lounge after getting baseball cards at Frank’s? The one where I waited out in the car for seemingly hours while he partook in one of the most insidious and disgusting of sins. He still jokes about the dancer he saw there in 1990 named Miss Sophie, whom he calls “the ballerina queen of burlesque.” I do not think it, or any sin for that matter, is humorous and I let him know every time he speaks of this incident with anything other than the somber gravity it deserves.
The family is meeting east of Destin for Thanksgiving week. Our side -- Mother, Uncle, his wife, Aunt, Cousin, Cousin’s kid, my nephew, and I -- have taken the unprecedented step to rent our own house. This is to limit the number of cross contaminators. We will gather as a whole family, from a distance of about thirty feet on the beach. Even our Thanksgiving dinner, including hymn sings, will be outside and at a much safer distance than just six feet.
Cousin’s year has been tragic and I have done all I can to help him become whole again, although I think it may be impossible. A cloud of darkness has hung over him since this summer when the virus stole his beloved wife. I suggested we make a small road trip on the way to the family gathering. After ten rejections, Cousin finally relented and said, “Fine. But I do not want any of that silly business you normally do when we go on these trips.”
The silly business to which he is referring came from a 1996 trip to AstroWorld. After a day filled with winning two giant dinosaur stuffed animals and rides, a special guest arrived. It was Orbit, the Houston Astros mascot! Why he was there we probably will never know -- perhaps it was a promotional event. Either way, I cornered him and asked him if I could put on the costume. As you would expect, Orbit shook his head. I sweetened the offer: “I’ll give you both of my dinosaurs.” These were not just any dinosaurs but huge ones, big enough on which to recline.
“No way, kid.” I still remember him saying that as though I were a pipsqueak, even though I was already taller than he was and a world class middle school volleyball player. Then I offered him $50, which at the time was enough to purchase a quality collared shirt from M. Goldberg’s. He agreed, “but it has to be quick or I could get in trouble.” It was my first bribe, and I feel guilty about it to this day.
Taking off the bulky outfit, navy Umbro shorts and a 1996 Atlanta Olympics t-shirt with all the flags of participating countries were exposed on a young man. His face, not freshly shaven, was not as pleasant as Orbit’s. He also had an unsightly scar over his chin.
I jumped into the outfit and it was like flipping a switch that I could not turn off. Energized, I ran to the first kid I saw and gave him a big hug. And then I did it again. The loafer Orbit demanded an end, “Alright, that’s enough. Party’s over.” But his voice had no authority and I would not obey. I took off past the Texas Cyclone, all the while sharing high fives on the sprint. My green hairy legs waved in the wind, and then security caught me. The joy jog was over. But what joy it was.
Although I did not get arrested, thanks to Cousin’s persuasive words, we did get removed and banned from the park. Ever since that day, Cousin, whenever he has any misgivings about going on an adventure, he always brings up the Astroworld incident.
“Cousin, no silly business. This trip will be edifying and I promise no one will be threatened with arrest.” I was serious and I think my tone reassured Cousin. “A few weeks ago, Cousin, Amazon thought I would enjoy a movie. It kept appearing on my ‘Recommend For You’ list. The cover photo looked interesting and I finally bit. And once it started, I was hook, line, and sinker into it. It was one of the best movies I have seen in years. I want you to watch it tonight, and afterwards, I will tell you my adventure plans. The movie? It is called Jasper Mall: A year in the life of a dying shopping mall.
About three hours later, Cousin burst through the doors of my room. “That movie! How had I never heard of it before? It was so beautiful, deceptively and surprisingly so!”
“Now you are ready. For our next adventure, we are going to Jasper Mall in Jasper, Alabama. We will meet those movie stars and see the set!”
“That is insane! And brilliant! You never disappoint! Absolutely, we are going and so is my boy.” (Uncle has requested I share no details about his boy or his boy’s adventures on this trip and I will honor the request.)
So on Sunday afternoon the three of us jumped in the car and headed to Birmingham. Other than driving through the city, I have never been to that miniopolis. I shall detail the overnight stay in Birmingham perhaps tomorrow if time allows.
Once we entered Alabama, I successfully convinced Cousin to take some backroads. I love the old highways because they allow one to see the real countryside and signage. Interstates are efficient, but all you see are chains, concrete, and billboards. Interstates destroy culture and kill souls.
One of the unexpected graces of this trip’s detour was getting to see cotton in the field up close for the first time. I cannot ever recall seeing cotton grown in south Louisiana. Southern Alabama, though, has it everywhere and it appears that the late Fall is the crop’s high season. I loved walking in the high cotton.
For some reason, I just assumed most of our cotton production had shifted to the developing world, but Alabama showed me there are still tough farmers out there helping to harvest God’s bounty! One day, if Mother finally decides to move, we will become farmers in Baldwin near Elberta on the land she purchased. I wonder if cotton will grow there.
Before arriving at our hotel, I persuaded Cousin to stop at a Neighborhood Walmart. I love Walmart, but I must confess, I do not love these neighborhood markets nearly as much because they seem like poor imitations of the real deal. Plato described these copies, mimesis, as harmful to the soul, and Plato is almost always right. But I needed my roadtrip tradition of a two liter of Diet Dr. Thunder. Some may squabble about this saying, “But TulaneLSU, DDT is just an impersonation of Dr. Pepper.” But it is not so! Had Plato tried DDT and Dr. P, I think he might even say that DDT is the ideal for the drink and the Dr. P the impersonator!
Jesus said, “Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.” Besides being a general repudiation of violence and the use of physical force, it is axiomatic that things born of sin shall be consumed by the very thing that it is. Shall you become a glutton or drunkard, so too shall you die of gluttony or alcohol. So it also is with materialism and its forever quest for the novel. That which is new shall be devoured by the new.
Cousin came to town this past weekend. As you know, he moved to Shreveport a couple of years ago, much to my sadness, as he has always been one of my best friends and a role model of sorts. You may recall that that short period of time in his teens when he was slipping into sin. If you do not, let me refresh your memory: the trip to Down’s Lounge after getting baseball cards at Frank’s? The one where I waited out in the car for seemingly hours while he partook in one of the most insidious and disgusting of sins. He still jokes about the dancer he saw there in 1990 named Miss Sophie, whom he calls “the ballerina queen of burlesque.” I do not think it, or any sin for that matter, is humorous and I let him know every time he speaks of this incident with anything other than the somber gravity it deserves.
The family is meeting east of Destin for Thanksgiving week. Our side -- Mother, Uncle, his wife, Aunt, Cousin, Cousin’s kid, my nephew, and I -- have taken the unprecedented step to rent our own house. This is to limit the number of cross contaminators. We will gather as a whole family, from a distance of about thirty feet on the beach. Even our Thanksgiving dinner, including hymn sings, will be outside and at a much safer distance than just six feet.
Cousin’s year has been tragic and I have done all I can to help him become whole again, although I think it may be impossible. A cloud of darkness has hung over him since this summer when the virus stole his beloved wife. I suggested we make a small road trip on the way to the family gathering. After ten rejections, Cousin finally relented and said, “Fine. But I do not want any of that silly business you normally do when we go on these trips.”
The silly business to which he is referring came from a 1996 trip to AstroWorld. After a day filled with winning two giant dinosaur stuffed animals and rides, a special guest arrived. It was Orbit, the Houston Astros mascot! Why he was there we probably will never know -- perhaps it was a promotional event. Either way, I cornered him and asked him if I could put on the costume. As you would expect, Orbit shook his head. I sweetened the offer: “I’ll give you both of my dinosaurs.” These were not just any dinosaurs but huge ones, big enough on which to recline.
“No way, kid.” I still remember him saying that as though I were a pipsqueak, even though I was already taller than he was and a world class middle school volleyball player. Then I offered him $50, which at the time was enough to purchase a quality collared shirt from M. Goldberg’s. He agreed, “but it has to be quick or I could get in trouble.” It was my first bribe, and I feel guilty about it to this day.
Taking off the bulky outfit, navy Umbro shorts and a 1996 Atlanta Olympics t-shirt with all the flags of participating countries were exposed on a young man. His face, not freshly shaven, was not as pleasant as Orbit’s. He also had an unsightly scar over his chin.
I jumped into the outfit and it was like flipping a switch that I could not turn off. Energized, I ran to the first kid I saw and gave him a big hug. And then I did it again. The loafer Orbit demanded an end, “Alright, that’s enough. Party’s over.” But his voice had no authority and I would not obey. I took off past the Texas Cyclone, all the while sharing high fives on the sprint. My green hairy legs waved in the wind, and then security caught me. The joy jog was over. But what joy it was.
Although I did not get arrested, thanks to Cousin’s persuasive words, we did get removed and banned from the park. Ever since that day, Cousin, whenever he has any misgivings about going on an adventure, he always brings up the Astroworld incident.
“Cousin, no silly business. This trip will be edifying and I promise no one will be threatened with arrest.” I was serious and I think my tone reassured Cousin. “A few weeks ago, Cousin, Amazon thought I would enjoy a movie. It kept appearing on my ‘Recommend For You’ list. The cover photo looked interesting and I finally bit. And once it started, I was hook, line, and sinker into it. It was one of the best movies I have seen in years. I want you to watch it tonight, and afterwards, I will tell you my adventure plans. The movie? It is called Jasper Mall: A year in the life of a dying shopping mall.
About three hours later, Cousin burst through the doors of my room. “That movie! How had I never heard of it before? It was so beautiful, deceptively and surprisingly so!”
“Now you are ready. For our next adventure, we are going to Jasper Mall in Jasper, Alabama. We will meet those movie stars and see the set!”
“That is insane! And brilliant! You never disappoint! Absolutely, we are going and so is my boy.” (Uncle has requested I share no details about his boy or his boy’s adventures on this trip and I will honor the request.)
So on Sunday afternoon the three of us jumped in the car and headed to Birmingham. Other than driving through the city, I have never been to that miniopolis. I shall detail the overnight stay in Birmingham perhaps tomorrow if time allows.
Once we entered Alabama, I successfully convinced Cousin to take some backroads. I love the old highways because they allow one to see the real countryside and signage. Interstates are efficient, but all you see are chains, concrete, and billboards. Interstates destroy culture and kill souls.
One of the unexpected graces of this trip’s detour was getting to see cotton in the field up close for the first time. I cannot ever recall seeing cotton grown in south Louisiana. Southern Alabama, though, has it everywhere and it appears that the late Fall is the crop’s high season. I loved walking in the high cotton.
For some reason, I just assumed most of our cotton production had shifted to the developing world, but Alabama showed me there are still tough farmers out there helping to harvest God’s bounty! One day, if Mother finally decides to move, we will become farmers in Baldwin near Elberta on the land she purchased. I wonder if cotton will grow there.
Before arriving at our hotel, I persuaded Cousin to stop at a Neighborhood Walmart. I love Walmart, but I must confess, I do not love these neighborhood markets nearly as much because they seem like poor imitations of the real deal. Plato described these copies, mimesis, as harmful to the soul, and Plato is almost always right. But I needed my roadtrip tradition of a two liter of Diet Dr. Thunder. Some may squabble about this saying, “But TulaneLSU, DDT is just an impersonation of Dr. Pepper.” But it is not so! Had Plato tried DDT and Dr. P, I think he might even say that DDT is the ideal for the drink and the Dr. P the impersonator!
This post was edited on 11/24/20 at 4:12 pm
13
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:37 pm to TulaneLSU
The next morning, we arose early because there was another hour to drive to Jasper. Taking the interstate might be get you there in 40 minutes from downtown, but I again convinced Cousin that the back highways are always, if time allows, better.
Along the trek that is Highway 78, we came across a town called Sumiton, AL. I was lured by an official state sign that advertised for the Alabama Mining Museum. “Turn here!” I yelled. Unfortunately, after a little ways, we learned that the mining museum is by appointment only, but as a whole, Sumiton was something else! Here are the fruits of our circuitous route, TulaneLSU’s Top 10 signs of Sumiton, AL:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
The Fall foliage is nearing a peak in upstate Alabama. This picture does not capture those burnt colored nearly as well as did our eyes.
5.
4.
3.
2.
I left behind a copy of TulaneLSU’s Advent Journey.
1.
The quest for what is novel has long plagued Americans, as is the case for any civilization that develops a population whose chief end is leisure and diversion. The plague of needing new, bright, and temporarily clean is quite the epidemic in our midst. Walmart’s Christmas decoration aisles are testament to it -- selling a wonderland of shiny plastics that will dent and bend, that bright blue soon to fade and show creases. These things certainly are not heirlooms. The TV shows about renovating and building inject consumer minds with ideas that old and dated are bad and dirty, suggesting that living in what we already have is a form of neglect. If only we lived in a place where the counters were granite, the drywall fresh, and the light fixtures newly minted. Of course the shows fail to mention those cheap fixtures were made without any government regulations in some disgusting factory in China, perhaps the same factory where Great Value smoked oysters are canned.
Malls in America perhaps offer the best representation of the last generation’s quest for material novelty and excess. Who can forget the Christmas shopping journeys to the mall in the 1990s, the peak of the indoor American mall? Now empty parking lots were not that long ago fields of battle where less than quixotic knights jostled for parking spots before running the gauntlet between GAP, Macy’s, Suncoast, Kay-Bee, Structure, and Wet Seal. Girls sought to look like Debbie Gibson and boys like Zach Morris.
Malls have a far more bucolic origin, though. The term mall comes from the game pall-mall, a 17th century English game, borrowed from Italy, with elements of croquet, cricket, and baseball. The mall then was simply the tree lined alley that gave the game its borders. The National Mall in D.C. and The Mall near Buckingham Palace are modern examples of malls that continue the historic use of that term mall, as a tree-lined promenade.
A socialist from Austria changed what the word mall would represent. Victor Gruen and his family, all Jewish, saw the writing on the wall in 1938 when Germany annexed Austria. They, like the von Trapp family, hightailed it to America, originally settling in New York. Gruen was trained as an architect, but New York did not offer the opportunities of Los Angeles, so he moved west and opened his own firm in the 50s. It was here, perhaps inspired by Hollywood and its sale of mass consumerism, he concocted the idea of the shopping mall.
His first experiment came in the Detroit suburb of Southfield. America’s economy in the 50s was booming. America was the victor and in came the spoils. The middle class was perhaps the greatest beneficiary. The credit banks once reserved for the professional class now opened to the regular Joe, whose home loan the GI Bill insured. Lured by new homes, new neighborhoods, new schools, and new churches, the mass movement known as suburbanization began. While it was a popular flavor of the 1990s academic to attribute the rise of the suburb to white resistance to racial integration, I think it is now more widely held that the suburb grew in response to the GI Bill and consumerism, although race may still have played a part.
These suburbs were designed as communities of consumerism. Everything focused on the car and commerce -- it is why most suburbs of this era are rather unappealing in design and structure. It is why most suburbs are wholly unsuitable for walking and community. The growth of the mall, one might argue, just added to the strangely eremitic suburban life, where neighbors did not know neighbors nor did they know the people with whom they were doing commerce.
Gruen’s first indoor mall opened in 1956 in Edina, MN. Located just ten miles from Minneapolis, Southdale Center was a success beyond investors’ imaginations. So began the nationwide indoor mall boom. South Louisiana joined the nationwide mall craze in 1960 when both Lakeside Shopping Center and Bon Marche opened in Metairie and Baton Rouge, respectively.
The great downtown high streets would soon begin to feel the pinch. Whereas Canal Street was once the premier shopping district in the South, it would, year by year, lose its luster and prestige. Some of its anchor stores, D.H. Holmes and Adler’s, hastened Canal’s decline by establishing satellite locations at Lakeside.
With that transition from downtown to suburban mall in mind, we drove straight to downtown Jasper to see if it was a thriving community. Or perhaps we would see a ghost town like Mother and I saw in Goodwater, AL.
Downtown bustled with some early morning activity, mostly to the court house where it looked like masked people had appointments to pay fines or renew their licenses. The town square was something out of a Hallmark Christmas movie with Christmas music at the perfect level and a square filled with trees!
Along the trek that is Highway 78, we came across a town called Sumiton, AL. I was lured by an official state sign that advertised for the Alabama Mining Museum. “Turn here!” I yelled. Unfortunately, after a little ways, we learned that the mining museum is by appointment only, but as a whole, Sumiton was something else! Here are the fruits of our circuitous route, TulaneLSU’s Top 10 signs of Sumiton, AL:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
The Fall foliage is nearing a peak in upstate Alabama. This picture does not capture those burnt colored nearly as well as did our eyes.
5.
4.
3.
2.
I left behind a copy of TulaneLSU’s Advent Journey.
1.
The quest for what is novel has long plagued Americans, as is the case for any civilization that develops a population whose chief end is leisure and diversion. The plague of needing new, bright, and temporarily clean is quite the epidemic in our midst. Walmart’s Christmas decoration aisles are testament to it -- selling a wonderland of shiny plastics that will dent and bend, that bright blue soon to fade and show creases. These things certainly are not heirlooms. The TV shows about renovating and building inject consumer minds with ideas that old and dated are bad and dirty, suggesting that living in what we already have is a form of neglect. If only we lived in a place where the counters were granite, the drywall fresh, and the light fixtures newly minted. Of course the shows fail to mention those cheap fixtures were made without any government regulations in some disgusting factory in China, perhaps the same factory where Great Value smoked oysters are canned.
Malls in America perhaps offer the best representation of the last generation’s quest for material novelty and excess. Who can forget the Christmas shopping journeys to the mall in the 1990s, the peak of the indoor American mall? Now empty parking lots were not that long ago fields of battle where less than quixotic knights jostled for parking spots before running the gauntlet between GAP, Macy’s, Suncoast, Kay-Bee, Structure, and Wet Seal. Girls sought to look like Debbie Gibson and boys like Zach Morris.
Malls have a far more bucolic origin, though. The term mall comes from the game pall-mall, a 17th century English game, borrowed from Italy, with elements of croquet, cricket, and baseball. The mall then was simply the tree lined alley that gave the game its borders. The National Mall in D.C. and The Mall near Buckingham Palace are modern examples of malls that continue the historic use of that term mall, as a tree-lined promenade.
A socialist from Austria changed what the word mall would represent. Victor Gruen and his family, all Jewish, saw the writing on the wall in 1938 when Germany annexed Austria. They, like the von Trapp family, hightailed it to America, originally settling in New York. Gruen was trained as an architect, but New York did not offer the opportunities of Los Angeles, so he moved west and opened his own firm in the 50s. It was here, perhaps inspired by Hollywood and its sale of mass consumerism, he concocted the idea of the shopping mall.
His first experiment came in the Detroit suburb of Southfield. America’s economy in the 50s was booming. America was the victor and in came the spoils. The middle class was perhaps the greatest beneficiary. The credit banks once reserved for the professional class now opened to the regular Joe, whose home loan the GI Bill insured. Lured by new homes, new neighborhoods, new schools, and new churches, the mass movement known as suburbanization began. While it was a popular flavor of the 1990s academic to attribute the rise of the suburb to white resistance to racial integration, I think it is now more widely held that the suburb grew in response to the GI Bill and consumerism, although race may still have played a part.
These suburbs were designed as communities of consumerism. Everything focused on the car and commerce -- it is why most suburbs of this era are rather unappealing in design and structure. It is why most suburbs are wholly unsuitable for walking and community. The growth of the mall, one might argue, just added to the strangely eremitic suburban life, where neighbors did not know neighbors nor did they know the people with whom they were doing commerce.
Gruen’s first indoor mall opened in 1956 in Edina, MN. Located just ten miles from Minneapolis, Southdale Center was a success beyond investors’ imaginations. So began the nationwide indoor mall boom. South Louisiana joined the nationwide mall craze in 1960 when both Lakeside Shopping Center and Bon Marche opened in Metairie and Baton Rouge, respectively.
The great downtown high streets would soon begin to feel the pinch. Whereas Canal Street was once the premier shopping district in the South, it would, year by year, lose its luster and prestige. Some of its anchor stores, D.H. Holmes and Adler’s, hastened Canal’s decline by establishing satellite locations at Lakeside.
With that transition from downtown to suburban mall in mind, we drove straight to downtown Jasper to see if it was a thriving community. Or perhaps we would see a ghost town like Mother and I saw in Goodwater, AL.
Downtown bustled with some early morning activity, mostly to the court house where it looked like masked people had appointments to pay fines or renew their licenses. The town square was something out of a Hallmark Christmas movie with Christmas music at the perfect level and a square filled with trees!
This post was edited on 11/24/20 at 12:48 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:37 pm to TulaneLSU
Like many small towns in Alabama, several key features still exist. First, there is a Confederate soldiers’ memorial at the heart of the town. Second, churches are central to downtown life. Third, Catholic churches are not included in number two. One must go about two miles north to find the Catholic church. I take it the small town Protestants of the previous two centuries were not very receptive to Catholics and Catholics, therefore, had to congregate elsewhere.
The former Episcopal church of downtown Jasper is now a law firm office.
First Methodist is a marvelous marble structure, dominating the skyline of downtown Jasper.
First Presbyterian is a surprisingly unassuming, diminutive yellow brick building a few blocks uphill from downtown.
The Disciples of Christ congregation reminds me of churches in Pennsylvania.
First Baptist was the largest building, but the least aesthetic, looking like a giant barn bricked over. While I love that Baptists love the Lord, no one can ever accuse most Baptists of having good architectural taste.
Blocks from downtown, this yard kit may not be historically accurate, but it is photo worthy. It is not a church, but it serves as a reminder that everyone, even the jolly American Santa is to bend the knee at the infant who saves the world from its sin.
Just as Christmas in the Oaks used to do a tree decorating contest, mostly with students of middle schools participating, so too does Jasper do a downtown decorating contest with businesses and organizations sponsoring the trees. I must say that our city’s youth, likely influenced by the great art all around them in New Orleans, are superior at decorating trees. About half the trees were decorated, and I thought there were just enough to make a list. Some of the trees, though, were in need of some help, and I will gladly volunteer my decorating services should any Jasper TD readers ask. Friends, TulaneLSU’s Top 10 Christmas trees of downtown Jasper, AL:
10. Desperation Church
An appropriate sponsor. I would hate to see the interior of their building.
9. Scott Crump Toyota
8. Raising Arrows
7. Jasper Library
6. Brandy Feltman Law
5. Jasper City Police
4. Worship Life Jasper
3. Northwood Town Homes
2. Southeast Hospice Tree of Remembrance
1.Awakening Life Church
Although compact and showing some evidence of time, I thought Jasper a most hospitable and agreeable place, handsome really. It was a bit blustery, not to the point of being Baltic, but certainly requiring a tophat for the distinguished. To give you a feel of the place, I thought I would also include TulaneLSU’s Top 10 signs of downtown Jasper, AL:
10. Young’s Jewelers
9. Sgt. William Jasper
A brave soldier in the Revolutionary War, Sgt. Jasper fought to defend Savannah from those imperialists. When the imperial cannons destroyed the flag pole upon which his company’s standard flew, he courageously retrieved the standard and hoisted it upon another mount. The Americans won that battle and Jasper was a hero. Three years later, he died in a different battle in Savannah. The town is named for this American patriot.
8. Walker County Courthouse
7. Electronics and Furnishings
Where Jasper shopped before the mall opened on August 8, 1981.
6. Sam Glover Drugs
5. Rotary of Jasper town clock
4. 5 Loaves Bakery
3. G. May & Sons Furniture
2. Bernard’s Store for Men
1. First United Methodist Church
Even its sign is made from immaculate marble, glowing in the bright sun of early morning. Two Presidents visited this church for a funeral, and the town is quite proud, and rightfully so, of that event. Its interior is stately and overhead is an artificially lit stained glass dome which reminds me of the backroom at Impastato’s, only nicer.
Having now understood Jasper a little better and experiencing a downtown’s renaissance, it was now our time to move toward the destination of our journey, the Jasper Mall. Like many malls in our land, once vibrant, Jasper Mall is on life support. These malls once sucked the life from downtowns, and now American downtowns, undergoing revitalization over the last 15 years, are reclaiming what was taken. The malls are in a literal sense, shells of themselves, places that have no vital organs to support the functions for which they were created.
There are many reasons for this phenomenon, which some observers began in 2008. I think it began long before the Great Recession. Primarily, I think America became oversaturated with retail, specifically malls. Did New Orleans really need Lakeside, Esplanade, Lake Forest Plaza, The Riverwalk, Oakwood, Clearview, Canal Place, and the New Orleans Centre? Cities and towns everywhere overbuilt their malls in the 1990s and a contraction was inevitable.
A decade or so ago mall investors realized shopping habits were evolving, but they still did not understand the shopper. The investors thought the real answer was building outdoor malls, like the one in Shreveport. But they failed to understand the paradigm shift underway. Consumers did not want to visit the mall because it was stressful and it was becoming out of fashion to support national chains. Shoppers now wanted online shopping. If they decided on in-person shopping, they wanted an experience that seemed clean and cultured, as in shopping quaint downtowns, “shopping local.”
The former Episcopal church of downtown Jasper is now a law firm office.
First Methodist is a marvelous marble structure, dominating the skyline of downtown Jasper.
First Presbyterian is a surprisingly unassuming, diminutive yellow brick building a few blocks uphill from downtown.
The Disciples of Christ congregation reminds me of churches in Pennsylvania.
First Baptist was the largest building, but the least aesthetic, looking like a giant barn bricked over. While I love that Baptists love the Lord, no one can ever accuse most Baptists of having good architectural taste.
Blocks from downtown, this yard kit may not be historically accurate, but it is photo worthy. It is not a church, but it serves as a reminder that everyone, even the jolly American Santa is to bend the knee at the infant who saves the world from its sin.
Just as Christmas in the Oaks used to do a tree decorating contest, mostly with students of middle schools participating, so too does Jasper do a downtown decorating contest with businesses and organizations sponsoring the trees. I must say that our city’s youth, likely influenced by the great art all around them in New Orleans, are superior at decorating trees. About half the trees were decorated, and I thought there were just enough to make a list. Some of the trees, though, were in need of some help, and I will gladly volunteer my decorating services should any Jasper TD readers ask. Friends, TulaneLSU’s Top 10 Christmas trees of downtown Jasper, AL:
10. Desperation Church
An appropriate sponsor. I would hate to see the interior of their building.
9. Scott Crump Toyota
8. Raising Arrows
7. Jasper Library
6. Brandy Feltman Law
5. Jasper City Police
4. Worship Life Jasper
3. Northwood Town Homes
2. Southeast Hospice Tree of Remembrance
1.Awakening Life Church
Although compact and showing some evidence of time, I thought Jasper a most hospitable and agreeable place, handsome really. It was a bit blustery, not to the point of being Baltic, but certainly requiring a tophat for the distinguished. To give you a feel of the place, I thought I would also include TulaneLSU’s Top 10 signs of downtown Jasper, AL:
10. Young’s Jewelers
9. Sgt. William Jasper
A brave soldier in the Revolutionary War, Sgt. Jasper fought to defend Savannah from those imperialists. When the imperial cannons destroyed the flag pole upon which his company’s standard flew, he courageously retrieved the standard and hoisted it upon another mount. The Americans won that battle and Jasper was a hero. Three years later, he died in a different battle in Savannah. The town is named for this American patriot.
8. Walker County Courthouse
7. Electronics and Furnishings
Where Jasper shopped before the mall opened on August 8, 1981.
6. Sam Glover Drugs
5. Rotary of Jasper town clock
4. 5 Loaves Bakery
3. G. May & Sons Furniture
2. Bernard’s Store for Men
1. First United Methodist Church
Even its sign is made from immaculate marble, glowing in the bright sun of early morning. Two Presidents visited this church for a funeral, and the town is quite proud, and rightfully so, of that event. Its interior is stately and overhead is an artificially lit stained glass dome which reminds me of the backroom at Impastato’s, only nicer.
Having now understood Jasper a little better and experiencing a downtown’s renaissance, it was now our time to move toward the destination of our journey, the Jasper Mall. Like many malls in our land, once vibrant, Jasper Mall is on life support. These malls once sucked the life from downtowns, and now American downtowns, undergoing revitalization over the last 15 years, are reclaiming what was taken. The malls are in a literal sense, shells of themselves, places that have no vital organs to support the functions for which they were created.
There are many reasons for this phenomenon, which some observers began in 2008. I think it began long before the Great Recession. Primarily, I think America became oversaturated with retail, specifically malls. Did New Orleans really need Lakeside, Esplanade, Lake Forest Plaza, The Riverwalk, Oakwood, Clearview, Canal Place, and the New Orleans Centre? Cities and towns everywhere overbuilt their malls in the 1990s and a contraction was inevitable.
A decade or so ago mall investors realized shopping habits were evolving, but they still did not understand the shopper. The investors thought the real answer was building outdoor malls, like the one in Shreveport. But they failed to understand the paradigm shift underway. Consumers did not want to visit the mall because it was stressful and it was becoming out of fashion to support national chains. Shoppers now wanted online shopping. If they decided on in-person shopping, they wanted an experience that seemed clean and cultured, as in shopping quaint downtowns, “shopping local.”
This post was edited on 11/24/20 at 12:50 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:38 pm to TulaneLSU
Most American malls have died or are in the process of dying. Visiting these malls is like visiting a pop culture museum. As we pulled off the highway, which is undergoing repairs, we realized we would soon be on holy grounds. Pure excitement gathered in the car, like that of Clark’s family as they approached Wally World. We paused in the parking lot and said a family prayer of thanks for safe travel and in supplication asked for open hearts that would rejoice in this glowing experience on the immediate horizon of our lives.
The parking lot was expansive. And it was mostly empty. There were perhaps twenty cars in the lot and we were almost in the lunch hour. We circumnavigated the complex to get a feel of the place. The mall was etched from a mountain, its stone cliffs majestically towering over us.
To eastern edge of the mall is the shell where J.C. Penney sat. It was empty for years, but in recent months a modern church has taken over. It does a free food pantry there, and they have plans to open a coffee shop. I peaked through the glass to see that they have a 36” resin Holy Family figure from Walmart near the entrance. So do I!
We then parked and walked to the entrance. It was exhilarating beyond words to see this place and walk those steps. I will leave now with a series of pictures so you too can, if unable to travel to Jasper, experience in some small way the beauty of this decaying mall.
We did not get to speak with anyone during our three laps through the relatively small mall. It was so beautiful inside and I relished every moment. But then Cousin interrupted the time, “I’m getting really hungry. Do you mind if we get something?”
“But the Chinese restaurant and yogurt shop are not yet open here.”
Cousin responded, “There was a BBQ place down the road. What about that?”
“You know how I feel about BBQ and I have not finished walking here.” I wanted to spend at least another hour walking around the mall.
“OK, well were are going to get lunch and we will be back when done.”
I walked Cousin and Nephew to their car. On the way back to the mall, I saw two employees taking a cigarette break. After warning them of the dangers of tobacco use, I also asked if the mall manager, Mike, was to be found. At first, they were hesitant to answer because I think they were worried that I had a complaint. When I explained to them that I was a tourist from New Orleans here to extend my appreciation and respect for his part in the movie, they both started laughing uncontrollably.
This post was edited on 11/24/20 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:38 pm to TulaneLSU
One of the women finally stopped laughing and said, “I can call Mike, see if he he’s here.” She dialed him on her mobile. “Hey, Mike. Some tourist from New Orleans is out here. He saw your movie and wants to meet you.”
I stood doing my best to suppress my giddiness. Was he there? Would he accept fans? If so, would he be kind?
“He said to meet him in the food court.”
“The food court?” I asked puzzled. “Is that the area in the middle where the special needs group is seated?”
She nodded. I turned quickly to my left and my pace was as fast as it was at last year’s Walmart post-Christmas sale, as I rushed to be the first to find 75% off deals in the Christmas aisles.
And sure enough, there he was, Mr. Mike McClellan. He was, as he was in all scenes of the movie, wearing camouflage pants, tan New Balance training shoes, a black tshirt with printing that read Jasper Mall security, and that bold, bright blonde hair, which I still cannot decide if it is dyed or not. Throughout our visit he fidgeted with his face mask, knowing it was important to wear, but also trying to communicate through it with the passion so divinely given.
“Mike? It is such an honor to meet you. I am TulaneLSU and I have traveled six hours to meet you and visit your mall.”
Mike demurred, I think taken aback. “New Orleans? Wow. The farthest visitors we’ve had are from Birmingham. Thanks for coming. How can I help you.”
From there I gushed about how beautiful a movie it was and how his role was pivotal and the real glue that made the film work. His is a character of a man whose character is truly noble. He is a man on a mission. Even if everyone around him knows his mission is likely to end in failure, he does not even hint that the mission could fail. He beams with confidence, faith, and hope.
During the next hour, Mike gave me a tour of all the shops, regaling me with story upon story. He is a modern church beadle, a contemporary Mr. Bumble from a Dickens novel. His Australian accident sneaks bits and pieces of Alabama twang. He has been in Alabama for some time now. His last passion was a zoo he opened and ran. But in 2016 PETA complained and used the USDA to shut him down. He is a showman, perhaps hiding from his past, but a man seemingly of integrity. Even though he still owes $250,000 for an enclosure he bought for his tigers, he refuses to declare bankruptcy. “Look, I owe the money, and I will pay it back.”
Like a long lost mariner’s wife grieving while looking at the sea, his loss of his baboons, 37 big cats, and other animals fills his eyes and voice when he begins to speak about them. He brought me to his office, down a long, dimly lit corridor in the bowels of the mall, to show me his scrapbook.
He proudly tells the animals’ stories as though they were his own children. He then told me, just as he did in the movie, about the various animal attacks he has experienced, from being gored in the stomach, to rattlesnake bites in the foot, to an incident where a baboon pierced his left wrist with its barbours teeth while punching his eye until it fell from its socket. Always a joke or a quip at the ready, Mike is a storyteller’s talker.
Mike has not lived with his wife in three years, as she is the manager of another mall for the same company, but in D.C. He says he misses her, but he has his hands full as this mall’s caretaker. And that is exactly what he is -- a caretaker. Now that his animals have been taken from him, he feels a profound duty to take care of his shops and all the visitors to his mall. A veritable mall mayor, the shoppers and retailers all know his name. He greets them all with a smile and a joke. Even the eight year old girl with Down syndrome who came up to us said, “Mr. Mike, tell me a joke.”
It is now time to present you with the list for which you clicked the button and are here. Before I do so, I want to share with the OT the first picture of me. And with whom better to take the picture than Mike?
Mike had to attend to business elsewhere and left. Just five minutes later, Cousin returned. When I told him what had just happened he said, “TulaneLSU, I am never leaving you again. I can’t believe I missed him!”
Friends, I present TulaneLSU’s Top 10 signs of Jasper Mall:
10. Moon’s Day Spa
Although open, I did not see anyone, worker or customer, inside the entire time.
9. Mastercuts
Featured prominently in the film, Mastercuts, sadly, is no more. The imprint of the sign, like that of Radio Shack down the hall, is still visible to those with eyes.
8. K-Mart
Long since closed, optimistic Mike repeated that “we have a real interested party and we are confident the deal will get done” for that space. I hope so, Mike.
7. Lin Garden II
We were ever so grateful to serendipitously find the first one in Sumiton. It offers a Chinese buffet, which we declined because they had no outdoor seating. Lunch is $8.35 and dinner is $10.55. Open 7 days a week, Lin Garden opens at 11:00.
6. Joe’s Shirt Shop
It was here that Mike first brought me when I requested to purchase a Jasper Mall t-shirt. Mike brought all the way to the back and introduced me to Joe. It was regretful that the owner, Joe, did not have any such t-shirts. I was ready to buy 50. His salesperson offered to make some for me, but they would not be ready in time for our departure, so I politely declined. She seemed surprised when I told her, “We are tourists from New Orleans and we are leaving Jasper today.”
5. Studio Showcase of Flooring
The former long-time home of Robin’s Nest, a beautiful florist who retired last year, but not before she was featured in the film.
4. Garfield’s
The inside was still gated, but a large television was on.
3. Jasper Mall Directory
Belk’s still exists, but most of the listed stores, such as CFA, Subway, Zales, and Claire’s, are gone. I did not suggest to Mike that he update it.
2. Yogurt Street
It seems like it is still in operation, but not on this morning.
1. Jasper Mall
Friends, this was a place carved from the mountainside on which it sits, now in its fourth decade. It has carved a place in my heart and I hope you will this week give thanks for the people and places in your lives which have carved love, virtue, and goodness in your lives. Bildad from Job said, “Our days on earth are but a shadow.” But we are so much more than shadows, for, like Christ, we were given flesh and spirit. May we all use these gifts to increase love and gratitude in this world.
Faith, Hope, and Love,
TulaneLSU
I stood doing my best to suppress my giddiness. Was he there? Would he accept fans? If so, would he be kind?
“He said to meet him in the food court.”
“The food court?” I asked puzzled. “Is that the area in the middle where the special needs group is seated?”
She nodded. I turned quickly to my left and my pace was as fast as it was at last year’s Walmart post-Christmas sale, as I rushed to be the first to find 75% off deals in the Christmas aisles.
And sure enough, there he was, Mr. Mike McClellan. He was, as he was in all scenes of the movie, wearing camouflage pants, tan New Balance training shoes, a black tshirt with printing that read Jasper Mall security, and that bold, bright blonde hair, which I still cannot decide if it is dyed or not. Throughout our visit he fidgeted with his face mask, knowing it was important to wear, but also trying to communicate through it with the passion so divinely given.
“Mike? It is such an honor to meet you. I am TulaneLSU and I have traveled six hours to meet you and visit your mall.”
Mike demurred, I think taken aback. “New Orleans? Wow. The farthest visitors we’ve had are from Birmingham. Thanks for coming. How can I help you.”
From there I gushed about how beautiful a movie it was and how his role was pivotal and the real glue that made the film work. His is a character of a man whose character is truly noble. He is a man on a mission. Even if everyone around him knows his mission is likely to end in failure, he does not even hint that the mission could fail. He beams with confidence, faith, and hope.
During the next hour, Mike gave me a tour of all the shops, regaling me with story upon story. He is a modern church beadle, a contemporary Mr. Bumble from a Dickens novel. His Australian accident sneaks bits and pieces of Alabama twang. He has been in Alabama for some time now. His last passion was a zoo he opened and ran. But in 2016 PETA complained and used the USDA to shut him down. He is a showman, perhaps hiding from his past, but a man seemingly of integrity. Even though he still owes $250,000 for an enclosure he bought for his tigers, he refuses to declare bankruptcy. “Look, I owe the money, and I will pay it back.”
Like a long lost mariner’s wife grieving while looking at the sea, his loss of his baboons, 37 big cats, and other animals fills his eyes and voice when he begins to speak about them. He brought me to his office, down a long, dimly lit corridor in the bowels of the mall, to show me his scrapbook.
He proudly tells the animals’ stories as though they were his own children. He then told me, just as he did in the movie, about the various animal attacks he has experienced, from being gored in the stomach, to rattlesnake bites in the foot, to an incident where a baboon pierced his left wrist with its barbours teeth while punching his eye until it fell from its socket. Always a joke or a quip at the ready, Mike is a storyteller’s talker.
Mike has not lived with his wife in three years, as she is the manager of another mall for the same company, but in D.C. He says he misses her, but he has his hands full as this mall’s caretaker. And that is exactly what he is -- a caretaker. Now that his animals have been taken from him, he feels a profound duty to take care of his shops and all the visitors to his mall. A veritable mall mayor, the shoppers and retailers all know his name. He greets them all with a smile and a joke. Even the eight year old girl with Down syndrome who came up to us said, “Mr. Mike, tell me a joke.”
It is now time to present you with the list for which you clicked the button and are here. Before I do so, I want to share with the OT the first picture of me. And with whom better to take the picture than Mike?
Mike had to attend to business elsewhere and left. Just five minutes later, Cousin returned. When I told him what had just happened he said, “TulaneLSU, I am never leaving you again. I can’t believe I missed him!”
Friends, I present TulaneLSU’s Top 10 signs of Jasper Mall:
10. Moon’s Day Spa
Although open, I did not see anyone, worker or customer, inside the entire time.
9. Mastercuts
Featured prominently in the film, Mastercuts, sadly, is no more. The imprint of the sign, like that of Radio Shack down the hall, is still visible to those with eyes.
8. K-Mart
Long since closed, optimistic Mike repeated that “we have a real interested party and we are confident the deal will get done” for that space. I hope so, Mike.
7. Lin Garden II
We were ever so grateful to serendipitously find the first one in Sumiton. It offers a Chinese buffet, which we declined because they had no outdoor seating. Lunch is $8.35 and dinner is $10.55. Open 7 days a week, Lin Garden opens at 11:00.
6. Joe’s Shirt Shop
It was here that Mike first brought me when I requested to purchase a Jasper Mall t-shirt. Mike brought all the way to the back and introduced me to Joe. It was regretful that the owner, Joe, did not have any such t-shirts. I was ready to buy 50. His salesperson offered to make some for me, but they would not be ready in time for our departure, so I politely declined. She seemed surprised when I told her, “We are tourists from New Orleans and we are leaving Jasper today.”
5. Studio Showcase of Flooring
The former long-time home of Robin’s Nest, a beautiful florist who retired last year, but not before she was featured in the film.
4. Garfield’s
The inside was still gated, but a large television was on.
3. Jasper Mall Directory
Belk’s still exists, but most of the listed stores, such as CFA, Subway, Zales, and Claire’s, are gone. I did not suggest to Mike that he update it.
2. Yogurt Street
It seems like it is still in operation, but not on this morning.
1. Jasper Mall
Friends, this was a place carved from the mountainside on which it sits, now in its fourth decade. It has carved a place in my heart and I hope you will this week give thanks for the people and places in your lives which have carved love, virtue, and goodness in your lives. Bildad from Job said, “Our days on earth are but a shadow.” But we are so much more than shadows, for, like Christ, we were given flesh and spirit. May we all use these gifts to increase love and gratitude in this world.
Faith, Hope, and Love,
TulaneLSU
This post was edited on 11/24/20 at 12:45 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:38 pm to TulaneLSU
This post was edited on 11/24/20 at 12:41 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:39 pm to TulaneLSU
a
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:39 pm to TulaneLSU
AAAAYYYYY
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:39 pm to TulaneLSU
So this is how you get your post count up so much, huh?
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:39 pm to Uptowner
a
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:42 pm to TulaneLSU
GOAT poster
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:44 pm to OldmanBeasley
Edit: Tulane already referenced the movie...but I'll leave this here for the link...
There's a whole movie about the decline of the jasper mall on Amazon Prime.
https://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Mall-Mike/dp/B088MGW3CG
I don't know why I watched it, or why I felt compelled to go see it (it's an excuse for a mototorcycle ride from Tuscaloosa). Maybe it's because the mall I grew up with has been completely torn down, and it's bittersweet to see these things decay.
What a great post.
There's a whole movie about the decline of the jasper mall on Amazon Prime.
https://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Mall-Mike/dp/B088MGW3CG
I don't know why I watched it, or why I felt compelled to go see it (it's an excuse for a mototorcycle ride from Tuscaloosa). Maybe it's because the mall I grew up with has been completely torn down, and it's bittersweet to see these things decay.
What a great post.
This post was edited on 11/24/20 at 12:52 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:47 pm to TulaneLSU
You are a fricking lunatic 
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:48 pm to TulaneLSU
friend,
Thanks for the Stacy Dash video. Also, I got to give it to you. You do provide the board with content. When I go places I often forget about taking pictures. Its always after the fact that I think "I should have taken a picture of that".
Will you one day meet up with someone from the board?
Thanks,
OweO
Thanks for the Stacy Dash video. Also, I got to give it to you. You do provide the board with content. When I go places I often forget about taking pictures. Its always after the fact that I think "I should have taken a picture of that".
Will you one day meet up with someone from the board?
Thanks,
OweO
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:51 pm to TulaneLSU
(no message)
This post was edited on 11/15/21 at 4:54 pm
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:51 pm to TulaneLSU
My wife went to HS around there and has a lot of family in that area. Walker County is an interesting place
I've been to that mall several times.
I've been to that mall several times.
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:57 pm to TulaneLSU
Truly remarkable
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:57 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
TulaneLSU's Top 10 signs of Jasper Mall
They take your shoe strings, don't they.....
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:59 pm to TulaneLSU
Have some upvotes dawg.
Posted on 11/24/20 at 12:59 pm to TulaneLSU
Walker county is a different world. I can’t believe the Fisher’s still have a store in the Jasper Mall.
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