Authors' Park and Brick Ceremony

Includes a history of Authors' Park and a list of Brick recipients

Author's Park

What was once an eyesore of litter, debris, and overgrown grass and weeds on the empty lot adjacent to the public library at the corner of Park and Main Streets is now an attractive small park, thanks to a group of caring Commerce citizens. The land is owned by the city of Commerce and, as indicated in the deed, is to be designated specifically for library use.

In 1999, as a Big Event project (an annual one day event to beautify Commerce), the Commerce Public Library and the Literacy Program sponsored the clearing of the lot and added simple landscaping to the area. In 2000, the coordinators of the Big Event decided to expend the work done on the improved lot by designating it as "Author's Park" and devised an elaborate landscaping plan that included the installation of a sprinkler system and the fourteen-foot gazebo.

In 2002, a commemorative stone with a plaque containing the names of financial contributors to Author's Park completed the three-year project. Many social clubs, businesses and individuals gave freely of their time and money to make the park a beautiful addition to Commerce.

In 2004, the idea to honor local authors and artists during the Big Event was developed. Otha Spencer was the first to be honored as a local writer by placing a brick with his name engraved on the walkway directly in front of the gazebo. Since then the following have been added:

2005 - Jim Ainsworth
2005 - James Byrd
2005 - Charles Linck
2005 - Ernestine Linck
2005 - Charles McGough
2005 - Lawrence McNamee
2005 - Fred Tarpley

2006 - James Conrad
2006 - James Grimeshaw
2006- Theodore Hansen
2006 - Keith McFarland
2006- Paul Zelhart

2007 - Curt Anders
2007 - Norbert Elliot
2007 - Gordon Thomas

2008 - Shannon Carter
2008 - Donna Dunbar-Odom
2008- James Green
2008 - Bill Martin, Jr.
2008 - Michael Odom
2008 - Brenda Black White

2009 - Kathryn Jacobs
2009 - Mike Kelley
2009 - Donald E. Reynolds
2009 - Vaughn Wascovich

2010 - Alton Biggs
2010 - Carolyn Burt
2010 - Walt Davis
2010 - Isabel Davis
2010 - June Harris
2010 - Michael Miller

2011 - Ben K. "Doc" Green
2011 - Dorys Crow Grover
2011 - Debora Schubert Lytle
2011 - William Jack

2012 - Michael Johnson
2012 - Shulan Lu
2012 - Eusibia Lutz
2012 - Maximino Plata

2013 - Jerry Dodd
2013 - John Hanners
2013 - Derek Harter
2013 - Thomas Seawell

2014 - Avon Acker
2014 - Barbara Frey

2015 - Anthony Harris
2015 - Karl Umlauf
2015 - David Zvanut

2016 - Richard Tuerk
2016 - Jimmy Clark

2017 - Mary Beth Sampson-Perry
2017 - Chad Smith

2018 - Bill O'Neal
2018 - Tina Fletcher Selvaggi

2019 - Brian Dowsley
2019 - Earl Simpson

No brick ceremonies in 2020 and 2021

2022 - Bryant Canzoneri
2022 - David Canzoneri
2022 - Christina Canzoneri Darty

2023 - Jerry Lytle

In 2023, Ashley Bryan and her Girl Scout Troup, in cooperation with the City of Commerce, created a Pollinator Garden in the Park.

2024 - Morgan Guinessey
2024 - Jefferson Helton