Fosters Recreation Facility and Water Park at Exit 62 Fosters AL

Fosters had a community center right up to the signing of the deeds, but Joe Burroughs, Elizabeth Abrasley, and the PRIVATE CLUB OF FOSTERS refused to allow the community center to be named after my father, Adrian Collins. I was led to believe I would be able to have input on the naming of the community center until almost the summer of 2015. But according to email written by Erin Wiggins of PARA as early as January 2015 the name had been decided-McDaniel Community Center. Everyone forgot to tell me! The deal was the PRIVATE CLUB OF FOSTERS would allow their 10 acres of land and I had offered to gift 25 acres of land and I would sell 50 acres of land at less than market value in exchange for my being able to name the community center after my father, Adrian Collins. I truly wanted the Fosters community to have a state of art community center, they truly deserved it.  This has been a dream of mine since 2003. In 2003, I assisted PARA and Commissoner Murray to give Fosters the Braughton Park.  Just a taste of what PARA could possibly do for Fosters in the future. But the FOSTERS PRIVATE CLUB, Joe Burroughs, and Elizabeth Abrasely wanted to control who, what, when and where the Community Club existed.  By the way, anyone interested in looking at the deed for McDaniel Park. Pete McDaniel gifted the FOSTERS COMMUNITY, not the PRIVATE CLUB OF FOSTERS, 10 acres of land as long as it was used for children athletic programs in the 1960's.  Once there were no children programs, the land reverted back to Pete McDaniel estate and to his heir, Martha Braughton. In the 1980's the FOSTERS COMMUNITY CLUB changed into the PRIVATE CLUB OF FOSTERS.  This was done to keep the Fosters clique and "blue bloods" in total control of McDaniel Park. If you lived in Fosters for any length of time then you well know that there has not been a children's athletic program since late 1970's or early 1980's.  In 2003, when I leased to PARA 16 acres long term for the Braughton Park for $1 per acre per year, I had to actually  begin a lawsuit against the PRIVATE CLUB OF FOSTERS to allow PARA to use and maintain the McDaniel Ball Field.  The PRIVATE CLUB OF FOSTERS retained the use of the Butler metal building even thoough Pete McDaniel paid the builing loan off in the 1980's. Other than $16 dollars a year I have never received in other benefits from the park.

Now do the people of Fosters realize this 107/87 acre property is property once owned by Danny Butler and has been foreclosed on by Alabama One. The foreclosed loan is in the range of several million dollars. This land is wetlands held strictly by Alabama State Department Environmental Management regulations.  Last I heard if you develop wetlands you have to replace them or be fined.  So now, not only will the purchase of land with millions of foreclosed loans have to be paid for, Tuscaloosa County will have to buy other wetlands acreage to replace each acre of wetlands developed.  So now we have 2 land purchases.  Now can anyone guess how backfill it will take to bring this land to level of Holly Springs Road/Interstate Exit road for a water park? Tuscaloosa County is fixing to spend alot of their money reserves and I mean a lot!

But I have been told I do not know what I am talking about because 1. I am a woman and women don't know about men/business  things, 2.I will never be able to prove it. Oh!!I forgot I have probated deeds and public emails. 3.Is it fact? Or is it rumor?? Who knows ??? Somebody had better be careful or the Tuscaloosa County financial situation could be worse than Alabama ONE! Bottom Line I lived in Fosters until 1978 and and Pete McDaniel bequeathed me over 800 acres of land in Fosters upon his death and to this day I pay land taxes on the land I own. Fosters Community is the last community in Tuscaloosa to receive any true help.  Don't our children deserve the best we can give them?  Don't the elderly deserve to be taken care of??? Does Fosters deserve to be treated as the old saying says- no offense to redheads or stepchildren- both are gifts from God- Red-headed step children!  My Dad always said you always need to remember where you came from because you will back before you die and you always want to leave this earth in better shape than when you found it. He also said each and every one of us has the responsiblilty to give back more than we take in our lifetime because that is what makes your life worthwhile.  I am hear to tell you I am proud of my father Otis Adrian(O.A.) Collins and I hope he looks down at me and is as proud me as I am of him.  Fosters I really tried to help you and I am wishing  you get this Community Center because you so sincerely deserve it.  God  Bless!