Florence woman receives memorable photo from TV production company
By TRAYCE WARNER
Contributing writer
When Alton Brown and his crew packed up and moved on this past spring, they left the town of Florence with some fantastic memories. For Florence resident Janis Shanklin, her memories were refreshed recently by a gift from Brown's production company, B2 Productions.
When Shanklin attended the Spring Fling festivities this past April, it was her first social function in many months. After caring for her husband, Robert for several years following a debilitating stroke, he died in August. A few months later, her mother, Alice Rosiere, also died.
In August, when Brown's show "Feasting on Asphalt," aired the segment filmed in Florence, a still shot of Janis with her one-year-old great-grandson, Eyezeah Mosquetto was included in the ending montage.
In September, during a follow-up phone call between Jim Pace of B2 Productions and Trayce Warner, Labor Day chairman, Warner mentioned the still shot of Shanklin and told Pace a little about her.
When asked about the possibility of getting a print made for Shanklin, Pace said there were copyright laws involved, but he would check into it.
After hearing nothing more in the following months, Warner received a call Dec. 11 from Pace. He told her he had received permission from the photographer and the production company to send a print for Shanklin.
"When I realized he had taken the time to make this happen, I was impressed," said Warner.
"Alton Brown and B2 Productions owed nothing more to this community. They brought us so much already, with the fun and excitement of Spring Fling and our 15 minutes of fame on the Food Network. I think it speaks well for the kind of people they are."
The framed photo arrived from Atlanta Dec. 19 and Warner and her husband delivered it to Shanklin that evening.
"Janis was absolutely thrilled with the photo and Mike and I were happy to be part of such a wonderful surprise for her."
