March 2008 Archives

Your Town Alabama will be updating our resource list in the next two weeks. (Thanks to Nisa Miranda at UA!)

Please send in any resources that you think would be helpful to add to the list in the next week and we'll review them and share as needed. Send resources to info@yourtownalabama.org.

Be sure to include a name, description, resource type (funding, conservation, planning, etc.) and a website address or at least contact information such as an address and phone number.

The April edition of Southern Living features numerous articles on Alabama destinations and attractions:
 

• “The Port City’s Home Plate” is the first in a series of features focusing on the Alabama Tourism Department’s “Year of Alabama Sports” campaign.  Mobile native Hank Aaron is profiled along with the BayBears, the city’s minor league baseball team.
• “Spring Getaway on the Bay” invites readers to spend their spring vacations in the beautiful Mobile Bay area.  Highlighted in the article are Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa, and the city of Fairhope.

Eufaula Pilgrimage
Eufaula; Apr. 4-6
"Alabama's Oldest Tour of Homes" features tours, historic memorabilia, an art show, antique show, afternoon tea, a Picnic on the Porch and a display of a rare book collection at the Eufaula Athenaeum.

Mobile Challenge of Champions Track Meet
Mobile; Apr. 4-5
One of the top high school track and field meets in the U.S., featuring some of the top prep track and field athletes from around the country.

Red Snapper World Championship
Orange Beach; Apr. 4-May 26
The World's Largest Bottom-Fishing Tournament will kick off on April 21 out of Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island. The tournament only costs $5 per day per angler with each angler having a chance to win over $550,000 in cash prizes. Participants can purchase tickets at any tackle shop or marina in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores or Dauphin Island.

from the organization Conservation Alabama
In two separate committees Tuesday, legislators will hear bills that would enhance local communities' ability to control their own future in regards to landfill and quarry operations. Legislators need to hear from you in order to get these important bills out of committee.
A few years ago, activists helped pass a bill that gave county commissions a say in the siting of landfill operations. But there was a small provision in the bill - if a county commission takes no action on a landfill application within 90 days, the landfill is automatically approved.

SB330, sponsored by Senator Wendell Mitchell, would simply change the language of the law to make a landfill application denied after 90 days of inaction. This change should push county commissions to take a vote so citizens see where their commissioners stand on proposed landfills.

Five new Smart Growth In Action Case Studies, from projects recognized in the 2007 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement competition, are now available for online review or for download.

The National Award for Smart Growth Achievement recognizes communities that use the principles of smart growth to create better places. This competition is open annually to local or state governments and other public sector entities. Applications will be accepted for the 2008 Awards through April 7, 2008.

Little River Canyon National Preserve. Photo by Joe Watts

Another entry in Beautiful Alabama. Visit the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi. http://www.nps.gov/liri/
Don't forget to send your entries in! info@yourtownalabama.org.

The 2008 Alabama Tourism Awards nomination form is now on-line on the Alabama Tourism Department website. Twelve different categories comprise the Alabama Tourism Awards. These awards, first presented in 1998, annually honor outstanding achievements in Alabama’s tourism industry.   http://www.800alabama.com/about-alabama/news/press/awardsform.cfm

The April edition of National Geographic Traveler magazine spotlights several Alabama attractions. The first appearance by Alabama attractions comes in the “Stay List” of 150 hotel properties in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean region recommended by the magazine. Criteria for the list include location-inspired architecture, ambiance, amenities, eco-stewardship, and an ethic of giving back to the community. The first two hotels listed are both from Alabama: the Battle House and the Mentone Springs Hotel.
 
From the National Geographic Traveler article “Check in Now! – the stay list of 150 hotels you’ll love”:
 
Battle House, Mobile, Ala. Recently renovated downtown historic hotel one block from bay. Once a destination for debutantes and politicians (including Jefferson Davis and Woodrow Wilson). Elaborate moldings, portraits of kings, ballroom, and dining under magnolia-blossom stained glass ceiling.  www.rsabattlehouse.com
 
Mentone Springs Hotel, Mentone, Ala. Restored Queen Anne Victorian hotel built in 1884 known for the restorative powers of its mineral spring water. Formal gardens, wraparound porch, fireplaces in suites, queen beds in all rooms. www.mentonespringshotel.com

Different grant-making organizations have different elements that they look for when awarding grants, so always pay close attention to the specific grant-making agency or group you are making an application to, but these elements from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham are pretty hard to beat.

SOURCE:  The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
www.foundationbirmingham.org

The Community Foundation looks for certain key principles as we consider grant proposals. As you complete your application, consider how your program, project or capital project takes these elements into account.

Accountability: Does the proposal use reliable data to design and implement strategies that address a critical community need or opportunity? Does it avoid duplication of existing services and document the need for additional services?

Collaboration: Does the proposal bring people and organizations together to form effective partnerships and collaborations?

Evaluation: Does the proposal include an effective mechanism for measuring the program outcomes?

April 24, 2008, at Lyon Hall, the preserved c.1853 Greek Revival home of George Gaines and Annie Glover Lyon, Demopolis, Alabama

This One-Day CAMP features three nationally recognized experts and focuses on preservation commission fundamentals that every commission member should understand thoroughly.

CAMP is a unique Historic Preservation Training Opportunity for:

• Communities striving to retain their unique sense of place and civic life without falling victim to the long term effects of urban sprawl and “cookie cutter” retail developments.
• Mayors, Councilmen, Chambers, and other Economic Leaders eager to revitalize their historic neighborhoods and Downtown businesses resulting in further economic growth;
• Historic Preservation Commissioners, (seasoned CLG representatives or fresh volunteers) looking to preserve
• the irreplaceable character of their community, creating distinctive environments for daily living;
• Tourism Professionals seeking to create “destination” communities where citizens proudly invite and welcome visitors;
• Realtors looking for new markets with increased property values and exclusive unique appeal.

Learn more and register CAMPflyer.pdf

Recreational use on national wildlife refuges generated almost $1.7 billion in total economic activity during fiscal year 2006, according to a study conducted by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
 
Fishing accounted for 12 percent of total expenditures, while hunted accounted for 6 percent.  About 82 percent of total expenditures came from nonconsumptive recreation.
 
According to the study, nearly 35 million people visited national wildlife refuges in 2006, supporting almost 27,000 private sector jobs and producing about $543 million in employment income.  In addition, recreational spending on refuges generated nearly $185.3 million in tax revenue at the local, county, state and federal levels. SOURCE:  Bass Times.  February 2008.  Page 25.

The upland area surrounding a wetland – the wetland buffer – is essential to its health and survival. Healthy wetlands and buffer areas help to control flooding, protect water flows, conserve native plants and wildlife, and support nature-friendly land use and development. Local governments are often better situated than state and federal environmental authorities to control activities on the lands that surround wetland resource areas, because they are not just concerned with wetland functions, but also with surrounding land uses and the benefits wetlands provide for their communities.

Based on ELI’s detailed examination of more than 50 enacted wetland buffer ordinances around the nation and nine model ordinances, as well as several hundred scientific studies and analyses of buffer performance, the Planner's Guide to Wetland Buffers for Local Governments identifies both the state-of-the-art and the range of current practice in protection of wetland buffers by local governments. The Guide provides to local governments considering enacting or amending a wetland buffer ordinance what they need to know to manage land use and development in these important areas. The publication is available on ELI's website at www.eli.org

McDill Point, Pinhoti Trail, Talladega National Forest, Cheaha State Park
Photo by Paul Kennedy

Beautiful Alabama Continues. Send your favorite images of Alabama to info@yourtownalabama.org. Make sure to include the location and who took the photo!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
Langston Hughes:  Emperor of the Muse a Celebration of the Poetry of Langston Hughes
Conceived and Directed by Malík

Friday March 28, 2008. 7 P.M.
Greene County School, Eutaw, AL

This project was made possible by the generous support of the Black Belt Arts Initiative, the Two Rivers Arts Council, and the Greene County Board of Ed

Narah Cano, who attended a Your Town Alabama workshop four years ago, talks about what's going on currently in New Orleans and how the Your Town Alabama philosophy is helping:

Hello everyone!
I decided to return to New Orleans, Louisiana to help in the recover effort post hurricanes and discovered I was in a frontier city. Although many things have improved, mail service directly to homes now, support personnel returned to many businesses and industries, thereby reducing the amount of time everyone had to wait everywhere for anything. A one hour wait was usual for ordering at fast food establishments which closed promptly at 5:00 p.m., post offices, banks, grocery stores, etc.

As a participant of “Your Town” four years ago, I just wanted to report on the progress that has occurred in Central City, a district of New Orleans which is blighted, crime infested (five shootings at 10:00 a.m. three streets over) and seemingly not progressing any where but down economically speaking.

Submissions are welcomed. Please send any submissions to info@yourtownalabama.org and we'll review them as quickly as possible.

Have you ever felt the desire to stitch a quilt? How about to contra dance, throw a pot, or try your hand in blacksmithing? Well here is your chance for a fun and relaxing getaway. Camp McDowell, located near Jasper, AL, invites you to come enjoy one of our many classes at the Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell. The school provides the opportunity for people to come and stay for a week or weekend in order to study a topic of their interest. You will have plenty of class time to dedicate to learning a new trait or just enjoying an old hobby as well as some off time to explore the beautiful surroundings. 

It's not too late to register for Saturday's Alabama Planning Institute course entitled "Meeting Management and Dispute Resolution".  Course description and a registration form can be found on our website at www.una.edu/conted, select Planning and Zoning tab.  You may also call 800-825-5862, extension 4786, or 256-765-4786 to register.  Other classes are in the process of being scheduled at various locations throughout Alabama.  We will notify you by email as classes are confirmed.

A historic unveiling event is planned alongside Alabama’s Pinhoti Trail at Cheaha Mountain at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 16 celebrating the long awaited connection of the Pinhoti Trial to the world famous Appalachian Trail. A dramatic bronze plaque funded by the Alabama Tourism Department was bolted onto a large Alabama limestone boulder and will be unveiled at event.

"Discover Great American Traditions" is the theme for the 25th annual Travel Industry Association (TIA) National Tourism Week, to be held May 10-18. The silver anniversary theme encourages travel to American locales and highlights the role that tourism plays in discovering the icons of a destination. TIA expects to have refreshed resources, including a National Tourism Week logo and updated industry facts and figures, available for use in February. For more information, go to www.tia.org/NTW.

A Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA) to the MUTCD was published in the Federal Register on January 2, 2008 for public review and comments. This NPA contains comprehensive revisions that are proposed for incorporation into the next edition of the MUTCD. A 7-month period is being provided for comments to the docket, which will close on July 31, 2008. Of particular interest may be proposed changes in Chapter 2D regarding wayfinding signs, Chapter 2G regarding specific service signs, and Chapter 2J regarding recreational and cultural area interest signs. Further information can be found at: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/proposed_amend/index.htm.

If you are searching for a way to celebrate the Year of Alabama Sports, the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts in Gadsden has just the ticket. Year of Alabama Sports Coordinator Marilyn Jones Stamps recently toured the center and gave the sports exhibit two thumbs up. Sports memorabilia representing Alabama colleges and university who are members of the NCAA is attractively displayed in the center's "Art of Competition" exhibit. The exhibit, which will be on display through November 2008, coincides with Alabama Tourism's Year of Alabama Sports celebration.

Did you know the Tourism Department has a Top 10 Events for every month in Alabama? Sign up now:

http://www.alabama.travel/about-alabama/newsletter.cfm

These are not events picked by Your Town Alabama, but they sure sound fun!

Spring Azalea Festival
Mobile; Mar. 1-Apr. 30
Enjoy the blooms of more than 250,000 vibrant azaleas in an explosion of color throughout the 65 acres of Bellingrath Gardens. Varieties include: 'Formosa', 'Daphne Salmon', 'Southern Charm', 'Pride of Mobile', 'G.G. Gerbing', 'George Lindley Tabor' and 'Christmas Cheer'. Hydrangeas, Easter lilies, fuchsia, geraniums, wave petunias, cape daisies, delphiniums, Dutch iris and more will be featured throughout the Gardens.

"Come Home, It's Suppertime"
Brundidge; Mar. 4, 6-8, 11, 13-15
Alabama's Official Folklike Play, performed by a local cast each spring and fall, tells stories of ordinary people during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Stories adapted from those appearing over the years in the Troy Messenger.

Take a look around your town with this checklist, to see how it measures up.
By Ethan Kent and Kathy Madden
This a reprinted article from Project for Public Spaces (PPS)

In Great Cities…
Community goals are a top priority in city planning

• Citizens regularly participate in making their public spaces better and local leaders and planning professionals routinely seek the wisdom and practical experience of community residents.
• Residents feel they have responsibility and a sense of ownership for their public spaces.
• Neighborhoods are respected, fostered and have unique identities. There is a sense of “pride of place.”
• Public spaces are planned and managed in a way that highlights and strengthens the culture of a particular community.

Check out Black Belt Treasures: they frequently have interesting events like the ones below, and they always have some of the best art in the Black Belt--all created by local artists. www.blackbelttreasures.com. Creating a focal point for artists helps everyone--artists, communities and those wanting to find an enjoyable place to visit off the beaten path.

Black Belt Treasures Book Club to host author MARY WARD BROWN
Thursday, March 13, 2008

ARTZONE: Children's Art Workshop
Saturday, March 15, 2008

Cardiff Cemetery, Brookside, Alabama. photo by Francesca Gross

Enjoy the Annual Five Mile Creek Greenway Festival April 5, 2008. Pageant, Arts & Crafts, Hiking Canoeing, Food, Fishing, Bike Race, Regions 5K Run, Music. Join the fun.
www.brooksidealabama.com

March 25, 2008, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Saving our Water offers business leaders, government officials, planners, developers, builders, architects, building owners and interested citizens an excellent opportunity to explore the expanding water needs in the Birmingham Region and how to sensibly meet these needs through planning for sustainability, conservation and cooperation.  For more information and to register visit www.greenalabama.org

Alabama’s partnership with Google Earth in creating Virtual Alabama, a three-dimensional visualization program that can be used by first responders, law enforcement and others, was recognized by the nation’s governors earlier this week. Governor Bob Riley presented the Public-Private Partnership Award from the National Governors Association to Google Earth during the group’s annual meeting in Washington, DC. Virtual Alabama is the nation’s first comprehensive database of satellite imagery and aerial photography that assembles, displays, evaluates and shares critical data for emergency responders.

An Award Ceremony was held February 13, 2008 to recognize recipients of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham’s (RPC) Community Planning Assistance Grants. The RPC received 21 applications and the following 17 were selected for a total investment of $423,000:

1. City of Pelham  :  Subdivision Regulations Update
2. Town of Brookside:  Master Plan Update
3. City of Clay:  Retail Market Opportunity Analysis
4. Blount County Commission:  Retail Market Opportunity Analysis
5. St. Clair County EDC:  Retail Market Opportunity Analysis (Ashville & Springville)
6. St. Clair County EDC:  Retail Market Opportunity Analysis (Moody and Pell City)
7. Leeds Commercial Development Board:  Corridor Management Plan
8. City of Graysville:  Zoning Code Update
9. Town of Harpersville; Historical Preservation Study
10. Town of Locust Fork: Master Plan Update
11. City of Pinson:  Master Plan, Subdivision Regulations, Zoning Ordinance
12. City of Vestavia Hills:  Capital Improvements Plan
13. City of Hueytown:  Area Revitalization Plan /TIF District Data Assembly
14. City of Jasper:  Analysis of the Townley Interchange on Corridor X
15. City of Fairfield:  Historic Preservation Analysis
16. City of Oneonta:  Industrial Boulevard Extension Traffic Analysis
17. Blount County Commission:  Rural Road Improvement Plan

The grant program is designed to assist county and municipal governments within RPC’s planning area which includes Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Walker Counties. Each local government was required to match the dollars requested in its grant applications.  For additional information, contact Steve Ostaseski at smo@rpcgb.org

The City of Jasper and the Black Warrior Clean Water Partnership will be hosting two innovative workshops to improve water quality.  For more information or register online visit the Partnership’s website at www.warriorcwp.org.

Stormwater Best Management Practices Academy – April 16, 2008

Topics in the Stormwater BMP Workshop will include : Overview of Stormwater wetlands, bio-retention, permeable paving and green roofs;  Functions, regulations, engineering standards, and vegetative requirements of stormwater BMPs

Stream Restoration Construction – April 17, 2008

The workshop will center on Town Creek Tributary, an urban stream in the City of Jasper bordering Maddox Middle School and will be conducted during construction of an urban stream restoration project at the School. Participants will learn about plan sheet development, construction specifications, permitting, and construction oversight while observing channel grading and structure installation. The workshop will be split between classroom and extensive field work.