May 2008 Archives

Here's a sign everyone wants to see in their community.

Some 100 people braved the heat in downtown Montgomery on Saturday, May 24th to witness the unveiling of the first in a series of exhibits about the 1961 Freedom Rides. The exhibit, located on the outer structure of the former Greyhound Bus Station at 210 South Court Street, honors the many who stood up for justice by taking a ride for freedom during the turbulent Civil Rights Movement.

Among those in attendance were Attorney Fred Gray of Tuskegee, who represented Rosa Parks and many others during the struggle for voting and civil rights in America, and some 11 original members of the group that became known as the Freedom Riders. "The exhibit is a great addition to the historical and cultural attractions that already so richly define Alabama's River Heritage region," says Alabama Tourism's Publications Manager Marilyn Jones Stamps.

The exhibit, a project of the Alabama Historical Commission, will remain on display at the site until a permanent Freedom Riders museum is established. Long-range plans, which organizers anticipate may take up to five years to complete, include the establishment of a permanent museum to be housed in the old Moore building, directly across from where the exhibit is now currently being displayed. To learn more, visit www.montgomerybusstation.org

Alabama Tourism's Emergency Management Coordinator Marilyn Jones Stamps attended the Alabama/Mississippi annual Hurricane Conference last week in Mobile. The conference was the prelude to the Alabama Hurricane Awareness Week which began Sunday, May 25 and continues through Saturday, May 31st. Gov. Bob Riley greeted attendees during the general session and stressed being prepared for natural disasters as well as the importance of all agencies and entities in Alabama and Mississippi working together. Other sessions addressed the value of communication between agencies on the local, state and national levels prior to, during and following a hurricane or other natural disaster.

Allowing for uncertainties, the National Weather Service estimate a 60%-70% chance of occurrence for each of the following ranges of activity during the upcoming hurricane season: 12-16 named storms; 6-9 hurricanes; and 2-5 major hurricanes; with most of the 2008 activity expected to take place during August through October, the peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear is one of the destinations featured in the latest article in Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s “Great Drives” series. The Grand Hotel is a childhood favorite of the writer and is described in the article as “a granddaddy of luxury Southern family resorts.”
 
From the article “Coasting” by Jon Paul Buchmeyer in the “Great Drives” section of the June issue of Condé Nast Traveler:
 
The Grand Hotel has been a stalwart of Mobile Bay since 1847. When I open what look to be the same stained-glass double doors to reception, I'm instantly transported back to my childhood by the smell of the lobby—an odd mix of pine floors and fried crab claws. But one thing is missing—Bucky. A legend in the hospitality industry, Bucky Miller worked at the resort for more than 60 years, recognizing returning guests by name. He was the first person to call me Mr. Buchmeyer, at the age of six, which I adored. After he died, a statue of him was placed in the gardens, and the lounge was renamed in his honor.
 
Despite modernization—our old family cabin replaced by a kid-friendly swimming complex, a sparkling spa building—the endemic Southern charm and service are as evident as they were when my father and I used to ride a bicycle built for two down the boardwalk.
For the complete article see http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/12326
 

Local residents and tourists are invited to take part in the June Saturday Walking Tours being offered in more than 30 cities across the state. The tours will place at 10 a.m. on June 7, 14, 21, and 28. These free guided walking tours are designed to take about one hour to complete. Different community leaders will lead the walks through the historic districts or courthouse square areas of their hometowns, sharing their own personal remembrances and even some local “tall tales.”
 
“Alabama is the only state in the nation to hold statewide, simultaneous walking tours,” said Brian Jones with the Alabama Tourism Department. "This is the sixth year the Saturday Walking Tours have been conducted across the state and they keep increasing in popularity every year. We have done more than 750 tours over the course of the program.” Jones said.

The Alabama Tourism Department unveiled a 16-panel Alabama Scenic River Trail brochure at a press conference at the Riverwalk in Montgomery on Thursday. The brochure is a marketing tool that showcases the newest recreational destination for kayakers, canoeists and boaters. The brochure has information on outfitters that provide equipment and excursions, historical landmarks along the river, maps that pinpoint sections of interest and locations of campsites along the 631-mile water trail — the longest in any single state in the country.  

"The brochure is an important marketing tool for the river trail," said Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentell. "According to 2006 research by the Outdoor Industry Foundation, in just the four states of Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi, an estimated 700,000 people canoe or kayak; we hope to attract these outdoor enthusiasts to the Alabama Scenic River Trail and the brochure is a great place to start with getting them here," added Sentell.

Vulcan's 104th Birthday Bash
Birmingham; June 1
During this festive outdoor community event, the park will be filled with balloons, clowns, music, entertainment, food, fun and more in honor of Vulcan's special day. Throughout the afternoon, a variety of activities will take place for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

Will Rogers Heritage Festival
Guntersville; June 5-8
This event will take place in venues all over the city. Enjoy the Farmers Market, performances of "Will Rogers Follies" by the Whole Backstage Theatre, antiques and collectibles fair, film festival, horse whisperer, aviation fair, food vendors, beauty pageant, live entertainment, walking tours, carriage rides, museum exhibit, Western show and parade, Cherokee Pow Wow, pony rides, pooch parade and more!

ALABAMA Fan Appreciation Weekend
Fort Payne; June 6-8
Call to confirm details. Benefit concert for John Croyle's Big Oak Ranch for Children on Friday, a celebrity golf tournament and a fan appreciation concert on Saturday, autographs and photos with fan club members on Sunday.

Hank Williams Festival
Georgiana; June 6-7
Join us June 6 & 7 for the 29th Annual Hank Williams Festival in Georgiana. A fun-filled weekend of country music, arts and crafts, food and drink. Plus some good old-fashioned fun! Performances by Brad Magness & The Flying Buffaloes, Elaine Petty, Shenandoah, T.G. Shepherd, Jett Williams, Aaron Tippin and more! The Hank Williams Festival is an outdoor event, sponsored by the Hank Williams Museum. There is no reserved seating. Bring your lawn chairs. No lounge chairs, coolers, food, drinks, or pets can be taken into the park. The festival is biker friendly.

The Sustainable Sites Initiative is an interdisciplinary partnership between the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanic Garden and a diverse group of stakeholder organizations to develop guidelines and standards for landscape sustainability.

Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008
 
Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm
 
Venue: Alagasco Midtown Center
20 South 20th Street, Birmingham
 
Speaker: John Wilson, Golightly Architects
 
Lunch/Program: $10 Members / $15 Non-Members
Please RSVP to Ellen Hawley by May 23, 2008 ellen@eco-ideas.com

Scenes from Beautiful Southwest Alabama. Photos by Joe Watts.

Congress responded to the enormous need for more conservation funding, better efficiencies in current working lands programs and several new options including:

• Increased funding and policy improvements for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to improve our environment;
• Increased funding and policy improvements for the Conservation Stewardship Program to reward farmers for stewardship;
• Funding for Wetland Reserve and Grassland Reserve Programs to protect our water and expand wildlife habitat;
• A new conservation loan program to leverage additional funding for agriculture conservation;
• A new cooperative conservation program to more effectively address the nation’s natural resource concerns;
• Extension of the tax credit for donated easements resulting in more land being protected for the future.

The bill also includes significant advances in supporting and expanding access to healthy and local foods, which will help address growing diet-related health concerns, food security and infrastructure needs. This bill expands the commitment to important farmers’ market programs, Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable (SNACK) program, and the Community Food Security Program. Just as important, it allows schools flexibility to give preference to local farmers in supplying food for the school food programs. This should help support urban-edge farmers and ranchers across the nation.
from the American Farmland Trust

Reminder!  If you are planning to attend any of the following sessions (AICP prep course or Mobile Workshops) on May 21 in conjunction with the Alabama Chapter APA Annual Spring Conference in Birmingham, AL, please call UNA's Continuing Studies and Outreach registration office at 256-765-4862 or 800-825-5862 ext 4862.  Knowing how many will be attending these sessions will help us prepare for classroom space and transportation.  

Also, if you wish to bring a spouse or guest to any of the following, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may order food. You may call and pay by credit card, or let us know that you will be paying at the door.  See details below.  

• Welcome Reception on Wednesday, May 21 (6-8 pm) $15 guest fee
• Grand Reception at Vulcan Park on May 22 (6pm-until) $25 guest fee
• Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 23 (11:30 am - 1:00 pm) $25 guest fee

Be on the lookout for an article on the Alabama Scenic River Trail in The New York Times.  The Alabama Tourism Department has received advance word the story should appear in the Friday, May 16 edition of The New York Times. Look for the story on their website in the "Escapes" section.  http://www.nytimes.com/pages/travel/escapes/ 

The fiscal ’09 budget passed by the state legislature this week includes funding line items for several local tourism attractions and festivals across Alabama. Receiving funding in the next fiscal year beginning Oct.1 are:
 
Alabama Constitutional Village, Huntsville, $100,000; Alabama Sports Festival $300,000; Alabama Sports Foundation, Hoover, $300,000; Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Birmingham, $50,000; Alabama Travel Council, Montgomery, $50,000; Aliceville P.O.W. Museum $50,000; Belle Mont Mansion, Tuscumbia, $150,000; Birmingham Art Connection $10,000; Birmingham City Stages $50,000; Birmingham Civil Rights Institute $25,000; Birmingham Titusville Day $25,000; Buckmaster’s Expo, Montgomery, $150,000; Buffalo Soldier Memorial $50,000; Children’s Hands on Museum, Tuscaloosa, $50,000; American Village, Montevallo, $150,000; Civil Rights Foot Soldiers $15,000; Donnell House, Athens, $40,000; Fendal Hall, Eufaula, $50,000; Fort Payne Historic Depot $15,000.
 
Helen Keller’s Birthplace, Tuscumbia, $250,000; Henager Potato Festival $10,000; High Falls Park, Geraldine, $10,000; Historic Chattahoochee Commission $50,000; Historic Shirley Place, Northport $100,000; Jesse Owens Park, Danville, $50,000; Montgomery Jubilee City Fest $50,000; Nat King Cole Project, Montgomery, $75,000; Pickens County Chamber of Commerce $75,000; Pond Spring $150,000; Tennessee Valley Art Association-Ritz Theatre Project, Athens, $75,000; Tuscaloosa Veterans’ Memorial $25,000; Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center $75,000; UFO Days, Fyffe, $10,000; Voting Rights Museum, Selma, $100,000; USS Alabama Battleship Commission, Mobile, $200,000.

Free technical assistance available!
Are you trying to encourage specific smart growth techniques like transit-oriented development?  Or direct your state department of transportation investments to better support smart growth?  Are you looking to use smart growth to reach greenhouse gas reduction goals?  Do you need help analyzing guidelines for school investments that best fit your state or community?  Do you need to retrofit a commercial corridor? Or coordinate your community's smart growth design with an active aging program?

The Development, Community, and Environment Division in U.S. EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation is responding to this need by issuing a request for applications for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program.  Through this program, a team of multidisciplinary experts will provide free technical assistance to communities, regions, or states that want to develop in ways that meet environmental and other local or regional goals.

Applications are now being accepted in a new recognition program of the Preserve America initiative -- Preserve America Stewards -- which will honor exemplary volunteer efforts at historic resources around the country. Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady and Honorary Chair of Preserve America, announced the new program at the Preserve America Presidential Awards ceremony on May 12 at the White House.

The program will recognize stewardship programs that have demonstrated a successful use of volunteer time and commitment in order to help care for our cultural heritage. Government entities (federal, tribal, state, or local), non-profit organizations, and businesses are eligible to apply to have their programs recognized.

The application form and guidance is attached and is also available at www.preserveamerica.gov. While the quarterly schedule for submissions makes June 1st the next deadline, we encourage applicants to submit applications at any time over the summer if they are interested in being among the first programs to be designated as Preserve America Stewards.

The Intensive Economic Development Training Course is a two-week course presented by the Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI), a partnership of Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. This annual course introduces participants to all phases of economic development.

Session 1: July 14-18, 2008
Session 2: September 15-19, 2008
Course registration fee is $550.00.

Register online and learn more: www.auburn.edu/ecdi/intensive08.htm
For more info: call 334.844.3685

A historic Alabama-built rocket that led to man's first moon steps has landed on a list of the "7 Wonders of America." The historic Saturn V rocket on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville is being dubbed by the "Good Morning America" television show as the sixth Wonder of America, museum spokesman Al Whitaker said Wednesday.  The designation will be announced during the ABC television network show's Monday broadcast from the museum, he said. Museum officials also are planning a celebration Monday. "This is long-overdue recognition for Alabama's role in the space program," said state tourism director Lee Sentell.

Now is the time to begin entering your events for the printed “2009 Alabama Calendar of Events.” You have until June 30th to submit your events for the 2009 booklet. If your event has already occurred for this year and you simply want to update your previous listing with new dates, you may e-mail those dates to kory.ward@tourism.alabama.gov. If your event has not occurred for this year or you have other events to post for 2009, you must submit them directly to our website at http://www.alabama.travel/things-to-do/events/submit.cfm.   If you have questions, please feel free to contact Kory Ward at 334-242-4645 or Marilyn Stamps at 334-242-4544; marilyn.stamps@tourism.alabama.gov. Don’t forget that 2009 is the Year of Alabama History, so please remember to check the designation on the form for any history-related events.

“We came to Alabama to serve, and found ourselves being served,” said JacQuetta Clayton, president of the national MOM Squad organization. “When I found out we were going to Alabama, I didn't know what to expect" said Clayton, whose son is Baltimore Raven player Mark Clayton. "I am glad I came. Gadsden is a wonderful city and has really shown their love for us,” she added.
 
The MOM Squad, an organization formed to benefit at-risk youth, was in Gadsden May 2nd & 3rd to further their mission and to celebrate the Year of Alabama Sports. While all of the M.O.M (Mothers on a Mission) Squad members are mothers of national celebrities, many of them are mothers of athletes. The Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, directed by Bobby Welch, partnered with the Alabama Tourism Department, the City of Gadsden schools, the Mayor’s Office and local businesses, restaurants and organizations to promote the Year of Alabama Sports through the “Art of Competition” exhibit and to help further the mission of the MOM Squad. Year of Sports Coordinator Marilyn Jones Stamps attended the event and welcomed the group to Alabama.
          
While in Gadsden, the MOM Squad visited elementary and middle schools, as part of their literacy campaign, to read with children and to provide encouragement. On Saturday, the youth and parents who participate in Gadsden City School’s 21st Century after school program had a fun day at Imagination Place Children’s Museum and met Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, whose mother Sherry was the host MOM for the event. Williams, a native of Gadsden, is an NFL running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former Auburn Tigers running back.
          
In addition to visiting the local schools, the MOM Squad was honored at Downtown Gadsden's First Friday events. On Saturday afternoon, Imagination Place offered special activities for visitors based the NCAA's "Stay In Bounds" character building program. Many of the activities were led by the MOM Squad. Also, in celebration of the Year of Alabama Sports, Cadillac Williams signed autographs. A total of 21 MOMs attended the event, including Carolyn Smith, mother of actor and Oscar nominee Will Smith. The Center for Cultural Arts will host the “Art of Competition-Year of Alabama Sports” exhibit through 2008. Find out more at www.culturalarts.org
 

Join us for ‘Stream Restoration Construction’ workshop held in Jasper, Alabama May 29, 2008. Time: 9 a.m -4 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:30.The workshop will center on Town Creek Tributary, an urban stream in the City of Jasper bordering Maddox Middle School. This workshop 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. Instructors will emphasize urban stream conditions specific to the southeastern U.S. Workshop instructors have experience working on more than 40 stream assessments and restoration projects throughout the Southeast. Learn more or register online now at the CAWACO website! www.cawaco.org
 

The Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) Program is a comprehensive three-phase approach to economic and community development for cities with populations between 2,000 and 12,000. With the mission of helping Alabama’s smaller communities to plan, grow and prosper, ACE partners from the private sector, governmental agencies, and universities work with each community to successfully achieve the vision and goals created during the ACE program.  The ACE Program will hold its 2008 Graduation Ceremony on Monday, May 19 during the Alabama League of Municipalities Annual Convention in Birmingham, Alabama.  The ceremony will announce the 2008 communities that have completed the ACE Program’s three phase approach to obtain the prestigious title as an Alabama Community of Excellence.  For more information regarding the ACE Program, visit www.alabamacommunitiesofexcellence.org.

Town of Thorsby Historical Preservation Committee update
The Thorsby Historical Preservation Committee is working with the Chilton County Soil & Water Conservation District and NRCS to begin the first steps in restoring the historic Thorsby Elementary School Building. Larry McRay of the NRCS will be providing technical expertise for the project. Committee members met with Butch Grimes of Grimes Architects on April 8, to discuss the process of restoring the historical structure. The school will be restored according to Alabama Historical Committee guidelines.   A work day was held at the school on April 27, and donated yard sale items that were not sold were taken to a senior center for resale.  Volunteers removed particle board from the detached lunchroom building, and secured the windows. The Thorsby Historical Preservation Committee meets on the third Monday of each month at 6:30pm at Thorsby United Methodist Church on Iowa Avenue. The public is invited to attend.
 
City of Pinson update
The City of Pinson kicked off their Community Planning Assistance Grant project on April 24, 2008, at its monthly Planning Commission meeting.  Steve Ostaseski and Yvonne Murray of the RPC met with the Planning Commission and Mayor Hoyt Sanders to discuss the process of creating the City's Master Plan (also known as "comprehensive plan"), Zoning Ordinance, and Subdivision Regulations.  A project website will be linked to the RPC and City of Pinson websites soon.  RPC's community planning team expects to hold a public meeting in order to conduct a visual preference survey for the City at the end of May or beginning of June.  For more information, please contact Yvonne Murray, YMurray@RPCGB.org or (205) 251-8139.

May is National Bike Month!  The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week from May 12-16 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 16.  On Friday, May 16 at 7:00 a.m., a bicycle commuter convoy will depart from the fountain at Five Points South (Birmingham’s Southside). The group will ride a 7-mile route throughout Birmingham’s City Center to tour ongoing and future downtown revitalization projects and to raise cycling awareness. The ride will terminate between 7:45 and 8:00 a.m. at the Center for Regional Planning and Design, 1735 1st Avenue North, where there will be a photo opportunity, news media, cold drinks, and distribution of giveaway items for all participants.  For complete route information visit the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization’s website: www.bhammpo.org  The event is sponsored by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham with the support of the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Birmingham Bicycle Club, GC Cycling, Vulcan Triatheletes, Jefferson County Department of Health, and CommuteSmart.  Citizens throughout many American cities and towns participate in this annual initiative by conducting “group rides” to highlight the benefits of cycling as a viable mode of transportation and means of regular exercise.  Bicycling is one of the most popular activities in the United States, and it’s healthy too! Bicycling can help in weight loss, reduce stress and improves cardio-vascular function. Taking your bike to work instead of the car also improves regional air quality by reducing vehicular emissions. Biking to work can be an efficient, safe and fun way to get the exercise you need while also providing a broader public health benefit. For many bicycle commuters across the country, biking to work makes for good use of commute time and reduces costly fuel consumption. For metro Birmingham it makes more sense than ever! The League has set up an event website providing information on events all across the nation at www.bikemonth.com.

Across the United States, heritage tourism is on the rise.  To promote Alabama’s unique blend of Civil Rights history and cultural traditions, Auburn University and the Alabama Department of Tourism are teaming up to develop a Civil Rights Heritage Trail in Alabama.  The project aims to provide tourists with a rich travel experience by allowing access to Alabama’s Civil Rights sites through easy-to-follow routes and the inclusion of unique local restaurants, lodging and cultural amenities.  

The guide will go beyond well-known Civil Rights museums to include many additional sites significant in the struggle for racial equality.  Auburn University staff will work closely with the Alabama Department of Tourism to build on the Department’s current Civil Rights publication.  

Appalachia’s gateway communities—towns that border publicly owned lands such as national and state parks and forests—often struggle to balance the need for economic growth with the desire to protect their natural ecosystems, landscapes, and cultural heritage.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) have partnered to develop the Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative: Natural and Cultural Heritage Tourism Development (Gateway Initiative). The Gateway Initiative will provide training and technical assistance for natural and cultural heritage tourism development activities to Appalachian gateway communities. Assistance will be provided by The Conservation Fund (TCF) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). In addition to enhancing a community’s natural and/or historic assets, the Gateway Initiative will also include the role of the arts in the development of a comprehensive natural and cultural heritage tourism development strategy.

Application receipt deadline date: June 6, 2008. To be eligible, applicants (or the gateway community) must be located in an ARC distressed, transitional or transitional/at-risk county.  For a list of the ARC counties and their economic status, please see pages 22  -25 of the attached RFP. ARCNEAGatewayRFP.pdf

Tony Tighe, Coordinator, Federal Partnerships
Office of Government Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts

The nomination deadline for the 2008 Alabama Tourism awards is next Friday- May 9. The nomination form is available 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 May issue of Southern Living has a feature on places to stop along I-65.  Some of those mentioned are the Ardmore Welcome Center, Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur, Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, American Village in Montevallo, Peach Park in Clanton, Lek's in Montgomery, Priester's Pecans in Fort Deposit, Bates House of Turkey in Greenville, Hank Williams's Boyhood Home & Museum in Georgiana, David's Catfish in Atmore and Wintzell's Oyster House in Saraland.

Update: The 2008 workshop is full. If you are still interested in applying, contact Martha Whitson via e-mail (martha@yourtownalabama.org) to be put on a waiting list.

The 2008 workshop is quickly filling. Single occupancy rooms are no longer available other than by wait list. If you wish to attend, please register now! Learn more at http://www.yourtownalabama.org/form.htm.