USA TODAY features North Alabama Birding Trail

When the North Alabama Birding Trail opened in September 2005, local tourism and state conservation officials predicted tourists would flock to Alabama to see bald eagles, waterfowl, warblers and other birds. About four years later, those officials say the response to the trail, which includes 12 sites in and around the Shoals, has exceeded expectations. “We have a tremendous amount of people coming by or contacting our office for information on the birding trail,” said Alison Stanfield, assistant director of Florence-Lauderdale Tourism. “Interest in the trail remains very high.”

Keith Hudson, a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, helped select sites for the trail, which stretches across Alabama from the Mississippi to Georgia lines. He said while there have been no studies to determine how many people visit the bird-watching sites, the trail is boosting tourism in the region. “Bird watchers are not like golfers where they sign a register at the course, fishermen or hunters who buy licenses or leave any other type of paper trail that we can use to track their movements,” Hudson said. “We do know from the amount of traffic that we see at the birding trail sites and from speaking to tourism bureaus across north Alabama that the trail does attract a large number of visitors to our state.”

Mark Sasser, coordinator of the non-game wildlife section for the conservation department, said the success of the North Alabama Birding Trail is spawning a proliferation of bird-watching trails throughout the state. He said the Alabama Tourism Department will create a series of birding trails with hopes of including all 67 counties. He said wildlife watching is one of the fastest-growing forms of outdoor recreation in America. Stanfield said many of the local bird-watching sites are popular with people hoping to see bald eagles and migrating waterfowl during the winter months. She said many bird watchers visit the Shoals during a slow time for motels. Those visits provide a welcome boost to the economy. Local stops on the birding trail include Wheeler Dam, Joe Wheeler State Park, Wilson Dam, Tennessee Valley Authority Muscle Shoals Reservation, Rock Spring Nature Trail and Colbert Ferry Park on the Natchez Trace Parkway, Waterloo and Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area.

For the complete article please see

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-01-07-north-alabama-birding-trail_N.htm

The Ottawa Citizen ranks RTJ Golf Trail #1
Canadian newspaper The Ottawa Citizen ranked Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail number one on their list of the five best golf trails. From the article “5 best trails on which to golf your heart out” by Margaret Swine in The Ottawa Citizen:

1. Robert Trent Jones Trail Alabama: The 26 public courses on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Trail are the golf architect’s most masterful creations, stretching from the rolling hills of the north to the wetlands of the Gulf Coast and with an average green fee of $50 U.S. offering such incredible value that people come from all over the globe to play the likes of the challenging Ross Bridge, the third longest golf course in the world. www.rtjgolf.com

For the complete article please see http://www.ottawacitizen.com/best+trails+which+golf+your+heart/2381938/story.html

Dauphin Island featured in the London Free Press
From the article “Birding, beaches on Alabama’s isle” by Doug English in the London Free Press:

Dauphin Island is one of those places where you could easily go for a day and end up staying a week. A barrier island on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, it’s just west of a much bigger and more commercialized one housing the resort communities Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Dauphin’s a 45-minute drive from downtown Mobile, less from Interstate 10, which links southern Alabama with Mississippi and Florida. You could hit the high spots in a day or less. The island’s only 13 kilometres long, 1.5 km wide at most, and three of its main attractions are at one end, within walking distance of one another. At the Audubon Bird Sanctuary, trails wind through stands of loblolly, slash and longleaf pine, live oak, and magnolia. We took one to a small lake that’s home to at least one alligator. There’s a boardwalk that ends at coastal dunes, where you can watch the waves roll in and revel in the quiet.
Mike Henderson, executive director of the Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board, said Dauphin — part of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail — is rated one of the top four spring migration places in North America. It’s only a short ferry ride to Fort Morgan, where a bird-banding station operates for two weeks every spring and fall. An avid birder I know was at the station one spring and raved about it. Besides the sanctuary, the park and beach board oversees nearby Fort Gaines, which was completed during the Civil War and strengthened during the Spanish-American War. In the fort’s blacksmith shop, Ralph Oalmann heated pieces of steel and hammered out pothooks with delicate curled ends, barbecue meat flippers and key fobs, neat little souvenirs he sells for as little as $5.
Across the street is the Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. It contains tanks containing spotted gar, rays, redfish, the strange but beautiful moon jellyfish and other critters that inhabit Mobile Bay estuary. Hanging from the ceiling is a model of a mosasaur, a water dweller that grew to 17 metres long. Fossilized remains of this sharp-toothed whopper have been found in Alabama. Dauphin also boasts a 260-metre fishing pier, the Isle Dauphine Golf Club, and public beaches with sand so white it almost sparkles. What you won’t find are malls or fast-food joints. Winter in the Dauphin area means average daily highs of 16 C in January, 18 C in February and 22 C in March. That’s pleasant for golfing, and there’s lots of it around. Nearby Mobile is a top-10 golf area, according to Golf Digest. The 54-hole Magnolia Grove (www.rtjgolf.com/magnoliagrove) is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and was recently voted into Golf World Magazine’s Readers’ Choice top 50 public courses.

For the complete article see http://www.lfpress.com/travel/2009/12/19/12210786-sun.html

Lake Guntersville wins Southern Living Reader’s Choice award
More than 41,000 people voted in Southern Living magazines’ annual Readers’ Choice survey, highlighting their favorite places in the South. Lake Guntersville, located in Marshall County in northeast Alabama, was voted the best lake in the state. The Reader’s Choice awards are listed in the magazine’s January edition.

From “Best Lake in Alabama” by Kim Cross in Southern Living:

Long weekends on Lake Guntersville, this year’s reader favorite, reveal why lakes are as social as drinks on a porch. Watch one friendly fireworks duel between waterfront neighbors, and you’ll understand. Share a table at Crawmama’s where the tin roof rattles under pea-size raindrops and the shrimp boil spices your elbows. Take a midnight dip in the moonlit lake, and you’ll see why Alabamians are lake people.” www.alapark.com/lakeguntersville.

Huntsville on Forbes list of the world’s ten smartest cities
Forbes magazine lists Huntsville as one of the world’s ten smartest cities. Huntsville joins Singapore, Hong Kong, Curitiba, Monterrey, Amsterdam, Seattle, Houston, Charleston, and Calgary on the global list. From the article “The World’s Smartest Cities” by Joel Kotkin in Forbes:

Huntsville, Ala- This southern city has long had a “smart” core to its economy, a legacy of its critical role in the NASA ballistic missile program. Today the area’s traditional emphasis on aerospace has been joined by bold moves into such fields as biotechnology. Kiplinger recently ranked the area’s economy No. 1 in the nation.

For the complete article please see http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/03/infrastructure-economy-urban-opinions-columnists-smart-cities-09-joel-kotkin.html

The History Channel shots promos in Clanton
From the article “History Channel shots teasers here” in the Clanton Advertiser:

Filmmakers shot commercials and teasers for The History Channel show “American Pickers” last month in Clanton. The crew also spent time at a farm in Alabaster. The reality show follows two longtime friends that are antique collectors. The show’s organizers chose the locations because they provided a snapshot of rural America and fit the show’s theme. “The Alabama scenery is great. It’s totally rustic and Americana,” said Matt Neary, director and producer. “American Pickers” will feature Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they travel across the country and search for “hidden treasures,” Neary said. “They travel across the country and search through people’s houses, garages and things like that to try to find what we call rusty gold,” Neary said. “Then they buy the things from the owners and sell them to antique dealers.” The promos shot in Clanton began running this week on The History Channel. “American Pickers” is scheduled to air its first episode Jan. 18.

For the complete article please see http://www.clantonadvertiser.com/news/2009/dec/18/history-channel-shoots-teasers-here/

U.S. Space & Rocket Center planning for big year
From the article “2010 holds promise for U.S. Space & Rocket Center” by Shelby G. Spires in The Huntsville Times:

From Luke Skywalker’s light saber to simulated missions that center on Mars and expanding Space Camp to other nations, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center looks forward to 2010 as being one of expansion, CEO Larry Capps said recently. “The biggest event we have coming forward for the museum is the ‘Star Wars’ exhibit,” Capps said. “We really expect that to generate income for us.” Set to run from June 25-Sept. 10, the exhibit will bring props and displays from the popular “Star Wars” franchise, including items such as light sabers and bad guy Darth Vader’s costume. The exhibit has traditionally been a major money maker for other venues, Capps said. “It hasn’t made less than $250,000 at other places, and we expect to outperform that,” he said.

Other opportunities stem from agreements signed with India and the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia to place Space Camp in those nations. The countries pay up to $2 million for the licensing rights “and special equipment packages we provide,” Capps said. China and Taiwan have expressed interest in Space Camp. “We see space as something that unifies nations. That’s our intent all along – peace through exploration,” Capps said. The center is transforming also, Capps said. “We are moving quite a bit around on the floor. We are moving beyond a space shuttle and space station focus for displays and (Space Camp) participation. We are going more to orbiter and lander and planetary exploration missions,” he said. Space Camp activities will concentrate more on what NASA is planning, with a focus on moon and asteroid missions. “NASA is entering a period of change, and so are we,” Capps said. “We know we will go back to the moon and on to Mars one day, and our challenge is to keep current to match people’s interests.

For the complete article please see http://blog.al.com/space-news/2010/01/post_22.html

Alabama Music Hall of Fame ceremony returning to Montgomery
From the article “Alabama Music Hall of Fame ceremony to return in 2010 to Capitol City” by Jill Nolin in the Montgomery Advertiser:

One of Alabama’s premiere music events is returning to Montgomery in 2010, and bring­ing celebrity musicians, music lovers and an estimated $1.4 mil­lion economic impact with it. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held at Renais­sance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center in 2008 and will return to the same ven­ue in 2010, Hall of Fame Director David Johnson announced. When the ceremony, which happens every other year, takes place in March, five new induct­ees will be added to the Hall of Fame and seven contemporary awards will be presented. “I actually loved having our event here and hope we can keep it here,” Johnson said during a news conference. The ceremony has honored music achievers from Alabama and with Alabama connections since 1985. It was held five times in Huntsville, four times in Bir­mingham and twice in Mobile before coming to Montgomery in 2008.

Johnson said he hopes the ceremony has found a home in Montgomery. “The support (here) was phe­nomenal,” Johnson said of the community’s support in 2008. Johnson also said Montgom­ery is a logical choice for the event since it’s centrally located in the state and it’s the Capital City. He said Montgomery was considered as a possible loca­tion in the past but was ruled out because a large enough ven­ue was not available and the city’s hotel capacity was ques­tionable. It was an obstacle cleared with the opening of the Renais­sance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center in early 2008.

The one-night event will be held in the convention center portion of the facility. There will actually be a concert that same night at the Montgomery Per­forming Arts Centre, with Bry­an Adams taking the stage there. Johnson estimated that the event has an estimated $1.4 mil­lion impact on the local econo­my. “We’ll spend about $300,000 ourselves,” Johnson said. The city of Montgomery and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce have estimated the economic impact from 2008 to be more than $1 million. But that’s only the immediate im­pact, according to Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange. There is a larger effect that will not be readily felt. “There is a local impact (when the event occurs). The long-range impact is played around the United States and in­ternationally that showcases Montgomery,” Strange said, re­ferring to the recording of the 2008 ceremony that played on PBS.

For the complete article please see http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20091211/NEWS01/912110336/Alabama+Music+Hall+of+Fame+ceremony+to+return+in+2010+to+Capital+City

Alabama Tourism curtails grants program
Because of declining revenue from lodgings taxes, the Alabama Tourism Department has discontinued consideration of grant requests other than annual matching grants for marketing and brochures, director Lee Sentell says. “We will continue to support museums, festivals, non-profits that are updating brochures that are distributed at our welcome centers,” he said.

Spike Lee produced movie films in state
From the article “Spike Lee produced movie films scene at city grill” by Kevin Pearcey in the Greenville Advocate:

Greenville’s historic Alabama Grill will be featured in Son of the South, a film about Brewton native Bob Zellner’s experiences during the civil rights movement in the early 60s. The film is being directed by Spike Lee’s longtime editor Barry Alexander Brown. Lee, himself, is executive producer. A production crew was in Greenville last week filming at the old café on Commerce St. “This scene that we’re doing today is a flashback scene,” said Brown. “A flashback to a lunch counter sit-in that he (Zellner) was not part of in 1960. This scene will inter cut with another scene, which is a non-violent workshop scene.” Students from colleges across central Alabama – Troy University and Alabama State, for example – have been cast as extras for the scene, said Brown. The result will be an artistic example on film of the non-violent forms of protest utilized by civil rights activists during the turbulent era, he said.

So how did the production end up in Greenville? Brown, who grew up in Montgomery, contacted Tommy Fell, location coordinator at the Alabama Film Office, about needing a specific type of environment. “I needed a lunch counter, which is very hard to find anywhere in America,” said Brown. “He (Fell) said ‘I think I got something for you.’ And when he sent the pictures I said that’s it.” Brown said the production crew would move to Montgomery for additional filming and that the rest of the film will be shot in the summer. The film will be released in 2011, he said.

For the complete article see http://www.greenvilleadvocate.com/news/2009/dec/29/spike-lee-produced-movie-films-scene-city-grill/

3 Talladega races among the top races of 2009
NASCAR has announced that three races at Talladega Superspeedway, the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race and Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race have each been named one of the top races of 2009. “We are very excited that the races at Talladega Superspeedway were recognized by NASCAR,” said Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey. “Talladega Superspeedway consistently produces the most competitive and memorable races of the year. We are looking forward to welcoming all of our fans to the April 23 – 25, 2010 Aaron’s Dream Weekend featuring the ARCA Racing Series 250, Aaron’s 312 and Aaron’s 499.”
For more information please see http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/Articles/2009/12/Top-Races.aspx

Oak Mountain State Park receives $100,000 federal grant
From the article “Oak Mountain State Park receives $100,000 grant” by Jimmy DeButts in the Birmingham Business Journal:

OakMountain State Park has received a $100,000 federal grant to develop two miles of walking and bicycle trails. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the city of Pelham, the Shelby County Commission and Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers Inc. are collaborating on the trail development. The trail will include a 60-foot bridge spanning a dam and will tie into existing trails. The trail also will be part of a proposed 7.28-mile bicycle trail that would make Oak Mountain eligible to become an International Mountain Bikers Association certified route and an attraction for mountain bikers from a wide area. BUMP, an organization of about 160 mountain bike riders, helped designed the proposed trail and provided other volunteer services for the project.

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