By Paul Huggins, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
The nation that knocked the United States out of the FIFA World Cup last week will send one of its youth teams to train in Decatur for three weeks in August.
The Under-17 Ghana women’s team will use the Jack Allen Recreation Complex from Aug. 7 to Sept. 1 in preparation for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad-Tobago during September.
Getting the Ghana national soccer team was a collaborative effort between Kayla Riggs, special events director for the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics officials, said Tami Reist, bureau president.
“Her persistence should lead to an economic impact of over $300,000 for Decatur and Morgan County and further elevate the Jack Allen Recreational Complex as a world-class facility,” Reist said.
Ghana will travel 6,500 miles to Decatur, bringing 21 players and 14 coaches. The team, known as the Black Maidens, qualified for the inaugural U-17 World Cup in 2008 but failed to get past the opening round. It will be one of 14 teams in Trinidad-Tobago.
It’s common for a national team to train outside its borders when preparing for international competition, said Kurt Melcher, Robert Morris University women’s soccer head coach, who assists the Ghana team and recommended Decatur as a practice site. He said he also recommended the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and Empire United Soccer Academy in Syracuse, N.Y.
Ghana coach Alex Asante wanted to train in a humid climate similar to the Caribbean island nation, and Decatur was one of three facilities that met that requirement as well as being affordable, available and high quality, Melcher said.
“They were looking for a quality field, and I know that championship field is immaculate,” he said, noting his NAIA school played at Jack Allen. “And they’ll be a big fish in a small pond, and I think they’ll appreciate some of the media attention and youth attention.”
Riggs said getting a national team to stay in Decatur for three weeks is a happy accident that grew from a November brainstorming session with Lori Boger, the bureau’s group sales director, about how to get NAIA teams competing in the national championship to return. Their plan was a Fall Preview, in which the city would allow NAIA soccer teams free use of Jack Allen for a game in exchange for spending the night in a Decatur hotel.
The NAIA sent that invitation to its participating schools. William Carey College and Lindsey Wilson University are two teams that accepted the offer. Then Melcher inquired whether the same offer would apply to a long-term visit.
“It was just a shot in the dark that led to something greater than we ever imagined,” Riggs said. “And it never would have happened if we hadn’t have hosted NAIA soccer.”
Ghana is not the first national team to play at Jack Allen’s 10 international size, lighted soccer fields with laser-graded turf. The soccer complex was host to exhibition matches between the Mexican women’s national team and Duke University in 2006 and Mexico and Argentina 2007.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Parks credited with establishing Ingalls
By Paul Stackhouse, Sports Writer, The Decatur Daily
As a child, David Parks knew he wanted to call Decatur home. His wish came true in August 1955, when he was only 11.
Not only was it a good move for Parks, it was a great move for Decatur.
Last summer, the city named the boat launch at Ingalls Harbor in Parks’ honor.
Tami Reist, president of the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, credited Parks with spearheading the effort to build the boat launch.
“David was sitting on our board back then, and he was instrumental in getting the board to bring up the venue for Decatur that is now Ingalls Harbor,” she said. “He put a lot of hard work into it. He knew who to call and who to bring in, and he put everything on the table. Last year, David wasn’t on the board anymore, but a member brought up the idea to name the launch after him. We all agreed. Because of David, we now have one of the finest harbors in the Southeast, if not the U.S.”
Ingalls Harbor has been the site for several fishing tournaments, including Bassmasters and FLW. But that’s just the beginning. Riverfest, the Decatur/Morgan County Alabama Wild Game Cookoff and a long list of smaller bass and crappie tournaments look to Ingalls to host their events. And you can’t forget the locals who use the facility regularly.
Some of the biggest names in bass fishing have praised Ingalls Harbor.
They can’t believe the 10-boat launch ramp and all the docking facilities where tournament anglers can park and weigh their fish without having to rush to load
up.
Big-name fishermen such as Kevin VanDam and Skeet Reese have spoken highly of the harbor.
“When I was 11, we came to Decatur for a visit,” Parks said. “As we approached Decatur from Huntsville on old Highway 20, and I could first see all the water, my first words were, ‘Look at all that water. Please, Daddy, let’s move here.’ ”
When asked about how his name became part of Ingalls Harbor, Parks didn’t have to think too long.
“I really don’t know,” he said. “I didn’t ask for the boat launch area at Ingalls to be named after me. I have asked about that, but nobody will tell me whose idea it was or how it came about.
“I would like to quickly add that I am very proud of Ingalls Harbor and being part of the team that brought it from idea to reality. To have your name associated with Ingalls is very humbling and proud at the same time.”
Parks pointed out the importance of Ingalls Harbor to our area.
“It’s very important to us,” he said. “A good, safe access to the river was in short supply before Ingalls. Now our boaters have the best facility that I know of anywhere. Many of the tournament people say it is the best facility they visit.
“The best part is the facility cost the local folks almost nothing. The debt on the facility is covered by the $2 a night motel or hotel room tax. Tournaments and visitors using the facility are generating an economic impact that is hard to calculate it is so big and far reaching. ...
“Ingalls will pay for itself many times over.”
Not only did Parks have the drive to bring such a facility to Decatur, he also uses it. He enjoys fishing in some of the big-name bass tournaments, but he only casts on the non-boater, amateur side.
“I’ve thought about going pro, but never seriously,” he said. “When you fish on the pro side, it becomes a job — a good job, but still a job. I don’t want the demands and schedules of a job in my favorite pastime. I will stay an amateur. That’s where I want to be.”
When asked what he gets out of fishing, he doesn’t hesitate to answer.
“Everything! Fishing can be relaxing, and it can also give you a big adrenaline rush when catching a big one or when you are competing for a top spot in a big tournament,” he said. “Fishing puts you close to nature, and I like that. I have enjoyed more sunrises than most, and I have had many experiences with nature. One such experience is something I’ll never forget. One morning I noticed a fox easing through the woods. I cast a plastic worm out in front of it. I shook the worm and the fox put a great sneak on the worm. Just as the fox was ready to pounce, I pulled the worm into the water. The fox was so excited it followed out into the water. I can still see the look on that fox’s face when I said, “Boo!’ ”
As a child, David Parks knew he wanted to call Decatur home. His wish came true in August 1955, when he was only 11.
Not only was it a good move for Parks, it was a great move for Decatur.
Last summer, the city named the boat launch at Ingalls Harbor in Parks’ honor.
Tami Reist, president of the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, credited Parks with spearheading the effort to build the boat launch.
“David was sitting on our board back then, and he was instrumental in getting the board to bring up the venue for Decatur that is now Ingalls Harbor,” she said. “He put a lot of hard work into it. He knew who to call and who to bring in, and he put everything on the table. Last year, David wasn’t on the board anymore, but a member brought up the idea to name the launch after him. We all agreed. Because of David, we now have one of the finest harbors in the Southeast, if not the U.S.”
Ingalls Harbor has been the site for several fishing tournaments, including Bassmasters and FLW. But that’s just the beginning. Riverfest, the Decatur/Morgan County Alabama Wild Game Cookoff and a long list of smaller bass and crappie tournaments look to Ingalls to host their events. And you can’t forget the locals who use the facility regularly.
Some of the biggest names in bass fishing have praised Ingalls Harbor.
They can’t believe the 10-boat launch ramp and all the docking facilities where tournament anglers can park and weigh their fish without having to rush to load
up.
Big-name fishermen such as Kevin VanDam and Skeet Reese have spoken highly of the harbor.
“When I was 11, we came to Decatur for a visit,” Parks said. “As we approached Decatur from Huntsville on old Highway 20, and I could first see all the water, my first words were, ‘Look at all that water. Please, Daddy, let’s move here.’ ”
When asked about how his name became part of Ingalls Harbor, Parks didn’t have to think too long.
“I really don’t know,” he said. “I didn’t ask for the boat launch area at Ingalls to be named after me. I have asked about that, but nobody will tell me whose idea it was or how it came about.
“I would like to quickly add that I am very proud of Ingalls Harbor and being part of the team that brought it from idea to reality. To have your name associated with Ingalls is very humbling and proud at the same time.”
Parks pointed out the importance of Ingalls Harbor to our area.
“It’s very important to us,” he said. “A good, safe access to the river was in short supply before Ingalls. Now our boaters have the best facility that I know of anywhere. Many of the tournament people say it is the best facility they visit.
“The best part is the facility cost the local folks almost nothing. The debt on the facility is covered by the $2 a night motel or hotel room tax. Tournaments and visitors using the facility are generating an economic impact that is hard to calculate it is so big and far reaching. ...
“Ingalls will pay for itself many times over.”
Not only did Parks have the drive to bring such a facility to Decatur, he also uses it. He enjoys fishing in some of the big-name bass tournaments, but he only casts on the non-boater, amateur side.
“I’ve thought about going pro, but never seriously,” he said. “When you fish on the pro side, it becomes a job — a good job, but still a job. I don’t want the demands and schedules of a job in my favorite pastime. I will stay an amateur. That’s where I want to be.”
When asked what he gets out of fishing, he doesn’t hesitate to answer.
“Everything! Fishing can be relaxing, and it can also give you a big adrenaline rush when catching a big one or when you are competing for a top spot in a big tournament,” he said. “Fishing puts you close to nature, and I like that. I have enjoyed more sunrises than most, and I have had many experiences with nature. One such experience is something I’ll never forget. One morning I noticed a fox easing through the woods. I cast a plastic worm out in front of it. I shook the worm and the fox put a great sneak on the worm. Just as the fox was ready to pounce, I pulled the worm into the water. The fox was so excited it followed out into the water. I can still see the look on that fox’s face when I said, “Boo!’ ”
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Decatur lands state tennis championships
By Catherine Godbey, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
Could adding more courts be Decatur’s ace for attracting tennis tournaments? That is what local parks and tourism leaders are banking on.
“We knew more courts would open the door for more tournaments, and that is what we presented to the City Council,” said Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Tom Chappell.
The pitch worked.
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Huntsville Refinance: 3.25% APR!
$160,000 Huntsville Mortgage:$633/mo. No Credit Check-FREE Quotes! Last month, the City Council approved $142,986 from the capital budget to add courts to the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center at Point Mallard Park.
And the decision is paying off for the city.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced Decatur, Montgomery and Mobile would share hosting duties for the 1A to 5A state tennis championships from 2011-13.
The city will hold the 1A to 3A tournament in 2011, the 5A tournament in 2012 and the 4A tournament in 2013, said Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau President Tami Reist.
“We would not have been able to secure this at all without these extra courts,” Reist said. “We had to have courts in order for us to take on this role.”
To host the 6A championship, the AHSAA requires tennis complexes to house 24 courts.
“We were told if we had more courts we would probably be able to take on more important roles,” Reist said.
Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Dunlap said the capital funds will build four courts at the tennis center, which features 12 hard courts, four clay courts and two indoor courts.
Construction
Construction on the courts, located northwest of the existing courts, will begin in four to six weeks and be complete by early spring, in time for the tournament.
According to Reist, 12 teams of boys and 12 teams of girls will attend the two-day state high school championships. And with them will come fans and family members, many staying in Decatur’s hotels and eating at the city’s restaurants.
Four years ago, hosting the state high school tennis championship seemed an unlikely dream for the center, which at the time featured six outdoor courts.
Officials credited Tennis Pro Tommy Wade and financial backing from the City Council for the turnaround.
In 2006, the council budgeted more than $1 million for the construction of 12 courts and a tennis building.
Expansion
Since Wade’s arrival in 2004, the expansion of the center and the addition of the building and the bubble, which encloses two courts, Decatur has lured high school and college tournaments. In the past two years, the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center hosted the 6A state championship, the 1A to 3A state championship and tournaments for the Alabama Community College Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
With the four extra courts, Decatur is lobbying to be one of the top tennis centers in the region.
“These courts will definitely open more doors for us as far as hosting more tournaments, in the future,” Reist said.
Along with enticing tournaments, the courts will serve the growing local tennis population.
“The courts are filled up during the evenings and weekends,” Chappell said. “We needed these courts to help get more tournaments as well as serve the community.”
Could adding more courts be Decatur’s ace for attracting tennis tournaments? That is what local parks and tourism leaders are banking on.
“We knew more courts would open the door for more tournaments, and that is what we presented to the City Council,” said Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Tom Chappell.
The pitch worked.
Huntsville: Mom’s $3 Teeth Whitening Secret
Dentists Do NOT Want You To Know About This Teeth Whitening Secret!
Official Diet Pill Ratings
Which Diet Pills Really Work? New 2010 Expert Reviews.
Huntsville Refinance: 3.25% APR!
$160,000 Huntsville Mortgage:$633/mo. No Credit Check-FREE Quotes! Last month, the City Council approved $142,986 from the capital budget to add courts to the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center at Point Mallard Park.
And the decision is paying off for the city.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced Decatur, Montgomery and Mobile would share hosting duties for the 1A to 5A state tennis championships from 2011-13.
The city will hold the 1A to 3A tournament in 2011, the 5A tournament in 2012 and the 4A tournament in 2013, said Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau President Tami Reist.
“We would not have been able to secure this at all without these extra courts,” Reist said. “We had to have courts in order for us to take on this role.”
To host the 6A championship, the AHSAA requires tennis complexes to house 24 courts.
“We were told if we had more courts we would probably be able to take on more important roles,” Reist said.
Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Dunlap said the capital funds will build four courts at the tennis center, which features 12 hard courts, four clay courts and two indoor courts.
Construction
Construction on the courts, located northwest of the existing courts, will begin in four to six weeks and be complete by early spring, in time for the tournament.
According to Reist, 12 teams of boys and 12 teams of girls will attend the two-day state high school championships. And with them will come fans and family members, many staying in Decatur’s hotels and eating at the city’s restaurants.
Four years ago, hosting the state high school tennis championship seemed an unlikely dream for the center, which at the time featured six outdoor courts.
Officials credited Tennis Pro Tommy Wade and financial backing from the City Council for the turnaround.
In 2006, the council budgeted more than $1 million for the construction of 12 courts and a tennis building.
Expansion
Since Wade’s arrival in 2004, the expansion of the center and the addition of the building and the bubble, which encloses two courts, Decatur has lured high school and college tournaments. In the past two years, the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center hosted the 6A state championship, the 1A to 3A state championship and tournaments for the Alabama Community College Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
With the four extra courts, Decatur is lobbying to be one of the top tennis centers in the region.
“These courts will definitely open more doors for us as far as hosting more tournaments, in the future,” Reist said.
Along with enticing tournaments, the courts will serve the growing local tennis population.
“The courts are filled up during the evenings and weekends,” Chappell said. “We needed these courts to help get more tournaments as well as serve the community.”
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Council approces Ingalls pavilion architectural firm
By Evan Belanger, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
The Decatur City Council has voted unanimously to hire local architectural firm GBW Architects Inc. to design a 25,000-square-foot pavilion and associated improvements planned for Ingalls Harbor.
Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Dunlap said the vote marks the first step toward building the pavilion, which the council decided to help complete last month.
"The project is moving along," John Godwin, an architect with GBW, told the council during its Monday meeting.
"We're just real excited about getting this thing done."
The decision to hire GBW is no surprise to those who have followed the project.
Previous projects
The firm has completed conceptual drawings for the pavilion, which is intended to expand use of the city-owned harbor beyond its primary function as a site for fishing tournaments.
Additionally, the firm has worked on several other city recreation projects, including the initial design for Ingalls Harbor, the Jack Allen Soccer Complex and parts of Delano Park.
"Anytime you have a project of this scope, you have to pick out the best architect you can find," Dunlap said.
Godwin said Monday his firm would need three or four months to complete its design work, with an additional seven months to put out bids, get permits and construct the pavilion.
That tentatively sets an April or May 2011 completion date if all goes to plan.
Hotel tax
The council voted unanimously last month to spend up to $2.8 million on the project, which the local Hospitality Association and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau requested.
The Hospitality Association has agreed to reimburse the city over time with funds from its $2-per-night surcharge on local hotel stays.
Godwin said he is meeting with groups that could use the pavilion to solicit input as part of his design work. He said the preliminary plan calls for an open-air pavilion that can be closed during inclement weather.
He added that the design would allow the city to permanently close the structure, if desired in the future, creating a complete, indoor meeting facility.
City officials have said the pavilion will feature enough space to seat 750 at tables and 1,500 without them.
The Decatur City Council has voted unanimously to hire local architectural firm GBW Architects Inc. to design a 25,000-square-foot pavilion and associated improvements planned for Ingalls Harbor.
Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Dunlap said the vote marks the first step toward building the pavilion, which the council decided to help complete last month.
"The project is moving along," John Godwin, an architect with GBW, told the council during its Monday meeting.
"We're just real excited about getting this thing done."
The decision to hire GBW is no surprise to those who have followed the project.
Previous projects
The firm has completed conceptual drawings for the pavilion, which is intended to expand use of the city-owned harbor beyond its primary function as a site for fishing tournaments.
Additionally, the firm has worked on several other city recreation projects, including the initial design for Ingalls Harbor, the Jack Allen Soccer Complex and parts of Delano Park.
"Anytime you have a project of this scope, you have to pick out the best architect you can find," Dunlap said.
Godwin said Monday his firm would need three or four months to complete its design work, with an additional seven months to put out bids, get permits and construct the pavilion.
That tentatively sets an April or May 2011 completion date if all goes to plan.
Hotel tax
The council voted unanimously last month to spend up to $2.8 million on the project, which the local Hospitality Association and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau requested.
The Hospitality Association has agreed to reimburse the city over time with funds from its $2-per-night surcharge on local hotel stays.
Godwin said he is meeting with groups that could use the pavilion to solicit input as part of his design work. He said the preliminary plan calls for an open-air pavilion that can be closed during inclement weather.
He added that the design would allow the city to permanently close the structure, if desired in the future, creating a complete, indoor meeting facility.
City officials have said the pavilion will feature enough space to seat 750 at tables and 1,500 without them.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Efforts for dress up Decatur recognized
By Lucy Berry, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
Getting out in the hot, humid summer to water plants, pull weeds and pick up trash is a joint effort for workers at Cricket by the Creek, but they do it with pride.
Lisa Jones, owner of the clothing boutique, was one of more than 50 local property owners to take home a Decatur Beautification Award on Wednesday. Each year, Cricket by the Creek strives to maintain outdoor landscaping and improve Decatur’s appearance.
“We support the city of Decatur’s beautification efforts as it’s important that our building is kept clean and attractive,” said sales associate Tricia Mitchell. “We think it’s great because we take pride in the first impression that our customers have.”
Jones hires landscapers to design, apply mulch, prune plants and keep sidewalks clean. However, workers at the boutique spend an additional hour a day weeding, watering plants and picking up debris from the store’s location on Sixth Avenue Southeast.
Cricket by the Creek varies its landscaping by season, with begonia flowers in the summer and pansies and mums in the fall. With each holiday, workers apply seasonal touches such as pumpkins and ivy to attract customers into the store.
“Customers tell us all the time that our flowers are so pretty and want to know what kind they are,” said sales associate Robin Williams. “We buy our pots and plants locally so we are able to refer them to other small, local businesses.”
The desire to keep up a clean image and compete for a beautification plaque each year makes the time and money spent well worth the effort for Jones.
“We like to know we’re helping the city accomplish something,” she said. “The awards get people to keep their own buildings cleaner and gives us something to work for.”
Downtown proponent
Lynn Schuppert, of Blackburn, Maloney & Schuppert LLC., accepted a Beautification Award for the “container beauty” category, created three years ago to encourage downtown businesses to get involved with landscaping.
Schuppert credited her competitive nature and love for historic Decatur for the law firm winning an award every year.
“I’m a big proponent for downtown,” she said. “When I travel to different places, I try to make it to the downtown areas. If a business is maintained nicely and is clean, I feel like the merchant takes pride in what they have to offer.”
Sugar Magnolia’s owner Amy Rakestraw designs and plants flowers into pots that are displayed at the front of the law firm. She is also responsible for the potted plants at other local businesses, including Beautification Award winners Cricket by the Creek, Parkway Medical Center and Elite Travel.
“Businesses either buy plants from me and do it themselves, or I physically come and do the designing,” Rakestraw said. “It’s the ultimate compliment for me knowing that I’m helping other people get a bug for gardening even on a small scale.”
57 winners
Fifty-seven properties received Beautification awards this year. In addition, Burger King on Beltline Road won the John Cook Sr. Steward of Spring Award for consistently maintaining its landscape for at least five years and being the single best property in Decatur.
Commercial, less than two acres: Cooks Pest Control; Cricket by the Creek; Decatur Convention & Visitors Bureau; The Decatur Daily; Drake & Murphree Family & Cosmetic Dentistry; Express Oil Change-Beltline Road Southwest; Express Oil Change-Sixth Avenue Southeast; French Door Day Spa; Hospice of the Valley; Innovative Eyecare LLC; Lentz, Whitmire, House & Propst LLP; McWhorter Communications and Ronald & Joyce Terry; Nephrology of North Alabama PC; Personal Touch Health Care; Potter Eyecare; Ronald Terry Electric; Shelton Funeral Home; Talley, Maudlin & Peete PC; Temple Inc and Three Sisters Bonding Inc.
Commercial, more than two acres: Bradford Square; Deer Foot Estates and Parkway Medical Center.
Churches: Albany Baptist Church; Baptist World Mission (Honorable Mention); Central Park Baptist Church; Decatur Baptist Church; First Baptist Church; First Bible Church; First United Methodist Church; King’s Memorial United Methodist Church and St. Luke United Methodist Church.
Containers: Blackburn, Maloney, & Schuppert LLC. and Elite Travel.
Financial: Bank Independent-Beltline Road/The Crossings Shopping Center; Family Security Credit Union-Family Security Place; People’s Bank of North Alabama-Sixth Avenue and Renasant Bank-Lee Street Southeast/Modaus Road Southeast/Stratford Road Southeast.
Government: Decatur City Hall (Honorable Mention); Decatur Utilities; Fort Decatur Recreational Center; Morgan County Commission on Aging; Morgan County Courthouse; The Old State Bank; Point Mallard Park Entrance; Rose Garden at Delano Park and Turner Surles Community Center
Hotels/Apartments/Condos: Danville Park Apartments (Honorable Mention); Granada Apartments and Microtel Inn & Suites
Restaurants: Burger King-Sixth Avenue/Beltline Road; Chick-fil-A; The Corner Bakery & Eatery; Red Lobster Restaurant and Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers-Beltline Road.
Getting out in the hot, humid summer to water plants, pull weeds and pick up trash is a joint effort for workers at Cricket by the Creek, but they do it with pride.
Lisa Jones, owner of the clothing boutique, was one of more than 50 local property owners to take home a Decatur Beautification Award on Wednesday. Each year, Cricket by the Creek strives to maintain outdoor landscaping and improve Decatur’s appearance.
“We support the city of Decatur’s beautification efforts as it’s important that our building is kept clean and attractive,” said sales associate Tricia Mitchell. “We think it’s great because we take pride in the first impression that our customers have.”
Jones hires landscapers to design, apply mulch, prune plants and keep sidewalks clean. However, workers at the boutique spend an additional hour a day weeding, watering plants and picking up debris from the store’s location on Sixth Avenue Southeast.
Cricket by the Creek varies its landscaping by season, with begonia flowers in the summer and pansies and mums in the fall. With each holiday, workers apply seasonal touches such as pumpkins and ivy to attract customers into the store.
“Customers tell us all the time that our flowers are so pretty and want to know what kind they are,” said sales associate Robin Williams. “We buy our pots and plants locally so we are able to refer them to other small, local businesses.”
The desire to keep up a clean image and compete for a beautification plaque each year makes the time and money spent well worth the effort for Jones.
“We like to know we’re helping the city accomplish something,” she said. “The awards get people to keep their own buildings cleaner and gives us something to work for.”
Downtown proponent
Lynn Schuppert, of Blackburn, Maloney & Schuppert LLC., accepted a Beautification Award for the “container beauty” category, created three years ago to encourage downtown businesses to get involved with landscaping.
Schuppert credited her competitive nature and love for historic Decatur for the law firm winning an award every year.
“I’m a big proponent for downtown,” she said. “When I travel to different places, I try to make it to the downtown areas. If a business is maintained nicely and is clean, I feel like the merchant takes pride in what they have to offer.”
Sugar Magnolia’s owner Amy Rakestraw designs and plants flowers into pots that are displayed at the front of the law firm. She is also responsible for the potted plants at other local businesses, including Beautification Award winners Cricket by the Creek, Parkway Medical Center and Elite Travel.
“Businesses either buy plants from me and do it themselves, or I physically come and do the designing,” Rakestraw said. “It’s the ultimate compliment for me knowing that I’m helping other people get a bug for gardening even on a small scale.”
57 winners
Fifty-seven properties received Beautification awards this year. In addition, Burger King on Beltline Road won the John Cook Sr. Steward of Spring Award for consistently maintaining its landscape for at least five years and being the single best property in Decatur.
Commercial, less than two acres: Cooks Pest Control; Cricket by the Creek; Decatur Convention & Visitors Bureau; The Decatur Daily; Drake & Murphree Family & Cosmetic Dentistry; Express Oil Change-Beltline Road Southwest; Express Oil Change-Sixth Avenue Southeast; French Door Day Spa; Hospice of the Valley; Innovative Eyecare LLC; Lentz, Whitmire, House & Propst LLP; McWhorter Communications and Ronald & Joyce Terry; Nephrology of North Alabama PC; Personal Touch Health Care; Potter Eyecare; Ronald Terry Electric; Shelton Funeral Home; Talley, Maudlin & Peete PC; Temple Inc and Three Sisters Bonding Inc.
Commercial, more than two acres: Bradford Square; Deer Foot Estates and Parkway Medical Center.
Churches: Albany Baptist Church; Baptist World Mission (Honorable Mention); Central Park Baptist Church; Decatur Baptist Church; First Baptist Church; First Bible Church; First United Methodist Church; King’s Memorial United Methodist Church and St. Luke United Methodist Church.
Containers: Blackburn, Maloney, & Schuppert LLC. and Elite Travel.
Financial: Bank Independent-Beltline Road/The Crossings Shopping Center; Family Security Credit Union-Family Security Place; People’s Bank of North Alabama-Sixth Avenue and Renasant Bank-Lee Street Southeast/Modaus Road Southeast/Stratford Road Southeast.
Government: Decatur City Hall (Honorable Mention); Decatur Utilities; Fort Decatur Recreational Center; Morgan County Commission on Aging; Morgan County Courthouse; The Old State Bank; Point Mallard Park Entrance; Rose Garden at Delano Park and Turner Surles Community Center
Hotels/Apartments/Condos: Danville Park Apartments (Honorable Mention); Granada Apartments and Microtel Inn & Suites
Restaurants: Burger King-Sixth Avenue/Beltline Road; Chick-fil-A; The Corner Bakery & Eatery; Red Lobster Restaurant and Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers-Beltline Road.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Pastor lobbies for local incubator
By Sheryl Marsh, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily
It’s working in the Northeast and it’s working in the Northwest, as near as Huntsville and Muscle Shoals.
Decatur can have a successful entrepreneurial center, too, Larry Waye told the Morgan County Commission during a meeting Wednesday.
Waye, who serves as associate pastor of Decatur Baptist Church, asked the commission for a $100,000 appropriation for the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center.
He gave commissioners copies of a business plan and a written PowerPoint presentation for the center.
Waye said the center, located on Fourth Avenue Southeast, used to be the Decatur Business Incubator.
The center will provide services, including counseling and training, for people who want to start a business.
“The Shoals has a successful one, and Huntsville has two that are successful,” Waye said.
“We can have a successful one in Morgan County.”
He didn’t have statistics for those in the Shoals and Huntsville, but gave the commission information about centers in Virginia and Ohio.
The information showed that 47 companies, 450 jobs and $45 million in revenue came out of an incubator in Reston, Va., in less than 10 years.
Since 2002 in Youngstown, Ohio, an incubator generated new companies that brought 235 jobs and $37 million in revenue.
Waye said he would be the board’s executive director.
Commissioners did not commit to Waye for the $100,000 request but were enthusiastic about the center.
Officials of these agencies also met with the commission and either asked for level funding or raises to annual allotments they get from the county:
•Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, $10,000 in addition to $50,000 allotment.
•Spirit of America, level funding, $8,000.
•The Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts, $25,000.
•Soil and Water Conservation, $56,000.
•Carnegie Visual Art Center, $5,000.
•Emergency 911, $65,663.
•Decatur Youth Symphony, $5,000.
Commissioners did not make decisions on the monetary requests Wednesday.
It’s working in the Northeast and it’s working in the Northwest, as near as Huntsville and Muscle Shoals.
Decatur can have a successful entrepreneurial center, too, Larry Waye told the Morgan County Commission during a meeting Wednesday.
Waye, who serves as associate pastor of Decatur Baptist Church, asked the commission for a $100,000 appropriation for the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center.
He gave commissioners copies of a business plan and a written PowerPoint presentation for the center.
Waye said the center, located on Fourth Avenue Southeast, used to be the Decatur Business Incubator.
The center will provide services, including counseling and training, for people who want to start a business.
“The Shoals has a successful one, and Huntsville has two that are successful,” Waye said.
“We can have a successful one in Morgan County.”
He didn’t have statistics for those in the Shoals and Huntsville, but gave the commission information about centers in Virginia and Ohio.
The information showed that 47 companies, 450 jobs and $45 million in revenue came out of an incubator in Reston, Va., in less than 10 years.
Since 2002 in Youngstown, Ohio, an incubator generated new companies that brought 235 jobs and $37 million in revenue.
Waye said he would be the board’s executive director.
Commissioners did not commit to Waye for the $100,000 request but were enthusiastic about the center.
Officials of these agencies also met with the commission and either asked for level funding or raises to annual allotments they get from the county:
•Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, $10,000 in addition to $50,000 allotment.
•Spirit of America, level funding, $8,000.
•The Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts, $25,000.
•Soil and Water Conservation, $56,000.
•Carnegie Visual Art Center, $5,000.
•Emergency 911, $65,663.
•Decatur Youth Symphony, $5,000.
Commissioners did not make decisions on the monetary requests Wednesday.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Walking This Way
June walking tours begin Saturday across Alabama
By Andrea Brunty, Living editor, The Decatur Daily
Explore downtown Decatur on Saturday mornings in June as local guides take visitors and natives on a free one-hour tour.
Plan to be at the rose garden in Delano Park on Gordon Drive Southeast by 10 a.m. Saturday and June 12, 19 and 26 to take the tour.
The Albany Historic District will be featured in this year’s tour, while the Old Decatur area has been the focus in alternate years.
Hot Stock Alert - EHSI
Profit From Healthcare Explosion New Millionaires Created Today Americans Fail to Seek Debt Relief
What the Credit Card Companies Don't Want You to Know Could Help. Hartselle! Mom Makes $6795/Month
She makes $6795 a month working online. Read her story to see how. Each tour is different, said Squee Bailey of the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, so you can attend all four and learn something new.
“It’s not just an architecture tour or a history tour, the guides talk about the characters that lived there and that kind of thing,” Bailey said.
Depending on the weather, the crowd can vary from 15 to 50 attendees, and can include people from across the state.
Knowledgeable guides, including Melinda Dunn of the Old State Bank and Kelley Gillikin, a longtime Albany resident, will share history, entertaining stories and even some “tall tales.”
Gay Maloney, who will guide Saturday’s tour, may share a rumor about her house in Albany. Her brick home is said to be earthquake-proof because a California architect helped design it, she said.
“The guides will bring the historic Albany neighborhood to life, sharing its history and talking about the homes while walking through the neighborhoods,” she said.
The guides will explore the beginning of the historic district, which was originally called New Decatur.
“They’ll talk about how Albany was a planned community, and how it aimed to be the Chicago of the South to attract people from all over the country,” Maloney said.
Nearby cities such as Athens, Hartselle, Courtland, Madison and Huntsville will also participate in the statewide walking tour campaign developed by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.
“Alabama is the only state in the nation to hold statewide, simultaneous walking tours,” said coordinator Brian Jones of the Alabama Tourism Department. “The beauty of the June walking tours is that any community, whether big or small, can do this.”
The department has organized more than 1,000 walking tours since the beginning of the program seven years ago, Jones said, and they increase in popularity every year.
The tours will continue rain or shine. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
For information about the tours and other events and attractions in Decatur, contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 350-2028 or 800-524-6181 or visit www.decaturcvb.org. For other tours, visit www.alabama.travel or call 800-ALABAMA.
Walking tours
The free guided walking tours will begin at 10 a.m. Saturdays in June. Area towns and starting places include:
Athens, Limestone County Courthouse Annex Parking Lot
Courtland, Park on the Square
Decatur, Delano Park Rose Garden
Florence, various starting locations; Gadsden, City Hall Gazebo
Guntersville, Chamber of Commerce
Hartselle, Historic Depot
Huntsville, Constitution Village (Saturday and June 12 only)
Madison, Madison Roundhouse (June 19 and 26 only)
Scottsboro, Jackson County Heritage Center
Sheffield, Sheffield Municipal Building
Tuscumbia, ColdWater Bookstore
By Andrea Brunty, Living editor, The Decatur Daily
Explore downtown Decatur on Saturday mornings in June as local guides take visitors and natives on a free one-hour tour.
Plan to be at the rose garden in Delano Park on Gordon Drive Southeast by 10 a.m. Saturday and June 12, 19 and 26 to take the tour.
The Albany Historic District will be featured in this year’s tour, while the Old Decatur area has been the focus in alternate years.
Hot Stock Alert - EHSI
Profit From Healthcare Explosion New Millionaires Created Today Americans Fail to Seek Debt Relief
What the Credit Card Companies Don't Want You to Know Could Help. Hartselle! Mom Makes $6795/Month
She makes $6795 a month working online. Read her story to see how. Each tour is different, said Squee Bailey of the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, so you can attend all four and learn something new.
“It’s not just an architecture tour or a history tour, the guides talk about the characters that lived there and that kind of thing,” Bailey said.
Depending on the weather, the crowd can vary from 15 to 50 attendees, and can include people from across the state.
Knowledgeable guides, including Melinda Dunn of the Old State Bank and Kelley Gillikin, a longtime Albany resident, will share history, entertaining stories and even some “tall tales.”
Gay Maloney, who will guide Saturday’s tour, may share a rumor about her house in Albany. Her brick home is said to be earthquake-proof because a California architect helped design it, she said.
“The guides will bring the historic Albany neighborhood to life, sharing its history and talking about the homes while walking through the neighborhoods,” she said.
The guides will explore the beginning of the historic district, which was originally called New Decatur.
“They’ll talk about how Albany was a planned community, and how it aimed to be the Chicago of the South to attract people from all over the country,” Maloney said.
Nearby cities such as Athens, Hartselle, Courtland, Madison and Huntsville will also participate in the statewide walking tour campaign developed by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.
“Alabama is the only state in the nation to hold statewide, simultaneous walking tours,” said coordinator Brian Jones of the Alabama Tourism Department. “The beauty of the June walking tours is that any community, whether big or small, can do this.”
The department has organized more than 1,000 walking tours since the beginning of the program seven years ago, Jones said, and they increase in popularity every year.
The tours will continue rain or shine. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
For information about the tours and other events and attractions in Decatur, contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 350-2028 or 800-524-6181 or visit www.decaturcvb.org. For other tours, visit www.alabama.travel or call 800-ALABAMA.
Walking tours
The free guided walking tours will begin at 10 a.m. Saturdays in June. Area towns and starting places include:
Athens, Limestone County Courthouse Annex Parking Lot
Courtland, Park on the Square
Decatur, Delano Park Rose Garden
Florence, various starting locations; Gadsden, City Hall Gazebo
Guntersville, Chamber of Commerce
Hartselle, Historic Depot
Huntsville, Constitution Village (Saturday and June 12 only)
Madison, Madison Roundhouse (June 19 and 26 only)
Scottsboro, Jackson County Heritage Center
Sheffield, Sheffield Municipal Building
Tuscumbia, ColdWater Bookstore
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