Decatur to Host USTA’s Junior State Championship October 12-14

Up to 300 youth players from across the southern United States between the ages of 12 and 18 will be in Decatur October 12-14, 2013, to compete in the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) junior state championship.

Sanctioned by USTA, the level 2 tournament will be held at the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center located in the heart of Point Mallard Park in Decatur. Age divisions are 12 & under, 14 & under, 16 & under, and 18 & under and each division will feature singles and doubles play. 

This will be the first appearance for the USTA Alabama Junior State Championship in Decatur. The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the recognized leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the US Open. The USTA is the largest tennis organization in the world, with 17 geographical sections, more than 770,000 individual members and 8,000 organizational members, thousands of volunteers and a professional staff dedicated to growing the game.

For more information on USTA, visit www.alabamata.usta.com or www.usta.com. 

  

Located adjacent to the Point Mallard Waterpark, the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center contains four clay and 16 hard courts including two indoor courts. The venue also includes meeting space and a pro shop. For more information on the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center, visit www.decatursports.com or www.decaturparks.com.  

THE GIBSON BROTHERS WIN 2013 IBMA’S ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR APPEARING NOV 7 AT DECATUR’S PRINCESS THEATRE

The Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts continues its 30^th Birthday Season for 2013-2014 with THE GIBSON BROTHERS on Thursday, November 7, 2013 at 7:30 p.m., presenting bluegrass music’s hottest new group.  The program is made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Gibson Brothers took home the Entertainers of the Year for a second straight year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards in September, 2013 as well as three other group and individual trophies.   Eric Gibson was named Songwriter of the Year and the New York-based quintet also won Vocal Group of the Year and Song of the Year for "They Called it Music," written by Gibson and Joe Newberry. The song is #1 on the October 2013 Bluegrass Unlimited Song and Album Charts.  The Gibson Brothers also were the top winners at last year's Bluegrass Awards. 

            This follows their first win in 2012 as Entertainers of the Year Award and the 2012 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year award for “Singing As We Rise.”  The Gibson Brothers are widely recognized as the finest brother duet in bluegrass music today, evidenced by their being named IBMA’s 2011 Vocal Group of the Year.  It was the first time a brother duet won that award.  

In a 2012 Washington Post interview, Del McCoury said “…when I hear someone like The Gibson Brothers, I know it’s them from the first note.  They have that little thing in their voices that no one else…” And from Bluegrass Unlimited: "The brothers and the band have it all -- lead vocals, brother-duet harmony, instrumental virtuosity, ensemble sensibilities and great original material."  That's the buzz. Here are the facts: 2013 IBMA Entertainers of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Song of the Year ("They Called It Music") and Songwriter of the Year (Eric Gibson). 2012 IBMA Entertainers of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance for "Singing As We Rise;" 2011 IBMA Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year for Help My Brother, also named 2011 Album of the year by PopMatters; and, 2010 IBMA Awards for Song of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year for "Ring the Bell." 

            Reserved tickets are $33-$25 with special discounts for seniors, students/teachers are available online at http://www.princesstheatre.org/ and http://www.gibsonbrothers.com.  For more information, call 256-340-1778.

Fourth Largest Saddlebred Show in the U.S. Returns to the Morgan County Celebration Arena to Raise Money for Local Charities October 9-12

Many of the nation’s top American Saddlebred, Roadster, and Hackney horses will travel to Decatur, Ala. next month for a four-day competition that raises money for local charities. Set for October 9-12, 2013, The Alabama Charity Championship Horse Show is one of the largest Saddlebred shows in the southeastern United States attracting up to 700 horses from all over the eastern half of the United States.

Now in its 23^rd year, the Alabama Charity Championship Horse Show returns to the Morgan County Celebration Arena where amateurs and professionals compete for top honors and prize money while raising money for local charities. The event is the fourth largest saddlebred show in the United States and has won UPDA Horse Show of the Year awards for Chapter 8.

Show hours are nightly at 6 p.m. Additional shows are at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday and at 9 a.m. on Saturday. In addition to the competition, vendors will have displays set up selling horse-related items ranging from oil paintings to clothing items. Admission is free.  

The Alabama Charity Championship Horse Show offers open classes in which entries may be shown by juveniles, amateurs, and professionals, all competing for prize money, ribbons and trophies. Proceeds from the competition benefit the Junior League of Morgan County and the Children’s Hands On Museum at the Carnegie Visual Art Center.

Sponsorships are available for the 2013 show. The Morgan County Celebration Arena is located at 67 Horse Center Road (off Highway 67 East) in Decatur. For more information, contact Show Manager Janet Byron at 256.654.0429. For more information on the Saddlebred breed, visit the American Saddlebred Horse Association at www.asha.net.

Albany Bistro and 1818 Farms Present Benefit Farm to Table Dinner

Learning about the cycle of food is the theme for the first "Dinner on the Farm" planned for October 18 at 1818 Farms in Mooresville. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Committee on Church Cooperation, Decatur's soup kitchen and pantry.
Natasha McCrary, owner of 1818 Farms, described the farm to table movement as more than just using local food.
“It’s local produce straight from a local farmer that you put right on your table,” she said.
Jake Reed, executive chef and owner of the Albany Bistro in Decatur, who will be preparing the dinner, elaborated on the movement that may seem trendy to today’s “foodies,” but was a way of life to previous generations, especially in the south.
“It’s knowing your farmer, where the food comes from and the story behind your food. A lot of people feel like if they go to the farmer’s market they know where their food comes from, but people don’t take time to talk about how the food is grown,” he said, adding that many people still have a supermarket mentality when they go to the farmer’s market. Knowing the grower is more important than ever with the explosion in popularity of farmer’s markets.
Rick Brown, managing partner of the Albany Bistro, agreed, adding that people should be asking why farmers do what they do.
“The farmer who only grows green beans because he loves green beans is probably going to be growing the best green beans,” he said.
Those who attend "Dinner on the Farm” will be eating at the farm where the food was grown and will be able to talk to the farmers as well as to the people who prepared the dinner. It will be a true seed-to-harvest-to-table experience, according to McCrary.
“This will be a real opportunity to get to know a farmer, best practices and what day-to-day life is like,” she said.
Participating farms who have generously agreed to donate their food include Smith Farms, Champion Farms, Tune Farms, and 1818 Farms.
The event will begin with a farm tour at 5:00 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Although the menu cannot be announced with certainty, because only the freshest available produce will be served, diners will receive a five-course meal. Alcoholic beverages will not be served but guests are welcome to bring their favorite libations. Entertainment will be provided by Phil Weaver and Emily Jones. Cost for the event is $75.
The farm is located at 24889 Lauderdale Street in Mooresville. Free parking will be provided and the location is accessible to those with mobility issues. Dress for the event is farm casual.
For more information about this event, contact 1818 Farms at 256-714-3220 or 1818farms@gmail.com
To order tickets online, visit our website at www.1818farms.com or go to link listed below.
http://1818farms.com/products-page/product-category/2013-farm-to-table-dinners/
Natasha McCrary,

Morgan County Celebration Arena to Host One of the Premiere Walking Horse Shows in the Southeastern United States

46^th Annual Alabama Jubilee Charity Horse Show is set for October 18-19.

The Walking Horse Association of Alabama is pleased to announce that the 46^th Annual Alabama Jubilee Charity Horse Show will be held at the Morgan County Celebration Arena on October 18-19, 2013. The show starts at 5 pm each evening, and admission is $5.

As one of the premier Walking Horse shows in the southeastern United States, many of the top Tennessee Walking Horses and Racking Horses will travel to Decatur, Ala. for the two-day competition. Proceeds from this show are donated to Camp Smile-A-Mile, a children’s cancer camp located at Lake Martin in Alexander City. Camp Smile-A-Mile (SAM) is a non-profit organization for children who have or have had cancer. Year round programs are provided for the campers and their family at no cost. 

The Alabama Jubilee Charity Horse Show offers 53 classes, which includes five championship classes. Entries are be shown by juveniles, amateurs, and professionals, all competing for prize money, ribbons and trophies. Each night, there will be exhibitions of current World Champions and World Grand Champions. A miniature horse, donated by Choose Your Gait Farm in Decatur, will be given away on Saturday night. In addition, the Alabama Walking Horse Ladies Auxiliary will be having their annual bake sale at the show.

The Morgan County Celebration Arena is located at 67 Horse Center Road (off Highway 67 East) in Decatur. For more information, contact Show Manager Brenda May at 256-353-2508. For more information on the Walking Horse Association of Alabama, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WHAofA. For information about Camp Smile-A-Mile, visit their website at www.campsam.org.

ALABAMA BASS TRAIL ANNOUNCES NEW TOURNAMENT SERIES FOR AMATEUR ANGLERS

The Alabama Bass Trail is excited to announce the launch of a new tournament series beginning in February, 2014. The 10 lake team-style tournament series will be held on ten of the lakes of the Alabama Bass Trail with the championship tournament taking place on the 11^th lake. Attracting amateur anglers from across the southeastern United States, each tournament is expected to generate an approximate $500,000 economic impact for host cities.

“Alabama is a great state for fishing,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “We have professional tournaments here on a regular basis. The goal of this amateur tournament is simple. We want to encourage more people to fish where the pros fish. The Alabama Bass Trail was established to help us share our lakes and rivers with more people. When more people come to our lakes and rivers that increases tourism. And when tourism increases, that benefits our local and state economies.”

Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series gets underway February 1, 2014. The tournament trail will feature two divisions: Northern and Southern. Each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. Each tournament will have a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and will pay 20 places. Maximum number of boats is 200.

Northern Division:

Lake Guntersville                    February 1, 2014 hosted by Marshall County CVB

Pickwick Lake                         March 22, 2014 hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism

Neely Henry Lake                  April 5, 2014 hosted by City of Gadsden Parks & Recreation

Wheeler Lake                          May 31, 2014 hosted by Decatur-Morgan County CVB

Logan Martin Lake                 June 21, 2014

Southern Division:

Mobile-Tensaw Delta                March 1, 2014 hosted by North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce

Lake Eufaula                              March 15, 2014 hosted by Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce

Lake Jordan                                April 19, 2014 hosted by Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce

Alabama River (Millers Ferry)  May 10, 2014 hosted by Wilcox County Chamber and the City of Monroeville

Lay Lake                                    June 7 hosted by Shelby County Commission

The championship is a 125 boat, two-day event. The 125 boats are comprised of the top 50 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 25 student boats collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division. Hosted by Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, the championship tournament is set for October 10-11, 2014 on Lewis Smith Lake.

The championship is a no entry tournament and the first place prize is a fully-rigged 2015 Phoenix 619 Pro with a Mercury 150, trolling motor and electronics valued at $37,495 with an additional $40,000 in cash and prizes. The official bass boat of the Alabama Bass Trail, Phoenix Bass boats will also offer the tier one First Flight incentive plan to tournament winners in a qualifying Phoenix boat.

“The Alabama Bass Trail is excited to announce this new tournament for amateur anglers. Since the launch of the Alabama Bass Trail in 2012, we have received numerous requests for the development of a tournament series. We are challenged with creating more fishing opportunities in the state of Alabama, and we believe this gives anglers in the southeast an opportunity to fish a highly competitive trail on the best lakes in Alabama,” said Alabama Bass Trail Program Director Kay Donaldson.

A few select tournaments including the February 1 launch tournament will be filmed and aired at a later broadcast on Anglers Channel reaching a viewership of over 10 million households.

“We are all grateful for Governor Bentley’s vision and will work together to make the Tournament Series a success,” said Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department. Just two years ago, Sentell, Governor Bentley, and the staff of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association began laying the groundwork for the Alabama Bass Trail. After its launch in the spring of 2012, its popularity quickly grew and Donaldson look for another opportunity to reach out to anglers.   

Alabama Bass Trail Tournament sponsors include Bill Penney Toyota, the Alabama Tourism Department, Phoenix Bass Boats, Inc., McDonalds of Alabama, and Pradco-FISHING representing BOOYAH and YUM, Dobyns Rods, Randy Jones Agency – Nationwide, T & H Marine Supplies, Inc., Alabama Power Company, Buffalo Rock, Inc., Jet-Pep, Inc., Tennessee Valley Authority, Rigid Industries, Inc., and Frogg Toggs, Inc., Go Pro and Gander Mountain. Fishlife will be the official tournament directors and Elite Outdoors Media will be the live-streaming company.

Registration will be available online beginning at noon on September 30^th at www.alabamabasstrail.org. Entry fee per tournament is $250 per team or from September 30-October 30 2013, teams can register for all five tournaments for $1150. 

According to Donaldson, each tournament is expected to pump an estimated $500,000 into the local economy of the host city. “Anglers typically pre-fish, or scout a location, three or four days prior to a tournament, and during this time, they patronize restaurants, gas stations, and tackle shops. During a tournament, approximately $300 is spent each day on accommodations, gasoline, food and other supplies,” stated Donaldson.

For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org. 

About Alabama Bass Trail

The Alabama Bass Trail is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. Its mission is to promote Alabama as a year round fishing destination, to preserve natural resources for generations to come, and to educate high school and college aged students to be good stewards of natural resources. The 11 bass fishing lakes consist of Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Jordan, Alabama River (Millers Ferry), Lake Eufaula, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.  For more information, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.