Super Chili Bowl Cook Off Feb. 2 at Flora-Bama Lounge

The Flora-Bama Lounge is holding its 14th Annual Super Chili Bowl Cook Off Saturday, February 2, starting at 10 a.m. Bowls are $2 each with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, which supports the American Cancer Society’s Mission. The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.

The entry fee is $50 per (3 person) team. There will be lots of prizes and perks for the competitors. There is a perpetual Trophy for the 1st Place Team, as well as the People’s Choice, with ribbons for all other winning teams. Souvenir T-shirts, “Free Beer” and other give-a-ways will be provided for all participants (must be 21 years old to enter).

The Flora-Bama Lounge challenges you to form a chili cook-off team and have a little friendly competition among your peers, as to your cooking talents. Can you whip up a super pot of chili from scratch on-site at the Flora-Bama? How about livening up February with a chance to strut your chili wizardry and come out and compete with your friends and neighbors and let us and the judges taste the very best pot of chili that your team can produce.

Get your team together now and plan to make February 2rd a “Five Alarm” Super Chili Bowl Saturday.

For additional information, please contact Cheryl Lange at (251) 980-5118 or (850) 492-0611.

High court upholds Turquoise Place ruling

Third and fourth towers clear legal challenge

Saturday, January 19, 2008

By RYAN DEZEMBER

Staff Reporter

The Alabama Supreme Court has let stand a lower court's decision that gave developer Larry Wireman the green light to build the third and fourth towers of his Turquoise Place project in Orange Beach.

The high court offered no written reason, only noting in its Jan. 11 release of decisions that it would not consider the matter.

The owners of an adjacent hotel and the estate of former landowners brought the appeal, challenging last year's decision by the Court of Civil Appeals to side with a Baldwin County judge in favor of Wireman.

Click here to read the full story from the Mobile Press-Register.

Groundbreaking for Waste Water Treatment Facility

City of Orange Beach Announces Groundbreaking for Waste Water Treatment Facility Monday, January 28, 2008 at 1pm

January 18, 2008
By Ken Grimes, Jr, Special Projects Coordinator

When describing the Alabama Gulf Coast, most would think of the beautiful sandy white beaches, condo’s overlooking the emerald waters of the gulf, a sunset over Wolf Bay or spending the day on one of many islands. One rarely hears anyone speak of the infrastructure expansion, garbage disposal, under-grounding of utilities or the treatment of waste water but they are the vital services of any community . . . even a resort town like Orange Beach. City leaders have been planning for such improvements to infrastructure services for years as the growth of the city’s population along with the addition of thousands of units of vacation rentals which attract on peak weekends an estimated 100,000 plus tourists. On January 28th, the next step in future expansion becomes a reality.

Mayor Blalock and the Orange Beach City Council are pleased to announce the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new City of Orange Beach Waste Water Treatment Plant. The ceremony will begin at 1 PM on Monday, January 28, 2008 at the site which is located south of Canal Road between the Sportsplex and Powerline Road. A shuttle bus will be provided from the Orange Beach Sportsplex located at the end of William Silvers Parkway to the site as construction access is not paved for public travel at this time. According to Mayor Pete Blalock, “this new facility has been a long time in the works and we are extremely happy to be under construction to not only be prepared for future growth, but to finally relocate our existing plant away from heavily traveled Canal Road. The new plant will have an enclosed head-works along with the more isolated location to eliminate most odors affiliated with the service.”

The new facility will be built on approximately twenty acres within a total site of forty acres which allows for plenty of room for future growth. Mayor Blalock noted “the construction should take between 18-20 months for completion and our plant is designed by Gary McMillan and the City of Orange Beach will serve as general contractor on the project as we minimize expenses and maximize our effort.” Jeff Hartley, Utilities Director for the City of Orange Beach adds “the new Waste Water Treatment Plant will be a state of the art 10 million gallons per day plant (MGD), and will be expandable to 15 MGD. The plant is designed to serve the City’s needs for at least the next 20 years and it will replace the City’s current facility on Canal Road, which will be demolished upon completion of the new plant in 2009”. The public is invited to attend this unique event. If you need further directions, please feel free to contact Orange Beach City Hall at (251) 981-6979 or search www.CityOfOrangeBeach.com for details.

Orange Beach Development Facing Problems

Action by largest lender in $100 million financing deal is latest setback for ill-fated condo project

Sunday, January 13, 2008
By KATHY JUMPER and RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporters

The largest lender in the $100 million financing package for 15.8 acres of prime beachfront in Orange Beach has foreclosed on the loan -- another blow to developers of the now-defunct Mandalay Beach condominium project.

Oxford Investments LLC, which is headed by Jim Mattei, the Mobile native who co-founded the Checkers burger chain, foreclosed on a tract in the middle of the property Jan. 4, court records show.

When it was first approved in the fall of 2004 amid a post-Hurricane Ivan real estate market white-hot with speculation, Mandalay Beach was to be a pair of 36-story towers encasing 500 luxury condos. In a deal with the City Council to secure zoning for what would have been Orange Beach's tallest buildings, the developers pledged to donate a 175-foot-wide tract to become the city's first municipal beach.

But the screeching halt to condominium sales following 2005's Hurricane Katrina and an overall tightening of the lending market were major blows to the Mandalay landowners, OB Development. The partners canceled the project in 2006 and have for more than two years sought a buyer for the prime land.

"I've never stopped trying," Rick Phillips, one of three partners in OB Development, confirmed last week. "It all hinges on financing."

Click here to read the complete article in the Mobile Press-Register.

Hundreds take the traditional New Year's Plunge

January 1, 2008- Flora-Bama
(Click on image to right for larger version.)

The cold temperatures, nor the strong north wind deterred hundreds of New Year Revilers from their New Year Day plunge for the Flora-Bama's Polar Bear Dip. Hundreds of participants lined the shores at the Alabama Florida state line to take the plunge.

Why would anyone swim in January? One Polar Bear Dip veteran responded, It's kind of an initiation no, I'd never do it; it's too early in the morning. Noon is considered first thing in the morning on Flora-Bama Time and never mind that he had participated in the event in previous years.

The event is sponsored by the Flora-Bama Lounge and will be held on the beach at the Florida/ Alabama line. All participants in the dip will receive traditional black-eyed peas.

After Hollywood stint, local man returns to work with dad

Monday, December 31, 2007

By LEIGH T. MOORE

Correspondent

The son of a real-estate developer, Maury Cobb was born in Mobile, but when he was 5 years old, his family moved to Birmingham.

"I grew up there and graduated from Mountain Brook High School," he said. "I was in high school when my dad moved back to Orange Beach to start Fish Camp."

Rather than follow his dad, however, Cobb decided to go to the University of Georgia and pursue a business degree, and after graduating in 2005, he went with his brother, Jan, to Los Angeles.

Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.

Perdido Pass plan calls for new east jetty

Monday, December 24, 2007

By RYAN DEZEMBER

Staff Reporter

ORANGE BEACH -- Federal officials are hoping that by rebuilding the eastern jetties and weir that help Perdido Pass hold its shape, it will mean fewer trips to scoop sand out of the recreational ship channel.

To that end, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has embarked on a $3.5 million project it hopes to have finished within 90 days of the New Year, said project engineer Mike Cumberland.

Until then, the state beach at Florida Point will remain closed, said Orange Beach Coastal Resources Manager Phillip West.

Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.

Click here to view photos of Perdido Pass.

Baldwin officials considering appeal in hospital lawsuit

Sunday, December 23, 2007

By RYAN DEZEMBER

Staff Reporter

Orange Beach and Gulf Shores officials have until the middle of next month to decide if they'll try to help revive a lawsuit that they hoped would force public review of a Daphne surgery center's planned move to the beach.

Earlier this month, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Charles Price dismissed the case, repeating an opinion he issued in April in which he found that the State Health Planning and Development Agency acted appropriately when it told Infirmary Health Systems it could move one of its Daphne surgery centers to the beach without going through the state's certificate of need review process.

Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.

Launch proposal opposed

Sunday, December 02, 2007

By RYAN DEZEMBER

Staff Reporter

ORANGE BEACH -- Plans by the city to build a $2 million public boat launch on Perdido Key have met formidable opposition from an unlikely tandem: the moneyed residents of Ono Island and the endangered Perdido Key beach mouse.

To be sure, city officials knew from the start that the 5 state-owned acres upon which they propose building a boat launch and parking lot are within the 1,300 acres of habitat that federal scientists have deemed crucial to the mouse's survival.

Like anyone wanting to build a house or condo tower in the habitat, the city must seek the blessing of federal regulators, said Orange Beach Coastal Resources Manager Phillip West.

Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.

FSN to air FLW Kingfish Series Championship

Dec. 9 show to highlight $275,000 king mackerel tournament
from Orange Beach, AL.

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 29, 2007) — Tune in Sunday, Dec. 9 to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for the $275,000 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series Championship held in Orange Beach, AL. The final event of the season concludes with the winning team claiming a cash prize of up to $70,000.

The “FLW Outdoors” saltwater series is a reality-format show told from the anglers’ perspective. Each week the top-five finalists are followed from takeoff to weigh-in, allowing the audience to feel the anglers’ nerves, listen to their strategy and learn from their mistakes. The stories evolve and the suspense grows throughout the show until the final weigh-in results are announced. One hundred and twenty five teams – the top three from each of 15 qualifying tournaments and the top 16 in the points standings from each of five divisions – qualified to fish the tournament.

The FLW Kingfish Series Championship is a three-day, no-entry-fee event. The entire field competes on day one and day two and the top five teams compete on day three. The winning team is determined based on the heaviest kingfish from day one or day two plus the heaviest kingfish from day three.

Tournament officials canceled day one due to a Small Craft Advisory issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), so teams will now commence competition on day two with the top five advancing to day three. The inclement weather improved on day two, albeit slightly, as anglers fished in gusty winds and seas that grew to 8 feet offshore. Not that anyone would wish for such harsh conditions, but Mobile, Ala., native Marcus Kennedy, whose Team “Kwazar” leads the event with a 51-pound, 11-ounce smoker king, said the foul weather actually worked in his favor. Joined by Max Williams of Pensacola, Fla., and Mike Ward and Todd Kercher, both of Mobile, Kennedy ran approximately 60 miles southwest of Orange Beach and fished over patches of natural bottom in 180 feet of water. Team “Kwazar” caught three other kingfish in the 30-pound class on day two. Their heaviest hit a live blue runner on a downrigger set 70 feet deep at 11 a.m. Kennedy usually mans the helm during tournaments, but with other tasks occupying his teammates, he grabbed the rod and fought the fish for about 10 minutes. Another smoker on day three would likely put Kwazar in the winner’s circle.

Team “Sake,” led by Capt. Neil Nix of Okeechobee, Fla., also braved the big seas, running 50 miles south. The result was a 41-pound, 9-ounce kingfish that was caught over a reef in 180 feet of water. When “Sake’s” big fish ate a live blue runner around 10:30 a.m., Danny Marasocci fought the fish and Nix gaffed it after a 35-minute fight. The team caught another 11 kings between 20 and 25 pounds. FSN also follows Team “Square & Level/Reel Wild,” captained by Frank (Pete) Eldridge of Waycross, Ga. On the strength of a 40-pound, 14-ounce king mackerel, “Square & Level/Reel Wild” is third with one day of competition remaining. FSN is the industry leader in providing the most up-to-date technology in TV production.

FSN puts viewers in the boats with the pros, shadowing them from sunrise until the final weigh-in using innovative camera work that gives fishing fans the most intimate viewing experience available. FSN broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” Sunday mornings. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area. FLWOutdoors.com also provides an online guide listing upcoming episodes on “FLW Outdoors.”

FSN is broadcast to more than 81 million homes through its network of 20 regional sports channels. Established in 1996, FSN is the only cable network that supplies national, regional and local sports programming. FSN serves as the cable TV home to 62 of the 82 MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States, and produces more than 4,500 live events each year. FSN has an extensive catalog of original national programs, including “Best Damn Sports Show Period” and “Beyond the Glory” documentary series, along with national packages of collegiate sports. Based in Los Angeles, FSN is part of the vast FOX Sports television family. For the latest up-to-the-minute sports news and opinions, visit the FOX Sports/FSN website at www.FoxSports.com .

“FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast internationally to more than 429 million households in such countries as Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world. Additionally, FLW Outdoors is proud to provide tournament coverage to more than 800,000 service men and women stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard Navy ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Ice skating at the edge of the Gulf

by Guy Busby
November 29, 2007

Orange Beach, AL- Palm trees line the drive, and the white stuff on the ground is sand, and the skaters glide in circles just a few feet from Gulf yachts and fishing boats.

Welcome to the outdoor ice rink that opened Nov. 2 at The Wharf on the Intracoastal Waterway.

The 50- by 70-foot holiday-season attraction is the first of its kind on the Alabama coast, said Lesley Dethloff, Wharf special events coordinator.

"We've really picked up since it started," she said, estimating the crowd on the weekend before Thanksgiving at about 600 people.

Young skaters interviewed there recently said the ice was nice, once they got used to it.

Click here to read the full story from the Mobile Press-Register.

Armed Robbery Surveillance Video Released

By Pat Peterson Reporter

Investigators in Orange Beach hope surveilance video of an armed robbery at the Holiday Inn Express will help them catch the suspect. A night clerk at the hotel was robbed at knifepoint Tuesday morning. News 5 obtained a copy of the hotel's surveilance footage.

Click here to read the full article and watch the video on WKRG-TV5.

Sun shining brightly on SPU women's soccer team

(Photo: Jocelyn Charette (left) celebrates with teammate Shannon Oakes)

By DEREK BELT
SPECIAL TO THE P-I

When the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2005, the Falcons traveled to the not-so-exciting town of Wichita Falls, Texas, where they finished second after a 2-1 overtime loss to Nebraska-Omaha in the national championship game.

"It was kind of a bummer," SPU coach Chuck Sekyra said of the whole experience.

This year, Seattle Pacific is back in the Final Four. But this time the Falcons are in Orange Beach, Ala., a lavish resort community located 20 miles west of Pensacola, Fla.

"My players are in heaven!" Sekyra wrote Tuesday in an e-mail from the team's beachside condominium. "I'm sitting on a balcony with my assistant coaches overlooking white sand, the Gulf of Mexico, and my team standing in the water up to their knees."

Click here to read the full story from the SeattlePI.com.

Click here to view more articles about NCAA Soccer in Orange Beach.

Division II soccer championships to be televised

November 28, 2007 - http://www.ncaa.org/

The Division II Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championship finals will be televised live on CSTV this weekend. The women’s championship game is Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern time and the men’s final is Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern. West Florida hosts both matches at the Orange Beach County Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Click here to read the full story from the NCAA website.

Red Tide Cells Remain at Alabama Beaches

November 16, 2007

The Alabama Department of Public Health cautions the public that water samples collected this week on Baldwin County beaches indicate the presence of red tide cells and persons with respiratory problems or those experiencing symptoms of nose, throat or eye irritation should avoid the mist.

Red tide results from a massive build-up of certain species of microscopic sea organisms known as dinoflagellates. These organisms produce a toxin that affects the central nervous system of fish so they are paralyzed and cannot breathe. At high concentrations, the organisms may produce a discoloration of the water. Red tides are often referred to as "blooms." The species (Karenia brevis), isolated from Gulf Shores waters, may produce toxins that also cause skin irritation and respiratory problems in humans. Health Department officials advise:

- Avoid the area if you are susceptible to respiratory problems such as asthma or emphysema.

- Leave the water if you experience skin irritations while swimming or boating and rinse immediately with fresh water.

- If you experience nose, throat or eye irritation when exposed to the gulf mist, avoid the mist.

The Alabama Department of Public Health will continue to monitor gulf and bay waters for the presence of red tide cells.

Unfortunately, the presence of red tide cannot be predicted to be at a certain location at a certain time. The effects depend on many variables such as temperature, salinity, direction of the wind, and how concentrated the organisms are at a given location.

Closing set for sewer plant land swap

Orange Beach also restarts negotiations to lease Josephine area lines

Friday, November 16, 2007

By RYAN DEZEMBER

Staff Reporter

ORANGE BEACH -- After a nearly 18-month delay, the city and Alabama conservation officials have set a date later this month to finalize a land swap that will allow construction of a new $20 million municipal sewer treatment plant, Mayor Pete Blalock said Tuesday.

The two sides plan to close the transaction Nov. 27, which will give Orange Beach 40 acres south of the city's current treatment facility on Canal Road while the state will get 46 acres of maritime forest to be added to the Gulf State Park.

The trade had been delayed first because of problems with appraisals used in the deal, and later because of a disagreement between the state and the federal government over whether the state land could leave Alabama's hands.

Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.

Beach becomes a runway

Low on fuel, small plane lands safely on Orange Beach shoreline

Thursday, November 15, 2007

By RUSS HENDERSON

Staff Reporter

A small airplane that tows advertising banners along the Gulf Coast made an emergency landing on a public beach in Orange Beach when it ran low on gas late Wednesday morning, one of the airplane's owners said.

The 1973 Bellanca's landed on the hard-packed sand beside Perdido Beach Boulevard shortly after 11 a.m., said Assistant Police Chief Greg Duck. The pair inside the plane had been "joy riding" and were not at work pulling advertising, said Don Bonner, an owner of Foley's Gulf Coast Aerial Advertising Inc., which owns the aircraft.

The pilot was low on gas and made a precautionary landing about five miles short of the nearby Jack Edwards Airport, Bonner said. Police and firefighters arrived on scene to ensure no beachgoers were endangered, Duck said.

Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.

Click here to watch the video on WKRG-TV5.

Florida Gators defeat Georgia Bulldogs in SEC Soccer Finals

November 12, 2007
Article & Photo by Ken Grimes, Jr.
(click on photo for larger view)

The Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 4-1 on a clear Sunday afternoon before a nationally televised audience.

The Gators bit early with a quick goal and the only score in the first half. As the second half began the Lady Gators expanded the lead with two goals early in the period. Georgia got on the board with a score on a penalty kick bringing the margin to 3-1. With minutes remaining, another Gator goal sealed the victory and the championship which brought fireworks and plenty of cheers.

The SEC Championship is merely the next step as the season will feature the Gators and Bulldogs who both advance to the NCAA tournament next week. More than 1,200 spectators were in attendance for the televised match at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

Thompson adviser from Ono Island Resigns Campaign

Philip Martin quits after criminal record surfaces; owns firm that operates terminal at Gulf Shores' Jack Edwards Airport

Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Staff, wire reports

After reports surfaced of his decades-old drug-dealing record, an Ono Island man whose company manages some operations at Gulf Shores' Jack Edwards Airport resigned as co-chairman of Republican Fred Thompson's presidential campaign.

Philip J. Martin, who lives in an 8,060-square-foot Ono Island mansion and owns the Gulf Shores airport's terminal operator, Jet Center South, through his company Gulf Capital Holdings, had acted as a fundraiser and adviser to the former Tennessee senator since the start of his presidential run.

Click here to read the complete article from the Mobile Press-Register.

Sea, Sand, and Stars Open House Sunday

Nov. 3, 2007- Orange Beach, AL - This weekend you have a special invitation to experience a wonderful new experiential facility called Sea, Sand, and Stars, adjacent to Orange Beach Elementary School. Open house for the new $2.5 million facility is scheduled for Sunday afternoon from 1 until 5 p.m.

Sea, Sand, and Stars features a huge, beautiful 5,800 gallon aquarium with a large variety of fish. In addition, the facility has a 38 seat planetarium with a Digitarium Alpha II Projector, technology used in the best planetariums around the world. The facility is equipped to tap into the Hubble Telescope and allow visitors a real-time look through this amazing window into space. Sea, Sand, and Stars features a computer technology room, complete with 30 computer work stations. Just around the corner a laboratory will allow students and adults to get a closer look at marine life. You'll also be able to enjoy a library, meeting rooms and classrooms.

If this wasn't impressive enough, outside you'll find an 800 ft. boardwalk that will take you to four large outdoor gazebo classrooms where students will learn about birds, plants, amphibians, and insects. In partnership with WKRG TV, a weather station, complete with measuring and monitoring technology, allows students to learn meteorology and then report the weather in front of a real television news set.

Sea, Sand, and Stars has been made possible through generous contributions from Brett-Robinson Construction, the City of Orange Beach and the Baldwin County Board of Education. Beginning in January it will be available for field trips, mainly for kindergarten through 6th grade students.

For further information, call Lisa Allen, Director of Sea, Sand, and Stars at 981-5690 or e-mail her at lallen@bcbe.org.

Click here to view more pictures of Sea, Sand & Stars from the Coastal Marine Builders website.