Orange Beach Discusses Education Funding
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Ongoing and Upcoming Events, PAGE 15 Amendment 50 gives Gulf states stable snapper season The Islander PAGE 7 INSIDE APRIL 24, 2019 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Economic development on display at Gulf Shores By CRYSTAL CASTLE its most recent work session. of December saw a 162.9% to place a bigger focus on [email protected] Phelps discussed how part increase in lodging tax rev- growing the community in of the goals of Vision 2025, enue. November saw a 74.8% a more well-rounded way to The City of Gulf Shores presented in 2014, was to increase, while October has attract more full-time resi- has taken big strides not look at the economy and be- received a 52.1% bump. dents.” only in environmental sus- come more seasonally diver- Phelps said the city has fo- Some of the highlights tainability, but in economic sified from the tourism base. cused on the community in a from the report included sustainability as well. In the years since, the city more holistic way. the return of The Lodge at Economic Development has seen significant growth “We certainly don’t want Gulf State Park, the opening Coordinator Blake Phelps in what were previously to detract from tourism of the Auburn University Greenest City in Alabama presented a 2018 Economic known as “shoulder sea- which is the primary driver educational complex, the Gulf Shores’ efforts to Development year in review sons.” From fiscal year 2014 of the economy,” Phelps maintain an environmen- report to the city council at to fiscal year 2018, the month said. “We did, however, want SEE ECONOMIC, PAGE 2 tally-friendly mindset earned it the status of Greenest City in Alabama in an Insurify index of Sea, Sand, & Stars open again to public this summer Greenest Cities in America. Orange To read more about the award, see page 2. Beach discusses education funding By CRYSTAL CASTLE National Bike Month [email protected] The City of Gulf Shores Once again, the City will celebrate National Bike of Orange Beach is put- Month during the month ting its money where of May with the following its mouth is to help events: Bike to School Day ensure the quality of its on May 8, Bike to Work Day schools. on May 17 and Bike to Work PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CITY OF ORANGE BEACH The city council Week on May 13-19. To find heard a proposal that out more, jump to page 15. By CRYSTAL CASTLE would have the city give [email protected] money to the Orange Beach Educational For the fourth summer in Foundation every year. a row, the Sea, Sand, & Stars Mayor Tony Kennon Science and Nature Center specified the difference will be open to visits from the between this group and DEATHS PAGE 6 public. the Makos Academics, The opportunity for pub- Arts and Athletics Club Ada Faye Bailey lic visitors is made possible (MAAAC). James Albert Cawthorn by funding from the Orange “The money from James D. Crumpton Beach City Council. MAAAC is academics, Yvonne Speer Hoover Orange Beach City admin- arts, athletics,” Kennon istrator Ken Grimes said said. “That will be fund- Tyler Damon Panzarella the facility originated as a ing something external Steven M. Thames parternship between Brett/ to the classroom such as Robinson, the City of Or- the scholar team going ange Beach and the Baldwin ested in opening it in the sum- public benefit from it.’” to the scholar bowl. We County School System. mer. The center will be open will be funding that trip. “Brett Robinson had com- “The city was always trying Monday through Thursday The Education Foun- INDEX mitted as part of the rezoning to get it open to the public, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 3-27 dation will be funding of Phoenix West to help with and finally we reached a point and July 8-25. Staff members intra-classroom and BALDWIN LIVING, 3 the funding of Sea, Sand, & with some changes at the will offer the public a rotat- professional develop- CLASSIFIED, 21 Stars Science Center,” Grimes school board level to where ing schedule for guided tours, ment. That’s where the HEALTH, 19 said. “At the time, it was open we were able to get it open for night sky presentations, IMAX two are separated.” to students with a lot of good the summer,” Grimes said. type movies in the planetar- Orange Beach High LEGALS, 25 field trips and daily science “The agreement was that the ium and special guests that School Principal Erika OPINION, 23 lessons and classes.” city would fund the staffing typically include friends from McCoy spoke to the Grimes said it was difficult that it takes. That’s where it the Orange Beach Wildlife council requesting an OUT & ABOUT, 5 initially to get the facility all evolved from was the city Center. annual allotment of PUZZLES, 24 available to the public as the saying, ‘this is a public benefit school system wasn’t inter- project, and we want to see the SEE SEA, PAGE 16 SEE FUNDING, PAGE 2 SPORTS, 12 TV LISTINGS, 8 Gulf WHAT Coast YOU IN Media STORE VOLUME 43 • ISSUE 18 IS NOW 1 SECTION • 32 PAGES ONLINE! • Freshest Quality All Departments • Hand Selected by Our Personal Shoppers • Delivery or FREE Same Day Curbside Pickup • Beer & Wine NOW Online! Order & Pay In Store! GREERS.COM/SHOP 2 • The Islander • April 24, 2019 • Gulf Coast Media Gulf Shores recognized for eco-minded initiatives By CRYSTAL CASTLE practice it should be rec- in accordance with through Noel’s vision [email protected] ognized.” statistics on citywide and Joe Tabor’s hard To find the most envi- renewable electricity work with his crews Gulf Shores’ efforts ronmentally-conscious programs, park quality, that we’ve been able to to maintain an environ- cities by state, data sci- urban sprawl and air achieve that goal. We’re mentally-friendly mind- entists at Insurify, an quality index to deter- very proud of that.” set earned it the status auto insurance quotes mine the number one The City of Gulf of Greenest City in comparison website, most eco-friendly city in Shores operates a recy- Alabama in an Insurify used a combination of each state. The relative cling center that serves index of Greenest Cities proprietary automo- weight of each environ- as a drop-off location for in America. tive data and external mental impact in the al- the following items to Award recipients were sources. To begin, gorithm was informed in be recycled: glass, alu- evaluated on environ- Insurify analyzed its part by Drawdown Solu- minum, plastic, mixed mentally-friendly living database of over 1.6 tion’s ranking of various paper, metal, cardboard, and driving behaviors. million car insurance green reforms. electronics and tin cans. Mayor Robert Craft applications to rank Mark Acreman, Pub- All recycling and waste said being a green city each state’s cities by lic Works Director, said bins are hand-sorted at is a top priority for the their collective vehicular many years ago Assis- the facility. In 2018 alone, City of Gulf Shores. carbon footprint. States tant Public Works Direc- Gulf Shores recycled “It is proven in sev- with insufficient city tor Noel Hand took it 243 tons of cardboard, eral of our initiatives, data were omitted from upon himself to address 58 tons of mixed paper, including Green Up Gulf the analysis. The scor- an issue the city was 17 tons of aluminum, 31 Shores, Leave Only Foot- Cities won higher score from each state ing algorithm factored having with trash on the tons of plastic, 63 tons prints and the upcoming scores for having eco- was identified to form in fuel-efficiency, engine beaches. of glass and 34 tons of Gulf Coast Center for conscious driving the winner’s roster. displacement, drive- “His initial vision of metal. Ecotourism and Sustain- practices, green vehicle “Our natural envi- train, annual mileage, how to address those ability,” Craft said. “We features, low urban ronment is a finite and and vehicles per house- problems and those For a full list of 2018 live in a beautiful com- sprawl, healthy air qual- precious resource,” said hold to identify the top concerns we were facing Greenest City Award munity, and it is our job ity, dedicated park space Insurify CEO, Snejina five cities per state for has grown into a com- winners visit: https:// to nurture it and care and renewable electric- Zacharia. “Appreciat- greenest drivers. Follow- prehensive and city-wide insurify.com/insights/ for it to the best of our ity programs. The com- ing and protecting it is ing this, the data team recycling program,” insurifys-greenest-cities- ability.” munity with the highest a virtue, and those who added scoring boosts Acreman said. “It’s awards-2019/. ECONOMIC Coast Zoo location. per capita income also more than double new city. While most people that was a main focus Based on data from increased. housing starts in 2018 think of Gulf Shores as for how the city made CONTINUED FROM 1 the U.S. Census Bureau, Since 2010, Gulf from 2014. being predominantly decisions over the last using the most recent Shores is the fourth- Total local revenue retirees, more than 42% few years. announcement of the information from 2017, fastest growing city in is up 31.3% in the same of the population were “Everything that Embassy Suites mixed- total population of the the state of Alabama time period. aged 37 or younger. we’re doing supports use development across city increased by more as well as being the One of the most inter- Mayor Robert Craft that,” Craft said.