COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Ongoing and Upcoming Events, PAGE 4 BCLC hosts Bookmobile tour PAGE 11 Growing herbs The Islander PAGE 6 INSIDE APRIL 18, 2018 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Use Caution: Gulf Shores restricts public Beach forums at Gulf Place highway median work Fire Department By CRYSTAL COLE “The beach has historically levels of use of Gulf Place and [email protected] been a place for the restorative the public beaches generally to ramp up 25th anniversary and recreational enjoyment of going forward, staff is also rec- Fire Chief Justin Pearce An ordinance restricting pub- the public and has not been a ommending that the threshold and the Orange Beach Fire lic forums at the new Gulf Place public forum by tradition or des- requirement for obtaining a pub- Courtesy of THE CITY OF Department invite the com- was passed by the Gulf Shores ignation,” the memo read. “With lic assembly permit for group ORANGE BEACH munity to come out to Fire City Council at its most recent the soon to be dedicated new im- activities both at Gulf Place and meeting. In a memorandum provements at Gulf Place, staff at the public beaches generally Beginning the week of Station No. 1 from 11 a.m. to the City Council from Grant is recommending the Mayor be set at 35 participants.” April 9, preparations for to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April Brown, the ordinance was pro- and City Council adopt an Or- Mayor Robert Craft said this landscaping began on the 21 to celebrate the depart- posed as a continuation of pro- dinance confirming the charac- was just an extension of the re- medians of Perdido Beach ment’s 25th anniversary. tections given to the beach area ter of Gulf Place as nonpublic Boulevard/State Highway For more, see page 3. as a whole. forum. Because of the expected SEE GULF, PAGE 2 182, where the first phase of the Alabama Depart- ment of Transportation’s U-turn project is already complete. Boiling up fun at the Zydeco and Crawfish Festival Additionally, state-con- tracted crews working on Phase 2 of the U-turn proj- ect will soon begin con- structing new medians. The public is advised to expect delays in these areas along the beach highway and avoid it, if Orange Beach Police possible, during the week- Department fundraiser days before 3 p.m. All work The Orange Beach Police is expected to be complete Benevolent Board, along by Memorial Day week- with participating restau- end, weather permitting. Median landscaping rants in the area, is holding During the City Council a benefit Saturday, May meeting on Tuesday, April 12 to raise funds for the 3, City Administrator Ken purchase of a new K-9 of- Grimes discussed the me- ficer for the Orange Beach dian landscaping project Police Department. To read that Orange Beach Public more, jump to page 3. Works will handle. “Our process will in- clude digging out approxi- DEATHS PAGE 19 mately six to eight inches PHOTOS BY CAPT. MARK ROBINSON / GCM CORRESPONDENT of the sand, then we’ll Arthur Allen Jr. The Waterway Village Zydeco & Crawfish Festival boiled up a beaucoup (French for a lot) of fun this Saturday. At- have to put in sprinkler Michael Eubanks tendees sank their teeth into hot, juicy, lip-smacking crawfish throughout the day while dancing to the infectious pipes now that the boring Victor Ernest Koch rhythms of some of the best Zydeco bands from around the South. There were arts and crafts vendors as well as is in and the water lines Thelma Doris Foley Wilsey children’s activities offering nonstop fun for all ages. If that wasn’t enough, festival goers could work up an appetite are connected,” Grimes Middleton with the 5K Run/1 Mile Fun Run and Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll) all day long. Find more said. “That will take a cou- Jene William Owens Sr. photos on page 34. ple of weeks to get all of the pipes in and then we’ll Mary Frances Sabin fill that back with top soil. Eleanor Glover Walker We’ll then put in plants on the ends, and the sod. So you’ll see that going on INDEX for what we think will be BALDWIN LIVING, 5 probably be five weeks.” Expanding on that in- CLASSIFIED, 8 formation, Mayor Tony HEALTH, 21 Kennon explained the reasoning behind the land- LEGALS, 24 scaping choices. OPINION, 10 “First off, we wanted to know what can we do with OUT & ABOUT, 11 the least amount of main- PUZZLES, 20 tenance for public safety,” Kennon said. “So we’re SPORTS, 12 TV LISTINGS, 15 SEE CAUTION, PAGE 35 Gulf Coast Media VOLUME 42 • ISSUE 17 1 SECTION • 36 PAGES 1805 N. McKenzie St. (Hwy. 59), Foley (Peachtree Professional Center) 251-943-4395 2• The Islander • April 18, 2018 • Gulf Coast Media GSES K-Kids Club supports local foundation for kids with cancer Gulf Shores Elementary School K-Kids Club members donated items and assisted in assembling chemo care kits for four Kimberly Ray, K-Kids Club parent volunteer, leads K-Kids Gulf Shores children with cancer. Pictured are: Mary Eliza- Kaleigh Davis (left) and Amelia Eskew (right) in assembling beth Alford, Haley Bedinger, Raeleigh Boesel, Kaleigh Davis, the K-Kids Club donated items for the chemo care kits to be Amelia Eskew, Brody Johnson, Morgan McCartney, Haley Sims, donated to Jensen’s Heart of Gold to benefit four Gulf Shores Matheus Siqueira, Jeb Bathrick, Abigail Chamblin, Claire Col- kids with cancer. vin, Annica Farris, Skylar Gant, Tucker Graham, Cookie Grover, Tucker King, Spencer Kizer, Aeron Queensberry, Braylynn Rehl, The Gulf Shores El- with cancer. The K-Kids Cline Steward, and Masha Turkic. Also pictured are Kiwanis ementary School K-Kids Club assembled four bags Club of Gulf Shores advisors David Lee, Taylor Means and Sha- Club collected items for with the donated items ron Weise. chemo care kits to donate and presented them to SUBMITTED PHOTOS to Jensen's Heart of Gold Jensen's Heart of Gold Jensen's Heart of Gold bring hope for parents and K-Kids Club member, Aeron Queensberry, shows the items he Foundation to benefit Foundation President and Foundation was founded children right here in our donated for the chemo care kits to benefit four Gulf Shores four Gulf Shores kids Founder, Melissa Byrd. in Gulf Shores in 2010 to community. kids with cancer. GULF onstrate for any purpose, which isn’t cheap. “We was carried on Turner and what an unbeliev- Resources (ADCNR) commercial or noncom- entered into a relation- Networks on TBS, TNT able asset we have in that State Lands Division in CONTINUED FROM 1 mercial, while on the ship with Gulf Shores and and TruTV. With a five- beach,” Craft said. order to develop a mas- beach sand areas of the Orange Beach Tourism to year program now, the The event will take place ter storm water master strictions already in place public beach. split the cost of produc- NCAA has made an ar- May 3 – 6 with setup start- plan for the Walking in the beach areas to the tion 50/50,” Brown said. rangement with ESPN. ing April 30. District. In order for new Gulf Place project. NCAA beach volleyball “The cost of production is Early events will be on Gulf Shores to achieve “For years we’ve operated championships roughly $370,000.” ESPN with final events on Also approved at the its goal of creating a the beach in front of Gulf A sponsorship agree- Herb Malone, President the mother station. Tre- meeting were: compact, walkable, Place as a public assembly ment and public assembly and CEO of Gulf Shores mendous, tremendous ex- • Application for a $30,000 mixed-use beachfront, area, but not for any type permit for the NCAA and Orange Beach Tour- pansion with coverage and Coastal Planning & Non- storm water detention of demonstrations,” Craft National Collegiate Beach ism, spoke about the new audience we’ll be reaching point Pollution Control must be managed on an said. “It’s for families and Volleyball Championship agreement this year for with this.” Grant with a required area wide basis. On-site for us to go have a peaceful were also passed at the the tournament to be Mayor Robert Craft said $25,000 in matching detention ponds for in- enjoyment of the beach council meeting. televised nationally on ES- this was a signature event funds and $5,000 in dividual developments and the beach area. You Following the staging PN’s family of networks. for Gulf Shores. “It was in-kind services. Staff are not compatible with can get assembly permits and hosting of two suc- “We’re always conscious never thought of as being seeks a Coastal Plan- compact, pedestrian for certain things like the cessful NCAA National of return on investment, a return on investment, ning Grant from the friendly development. A Shrimp Festival, but as far Collegiate Beach Volley- and this is it,” Malone but more about exposure Alabama Department of master storm water plan as unregulated daily activ- ball Championships, the said. “The first two years and showing who we are Conservation & Natural will determine required ities on the beach they will City of Gulf Shores in drainage infrastruc- be limited to not public partnership with the Gulf ture for future buildout discussions, public forums Shores & Orange Beach and utilize the streets or presentations.” The Sports Commission, bid on and adjacent tidally ordinance states that un- and were awarded a con- influenced wetlands for less otherwise specifically tract to host the next five storm water treatment authorized by the city in a years’ (2018-2022) champi- therefore reducing or public assembly permit for onships.