COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Ongoing and Upcoming Events, PAGE 4 Coastal Alabama Community College Art Fair 2017 The Islander PAGE 7 INSIDE APRIL 5, 2017 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Potential public transit service could come to Orange Branding the beach Beach Orange Beach city leaders and others met with Baldwin County commission members last week to discuss the launch of a pos- sible new public transit service for the city. To learn more about this exciting new develop- ment, turn to Page 2. A tribute Share the Beach meeting schedule for How a for Travis Apr. 6 By CRYSTAL COLE The Share the Beach [email protected] program is kicking off simple signage “ “ Hundreds of servicemen and its volunteer meeting schedule on April 6. women from around the area came together last week to cel- To learn more about welcomes you to ebrate the life of one of their own this program and how change grew - Sergeant Travis Coleman of the it helps protect and Orange Beach Police Department, preserve our sea turtle who passed away suddenly March population, turn to into much more TM 27. Page 37. Coleman was a veteran officer who began his career with the By CRYSTAL COLE department in 2004 following his [email protected] service with the University of Alabama Police Department in Tuscaloosa. Nestled at the bottom of the southside of Alab d the intercostal waterway bridge on a quiet ama’s Playn According to the Orange Beach street corner is one of the oldest and oddest Police Department, Coleman was buildings in Gulf Shores. well respected by the members of It’s beautiful, yet unassuming facade his department and the commu- welcomes locals and tourists alike onto the nity as a whole. island and is one of the first landmarks in- “Losing Sergeant Coleman is a viting people onto the island. tremendous loss, and we grieve It’s the city store and, although it opened the passing of a good friend, a in 2014, many locals still wander in un- good man and a stellar officer,” aware of that’s inside. Orange Beach Police Chief Joe Bridgette Reynolds, programs and events Fierro said. just too good not to. We don’t have a lot of At the memorial service held manager for the City of Gulf Shores, said historical things down here. Everything the store opened as part of the city’s initia- last Friday, two officers stood gets taken away by hurricanes, or we knock as sentinels at the entrance of tive to change its branding and way finding it down.” signage. the service while Orange Beach And so the building had a function once Mayor Tony Kennon and his wife “We started in just a little corner in our more. The palm trees around it are original tennis center selling t-shirts,” Reynolds Paula helped greet and usher in and tell a story themselves. Each notch in Coleman’s friends and family. said. “It expanded and grew to the point the trees are from a period when the tree where we said it needed to be something In attendance were members was in distress, such as during Hurricane from the Orange Beach Police, larger than just a corner of the tennis cen- Frederick and Hurricane Ivan. ter. At the same time, the building on the Gulf Shores Police, Orange Beach The building not only serves to sell city- Fire, Gulf Shores Fire, Alabama corner of Clubhouse and 59 was owned by branded merchandise. It also functions as the city and the fire department was actu- State Troopers and Gulf State an information hub, a box office for city Park rangers, in addition to the ally occupying it because they were build- entertainment events and an outlet for rent- DEATHS PAGE 21 ing a new fire station.” friends and family members who ing city facilities. wanted to help celebrate the life of The building was actually the first tour- Ed Delmore, superviser of retail opera- Thelma Allen ism building in the state of Alabama and the man they knew and loved. tions, said the store has been so successful Fierro said Coleman was one Sara Lee Cummings was christened by Lurleen Wallace. The city because the brand is something locals are Booth spoke with the same consulting firm who of the stalwart members of the proud to wear. Orange Beach Police Department, William Allan Hoke Sr. worked on the city’s branding about how to “We could sell pretty much anything out Daniel Edward Kelliher use the building. someone who earned the respect of here, but that’s not the goal,” Delmore of those he worked with. Ervin John Straub “I said we can’t have this building not used by something,” Reynolds said. “It’s SEE BRANDING, PAGE 2 SEE TRAVIS, PAGE 5 INDEX Gulf BALDWIN LIVING, 7-8 OUT & ABOUT, 26 Coast CLASSIFIED, 10-11 PUZZLES, 9 Media HEALTH, 23-27 SPORTS, 14-16 VOLUME 41 • ISSUE 15 LEGALS, 28-34 TV LISTINGS, 17-20 1 SECTION • 40 PAGES OPINION, 12-13 2 • The Islander • April 5, 2017 • Gulf Coast Media team had 10-15 different Gulf Shores” campaign ert Craft even named the BRANDING samples around the of- which featured a char- first Saturday in June CONTINUED FROM 1 fices of city hall to lay acter known as Miss a “Sunny Day” in her Public transit in on and wrap up with Sunny. honor. said. “The goal is brand until the final selection Likened to Betty Boop “She was truly - Miss recognition. It’s for was made. by many, the woman had Sunny truly was Gulf Orange Beach? somebody who’s down “It’s really high qual- a small waist and bouf- Shores,” Reynolds said. here to come in and buy ity stuff provided to the fant hair while being “She represented the Group addresses commission our stuff to take back citizens and the visitors featured in a bathing area. She was the thing. to wherever their from at an affordable price,” suit in varying settings. We had former Miss on transit feasibility study and remember the good Delmore said. “It’s grow- “She’s very 60s mod, Sunnys come to the times they had in Gulf ing. It’s crazy how much and she was with her opening of the exhibit By CLIFF MCCOLLUM hurdle to implementing Shores. For folks who it’s growing.” family,” Reynolds said. at the museum. It was the program immedi- don’t know Gulf Shores, “They had everyone in an honor to be a Miss Officials from the ately was funding, as it’s for them to see From Miss Sunny to the car saying “Take the Sunny - it wasn’t just a Baldwin Regional Area sources were currently ‘Small town, big beach’ ‘Small town, big beach’ next left to Gulf Shores.” beauty pageant.” Transportation System limited to federal transit and say ‘Where’s that?’” The current tagline Or they had her holding and the city of Orange fund currently being Delmore said a lot of for the city wasn’t imple- up her kid like the Cop- Looking ahead Beach visited the county received and any fare- time and effort goes into mented until a consult- pertone baby. They had The store as a retail commission work ses- box funds that would be picking the items that ing firm was hired to her with the beach pail outfit has seen unprec- sion last week to discuss raised once the program will be sold in the now help with way finding and the big beach ball. edented growth since the results of a transit began. He said the group four different store loca- signage in 2012. Before So she became part of it’s opening. Last year feasibility study for Or- planning this possible tions. He said when pick- then, the marketing for what those ads were.” alone, sales grew by 25 ange Beach. venture was also looking ing out beach towels, the the city was a “Come to Miss Sunny became percent. According to Wiley at marketing and adver- somewhat of a dignitary At the time of publica- Page, who helped put tising opportunities as a for the city, becoming tion, the city is waiting the study together, the way to raise additional synonymous with Gulf on word from an appli- group received over 2,220 support funding. Shores thanks to bill- cation to get a historic responses from visitors The first route to be boards, bumper stickers marker for the building. and locals who said they implemented would be and ad campaigns. Not satisfied to just would definitely use a along the beach road as a Miss Sunny would get the word out about transit system to help get beach service, stretching come to life in the form city events, the staff- around Orange Beach. from the Hangouut in of a pageant held annu- ers inside also give out “60 percent of our Gulf Shores all the way ally at the Shrimp Fes- Leave Only Footprints respondents said they over the bridge. tival. information, inform would consider using For a two bus system, “It became a big tourists about road work public transportation the program would thing,” Reynolds said. and help the under- to get around if it was cost $467,766 per year “When they cut the rib- standing about turtles available,” Page said. for the five year trial bon on the bridge, Miss and other wildlife who “That’s a number we ex- period. With four buses, Sunny was there with share our white, sandy pect to continue to grow the number raises to the mayor and the gover- backyard.