COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Ongoing and Upcoming Events, PAGE 4 Mystery House The Islander PAGE 13 INSIDE MARCH 15, 2017 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Jimmy Buffett returns to Orange Beach Get ready for another visit to Margaritaville, as favorite son Jimmy Buffett comes home once again to play the Wharf in Orange Beach. Grab your flip flops and your crab hats, and turn to Page 3 to find out more about this amazing upcoming event. Bruce O’dell demonstrating firing of Raku PHOTOS BY CAPT. MARK ROBINSON Rhonda Taulbe Orange Beach Festival of Art This weekend saw people from across the region Wisconsin Sno-Bird come out to Orange Beach for the annual Orange Club gives $1,000 Beach Festival of Art. Families got to see amazing arts scholarship and crafts, activities and amenities as the weather Gulf Shores High School stayed beautiful for all to enjoy. For more photos from senior Andrew Mitchell this event, turn to Page 2 or visit our website at gulf- is the recipient of a $1,000 coastnewstoday.com. scholarship courtesy of the Wisconsin Sno-Bird Club. To find out more about this generous award, turn to Page 5. United Way receives $6,200 from MOAA for parade victims The Military Officers Gulf Shores council talks Orange Beach of America Associa- tion recently presented council looks to $6,200 in donations to Hangout Festival, retail study be given to the victims and families affected by By CRYSTAL COLE month planning cycle,” public beach front will lend a hand the Gulf Shores parade [email protected] Brown said. be utilized.” accident. To learn more Brown said the secu- Brown did say the about the donation and Three days, 40 plus rity and safety plan for West Gulf Place im- Kennon suggests paying what you can do to help, vendors and up to 45,000 the festival were a 90- provements now under- visit Page 37. projected attendees. page document that is way will slightly change for damaged GS High This year marks the distributed to the city’s some of the items that eighth year of the Hang- police and fire depart- will go in the parking Band instruments DEATHS PAGE 21 out Festival, as Gulf ment. lot by West 2nd Street, Shores city officials dis- Brown said the overall but the improvements By CRYSTAL COLE Charles Everette Hadley Sr. cussed the annual public reach of this year’s festi- should be finished be- [email protected] Dorothy Lorene Huyler assembly permit for the val will be similar to last fore the start of the fes- George L. Matthews Jr. festival during its March year’s. tival. Orange Beach’s city council met last week to Willie Buford Milstead 6 work session. “The footprint for the Brown said festival discuss its regular agenda, but Mayor Tony Ken- Maxine Bracy Palmer Public Information Of- 2017 event will be about organizers were looking non began with an idea to help support students Linda Kay Paulette ficer Grant Brown said the same as the 2016 to increase the number affected by the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras parade Melodie K. Perrone preparing for the annual one,” Brown said. “It of shuttles offered this incident. Debra Lynn Russell festival has become a will be in the same re- year. “With the band tragedy, there were consider- Mary Ann Sislak year-round event. spective areas, the same “Their assembly per- able costs, not just the human pull, but the costs “The festival has re- public parking areas, the mit request for 2017 is of the instruments damaged,” Kennon said. Roy Dallas Wigfield ally turned into a 12- same streets, the same SEE HANGOUT, PAGE 2 SEE LEND A HAND, PAGE 2 INDEX Gulf BALDWIN LIVING, 6-8 OUT & ABOUT, 25 Coast CLASSIFIED, 10-11 PUZZLES, 9 Media HEALTH, 23-26 SPORTS, 14-16 VOLUME 41 • ISSUE 12 LEGALS, 27-35 TV LISTINGS, 17-20 1 SECTION • 40 PAGES OPINION, 12-13 2 • The Islander • March 15, 2017 • Gulf Coast Media can build all of the physi- want to take a compre- coming from, what their sive look at our market, want to see it done,” HANGOUT cal infrastructure on the hensive look at our city commuting patterns are understanding who our Phelps said. “It’s not a CONTINUED FROM 1 highway itself.” as a whole and look at and what their spending spenders are and who one size fits all approach Brown said traffic the potential for retail habits are.” are the people in our by any means.” to initially approve at- would resume as normal expansion with our ex- The study would also community. It helps us Councilman Steve tendance of up to 45,000 the Tuesday after the isting businesses and help identify retail gaps understand what we look Jones said some in the attendees,” Brown said. event. potential new clients to in the community as like on a seasonal basis, city might question the “The site can support Mayor Robert Craft come in to fill some of well as redevelopment but also a year-round $40,000 price tag with the that increase in attend- said the city was excited the spaces we have.” opportunities within basis.” study, but said it would ees, so they’re asking for about this year’s event. Phelps told the council existing properties. The Phelps said the study help Gulf Shores get a that amendment to the “We’re looking forward the city received four firm would also assist could help identify voids road map for the kind of assembly permit and for to the event again,” Craft proposals from what he with creating a targeted in the market in both growth the city wants to more help transporting said. “I’m getting a little said were well-qualified recruitment strategy to products and retailers see. those additional attend- old to recognize any of firms and vetted them help the city recruit the that could help show the Councilman Jason ees.” the bands, though.” through a selection com- retailers it wants. city what type of busi- Dyken said he thinks the Brown said the closure mittee, which unani- The total bid from nesses to attract in order group understands Gulf of public spaces and Retail study mously recommended Retail Coach is $40,000, to keep people spending Shores didn’t want to areas has been planned The council discussed a firm called The Retail which includes all costs within Gulf Shores. attract the wrong type out in advance to trans- a potential comprehen- Coach. including travel, which Phelps said the study of retailer for their city port needed equipment. sive retail market analy- “What they’re pro- can be absorbed by was geared strictly to- with this study. “The Hangout Festival sis proposal, brought to posing is a 12-month Phelps’ departmental ward retail and wouldn’t “We did not want to will begin moving in them by Economic De- contract, which is what budget this year. go into the industrial or do anything that would their items to different velopment Coordinator they expect the project Craft asked Phelps aviation side of the city’s change the character of staging areas off of the Blake Phelps. to take,” Phelps said. what his department economic development. our city,” Dyken said. public properties and Phelps said the process “They’ll actually go planned to do with the Phelps told the council “It’s really important in locations that can be was already well under- through and analyze study information once it the length of the firm’s that they understand made easier and read- way. our competitive market was received. study was impressive, who we are, what we are ily accessible for them “On Dec. 7, we actu- areas, so neighboring “What we plan to do since several of the other and that we weren’t just to start their build pro- ally issued a request for cities and other cities we is look at three distinct RFPs that came back hiring a firm to come re- cess,” Brown said. “The proposals from to help us literally compete with for areas of our community: were only for 60 or 90 cruit a bunch of big box public beach access at come in and look at our some of these retail ten- the Gulf Beach District, days, as opposed to the retailers to come in here. Gulf Place will be closed retail market,” Phelps ants. They’re also going Waterway Village and year-long project pre- That’s not the character off the Monday leading said. “You’ve seen over to look at what our retail what we’re calling the sented by Retail Coach. of our city.” up to that event, which is the last several years trade is, using the latest Northern Highway 59 “They’re going to re- Phelps told the coun- May 15. The detour at the that tourism is continu- mobile data technology Commercial Corridor,” ally take to our area cil the study could get intersection of 182 and ing to grow. Our residen- to see where people com- Phelps said. “What businesses and let us underway as soon as the Highway 59 will go into tial growth is picking ing to our community they’re going to deliver dive in with them and proposal is approved by effect on Tuesday so they up tremendously, so we shop, where they’re to us is a comprehen- craft this the way we the council. “The reason I was think- Kennon and the coun- next Friday,” Kennon said. striping goes in,” Grimes up yet to take on the proj- LEND A HAND ing, I don’t think we can cil asked city staff to do “And, hopefully, over time, said.