Serving the greater NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH BALDWIN communities Sign up for summer camp PAGE 35 Boating class is coming up The Onlooker PAGE 4 MAY 31, 2017 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Bay Minette The Wormhole offers a new type named a 2017 of virtual adventure for all ages Community of Excellence By TINA COVINGTON and Spanish Fort earned For The Onlooker the designation of an “Ala- bama Community of Ex- BAY MINETTE — Six cellence” at the Opening new communities, includ- Session. Mayors and com- ing Bay Minette, were se- munity representatives lected to participate in the were recognized and re- 2017 incoming class for the ceived a plaque and a sign Alabama Communities of to be displayed in a promi- Excellence. The announce- nent location within their ment was made at the respective communities. Alabama League of Mu- The three communities nicipalities Annual Con- successfully completed the vention in Birmingham. Alabama Communities of In addition to Bay Mi- Excellence comprehensive nette, other communities three-phase approach to selected include Boaz, economic and community Center Point, Chelsea, development. Hanceville, and Tallassee. Bay Minette and the Three Alabama com- munities, Jasper, Oneonta SEE EXCELLENCE, PAGE 3 PHOTOS BY JESSICA VAUGHN Lauren Lowery, co-owner of The Wormhole, under the logo of her design. Lauren and her husband, Shane, have brought Robertsdale remembers Baldwin County a fun and exciting gaming opportunity. ‘Cat Lady’ after stroke Players have adventures at Foley business By JESSICA VAUGHN able to play VR games. Carlson, longtime employee [email protected] In came Shane and Lauren Low- at local Chevron, dies at 74 ery, with an innovative idea that OLEY — A brand new, they wanted to bring to the Gulf By JOHN UNDERWOOD warm “Goodbye” on exciting experience has Coast. [email protected] their way out. She was also known Fopened in Foley, and it THE DREAM ROBERTSDALE — If as Robertsdale’s “Cat is aiming to make sure that “Shane is more of the gamer, you’ve been to the Chev- Lady,” taking care of no one plays video games the this was definitely his idea,” Lau- ron at the corner of Ala- many cats around the same way again. ren said. “I was the logo designer, bama 59 and Silverhill store and in her neigh- website designer, layout of the area, Avenue in Robertsdale borhood, giving homes The Wormhole, located in South colors, interior, advertising, that’s over the last 17 years, to some while finding Foley, is a one-of-a-kind place that me. He’s the technician. I’m the you might not have homes for others. allows players to come in and live business end, and he makes things known her name, but Over the past few virtual reality adventures. work.” you probably remember weeks, if you hadn’t Upon entering, players are The two worked together to bring her face. already heard, you’ve greeted by four fully operational their dream to life. From the paint When she was there, probably noticed that booths, each hooked to their own on the walls to the desk beside everyone entering the her smiling face and computer terminal and ready to the front door, the pair not only store was greeted with friendly greetings have take players into the world of VR. in city relations.” planned and designed their busi- a smile and a warm This is the very first virtual real- Virtual reality gaming has been ness, but built it up as well. “Hello,” along with a SEE CARLSON, PAGE 4 ity gaming business of this type to a growing interest in the gaming “We actually started while com- open not only in Baldwin County, community for a few years, but ing home from Illinois,” Lauren but in Alabama. So far, there are it wasn’t until recently, with the said. “We had 18 hours of noth- DEATHS PAGE 20 only a few gaming opportunities of release of more games and word of ing to do in a car together, and so this type across the entire country. mouth, that it truly began to take Shane was like, ‘You know what? Mary Virginia Branch Altherr “We’ve heard there was one in off. Unfortunately for many gam- Let’s do something cool in our area, James L. McNeill Destin,” said co-owner Lauren ers, the price for the equipment and do something they don’t have.’ He loves VR, before this, and so that’s Eleanor Morin Lowery. “The other two I know the computers that it takes to run when I decided to do the logo in the Mildred Brooks Vernon of for sure are in Bloomington, such games quickly adds up. This Illinois, and Normal, Illinois, and doesn’t account for the amount of car. That’s when we came up with they’re like Foley and Gulf Shores floor space one must clear to be SEE WORMHOLE, PAGE 2 INDEX Gulf BALDWIN LIVING, 5 OUT & ABOUT, 24 Coast CLASSIFIED, 10 PUZZLES, 12 Media HEALTH, 22 SPORTS, 13 VOLUME 109 • ISSUE 20 LEGALS, 26 TV LISTINGS, 16 1 SECTION • 36 PAGES OPINION, 8 2 • The Onlooker • May 31, 2017 • Gulf Coast Media Commission awards plaques for historic preservation SUBMITTED RELEASE Converse residence, is typical of the style of houses built in old Fairhope, which are rapidly disappear- The Baldwin County Historic Development Com- ing due to construction of newer homes. Donnie mission recently awarded plaques to owners of two Barrett, director of the Fairhope Museum of His- historic structures. Rex and Camille Turner were tory, interjected that White Avenue is located in the presented the Shield and Banner recognizing the section of the city that was inhabited even before home at 16219 Silverhill Ave. in Silverhill, as a his- the Single Tax Colony founded Fairhope. torically significant building. Historic Shield and Banner plaques are granted The circa 1928 house is built in the Craftsman to buildings in Baldwin County that meet the style of architecture. The Turners have lovingly requirements as set forth in the Historic Develop- restored the once abandoned home to its original ment Commission guidelines. In general, a building condition. Rex Turner expressed his passion for must be at least 50 years old with the exterior main- saving the home; “If it had gone another year, it tained or restored in accordance with an historic would probably have deteriorated past the point of architectural appearance of significance. Stan- PHOTOS SUBMITTED no return.” dards and applications are found at BCHDC.org, or LEFT: BCHDC’s Margaret Long presents a Shield and Banner to Rex and Camille Also awarded the official Shield and Banner were may be requested by email from bchistoricmark- Turner of Silverhill. Joel and Mikeal Donald, to display on their home [email protected]. The $150 fee covers the historical at 106 White Ave., Fairhope. Mikeal Donald em- verification of the structure’s exterior and the cost RIGHT: BCHDC’s Margaret Long presents a Shield and Banner to Mikeal Donald phasized that the 1940 Cottage home, formerly, the of the plaques. of Fairhope. WORMHOLE THE ADVENTURE five to ten minutes to make for all four booths and start ter, you’re underwater on on a screen.’ It’s totally dif- Opening in April, The sure players are good, the competition. For this a sunken ship, and a whale ferent, it’s something you CONTINUED FROM 1 Wormhole currently has 42 and if they want to switch option, it works best to call comes up to you. That’s my definitely have to try.” The Wormhole, an alter- games to offer players, but games, they can.” ahead to make the plans favorite.” They offer a selection nate reality fix. With the they’re looking to buy more This is true for not only with either Shane or Lau- For the more interac- of a few demo titles that wormhole in space, you get soon and expand the cata- children but for anyone ren, so that they can have tive games, the controllers everyone is welcome to try sucked into it and you go to log even further. Lauren who wishes to try their all the booths set up and show up in the goggles, so out, and once they have, old a different world, a differ- reveled that they’re watch- hand at virtual reality. online when the players you can easily coordinate school gaming will never ent reality, and that’s kind ing after a few open world Upon entering, players can arrive. your moves. Also, all of be the same again. of like VR. You put those games in a World of War- look at games on tablets Of course, if gaming the booths are padded, so “You have to try it to goggles on, and you’re in craft type genre. As of now, provided by The Wormhole isn’t your thing, then if a player becomes too understand,” Lauren a whole new world. And you can find popular games to see what games are of- there’s always the option immersed and accidently said. “That’s why we offer that’s why we put ‘an alter- such as Space Pirates, fered and watch previews of watching your friends bumps the wall there won’t the free demo, because if nate reality fix,’ because The Lab, The Brookhaven of the titles before playing. as well. The booths are be damage. you don’t put the goggles Experiment, and Batman: It is recommended that open for viewing, and the on, you don’t realize how once you play VR, it’s hard BUT WHAT ABOUT…? to go back to a regular Arkham City.