The South Alabama Regional Airport just got famous — or at least it will be when it appears on the next season of CMT’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Jed Blackwell, co-director of SARA, said there were seven to eight people, including cast and crew, on a 560 Cessna Citation jet airplane from Atlanta that flew into the Sanford airport Thursday. While here, the group shot scenes of the runway and contestants getting off the plane.
It was rumored that the filming spilled over into Geneva County yesterday.
In the show’s first two seasons, a bachelor searched for love among both city and country girls. In the third season, Southern bachelorette Paige Duke, a Lancaster, S.C., native and former ambassador for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is looking for love.
This is at least the second time the show has made its way to the area filming for the season. A few weeks ago, filming was conducted at Brooklyn’s Boggs and Boulders.
A spokesperson for CMT said she did not have any information about the next season because filming is managed by a third party production company, and the company has no public relations representative.
This season’s premiere is scheduled to air Fri., Jan. 13, on CMT at 8 p.m. CMT can be viewed locally on Andy Cable Channel 55.
A model of a planned tribute to Andalusia’s textile history turned heads and nearly caused traffic jams on River Falls Street yesterday.
When the City of Andalusia purchased what is known as the Alatex property for a light industrial park, Mayor Earl Johnson announced plans to build a national monument to textile and apparel workers on the property.
Wednesday, local residents got a sneak peek at what that monument might look like, when city workers erected three very large white shirts on the property.
Mayor Earl Johnson explained that the shirts are mock-ups of what will eventually be a large metal shirt, painted white.
“We’re going to be able to change the ties with the season,” he said. “It will keep people driving by to see what tie is on display this week.
“We were the white dress shirt capital of the world,” he said.
City employees built the shirts on display this week to help determine how large the eventual statue should be. Johnson is voting for one shirt that will be 30 percent larger than the largest one currently on display, or approximately 11 feet wide. Landscape architect Dale Fritz of Dale Fritz and Associates, wants three shirts. Wednesday afternoon, the jury was still out.
Johnson said the goal is to dedicate the monument to textile workers on Labor Day 2012.
Between now and then, there will be an opportunity for people who worked here, or whose parents or grandparents worked here, to have their names inscribed on some kind of monument, he said. There also will be a monument about the late John G. Scherf and his contributions to Andalusia.
Already, the building that was once Alatex’s corporate office is undergoing renovations to become the chamber of commerce office and a welcome center. Memorabilia from the Alatex era will be displayed inside.
Fritz encouraged anyone who has photographs, old equipment or other items related to Alatex that they might be willing to donate or loan to the visitors’ center to call city hall.
Fritz previously worked with the City of Andalusia to design the court square, the gateway, the grounds of city hall, veterans park and Robert Horry Park.
Do you aspire to be Bird Bird, Dora, Tinkerbell or Spiderman?
Then try out to be one of the many characters in Meredith’s Miracles “Cookies with Characters” event, organizer Janna McGlamory said.
“We need about 80 people for this year’s event,” she said. “We have more than 45 costumed characters that we will feature.”
Auditions are open for those in the eighth grade and up and will be held Jan. 5 at 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church’s fellowship hall.
“We’re looking for energetic people,” McGlamory said. “There are several characters who are in full costume, and there are some that require the actors or actresses to look the part.”
While costumes will be provided the day of the show, organizers said it helps for character hopefuls to come to auditions “in character” with hair and makeup.
Among the costumes are Dora, Big Bird, Mario and Luigi, Beauty and the Beast, Hello Kitty, Rapunzel, Barbie, Tinkerbell and friends, and many more.
This is the sixth year for the event, which will be held Sat., Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. at the Kiwanis Community Center.
Meredith’s Miracles is a non-profit foundation named in honor of Meredith McGlamory, who passed away from a form of childhood cancer in 2003. The charity assists parents who have to leave the area to get specialty medical care for their children. Meredith’s Miracles helps with non-medical related expenses, such as gas, lodging and food, for families within a 60-mile radius of Andalusia.
For more information, call 222- 3265.
The Campus Civitan Club at LBWCC has partnered with Santa Claus to deliver letters and official, personalized “nice” certificates to Covington County children.
Santa is always interested in children, and in helping good causes. So he agreed to take time from his busy Christmas schedule to sign letters and certificates to local children who’ve been good this year.
The Campus Civitan charges $5 for letters, which are professionally printed and include a color photograph of Santa; and $10 for certificates, which are shipped in 9X13 envelopes, and are suitable for framing or saving in memory books. The certificates are signed by both Santa and Rudolph.
Letters and certificates can be reserved by emailing the Campus Civitan sponsor, Kristy White, at . Checks should be payable to Campus Civitan and mailed to Campus Civitan, c/o Kristy White, P.O. Box 1418, Andalusia, AL 36420.
Letters are mailed on Wednesdays and Fridays, with the last mailing set for Mon., Dec. 19.
All proceeds from these letters will go to the UAB Civitan International Research Center. Campus Civitan is required to host an annual project benefiting the center in order to reach honor club status.
The Andalusia Kiwanis Club named C.L. Kirkpatrick its 2011 citizen of the year and honored Dee Catrett as Kiwanian of the year at its annual banquet Monday night.
Kirkpatrick was recognized for his gift of more than seven acres of property and $200,000 for the establishment of Kirkpatrick Park.
Kirkpatrick, Kiwanis president Gwen Kelley said, turned his family’s personal tragedy into a blessing for the Andalusia community.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, fire destroyed the Kirkpatrick home and claimed the life of Mr. Kirkpatrick’s wife, Sallie Ann Kirkpatrick. Mr. Kirkpatrick and members of his family wanted to create a permanent memorial to Mrs. Kirkpatrick and give back to the community that has supported him for years. The result is a beautiful addition to the city’s park system.
And Kirkpatrick hasn’t stopped giving. He is involved in the planning of a children’s play area to be added to the beautiful facility.
Catrett was recognized for her work with the Kiwanis Covington County Fair.
In presenting the award, Kiwanis past president Steve Thomas said Catrett “never says no” to Kiwanis projects.
“She is always encouraging, and has a great sense of humor,” he said. “She is deeply committed to the success of the fair.
“Sometimes we call her the ticket queen,” he said. “She always makes sure we have plenty of people working in the booth, and she takes responsibility for counting the cash each night.
“You can talk to anybody in the organization and they will tell you that she is dedicated and hardworking.”
Each year, the club also recognizes Legion of Honor Kiwanians after 25 years of service. Lapel pins are given every five years. Those recognized, all of whom are past presidents of the club, included John Hill, 60 years; Roy Windham, 45 years; Bill King, 35 years; and Tony Wells, 30 years.