"It's a Beautiful Day In Alabama!"

When one calls the Alabama Tourism Department, we're often greeted by a lovely and welcoming voice stating, "It's a beautiful day in Alabama!" Indeed it is!
Today, we celebrated National Tourism Month with the crew from the State Welcome Center located in Cleburne County, in between Atlanta and Birmingham.
We're lucky enough to celebrate and gather at the Welcome Center twice a year, in May and for the Holiday Open House each winter.
This staff, lead by Kathy Freeman, is always the most hospitable and kindest Welcome Center Staff one may come across!
Today brought together hotels, attractions and restaurants to showcase what "Sweet Home Alabama" has to offer, from as far north as Ardmore, as far west as Tuscaloosa and as far south as Conecuh.
Alabama has everything from beaches to mountains, international to southern cuisine and history and culture all wrapped into one destination that makes you feel like family.
So, come! Visit Calhoun County! Relax, explore and do more!

"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears..."

In 1971, the southeast, basically D.C. to Dallas, did not have a professional Shakespeare company. In 1972, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival was established in Anniston, with performances presented in the high school auditorium. The inaugural season had around 3,000 audience members, which grew to 15,000 by 1977. Later, Anniston constructed today's Performing Arts Center, a 1,000 seat air-conditioned auditorium, complete with a thrust space ideal for Shakespeare. Audiences came from across the state and southeast to see mostly Shakespearean works paired with other classics.

In 1985, the "state theater" moved to Montgomery.

The Chamber & Visitors Center promotes and sustains the economic growth of Calhoun County's region. The Chamber Foundation focuses on education, workforce development, marketing & community development, creating programs to enhance our schools & leverage businesses.

In 2018, the Bard is back in Anniston. The Chamber & Visitors Center, in partnership with JSU's Drama Department, local schools, Anniston Parks & Rec and local arts organizations including CAST, has established The Shakespeare Project to enhance the understanding of performing arts and literature by presenting free professional productions of classic works, including Shakespeare.

August 15 through 17, there will be free professional productions of Julius Caesar for our schools, and August 18 & 19, this free production will also be presented to our community at the Anniston Performing Arts Center, the original home of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

More information coming soon, but make plans to join us this August!

Summer is coming...

Summer is coming... when school lets out, the kids might get cabin fever, so what better way to spend summer than summer camps! Here's a list of some of the options!

JSU offers a ton of athletic and departmental camps over the summer. Here's a start to their growing list.
The Softball Skills and Drills Camp for grades K through 5, will be June 4-6 from 9 AM to 12 Noon.
The Softball Elite Camp, Session 1, is only taking the first 50 registered grades 7 through 12, for their June 11-12 set for 9 Am to 4 PM.
Softball Elite Camp, Session 2, is also only taking the first 50 registered, grades 7 through 12, for the June 13-14, set for 9 Am to 4 PM.

Rick Pietri's Basketball Team Camp, Session 1, is for High School teams, junior varsity and varsity, as well as travel teams and is set for June 13-16
Rick Pietri's Basketball Team Camp, Session 2, is also for High School teams, junior varsity and varsity, as well as travel teams and set for June 20-22
Rick Pietri's Basketball Elite Camp is for females in grades 8 through 12 and set for June 22-23.

Gamecock Soccer Day Camp is for ages 5 through 13 and is set for July 23-26 from 8 AM to 11:30 AM.

Volleyball's Serve and Pass Camp is for girls and boys, grades k through 12 and is set for July 9 from 6 PM to 8 PM.
Volleyball's Setters Camp is also for girls and boys grades k through 12 and is set for July 10 from 6 PM to 8 PM.
The Volleyball Hitters Camp includes girls and boys grades k through 12 and is scheduled for July 11 from 6 PM to 8 PM.
The Volleyball General Skills Camp is scheduled for July 26-27 from 1 to 4 PM, for girls and boys grades k through 12
The Volleyball Team Camp is set for July 28 from 8 AM to 5 PM.

The Elite High School Football Camp, "Night of Champions" is set for June 21 and July 24, from 6 to 8 PM, with Specialist at 2 PM and Registration from 4:30 to 6 PM at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium. 

FCA Football Team Camp is set for July 11 through 12. Both Camps consist of FCA, Character Development, Position School, 1-on-1s, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11. 

Youth Camp will be July 9 and 10, with registration from 5 to 6 PM and camp from 6 to 8 PM. 

Drum-Majors, Colorguard, Percussion and Band Leadership, Spirit Camp's leadership training is back June 12 through 16. Visit spiritcamp.com for more information. 

May 29 through August 7, from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, the City of Parks & Recreation Department has their summer day camp. 

The YMCA of Calhoun County also has day camps available through summer. 

Foothills Day Camp is a free summer day camp taking place at Camp Lee in Anniston, Alabama, for children ages 6-10. This year, camp is set for July 16 through 20. 

The JSU Drama Department is again partnering with CAST for their summer camp 2018. June 18 through 22, from 8 to 11 AM, ages 5 through 8 will have their 101 Dalmatians Camp, and June 18 through 22, from noon to 5, ages 9 through 14 will also have their 101 Dalmatians Camp. 

Then, June 25th through 29th from 9 AM to 4 PM, ages 13 through 18 are invited to the Advanced Musical Theatre Camp, featuring the musical Godspell Jr.  For more information, email thecastkidz@gmail.com. 

This is only the start... check back for more details to come...

Share the Road

We see these signs, slogans, but what does it mean as a cyclist and driver?

When on a road, a cyclist and their bike are to be treated like a car. They're different but equal. Treat them like a human or as you would a tractor or slow moving vehicle. It's the cyclist's job to stay right, preferably riding within two feet of the right shoulder roadway. Alabama even has a law for when a cyclists and automobile driver are in a passing zone, and drivers may pass a cyclist but must allow a minimum of three feet between their vehicle and the cyclist.

Be patient, and let the police handle the bad ones. That goes for cyclists and drivers. Cyclists are your neighbors, doctors, teachers, etc. Always think of them as human, and realize that most are responsible. Please don't honk or try to spook them. Riding a bike is stressful enough, and adding traffic, especially threatening traffic, is scary.

Cyclists are not to ride toward oncoming traffic, but they are to ride with traffic, using hand signals to change lanes, turn, etc. Cyclists, just like an automobile, shouldn't pass on the right, in case the car turns right.

I
f riding on the roadway, cyclists should always wear a helmet and ride predictably, in a straight line, and abiding to traffic laws, yielding to traffic, stopping at lights and stop signs, etc.

It's the cyclists responsibility to be aware and to be visible, wearing cool and bright clothing, with lights on in the early morning, night or during

evening rides.

If you've never tried it, rent a bike and ride. It's fun and good for you. In fact, Ernest Hemingway once said, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.”

See The Giver

This weekend, and this weekend only, JSU’s Alpha Psi Omega (APO) presents the stage adaptation of “The Giver,” Lois Lowry’s Newberry Award winning book. We asked student Director and APO President Alexis Loren Robinson to share about this upcoming production.

Tell me about APO and this weekend’s production selection.
We are a theatre honor society. We are a group of theatre artists dedicated to spreading theatre as far as we can within our community. Each year we do a children's show to reach local youth, and this year, that show is The Giver.

As President of APO, what do you love most about theatre & how did you get into JSU’s drama department?
I love that theatre has a story for everyone. I am actually a transfer student. I initially went to Berry College in Rome, Georgia, but never felt quite at home there, so I transfered here on word of mouth and never looked back!

As the director, what about “The Giver” story do you enjoy most?
I have always loved The Giver. I read the book around age 11 and have always held it dear to me heart. I think Jonas' determination to see the world change is what I love most about this particular story.

What do you want audiences to gain by seeing a performance?
I want them to understand someone else's perspective a little better after watching this piece.

What’s been your favorite element of production development for “The Giver?”
My favorite part has been watching my actors figure out this strange world in which the play is set. There are so many things, pieces of information, that paint a bigger picture that becomes pretty disturbing the more you look into it.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned through this production?
I have learned that all good things take time. This is my first mainstage show, and all of the technical elements have been theoretical up until recently. It is so rewarding to see something that you've seen in your head, for months, come to life before your eyes. It is pretty magical.

Why should visitors and residents come to Stone Center this weekend and see the show?
This show has heart. It is designed to make you look through a child's eyes at the promise of a new tomorrow. The messages in this show ring true for all ages.

Get your tickets for April 20-21 at 7:30 PM or April 22 at 2:30 PM at JSU's Ernest Stone Performing Arts Center, 11th Street NE, in Jacksonville.

State Parks

It's called "Sweet Home Alabama" for a reason. From picturesque beaches to mountain panorama landscapes, Alabama is a great place to explore the great outdoors. Explore some of what Alabama has to offer at Desoto State Park & Cheaha State Park.

Cheaha State Park 
19644 Hwy 281Delta, AL 36258
256-488-5111First opened to the public in 1933, Cheaha State Park, with Alabama's highest point as the centerpiece, is Alabama's oldest continuously operating state park, surrounded by the Talladega National Forest in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains The park gets its name from the Creek Indian name for the mountain, "chaha," meaning "high place".

From the long distance Pinhoti Trail to the Kentuck ORV-ATV Trail, there is something for every outdoor enthusiast at Cheaha State Park.

Desoto State Park 
7104 DeSoto Parkway NE

Fort Payne, AL 35967
256-845-5380

The park, named for the 16th-century explorer Hernando de Soto, was developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Located only 8 miles northeast of Fort Payne atop beautiful Lookout Mountain, this family friendly spot offers beautiful waterfalls, more than 25 miles of hiking trails, camping, cabins and more accommodations.

More time to explore? Check out nearby State Parks! 

Mountain Longleaf

The Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge has been working to preserve the local flora and fauna ecosystem since their establishment in 2003. The Longleaf Pine is the Alabama State Tree and therefore has a rich historical impact in the ecosystem of the area, much like the Refuge. Historically, the Longleaf Pine provided resources for the grazers and settlers in Alabama. Due to several invasive human actions, the local Mountain Longleaf Pine Forest now occupies a fraction of the vast land it use to. However, the Refuge has been able to work to conserve the remaining forest and wildlife over the last fifteen years. So where exactly are these forest? The Refuge occupies approximately 9,000 acres of what was once Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. Just look towards the east as you go over the Highway 431 Bypass, those beautiful hills in the distance covered in longleaf pines are preserved through the efforts of the Wildlife Refuge.

Under the management of Fish & Wildlife’s Sarah Clardy, they are able to do this through partnerships and prescribed burnings, which are essential to the growth of the longleaf species.
This area offers itself to visitors who want to enjoy the outdoors. They have several options for day hikes and trails with panoramic views of the area. They encourage wildlife viewing, bird watching, education of the nature around us, and even have options for hunting and fishing. Access can be found through Bain’s Gap Road for people to enter into the refuge and become encompassed in the nature and wildlife the Refuge has worked hard to preserve.

By: Rebecca Hearn
Student Jacksonville High School