GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism (CVB) announced on Friday that the area has been awarded the opportunity to host two prestigious travel writer conferences.

“Both the Midwest Travel Writers Association (MTWA) and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) are outstanding organizations with top-notch professionals,” said Herb Malone, president/CEO of the CVB. “By hosting these two groups within six months of each other, we will take our public relations efforts to the next plateau. We are honored to have been entrusted with these tasks as we make plans to host the crème-de-la-crème of travel writers.”

Malone added that “after seeing the list of other destinations that have previously hosted these groups, we feel our family-orientated destination has been placed in very humbling company. These groups will generate a significant amount of positive press coverage as well bringing prestige to our destination, and I am proud of our Public Relations Manager Kim Chapman for her hard work on these two conferences.”

Set for October 12-16, 2011, the MTWA conference will provide approximately 40 journalists who live in the Midwest with the opportunity to explore the area’s family-oriented beach destination during the 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival.

"Our members are looking forward to experiencing Alabama's white-sand beaches," said Mary Lu Laffey, MTWA president. "And we're eager to discover all the other wonderful sites and attractions in the area."

Founded 60 years ago in Chicago, MTWA is America's oldest professional travel journalist organization. While all the members live and work in 13 Midwest states, their stories and publications span the globe. This meeting will be the organization's second visit to Alabama; it met in Huntsville in 2000.

Then in the spring, the area will welcome 25 members of the SATW for its mid-year board meeting from April 11-14, 2012.

"The SATW Board of Directors looks forward to meeting at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach," said SATW President-Elect Betsa Marsh. "After we conduct SATW business, we will explore the region for story and photo opportunities and bring our keen travelers' eyes and insights to help promote this amazing destination."

Along the same lines, Barbara Ware, board manager for SATW President-Elect Marsh, added that “I am thrilled to bring our esteemed group of travel writers to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. I had never been to this area and on the site visit, I knew after the first few hours, this is a great place for our SATW Board of Directors to meet. The beautiful white sand, the fabulous array of restaurants, and the awesome Gulf Shores and Orange Beach staff won us over. We are excited to be coming to the area."

The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) promotes responsible journalism, provides professional development for its members, and en¬courages the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide. The Society’s more than 1,200 members include journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media specialists, film lecturers, television and film producers, and travel industry public relations representatives. SATW members maintain the industry’s highest professional and ethical standards, and their dedication and experi¬ence represent the Society’s commitment to journalistic integrity and credibility. SATW truly comprises “Travel’s Most Trusted Voices.”

“Through these two meetings, we will show the writers unique story ideas along the Alabama Gulf Coast, which will ultimately be included in articles covering our target markets across the Southeast and Midwest,” Malone said. “It’s a win-win situation times two.”

(Orange Beach)

The Amphitheater at The Wharf announces "Kings of Leon" concert to be held July 26th.  Tickets for the show will go on sale Saturday April 30th at The Amphitheater Box Office and Ticketmaster.com at 10 a.m.

KINGS OF LEON
Come Around Sundown

Caleb Followill - lead vocals, rhythm guitar / Jared Followill - bass /
Matthew Followill - lead guitar / Nathan Followill - drums

The first thing that strikes you about Kings of Leon’s fifth album, Come Around Sundown, is the sheer musical diversity of its songs, which touch on everything from gospel (spiritual, up-tempo rocker "Radioactive"), angular post-punk ("The Immortals," "Pony Up"), bonafide country ("Back Down South"), and even ’50s-style doo-wop ("Mary"). The album’s huge range proves that Kings of Leon haven’t lost the restless, experimental nature that has made them such an exciting band to watch.

That Caleb, Nathan, Jared, and Matthew Followill continue to follow their own muse and refuse to play it safe is especially impressive coming as they are on the heels of Kings of Leon’s most successful album to date: 2008’s Only By The Night, which catapulted the band into the mainstream. The multi-platinum-selling album debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, hit No. 1 in five countries, sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide, and earned Kings of Leon four Grammy Awards, including wins for their Modern Rock radio multi-week No. 1’s "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody" (which led to what drummer Nathan Followill describes as a "surreal and drunken" trip to the podium to collect an award for "Record of the Year" from Ringo Starr). The album’s success also led to the band’s gracing the covers of Spin and Rolling Stone, performances on Saturday Night Live and The Today Show’s summer concert series, a sold-out show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and headlining slots at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits festivals.

Any other band would feel pressure going into the studio, but Kings of Leon aren’t like any other band. "The funny thing is that Only by the Night was the first album we approached with the attitude of not trying to make a popular record," Nathan says. "We just made the record we wanted to make and it ended up being our best-selling album. So for this new one, I don’t think any of us were thinking we had to make a record that would stand next to Only by the Night. We definitely didn't want to go in there and make a record out of fear that it wouldn't be as big."

On Come Around Sundown, Kings of Leon haven’t sacrificed any of the rich, anthemic quality that made Only By the Night so appealing. While both albums combine a grand and propulsive rock sound with intimate post-punk moods, the band has upped the ante on the new one by connecting the dots between the blues, classic rock, and gospel influences of the Followill’s childhood to the alternative and indie rock Jared introduced them to in adulthood. Come Around Sundown gives the listener a sonic tour of the band’s entire career, from the garage-rock feel of their first two albums, 2003’s Youth and Young Manhood, 2005’s Aha Shake Heartbreak, to 2007’s expansive Because of the Times, on which they began to experiment with a shift in sound.

"Come Around Sundown" colors in the picture of us as a band, in terms of where we’ve come from musically," Nathan says. "And I think it took a record like Only By the Night to be so successful to give us the courage to put a song like 'Mary' on the album. It would have been so easy for us to go in there and try to have a record full of just polished radio smashes. In fact, I'm sure that was expected by a lot of people, but I'm glad that when a song like 'Mary' or 'Back Down South' comes on, people will know immediately that we didn't try to capitalize on being the flavor of the month."

Which is not to say that Kings of Leon’s newer fans won’t love Come Around Sundown. "It'll be neat for people who know us only from our hits because they’ll get to hear where we’ve come from musically," Nathan says. "I think a couple of these songs will turn on newer fans to our older music because it’s hard to imagine the band that wrote 'Sex on Fire' is the same band that wrote 'Trani' [from Youth and Young Manhood]. They’re songs from totally different worlds. I think Come Around Sundown has something for everyone on it, and I hope it leads people to discover us in a totally new way."

Kings of Leon began to record Come Around Sundown in February 2010, just four months after winding up nearly two years of touring the globe behind Only By The Night. "After our last show in Abu Dhabi, the plan was to take a year off and do nothing, but we got bored," Nathan says. "It was like, 'You guys want to get together and rehearse some stuff in case we have a show?' That always turns into new ideas and it only takes two or three to get us so excited that we think we could potentially start another record." Choosing to record in New York for the first time, the band went into Avatar Studios with co-producers Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King. "Those two get us as people and as musicians," Nathan says. "If we want to stay in the studio till 4 a.m. critiquing the sound of one snare hit, they’re down for that. And like my grandma said, 'If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.'"

The band named the album Come Around Sundown after a line in a song called "Small Town" by country singer John Anderson. "Matthew was the one who heard it first and he just fell in love with it because it was so beautiful. "Once we started counting how many syllables it had," Nathan says "referring to the fact that all of Kings of Leon’s album titles have five syllables" "it was a no-brainer."

(Orange Beach)

Orange Beach Seeks Citizens to Serve for 2011

The City of Orange Beach elected officials are looking for citizens interested in serving on committees. In
an effort to notify the residents of Orange Beach of the many opportunities to serve, the following is a list
of the various boards and committees that will have openings in the coming year.

Board of Adjustment will have several vacancies. One vacancy in April and four vacancies in
September. This board meets once monthly to hear appeals from decisions of municipal
administrative officers relating to the application of municipal zoning regulations, to grant
variances and to authorize uses permitted on appeal. Appointments are made by the city council
and terms run for three years.

Planning Commission, a nine member board that provides planning, zoning and subdivision
controls for the city. The commission meets monthly on the 2nd Monday of each month. One
citizen will be needed to fill a vacancy in November. The term runs for six years and is a
mayor’s appointment.

Construction Board of Adjustment & Appeals will have three vacancies in October, two of
which are alternates, who vote if someone is absent. The board meets to hear appeals of
decisions and interpretations of the building official and consider variances of the technical codes.
The group meets when needed and terms run one year for alternates and two years for regular
members. Appointments are made by the governing body.

Employee’s Personnel Board is five member board with two vacancies in October. The board
serves in an advisory role to the mayor and personnel officer on problems concerning personnel
administration. The group meets when needed. Terms run four years. One appointment is made
by the mayor and one is a city council appointment.

Gulf Coast Healthcare Authority will have one vacancy in December. This eleven member
Joint Advisory Committee on Health Care was formed by the City of Orange Beach and the City
of Gulf Shores to study, report and make recommendations to each of the City Councils on
community health care needs and services. Appointments are made by the governing body and
terms are for four years.

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism a ten member board whose mission is to market the
Alabama Gulf Coast as a year-round destination, thus enhancing the economy and quality of life
for all residents. One term will expire in September and appointments are made by the governing
body.

Citizens Advisory Committees are volunteer committees formed to assist the City’s leaders and
departments in providing the highest quality of service to the citizens and guests of the City of
Orange Beach. The following are a list of the subcommittees which meet monthly:
o Administration / Ordinance-Policy Review
o Community Development: Building / Planning /
Environmental / Coastal Resources
o Public Safety – Police / Fire / Emergency Services
o Parks-Recreation (formerly referred to as the Citizens Recreation Advisory
Committee “CRAC”) / Special Events
o Transportation / Engineering (roads, infrastructure) / Public Works / Utilities
o Backcountry Trail
o Volunteer Corps

Individuals interested in serving or volunteering should submit a letter of interest and resume, including
contact information to Cathy Constantino, City Clerk, P. O. Box 458, Orange Beach, Alabama. Letters
and resumes may also be submitted via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please indicate
which board/committee you are interested in serving on, and if more than one, please number in order of
preference. The city will consider all applicants and possible candidates based on the requirements for
each respective board or committee. Any citizen can also become a member of the Orange Beach
Volunteer Corps and serve as a volunteer for many city events and activities. For more information,
contact the City Clerk’s Office at 251-981-6979.
*********

(Orange Beach)

Thunder on the Gulf live streaming Friday October 15, and Sunday October 17, 12:00-4:00.  Broadcast brought to you by:  Beyond Communications, Caribe Resort, Turquoise Place, Sunny 105.7, StarKey Storage, Rafters Restaurant and Sports Bar, Blue Girl Beading Company, City Grill, Cohiba Dunes Cigar Bar and HobNobGulfShores.com.

(ORANGE BEACH, Ala.) - Country legend Hank Williams, Jr., Gretchen Wilson and Lee Brice will perform in Orange Beach as part of an ongoing concert series to benefit Alabama beaches.

The Rowdy Friends 2010 Tour will take place at The Wharf’s Amphitheater on Saturday, September 25. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Tickets for Baldwin County residents will be on sale from August 18 at 10 a.m. to August 19th at 6 p.m.  Baldwin County residents will be able to buy up to four tickets from the following locations:  The Wharf Store in Shucker’s Oyster Bar, The Wharf’s box office at the amphitheater or from the Ticketmaster located inside the Orange Beach Publix.  Tickets will be $10 each, and Baldwin County residents must present identification at the time of sale.

Tickets for the general public will be go on sale Friday, August 20th at 10 a.m.  They'll be available at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, The Wharf’s box office or by phone (800-745-3000). These tickets will cost $25 each.

There are 10,000 ticketed seats available in The Wharf’s Amphitheater.  Approximately 3,000 tickets have been allocated to Baldwin County residents and Ticketmaster.  The remaining tickets will be distributed by Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism to its accommodations partners to create packages.  Any tickets not used by lodging partners will then be released on Ticketmaster’s website for the general public to purchase.

Courtesy of Pat Welty, SBNC Publicity

The South Baldwin Newcomer’s Club started their new year, with a brunch on August 3rd at the Orange Beach Senior Activity Center.  The tables were decorated with flesh flower arrangements that several board members provided.  Each member brought a delicious dish to share.

The speaker for the occasion was Mr. Anthony Jones, who owns the Anthony Jones Salon in Orange Beach, AL.  Mr. Jones came to the US in 1969 with one of the top salons in London called Steiners, which opened in New York.  After that, he was recruited by a national company which ran salons in major department stores, to take over 40 salons in the Chicago area.  After he got these salons out of the red, the company gave him the Sunbelt region and based him in New Orleans, with 120 salons to look after between Galveston to Tallahassee.  He then decided to open his own salon in New Orleans.  After running that salon for 20 years, he decided to sell  his salon and the move to Orange Beach and has now lived here for 20 years.  Mr. Jones says he is loving being here and enjoying the beach area.  He gave the group a very informative talk about hair care and many tips on using products for our coastal region.

The next SBNC meeting/luncheon will be held at the Shipps Harbor Grill on September 7.  Look for details later this month.