Initiatives magazine, October 2005

Way Cool Check out what’s going on for family, friends and fun in the Tennessee Valley

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Celebrate!

It’s that time of year when holidays and special events seem to be around every corner. Fortunately for those living in North Alabama, exceptional is the rule with stellar opportunities to enjoy family, friends, unique cultures and natural surroundings. Alabama earned six listings on the Southeastern Tourism Society’s Top 20 for October - December and of those, four are right in our backyard!

For a more complete listing of local events, go to the Huntsville/ Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site at www.Huntsville.org.

Nov. 24 - Dec. 31: Galaxy of Lights, Huntsville Enter through a poinsettia wreath into the biggest holiday light extravaganza in the Tennessee Valley, a twinkling fantasy world where lamp posts are shooting stars and Santa flies high through the night sky. Features more than 150 exhibits in five major theme areas.

256-830-4447 www.hsvbg.org wmaster@hsvbg.org

October 22-23: Alabama Renaissance Faire, Florence Step back 600 years into medieval Europe where wandering minstrels, magicians and chamber singers stroll by in authentic costumes.

Watch a live chess match with real people as chess pieces, play period games and participate in the dancing and drama of the Renaissance period.

256-768-3031 www.alrenfaire.org

Courtesy of Huntsville Botanical Garden

December 1-31: Christmas in the Park, Arab This charming town celebrates Christmas past by relocating local historic buildings including a church, school, general store and operation grist mill to the local park, all restored to their original state and decorated in period holiday finery.

Also includes live entertainment.

256-586-8128 www.arabcity.org bhawkins@arabcity.org 4 October 2005 Initiatives

Jackson Hill

December 1-31: Santa’s Village, Huntsville Alabama Constitution Village is converted into a holiday fantasy land with live reindeer, elves, dancing teddy bears and the main man himself, Santa Claus.

256-564-8120 www.earlyworks.com

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TESTIMONIALS

LOOK WHERE THEY ARE NOW!

Robert Engram Employer: Oakwood College Job Title: Computer Technician “I really enjoyed my time at VCH. The classes were very good and everyone was kind.

I love to learn and VCH provided that opportunity for me.”

Elizabeth Erskine Employer: Dr. Ted Edwards and Dr. Belinda Savage Edwards Job Title: Certi ed Medical Assistant “VCH changed my attitude in being able to pursue a career.”

These former students graduated from Virginia College at Huntsville and have started successful new lives.

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Remona Fletcher Employer: Virginia College at Huntsville Job Title: Administrative Assistant in Business Of ce “VCH has given my life new direction.”

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256-533-7387 Laura Philyaw Employer: Sebring Engineering Job Title: Multimedia Designer “I have learned a lot, met many wonderful people and I know I will return for my Bachelor’s soon.”

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Delarese Pettus Employer: The Heart Center Job Title: Medical Transcriptionist “The teachers that I had - I really enjoyed them. I really appreciated them as instructors.”

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VIRGINIA COLLEGE

initiatives Huntsville/Madison County • Chamber of Commerce

october 2005

Courtesy of The Ledges

On the Cover:

Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama is located in the middle of the southeastern United States, with more than four million people within a 100-mile radius.

The Huntsville community is the primary economic hub of the northern Alabama/southern Tennessee region. Huntsville/Madison County’s economy is one of the strongest in the South, with low unemployment, strong job growth and income levels leading the region. Business growth and investment from U.S. and international companies have made it one of the country’s top “hot spots” for growing a business and raising a family.

Photo by Holly McClain

Bicentennial Park, newly opened in August, is a cool place to hang out – just ask 16-month-old Dylan Wright. Dylan, his three-year-old brother Jacob and a small band of preschoolers enjoyed their morning frolic. Dylan and Jacob are the sons of Timothy and Carmen Wright.

Timothy Wright works at SRS Technologies, a defense, space and intelligence engineering and systems solutions company.

f eatures Make It Come True

11

Dream in Color ... and Texture

12

I”ll Take Mine to Go

14

Things’ll be great when you’re Downtown

19

Love Those Greens

22

Shop ’til You Drop

26

Follow the Kingfisher

30

Gaining Visibility by Degrees

38

d e v e l o p me n t s HREGI Investors

28

Schools & Libraries

34

Community Profile

36

Cummings Research Park

41

... plus various community photos throughout

ed i t o r i a l s t a f f

mission

The mission of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville • Madison County is to prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth.

contact

Chamber of Commerce Huntsville • Madison County 225 Church Street Huntsville, AL 35801 256.535.2000

on the web

Publisher

Brian Hilson

Executive Editor

Holly McClain

Editorial Designer

Kristi Sherrard

Contributing Writers

Holly McClain Gaylon Gwin Rebecca Sallee

Photography

Holly McClain & Huntsville/ Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau unless otherwise credited

Advertising Sales

Susan Bowen

HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com Permission to publish any part of Initiatives Review is hereby granted exclusively to any non-profit institution and to any publisher for broadcast or publication to the general public. Credit “Initiatives Review, a Publication of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville • Madison County.”

7 Initiatives October 2005

The Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2005 Executive Committee Jim Link, Chair Dave Hargrove, Chair-Elect Tommy Beason, Past Chair Peri Widener, Secretary

A Message from the Chamber

Jan Hess, Treasurer Brad Jones, Vice Chair Economic Development Joe Ritch, Vice Chair Governmental Affairs Joel Daves, Vice Chair Investor Relations

Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends: There is a formula for exceptional economic development which has proven successful in the Huntsville community for many years. This is not a written formula, but one that local leaders who stimulated Huntsville’s success in economic development over a half-century ago, and those who made sure the right things happened in the ’70s and ’80s, and those who continue to be heavily involved today, understand very well. It’s a matter of community spirit and commitment to ensuring the Huntsville area is the best it can be. In Huntsville we are blessed with leaders who not only want to know that good things are happening – they insist on being involved and making certain good things do happen! Recently, Joe Ritch, chair of the Chamber’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Committee, told community leaders the Tennessee Valley’s BRAC efforts didn’t begin recently, they were started years ago. He’s exactly right. What Joe was talking about is the commitment to understanding what makes successful economic growth happen, investing the necessary resources, and ensuring all details are addressed. Today’s successes wouldn’t be possible without the diligent efforts of local leaders over many years.

The real purpose of economic development is not merely for the sake of growth – more jobs, more capital investment, higher incomes, etc. The ultimate payoff in economic development is an improved and exceptional quality of life for all area residents. Quality of life can mean many things, including education, recreation, arts, culture, housing, conservation, preservation, and more. The Huntsville region’s quality of life has been recognized nationally time and again, and this edition of Initiatives takes a look at some of the special quality of life features that make the Huntsville area a great place to live and work.

Our community’s constant and undivided attention to the BRAC process, the recent announcement of the Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology and another expansion of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Alabama facility are a few recent economic development achievements. As you read this Initiatives, please remember, Huntsville’s special quality of life is the direct result of an exceptional economic development process – past, present, and future!

Bill Watson, Vice Chair Research & Information Services Gerald Toland, Vice Chair Small Business Joe Austin, Vice Chair Workforce Development Chairman Mike Gillespie, Chair-Appointed Bill Gurley, Chair-Appointed Mayor Loretta Spencer, Chair-Appointed Karen Stanley, Chair-Appointed Brian Hilson, President/CEO

Elected Board Joe Alexander, Camber Corporation Pete Apple, CSC Joe Austin, Huntsville Hospital Scott Averbuch, Averbuch Realty Co., Inc. Clayton Bass, Huntsville Museum of Art Jim Bolte, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. Frank Caprio, Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne John Cooper, Avocent Corporation Dick Fountain, Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates Dr. Frank Franz, UAH Dr. Greg Gum, Radiology Associates Bill Gurley, SAIC Tharon Honeycutt, WHNT-TV Dr. Eric Janssen, SportsMed Jerre Penney, Bill Penney Toyota Joe Ritch, Sirote & Permutt, P.C.

Brian Hilson

Scott Seeley, Regions Bank

President & CEO Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

Remigius Shatas, RNR Ventures Karen Stanley, Stanley Properties, LLC Sandra Steele, Enfinger Steele Development Paula Steigerwald, Huntsville Botanical Garden Herman Stubbs, Colonial Bank Gerald Toland, Redstone Federal Credit Union Irma Tuder, Analytical Services, Inc. Gail Wall, Beason & Nalley, Inc. Bill Watson, SouthTrust Bank Keith Wilson, Wyle Laboratories Tom Young, Intergraph Corporation

8 October 2005 Initiatives

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Holly McClain

Above: The Village of Providence; Below: The Five Points district downtown

Make it Come True in the Tennessee Valley The American dream home ost people who come here find our housing very affordable compared to other markets,” said Cliff Mann, president of the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors. Indeed, the ACCRA cost of living index ranks Huntsville at 78.1 out of a national average of 100 in housing rates.

How does that stack up with other markets?

Well, Austin, Texas comes in at 92.9, Boston at 176.6, Denver at 105.2, and Washington, D.C. at 222.4. For many who transfer into Huntsville/Madison County, that means their housing dollar now affords a step up in dwelling size and amenities.

Mann noted the Tennessee Valley has a

“M

variety of housing opportunities in all price ranges. “Most people want to live within a 20 to 30 minute drive to work. Thanks to very good commute times, those who prefer a rural location or want to get even more house for their dollar can do so and still be in relatively close proximity to their work,” he remarked. What about housing developments? Perusing www.valleymls.com, the choices for stately, contemporary, patio or vintage homes are tantalizing. “I highly recommend looking at valleymls.com. It has an up-to-date inventory covering homes in an 11 county area,” said Mann.

Lifestyle living communities are available

in the Tennessee Valley and designed to please golfers, equestrians, water-skiers and fishermen, and even those who prefer a village environment where schools, dining and entertainment can be a convenient walk or bicycle ride away. Housing can be difficult to find in some of the area’s sought-after historic districts but opportunities do arise for those who have a yen for antebellum architecture.

Property tax in the City of Huntsville: 58 mils based on 10% of appraised value

Tax on a $100,000 home = .058 x $10,000 = $580/year

“We have great communities with great choice. One thing about our area is it’s a great mixture of city life and you don’t have to go far for an urban or even a country setting. Plus, our geographic location affords water and mountain views. With the Tennessee River, mountain lakes, parks and trails, we have a lot to offer,” said Mann.

Quality is another plus, according to Mann. “The Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association offers quality construction in all price ranges and there are continued on page 12 11 Initiatives October 2005

Dream in Color… and Texture

continued from page 11

lots of opportunities to build your own.”

Mann noted the housing inventory would increase over the next year or so. “Many builders currently have four or five spec homes on the ground, providing a move-in option,” he commented. A presale, with the opportunity to choose colors, finishes and floorplans, is readily available.

Comments by new residents often reveal appreciation for enhanced or increased amenities such as crown molding, brick exteriors and upgraded flooring.

Prefer an older home with a vintage feel?

Home buyers can find an existing home and personalize it with the reassuring knowledge someone is here to help. “We have a number of professionals who work in this market and who travel to other places and keep up with the latest trends,” Mann commented.

He added that buyers can get in a great area of town, have a market analysis done on an older home, then gain some quick appreciation by remodeling themselves.

Holly McClain

Alissa Murnane, owner of Average to art

hether it’s a presale, total remodel or just a bit of touch-up, Huntsville/ Madison County has the craftsmen to turn a house into your dream home.

Transforming generic interiors into works of art is the business of Average to art. Alissa Murnane, owner of Average to art, utilizes faux painting and finishing techniques, and other decorative painting strategies to suit the tastes and lifestyles of her clients. “Average to art specializes in decorative finishes, murals, floor cloths, painted furniture and custom art,” said Murnane. “Whether you want to spice up a kitchen, warm up a family room or make a special place for the kid of the house, Average to art will listen to your ideas and create something unique and special.”

According to Murnane, “If it can be primed, I can turn it into art.” Murnane frequently coordinates and works with independent painting contractors for both

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For information and to see if you can make your home dreams come true in the Tennessee Valley, visit www.valleymls.com, as well as the chamber’s Web site: www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com, for housing and community data.

W

12 October 2005 Initiatives

Brian Kidd, who occasionally works from a home office for his employer Gray Research, personalized his work space with painting techniques aimed to create a warm, productive environment.

residential and business clients.

According to the young entrepreneur – Murnane is 26 years old – Average to art uses only top of the line designer and professional grade products. “We research, learn, and test supplies, then choose the best products from each company for our clients,” she explained. Murnane makes an annual trip to the Chicago Institute of Fine Finishes to keep on top of what’s hot and brings the newest and best products to the Tennessee Valley.

Brian Kidd, a recent client who bought a home in the pedestrian-friendly Village of Providence, hired Murnane to personalize his home office … and then hired her to do a few more enhancements, including marbling interior columns. “All I had to do was

show her the picture and we worked through it together.”

For the do-it-yourselfer, Murnane offers instruction. She would like to grow that part of her business and eventually spend a much greater percentage of her time teaching techniques of decorative wall finishing and methods for choosing the right colors for your home or business. “I instruct clients about finishes that are washable and stain resistant, durable, less expensive than most wallpaper and easily removed,” she explained.

Visit www.averagetoart.com for samples of Murnane’s work. Average to art has two new locations: Interior Market Place near Hampton Cove and Artistic Minds at the corner of Jeff and Old Monrovia roads.

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13 Initiatives October 2005

Kids & Education

I’ll Take Mine to Go! untsville tourism experts hope to capture a share of the region’s youth travel H industry with a new educational program

Thomas S. England

Apollo 16, one of the permanent exhibits at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, left Earth on April 16, 1972, headed for the moon and returned 11 days later.

targeted to middle-schoolers.

Educational Escapes, sponsored by the Huntsville Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), bundles area educational attractions, programs at Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center, and the city’s newspaper, in a “one-stop shop” for teachers seeking field trip destinations.

The CVB has even hired an educational coordinator to help plan custom trips, from choosing which offerings best fit teachers’ needs, to assisting with lodging reservations and extracurricular evening activities.

Faye Wishik, vice president of tourism for the CVB, said the idea first came to light about two years ago. “We realized that the Huntsville area was an educational mecca,” she said, adding the obvious question that came to mind. “What is it that we can do to highlight the community to school groups?”

The CVB was motivated in part by a

desire to tap in to the $2 billion spent each year in student and youth travel, which represents over 20 percent of North American travel, Wishik said. “As we were attending marketplaces, group tour operators were asking questions regarding what we had available for student travel,” she said.

Of course, school groups have long been visiting the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the state’s top tourism attraction, but “that was all,” Wishik said. “We wanted them to stay longer, spend more time in our community.”

Brainstorming sessions with local teachers and heads of attractions resulted in Educational Escapes, a program that offers school groups, defined typically as a class of about 30 students, their choice of tours from a smorgasbord of options: Burritt on the Mountain, the EarlyWorks Museum Complex, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Huntsville Museum of Art, The Huntsville Times, Sci-Quest Museum, the Veterans Memorial Museum, the Weeden House continued on page 16

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continued from page 14

Rod Reilly

This volunteer for Burritt on the Mountain proves that skill and coordination were as important as creativity in the mid-1800s.

Muldoon and other teachers helped proofread a full-color brochure the CVB is using to promote the program and describe venues, to ensure offerings were userfriendly and enticing. Meeting national education standards with the program is “imperative so that a teacher can easily justify field trips,” noted Muldoon.

Wishik said group rates will be available, as always, at attractions that charge admission, while some of the activities, including “mini-courses” at the Redstone Arsenal, MSFC and The Huntsville Times, are free. At the arsenal, students will use robotics and simulator demonstrations to learn about war fighter technology, she

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Museum, Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Wishik said.

Activities from each of the partners in the program were specifically keyed to national education standards, she noted. “If a teacher were to present the idea of a field trip to Huntsville ... they could show the principal, the school board, whomever they have to get approval from, exactly how the activities relate to what’s happening in the classroom.” Activities are modeled for six fields of study: science, social studies, technology, mathematics, language arts, and fine arts.

Kirsten Muldoon, a gifted education specialist at Huntsville Middle School and one of the teachers consulted in program planning, made several suggestions based on her experience with student field trips.

Foremost in teachers’ minds as they plan a trip are “the mechanics of travel,” she said.

“Buses, parking, bathrooms, enough things to do during the day and reasons to spend the night, things to do after 6 p.m.,” Muldoon listed, adding that teachers also need to be sure stops can accommodate children with special needs. Teachers are certain to appreciate having a planner at the CVB to coordinate the details of a field trip, she added.

16 October 2005 Initiatives

Jackson Hill

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technician prepares the Hunter for a flight test at Redstone Arsenal.

For more information about Educational Escapes, visit the Web site at www.educationalescapes.org or call the CVB at 551-2230 (locally) or toll-free at 866-ESC2HSV.

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said, adding that an introduction to military working dogs is also an option. At the space center, students can learn about the International Space Station and shuttle payload operations.

Wishik introduced Educational Escapes to hundreds of attendees of the Alabama State Department of Education’s July mega conference in Mobile, and expects the program to be in full swing by October. The program is being advertised in national travel magazines and at marketplaces and trade shows. NASA is also distributing information about the program through its teacher resource center.

To Wishik’s knowledge, Educational Escapes is unique, especially in that it offers a dedicated tour planner for teachers. “Very often, I have heard it’s logistically difficult for teachers to try to plan the activities, the meals, the lodging, especially when you’re not familiar with an area.”

Educational Escapes welcomes middleschoolers from near or far but is now being marketed to those outside a 50-mile radius of Huntsville. And while only sixththrough eighth-graders are included in the current program, the program may be expanded in the future for use by high school groups.

• Rebecca Sallee

17 Initiatives October 2005

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DOWNTOWN hen you hear the words “downtown revitalization,” you probably picture new buildings, the restoration of old buildings, and a healthy hustle and bustle of places to shop and dine.

But with those visuals come the owners and tenants whose businesses locate or relocate downtown. Some call it a gamble, with the bulk of major Huntsville corporations found in clusters of business and research parks. Others consider it sheer pleasure to work in an atmosphere more low-key than high-tech.

Sirsi Corporation, now SirsiDynix after a recent merger, moved in 1998 from Cummings Research Park in Huntsville to its current leased downtown address at 101 Washington Street, according to Katy McCann, a public relations and media contact for the company. “We needed a larger space for the company, with larger training

and conference areas,” McCann said. “Also, the founders wanted a new location with more character.”

The mission was a success, as both customers of the company and its employees can attest.

“It’s a neat, quaint feel. (It’s) pedestrianfriendly. People from (both) southeast Huntsville and Madison find it easy to get to,” McCann said, adding that the city helped make the move easier by providing parking incentives.

SirsiDynix, which provides information management products and services for libraries and their users, could have considered relocating to Provo, Utah, home of the former Dynix headquarters, noted McCann.

But the company chose to keep headquarters for its 725 employees in Huntsville.

“We think the same kinds of benefits we’ve experienced downtown could also be

experienced by other companies, whether they’re high-tech, financial or medical,” McCann remarked. “We think as more investments are made (downtown) that other companies will follow Sirsi’s example.”

Another new tenant in downtown office space is Global Key Tek, a developer and marketer of digital security software. Harry Barker, the company’s director of sales and marketing, said he and Keith Bedsole, Global Key Tek’s founder/president, spun the company off of a government development entity that was located in the city’s Progress Center. They chose their address at the refurbished Beason Nalley building at 218 Randolph Street (in a building owned by and housing offices of John Blue Realty).

“We’re a smaller company. It was a very definite decision to move downtown because we did not want to get lost in the continued on page 20

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continued from page 19

Vicki Douglas, Realtor 256-603-9399

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vdouglas02@yahoo.com 7500 Memorial Parkway S. #122 Huntsville, AL 35802

general clutter of the huge buildings in office parks, office centers,” Barker said.

“Unless you are the marquis name,” he added, “you have no real corporate presence. That’s why the major players in the research park have their own building.”

Barker said he and Bedsole “just like the ambiance” downtown. “We like the fact that we have the identity. We like being a little more conspicuous.”

As for being downtown, “We love it. It’s just fantastic,” said Barker. “Just the ability to get out at lunch, walk over and have something good to eat, stroll back and stretch your legs, see people and say hello to them. The quality of life down here for us is the final selling point.”

Barker predicts continued growth for the downtown area. “I think it’s only going to get better,” he affirmed. “I think we’re starting to get an interesting mix of people.”

Nightlife downtown is also exciting, Barker noted. “We find it really convenient to, after work, go over (to a nearby restaurant or bar) and have a cocktail,” he says.

“It’s very nice to do that. Downtown has turned the corner towards being a destination again. We’re very pleased to be a part of that.”

Bob Benton, owner and creative director

Harry Barker of Global Key Tek

of Benton Newton Advertising, said his company’s move to 125 Northside Square brings the agency full circle from its first location downtown. “It was just across the street, a little bitty one that I rented,” says Benton, who owns his office building and another at 123 Northside Square. The agency had many homes in the city before returning to what he considers its prime location.

“We realized that downtown Huntsville and especially the square were sort of returning, being brought back to life, if you

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of isolated,” Benton said. “Birds of a feather flock together.”

The “nest” is going to get much busier with the opening of the Big Spring Summit office building at 100 Church Street, scheduled for completion by December.

William Stroud, a principal owner of Triad Properties, the developer of the project, said the eight-story, 80,000 square-foot building is now being sold in condominium units to various businesses.

They will enjoy the amenities and style of the building, which Stroud describes as “urban architecture,” which might not otherwise be affordable. Featuring stone, granite, cherry and other high-end materials for what Stroud calls “understatement, quality and stature,” the Big Spring Summitt will offer stunning views of Big Spring Park.

“We looked at four to five different sites,” Stroud remarked. “There was a lot of momentum in downtown Huntsville. We wanted to be on the front end of that.”

And Triad Properties has more in store for downtown Huntsville, the developer added.

Phase two of the project, the building of some 50 “class-A residential waterfront condominium units” is now in the planning stages, with groundbreaking scheduled for early 2006.

• Rebecca Sallee

00342265

will. Revitalized is a good word,” he said with a nod. “They restored the charm and the vitality of downtown. That made it much more attractive to use.” Benton also thinks his real estate investment “has the potential to grow and prosper.”

His office building is comprised of 7,000 square feet, including three stories and a full basement, and was once the city’s “Trade Palace,” which Benton called “a precursor to a Wal-Mart, if you will. A classic, old American general store.”

It has been transformed into numerous types of businesses over the years, including, reputedly, a brothel, a jewelry store, a pet store, a bail bond office, and storage and studio space for the artist Nall. Now housing Benton’s advertising agency, the walls house creative people in an equally creative environment downtown.

The ambiance of downtown appeals to Benton and his 13 employees. “We can now walk out our front door and within a block there are about six different places to eat.

That makes it nice,” commented Benton.

“And the foot traffic, it’s that small town way of life that adds something special to a work day. It’s fun, charming and a great atmosphere.”

“There’s a sense of community, which is nice. At most other businesses, you’re sort

21 Initiatives October 2005

Love Those Greens I

t’s no secret about Southerners’ love of greens – and I’m not referring to spinach, kale or collards! From private clubs to public courses, golf in Alabama promises a generous serving certain to satisfy a variety of tastes. “I’ve been to Scotland, the birthplace of the sport, and I’ve found nothing that rivals what we have right here,” said Spike McRoy, a Huntsville native and PGA Tour member.

McRoy noted, “The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail stands above and beyond what I’ve seen elsewhere.” Extending from Muscle Shoals and Huntsville in the northern part of the state to Mobile at the southern tip, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is reputed to be the largest golf course construction project ever attempted. The New York Times calls the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail “some of the best public golf on Earth.”

Charles Blume, publisher of Tennessee Valley Golf News magazine and the Golf Guide for North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, adds that North Alabama is a Mecca for affordable daily fee, public golf courses. “There are 57 fun and challenging golf courses within a 90-minute drive of Huntsville. Green fees range from $20 to $70 in the North Alabama area, offering some of the best golfing values in the Southeast.” McRoy concurred, noting, “You can’t play quality golf at a more reasonable price.”

Golfers of all skill levels can choose from

22 October 2005 Initiatives

bent grass, Bermuda and special hybrid greens on traditional or links-style courses.

“Courses offer majestic views, from North Alabama’s mountains and lakes to tree-lined fairways with rolling terrain,” said Blume.

McRoy remarked upon the fantastic views from Huntsville Mountain afforded by The Ledges, a Hurdzan-designed course, and the “awesome family play,” available at places like Colonial Golf Course under the management of Barry Holt.

Temperate weather supports a nearly year-round golf habit. Adding to the pure visual pleasure of the game, North Alabama, while temperate, enjoys a change of all four seasons. ”The more I travel, the more I want to come home,” smiled McRoy. “And it’s not just the golf – it’s the overall quality of life that we enjoy in Huntsville and Madison County.”

Among the many “greens” to love in North Alabama:

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail– Hampton Cove, public The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail offers 378 holes stretching to over 100 miles of golf.

“Hampton Cove has three of the best designed courses on the trail,” said Steve Mack, director of golf at Hampton Cove. “It

offers something for every golfer no matter what your handicap.”

The Highlands Course, which emulates a Scottish links, is one of the gems of the trail.

Thousands of Japanese black pines, oaks, dogwoods, and crepe myrtles have been planted to enhance such features as an old mule barn beside the fifth hole.

Completely opposite is the River Course, the only Robert Trent Jones layout without a single bunker. The River Course is laid out on former soybean fields in the flood plain of the Flint River. The River Course is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago – the dirt was merely pushed up to create the greens and tees, leaving all else, including massive oak trees, as is. The enormous black oak behind the 18th green is reputed to be the third oldest in the state at 250 years.

The Short Course at Hampton Cove is very open and links-like, with water in play on 11 holes and a large double green accommodating the 10th and 17th greens.

For more information on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, visit www.rtjgolf.com.

Colonial Golf Course,

public

Colonial Golf Course is what manager and PGA professional Barry Holt calls an old-style course. It was built in 1963 and has Bermuda fairways and roughs with bent grass greens and tree-lined fairways. It is a

(1) Courtesy of Canebrake Club; (2) Holly McClain; (3) Dennis Keim

Thanks to a temperate climate, golf is nearly a year-round sport in the Tennessee Valley. Average highs and lows in degrees Fahrenheit are: spring 73/49; summer 91/68; fall 75/50; and winter 53/34. Pictures from left: Nestled among gently rolling terrain, beautiful trees and natural water features, Canebrake golf course is visually striking and provides an enjoyable test for golfers of all skill levels; Cynthia Shannon practices on the putting green at The Ledges; The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove offers 54 holes in a river valley setting covering 65 acres.

daily fee course open to the public and also has a yearly membership available.

Colonial is in great condition and boasts some of the finest bent grass greens in the area. Open year-round, Colonial challenges better golfers, yet is still very playable to the novice. Hole 11 is a 430 yard, tree-lined par 4 that is consistently honored as one of the top 18 holes in North Alabama.

Colonial also has a comfortable clubhouse, a fully stocked pro shop with moderately priced merchandise and a patio which may be used for luncheons or meetings. Holt is available by appointment for golf instruction. Available for tournaments and corporate outings, Colonial Golf Course is located in Meridianville—just a short drive from downtown Huntsville. Call 256.828.0431.

Huntsville Country Club,

private

Huntsville Country Club (HCC) is an 80year-old private country club with 500 supportive members. The club is well established in the Huntsville community and focuses on regular golf play, junior golf development, couples play and tournament operations. Huntsville Country Club offers full service golf amenities including a fourtee practice range, two large practice greens and a chipping green. HCC Head PGA Golf Professional Micky Wolfe is a PGA certified golf instructor and keeps instruction at the

“fore” front of the HCC experience. Call 256.859.3000 for information on HCC.

The Ledges,

private

Recently ranked as one of the top courses in Alabama by Golf Digest magazine, The Ledges Country Club is perched upon one of the highest points in Madison County.

Golfers are treated to spectacular views of Jones Valley and Hampton Cove as they make their way from tee to green. The breathtaking and challenging course tests golfers of all skill levels.

The Ledges was designed in the timeless style of raised tees, wide zoysia fairways, large undulating bent grass greens, simply shaped bunkers and almost no gimmicks.

Many of the holes feature steep drops on the left side of the fairway and all the holes present unique challenges. The intent of the site was to let the natural beauty and the difficult terrain shine through for an unparalleled golfing experience. The climate in northern Alabama allows golfers to enjoy the course practically year round.

Steve Denney, managing partner at The Ledges, reflected, “It’s a club that combines member service, ambiance and golf amenities at a level comparable to the best the country has to offer.” Denney added, “Our members are proud to call The Ledges their home club no matter where they travel.”

The Ledges, he noted, enables members to experience a level of sophistication and elegance usually associated with “big city” living.

Take a virtual look at The Ledges course at www.theledges.com/golf.asp.

Canebrake,

public rates available

The great Donald Ross once said, “The Lord made golf holes; golf architects merely discover them.” This truism describes the creative process behind Canebrake’s championship golf course. Each hole was cultivated to create characteristics that uniquely unify the game with nature.

The golf course at Canebrake is the crown jewel of the club and residential community. Golf course architect Ron Garl has designed many courses throughout the world, and Canebrake has matured into a masterpiece that ranks among his best. Garl designed multiple tee placements to make a challenging golf experience for low handicaps while ensuring a pleasurable experience for the novice golfer.

With Piney Creek meandering through the front nine and surprising elevation changes on the back, Garl mixed long and short holes together to challenge all golfers.

His unique ability to lay out a course that remains interesting and forces the player to continued on page 24 23 Initiatives October 2005

continued from page 23

use all their clubs is evident at Canebrake.

Long open holes with large putting surfaces are followed by a short hole emphasizing accuracy to a small green.

Stephen Puryear, PGA golf professional at Canebrake said, “I have found very few people who do not enjoy the condition or playability of Canebrake. Ron Garl created the perfect blend holes that are long and open and then short and tight. Mix his expert design with the best conditioning, and you have the perfect recipe for a great round of golf for every player.”

For information: www.canebrakeclub.com

Cherokee Ridge,

private

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Cherokee Ridge is a 670-acre private golf community of homes and home sites – all nestled among gently rolling hills, woods, 30 acres of sparkling lakes, and surrounded by a breathtaking mountain range.

Throughout the 18-hole, par 72 layout, hole after hole fits naturally into the landscape, taking every advantage of rolling hills, whispering woods, lakes and streams.

Much of the front nine is guarded by a 17acre lake – if not an added challenge, certainly a beautiful diversion. The back nine turns through a forest of pines and hardwoods but nonetheless formidable.

24 October 2005 Initiatives

The championship course is considered by many to be one of the finest in northern Alabama. All new bent grass greens, part of a recent course renovation, are maintained in top condition. And the Bermuda fairways enhance playability.

The Cherokee Ridge Country Club golf facility includes two practice putting greens, a driving range, fully-stocked pro shop, men’s and women’s locker rooms and club storage. It also provides a PGA professional staff to help you sharpen your game.

Rich Waite, PGA professional and club manager at Cherokee Ridge, “In my opinion, this is the best part of the state for golf.

We’re just south of Huntsville but it’s a convenient ride and true country club living.”

Additional information is available at www.cherokeeridge.com/golf.html.

Richland Golf Center,

public

Billed as North Alabama’s premier short game training facility, Richland Golf Center offers a lighted driving range with 22 covered bays and grass tees, two chipping and putting practice greens and North Alabama’s only Executive Golf Course with two par four holes and seven par three holes to help fine tune your short game.

Richland Golf’s Executive Golf Course is

designed to both challenge and excite players of all levels – without occupying the entire day. The course is a Scottish links design that holds true to the historical design patterns used on golf’s first courses by using the lay-of-the-land. The course also features native Alabama grasses.

Also available at Richland Golf is a short game practice course and a Harris Cupdesigned miniature golf course. Two PGAcertified, class A teaching professionals – Tim Wilkes and Charlie Richardson – provide golf training using state-of-the-art teaching aids and Swing Solutions video software. Both of these pros are also certified Henry-Griffitts club fitters and golf machine instructors.

Richland Golf Center has a fully stocked pro shop featuring custom-fitted golf clubs, top brands of accessories, and U.S. Kids Golf equipment. www.richlandgolf.com

Redstone Arsenal Golf Course, open to active/retired or reserve military and immediate family, civilian employees, contractors and other federal government employees who work on Redstone Arsenal

This beautifully landscaped facility offers 27 challenging and scenic holes, a modern club house and pro shop, and a convenient short order restaurant. Also provided is an

MOTION

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www.blacksfurniturecity.com

256-586-5725 124 North Brindle Mtn. Parkway 20 min. South of the Bridge Hwy 231 Courtesy of The Ledges

excellent driving range for putting, chipping and sand play. For more information, visit www.redstonemwr.com

Sunset Landing Golf Club, public For the frequent flyer who is also a frequent golfer, Sunset Landing Golf Club, located adjacent to the Huntsville International Airport and Sheraton Four Points Hotel, is extremely accommodating.

Sunset Landing Golf Course offers 6,803 yards of native grass fairways and bent grass greens. A par 72 course with a slope of 71.9

and rating of 118 from the black tees and 66.9 and 108 respectively from the white tees, Sunset Landing is ideal for seasoned duffers and beginners alike.

Sunset Landing Golf Course is open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset.

Amenities include a golf shop, spacious driving range, golf lessons by appointment, full-service grill and restaurant, beverage cart service and corporate outing plans. Check out Sunset Landing at www.hsvairport.org/sunset_landing.html.

•

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The Ledges English Tudor-style clubhouse

Recliners starting at $289 “Big Man” Recliners for just $595

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25 Initiatives October 2005

Shop ’til You Drop

Holly McClain

Parkway Place Mall The staff of Roman Holiday Café is ready to serve up gelato, or, if you prefer, expresso.

For a map of the major retail stores in the Huntsville/Madison County area, visit: www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com and click on “Community Data.”

Westside Center

Valley Bend at Jones Farm 26 October 2005 Initiatives

Need entertainment for your next corporate or private event?

WE have it all.

Centrally located between the Old Town and Twickenham historic districts, Five Points is a commercial center for neighboring residents.

Quirky, kitschey, classic – Five Points offers an eclectic mix of shopping and dining venues.

U.S. Representative Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) has secured $1.4 million for the Five Points improvement project to provide landscaping, safer pedestrian and vehicular access, and the redesigning of a park on one of the five points.

www.windhamentertainment.com 256.489.8080

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Holly McClain

00342272

Rod Reilly

Situated in the heart of downtown Huntsville, Harrison Brothers Hardware will help you take a step back in time. Now owned and operated by the Historic Huntsville Foundation and completely staffed by volunteers, this 125-year-old shop is a feast for the eyes.

27 Initiatives October 2005

HREGI Investors Chairman’s Council

($50,000+ invested: Private Sector)

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama • Regions Bank

Development Partners

($50,000+ invested: Public Sector)

City of Huntsville • Huntsville Hospital • Huntsville Utilities • Huntsville/Madison County Airport Authority • Madison County Commission • Tennessee Valley Authority

President’s Circle

($25,000-$49,999 invested)

ADTRAN • AmSouth Bank • BellSouth • Colonial Bank • Compass Bank • Crestwood Medical Center • The Boeing Company • The Huntsville Times • Redstone Federal Credit Union • SouthTrust/Wachovia

Chamber Trustees

($10,000-$24,999 invested)

Avocent Corp. • Beason & Nalley • Bill Penney Toyota • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Ala. • Camber Corp. • CINRAM • COLSA Corp. • Express Jet • Huntsville Area Association of Realtors • Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association • Intergraph Corp. • Lamar Outdoor Advertising • Northrop Grumman • Panalpina • SAIC • Siemens VDO Automotive • SPARTA • SportsMed • Teledyne Brown Engineering

00342284

Progress Partners

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one hundred, we will listen to your needs and find the qualified candidates to meet them.

Please call us to hear how we have done it for others.

Take Stock

Equal Opportunity Employer 28 October 2005 Initiatives

Decatur Office 256.340.0014

00341523

www.jobcenterstaffing.com

Huntsville Office 256.519.8850

($2,500-$4,999 invested)

3D Research Corp. • Averbuch Realty Co. • Baron Services • Bradley Arant Rose & White • Chapman Sisson Architects • Cintas Corp. • Currie Systems • DESE Research • Fountain Parker Harbarger & Assoc. • Fuqua Osborn Architects • Huntsville Tractor & Equipment • Infinity Technology • Jacobs Sverdrup • JH Partners Architecture & Interiors • Johnston, Moore, Maples & Thompson • Kudzu Productions • Lamb Commercial Services • Madison Research Corp. • Madison Square Chrysler Jeep • Mercedes Benz of Huntsville • Oceaneering International • Radiance Technology • SESI • The Heritage Club • Wesfam Restaurants • Westar Corp. • WHNT19 • Wilson Lumber • Woodland Homes of Huntsville • Woody Anderson Ford

Whether you need one person or

Florence Office 256.767.4562

($5,000-$9,999 invested)

AEgis Technologies • Analytical Services • Applied Data Trends • BAE Systems • Balch & Bingham • Coldwell Banker/McLain Real Estate • Colonial Properties Consolidated Construction • Dynetics • Enfinger Steele Development • Engelhard Corp. • ERC • First American Bank • First Commercial Bank • FPMI Solutions • General Dynamics • HiWAAY Internet Services • International Diesel • Intuitive Research & Technology Corp. • Jerry Damson Honda Acura • Keystone Foods Corp. • Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne • LG Electronics Alabama • MORGAN Research Corp. • NAI Chase Commercial Realty • The Orthopaedic Center • Parker Hannifin Corp. • Radiology of Huntsville • Samples Properties • Sirote & Permutt • J. Smith Lanier & Co. • SOUTHBank • The Executive Group • The Surgery Center of Huntsville • Turner Universal Construction • WAFF-TV • Wilmer & Lee • Yellowbook • Anonymous

(<$2,500 invested)

Alabama Psychological Services Center • Allied Photocopy • Arnold Hornbuckle • Available Plastics • Bama Jammer Promotions • Belzon • Blue Creek Investment Partners • Charles G. Robinson • CityScapes • Crabtree Rowe & Berger • Curves: Hampton Cove • Davidson Technologies • Decatur Transit • FLS • Grogan’s Jewelers • G.W. Jones & Sons • General & Automotive Machine Shop • Gray Research • Huntsville Marriott • Ivan Allen • Mercer & Assoc. • O & S Enterprises • OMI • Padgett Business Service • Park Supply Company • Pearce Construction • Phoenix Industries • Quantitech • Renasant Bank • Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove • RNR Ventures • Russ Russell Commercial Real Estate • S&S Photography • Sellers Aerial Photography • Snelling Personnel Services • Southwest Research Institute • SRS Technologies • Stanley Construction • State Farm’s Marshall England • Taos Industries • Tetra Tech • The Real Yellow Pages® from BellSouth • Vulcan Heating and Air Conditioning • West Huntsville Land Co. • Westwind Technologies Corp. • White, Fleming & Co.

Chamber of Commerce Huntsville â&#x20AC;˘ Madison County

Staff 2005 Brian Hilson, President & CEO Holly McClain, Communications Director Laura Kendrick, Executive Assistant to the President

Economic Development Ethan Hadley, Vice President, Economic Development Steve Finnell, Director, Industrial Development & Existing Industry Rick Davis, Director, Cummings Research Park Lillie Ben, Executive Marketing Assistant Amy Locke, Industrial Development Assistant

Governmental Affairs Mike Ward, Vice President, Governmental Affairs Jay Snyder, BRAC Executive Director Tina Leopold, Program Assistant

Investor Relations

Small Business/Membership Services Debra Dunbar, Director, Launch Program Lindsay Southard, Events Coordinator Donna McCrary, Investor Relations Coordinator Terrie Ledbetter, Membership Sales Representative

00342280

Loren Traylor, Vice President, Investor Relations Cheryl Schultz, Director, Workforce Development Jennifer Jeffers, Director,

Beverly Carthen, Membership Retention Coordinator

Research & Information Services Ken Smith, Director, Research & Information Services Kristi Sherrard, Publications/Graphic Design Specialist Hiroko Sedensky, Research Assistant Judith Short, Information Services Assistant Cheryl Crowe, Resource Desk Coordinator

Finance & Administration Ken Williams, Director, Finance & Administration Desman Holt, Network Administrator Dora Heisey, Financial Assistant Erica Gussie, Financial Assistant Joe Watson, Facilities Supervisor

Associated Organizations & Staff Leadership Huntsville/Madison County Sarah Savage, Executive Director Todd Cannon, Program Manager Mary Stewart, Program Coordinator Allison Harbin, Administrative Coordinator Anna Swain, Leadership Intern

Northeast Alabama Regional Small Business Development Center Kenneth Scislaw, Director, SBDC Carrie Davis, Assistant Director, SBDC Brenda McBride, Procurement Counselor Hanson Howard, Business Counselor Patsy Nayman, Executive Secretary Felita Flores, Secretary

SCORE

Chamber of Commerce Huntsville â&#x20AC;˘ Madison County 225 Church Street Huntsville, Alabama 35801 (256) 535-2000 www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com

00342259

Ravi Agarwal, Interim Director

29 Initiatives October 2005

Follow the Kingfisher!

By Gaylon Gwin, Staff Writer Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

atch the birdie! Signs embellished with a kingfisher logo are popping up along roadsides in North Alabama, marking special places designated as prime birding sites.

The belted kingfisher is the signature species chosen as the insignia of the North Alabama Birding Trail. The shaggy-crested blue and white bird evokes smiles with his comic-character good looks, and serves as a fitting symbol of the enjoyment found along the trail. Since they are often found fishing, or living near rivers and lakes, the belted kingfisher makes a perfect icon for the North Alabama birding habitats that include many beautiful lakes and rivers.

With plans on the drawing board since 2001, development of the North Alabama Birding Trail officially began with the award of a federal grant to the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries’ Nongame Wildlife Program. The trail, traversing 11 counties along the Tennessee River in North Alabama, unifies 50 existing birding sites into a single cohesive entity, linked by directional signs along roads and highways.

This chain of sites is divided into three “loops,” with each loop requiring no more than a long weekend to view.

Planning the Trail

30

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources enlisted the aid of FERMATA, Inc. – North America’s leading nature tourism consulting group – to assist in creating a birding trail through the Tennessee River Valley.

The sites were chosen to meet criteria that not only considered excellent birding opportunities, but also visitor safety, resource protection and potential for general enjoyment.

The most popular habitats for bird watching are woodlands, freshwater shorelines, fields and open areas, and marshes and swamps. The North Alabama Birding Trail includes a mix of these varied habitats.

Some sites offer the chance to see a large number of birds, while others may attract many different species.

October 2005 Initiatives

Guidelines for site selection included the location’s characteristics as a unique, rich birding resource; ecological significance of the habitat types; site resiliency – its ability to withstand continual public use without damage to environmentally sensitive areas; and physical and legal access of the areas by the public.

Other considerations were the maintenance support offered by local sponsors and partners in the community; the economic significance for local private businesses; and adequate parking areas or right-of-way pull-off areas to allow stops without endangering vehicles or wildlife viewers.

Trail maps and guides detail site locations, bird identification and habitat types. The colorful publications make it easy for visitors to plan day trips to one, several, or all sites on a loop. Also included in the guide are symbols that show amenities, like restroom facilities or picnic tables, available at the sites. Only a few locations require an entrance fee. The guide also gives global positioning system coordinates for all of the sites.

Many of the birding trail sites have interpretive panels to help enrich visitors’ experiences, including illustrations and quick facts about the area’s history, habitat, and what birds might be seen at the site. Ten key sites along the trail have 144-square-foot covered informational kiosks, each containing three 3-by-4-foot panels detailing more information about the trail, the nature of North Alabama and the site in general.

“We know that many people are serious wildlife and bird watchers,” said Mark Sasser, non-game wildlife program coordinator for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. “The sites selected will appeal to them, but will be especially helpful to casual observers.

The informational signage is designed to educate as well as to direct viewers.”

Brian Casey, assistant manager at Monte Sano State Park – a Huntsville site included on the cen-

This Belted Kingfisher proves worthy of his name.

Alan Murphy

W

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tral loop – agrees that sites are friendly to both serious and casual observers. “Our scenic overlook is the main point of interest on the birding trail. But even those who aren’t stopping for the birds can get hooked once they get a good look at the raptors and eagles that are often in view,” he noted.

00341520

Red-headed Woodpecker

915 Bob Wallace Ave. S.W., Huntsville, Al 35801 256-533-0140 TuckerTalbot@bellsouth.net

Tourism and Partnership

Your Business, Your Health, Your Home.

Our Responsibility.

Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates 201 Washington St. • Huntsville, AL 35801 256 551 0060 Website: www.fphins.com

Half page horizontal

00342257

Looking to the success of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail and the number of visitors it attracts, the developers of the North Alabama Birding Trail anticipate an increase in tourism throughout the Tennessee Valley because of establishment of the trail. Dana Lee Tatum, president/CEO of the North Alabama Tourism Association anticipates an increase in visitors and lodgings taxes from those staying overnight. “The trail offers a full experience – natural, cultural and historical. This kind of experiential tourism offers a wonderful opportunity to create a win-win situation for economic development and conservation,” she noted.

“Our trail will be unique in that local history will be included as sidebars in printed material,” said Pam Swanner, director of the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. “No other state birding trail incorporates that type information in their trail brochures.”

The North Alabama Birding Trail promises to attract visitors year-round. Fall and spring migrations will be especially busy times along the trail.

“Visitors who enjoy wildlife viewing will welcome the clearly marked trail,” said continued on page 33

31 Initiatives October 2005

Spring is one of the best times to visit the birding trail. It is not unusual to record over 100 species of birds in a single morning at this time of the year, including some of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most uncommon species.

USFWS/Gary Kramer

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Opposite page:

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

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Pacific Loon USFWS/Mike Boylan

continued from page 31

Barnett Lawley, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “The belted kingfisher signs are easy to see, the locations are accessible, and the informational signage offers a wealth of information about the birds, the habitat, and the local history.”

Most of the funding for the $280,000 birding trail project is from a federal grant to the state to provide recreation and education about Alabama’s non-game wildlife species. Matching funds for the grant are from a number of municipalities and counties, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the North Alabama Tourism Association and area businesses: Nucor Steel, BP-Amoco Companies, and 3-M Company. The chambers of commerce and visitors bureaus in North Alabama led the effort to obtain these matching funds.

Conclusion For interesting and productive birding experiences, follow the kingfisher! • To request a copy of the official North Alabama Birding Trail Guide, call 1-866-23VISIT or 1-866-238-4748.

Additional information is online at www.northalabamabirdingtrail.com and in the Watchable Wildlife Section of www.outdooralabama.com.

Special thanks to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Kim Nix, managing editor of the department’s Outdoor Alabama magazine.

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00342269

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33 Initiatives October 2005

Education Quick List

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Athens State College........................................800.522.0272 Athens State College Redstone Ext. ............256.882.9426 Alabama A & M University..............................256.372.5000 Calhoun Community College........................256.306.2500 Faulkner University – Huntsville....................256.830.2626 Florida Institute of Technology Redstone Graduate Center ....................256.881.7878 Huntsville Career Center ................................256.859.9360 Huntsville City Schools....................................256.428.6800 J.F. Drake State Technical College ..................256.539.8161 Madison City Schools ......................................256.464.8370 Madison County Schools ................................256.852.2557 Oakwood College ............................................256.726.7000 University of Alabama in Huntsville..............256.824.1000 Virginia College at Huntsville ........................256.533.7387

Then you need a consultation with Dr. Zaria C. Murrell Surgical Solutions, P.C.

“We see the person in the patient”

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General Surgery Practice, specializing in Gastric Bypass, Hernial and Breast Surgeries.

185 Chateau Dr. Suite 302 256.489.8600 • www.surgicalsolutionspc.com

Local Libraries Bailey Cove ........................................................256.881.0257 1409 Weatherly Plaza, Huntsville, AL 35803 Elizabeth Carpenter..........................................256.723.2995 5496 Main Street, New Hope, AL 35760 Gurley Public Library ........................................256.776.2102 225 Walker Street, Gurley, AL Tillman D. Hill....................................................256.828.9529 131 Knowledge Dr, Hazel Green, AL 35750 Madison Public Library ....................................256.461.0046 130 Plaza Blvd., Madison, AL 35758

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Main Library ......................................................256.532.5940 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville, AL 35801 Oscar Mason......................................................256.535.2249 149 Mason Court, Huntsville, AL 35805 Monrovia Public Library....................................256.837.6153 1960 Jeff Road, Huntsville, AL 35806 Eleanor E. Murphy ............................................256.881.5620 7910 Charlotte Drive, Huntsville, AL 35802 Bessie K. Russell ..............................................256.859.9050 3011-C Sparkman Dr, Huntsville, AL Showers Center Library....................................256.851.7492 4600 Blue Spring Road, Huntsville, AL 35810 Triana Youth Center ..........................................256.772.3677 280 Zierdt Road, Madison, AL 35758

34 October 2005 Initiatives

North Alabama has eight sporting lakes, the Tennessee River and numerous smaller bodies of water. The area is renowned for trophy bass fishing, boating, sailing, and skiing.

Guntersville, Wheeler and Weiss lakes are routinely included in the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series schedule.

Know

free marketing tip #3_

Who Opened Your

Mail

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Send an email newsletter to your customers and know within minutes who opened it, what they clicked on, and even where they went on your web site. It is a great way to measure response rate and ROI. Call StoneRiver to set up a new or improved email communications program that is effective, reasonably priced and delivered with responsive customer service.

call 351-6870 or visit www.stoneriverinc.com or stop by 1401 7th Avenue SE • Decatur

• Staffing • Payroll Processing • HR Services/ Solutions • Risk Management • Training/ Development

“Find out why our clients trust us to safeguard their continued success.”

4925 University Drive • Suite • 168 Huntsville, AL 35816 256.721.5627 – Fax 256.830.5102 www.expressbusinesssolutions.com

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David Gibb

Now boasting eight members who each have their own horses, the Hurricane Creek Farms Polo Club meets on Wednesdays for practice and play in matches and several U.S. Polo Association tournaments.

35 Initiatives October 2005

c o m m u n i t y p ro f i l e TOP 10 EMPLOYERS Madison County

City of Huntsville

City of Madison

Huntsville Metro Area

U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,599

Population 2000 Census

276,700

158,216

29,329

342,376

The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,092

2004 Estimate

293,072

164,146

35,012

362,459

Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,700 NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,676

Households 2000 Census

Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,320

109,955

66,742

11,143

134,643

Wal-Mart Stores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,300 CINRAM

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,200

Intergraph Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,097

Income & Age Avg. Household Income

$57,220

$55,856

$72,432

$55,343

Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,033

Per Capita Income

$23,091

$24,015

$27,821

$22,073

SAIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,031

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov)

Source: Chamber of Commerce

Aerospace & Defense Huntsville/Madison County is home to the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center which combine to drive a thriving aerospace and defense technology industry. Nearly 15,000 direct DoD and 2,700 NASA employees manage some of the country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs including missiles, aviation and space exploration. More than 250 companies employing an additional 27,000 workers support the local aerospace and defense industries.

Research & Technology

For more information visit: HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com

p

Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a world center for technology development. The second-largest science and technology park in the U.S., Cummings Research Park is home to more than 225 companies and 25,000 people involved in technology research and development.

p

Certificate programs and courses for today’s defense professionals!

Engineering Aerospace Propulsion Systems Systems Engineering Foundations in Radar Concepts Modeling and Simulation Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Test and Evaluation Six Degree of Freedom (DOF) MATLAB Fundamentals of Tactical Missile Systems

professional development

Business & Management Federal Contract Management Purchasing Management Project Management Applied Management Supervisory Development ISO 9001:2000 Building Blocks to Success: Understanding the Army Structure

Information Technology C++, Java, XML & Visual Basic .NET Applications Web Development UNIX/Linux Oracle Development and Database Administration

Many programs are available in distance learning format!

Call or visit our web site today for complete information and online registration.

824.6372

www.coned.uah.edu

1.800.448.4035 pdinfo@cepo.conted.uah.edu 36 October 2005 Initiatives

UAH

®

An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution

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The University of Alabama in Huntsville Division of Continuing Education

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Gaining Visibility by Degrees H

untsville boasts the highest concentration of engineers in the country. If you don’t believe me, just read the latest May issue of Forbes magazine. Then again, you could read the Knowledge Worker Quotient 2005 published by Expansion Management magazine which states Huntsville, Ala. is a top metro for scientists and engineers per capita. Then there’s Popular Science reporting Huntsville as a leading technology hot

spot. As a matter of fact, in the past few years a number of widely-read publications have extolled this North Alabama community’s virtues; namely, its highly skilled, degreed workforce.

Described by the popular media as a “brain trust,” Huntsville is the recipient of academic largess afforded from universities and institutes from around the world. A quick study of license plates and multiple conversations at the

Keith Bedsole-CEO

Global Key Tek, providing digital security technology and John Blue-CEO

John Blue Realty, “Three generations building the Future…renovating the Past” and teams celebrate ribbon cutting at 218 Randolph Avenue, their renovated downtown offices.

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commercial real estate company

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Fish Window Cleaning provides commercial, retail and residential service including storm windows and skylights. Other services include cleaning chandeliers, ceiling fans, mirrors, light fixtures, screens and gutters. We offer customized cleaning programs, year-round scheduling and construction cleanup services. Fish Window Cleaning is fully licensed bonded and insured.

Phone 800-239-5764 to schedule your free estimate.

EJ’s Eldon J’s Fine Arts is a unique and exquisite art source for today’s discriminating client. Originals, Limited Editions and Sculptures are available, and part of our design service.

Ellen Hill President 38 October 2005 Initiatives

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Call (256) 461-8595 for a private showing or in-home consultation.

water cooler reveal a large proportion of the population is not native to the area. While attracted by a variety of factors and opportunities, the draw of Redstone Arsenal and the synergistic missions of its high technology tenants – currently the Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Missile Defense Agency and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to name a few – is what led to and continues to fuel statements by the media such as, “What Huntsville lacks in size it makes up for in brains.”

To keep a thriving talent pool, city planners and state education officials recognized long ago the need to offer advanced academic opportunities to the burgeoning population of scientists and engineers who converged on the Tennessee Valley during the early race for space, as well as those who would follow. “It has been demonstrated on numerous occasions that a key factor in a city’s technological development is the presence of a research university,” said Dr. Ron Greenwood, vice president of research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

“UAH was established by Huntsville’s civic leaders to advance the city’s research efforts and to support Redstone Arsenal’s mission.”

Approximately half of the university’s graduates earn a degree in science or engineering, making UAH one of the leading producers of physical scientists and engineers in Alabama. For degreed professionals who move into the area, UAH – located in Cummings Research Park – offers advanced degree programs to help keep them here.

“UAH has always been willing and able to support Redstone, and I envision that we will continue to provide leadership in that role for many, many years to come,” said Greenwood. He points to recent campus initiatives as examples of that support. Just in the last two years, UAH has established a new modeling & simulation center to address the needs at Redstone. At the same time, UAH has created an academic program to further the knowledge of army managers.

Only a handful of universities offer master’s degrees with a concentration in rotorcraft engineering. Also, UAH’s College of Business has established an executive in residence to assist the U.S. Army on crucial issues in managing science and technology.

Greenwood also points to the university’s cooperation with NASA and Marshall Space Flight Center. Former NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin suggested the creation of the

Unique degree programs a UAH include: • Aerospace engineering • Optical science and engineering • Engineering degree with a rotorcraft engineering option • Operations research • Materials science • Software engineering • Biotechnology • Management of technology • Atmospheric science • Physics • Industrial systems and engineering management

UAH graduate engineering program ranked best in U.S. The graduate level engineering management program at The University of Alabama in Huntsville has been singled out as being the best in the nation by the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM).

Detailed information on UAH’s research centers is provided through resadmin.uah.edu/research/Centers.html

The primary service is to produce a full-color, image- enhancing, education-providing advertising magazine that provides FREE story space to supporters who purchase a half or full page ad. Also, the FREE story is placed online at www.whoswhoinhuntsville.com Additionally, 7000 magazines are bulk mailed to Madison residents and 8000 to Huntsville.

For more information, please call 704-8888

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Who’s Who in Huntsville Magazine has successfully served the Huntsville-Madison County community for 5 years.

celebrated the opening of its new location at 3105-B Memorial Parkway, NW, providing sales and service of printers and fax machines, supplies, office equipment and accessories.

They are also pleased to offer cellular communications through Nextel for consumers and businesses, including GPS tracking.

For more information, call 256-859-0400 or visit www.laseradvantage.net

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Laser Advantage, LLC

Urgent MedCare celebrated the opening of our new facility at

7583 Wall Triana Hwy on August 25.

We look forward to serving the medical needs of the community.

Please call us at

830-5777

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National Space Science and Technology Center to strengthen Marshall’s ties with Alabama’s research universities. UAH invested millions of dollars and secured millions of dollars from the state to help establish the national laboratory. “UAH has consistently shown its willingness to be a partner with the agencies at Redstone Arsenal, both from an academic standpoint and in leading-edge research,” Greenwood said. “The success over the last five decades demonstrates the importance of a strong cooperative relationship between the university and Redstone Arsenal.”

Research is conducted within the individual colleges or through UAH’s 19 independent research centers, laboratories and institutes. Major interdisciplinary research thrusts include: applied optics; propulsion; space plasma and aeronomics; space physics and astrophysics; earth system science; nanotechnology and microdevices, information technology; management of science and technology; microgravity and materials and homeland security. UAH offers 35 bachelor’s degree programs, 17 master’s degree programs and 10 Ph.D. programs.

• Holly McClain

39 Initiatives October 2005

Jay Thomas

The Spring City Cycling Club is one of many local organizations that welcomes new members. The Huntsville-Madison County Library keeps a listing entitled Community Organizations of North Alabama that provides contact information for groups interested in a variety of activities and subject matter.

From archeology to cycling to storytelling, there’s sure to be a group to call your own. The library has 12 locations where you can access the list or visit hpl.lib.al.us/needhelp/community. A printed list is available at the chamber for a nominal fee.

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Two Exciting Casinos.

4,800 Vegas-Style Slots.

100 Table Games.

1,066 Luxurious Hotel Rooms.

Two 18-Hole Award Winning Golf Courses.

40,000 Sq.Ft. of Meeting Space.

40 October 2005 Initiatives

Highway 16 West • Choctaw, MS 39350 • 866.44PEARL • www.pearlriverresort.com A Development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Pearl River Resort is located in Choctaw, Mississippi, on Highway 16 West, just 4 miles west of Philadelphia.

Call 256-881-1717 for an Appointment

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JOANN TUBBS CRIM , DMD Provider for most insurance plans • 1108 Gleneagles Dr., Huntsville, AL 35801

www.sunbeltnetwork.com/huntsville

CRP is the heart of high-tech for the Huntsville area, a community whose modern history helped to establish and guide the development of space and missile programs in the United States. In the earliest beginnings of these programs, Huntsville-based programs designed the rockets that “put man on the moon.”

This initial base of technical knowledge and ability has since evolved into one of the world’s most concentrated centers for research and technology. Two hundred and twenty-five companies and 25,000 employees are based in the park.

256.539.9999

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BUSINESS ADVISORS The Place to go to Buy or Sell a Business

Initiatives October 2005

41

Where to go • Who to see for products and services

Use a chamber member... it's in your best interest Accountants

Contractors - Home Improvement

Champion Windows, Siding and Patio Rooms Beason & Nalley, Inc. 101 Monroe St. 35801 . . . . . . . . . . .256-533-1720 2995 Wall Triana Hwy Ste. A-6 35824...256-424-1110 CDPA, PC 415 Church St., Ste. B 35801 . . . . .256-539-3555

Credit Unions

Advertising

Redstone Federal Credit Union 220 Wynn Dr. 35893 . . . . . . . . . . . .256-837-6110

al.com ...................................................www.al.com

Dentists

StoneRiver, Inc. JoAnn Crim, DMD 1401 Seventh Ave. Decatur 35601....256-351-6870 1108 Gleneagles Dr. 35801 . . . . . .256-881-1717 The Huntsville Times Tucker, Talbot & Associates 2317 S. Mem. Parkway .....................256-532-4250 915 Bob Wallace Ave. SW 35801 . .256-533-0140

Architects Bird & Kamback Architects LLC 304-A Franklin St. 35801 . . . . . . . .256-536-1160

Art

Business Services

Employment - Agencies & Consultants

Entertainment

LeaseSouth, LLC 300 Clinton Ave. W. Ste. 1 35801....256-539-3311

HiWAAY Internet Services 721 Clinton Ave., Ste. 8, 35801 . . . .256-533-4296

Physicians & Surgeons Surgical Solutions, P.C. 185 Chateau Dr. Ste. 302 35802 ....256-489-8600 Urgent MedCare 7583 Wall Triana Hwy 35757 ...........256-830-5777

Printers - Commercial Graphic Publishing Inc. 7272 Governors West 35806 . . . . .256-713-0300

Publishers Who’s Who in Huntsville www.whoswhoinhuntsville.com .........256-704-8888

Real Estate Concourse Group 303 Williams Ave. Ste. 117 35801....256-532-1250 David Couch, REALTOR 333 Franklin St. Ste. 300 35801.......256-755-0421

Black’s Furniture City 124 N. Brindlee Mtn. Pkwy Arab, AL ...256-586-5725

John Blue Realty 218 Randolph Ave. S.E .....................256-705-5475

Golf Courses

Fish Window Cleaning - Decatur 207 Johnston St. Ste. 206 35601 ......256-353-8859 Canebrake Club - Athens 23015 Founders Cir. 35613..............256-232-2412

Communications Wireless, Phone Service, Systems

Internet Service

Furniture

Applewhite Business Communications www.applewhitecommunications.com ...256-520-0347 Office Furniture Outlet 11507 Mem. Parkway, SW. 35803 . . 256-882-9999

Cleaning Services

Fountain Parker Harbarger & Associates 201 Washington St. 35801 . . . . . . .256-551-0600

Sellers Aerial Photography 124 Steeple Church Ct. 35806..........256-682-6734

Financial Services Sunbelt Business Advisors 1216 N. Memorial Pkwy 35801 .........256-539-9999

Farmer Insurance Group - The Balch Agency 2315 Market Place, Ste. D 35801 . .256-489-2315

Calhoun Community College Hwy 31 N. Decatur 35601.............256-306-2500

Windham Entertainment Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water/The Roberts Group www.windhamentertainment.com .....256-489-8080 6767 Old Madison Pike 35806.........256-922-1114

Business Brokers

Cox Associates, Inc. 115 Manning Dr., Ste 202B 35801 . . .256-533-0001

Photographers

Express Personnel Services First American Bank 4925 University Dr. Ste. 168 35816...256-721-5621 401 Meridian St. 35801 . . . . . . . . .256-519-6900 Job Center Staffing First Commercial Bank 2707 Artie St. Bldg. 100 Ste. 14 ........256-519-8850 301 Washington St. 35801 ...............256-551-3300

Beverages - Water

Insurance

Education - Schools, Colleges, Universities

UAH Professional Development Eldon J’s Fine Art 210 Wilson Hall 35899 . . . . . . . . . .256-824-6372 eldonjesart@bellsouth.net ................256-461-8595 Virginia College at Huntsville 2800-A Bob Wallace Ave. 35805 . . .256-533-7387 Banks Compass Bank 114 Governors Drive 35801 . . . . . .256-532-6240

Pearl River Resort www.pearlriverresort.com . . . . . . . .866-44PEARL

Home Builders

Vicki Douglas, REALTOR 7500 S. Memorial Pkwy Ste. 122 35802.....256-603-9399 The Executive Group Realtors 2304 S. Memorial Pkwy 35801 ........256-533-7210

Rentals Mullins Special Occasions 1021 Meridian St. 35801 . . . . . . . . .256-534-5701

D.R. Horton - Athens BellSouth 620 Discover Dr. Bldg. 2, Ste. 350 35806 ...866-620-6000 22095 Canebrake Ln. 35613............256-759-0699

Hospitals

Crestwood Medical Center T.Mobile One Hospital Dr. SE . . . . . . . . . . . .256-882-3100 6125 University Dr. Ste. E-10 35805 ....256-922-1048 Huntsville Hospital 101 Sivley Rd. 35801 .......................256-265-1000 Computers Services Camber Corporation 635 Discovery Dr. 35806.................256-922-0200

Hotels & Motels

Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa - Florence Information Understructures 800 Cox Creek Pkwy 35630.............866-746-8178 8503 Whitesburg Dr. 35802..............256-882-6265

List your company in this

Buyers Guide

For more information call Susan Bowen 532-4451

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Laser Advantage 3105 B Memorial Pkwy 35810 .........256-859-0400

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across town across

moving

the

world? or

The Executive Group Realtors® can handle the move. We’re not just a Real Estate Company... we’re a Full Service Relocation Company. Contact us not only for your residential and commercial referrals but for your corporate needs as well.

CALL JENNIE TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION OR FOR A RELOCATION PACKET ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD...

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DIRECTOR OF RELOCATION SERVICES

256-533-7210

1-877-344-9818 www.executivegrouprealtors.com 2304 Memorial Parkway South Huntsville, Alabama 35801 TOLL FREE

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BRENDA ELLIOTT