The South Alabama Regional Airport Authority hopes to complete some $2 million in airport improvements in the next five years.
SARA Executive Director Jed Blackwell presented the plan at a recent airport authority meeting.
The plan calls for the airport to skip capital improvement projects in 2018 and combine two years’ of revenue to put up new signage on the runway and runway lights.
Blackwell said the current lights were erected in November 1962 and are very old.
“It costs lots of money to repair them,” he said. “They get struck by lightning, and we will replace with LED lighting.”
The cost for that project is estimated at $555,000.
They hope to get $500,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration; $27,000 from ALDOT and match $27,000 locally.
In 2020, they plan to seal coat the helipad.
Blackwell said there is question about whether the FAA will pay for this project because they often consider the heliport a revenue producer.
That project is expected to cost around $500,000.
Regardless, the airport will have to figure out a way to fix the that portion because when larger helicopters such as Ospreys land, they blow chunks of the pad everywhere.
The helipad is the old runway that was built in the 1940s.
In 2021, a new taxiway and runway is on the books, and expected to cost $150,000.
And in 2022, an RSA drainage improvement project, estimated at $840,000, is in the plan.
That project will require $42,000 in local matching funds from SARA.
Overall, SARA expects to get $1.9 million from the FAA, $103,000 from ALDOT and contribute $103,000 in local money to these projects.
Andalusia Star News
South Alabama Regional Airport will close the airport runway during a period between Christmas and Thanksgiving.
The closure will allow for an airport improvement project that will repair a bump on runway 29.
The project will consist of milling the existing surface on each side of the bump.
The issue with the runway is that there is a bump where the old runway and the runway extension connect, which provides for a rough transition.
The current bump is 2.16 inches higher than it should be.
To fix it, they will cut out a small section of the runway – 100 feet on each side – and take out the bump, and then re-level to give it a smooth profile.
The cost of the project is around $135,000 with 90 percent being paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration, 5 percent by the Alabama Department of Transportation and 5 percent from local matching funds.
Local contractor Don Bullard will perform the work.
The project could take about 30 days to complete.
Andalusia Star News
Last week, the Adult Activity Center asked for help fulfilling Christmas wish lists for seniors in need.
The program featured a tree with paper ornaments of praying hands, and each person selected an ornament in turn for a wish list.
The wish list was anonymous, and expressed what the senior needed; which included anything from laundry detergent to canned food.
This week, the program only has two praying hands left on the tree.
“Because of the huge response from this program, I believe we’ll continue to do it,” Sonja Godwin, the program coordinator said.
The program started by a simple survey sent home to each senior. While some seniors responded that they needed nothing, others expressed a great need.
Simple things such as adult diapers, socks, and even peanut butter were on each list.
Tammy Wiggins Holt heard of the idea, and shared a wish list to her Facebook page. Within 12 hours, more than 160 people shared it.
Today, several people came to the Adult Activity Center, leaving only two hands on the tree.
“This program has gone over so well,” Godwin said, “I’m really happy with the outcome,”
There are other ways to donate, people can donate simple things such as candy or small goods for the other seniors who expressed no other needs.
For more information on how to contribute, please visit the Adult Activity Center in Andalusia, or call 334-222-6891.
Andalusia Star News
South Alabama Regional Airport will be the site of the Andalusia Opp Airshow in November 2018.
The SARA Authority gave Executive Director Jed Blackwell the OK to hold the airshow at the airport.
Blackwell proposed a $200,000 budget, including $90,000 for musical entertainment.
However, the board gave him authority to seek local acts with a $5,000 cap.
The budget calls for spending $50,000 on aviation performance; $11,000 in discretionary; $10,000 for fuel; $10,000 for an airshow contract; $9,000 for hotels, lodging and rental vehicles; and $5,000 each for contract labor, staff and overtime and insurance.
Blackwell explained that SARA would seek sponsorships for the event, and would charge a nominal entry fee.
The airport held an airshow in 2010 with attendance projections of 10,000 to 11,000 people.
“The economic impact to the area is that sales taxes (collections) are very high,” Blackwell said. “It’s a positive thing.”
The three entities that jointly helped finance construction of hangars at SARA, and which pay the note if those hangars don’t have tenants – Covington County Commission, City of Andalusia and City of Opp – also approved the plan.
“2010 was a huge success,” Andalusia City Clerk John Thompson said. “It’s overdue. It’s past time. It’s important to get the public here.”
County Commission Chairman Greg White said he supported it wholeheartedly, and Opp Mayor Becky Bracke gave her approval as well.
Those gathered at the meeting, agreed that the music could be on a smaller scale rather than getting bigger, more expensive acts.
Authority board member Donald Barton said that he thought they should concentrate on doing a “jam up airshow,” and they should get people used to coming.
Kelly Brandin, executive administrator of the Opp Chamber of Commerce, said that they could get local bands for a cheaper price.
Vicki Popwell, president of the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors, said they had a long list of acts who wanted to come to July Jamz they could share with the airport authority.
The organizers also agreed to try to keep admission prices affordable for working families.
The airshow is set for Nov. 17, 2018.
Andalusia Star News
It’s not even November yet, but Andalusia is hard at work getting ready for Christmas in Candyland.
This is the 4th year of the event, and each year it gets bigger and bigger. The month long celebration can’t happen without months of carefully crafted work.
“Preparation starts as early as January,” Chrissy Duffy, executive director of the Andalusia Chamber of Commerce said, “The budget has to be done by June.”
In the past couple of weeks, the city’s building and maintenance workers have been hard at work pouring a cement slab on Sprindale’s grounds.
In past years, the skating rink was a subfloor erected for the event, but city employees recognized a height issue.
This year, instead of risking any safety issues, the city decided to pour in a slab, which can double as a patio for the rest of the year.
That’s just a very small part of the assembly for Candyland.
Everything that goes into this south Alabama winter wonderland is custom created.
Electricity has to be provided for most of the event, so in an effort to remove ugly extension cords, electricians come out and install underground electric transmission lines.
“It’s hard to sum up everything that goes into this event,” Duffy said.
The city of Andalusia serves as the backbone for this event, although there is help from outside engineers and creative minds, which includes Burr Industries and Blockwire.
Burr Industries constructs the giant Christmas bows, fiberglass ornaments, glitter mesh creations, as well as custom foam signs and props.
Blockwire designs and produces the foam core signs, and created the large Candyland sign featured.
The theme for this year is “Winter wonderland is closer than you think,” and Duffy said there are some extras added amongst traditional Candyland décor.
In addition, the polar bear slide is longer and taller; the ice skating rink is taller; Santa’s sleigh, where Santa will visit every Saturday of the event is being added; the lighted tunnel for the train has been extended, and a polar bear ticket booth will be added.
“I feel blessed to work on this project,” Ricky Wiggins, supervisor of building maintenance for Andalusia, said, “Just by looking at all the children’s faces when they see it,”
Not only does Candyland bring joy to everyone, it also brings revenue to Andalusia.
“It’s such an exciting time to visit Andalusia, Candyland truly transforms the town,” Duffy said, “Candyland also brings plenty of retail stimulation, tourism, and pride.”
Just last year, the event drew 30,000 people.
The tax revenue has also increased by 10 percent in the last three years during the month of December.
Candyland was also featured in Southern Living as the top small town Christmas destination.
For more information, visit: http://www.christmasincandyland.com/
Andalusia Star News