Mystic Krewe of Salty Paws Mardi Gras Pet Parade
The Mystic Krewe of Salty Paws will hold its 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Pet Parade at Water Tower Plaza on Saturday, February 8 at 10 am. This event is sponsored by the DI Chamber of Commerce and is a fundraiser for the Animal Rescue Foundation. This will also be an Adoption Day for ARF, so please come visit these sweet animals and take home a new “fur-ever” friend! The parade theme this year is “Life’s A Beach” and prizes will be awarded for Most Creative, Best Group, and a few new categories TBA. The registration fee is $10 for one person and pet combo. Additional people and pets are $5 each. Children age 13 & under are free to walk in the parade, but an adult must accompany all pets. No bicycles allowed, but strollers and wagons are permitted. Golf Carts are permitted but will be grouped by parade organizers. Parade participants will be allowed to throw beads, pet toys, and pet treats, but NO candy. So get creative, dress up yourself, your pets, wagons, and more and join us for this fun and very worthwhile cause!
News from Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council
Save the Date! Second Annual DI Native American Festival—Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 21, 2020, and join us for the second annual DI Native American Festival to be held at historic Fort Gaines and other Island locations. More details to follow. DI School Art Program—DIHAC partners with Dauphin Island Elementary School in providing art enrichment classes for all grades at the school. It is offered free of charge, is 100% volunteer-powered and donor-funded thanks to the generosity of DIHAC supporters. We welcome anyone who has an interest in helping us to contact DIHAC’s Art Education Coordinator, Melinda Hollingsworth, at 205-527-2425. Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council is a charitable, non-profit organization, providing educational opportunities in the arts for the young and young-at-heart, and working to preserve our coastal heritage. Memberships, donations, and purchases at our Gallery help support our programs. Here’s another excellent opportunity to learn new artistic skills!
DIHAC will host a “Sterling Stackable Rings” workshop on Friday, February 21, 6 pm – 8:30 pm, conducted by DIHAC Artist Vaughn Millner. The workshop will be held at the Dauphin Island Gallery and is open to students of any level. No prior experience is necessary. This 2 ½ hour workshop will provide you with an opportunity to learn basic metalsmithing skills. Using a small butane torch, you will learn to create two sterling, stackable, textured rings. You will also be introduced to soldering, tools, fueling and lighting the torch, and other basic metalsmithing techniques. The workshop includes all tools and materials to make the rings. At the end of the workshop, you will take home your rings and be prepared to create an at-home set-up to make more! Cost: $98 per person, including materials. To register, please visit DIHAC’s website at https://dauphinislandarts.org, or send an email to classes.dauphinislandarts@gmail.com for more information.
DI Museum to Host Talks
Dauphin Island Museum Director Jim Hall has put together a couple of interesting, educational and free talks beginning in early 2020 as follows; Tuesday, February 11 at 6 pm – “The Civil War Confederate 21st Alabama Regiment” Mr. Paul DeHaan, a nationally recognized historian on America’s Civil War, recently donated the museum’s newest display and will speak about the group’s significance in the conflict. Mr. and Mrs. DeHaan are primary benefactors of our museum, having donated a number of artifacts, photocopies of important Civil War art, and photographs. Thursday, February 27 at 6 pm – “Sand Island Light House” Museum Director Jim Hall, a long-time supporter of the “Save the Lighthouse Preservation Group” and former board member of the Alabama Lighthouse Association, will describe the history and construction of our Sand Island LightHouse. Some are not aware of the fact that the Town of Dauphin Island owns this historic landmark. Admission is free for each of these events, and seating is limited.
BINGO! Returns to St. Edmund
Dust off those daubers and get ready to win at the St. Edmund Center BINGO every Wednesday evening. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and games start at 6 pm. A variety of snacks and drinks are available. All proceeds support St. Edmund Church. Bring your friends, enjoy a fun and exciting night and take home some cash!
DIVA Sets Annual Chili Cook-Off
The annual DIVA Chili Cook-off will be held on Saturday, March 21 (Rain Date: March 28), and you’re invited to sample the wares while supporting our local veterans group! The event will be held in the west parking lot at Pelican Pub and tasting starts promptly at noon with a $5 donation per person. Want to show off your chili cooking skills? Teams should consist of no more than three members, and the chili needs to be cooked on-site, while the various ingredients (diced onions, etc.) may be prepared off-site. Each team should prepare at least three gallons of chili. Registration fee is $20 per team; $15 if paid by March 11. Trophies will be presented to first, second, and third-place teams. Please come and enjoy this annual Dauphin Island Veterans Association benefit event!
Vietnam War Commemoration
President Trump signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, establishing a National Vietnam War Veterans Day that will be celebrated every March 29, in perpetuity. It will be a day to honor and thank these veterans and their families for their collective service and sacrifice to our country. Locally, we are calling on all Vietnam veterans living on Dauphin Island to let us know you’re here. You are encouraged to contact the town hall or the DI Veterans Association. In the meantime, thank you for your service!
Battle of Mobile Bay 5K Race On
February 15, lace up your running shoes and get ready to participate in the 24th Annual Battle of Mobile Bay 5K Race! Sponsored by the Port City Pacers, the popular race starts promptly at 830am with a cannon blast, and runners will wind their way through east end neighborhoods with panoramic views of Dauphin Island Bay and the surrounding environs. Proceeds from the race support the ongoing preservation efforts at Fort Gaines. While there, you’ll want to stop by the Blacksmith Shop to check out live demonstrations that will be going on all day.
WWII Living History Event
On Saturday, March 7, you’re invited to visit historic Fort Gaines to experience a day in the life of a WWII soldier. There will be authentic camping and blacksmithing demonstrations throughout the day, and soldiers will be performing drills. Get there early for all the enjoyable and educational festivities.
2020 Severe Weather Preparedness
Tax Holiday The Alabama Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday begins at 12:01 am on Friday, February 21, and ends at midnight on Sunday, February 23, 2020. During this time, you can purchase (at a reduced tax rate) an assortment of items that might come in handy when bad weather threatens our stretch of the Gulf coast. The state of Alabama waves its 4% sales tax, and some municipalities like Dauphin Island also suspend sales tax collections on approved items (costing less than $60 each) such as flashlights, batteries, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, gas containers and much more. Also included are generators costing less than $1000 each. So mark your calendars and make plans to stock up on items to help you weather the next storm.
Fire & Rescue Equipment Upgrades
In partnership with the town, your all-volunteer fire department is making great strides in providing services to our Island. The town has provided more than $50,000 to replace much-needed safety equipment. In cooperation with the Town, DIFR will be replacing our aging ambulance with one capable of meeting our growing needs. In February, DIFR will be taking delivery of a new fire truck financed by Dauphin Island Fire Rescue, Inc. Planning ahead, DIFR is looking at building a second fire station on the east end, so there is some room to grow and to better protect our equipment from future storms. Our department is staffed 100% by volunteers who share an immeasurable love for our island community. If you would like to join this family-friendly, community organization, please contact us at dauphinislandfire@gmail.com.
DI Elementary Recognized
Don’t look now, but DI Elementary has earned recognition as one of Alabama’s top “Standout” Elementary Schools! Ranked 7th in the state, we find ourselves in good company with other local schools, including (2nd) W.H. Council, (3rd) Eichold-Mertz Magnet School, and (6th) Anna F. Booth Elementary. Congratulations to the students and faculty of DI Elementary for another job well done!
Fort Gaines Campground Sets Garage and Crafts Sale
DI Campground Pavilion is the place to be on February 15, 2020, for a Garage & Craft Sale! The event will run from 9 am-noon. Anyone interested in setting up a table can contact Debbie Brown at 330-424-8844.
What’s Happening at the Sea Lab?
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab opens summer program registration on February 3. The Marine Science Course for high school students is already accepting applications. Mark your calendars for April 4. That’s Discovery Day! Our labs will be open to everyone. Boardwalk Talks continue every first and third Wednesday of the month at the Estuarium. Keep up with all our events at www.disl.edu.
Bluegrass/Country Jams Are Back!
Grab your favorite musical instrument and head on over to the Little Red School House (across from town hall) on Saturdays at 1:30 pm for our popular Bluegrass/Country Jams. Admission is free. Always an enjoyable afternoon. See ya there!
Christmas Tree Recycling Successful
Nearly 1000 Christmas trees were recycled this year and have been placed within beach and dune areas to create habitat and defend against erosion. In addition to trees donated by island citizens, Lowe’s (Tillman’s Corner) contributed around 700 trees, and Ramsey Farms delivered nearly 100. The town expresses its sincere appreciation to these two companies and to everyone that helped make this year’s tree recycling program such a huge success!
Arts of Dauphin Island News and Info
Come join the fun with the Artists of ADI-”Arts of Dauphin Island” Gallery. The featured artist for February is Laurie Schaerer. She has lots of coastal photography to choose from!! Open house is Second Sunday, February 9, from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. They are located at 1101 Bienville Blvd, next to the town hall. We offer free children/youth activities on second Mondays each month from 3:30–5:30 pm. Please contact Margie Delcambre @ 251-402-0266 to pre-register. Bring a friend. All supplies are provided for the children. Adult classes are also offered each Monday from 10:00 am-1:00 pm. These classes are $10.00 per session. The Gallery’s regular business hours are Thursday – Saturday from 10 am-4 pm. If you need additional info or interested in joining our artist-run Gallery, please contact Marsha Barnett at 251-401-0230 or via email artsofdauphinisland@gmail.com