Lights of DI
The Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the 2020 Lights of Dauphin Island! Members of the community have agreed to join us in creating the most festive holiday possible! Sixty (60) Christmas trees have been sponsored and on display around the island beginning on December 5. We also have several families who agreed to participate in the home decoration as well. There will be a panel of judges and People’s Choice awards given. Additional activities are scheduled during December – Please mark your calendars for the following dates: 12/5 – The trees will all be lit at 6:00 pm 12/5 – People’s Choice voting takes place from 3:00 pm until Sunday 12/6 at 5:00 pm 12/6 – Panel Judging will take place 12/7 – Tree and home decoration winners will be announced via Facebook and DICOC Website 12/13 – LoDI Scavenger Hunt from 2-4 pm (details on Website) 12/20 – LoDI Scavenger Hunt 2 from 2-4 pm (details on Website) 12/21 Until 12/31 – Food Drive for Feed the Need; Bring your non-perishable food donations to the collection container outside the Sandbox, 1604 Bienville Blvd. Donations can be made between 10 am—4 pm Monday through Saturday. The container will be locked at night. Maps of all trees and homes participating will be available at Water Tower Plaza in a “take one” box. You will be able to vote for the trees/homes of your choice there as well. Merry Christmas!
News From Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council
Enjoy an elegant four-course sit-down dinner with family and friends at the Fourth Annual Gulf Seafood Gala on December 5, 6-9 pm at Isle Dauphine! Gulf seafood entrée selections prepared by Chef Philip Patronas are Oysters Bienville, Shrimp Isle Dauphine, and pan-seared flounder with cream sauce. Appetizers, sides, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages are included. Full cash bar will be available, with table service for all food and drinks. Ticket sales are limited to 100—$ 100 per person, with tables of 2, 4, 6, and 8 available. COVID-19 protocol will be followed. To reserve a table, send an email to info@dauphinislandarts.org, or text a message to 251/490-0294. CHILDREN’S SHELL CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT KITS are available free of charge at the Dauphin Island Gallery during Gallery hours (see below) while they last! Limit one kit per child, please. FAMILY HOLIDAY CLAY KITS are available for purchase at the Dauphin Island Gallery! The kit includes 4 pounds of “self-hardening” clay (no firing is needed), paints, tools, and templates to make at least five pottery Christmas ornaments. What a fun family “at home” project for the holidays! Price: $30 per kit. All proceeds benefit DIHAC. CHILDREN’S AFTER SCHOOL POTTERY WORKSHOP – November 30, and December 7- 3 pm & 4 pm DIHAC is pleased to offer a Children’s After School Pottery Workshop with professional potter LeaAynn Shurley to be held in the DIHAC Art Studio, next door to the DI Gallery. The workshop is free and open to all elementary school-age children in our community. We expect to add more free children’s art classes after the first of the year. To reserve a space for your child in the upcoming pottery workshop, send an email to info@dauphinislandarts.org or text a message to 251/490-0294. INTRODUCTION TO WATERCOLORS – December 12– 10 am – 12 pm Odie Tucker, watercolor artist and new Island resident, will lead this informative and creative class. You will learn the basics of watercolor art and create your own watercolor painting—$ 50 per person plus $25 for materials. To reserve a space, send an email to info@dauphinislandarts.org or text a message to 251/490-0294. The class is limited to 6. Face coverings and social distancing will be required during the class. DECEMBER GUEST ARTIST AT DAUPHIN ISLAND GALLERY. We welcome Julie Snidle as our Guest Artist for December! Visit the Gallery to view and purchase Julie’s wonderful paintings. THERE IS A HEALING POWER TO ART, and we want to help bring that healing to our small part of the world. As we continue to practice safety measures to help in decreasing the spread of COVID-19, we are happy that the Dauphin Island Gallery (the Lighthouse building) is open to the public on its normal days and business hours – Thursday-Saturday, 10 am-4 pm, and Sunday, 12:30 pm-4:30 pm. DAUPHIN ISLAND HERITAGE AND ARTS COUNCIL is a federal 501(c)3 charitable, non-profit organization providing educational opportunities in the arts and working to preserve our coastal heritage. Memberships, donations, and purchases at our Gallery help support our programs.
DI Sea Lab Tidbits
Take an adventure this holiday season with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Marine Educators. Science Friday, Ocean Saturday, Family Camp, and Aquarium excursions are on the calendar in December. Each event gives you a chance to discover more about coastal Alabama’s habitats with a hands-on learning experience. From the salt marsh to Mobile Bay, there’s plenty to explore. Visit disl.edu/events and plan your adventure today. Also, don’t forget the aquarium is open seven days a week. Purchase tickets at disl.edu/estuarium.
NFWF Grants Announced
Governor Kay Ivey recently announced that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded nearly $26 million from its Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF) for four new projects in the state of Alabama, two of which have direct ties to Dauphin Island. I thank our partners at NFWF and ADCNR for their continued diligence in leading this effort,” Governor Ivey said. The number of awards from the GEBF in the state of Alabama now stands at 38, with a total value of nearly $241 million. ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship highlighted the importance of the Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline and Habitat Protection Project. “This is a strong slate of projects. Among them, the Dauphin Island Causeway project is an example of multiple agencies working together to restore Alabama’s coastal habitat and at the same time create resiliency in our coastal community. Mobile County, with support from Mobile Bay NEP, is doing an excellent job leading this project. ADCNR is pleased and excited with this team effort making the most of this opportunity to protect and manage Alabama’s natural resources. We are appreciative of the work to implement all these valuable projects for the betterment of Coastal Alabama.” The two island-related projects are as follows; Dauphin Island East End Beach and Dune Restoration – $1,400,000 This project will complete engineering, design, and permitting to restore nearly a mile of beach dune habitat on the east end of Dauphin Island. The initial project concept is to place an estimated 1.2 million cubic yards of sand along 4,800 feet of shoreline to restore 35 acres of beach and dune habitat. Additional measures, such as planting and sand fencing, would be included as appropriate to assist in retaining sand on the restored beach and dune system. In 2016, the Town completed the first phase of this priority beach restoration project using the Coastal Impact Assistance Program funds. Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline and Habitat Restoration Project —Phase II $18,970,000 This project will design and install breakwater and create intertidal marsh habitat while providing protection against future erosion and storm damage. In April 2020, Phase I of this project, a $9,392,000 award, was funded under GEBF to create and protect important coastal habitat, reducing the vulnerability of the only access route between south Mobile County and Dauphin Island. Project activities will be co-funded through NFWF’s Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund, funded under the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-20) grants to be awarded through a partnership between NFWF and NOAA. Senator Richard Shelby was instrumental in the passage of this critical funding legislation. The Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund will provide an additional $4.9 million toward the Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline and Habitat Restoration Project. The Town expresses its sincere appreciation to Governor Kay Ivey, Senator Richard Shelby, Commissioner Chris Blankenship, NFWF, and others for making these projects possible!
More Grants
The island’s popular hiking & biking trail will receive a much-needed facelift in the coming months as part of a $375,000(+/-) grant from the Alabama Dept. of Transportation (ALDOT). Emphasis will be placed on ADA compliance and pedestrian safety measures including improved signage, traffic markings, crosswalks, surface leveling, drainage and more. Thanks to the Alabama Power Foundation, the south entrance of the DI Bridge will be a bit more colorful in the weeks ahead. APF recently awarded the Town a $1000 grant to purchase and plant crepe myrtles in that area. The Town expresses its sincere appreciation to ALDOT and APF for making these significant and meaningful contributions to our island community!
Arts of Dauphin Island
Season’s Greetings from Arts of Dauphin Island! We hope everyone has a safe and heart-warming Thanksgiving full of good food and loving family and friends. We have changed our operating hours to Winter Hours: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Come out and join us on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month for an outdoor market from 1 pm to 4 pm. If you are an artist or craftsperson and would like to join us, we are charging $10.00 per table. We will have our adult art classes on the first two Mondays of December from 10 am to 1 pm and resume every Monday after the first of the year. To sign up, please call Margie Delcambre at 251-402-0266. Do your Christmas shopping with our local artists and craft folks! Let’s keep it local and support our community!!
Community Center Groundbreaking Ceremony Set
It’s been a long time coming, but the start of construction on the new DI Community Center will get underway very soon! Join us for the official groundbreaking ceremony at the corner of Lemoyne Drive and Desoto Avenue on Thursday, December 10 at 8 am for this historic and memorable occasion. Our sincere appreciation to the DeLaney Family, Congressman-Elect Jerry Carl, DI Foundation, DI Chamber, Town of DI, and other generous contributors for helping our island community accomplish this meaningful achievement that will serve citizens and visitors for years to come. See you at the groundbreaking!
Musical Chair X for 2021
Join us every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am—10 am at the Baptist RMC at 910 Desoto. This free, 10-week session runs from Tuesday, January 5 through Thursday, March 11. All ages and abilities are welcome. Enjoy the music and people while stretching, building strength, and boosting your energy. A chair will be used for seated exercise and standing support. Sue Fairbanks will lead the class and you can call or text Sue with any questions at (630) 335-6034. Please bring light weights or water bottles (optional). All Covid safety guidelines will be met.
