Halloween is here

October 28, 2008

By Christie Kulavich

Are you taking someone trick or treating? We’ve got the trick or treat times for area cities and towns. Here are trick or treat times for the Wirgrass.

What’s going up for the grownups?

I’ve always wanted to go to the Jaycees Haunted House, but noone I’ve asked seems to know anything about it. Anyone out there have ideas about it? When it is, the price, etc? Leave me a comment.

There’s also some Halloween events going on at local venues. The District, a new club in downtown Dothan has a flyer out for a Halloween party and costume contest. They’re offering up some big money, too. Read about it on the MySpace page: The District

Club Imagination is also having a costume contest and all sorts of good times. I saw on the club’s board that it’s offering $500 for winning a costume contest.

Also on Halloween are two openings: The National Festival opens its gates at 4 p.m. and the new Carmike movie theater at Dothan Pavilion opens for business.

With so many things to do, how do you choose?

Peanut Festival Fly By meet and greet

October 27, 2008

By Christie Kulavich

What a neat event. We got a note about this today and it sounds really exciting for anyone, young or old who likes planes, especially planes that you don’t see at the Dothan Regional Airport every day. You can meet some home-grown Marines who will be flying F/A-18C Hornets into town.

This information is from Capt. Jason Alderson:
This Friday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m., Major Paul Blair and Capt. Jason Alderson will arrive in a section of United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets at Dothan Regional Airport in support of the National Peanut Festival Parade. Blair and Alderson will have their F/A-18C Hornets set up for display at the airport.

Everyone is invited to come see the aircraft and meet the Marine Corps Officers who will be performing a fly by during the National Peanut Festival Parade on Saturday. Major Blair and Capt. Alderson will answer questions about the F/A-18 Hornets and the United States Marine Corps. They will not leave Dothan Regional until the last question is answered. 

They will also be paying tribute to the continued support of the Wiregrass area citizens to the military. The United States Marine Corps is proud to have this chance to say thanks to the Wiregrass area with a Hornet fly by of the National Peanut Festival Parade this Saturday. Following the moment of silence, Blair and Alderson will conduct a second fly by to honor and pay tribute to all of the past and present military members of the Wiregrass. 

Both Major Blair and Capt Alderson are currently serving in VMFA-312, a Marine Corps Fighter Attack squadron, located at MCAS Beaufort, SC. VMFA-312 flies the F/A-18C, the single seat version of the illustrious Boeing aircraft. The F/A-18C is currently the most capable and potent aircraft in Marine Corps Aviation. 

Both Major Paul Blair and Captain Jason Alderson graduated from area high schools Major Paul Blair grew up in Dothan with his parents, Dan and Angie Blair. After graduating from Dothan High School in 1990, Paul enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Major Paul Blair is currently serving as the Executive Officer of VMFA-312 and has amassed more than 1,400 military flight hours and five deployments in his eighteen years of military service. His career has been an array of the core missions within the Marine Corps from life as a fire team leader in the infantry to combat as a Forward Air Controller in Irag to his current job of employing the Hornet against global terrorism. 

Capt.Jason Alderson also grew up in the Wiregrass area near the Chattahoochee River in Columbia with his parents, Richard and Pam Alderson.  After graduating from Houston County High School in 1995, Alderson attended the United States Naval Academy. After accepting his commission from the Naval Academy in 1999, Alderson initially flew the S-3B Viking for the United States Navy. After two deployments and more than 300 carrier arrested landings, Alderson moved to the United States Marine Corps. Captain Alderson is the Quality Assurance Officer of VMFA-312 and has more than 1,700 military flight hours and three deployments in his nine years of military service.

Both Major Blair and Captain Alderson will be deploying to Iraq in 2009. 

Pictured are Capt. Jason Alderson, left, and Major Paul Blair.
Contributed photo

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

By Christie Kulavich

The holidays are nearing. It’s getting colder and the decorations are already lining department stores’ shelves.

And the events that everyone looks forward to will be starting soon.

I received this one today:
Southeast Alabama Dance Company presents the annual holiday play “The Nutcracker” at the Dothan Civic Center on Dec 6-7.  Tickets are $19 each and go on sale Nov. 24 at the Dothan Civic Center Box Office.

Show times are Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30pm and Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2:30 p.m.

Samaria Barnes is dancing the role of Clara.

Buy your tickets online here after Nov. 24.

Contributed photo

More fun this weekend

October 23, 2008

By Christie Kulavich

Landmark Park is hosting its annual heritage festival. Families can go out for fun activities and see what life on the farm was like.

Here’s the brief that ran in the Dothan Eagle:
Landmark Park will celebrate the agricultural history of our region with the annual Wiregrass Heritage Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday.

There will be peanut harvesting demonstrations with vintage farm equipment and mules to dig, stack and pick peanuts. Exhibitors will display restored antique tractors, engines and farm equipment. There will also be an antique tractor pull for pre-1964 tractors, cane grinding and syrup making. Other activities will include blacksmithing, basket making, corn shelling, and woodworking. Kids activities will include pony rides, games and a corn maze. Concessions will be available.

Families can also visit the pumpkin patch and, for a small fee, choose a pumpkin to take home. There will be live music and entertainment all day.

Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, $4 for kids, and free for members and children 3 and under. Landmark Park is on U.S. Highway 431 North. For more information, call 794-3452.

Get your bike ready for this weekend

By Christie Kulavich

Like to ride? This weekend, it’s all about the bikes. Here’s a ride that ends in fun at Headland’s Square:

Thunder on the Square will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the square in downtown Headland. This motorcycle fundraiser and ride-in will benefit Living Water Counseling and T’s for our Troops.

Music presented by Renaissance Headland includes blues singer Lil’ Jimmy Reed and bluegrass band Pure and Simple. There will be a bike show and contest with registration at 2 p.m. There will also be children’s activities.

Bikers will meet at different locations to ride in together and arrive on the square between 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. In Dothan, groups of bikers will begin at the Shell Station at Brannon Stand Road and U.S. 84 West or Dothan Powersports on Ross Clark Circle; in Enterprise at Enterprise Powersports on Boll Weevil Circle; and in Ozark at the Dairy Queen on U.S. 231. Bikers should meet at 1 p.m.