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Tuscaloosa County PARA seeks input from online survey

Tuscaloosa County PARA seeks input from online survey

What do you want out of your parks in Tuscaloosa? An online survery by Tuscaloosa County's Parks and Recreation Authority is seeking the answers to that question from the community.

The survey asks participants what kinds of amenities they'd like to see added, what's most important about a recreational area, and what would make citizens more interested in PARA.

"We want to be the best park and recreation system in the state," executive director Gary Minor said.

He hopes the responses from the survey will help PARA determine what the community needs and wants for future park developments.

60 trees planted in Tuscaloosa parks

60 trees planted in Tuscaloosa parks

The Talladega Superspeedway and NASCAR's Green Program teamed up today to plant 60 trees in Tuscaloosa parks that were damaged in the April 27 tornadoes. The first group of the trees were planted in Rosedale Park in Tuscaloosa.

The variety of trees chosen for the project are as follows: 17 Green Mountain Maples, 19 Legacy Maples, seven White Flowering Dogwoods, 12 Pin Oaks and 5 Princeton American Elms.

NASCAR's Green Program gives 10 trees for each green flag that is dropped during a race. During the spring race at the Talladega Superspeedway, a total of six green flags were dropped, bringing the total number of donated trees to 60.

Rosedale Park is located at 3000 Greensboro Ave. in Tuscaloosa. The tree planting ceremony began 11 a.m.

Birmingham's Civil Rights District named Ala.'s 2012 tourist attraction of the year

Birmingham's Civil Rights District named Ala.'s 2012 tourist attraction of the year

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- An area of Birmingham devoted to remembering the city's role in the civil rights movement is being recognized this year as Alabama's 2012 tourist attraction of the year.

The Alabama Department of Tourism named the Birmingham Civil Right District as the 2012 attraction of the year. The district includes 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The department says the Civil Rights District served as a "ground zero" during the 1963 civil rights campaign.

The tourism department says Kelly Ingram Park was a common gathering spot for civil rights demonstrators in the early 1960s. Statues in the park commemorate a time when police officers turned fire hoses and police dogs on civil rights marchers, including children.

Another famous civil rights landmark, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, was the site of a 1963 bombing set off by Ku Klux Klan members that killed four young girls.

Military free days at the Birmingham Zoo to Celebrate Independence Day

Military free days at the Birmingham Zoo to Celebrate Independence Day

The Birmingham Zoo invites families and friends to come out during the Fourth of July to visit the animals and take part in the Zoo’s many activities. In honor of our nation’s birthday, all active and retired military and their dependents get free admission to the Zoo on July 2, 3 and 4 with valid military identification.

There will also be a birthday celebration for the Zoo’s three African Red River Hogs on July 4 at 1:30 p.m. Star, Spangle and Banner are sisters who were born on July 4, 2006. During the celebration, guests can learn interesting facts about Red River Hogs through an educational keeper chat and watch as Star, Spangle and Banner receive patriotic enrichment birthday gifts. The Red River Hog exhibit is located in the Savannah and features a lookout station where guests can view Star, Spangle and Banner.

Zoo Crew: Checking out the new aviary

Zoo Crew: Checking out the new aviary

Wes visited with Cindy Pinger from the Birmingham Zoo to learn more about the new aviary area near the giraffe feeding exhibit. There are 23 birds from across Africa inside the exhibit and Cindy shares a little bit about several species with Wes.

For more information, visit birminghamzoo.com.

[Watch Wes and Cindy in the aviary here.]
 

Tuscaloosa Memorial Day program to honor Gulf War veterans

Tuscaloosa Memorial Day program to honor Gulf War veterans

Press release from the Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority:

Military veterans of Gulf War assignments from 1991 to the present will be special honorees at the Memorial Day celebration at Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority’s Veterans Memorial Park in Tuscaloosa.

Recognition of the Gulf War veterans will be part of a one-hour program at the park starting with patriotic music at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 28. Tuscaloosa Veterans Memorial Park is located on McFarland Boulevard in front of University Mall.