Feb. 4 - 7, 2010 — meetings, events & updates

Reminder:  PLACE e-newsletters also are posted online at http://placeforum.org/blog.

THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 9:30 AM — ALABAMA ARISE 2010 ANNUAL LOBBY DAY
Buy groceries and save the receipt! We’re going to attach grocery receipts to the “untax groceries” stickers we wear.
Meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Capitol Auditorium, Alabama State House, Mont. Open to all Alabama Arise members and friends.
Info (flyer):   http://www.alarise.org/Lobby%20day/Lobby%20Day%20Flyer%202010.pdf
Help us untax groceries!  We need people like you to make the case for helping families make ends meet. Carloads and vanloads of people from across the state will converge at the State House for Alabama Arise Lobby Day.
Schedule:
9:30 am — Registration  in the Capitol Auditorium
10:00 am — Issue briefing - what you need to know to talk to your legislators at 11:00
11:00 am- talk to your legislators (and probably take a few minutes to relax and watch debate on the House or Senate floor)
12:00 noon - lunch
1:00 p.m. - news conference in the Capitol Auditorium

THURSDAY, FEB. 4, NOON - 1:00 PM — ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY TREES (ACT) FREE WEBINAR: TREE ORDINANCES & DESIGN STANDARDS
Info & registration for free online seminar: http://actrees.org/site/stories/tree_ordinances_design_standards.php
Free & open to all. www.actrees.org
Trainers:
Craig Richardson, Vice President and principal, Clarion Associates (Chapel Hill, NC)
Chad Meadows, Senior Associate, Clarion Associates (Chapel Hill, NC)
As urban areas expand, communities want to preserve open lands and environmentally sensitive areas and mitigate environmental problems related to development. Often a tree ordinance is a key aspect of the framework for managing community forest and, in general, public resources. It provides legal authority for defining municipal responsibility for public and private trees, conducting forestry programs, passing regulations, and setting minimum standards for management. The intersection of nonprofit community leaders, government agencies, and experienced land-use professionals is where effective tree ordinances, land preservation strategies, and environmental mitigation plans often begin to help ensure that their communities develop sustainably.

THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 6:00 - 7:30 PM — SPEAKER: REGGIE BULLOCK
Held in the AU Student Center, room 2222.  Free & open to all.
Location: Auburn University Student Center, Room 2222
Come join Auburn University Black Student Union as we begin BLACK HISTORY MONTH with the presentation of Reginald Bullock’s documentary “A War for Your Soul”.  Bullock will be present for the 15 minute film.  We will have an very interesting discussion afterwards with the creator himself. The Bronx native’s latest release infuses African-American history with today’s current events, and expresses how they relate, inspiring youth to look critically at themselves and, at the very least, facilitating meaningful discussion amongst our at-risk youth. In turn, this film has enabled him to work, at a larger scale, with at-risk youth regarding topics and interests that are relevant to them. More info: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=media#/event.php?eid=256514934289&ref=mf

THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 6:30 - 7:30 PM - LIVE MUSIC AT THE GNU’S ROOM www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550
Open to all. No cover fee, but donations for the musicians are appreciated.  Acoustic band, Cranberry Horses, will be playing some of their original music at the Gnu’s Room.

THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 7:00 - 9:00 PM — COMMUNITY ORGANIZING WORKSHOP
Held in AU’s  O. D. Smith Hall room 329, 135 S. College St.
Fee: $20
Register: 334-844-5100  or http://www.auburn.edu/outreach/opo - click on “Community Involvement Workshops.”
Roberta Jackel (former Auburn City Council member) and Sheila Eckman (current Auburn City Council member) will co-teach a two-hour course on community organizing.
This is the last of three Auburn University Outreach Program Office community involvement workshops.

THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 7:00 - 8:00 PM — ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS/ SPECIAL GUEST FROM BOLIVIA
Held in AU’s Shelby Center, room 1103. Free & open to all.
Auburn’s new chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-AU) is hosting Benjo Paredes, native of Quesimpuco, Bolivia. Mr. Paredes will be accompanied by Tom Corson, director of SIFAT, an international service organization based out of Lineville, AL. Mr. Paredes and Mr. Corson will be speaking to the group about life in the village of Quesimpuco and some of the needs that the people face in their daily lives. EWB-AU is organizing a student team to travel to Quesimpuco in August to begin designing a project to meet some of these village’s needs.

FRIDAY, FEB. 5, 9:00 am — AUBURN UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Held in the Chi Omega Chapter Room, Willow Hall, Village Housing, AU; ph: 334-844-4866. Open to all. http://www.auburn.edu/administration/trustees
http://www.auburn.edu/administration/trustees/agenda100205.pdf
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010
I.  Committee Meeting (Chi Omega Chapter Room, Willow Hall, Village Housing)
**Committee Meetings will begin at 9:00 a.m.– all other meetings are subject to change in starting time, depending upon the length of individual meetings
A.    Joint Committee/AUM and Property & Facilities/Chairpersons Carlisle and Blackwell/9:00 a.m.
1.    State of Alabama Department of Public Health, Request for Easement for Gas Service (Joint Item) (Mr. King)
2.    Band Rehearsal Hall, Approval of Design Consultant (Mr. King)
3.    Center for Advanced Science, Innovation & Commerce (CASIC), Selection of Design Consultant and Selection of Construction Manager (Mr. King)
4.    Facilities Division Buildings VI and VII, Approval of the Facility Program, Budget, Funding Plan, Site and Schematic Design (Mr. King)
5.    Small Animal Teaching Hospital: Facility Program, Budget, Funding Plan, Site & Schematic Design (Mr. King)
6.    Aquatic Resource Management Center, Budget Increase (Mr. King)
7.    MRI Research Center Project, Approval of MRI Research Center Project Leases (Mr. Armstrong)
8.    Next Generation Biological Engineering Research Laboratory, Approval of Project Initiation; Initiation of the Design Consultant Selection Process; Initiation of the Construction Manager Selection; and Designation as an Expedited Project (Mr. King)
9.    Status Reports (For Information Only) (Mr. King )
A.    Current Status of New Construction/Renovation/Infrastructure, Budgets of $750,000 and Greater
B.    Quarterly Report for Projects Costing More than $500,000 But Less than $750,000, First Quarter FY 2009
C.    Status of Project
D.    Key Projects Memo
B.    Joint Committee/AUM and Finance/Chairpersons Carlisle, and Lowder/9:30 a.m
1.    Proposed Meal Plan, Auburn University Montgomery (Joint Item) - (Dr. Veres)
2.    Proposed Housing Rate Increases, Auburn University at Montgomery (Joint Item) (Dr. Veres)
3.    Proposed Housing Rate Increases, Auburn University Main  Campus  (Dr. Large)
C.    Academic Affairs Committee/Chairperson Thompson/10:00 a.m.
1.    Proposed Graduate Certificate in Extension Education (Dr. Mazey)
2.    Proposed Graduate Certificate in Election Administration (Dr. Mazey)
3.    Proposed Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication (Dr. Mazey)
4.    Update on Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) Longitudinal Study (Dr. Clark)
D.    Institutional Advancement Committee/Chairperson Spina/10:15 a.m.
1.    Request Exception to Naming Guidelines (Mr. McNeill)
E.    Audit Committee/Chairperson McCrary/10:30 a.m.
1.    Review of Audited Financial Statements (Dr. Large)
F.    Executive Committee/Chairperson Lanier/10:45 a.m.
1.    Posthumous Awarding of the Bachelor of Science in Forestry for Walker H. Taylor (Dr. Mazey)
2.    Proposed Awards and Namings
II.  11:00 A.M. -REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES -
A.    Proposed Executive Session (Gamma Phi Beta Chapter Room, Willow Hall, Village Housing)
III. REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES - 11:30 A.M.(Chi Omega Chapter Room, Willow Hall, Village Housing)
(Agenda items are determined primarily based upon committee actions.)
12:00 P.M. - LUNCHEON - TIGER ZONE AT VILLAGE DINING FACILITY

FRIDAY, FEB. 5, 11:30 am - AUBURN TREE COMMISSION
Held at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave. Open to all. http://www.auburnalabama.org/trees/

FRIDAY, FEB. 5, 6:00 - 7:30 PM — ART EXHIBIT RECEPTION: FOUND OBJECTS II EXHIBITION
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. The gallery is free and open to the public Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Found Objects II exhibition, hosted by the Auburn Arts Association, is currently on display through Feb. 27.  The exhibition features work that utilizes non-traditional art materials by local and regional artists. The public is invited to a reception to view the art works and meet artists Friday, Feb. 5 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. More info: Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center at 501-2963 or visit www.auburnalabama.org/arts.

FRIDAY, FEB. 4, 7:00 PM - EXPRESSIONS CAFÉ  / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.  Free & open to all. Held the first Friday of each month.
Poets, authors, musicians, and storytellers are invited to perform their work for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience. The event is open to all and there is no charge for the event.

FRIDAY, FEB. 5, 7:30 PM —-  EAST ALABAMA ORCHID SOCIETY
Held at the AU Fire Ant Lab.
The EAOS is the local chapter of the American Orchid Society, open to everyone, beginners and experts alike. We generally meet the first Friday of the month to discuss various orchid related topics.  For more info and directions to the Fire Ant Lab, please contact Vince Cammarata, cammavx@bellsouth.net or Julia Bartosh,  bartojl@auburn.edu.

SATURDAY, FEB. 6 - 21ST ANNUAL LOVE YOUR HEART RUN AND CRANK YOUR HEART RIDE / Benefit for the Lee County Special Olympics, Best Buddies of Auburn University, Premier Athletics Shinning Knights Therapeutic Cheerleading Team and Friends for Life
Held at Chewacla State Park.  Participants may run or walk the event!
More info:  www.loveyourheartrun.com or www.active.com.
Contact: Alison Hall, 334-501-2930, ahall@auburnalabama.org
The 21st Annual Love Your Heart Run is sponsored by the Exceptional Outreach Organization and the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Dept. The Love Your Heart Run is the premier fundraising event benefiting children and adults with special needs that participate in Lee County Special Olympics, Best Buddies of Auburn University, Premier Athletics Shinning Knights Therapeutic Cheerleading Team and Friends for Life. The Crank Your Heart Ride was introduced in 2008 in an effort to broaden the Exceptional Outreach Organizations annual fundraising event and further raise awareness of the many therapeutic programs we support throughout the community. The 1 mile and 6.4 mile routes offer spectacular views of Chewacla State Park. The 6.4 mile route begins and ends inside Chewacla State Park. For local runners, we are reviving an old course that allows runners a challenging return climb to the summit of Chewacla State Park.

SATURDAY, FEB. 6, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM — EAST ALABAMA RECYCLING PARTNERSHIP / ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT
Held at Mid-Way Plaza, 3700 Pepperell Parkway, Opelika. No charge for recycling, except $10 for the disposal of televisions.
Info: http://www.auburnalabama.org/news/2010/es011510.asp
Items accepted for recycling: https://fp.auburn.edu/recycling/e-cycle.aspx
The East Alabama Recycling Partnership (EARP) , composed of Auburn University, City of Auburn, City of Opelika and Lee County, is hosting this electronics recycling event. The partnership was formed in effort to combine expertise and capabilities to make recycling more efficient in our area. In 2009, the Partnership was awarded a grant from Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) totaling $120,139.00.
The Electronics Recycling Event will allow all citizens of Lee County the opportunity to recycle their outdated or unused electronics. Items that will be accepted include televisions, computers, small kitchen appliances, video games, DVDs and telephones. The East Alabama Recycling Partnership is working with Creative Recycling to recycle the collected items. All items will be separated and shredded while properly disposing of stored information. Keep Opelika Beautiful hosted two similar events in 2009.
For more information on the Electronics Recycling Event, please contact Tipi Miller at (334) 749-4970.
SATURDAY, FEB. 6, 9:00 AM — ALABAMA DEPT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DCNR)
Held in the State Capitol Auditorium, Montgomery; ph:  334-242-3486. Open to all.
Registration 8:00 AM until 8:30 AM
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. INVOCATION
3. INTRODUCTION OF BOARD MEMBERS
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
5. PUBLIC HEARING
6. OLD BUSINESS
7. NEW BUSINESS
8. SELECTION OF DATE and LOCATION OF NEXT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
9. ADJOURN

SATURDAY, FEB. 6 — JCSM EXHIBITION OPENS — “AFTER YOU LEFT, THEY TOOK IT APART: DEMOLISHED PAUL RUDOLPH HOMES  / PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS MOTTALINI
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Chi Omega Hargis Gallery.
Admission is free thanks to the JCSM Business Partners. www.jcsm.auburn.edu
After You Left, They Took It Apart: Demolished Paul Rudolph Homes and Photographs by Chris Mottalini is on exhibit February 6 through April 17, 2010.
Contemporary photographer Chris Mottalini has produced a series of haunting images that record several abandoned houses designed by architect Paul Rudolph, structures he discovered in various states of neglect. Exploring these former paradigms of modern design, decaying and slated for destruction, Mottalini found poignancy and no small measure of irony in the startling contrast of high modernism laid to ruin. Photographed in some cases immediately prior to the homes’ demolition, these images are the last portraits of Rudolph’s striking creations.
More info about this exhibit: http://jcsm.auburn.edu/exhibitions/upcoming/2010_02_chris_mottalini.php

SATURDAY, FEB. 6, 2:00 - 3:00 PM — BIRD COUNTING AND FEEDING 101
Held  at the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve.
Info & directions: http://www.auburn.edu/preserve
Admission is $2 and all proceeds will go to
the purchase of bird seed for the Preserve feeders.
Have you ever wanted to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, but didn’t feel comfortable with your bird identification? The Auburn Birding Club is hosting “Bird Counting and Feeding 101″. Rita Kemp, of the Auburn Birding Club and the Preserve staff, will present a program the weekend before the national bird count to learn about why we have the bird count, identifying the most common birds found in the area and some feeding tips to attract birds. The program will begin with a quick lesson on using binoculars and scopes before heading to the Preserve trails for some birding. A bird ID sheet will be given to each participant to take home to help them participate in the national bird count. For more information, call Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or visit the Preserve Web site http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

SATURDAY, FEB 6, 6:00 - 9:00 PM — HABITAT AROUND THE HEARTH / Benefit for the Lee County Habitat for Humanity
Held at the Moore’s Mill Club Pavilion. Dress casually and warmly.
Tickets: $40, available at the door or by calling the Habitat for Humanity office 334-745-2133.
Join us around the hearth for an evening of food, music & dancing benefitting the Lee County Habitat for Humanity.
6:00 - 7:00 pm — Wine tasting by Christine’s
6:00 - 8:00 pm — Silent auction
7:00 - 9:00 pm — Hors d’oeuvres & Live Music

SUNDAY, FEB. 7, 4:00 - 7:00 PM — Book Discussion, Roundtable, and Reception / ALABAMA’S CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL by Frye Gaillard
Held in the Rosa Parks Library Auditorium & Exhibition Hall, Troy University. Sponsored by the University of Alabama Press and hosted by Troy University.
“No other state has embraced and preserved its civil rights history more thoroughly than Alabama. Nor is there a place where that history is richer. Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail tells of Alabama’s great civil rights events, as well as its lesser-known moments, in a compact and accessible narrative, paired with a practical guide to Alabama’s preserved civil rights sites and monuments.
In his history of Alabama’s civil rights movement, Cradle of Freedom (University of Alabama Press, 2004), Frye Gaillard contends that Alabama played the lead role in a historic movement that made all citizens of the nation, black and white, more free. This book, geared toward the casual traveler and the serious student alike, showcases in a vividly illustrated and compelling manner, valuable and rich details. It provides a user-friendly, graphic tool for the growing number of travelers, students, and civil rights pilgrims who visit the state annually.
The story of the civil rights movement in Alabama is told city by city, region by region, and town by town, with entries on Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, Tuscaloosa, Tuskegee, and Mobile, as well as chapters on the Black Belt and the Alabama hill country. Smaller but important locales such as Greensboro, Monroeville, and Scottsboro are included, as are more obscure sites like Hale County’s Safe House Black History Museum and the birthplace of the Black Panther Party in Lowndes County.” (University of Alabama Press)

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACEforum
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web:    http://placeforum.org/blog/
Feb. 4, 2010

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Feb. 2 & 3, 2010 — Meetings, events & updates
note: The list of additional events for this week will be emailed tomorrow.

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 28 — EXHIBITION: AGRITECTURE
Held at AU’s Biggin Gallery, 101 Biggin Hall. Free & open to all.
Agritecture: What does the Chia Pet^TM have to do with sustainable living? Can grain crops be an art form? Jeff Schmuki, visiting artist in the Auburn University Department of Art, challenges viewers both to confront and to collaborate on these and other issues in Agritecture.

ONGOING THROUGH MARCH 2 — WINTER INVITATIONAL 2010 / ART EXHIBITION
Held at the Dempsey Community Arts Center.
Works in a variety of media by regional artists
and craftpersons.
Exhibitions are free and open to the public Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information about the Art Gallery or future exhibitions, please contact the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center at 501-2963.

ONGOING THROUGH MAY 15 AT JCSM / Exhibition of works produced in the Southeast
A traveling exhibition of contemporary craft and traditional art produced in the southeastern United States is on display at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University through May 15. This collection, “Tradition/Innovation: American Masterpieces of Southern Craft and Traditional Art,” contains more than 100 objects including works of art in glass, clay, fiber, metal, wood, paper and mixed media. To enrich the viewer’s experience, the museum is offering an array of artist interviews as well as stories and background information on the artists and their processes. Upcoming speakers and dates include: quilters Mozell Benson and Sylvia Stephens on Feb. 2; metal artist John Phillips on Feb. 9; potter Charles Smith on Feb. 16; glass artist Cal Breed on March 2; and furniture maker Kimberly Sotelo on March 9. All talks are scheduled for 4 p.m. Admission to the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is free in 2010 courtesy of the museum’s Business Partners. For more information, see the news release ( http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1366 ).

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM — OLLI BROWN BAG LUNCH WITH SID JAMES NAKHJAVAN, DIRECTOR OF AU’S WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY BOARD
Held at the Lexington Hotel, 1577 South College Street. Free & open to all. Bring a lunch and attend the talk.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) will host this Brown Bag Lunch meeting featuring Sidney James Nakhjavan, director of the Women’s Philanthropy Board at Auburn University.  More info: Linda Shook, OLLI at Auburn coordinator, at 334-844-5100 or olli@auburn.edu, or www.olliatauburn.org.

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 1:30 PM — THE WRITE TIME / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.  Free & open to all.
If you enjoy writing fiction, non-fiction or poetry and would be
interested in meeting others over coffee or tea to talk about thE writing life, to share ideas and tips about getting started, learn how to cope with writers block, how to edit your work or get published, then The Write Time might be just the place for you! All are welcome no matter at what stage of writing they may be, including those who have always wanted to write but don’t know how to begin. Come have some fun with others who share your passion. The Write Time is hosted by Helen Silverstein, editor of The Southern Women’s Review. To accommodate various schedules, The Write Time is being offered at several times and dates this month in addition to February 2nd. There will also be meetings on: Wednesday, February 10th at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, February 18th at 5:30 p.m. and Friday, February 26th at 10:30 a.m.

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 3:00 PM — MICHIGAN STATE PROFESSOR WILLIAM ATCHISON WILL SPEAK ON NEUROTOXICITY
Held in AU’s Harrison School of Pharmacy Building, room 1109. Free & open to all.
William Atchison, a professor at Michigan State University and a leading figure in neurotoxicology, will speak at a Dept of Pharmacal Sciences seminar series. He has a long-standing interest in the role that calcium-dependent processes play in the neurotoxicity of metals. His visit is sponsored by the Department of Psychology and the Department of Pharmacal Sciences. More info: Chris Newland at newlamc@auburn.edu or 844-6479 or Charlene McQueen at cam007@auburn.edu.

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 4:00 - 5:00 PM — LECTURE BY QUILTERS MOZELL BENSON AND SYLVIA STEPHENS
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Admission is free thanks to the JCSM Business Partners.
Lecture series: The Innovative Spirit
A National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship recipient in 2001, Mozelle Benson’s work is celebrated for its improvisational style and bold colors, and has been featured in several exhibitions throughout the United States. One of Benson’s quilts is in the permanent collection of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. Benson will be joined by her daughter, Sylvia G. Stephens, who lives in Opelika, Alabama, and is currently in training as an apprentice quilter under the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program.

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 4:00 PM — FRANKLIN LECTURE: SECURITY GURU BRUCE SCHNEIER / The Science of Secret Codes
Held in the auditorium, Science Center Complex on Roosevelt Drive, AU.  Free & open to all.
http://www.auburn.edu/littleton-franklin/
Described by The Economist as a “security guru,” Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist and author. His first bestseller, Applied Cryptography, explains how the science of secret codes works and was described by Wired magazine as “the book the National Security Agency wanted never to be published.”
PARKING: Parking areas nearest the auditorium are the lot in front of Comer Hall on the corner of Roosevelt and College Streets, and the Library parking deck off Roosevelt. Tiger Transit buses (Charcoal Line) run between the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts and campus regularly until 6:00 pm weekdays. Persons parking in the Museum lot should be at a campus bus stop by about 5:30 in order to be sure to catch the last bus back to the museum. The nearest bus stop to the Science Center Auditorium is on Mell Street at Roosevelt.

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 5:00 PM — ART LECTURE:  LINDA WEINTRAUB / Artistic Imagination + Habitat Devastation = Environmental Restoration
Held in room 005 Biggin Hall, AU. Free & open to all. Reception follows lecture.
How would you portray Mother Nature? Is she fertile, nurturing, and healthy? Or is she frail and tarnished, in need of restoration? Writer, curator, educator, and artist Linda Weintraub looks at pioneering efforts of artists who are redefining art for an age characterized by widespread environmental concerns.  Here is a link to the schedule: www.ag.auburn.edu/ArtinAg/

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 5:15 pm - AUBURN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD
Held at the Dean Road Rec Center. Open to all.

TUESDAY, FEB. 2 — AUBURN CITY COUNCIL
6:00 pm-Committee of the Whole /  7:00 pm - Regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: www.auburnalabama.org/agenda
Committee of the Whole agenda includes:
6:00 PM  TOUR OF FRANK BROWN RECREATION CENTER, 235 Opelika Road (Meet at Recreation Center)
6:45 PM - council chambers
MOTON HOUSING PROJECT. Discussion. Robert Smith, Auburn Housing Authority.
Regular meeting agenda includes:
7. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS.
8. CITY MANAGER’S COMMUNICATIONS. City Manager Duggan.
a. Alcoholic Beverage Licenses. Consideration.
(1) Lake Martin, LLC dba/Store 17 Package. 1955B South College Street. 011 - Lounge Retail Liquor - Class II - (Package) License.
(2) Archie’s Oyster Inc. dba/Archie’s Oysters. 830 Opelika Road. 020 - Restaurant Retail Liquor License. Change in Application Type.
(3) Samnani Corp dba/Tiger Food Mart. 341 North College Street. 050 - Retail Beer (Off Premises Only) and 070 - Retail Table Wine (Off Premises Only) License. Change in Ownership.
b. Taxpayer Waiver. EDR Auburn LLC. 530 Oak Court Drive, Suite 300. Memphis, TN. $1,313.76
c. Announcement of Board Vacancy. Metropolitan Planning Organization - Citizens Advisory Committee. One Vacancy. Unexpired term ends March 8, 2013. Appointment at March 2, 2010 Meeting.
9. ORDINANCES.
a. Annexation. Robert and Regina Battle. Property located on the north side of Lee Road 084 (Pear Tree Road). 5.55 Acres. Planning Commission Recommendation. Unanimous Consent Necessary.
10. RESOLUTIONS.
a. Auburn City Schools. 2010 Teacher of the Year Honorees. Recognition.
b. Auburn City Schools and Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Read Across Auburn Campaign. February 15 - March 12, 2010. Support of Initiative.
c. West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc. West Pace Village Improvement District. Final Assessment Petition. Public Hearing Required.
d. Conditional Use Approvals. Planning Commission Recommendations. Public Hearings Required.
(1) City of Auburn - Parks & Recreation Department. Brett Basquin (Authorized Representative). Indoor Recreation Use - (Frank Brown Community Center and addition of Senior Center Building) in the Redevelopment District (RDD) zoning district. 235 Opelika Road.
(2) Jay Jennings dba/Jennings Construction Company, Inc. Institutional Use (classrooms for a preschool) in the Redevelopment District (RDD) zoning district. 421-B Opelika Road.
e. Contracts. Authorize Mayor and City Manager to Sign.
(1) Public Works Department. D & J Enterprises, Inc. North Donahue Drive Bridge Replacement and Roadway Widening Project. $3,790,112.04.
(2) Environmental Services Department. Sand Hill Recycling, Inc. Inert Construction and Demolition Waste Disposal Service. $23.50/ton. Three-year contract. Public Hearing Required.
f. Donahue Land LLC. Parcel “A” Donahue Ridge Subdivision. Drainage and Utility Easement. North Donahue Drive Bridge Replacement and Roadway Widening
Project. Acceptance.
11. OTHER BUSINESS.
12. ADJOURNMENT.

TUESDAY, FEB. 2 — OPELIKA CITY COUNCIL
6:25 pm - work session  / 7:00 pm - regular meeting
Held at 204 S. 7th St, Opelika. Open to all.  www.opelika.org
Work session agenda: http://www.opelika.org/Default.asp?ID=170
Regular session agenda:  http://www.opelika.org/Default.asp?ID=169

TUESDAY, FEB. 2,  6:30 PM - AUBURN PRESERVATION LEAGUE / Board Meeting
Held at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave.  Open to the public. www.auburnpreservationleague.org
The APL board meets the first Tuesday of each month. All meetings are open to the public and members are encouraged to attend.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, 9:30 AM — ALABAMA ETHICS COMMISSION
Held in the 9th Floor Hearing Room, RSA Union Building, 100 North Union Street,
Montgomery. Ph:334-242-2997. Open to all.
Agenda includes:In Open Session, to render Advisory Opinions requested by public officials/public employees.  An Executive Session will be held to discuss matters relating to complaints filed with the Ethics Commission and the results of those investigations.  These matters are covered by the Grand Jury Secrecy Act.  No matters will be discussed which are outside the scope of the State guidelines for the holding of Executive Sessions.  Matters discussed in Executive Session will be voted on in public.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM — JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING /
TALLAPOOSA RIVER BASIN CLEAN WATER PARTNERSHIP & ALABAMA-TOMBIGBEE CLEAN WATER PARTNERSHIP
Held at the Alabama Pulp and Paper Council’s new home / Manufacture Alabama, 401 Adams Avenue, Suite 710, Mont. Free & open to all. Please RSVP by 5:00 PM FEB. 1 for lunch.
Parking: park across the street at the parking deck located on the corner of Adams and Decatur. Parking code available from Dawn H. Stephens, Tallapoosa River Basin Clean Water Partnership, 1831 Hillwood Drive, Mont. ph: 334-850-4429
Directions via Google maps
AGENDA:
10:00 am - Introduction & Welcome: Buddy Morgan and Roy McAuley
10:15 am - Statewide CWP Update: Allison Jenkins
10:35 am - Aquatic Bioassessments in the Tallapoosa, Alabama and Tombigbee Basins: Lisa Huff/ADEM
10:55am - Autauga Creek Bioassessment: Will Mooty/USGS
11: 15 am - Regulatory Update: Brian Haigler/Jason Wilkins
11:30 am - Lunch /    Provided by Manufacture Alabama.
12:00 Noon - Alabama-Tombigbee CWP Update:     Ashley Henderson
12:45 pm - Tallapoosa CWP Update: Dawn Stephens
1:30 - Individual Reports     - All
2:00 Adjourn

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, 4:30 pm - AUBURN BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT / BZA
Held in the city council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda:  www.auburnalabama.org/bza/agenda.asp
Agenda includes:
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
Annual Meeting of the Board to Elect New Officers
Variance to Section 436.01 of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance  PL-2010-00023
Applicant: Roy McLure for David Luck
General Location:  653 South College Street
Zoning District:  Neighborhood Conservation (NC-20)
Action Requested: Variance of 241.31 feet to the required spacing of 300 feet between curb cuts along an arterial street in order to allow a curb cut 58.69 feet from the adjacent curb cut to the south and a variance of 195.17 feet to allow a curb cut 104.83 feet from the adjacent curb cut to the north 
Variance to Section 502.02A, Section 707A, and Figure 7-1 of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance  PL-2010-00030
Applicant: David Hill for Kenneth Kirchler
General Location:  274 Bragg Avenue
Zoning District:  Redevelopment District (RDD)
Actions Requested:
– To Section 502.02A requiring front and rear setbacks of 20′, a side setback of 15′, and a maximum impervious surface ratio (ISR) of 50% for a performance single-family residence.  The request is for a variance of 20′ from the required 20′ front setback to allow a zero front setback, 19.5′ from the required 20′ rear setback to allow a rear setback of 0.5′, and 12′ from the required 15′ side yard on a street setback to allow a side setback of 3′. Additionally, the applicant is requesting a variance of 13% from the maximum allowable ISR to allow an ISR of 63%, exceeding the allowed 50%.
– To Section 707A and Figure 7-1 (Minimum Acceptable Bufferyards For Nonconforming Uses) of a minimum planter-width bufferyard and 2 tree inches (2 understory trees) and 6 shrubs in the bufferyard along the western property line; and a minimum 6′ bufferyard and 6 tree inches (1 canopy, 4 understory trees) and 10 shrubs in the bufferyard along the
southern property line in order to have no buffer along these two property lines.
Variance to Section 605.01A, General Business Signs, of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance  PL-2010-00031
Applicant: Richard Galavitz, Total Imaging Sign, Inc., for Whatley Oil and Auto Parts Company
General Location:  1700 Opelika Road
Zoning District: Commercial Conservation (CC)
Action Requested: Variance of 10 feet to the required minimum setback of ten feet from any side lot line and ten feet from the front or street property line in order to allow a sign to be placed on the front property line
Variance to Section 605.01A, General Business Signs, of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance  PL-2010-00033
Applicant: Margaret Gethers, The Infinity Group, LLC, for Glen D. King
General Location:  709 East Glenn Avenue
Zoning District: Commercial Conservation (CC)
Action Requested: Variance of 10 feet to the required minimum setback of ten feet from any side lot line and ten feet from the front or street property line in order to allow a sign to be placed on the front property line
Variance to Table 5-2: Lot Area, Setback, Bulk Regulations and Parking Requirements: Neighborhood Conservation District of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance  PL-2010-00034
Applicant: Michael Hollingsworth
General Location:  621 North College Street
Zoning District: Neighborhood Conservation (NC-15)
Action Requested: Variance of 9.4 feet to the required 14 foot side setback on one side with total side setbacks of 30 feet to allow a side setback of 4.6 feet
OTHER BUSINESS
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held at the Piccolo Lounge in the Auburn University Hotel. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, 7:00 PM — ASIAN FILM SERIES: DOR
Held in AU’s Haley Center, room 3195. Free & open to the public.
Nagesh Kukunoor’s Indian film Dor (2006)
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
The Chinese Club, Japanese Student Organization, Korean American Student Association and Indian Student Association are cosponsoring a film screening of Nagesh Kukunoor’s “Dor”. The screening is part of the spring 2010 Asian film series, and is free and open to the public.

=========================
Information re: ADEM director position courtesy of  Alabama Conservation’s e-newsletter.  www.conservationalabama.org

Sixteen apply for ADEM director job

If you didn’t get your application in to be director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, you are too late as Friday was the deadline. Sixteen people applied, including three environmental leaders: Dr. Doug Phillips of Discovering Alabama, Michael Mullen of the Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper, and Bethany Carl Kraft of the Alabama Coastal Foundation.

The Alabama Environmental Management Commission will meet Feb. 9 to narrow down the field for finalist interviews; those interviews will take place on Feb. 12; and a new director will be selected Feb. 19. You can see the agendas for these meetings by visiting the calendar on our website.

Five years ago, when the position was last available, more than 50 people applied.

======================

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION REMINDER
12th annual Watershed Leadership Conference / Feb. 27- Mar 2
Have you registered for the 12th annual Watershed Leadership Conference in Montgomery on February 27-March 2? Only three weeks left before registration closes!
Conference info / Registration form.
Comments or questions? Email info@alabamarivers.org or call 205-322-6395.
Don’t miss your chance to meet Janisse Ray, award winning author, naturalist, and environmental activist, who will deliver the keynote address at the local foods dinner on Sunday, February 28!
Janisse Ray is the author of three books of literary nonfiction. Her first book, Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, is a memoir about growing up on a junkyard in the ruined longleaf pine ecosystem of the Southeast. Besides being a plea to protect and restore the glorious pine flatwoods of the South, the book looks hard at family, mental illness, poverty, and fundamentalist religion. Thinker Wendell Berry called the book “well done and deeply moving.” Anne Raver of The New York Times said of Janisse Ray, “The forests of the South find their Rachel Carson.”
As an organizer and activist, Janisse Ray works to create sustainable communities, local food systems, a stable global climate, intact ecosystems, clean rivers, life-enhancing economies, and participatory democracy. Ray attempts to live a simple, sustainable life on a farm in southern Georgia with her husband, Raven Waters. She has a college-age son, Silas. She is an organic gardener, tender of farm animals, slow-food cook,  seed-saver and lectures widely.

AUBURN PROFESSOR’S FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT OF HAITI AVAILABLE ON iTUNES
AU professor Dennis Shannon (College of Agriculture) who was on the ground when a massive earthquake devastated Haiti last week and who provided medical care to many of the victims presented a seminar about his experience on Friday, Jan. 22.  His seminar featured details on his experience, as well as his thoughts on what should be done in the immediate and long-term future to help the Haitian people recover. The seminar is now available for viewing at Auburn University iTunes. If you have any questions,  contact Leslie Keeler in Distance Learning at lak0007@auburn.edu.
To find the presentation, follow these instructions: go to the iTunes Store and click on iTunesU; in the upper right hand corner, click on Universities and Colleges; select Auburn University; Under AU-iTunes-Campus Resources, click on Distance Learning and Outreach Technology; select Presentations; select Faculty Presentations and click on Shannon’s seminar.
Editorial note from PLACE:
Here are two quicker, more direct links to the presentation:
Via AU’s coursecast (requires your browser have free Microsoft Silverlight plug-in) - http://coursecast.acesag.auburn.edu/CourseCast/Viewer/Default.aspx?id=0d33d0b1-f596-4567-a40b-2bb0c6c09fb9
Will open in iTunes - http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/auburn.edu.3222657744?i=1687531608

===============

USDA weighs plan to bring GM eucalyptus to Southeast pinelands. While the practice of splicing foreign DNA into food crops has become common in corn and soy, few companies or researchers have dared to apply genetic engineering to plants that provide an essential strut of the U.S. economy, trees. Greenwire

New Florida landscaping law supersedes homeowner association rules. A state law passed last summer supports homeowners who want to convert thirsty lawn grass to plants that are friendlier to the environment - even in communities with covenants and restrictions. Jacksonville Times-Union, Florida.

========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACEforum
email:  placeforum@gmail.com
web:    http://placeforum.org/blog/
Feb. 2, 2010

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UPDATE - additional info, events & changes

ADDITIONAL INFO
TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 4:00 pm  — Book artist Steve Miller / “The Alabama-Cuba Connection: Collaboration in the Art of the Book”
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.
Miller teaches letterpress printing and hand papermaking at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Although his primary focus is the teaching of traditional bookmaking, he is also the proprietor of Red Hydra Press. His current work revolves largely around ongoing collaborative book projects with Cuban print and papermakers. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Colleen Bourdeau at 844-7075 or cbourdeau@auburn.edu.

ADDITIONAL EVENT
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 12:50 PM — AU ALERT TEST SCHEDULED
A test of the AU ALERT emergency notification system will be conducted at 12:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The test will not take place if there is an actual emergency or threat of severe weather. The test message will be sent to all contact numbers that are registered with the system. Students who have registered contact information for their parents are encouraged to notify their parents of the scheduled test. To register or update your contact information, log on to AU Access and go to the AU ALERT link on the Campus Life tab. The information you supply is considered confidential and will not be shared or used for other purposes. You will only be contacted through the system in the event of an emergency or periodic system test. Any questions, comments or concerns should be sent to aualert@auburn.edu.

ADDITIONAL EVENT
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 2:00 PM — GEORGIA TECH PROFESSOR TO DISCUSS SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY
Held in room 1103 Shelby Center, AU. Free & open to all.
Charles Eckert, founder and director of the Center for Specialty Separations and J. Erskine Love Jr. Institute professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, will present a lecture on “Novel Solvents for Sustainable Technology”.  His lecture is part of the inaugural Basore Distinguished Lectureship and Visitation Program, hosted by AU’s Dept of Chemical Engineering. Eckert’s group uses a combination of chemistry, engineering and solvent systems to develop more benign processes with economic advantages for the energy and green pharma industries. Solvent management is important for most chemical processes involving reactions or separations because they bring reactants and catalysts together and facilitate purification processes. For more information on Eckert and his work, see this Web site ( http://www.chemistry.gatech.edu/faculty/Eckert/ ).

SCHEDULE CHANGE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WORKSHOP SERIES
These workshops each will have two presenters.
THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 7:00 - 9:00 pm — Sid James and Jeff McNeill will co-teach a two-hour course on fundraising and volunteer management.
THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 7:00 - 9:00 pm — Roberta Jackel and Sheila Eckman will co-teach a two-hour course on community organizing.
The registration fee is $20 each or $30 for both. Held in 328 O.D. Smith Hall, AU.
Register online:  http://www.auburn.edu/outreach/opo - click on “Community Involvement Workshops.”

ADDITIONAL EVENT
FRIDAY, JAN. 29, 7:00 PM — MUSIC BY KRISTEN HINES / AT THE GNU’S ROOM
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550; www.thegnusroom.com.
Open to all. No admission fee; however, donations will be greatly
appreciated by the artist.
Local acoustic musician, Kristen Hines will perform at the Gnu’s Room. Hines will perform some new songs as well as some of her other works.

ADDITIONAL INFO
SATURDAY, JAN. 30 7:00 PM — POETRY READING & BOOK SIGNING BY SCOTT WILKERSON / AT THE GNU’S ROOM
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550; www.thegnusroom.com.
This event is free & open to all.
Auburn-based publisher New Plains Press has recently released its first two books of poetry, and the Gnu’s Room is proud to be chosen for readings and signings. Threading Stone by Scott Wilkerson is the second of the two recent publications. Wilkerson, a poet and theorist, teaches at Columbus State University. His poems, reviews and essays have appeared in Amaryllis, E-ratio, x-Stream, Zafusy, Word for/Word, ArtsPneumonia, Atlanta Press and Creative Loafing (Atlanta, GA & Charlotte, NC).

ADDITIONAL EVENT
ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 28 — ART WALK ON AG HILL / AU
Last fall, Department of Art Professor Barbara Bondy asked students in her drawing class to create pieces on the theme of “agriculture.” Their ensuing work caught the eye of the College of Ag Associate Dean Paul Patterson who realized that the assignment not only provided art students an opportunity to learn more about Alabama agriculture, but their work also gave College of Ag students, faculty and staff a chance to see agriculture through new eyes. Patterson asked Bondy if those drawings could be displayed on Ag Hill. She and her students agreed and the drawings are now on exhibit in Comer, Funchess, Swingle and Duncan halls and in the Poultry Science Building where they will remain through the end of February.
A guide to the Art Walk trail complete with the drawings’ locations, the artist’s names and brief descriptions or each piece is available at http://www.ag.auburn.edu/ArtinAg .

===============

CITY OF AUBURN PRESS RELEASES

CompPlan 2030 February Public Input Meetings

New Traffic Signal at Glenn Avenue and Airport Road

Found Objects II Exhibition and Reception

===============

AU’s ‘Committee of 19′ leads Auburn students in relief for Haiti
The Committee of 19, Auburn University’s student leadership group for the War on Hunger, is donating $15,000 to the United Nation’s World Food Programme, or WFP, for Haiti relief. The money was collected during the 2008-09 and the first half of the 2009-10 school years through various fundraisers by individual schools, colleges, organizations and various campus-wide activities. The World Food Programme is the largest humanitarian agency in the world, feeding on average more than 90 million people in 82 countries annually. WFP is attempting to bring weekly rations to more than 2 million people in Haiti over the next two weeks. The latest donation by the Committee of 19 brings the total amount contributed to WFP as a result of the Auburn University War on Hunger to $45,000. For more information, see the news release ( http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1353 ).

========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACEforum
email:  placeforum@gmail.com
web:    http://placeforum.org/blog/
Jan. 26, 2010

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Week of Jan. 25, 2010 - Meetings, events & updates

MONDAY, JAN. 25 THROUGH WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 7:30 pm — CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY / FILM AT THE CAPRI THEATRE
Held at the Capri Theatre, 1045 E Fairview Ave
Montgomery; ph: 334.262.4858; www.capritheatre.org/ .
Documentarian Michael Moore takes on the US financial system and tries to find out what is going on.
http://www.capitalismalovestory.com

MONDAY, JAN. 25, 9:00 AM  — ALABAMA HOME BUILDERS LICENSURE BOARD / special-called meeting
Held at 445 Herron Street, Montgomery. PH: 334-242-2230
Agenda: special/called meeting / Investigative Committee Meeting
https://www.openmeetings.alabama.gov/generalpublic/display_notice_details.aspx?agencyname=Alabama+Home+Builders+Licensure+Board&submissiondatetime=1%2f11%2f2010+3%3a23%3a53+PM

MONDAY, JAN. 25, NOON — AU WOMEN’S STUDIES PROGRAM / Brown Bag
Speaker: Dr. Angela Ware (sociology)
Topic: prelim. results / survey of Intro to Women’s Studies students
Held in the Women’s Studies Room Haley 3227, AU. Open to all. Bring your lunch.
Women’s Studies enrollments are strong again this semester. Dr. Angela Ware (Soc), who joined the Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work department in August 09 with a one-third responsibility in Women’s Studies, will be sharing her preliminary analysis of the results of a survey we administered to all students in Intro to Women’s Studies, Fall 2009 (over 100 students). The survey asked students about their attitudes towards women/gender/family, and was administered at the beginning of the semester and at the end. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/other/womens_studies/

MONDAY, JAN. 25 — LEE COUNTY COMMISSION    www.leeco.us
4:00 pm-work session / 6:00 pm-regular session
Held in the commission chambers, Opelika Courthouse, 215 S. 9th Ave, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda includes:
3. Public Comment from Citizens:  (limit of 3-minutes per speaker)
4. Establish Quorum and Open Regular Meeting:
5. Awards, Presentations, Proclamations or Other Recognitions:
a. Recognition of Deputies of the Month - Sheriff Jones
6. Reports from Commissioners and Staff:
7. Consent Agenda:
a. Minutes of Commission Meeting January 11, 2010
b. Ratify and Approve Claims
c. Bid #3 Virtual Training Equipment - Sheriff Jones
8.  OLD BUSINESS:
a. Solid Waste Enforcement Proposal - Roger Rendleman
b. RFP for County Bridge Bond - Roger Rendleman
9. New Business:
a. Staffing Open Positions - Oline Price
b. Request Funding for Transport Fees - Bill Harris
c. Retail Beer & Retail Table Wine License/Lil Joe’s Community Store-D5
d. Retail Beer & Retail Table Wine License/Crabb Grocery-D1
10.  Adjourn

MONDAY, JAN. 25, 7:30 PM — SARAH ANDERSON SCHOLARSHIP BENEFIT CONCERT
Held at the Opelika Performing Arts Center.
Admission Price: Donation
A Benefit Concert for Sarah Anderson, AU Band Member who passed away in November 2009. Kappa Kappa Psi, National Band Service Fraternity, has created a Memorial Scholarship in honor of Sarah Anderson. The concert will also feature, Dr. Karen Garrison, flute soloist and professor at AU. In addition, this will be a joint concert with the Opelika High School Symphonic Band.
More info: band@auburn.edu, 334-844-4165;   http://www.auburn.edu/auband/bands/symphonic/

TUEDAY, JAN. 26 – Portion of East University Drive to Close January 26

TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 11:00 AM — CELEBRATE ALABAMA IMPROVEMENT AND COOPERATIVE DISTRICTS / BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Held at the Auburn Mariott Opelika Hotel and Conference Center at Grand National, 3700 Robert Trent Jones Trail, Opelika. Open to the public.
Agenda: monthly meeting for Fiscal Year 2009/2010.
The meeting will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Alabama Law for Improvement and Cooperative Districts and may be continued in progress without additional notice to a time, date, and location stated on the record.
A copy of the agenda for the meeting may be obtained at the offices of the District Manager, Rizzetta & Company, Inc., located at 120 Richard Jackson Blvd, Suite 220, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, Telephone: 850-334-9055, during normal business hours.
Each person who decides to appeal any decision made by the Board with respect to any matter considered at the meeting is advised that person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which such appeal is to be based.

TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM –  OLLI AT AUBURN PRESENTS AUTHOR MARY CAROL MORAN /brown bag lunch
Held at the Lexington Hotel, 1577 South College Street.
Free & open to all. Bring your lunch.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) will host a Brown Bag Lunch meeting featuring Mary Carol Moran who will discuss her new book Equivocal Blessing. Ms. Moran is also a poet, an instructor for OLLI at Auburn, and is a certified yoga instructor and therapist. This event is presented by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University.  All interested people are invited to bring a lunch and attend the talk. For more information, contact Linda Shook, OLLI at Auburn coordinator, at 334-844-5100 or olli@auburn.edu, and visit the OLLI at Auburn website at  www.olliatauburn.org.

TUESDAY, JAN. 26. NOON — ALABAMA BOARD OF LICENSURE FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS
Held at 500 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery. PH: 334-242-5568
Agenda: To conduct a disciplinary hearing and Board business. If hearing is concluded prior to 5 PM the Board will return to its office at 100 N Union Street Suite 382, Montgomery, AL 36104 to continue the business portion of the meeting.

TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2:00 pm — AUBURN LIBRARY BOARD
Held at the Auburn Public Library, Library Board room, 749 E. Thach Ave.  Open to all.
The Library Board meets the fourth Tuesday of every other month.

TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2:00 PM — PROFESSOR TIMOTHY TERREL:  INTERPRETING THE CONSTITUTION
Held in room 3195 Haley Center, AU. Free & open to the public.
The Human Odyssey Program provides a platform for distinguished professors from Auburn University and other invited lecturers. The first lecture in the Spring 2010 series features Professor Timothy Terrel, Emory University School of Law.

TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 3:00 pm-OPELIKA PLANNING COMMISSION
Held at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika Public Works bldg. Open to all.   www.opelika.org
Agenda includes:
I. Elect Officers to Planning Commission (Chairman, Vice Chairman)
A. PLATS (preliminary and preliminary & final) - PUBLIC HEARING
1. Plantation S/D, Redivision of Lots 20 & 21, 3 lots, Andrews Road, David Jett, P/F approval
2. Replat of Pine Acres S/D Lot 2-B1 & Pinecrest S/D, Lots 19B & 20B, 3 lots, Waverly Parkway, Matthew Toland, P/F approval 3. Ray-Murphy S/D, 5 lots, Lee Road 262, Helen Murphy, P/F approval
4. Block 34, First Revision S/D, 2 lots, 500 block of 2nd Avenue, Young Properties, LLC, P/F approval
B. REZONING - PUBLIC HEARING
5. Planning Staff, corner of Palmer Avenue & Raintree Street, 3 lots (1 acre) from C-2 to R-4
C. AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE - Public Hearing
6. Amendment to text of Zoning Ordinance - Section 9 (L) Political signs
D. OTHER BUSINESS
7. Nancy Willingham, 13 Samford Avenue, C-3, GC-2, Review temporary conditional use permit for bar
8. Troy Bell, 301 South Railroad Avenue, C-3, Review temporary conditional use permit for an auto repair and wrecker towing business
9. Greg Mims, 3300 Pepperell Pkwy, C-3, GC-2, Review temporary conditional use permit for a recycling collection business
10. Review 2010 Comprehensive Plan Work Program
11. Water Street Concept Plan

TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 4:00 - 5:00 PM — THE ALABAMA-CUBA CONNECTION
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.
Admission is free thanks to the JCSM Business Partners.
www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Lecture Series: The Innovative Spirit
Steve Miller, book artist “The Alabama-Cuba Connection: Collaboration in the Art of the Book”.
Steven Kent Miller is Professor at University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa where he teaches letterpress printing and hand papermaking in the MFA in the Book Arts Program. Although his primary focus at the University is the teaching of traditional bookmaking, he is also the proprietor of Red Hydra Press. His current work revolves largely around ongoing collaborative book projects with Cuban print and papermakers.

TUESDAY,  JAN. 26, 7:00 pm - AUBURN BIKE COMMITTEE  www.auburnalabama.org/cycle/
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Meeting agendas & minutes online at http://www.auburnalabama.org/cycle/Minutes.aspx.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27 THROUGH FRIDAY, JAN. 29 — GREEN AND BLUE CONFERENCE / SUSTAINABLE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING   www.greenandblueconference.com/
Held at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center.
Cost: $150. Special $50 rate available for AU faculty and students who register with their Auburn e-mail address.
This conference is aimed at those involved in residential design and construction as well as educators, researchers and policy makers. The conference will host five track areas: water, residential building strategies, neighborhood development, emerging research and building codes/systems. Speakers presenting include representatives from Auburn University School of Architecture, Florida Solar Energy Center, U.S. Department of Energy, Nature’s Tap and Habitat for Humanity.
Conference participants will examine the rationale for sustainable residential construction, and the methods and materials available to achieve it. There will be presentations by experts and practical workshops covering many topics including:
* Home energy audits
* Energy Star for the home
* Home water conservation
* Low impact development
* Green building regulations
* Net zero prototype buildings
* A comparision of sustainable building rating systems
CEU credits are available for participants.
The conference has been organized by Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates in partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction and the Office of Sustainability, USGBC Alabama, and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 8:00 AM — ALABAMA BOARD OF LICENSURE FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS
Held at 100 N Union Street, Suite 382, Montgomery. Open to all. Ph 334-242-5568
Meeting info posted at https://www.openmeetings.alabama.gov/generalpublic/display_notices.aspx.
Agenda includes: Conduct Board Business

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27 NOON - 1:00 PM — GREEN LUNCH: “CLIMATE CHANGE, NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE QUADRENNIAL DEFENSE REVIEW: AVOIDING THE PERFECT STORM”
Held in room 2218, AU Student Center. Free & open to all - students, faculty, staff & the community. Bring your lunch.
More info: sustain@auburn.edu or http://www.auburn.edu/projects/sustainability/website/projects/green_lunch.php .
This first Green Lunch of 2010 will feature guest speaker Dr. John T. Ackerman, Assistant Professor of National and International Security Studies, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB.  By examining how changes to the Earth’s climate and natural environment pose a serious threat to America’s national security, Ackerman will then discuss responses that the Department of Defense could develop, integrating sustainability and the democratic peace theory, to avoid the worst outcomes.
Ackerman has researched and written about climate change and national security and advocates “integrating the democratic peace theory with the core principles of sustainability.” His paper, “Climate Change, National Security, and the Quadrennial Defense Review: Avoiding the Perfect Storm,” which appeared in Strategic Studies Quarterly in Spring 2008, can be read at http://www.au.af.mil/au/ssq/2008/Spring/ackerman.pdf.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 5:00 PM - THE GNU’S ROOM PHILOSOPHY ROUNDTABLE - TOPIC:  “THE PROBLEM OF EVIL”
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. Free & open to all.
More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550; www.thegnusroom.com.
The Philosophy Club resumes its monthly meetings at the Gnu’s Room with a panel presentation and discussion of the topic, “The Problem of Evil.” The panel, consisting of three faculty members and three students from the Auburn University Philosophy Department, will present differing viewpoints on the topic, and after a short break will open the discussion for audience participation. Everyone is invited to attend.
Note: The Philosophy Club will have a special bake sale outside of the Gnu’s Room cafe just before the meeting.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27 , 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held at the Piccolo Lounge in the Auburn University Hotel. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 7:00 - 9:00 PM — FREE ASIAN FILM SERIES / KOREAN FILM: MY SASSY GIRL
Held in room 3195, Haley Center, AU.  Free & open to all.
This month the Asian Film Series features three Asian films on the theme of back to school. This last is Korean director Kwak Jae-yong’s “My Sassy Girl” (2001).
For upcoming films, please check “events calendar” of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures: http://media.cla.auburn.edu/forlang/EventCalendar/index.cfm

WEDNEDAY, JAN. 27, 7:30 PM — GUEST ARTIST RECITAL: BAY STREET BRASSWORKS
Held in AU’s Goodwin Music Building Recital Hall.
Tickets are $10.00, or free for students with valid Auburn ID.
More info: music@auburn.edu, 334-844-4165, AU Music Dept
Bay Street Brassworks (YAMAHA Performing Artists), is one of America’s finest and busiest brass ensembles. Founded in 1995, this versatile brass quintet performs a wide variety of musical genres ranging from classical music to Dixieland jazz; show tunes, classic rock, movie music, and anything in between. This professional brass quintet is based in Baltimore, Maryland. The ensemble is also part of the touring rosters of both Producers, Inc., Tampa, Florida, and “Live on Stage” LLC, Nashville, Tennessee, bringing the music of Bay Street Brassworks to audiences throughout the United States and abroad. Joan Reinthaler of the Washington Post has described performances of Bay Street Brassworks as being both “friendly and energetic.” Among its numerous awards, the Bay Street Brassworks received the first prize at the New York Brass Conference International Brass Quintet Competition in 2003, and two Career Development grants from the Peabody Conservatory.

THURSDAY, JAN. 28 — GREEN AND BLUE CONFERENCE / SUSTAINABLE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING   www.greenandblueconference.com/ (see details above, Jan 27)

THURSDAY, JAN 28, 10:00 AM — ALABAMA HOME BUILDERS LICENSURE BOARD
Held at 445 Herron Street, Montgomery. 334-242-2230 Open to all.
Agenda includes: The Board will meet to approve minutes from the previous month’s meeting, to approve applications for licensure, and to conduct the general business of the Board.

THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 12:00 - 3:00 PM — WOMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
Held in the AU Student Center - 2200 Quadrant.
More info: contact the AU Women’s Resource Center, 334-844-4399,  winlist@auburn.edu;
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/odma/womensinitiatives/wrc/
Purchase your ticket to the Women’s Health and Wellness Chocolate Festival at the Women’s Resource Center (311 Mary Martin Hall) between 7:45a.m. and 4:45p.m.  There are limited tickets available so purchase your tickets early!
More info: Amye Still at stillam@auburn.edu or Bonnie Wilson at bonnie@auburn.edu or call 844-4399.
The 2010 Women’s Health and Wellness Chocolate Festival is sponsored by the Auburn University Women’s Resource Center and the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Institute, divisions of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.  The Festival is being held to increase awareness of women’s health issues among members of the Auburn community.  Those who attend will have the opportunity to browse health- related resource tables while sampling chocolate treats in a fun and educational environment.

THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 3:00 - 4:45 PM — PANEL DISCUSSION / BEYOND THE RHETORIC OF CRISIS: STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE SUCCESS IN THE HUMANITIES
Held in the auditorium, AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.
Join a panel discussion with Gregg Lambert, Founding Director, and Cori Zoli, Humanities Research & Grants Consultant from the Syracuse University Humanities Center. Sponsored by AU’s Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, College of Liberal Arts; 334-844-4946, www.auburn.edu/cah.

THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 4:00 PM — CITY OF OPELIKA PUBLIC HEARING - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRESS 2008-2009
Held in the Planning Commission Chambers at the Public Works Facility. Open to all.
Agenda:  the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) progress for the end of the year report (CAPER) - Program Year 2008: October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009.
Discussion about program and progress will be heard; public participation and comments are invited.  A copy of the CAPER is available for public review and comment at Public Works, City Hall (Mayor’s Office) and the Cooper Memorial Library. Copies of the CAPER may be obtained at the public hearing or by contacting the Planning Department. Comments will be accepted for a minimum of fifteen (15) days with the comment period ending on January 28, 2010. Comments may be sent to: Community  Development CAPER - Citizen  Comment 700 Fox Trail Opelika, AL 36801 or lgallardo@ opelika.net .

THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 6:30 - 8:30 PM –2010 REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL FORUM
Held at the Opelika Performing Arts Center on the campus of Opelika High School.
Free & open to all. Tickets available at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, Opelika Chamber of Commerce, Auburn Network and Herring Spine & Rehab, Inc.
The Lee County Republican Party will host this 2010 Republican Gubernatorial Forum. State Representative and ALGOP Chairman Mike Hubbard will be the moderator and Lee County Republican Chairman Dr. Rod Herring will MC the event. A straw ballot will be held at the end of the forum for all ticket holders and the results will be shared with the media.
More info: Lee County Republican Party (334) 745-5321.

THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 7:00 - 9:00 PM — VOLUNTEER MANAGMENT  WORKSHOP
Held in AU’s  O. D. Smith Hall room 329, 135 S. College St.
Fee: $20 per session ($50 for the series )
Register:  www.auburn.edu/cconline or 334-844-5100
This is the second of three Auburn University Outreach Program Office workshops.  Join Sid James, Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Board for an insightful workshop on recruiting and managing volunteers for your community organization.
Upcoming workshop: (same place & time)
Feb. 4 -  Community Organizing — Roberta Jackel, former City Council member, facilitates a panel discussion on strategies for community organizing at its best.

FRIDAY, JAN. 29 — GREEN AND BLUE CONFERENCE / SUSTAINABLE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING   www.greenandblueconference.com/ (see details above, Jan 27)

FRIDAY, JAN. 29, 8:00 AM — YEAR OF ALABAMA SMALL TOWNS AND DOWNTOWNS / KICK-OFF EVENT
Held at Toomer’s Corner. (In event of inclement weather, will be held on the sidewalk in front of Toomer’s Drugstore.) Open to all.
The City of Auburn Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns Committee will host a blessing of the City on Friday, January 29 at 8 a.m. at Toomer’s Corner. Local clergy will offer a blessing of the City as the Committee prepares to kick off events surrounding the Alabama Tourism Department’s Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns. The public is invited to attend.
Governor Bob Riley has declared 2010 The Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns and has invited cities across the state to participate in the year-long celebration. The Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns Committee consists of representatives from local civic organizations, the Chamber of Commerce, Auburn University, and the City of Auburn. The Committee is currently at work planning several events to commemorate the occasion throughout the year, including a homecoming celebration later this fall.
More info: www.auburnalabama.org or contact Auburn City Hall at 501-7260.

FRIDAY, JAN. 29, 7:00 - 9:00 PM — THE LAYMAN GROUP: OPEN HOUSE / COCKTAIL PARTY
Held in the Layman Group Main Space, Downtown Auburn, 168 E Magnolia (Top Floor).  Free & open to all.
Come have some fun with us as we officially breathe life into our wonderful Arts organization! We’ve got a beautiful new home, a wonderful team, and a smorgasbord of creative ideas we want to share with you!
More info:  www.thelaymangroup.org/

SATURDAY, JAN. 30, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM — 2010 CULTURAL CROSSROADS SYMPOSIUM / A PLACE FOR ALL: RELIGION IN ANTEBELLUM ALABAMA
Held at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art. Open to all.
Please pre-register by January 28, 2010.
General Admission, $35; Members, $30 (Landmarks, MMFA & Draughon); Faculty & Students, $20.
Light breakfast, lunch and refreshments included in registration.
Registration Form (PDF):  http://media.cla.auburn.edu/cah/documents/crossroads-export.pdf
For more information: 334-240-4500, 334-240-4333, or 334-844-4946.
This year’s program, “Religion in Antebellum Alabama,” will primarily focus on the Protestant religion in the state from 1800 through 1850, and its formal and informal representations, practices and effects on the development of Alabama through the antebellum period.
Co- sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art, and the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery.

SATURDAY, JAN. 30, 7:00 PM — GNU’S ROOM POETRY READING & BOOK SIGNING / SCOTT WILKERSON: “THREADING STONE“
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. Free & open to all.
More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550; www.thegnusroom.com.

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ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 30 — ART EXHIBIT: FOUND OBJECTS II
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to all.
An annual exhibition featuring works utilizing non-traditional art materials, open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information about the Art Gallery or future exhibitions, please contact the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center at 501-2963.

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 13 — SECOND IN AUDUBON SERIES AT JCSM   ww.jcsm.auburn.edu
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is presenting John James Audubon’s Precursors and Contemporaries, the second in a two-part series, through Feb. 13 in the Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Gallery. This exhibition explores natural history publications and begins with some of the earliest publications about plants, specifically herbals, which were intended as references for apothecaries. It traces representations of flora and fauna from its earliest utilitarian modes in the 16th century through the development of more artistically conceived representations. The exhibition is made possible by Gilbert Johnston of Antique Nature Prints through his loaning of prints and bound volumes. For more information, see http://jcsm.auburn.edu/exhibitions/current/2009_12_audubon_pre.php .

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 28 — EXHIBITION: AGRITECTURE
Held at AU’s Biggin Gallery, 101 Biggin Hall. Free & open to all.
Agritecture: What does the Chia Pet^TM have to do with sustainable living? Can grain crops be an art form? Jeff Schmuki, visiting artist in the Auburn University Department of Art, challenges viewers both to confront and to collaborate on these and other issues in Agritecture.

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FREE TURKISH LANGUAGE CLASSES FOR AU COMMUNITY
The AU Diversity and Tolerance Organization is offering free Turkish language classes to all interested students, faculty and staff. Classes meet once a week in the Student Center. Class schedules are flexible in order to satisfy the attendees’ needs. For additional information or if interested in attending classes, e-mail dto@auburn.edu (mailto: dto@auburn.edu ).

Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns Kick-Off Event Set for January 29

Dog License Renewals Due February 1

Opelika - Auburn News Presents Auburn CityFest 2010

Auburn CityFest Food and Non-Profit Vendor Spaces Full

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CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACEforum
email:  placeforum@gmail.com
web:    http://placeforum.org/blog/
Jan. 25, 2010

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Week of Jan. 19, 2010 — Meetings, events & updates

JAN. 15, 2010 COLUMN BY LISA BROUILLETTE — WILL 2010 BE STATE’S YEAR FOR REFORM?
http://placeforum.org/blog/2010/01/19/jan-15-2010-column-by-lisa-brouillette-will-2010-be-state%E2%80%99s-year-for-reform/

Portion of Gay Street to Close for Repairs January 19

East Alabama Recycling Partnership to host Electronics Recycling Event February 6

Public Notice: Funding Availability for City of Auburn Community Development Block Grant 2010 Action Plan

The Lee County Association of Realtors has published the Housing Statistics for the month of December 2009.
www.LeeCountyHousingStats.info

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 — JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 30 — ART EXHIBIT: FOUND OBJECTS II
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to all.
An annual exhibition featuring works utilizing non-traditional art materials, open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information about the Art Gallery or future exhibitions, please contact the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center at 501-2963.

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 13 — SECOND IN AUDUBON SERIES AT JCSM   ww.jcsm.auburn.edu
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is presenting John James Audubon’s Precursors and Contemporaries, the second in a two-part series, through Feb. 13 in the Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Gallery. This exhibition explores natural history publications and begins with some of the earliest publications about plants, specifically herbals, which were intended as references for apothecaries. It traces representations of flora and fauna from its earliest utilitarian modes in the 16th century through the development of more artistically conceived representations. The exhibition is made possible by Gilbert Johnston of Antique Nature Prints through his loaning of prints and bound volumes. For more information, see this link. http://jcsm.auburn.edu/exhibitions/current/2009_12_audubon_pre.php

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 28 — EXHIBITION: AGRITECTURE
Held at AU’s Biggin Gallery, 101 Biggin Hall. Free & open to all.
Agritecture: What does the Chia Pet^TM have to do with sustainable living? Can grain crops be an art form? Jeff Schmuki, visiting artist in the Auburn University Department of Art, challenges viewers both to confront and to collaborate on these and other issues in Agritecture.

TUESDAY, JAN. 19, 9:00 - 4:30 PM — I-85 CORRIDOR ALLIANCE 2010 SUMMIT
Held at Tuskegee University Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.
Info/registration: www.i85corridor.org or call Allyson Martin 334-844-4685.

TUESDAY, JAN. 19, 11:45 a.m. — THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL OPPRESSION
Lunch & Learn Series: Panel Discussion
Speaker Dr. Nik Heynen
Held in room 2225/2227 AU Student Center. Free & open to all. www.auburn.edu/aukingweek
Sponsored by the AU Multicultural Center.
Dr. Neynen is a professor of geography at the University of Georgia, Athens.  His research interest include urban political economy/ecology, social theory, inequality and social movements.

TUESDAY, JAN. 19, 5:00 PM — ART LECTURE & RECEPTION: “THE END OF LAND ART” BY KELLEY WACKER
Held in AU’s Biggin Gallery. Free & open to all.
6:00 - 8:00 pm — reception
Land Art-what is it, when did it develop, and how has it evolved in the contemporary U.S.  Art historian Kelly Wacker lays the groundwork for understanding the progression of the Land Art movement. A reception will follow the lecture.

TUESDAY, JAN. 19, 6:00 PM — LEE COUNTY COMMISSION WORK SESSION
Held in the commission chambers, Opelika Courthouse, 215 S. 9th Ave, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda: discussion with members of the Volunteer Firefighters Association

TUESDAY, JAN. 19 — AUBURN CITY COUNCIL
6:15 pm-Committee of the Whole /  7:00 pm - Regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet:  www.auburnalabama.org/agenda
Committee of the Whole agenda includes:
DOWNTOWN STUDY COMMITTEE presentation. Committee Member Kim Harrison. Committee Member Warren McCord.
Planning Director Forrest Cotten.
Regular meeting agenda includes:
7. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS.
8. CITY MANAGER’S COMMUNICATIONS. City Manager Duggan.  — None.
9. ORDINANCES.
a. Amend City Code. Adopt 2009 Editions of International Building Code, International Fire Code, International Plumbing Code, International Fuel Gas Code and International Property Maintenance Code w/Specified Amendments and Exceptions.
SECOND READING.
b. Zoning. West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc. West Pace Village. Public Hearing Required. Unanimous Consent Necessary.Jay Conner (Authorized Representative). Property located between Interstate 85 and Shell Toomer Parkway, east of South College Street (US Highway 29). Apply Planned
Development District (PDD) designation to property zoned Comprehensive Development District (CDD). 165.5 Acres.
10. RESOLUTIONS.
a. City Council Meeting. Date Change for Second Meeting in March. March 23, 2010.
b. Conditional Use Approvals. West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc. West Pace Village. Public Hearing Required. Jay Conner (Authorized Representative). Property located between Interstate 85 and Shell Toomer Parkway, east of South College Street (US Highway 29). Outdoor Recreational uses, Institutional uses, Indoor Recreational uses, Office use, Commercial and Entertainment uses, Professional Studio use, Road Service uses, Commercial Recreational uses, Agricultural Support uses, Nurseries use, Commercial Support uses, and Regional Shopping Center use in Comprehensive Development District (CDD) with an Overlay of Planned Development District (PDD) designation (pending rezoning). 165.5 Acres. Planning Commission Recommendation.
c. Contracts and Agreements. Authorize Mayor and City Manager to Sign.
(1)  $1,245,375. Public Works Department. Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). Federal Highway Administration. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Resurface Various Streets.  Supplemental Agreement Number 1.
(2) $75,202.40. Contract. Water Resource Management Department. Compliance EnviroSystems, LLC. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Inspection, Cleaning, and Rehabilitation and Root Control Services. Southside Sewer Basin No. 12.
(3) $22,695. Office of the City Manager. Hixson Consultants, Inc. City Hall Repairs. Professional Services Agreement.
d. Drainage and Utility Easement, Warranty Deed, and Sanitary Sewer Easements. Acceptance and Payment for Value Lost.
(1) James M. Burt III. Property Located on North Donahue Drive.
North Donahue Drive Bridge Replacement Project.
(a) Drainage and Utility Easement and Temporary Construction Easement.
(b) Additional Right-of-Way. Warranty Deed. Payment of
$5,747 for Value Lost.
(2) Sanitary Sewer Easements.
(a) R. J. Burkhalter and Ray L. Huff. J. C. Street Subdivision,
First Revision of Lots 21-32 and 56-66. Property Located
South of West Glenn Avenue between Wright Street and
Toomer Street.
(b) Donald H. Allen. Stage at Dean Subdivision. Property
Located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Old Stage Road and North Dean Road.
11. OTHER BUSINESS.
12. ADJOURNMENT.

TUESDAY, JAN. 19  — OPELIKA CITY COUNCIL
6:30 pm - work session / 7:00 PM - regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 204 South 7th Street, Opelika.  Open to all. Agenda: www.opelika.org/
Work session agenda includes:
(1) -  a.  Resolution, agreement, 2nd amended tax abatement
agreement with Mando –  Lori Hughley,  Al Cook
(2) -  a.  Resolution to delete current Financial Advisor(s) and
designate a new Financial Advisor –  City Council
(3) -  a.  Resolution/agreement, recycling fund grant agreement
with Auburn University.
b.  General updates — Mayor Fuller,  John Seymour
(4) -  Review/discuss the 1/19/10 CM agenda items — Mayor Fuller
(5) -  General Discussion  -   City Council
a. New / Old Business;  b. Board appointments; c. Other City business.
Regular session agenda includes:
6)   UNFINISHED BUSINESS
7)   REMARKS BY THE MAYOR -  Gary Fuller
a.  Recognize the “Opelika Reads Initiative”.
b.  Check presentation to the local VFW 5732 for 111th Ordinance Group deployment reception.
c.  Presentation of City employee service awards.
d.  Recognize the Police Officer of the Month.
e.  City financial summary report for December 2009.
8)   CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS - (Limit comments to five minutes or less)     Bob Shuman
9)   REPORT OF DISBURSEMENTS
10) COMMITTEE REPORTS
11) GENERAL BUSINESS -  Bob Shuman    (none)
12) AWARDING OF BIDS -  Shirley Washington
a.  Three year contract for protective clothing for the OFD.
b.  Three year contract for cellular phone service, equipment, etc. for all City departments.
c.  Custodial services for the SportsPlex.
13)  RESOLUTIONS -  Guy Gunter
1.  Refund of occupational license fee.
2.  Refund of occupational license fee.
3.  Purchase of property for the Frederick Road extension project.
4.  Vacating and abandoning a drainage/utility easement, Lot 31 Lakewood SD.
5.  Vacating and abandoning a drainage/utility easement, Lot 32 Lakewood SD.
6.  Declare City personal property as surplus and authorize disposal.
7.  Special appropriation to the VFW 5732 for the 111th Ordinance Group deployment ceremony.
8.  Special appropriation to the Opelika School system to support the Opelika Reads Initiative.
9.  Re-appointment of Opelika Municipal Judge.
14)  ORDINANCES -   Guy Gunter - To cancel the 3-16-10 Council meeting date and re-schedule to 3-23-10.  First reading.
15)  APPOINTMENTS - Two (2) reappointments to the Opelika Tree Commission.
16)  ADJOURN

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20 — ADEM NONPOINT CONFERENCE
Held at the Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center, Montgomery.
Register online at http://www.adem.state.al.us/Education%20Div/Conference/2010/ConfReg.htm
More info: http://www.adem.state.al.us/Education%20Div/Conference/2010/10NPSConference.htm

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM  — AUBURN BEAUTIFICATION COUNCIL
Held at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave.  Open to all interested in keeping Auburn beautiful. Lunch is provided.  http://www.auburnbeautification.org/

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20,  NOON — AUBURN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION / ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON
Guest Speaker: Jeffrey Seymour; Curator, Civil War Naval Museum, Columbus, GA
Held at the Saugahatchee Country Club.
Tickets: $25. Make checks payable to “Auburn Heritage Association..”
RSVP:  Mary Norman (826-0390 or pinetucket@gmail.com) or Kitt Conner (332-7911 or kitconner@mindspring.com)
Info: www.auburnheritage.org; ph: 826-0390
Note: Monthly AHA board meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from Sept to May.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 2:00 PM — BLOODY LOWNDES: CIVIL RIGHTS AND BLACK POWER IN ALABAMA’S BLACK BELT
Speaker: Dr. Hassan K. Jefferies
Held in room 2222/2223 AU Student Center. Free & open to all. www.auburn.edu/aukingweek
Sponsored by the Access & Community Initiatives.
The symbol of the black panther was an export from Alabama. It did not come from the streets of Oakland but from the struggle for freedom in the rural south where the cat was once common and eventually became a symbol on ballots during the voting rights drive in Lowndes County, Alabama. That is just one of the remarkable stories in Hasan Kwame Jeffries’ new book, Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt. A professor of history at Ohio State University, Jeffries discusses the legacy of the African-American struggle for freedom and the roots of the civil rights movement, which he traces back to the moment of emancipation.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20 , 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
NOW HELD AT PICCOLO LOUNGE, AUBURN UNIVERSITY HOTEL & DIXON CONFERENCE CENTER. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 6:00 PM  — LEE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Held at Auburn University Club. 1499 N. Donahue Road.
6:00 pm - buffet dinner ($11, tax & tip included)
6:50 pm - Speaker: Joe Turnham, Chairman, Alabama Democratic Party.
Joe Turnham will speak to the club about the 2010 Election Landscape and Races. Joe is well known to our club, as he is a native and resident of Lee County. Joe’s father, ret. State Rep. Pete Turnham, served 40 years as Member of the Alabama House, representing this area. Joe is serving his third stint over a 13-year period as Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party. Joe has led a successful rebuilding of the party’s image and infrastructure culminating with hugely successful election wins in 2006. Joe’s leadership has helped democrats win 5 of 6 special elections for State House races in the last 36 months.
Joe has been a successful organizational strategist and consultant, assisting a variety of organizations and companies build and expand their markets. Joe has traveled internationally on both business and humanitarian efforts to India, Africa and South America. Joe was also a founding director of the Alabama League of Environmental Action Voters; today that organization is known as Conservation Alabama.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 6:30 PM — FRENCH FILM SERIES: HORS DE PRIX
Held in AU’s Haley Center room 3203.
Hors de prix (2006); Priceless (102 min.)
Irène (Audrey Tautou), who makes a fortune sweet-talking rich men, puts the moves on klutzy Jean (Gad Elmaleh), unaware that he’s just a hotel bartender. But by the time Irène realizes her mistake, Jean is hopelessly smitten with her. Letting men down easy has never been Irène’s strong suit, but she finds a way to mend Jean’s broken heart that ensures he’ll never have to mix cocktails again. Vernon Dobtcheff co-stars in this hilarious French farce.
Email ama0002@auburn.edu for more information.
Info: http://media.cla.auburn.edu/forlang/display_event.cfm?Calendar_ID=3466

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 7:00 - 9:00 PM — ASIAN FILM SERIES / JAPANESE FILM: “KIDS RETURN“
Held in AU’s Haley Center room 3195. Free & open to all.
This month, the Asian Film Series features three Asian films on the theme of back to school. This second film is a Japanese director, Takeshi Kitano’s “Kids Return” (1996).
For upcoming films, please check “events calendar” of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures: http://media.cla.auburn.edu/forlang/EventCalendar/index.cfm

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, NOON — AU WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY BOARD / ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: INVESTING IN THE NEW NORMAL
Held in Ariccia’s private dining room at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. Dutch-treat luncheon.
Seating is limited and early registration is recommended.
To register, call 844-3524 or e-mail wpbchs1@auburn.edu.
The Women’s Philanthropy Board, in the College of Human Sciences, will host a roundtable luncheon and discussion on “Investing in the New Normal” featuring Susan Moore, Leah Dubberly and Brenda Dozier.
Moore is a financial consultant and the principal owner of Moore Wealth Management. Dubberly, of Merrill Lynch, has been a business owner, corporate marketing executive, political action committee fundraiser and congressional staffer. Dozier is a wealth management associate with First Legacy Partners.
More info:http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/attachment/upload/wpb_investing_flyer_1.8.2010.pdf

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, NOON - 1:00 PM — ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY TREES (ACT) / TREE CANOPY WEBINAR
American Forests Consultant Cheryl Kollin Gives National Tree Canopy Webinar
To register, and to learn more about ACT’s Third Thursday Webcast Series, visit http://actrees.org/site/stories/act_webcast_series.php.  Open to all.
Urban Ecosystem Analysis (UEA) - an assessment tool American Forests has pioneered and employed in more than 40 metropolitan areas across the nation over the past decade - provides critical data for addressing the alarming rate of urban tree loss that causes billions of dollars in lost ecological services. Dan DeWald discussed how the city of Bellevue has already used such analyses in several programs and initiatives.
The Alliance for Community Trees (ACT) is a unique national organization dedicated entirely to helping nonprofit and community organizations protect and restore the forests in cities, towns and villages where 86% of Americans make their homes. ACT’s Webcast Series is a national webcast held the third Thursday of each month at 12:00pm CST, aimed at providing informal training for community groups, volunteer organizers and other public workers, outlining successful programs and practices they can implement in their own communities. Webcasts are open to everyone.
A recorded version of Cheryl Kollin’s webcast, “Canopy Campaigns and Public Tree Goals-Part I: Goal Setting,” is available from the ACT website HERE - http://actrees.org/site/storie/canopy_campaigns_and_public_tree_goals_part_i.php .

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 3:00 PM — CHRISTIAN IDENTITY AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN THE RURAL SOUTH
Speaker: Dr Wylin Dassie Wilson
Held in AU’s Draughon Library Archives and Special Collections. Free & open to all.  www.auburn.edu/aukingweek
Dr. Wilson is a Scholar-in-Residence at Dunstans Episcopal Church at Auburn University.  Her lecture will focus on the gap in theological and ethical discourse regarding serious consideration of marginalized populations such as rural southern, persistently impoverished African-Americans in the Black Belt.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 4:00 PM — WATCH AND LEARN FILM SERIES / FEATURED FILM: BOYCOTT (with Reflections and Small Group Discussion)
Held in AU’s Multicultural Center Reading Room. Free & open to all.  www.auburn.edu/aukingweek
In 1955, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks dared to take an empty seat in the “Whites Only” section on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama sparked one of the first major battles in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, thus bringing the work of Martin Luther King to the attention of many Americans for the first time. Boycott is a made-for-TV movie that dramatizes the events of the Montgomery bus boycott, weaving vintage newsreel footage with scenes depicting the public and private dramas involved in the protests. Boycott stars Jeffrey Wright as Martin Luther King, Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, and Terrence Dashon Howard as Ralph Abernathy; CCH Pounder, Reg E. Cathey, and Shawn Michael Howard highlight the supporting cast.

THURSDAY, JAN.21,  4:00 pm-OPELIKA PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION
Held at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika Public Works bldg. Open to all.  www.opelika.org
Agenda includes:
I. Elect Officers to Planning Commission (Chairman, Vice Chairman)
A. PLATS (preliminary and preliminary & final) - PUBLIC HEARING
1. Plantation S/D, Redivision of Lots 20 & 21, 3 lots, Andrews Road, David Jett, P/F approval
2. Replat of Pine Acres S/D Lot 2-B1 & Pinecrest S/D, Lots 19B & 20B, 3 lots, Waverly Parkway, Matthew Toland, P/F approval 3. Ray-Murphy S/D, 5 lots, Lee Road 262, Helen Murphy, P/F approval
4. Block 34, First Revision S/D, 2 lots, 500 block of 2nd Avenue, Young Properties, LLC, P/F approval
B. REZONING - PUBLIC HEARING
5. Planning Staff, corner of Palmer Avenue & Raintree Street, 3 lots (1 acre) from C-2 to R-4
C. AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE - Public Hearing
6. Amendment to text of Zoning Ordinance - Section 9 (L) Political signs
D. OTHER BUSINESS
7. Nancy Willingham, 13 Samford Avenue, C-3, GC-2, Review temporary conditional use permit for bar
8. Troy Bell, 301 South Railroad Avenue, C-3, Review temporary conditional use permit for an auto repair and wrecker towing business
9. Greg Mims, 3300 Pepperell Pkwy, C-3, GC-2, Review temporary conditional use permit for a recycling collection business
10. Review 2010 Comprehensive Plan Work Program
11. Water Street Concept Plan
NOTE: The regular Opelika Planning Commission meeting will be held at this same location on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 3:00 pm.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 4:00 pm - AUBURN WATER WORKS BOARD  http://www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/
Held in the Water Resource Management Conference Room, 1501 West Samford Avenue (Shug Jordan and West Samford). Info: 501-3060. The Board meets on the 1st Thursday after the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
NOTE: A new member, Jeff Clary, has been appointed.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 6:00 PM — SCIENCE CAFE WITH LINDY BIGGS / AT THE GNU’S ROOM
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S Gay St; ph: 334.821.5550; www.thegnusroom.com;
Coffee-Books-Community
Lindy Biggs currently serves as the Executive Director of the Sustainability Initiative at Auburn University. Biggs received her PhD from MIT in history of technology, her MA and BS are from University of Missouri. She teaches and writes about technology and its social context and consequences.
Biggs’ research has focused on industrialization in both the U.S. and Britain, and more specifically on the physical reality of industrialization. Her first book, The Rational Factory: Architecture, Technology and Work in America’s Age of Mass Production (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002), examined the creation of the American mass-production factory. She is currently writing about the first factories in eighteenth-century England, their employment of child labor, and the debates that arose around early industrialization. She has received a grant from the National Science Foundation and was a senior fellow at the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology at MIT in support of the project.
Biggs has also been a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Norway and served as the Secretary of the Society for the History of Technology. Other scholarly interests include environmental history about which she teaches and is making plans for future research.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 6:00 - 9:00 PM — JCSM WINTER MEMBERS’ OPENING & RECEPTION www.jcsm.auburn.edu

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 7:00 - 9:00 PM — FUND RAISING WORKSHOP
Held in AU’s  O. D. Smith Hall room 329, 135 S. College St.
Fee: $20 per session ($50 for the series )
Register:  www.auburn.edu/cconline or 334-844-5100
This is the first of three Auburn University Outreach Program Office workshops.  Learn from the Vice President of Development at Auburn University, Jeff McNeill. Mr. McNeill will provide a step by step approach to successful fund raising for any size organization.
Upcoming workshops: (same place & time)
Jan. 28 -  Volunteer Management –  Join Sid James, Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Board for an insightful workshop on recruiting and managing volunteers for your community organization.
Feb. 4 -  Community Organizing — Roberta Jackel, former City Council member, facilitates a panel discussion on strategies for community organizing at its best.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22 through SUNDAY, JAN. 24 — ALABAMA TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION 2010 RAMBLE / EUFAULA AND THE GEORGIA CHATTAHOCHEE AREA
The Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation will travel to Eufaula and the Chattahoochee area to visit various historic sites.
Registration for the entire Ramble is $60 per person; $50 for Saturday only. This includes the tour bus fare, admission to Westville, and admission to Fort Mitchell. Meals and hotel are  NOT included in the registration fee.
Lodging reservations: Lakepoint Resort State Park (104 Lakepoint Dr., Eufaula, AL 36027) call 334-687-8011 or 1-800-544-5253; or email sone.kornegay@dcnr.alabama.gov. . Hotel rooms are $60 plus tax. Please mention that you are with the Trust Ramble (group # 1149).

FRIDAY, JAN. 22 through WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27 — CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY /  AT THE CAPRI THEATRE
Held at the Capri Theatre, 1045 E Fairview Ave
Montgomery; ph: 334.262.4858; www.capritheatre.org/ .
Showings: Fri & Sat: 7:00 & 9:30; pm  Sun - Wed: 7:30 pm only
Everyone’s most loved and hated documentarian Michael Moore takes on the US financial system and tries to find out what is going on.  Capitalism: A Love Story (127mins)
http://www.capitalismalovestory.com

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM — TRADITION - INNOVATION: AMERICAN MASTERPIECES OF SOUTHERN CRAFT AND TRADITIONAL ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Bill L. Harbert Gallery. Free & open to all.  www.jcsm.auburn.edu
JCSM is host to a traveling survey exhibition of contemporary craft and traditional art produced in the southeastern United States, and is the only venue in Alabama. Organized by the Southern Arts Federation, Tradition/Innovation:American Masterpieces of Southern Craft and Traditional Art features fifty-eight of the region’s master artists working in ceramics, glass, fiber arts, basketry, woodworking, metal-smithing, book arts, and other traditionally utilitarian media. Featuring more than 100 objects, the exhibition provides a sweeping view of modern craft, with examinations of the importance of community and culture, innovation and evolution, and the imprint of place.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 11:45 a.m. — DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION / music & reflections
Held in AU Student Center. Free & open to all.  Info: www.auburn.edu/aukingweek
Music and reflections on the Life and Contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King. The Auburn University Gospel Choir will perform at the event. This year’s King Week activities were coordinated by Access and Community Initiatives, a unit of the Auburn University Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 7:00 PM — POETRY READING & BOOK SIGNING / AT THE GNU’S ROOM
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, Coffee-Books-Community, 414 South Gay St; ph: 334.821.5550; www.thegnusroom.com.
Auburn-based poetry publisher New Plains Press has recently released its first two books of poetry, and the Gnu’s Room is proud to be chosen for readings and signings. The first reading will be of Rest in Black Haw by Emily Elizabeth Schulten. Schulten is originally from Bowling green, KY but has traveled extensively and currently resides and teaches in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a doctoral candidate in poetry at Georgia State University. Schulten has been published or has forthcoming work in Rio Grande Review, The Secret of Salt, The Hollins Critic, and Askew. For information on New Plains Press, please viist their website at www.newplainspress.com.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 7:30 PM — SUNDILLA CONCERT FEATURING GREG KLYMA
Held at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) Hall, 450 E. Thach Ave. www.sundilla.org
Admission: $10, $8 for students, and free for children 12 and under (and welcomed; play area provided).
Light refreshments provided free of charge; you may also bring your own food or beverage (beer/wine allowed).
Troubadour Greg Klyma brings his always crowd-pleasing music to Auburn. For more info, and to hear music clips of Greg Klyma, go to www.sundilla.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. - CHAIR MASSAGE
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House,  414 South Gay St; ph: 334.821.5550; Coffee-Books-Community, www.thegnusroom.com.
Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere at the Gnu’s Room with a cup of your favorite coffee or tea and let Conar Rochford remove any remaining stress with his healing hands. A fifteen-minute session is  $10.00. Gift certificates are available.

SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 2:00 - 5:00 PM — COTTON BOLL QUILT GUILD / RECEPTION:  QUILT SHOW “IT’S CHALLENGING”
Held at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) Hall, 450 E. Thach Ave.  www.auuf.net Free & open to all.
Come enjoy the beautiful quilts on loan from the Cotton Boll Quilt Guild and show the artists your appreciation.

SUNDAY, JAN. 24, 10:00 AM — AUUF / “SUNDAY WITH THE ALABAMA ACLU”
Held at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) Hall, 450 E. Thach Ave.  Free & open to all. www.auuf.net
A representative from the Alabama ACLU will be on hand to discuss issues on which they are currently focusing, including immigrants’ rights. Bring your commitment to “justice, equity and compassion” and your questions to bear.

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ACTION ALERTS FROM CONSERVATION ALABAMA
www.conservationalabama.org

Tell your Senator to fix crumbling roads first Action Needed:   Tell your state Senator to vote NO on SB121 and come back with a plan that maximizes social, economic, and environmental benefit from existing transportation infrastructure before creating new roads we cannot afford.
Deadline for responding: Please contact your state Senator by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19.

The Alabama State Legislature has been back in session for just one week, and we’ve got our hands full playing defense. Tuesday, the Alabama Senate is poised to vote on SB121, which would take $1 billion from the Alabama Trust Fund to build new roads in Alabama. This proposal is bad for citizen health, our economy, and environment in so many ways. We need you to tell your Senator to vote NO on SB121.

Problem: While thousands of roads and bridges are crumbling in Alabama, the Alabama Senate is proposing to take $1 billion over the next 10 years out of our state savings account to build even more roads we can’t maintain. With primary focus on new road projects and only a fraction of the dollars to go toward maintenance and repair of existing infrastructure, this proposal will make cash-strapped Alabamians even more dependent on foreign oil. By depleting our financial reserves in the state, funding for Forever Wild will be decreased as well. Worst of all, there is not even a dime for public transit in this legislation.

Solution: Alabama needs an infrastructure redevelopment plan that first focuses on fixing crumbling infrastructure; secondly reduces our reliance on foreign oil; thirdly encourages reinvestment in existing communities; and fourthly places a priority on creating a world-class transportation system, with emphasis on establishing and expanding mass transit. SB121 is not the solution to Alabamians needs, and it must be defeated.

*   *   *

Let the public speak on SB61 - Alfa’s Hog Farm Bill
a.k.a. “Family Farm Preservation Act”

Action Needed: Please call, e-mail, or fax Sen. Kim Benefield, the sponsor of this SB61 and the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and ask her to schedule a public hearing on SB61 before the committee votes. It’s important that the public’s voice is heard.

Deadline for responding: With the committee scheduled to meet Wednesday morning, please take action no later than Tuesday, January 19 at 5 p.m.

As the state of Alabama has already been reminded this year, defense wins championships. It’s true for football, and it’s true for protecting the environment in the Alabama State Legislature. In order for the environment to Win in 2010, we need to stop bad environmental legislation, such as the Hog Farm Bill (SB61) before the Senate Agriculture Committee this week. But you can’t win when you aren’t even allowed onto the field.

Problem: After introducing the same legislation eight times and being defeated each time by Conservation Alabama and our partners, Alfa has made significant changes to their so-called “Family Farm Preservation Act.” But the essence of this bill remains. SB61 would make corporate hog farms immune from legitimate legal action from citizens - especially when those citizens are plagued with the nuisance of the stench of thousands of hogs, the large black flies they attract, the degradation of water quality, and the overall decreased quality of life in rural Alabama. But the Senate Agriculture Committee is poised to vote on this revised legislation without giving the public an opportunity to speak about the bill.

Solution: For each of the eight times this ill-conceived bill has been offered by Alfa, the Agriculture Committee has allowed a public hearing. With some important changes to SB61 from previous years, it is even more important that the public have the opportunity to address the committee about their concerns.

=================

ACTION ALERT FROM WILDSOUTH
Wild South is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire and empower people to protect and restore the native ecosystems of the Southeast.   www.wildsouth.org

URGENT: Please Contact Sen. Bedford and Rep. Lindsey’s Offices Immediately to reauthorize “Forever Wild”
Senator Roger Bedford: (334) 242-7862
Representative Richard Lindsey: (334) 242-7713
Click or Copy/Paste this link in your browser to take action:
http://www.alforeverwild.com/CalltoAction/tabid/67/Default.aspx
The position of the Protect Forever Wild Coalition:

Forever Wild should be reauthorized in its current form because of the success it has accomplished in preserving public lands in Alabama for future generations and the overwhelming public support it has continued to receive since it was approved by 83% of Alabamians in 1992.

Two letters - one signed by Rep. Richard Lindsey to all house members and the same letter signed by Sen. Roger Bedford to all senate members - ask for the consideration of a “Conserve Alabama” amendment, while also asking that no member commit to the reauthorization of Forever Wild.

The letters regarding the “Conserve Alabama” Amendment do not provide any funding details. We have been informed previously that the entities referenced in these letters have recommended diversion of Forever Wild Funds for other uses - as much as $10 Million to be split evenly between the programs of interest to ALFA and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts with Forever Wild allocated $5 Million.

It is our hope that this is not case, and that the entities involved will join us in “Protecting and Reauthorizing Forever Wild Funding” - but at this time we do not have the necessary information to draw that conclusion.

A reduction in Forever Wild funding in any way would ultimately gut one of the most successful programs ever passed by the legislature.

It is urgent that both Sen. Bedford and Rep. Lindsey receive a significant number of calls immediately from our coalition urging them to not introduce any legislation that would reduce funding to Forever Wild.

Also, please forward this message to as many others and encourage them to make calls this morning as well. If they have an interest in expanding Alabama’s conservation efforts for additional worthy projects, gutting Forever Wild isn’t the answer.

Please place calls immediately to both offices. If you don’t get to speak with the member, leave the message that you’re calling to support the reauthorization of Forever Wild in its current form.

====================

Info from the Alabama  Environmental Council  - www.aeconline.org

ADEM Accepting Applications for Director, Slows Down Process…Some!
After the resignation last month of Trey Glenn, Director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Environmental Management Commission is accepting applications through the end of January. They will also be accepting public input through 3 questions you might like asked of the candidates by January 29th. The intention is to narrow down the candidates on February 5th, interview finalists on the 12th, and hire the new Director at their February meeting, February 19th. That may seem fast for the most important position at the state agency responsible for protecting Alabama’s environ­ment, but it is actually slower than originally proposed. Through public and media pressure and work of the ADEM Reform Coalition, of which AEC is a part, the EMC agreed to this revised schedule and are attempting to make this a public process.

If you are interested in the position, or know someone who is, please look at ADEM’s website for qualifications and or con­tact our staff to discuss what can be done. For such an important job, the EMC needs to select the right person for the job; someone who understands the connection between environmental protection and public health and can transform the agency.

==================

CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACEforum
email:  placeforum@gmail.com
web:    http://placeforum.org/blog/
Jan. 19, 2010

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Column by Lisa Brouillette: Will 2010 be state’s year for reform?

First published in the Opelika-Auburn News, Jan. 25, 2010

Alabama’s collective version of New Years’ resolutions seems to be calls for reform. Ethics reform. Constitutional reform. Environmental reform. Tax reform, especially as it relates to daily necessity - food.

Every year, the same needs, the same goals, the same optimistic enthusiasm. Every year, too, a disappointing repeat of the same failures to act.

Will we break the cycle in this election year, when typically much is promised and little delivered? Keep in mind nearly three in 10 Alabamians who qualify to vote aren’t even registered. And only slightly more than half of those registered actually vote.

That said, there are opportunities for positive change on both state and local levels.

The Alabama Environmental Management Commission (EMC), ADEM’s governing board, could choose a strong environmental advocate as the new ADEM director.

Also, ADEM could increase fines for permit violations, such as last year’s $502,000 formal administrative penalty for the Mimm’s Trail development on Shell Toomer Parkway. (See case#04-2009-4789 at http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/.)

State legislation for constitutional reform and removing the tax on food again awaits consideration. For details, see http://www.constitutionalreform.org/, http://www.untaxgroceries.org, or view pending legislation at http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/ACASLoginFire.asp.

In my estimation, ethics reform is the most important civic New Years’ goal. This must include tougher open meetings and open records rules.

No matter what laws we have, they mean nothing if citizens don’t have detailed information of our elected and appointed officials’ business, family and financial connections.

Consider this sample of actions in recent years, including criminal proceedings, which highlight current issues and reflect growing public concern.

The Adamsville City Council was alleged to have violated the state’s open meetings law.

Multiple criminal investigations are pending involving Jefferson County and Birmingham officials.

It would take an entire column to list them.

Local columnist and long-time newspaper publisher Paul Davis took decisive action to improve the open meetings policy of the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s advisory board.

The Montgomery County Board of Education is fighting allegations they met in secret via serial meetings of a non-quorum of members.

This newspaper brought public attention to the Auburn City Council’s similar use of serial meetings to reach consensus outside of a public meeting, including by e-mail, fax and phone.

Public officials frequently and intentionally circumvent the intent of the open meetings law by meeting in small groups (i.e., fewer voting members than required to trigger an open public meeting). Such serial e-meetings need to be definitively prohibited.

2010 -will this be Alabama’s new year of reform?

Lisa Brouillette is a community activist, editor, and writer. Contact her at placeforum@gmail.com or visit her Web site http://placeforum.org.

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Week of Jan. 12, 2010 — Meetings, events & updates

TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 9:00 AM — OPELIKA BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT (BZA)
Held in the Public Works Facility, 700 Fox Trail, Opelika. Open to all.
A. ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL/VARIANCE 1.Jim Parker, 1651 Parker Way (Microtel hotel adjacent to Lowe’s), Sign variance request to exceed the maximum square footage for a group development sign and to allow an existing off-premise sign to remain on a temporary basis for eighteen (18) months in a C-3, GC-2 zoning district.

TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 11:30 am - AUBURN GREENSPACE ADVISORY BOARD
Held in the City of Auburn meeting room, 122 Tichenor Ave. (entrance off side of building, across from rear entrance to Cheeburger Cheeburger.) Open to all.
http://www.auburnalabama.org/greenspace/

TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 1:30 - 3:00 PM — ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE WOODROW CLARK / “The Third Industrial Revolution”
Held  in the Lowder Business Building.
Space is limited. If you want to attend,contact Katie Brock at brockmk@auburn.edu.
The Auburn University Office of Sustainability and the College of
Business MBA program are bringing renowned environmental advocate Woodrow Clark to Auburn this week. Clark was part of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that shared the Nobel Prize for their work on climate issues.

TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 4:00 pm - AUBURN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Held in the Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda:  http://www.auburnalabama.org/hpc/agenda.aspx
Agenda includes:
1. CALL TO ORDER. Anne Shaw, Chair.
a. Approval of minutes, November 10, 2009
b. Approval of minutes, December 8, 2009
2. CONSIDERATION TO STUDY THE AREA AROUND GAY AND PAYNE STREETS FOR A POSSIBLE HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION
3. OTHER BUSINESS Including:
a. Recent Certificates of Appropriateness issued administratively
b. Additional improvements to signs and poles in the North College Historic District
c. Black Heritage research update
d. Alabama Historical Commission request for 2010 Places in peril nominations
e. House Plaques in the historic district, standards and placement
4. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS
5. ADJOURNMENT

TUESDAY, JAN. 12  - AUBURN BOARD OF EDUCATION   www.auburnschools.org
5:00 pm - dinner, Board of Education Office, 855 East Samford Ave.
6:00 pm - meeting, Auburn High School multi-media room, 405 S. Dean Rd. Open to all.
Agenda includes:
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approve  Agenda
4. Recognitions
Members of Auburn City Board of Education
Auburn High School Cross-Country TeamS
5. Hear Delegations
6. Approve Minutes
December 8, 2009, regular session
December 16, 2009, special session
7. Communications
8. Approve Payment of Bills and Salaries - December 2009
9. Unfinished Business - (None)
10. Superintendent’s Report and New Business
1. Energy Star Certification - Wrights Mill Road Elementary School
2. Bid Results: Vehicle Fleet Insurance
3. Request to Update Auburn City Schools Policy Manual
4. Alabama Department of Education Compliance Review Summary
5. Alabama’s Race to the Top Grant
6. Revised Evaluation Form for Classified Personnel
11. Personnel
12. Other
– Board Member Appreciation Breakfast, January 27, 2010, 8:00 a.m., Wrights Mill Road Elementary School
– Alabama Association of School Boards District 4 Meeting, February 8, 2010, 6:00 p.m., Auburn
***The Board of Education will meet for its next regular session on February 9, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. in the Multi-Media Room at Auburn High School.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 , 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Now held at Piccolo Lounge, AU Hotel. Open to all.
More info: contact Matt Williams, AU Office of Sustainability, miwilliams@auburn.edu.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. This will be a child-friendly gathering for those with little ones (or even medium-sized ones), with a large space and table/floor space for them to play and still be in direct eyesight/earshot.  Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13, 7:00 PM  — ASIAN FILM SERIES / FILM: “NOT ONE LESS”
Held in AU’s Haley Center, room 3195.Free & open to the public.
The Chinese Club, Japanese Student Organization, Korean American Student Association and Indian Student Association are cosponsoring a film screening of Zhang Yimou’s “Not One Less”. The film will include English subtitles.The screening is part of the spring 2010 Asian film series, and is free and open to the public.

THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 8:00 am  — AUBURN DOWNTOWN MERCHANT ASSOCIATION (DMA)
Held in the City of Auburn meeting room, 122 Tichenor Ave (entrance is at side of building, across from rear entrance of Cheeburger Cheeburger).
The Auburn DMA meets at 8:00 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month. All those interested in supporting and improving Downtown Auburn are invited to attend. http://www.downtownauburnal.org/

THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 3:00 - 5:00 PM — FREE H1N1 VACCINATION CLINIC  AT AU
FREE for AU students, employees and dependents ages 10 and older.
Held in room 2222, AU’s Student Center.
Auburn University will be holding a free H1N1 vaccination clinic  this Thursday No further vaccination clinics are planned at this time, so don’t miss your chance to get vaccinated. Vaccinations will be provided in the form of the H1N1 flushot. Proof of insurance is not required.
After this clinic, vaccination will be offered by appointment only at the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center, located in 2155 Walker Building, while vaccine supplies last.
Take a few moments to protect yourself, your family and your coworkers and fellow students by getting vaccinated.
For more information about H1N1 flu and Auburn University’s response:
http://www.auburn.edu/administration/public_safety/emergency . Questions?: e-mail emergencymanagement@auburn.edu.

THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 4:30 pm - OPELIKA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Held in the Planning Chambers, Opelika Public Works Bldg, 700 Fox Trail, Opelika. Open to all.

THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 5:00 pm - AUBURN PLANNING COMMISSION
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: http://www.auburnalabama.org/pc/agenda.aspx
Agenda includes:
CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATION
OLD BUSINESS
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Battle Annexation PL-2009-00920
Applicant:  Robert and Regina Battle
General Location: 1310 Lee Road 84
Zoning District:  Outside of the City limits
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for annexation of approximately 5.55 acres
2. Ruben Slaughter Subdivision, First Revision PL-2009-00881
Applicant: Zack Sprayberry for Ruben Slaughter
General Location: 138 Lee Road 668
Zoning District: Outside of the City limits
Action Requested: Revised final plat approval for a lot consolidation (9 lots into 1)
NEW BUSINESS
3. Brookhaven Farms Subdivision, Eighth Revision, Redivision of Lot 3 PL-2009-00912 PUBLIC HEARING
Applicant: Twelve Stones Holding Co., LLC
General Location: 1400 block of Lee Road 56
Zoning District: Rural (R)
Action Requested: Preliminary plat approval for a 7 lot conventional residential subdivision
4. Moores Mill Golf Club, Phase 4B, Redivision of Lots 94 and 117-A PL-2009-00919 PUBLIC HEARING
Applicant: Dilworth Development, Inc. for William Cleveland
General Location: Southern terminus of Fairway Drive
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) with Development District Housing (DDH) underlying
Action Requested: Preliminary plat approval for a 17-lot performance single-family residential subdivision
5. Frank Brown Recreation Center PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00900
Applicant: City of Auburn
General Location: 235 Opelika Road
Zoning District: Redevelopment District (RDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for an Indoor Recreational use (Frank Brown Community Recreation Center) and the addition of a Senior Center building.
6. Jennings Building PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00921
Applicant: Jay Jennings for Jennings Construction Company, Inc.
General Location: 421-B Opelika Road
Zoning District: Redevelopment District (RDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for an institutional use (Classrooms for a Private School).
7. East University Drive Curb Cut Waiver PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00916
Applicant: Gregory Forthofer for Lewis Pick and Nicholas Hoffman
General Location: 2552 East University Drive
Zoning District: Comprehensive Development District (CDD)
Action Requested: Waiver to Article IV B4, Restriction of Access, of the City of Auburn Subdivision Regulations regarding the required spacing of 600 feet between curb cuts on East University Drive from North College Street to South College Street.
OTHER BUSINESS
8. Annual Meeting of the Commission to Elect New Officers
9. CompPlan 2030 Update - Justin Steinmann, Principal Planner
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATION
STAFF COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT

THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 7:00 pm — EAST ALABAMA CYCLING CLUB
Held at the EAMC Health Resource Center, Pepperell Parkway, Opelika.  Open to all.
The East Alabama Cycling Club (EACC) is a bicycle club for riders of all skill levels and riding styles.  The club meets at 7:00 pm, on the second Thursday of each month. More info:  mk1hgn@yahoo.com

FRIDAY, JAN. 15, 7:00 - 8:00 PM — AN EVENING WITH DR. JOSEPH LOWERY / REFLECTIONS ON INSPIRING THE STRENGTH TO LOVE
Held the auditorium, at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. Free & open to all.
Seating is limited, please call 334.844.5042  for reservation.
Info: www.auburn.edu/aukingweek
Sponsored by the Access & Community .
Hailed as the “Dean of the Civil Rights Movement” upon his receipt of the NAACP’s “Lifetime Achievement Award,” Rev. Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery has assumed and executed a broad and diverse series of roles over the span of his eight decades: Leader, Pastor/Preacher, Servant, Father, Husband, Freedom Fighter and Advocate.  One milestone in this remarkable journey took place on August 12, 2009 when President Barack Obama awarded him the nation’s highest civilian honor: The Presidential Medal of Freedom, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to the nonviolent struggle for the causes of justice, human rights, economic equality, voting rights, peace and human dignity.

FRIDAY, JAN. 15, 7:00 PM - LAUNCH PARTY FOR “GNU WRITERS SERIES”  / AT THE GNU’S ROOM www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.  Free & open to all. The event is open to all and there is no charge.
The Gnu’s Room is launching the “Gnu Writers’ Series,” a literary magazine which will feature a local poet, fiction writer or artist each month. The inaugural edition features local short story writer Jacob Thompson. Thompson is a regular participant at our open mic nights and his story, “Guide to Biking Rural Roads at Night,” is a tongue-in-cheek look at the dangers of cycling in Lee County. Thompson will be at the store on Friday, January 15th at 7:00 p.m. to read his work and copies will be available for distribution. Light refreshments will be served, and everyone is invited to help us celebrate this new publication.

SUNDAY, JAN. 17, 5:00 p.m. - ANNUAL MLK JR INTERFAITH VIGIL FOR PEACE
Held at Toomers Corner, Auburn. All are invited to participate. Bring candles/posters.

SUNDAY, JAN. 17, 5:00 PM — “WORD FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP” ORATORICAL FINALISTS COMPETITION
Held in the Auburn Chamber of Commerce Auditorium.
Sponsored by Access & Community Initiatives.
The 2ND Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Word from the Mountain Top oratorical competition. The purpose of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Word from the Mountain Top oratory contest is to recognize and give students the opportunity to reflect on the message of Dr. King, while connecting his message to issues facing our nation in the 21st century. In addition, participants are provided an opportunity to enhance their own writing and communication skills through oration.
To be eligible all participants must be a bona fide student currently enrolled in a college/university, community college, high school, middle school or junior high school (public, parochial, military, private or state accredited home school). Participants must be residents of Lee County.
Students must submit one copy of the completed typed- written speech including a title. This information should be postmarked or delivered by later than January 11, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Speeches can also be submitted electronically to wolfebr@auburn.edu. Preregistration required at 334-844-2976

SUNDAY, JAN. 17, 7:30 PM — CONCERT: SARA THOMSEN
Held at the AUUF / Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 450 E. Thach Ave. Tickets not required; donations for the artist gratefully accepted. An enchanting weaver of song and community singing, Minnesotan Sara Thomsen returns to Alabama. In 2006 Sara left Ireland to participate as a volunteer in the 10 day Selma to Montgomery “Living the Dreamer/Co-creating the Beloved Community” pilgrimage. Even during pelting rain and repeated tornado warnings, “God’s gonna trouble the waters” joyfully rang out as Thomsen and her chorister walkers determinedly did “Wade-on.” Creator of four highly acclaimed solo albums, Sara is founder of Duluth’s Echoes of Peace Choir and artistic director of the “Three Altos” trio. Info: www.sarathomsen.com.  Co-sponsored by the Alliance for Peace and Justice (www.peaceeagle.org),  Rose of Sharon, AUUF’s Social Action Committee, and C-MOVE (Citizens Making Opportunity Visible for Excellence) as community-wide ways to celebrate in song the vision and work of Dr. Martin Luther King and all who continue to Live the Dream.

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Information from: Lenora Pate and Jim Vickrey, ACCR
Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform

TODAY, TUESDAY, JAN. 12, NOON  — ALABAMA’S 2010 LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS
Help support the Joint Resolution to “Let The People Vote”

Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton and Senator Ted Little intend to introduce again a Joint Resolution  in the House and Senate to “Let the People Vote” on calling  a constitutional convention to rewrite Alabama’s 1901 Constitution.

PLEASE CALL  YOUR  REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR TODAY,  and thank them  if they were a Co-Sponsor of  the Resolution in 2009  and ask them to be a Co-Sponsor again.  If   they were not, ask them to  become a Co-Sponsor by contacting Rep. Newton and Sen. Little TODAY!

Also, please call House Speaker Newton at 334-242-7664 and Senator Little at 334-242-7865  to thank them for their Sponsorship of the Joint Resolution..

Your legislators are  listed  at www.legislature.state.al.us where you can type in your zip code and get his or her name and contact information.

Last year we had 39 co-sponsors for the Joint Resolution, and we hope to have more this Session.  Please contact last year’s Co-Sponsors listed below,  and YOUR Representative and Senator, TODAY and ask them to contact immediately Rep. Newton and Senator Little about being a Co-Sponsor of this year’s Joint Resolution to “Let the People Vote”!

House Co-Sponsors for last year’s Joint Resolution were:
Democrats: Marcel Black of Tuscumbia;  Barbara Boyd of Anniston; Merika Coleman of Midfield; Chris England of Tuscaloosa; Billy Dukes of Decatur; Priscilla Dunn of Bessemer; Ron Grantland of Hartselle; Laura Hall of Huntsville; Allen Harper of Aliceville; Earl Hillard, Jr. of Birmingham; Tammy Irons of Florence; Joseph Mitchell of Mobile; John Robinson of Scottsboro;  Yusuf Salaam of Selma; Tommy Sherer of Jasper;  Patricia Todd of Birmingham; Pebblin Warren of Tuskeegee; Lea Fite of Jacksonville; Ken Guin of Carbon Hill; Jeff Mc Laughlin of Guntersville; Oliver Robinson of Birmingham; and Randy Hinshaw of Meridianville.
Republicans: Joe Faust of Fairhope;  Mac Gipson of Prattville; and Mike Hill of Columbia.

Senate Co- Sponsors for last year’s Joint Resolution were:
Democrats: Rodger Smitherman of Birmingham; Zeb Little of Cullman; Hinton Mitchem of Union Grove; Wendell Mitchell of Luverne; Bobby Denton of Muscle Shoals;  Hank Sanders of Selma; Roger Bedford of Russellville;  Bobby Singleton of Greensboro; Linda Coleman of Birmingham; Vivian Figures of Mobile; Larry Means of Attalla; and Quinton Ross of Montgomery.
Republicans;  Steve French of Birmingham; and Del Marsh of Anniston.

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Upcoming event - register now
THURSDAY, JAN. 21, NOON — AU WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY BOARD / ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: INVESTING IN THE NEW NORMAL
Held in Ariccia’s private dining room at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. Dutch-treat luncheon.
Seating is limited and early registration is recommended.
To register, call 844-3524 or e-mail wpbchs1@auburn.edu.
The Women’s Philanthropy Board, in the College of Human Sciences, will host a roundtable luncheon and discussion on “Investing in the New Normal” featuring Susan Moore, Leah Dubberly and Brenda Dozier.
Moore is a financial consultant and the principal owner of Moore Wealth Management. Dubberly, of Merrill Lynch, has been a business owner, corporate marketing executive, political action committee fundraiser and congressional staffer. Dozier is a wealth management associate with First Legacy Partners.
More info:  http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/attachment/upload/wpb_investing_flyer_1.8.2010.pdf

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACEforum
email:  placeforum@gmail.com
web:    http://placeforum.org/blog/
Jan. 12, 2010

Comments Off

Jan. 11, 2010 — Meetings, events & updates
(The rest of the week’s schedule will be sent later today.)

Wire Road Bridge Replacement Project to Begin January 11, 2010
Bridge expected to be closed for several months

City of Auburn LifeSouth Blood Drive January 12

Portion of East University Drive to Close January 12

MONDAY, JAN. 11 — OLLI AT AUBURN GENERAL MEETING
9:00 AM — Coffee & Information Fair
10:00 AM — Speaker: Kathryn Tucker Windham
Held at the Leington Hotel - University Convention Center, 1577 S. College St. Free & open to the public.
Info:  334-844-5100 or www.olliatauburn.org

MONDAY, JAN. 11, noon- AUBURN PLANNING COMMISSION PACKET MEETING (AGENDA DISCUSSION)
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: www.auburnalabama.org/pc/agenda.asp
Agenda includes:
CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATION
OLD BUSINESS
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Battle Annexation PL-2009-00920
Applicant:  Robert and Regina Battle
General Location: 1310 Lee Road 84
Zoning District:  Outside of the City limits
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for annexation of approximately 5.55 acres
2. Ruben Slaughter Subdivision, First Revision PL-2009-00881
Applicant: Zack Sprayberry for Ruben Slaughter
General Location: 138 Lee Road 668
Zoning District: Outside of the City limits
Action Requested: Revised final plat approval for a lot consolidation (9 lots into 1)
NEW BUSINESS
3. Brookhaven Farms Subdivision, Eighth Revision, Redivision of Lot 3 PL-2009-00912 PUBLIC HEARING
Applicant: Twelve Stones Holding Co., LLC
General Location: 1400 block of Lee Road 56
Zoning District: Rural (R)
Action Requested: Preliminary plat approval for a 7 lot conventional residential subdivision
4. Moores Mill Golf Club, Phase 4B, Redivision of Lots 94 and 117-A PL-2009-00919 PUBLIC HEARING
Applicant: Dilworth Development, Inc. for William Cleveland
General Location: Southern terminus of Fairway Drive
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) with Development District Housing (DDH) underlying
Action Requested: Preliminary plat approval for a 17-lot performance single-family residential subdivision
5. Frank Brown Recreation Center PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00900
Applicant: City of Auburn
General Location: 235 Opelika Road
Zoning District: Redevelopment District (RDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for an Indoor Recreational use (Frank Brown Community Recreation Center) and the addition of a Senior Center building.
6. Jennings Building PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00921
Applicant: Jay Jennings for Jennings Construction Company, Inc.
General Location: 421-B Opelika Road
Zoning District: Redevelopment District (RDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for an institutional use (Classrooms for a Private School).
7. East University Drive Curb Cut Waiver PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00916
Applicant: Gregory Forthofer for Lewis Pick and Nicholas Hoffman
General Location: 2552 East University Drive
Zoning District: Comprehensive Development District (CDD)
Action Requested: Waiver to Article IV B4, Restriction of Access, of the City of Auburn Subdivision Regulations regarding the required spacing of 600 feet between curb cuts on East University Drive from North College Street to South College Street.
OTHER BUSINESS
8. Annual Meeting of the Commission to Elect New Officers
9. CompPlan 2030 Update - Justin Steinmann, Principal Planner
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATION
STAFF COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT

MONDAY, JAN. 11   - LEE COUNTY COMMISSION www.leeco.us
4:00 pm - work session / 6:00 pm - regular session
Held in the commission chambers, historic courthouse building, 215 S. Ninth St, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda includes:
3. Public Comment from Citizens:  (limit of 3-minutes per speaker)
4. Establish Quorum and Open Regular Meeting:
5. Awards, Presentations, Proclamations or Other Recognitions:
a. Volunteer Dan Foy - Kathy Russell
6. Reports from Commissioners and Staff:
a. Recognition of new Highway Department Administrator - Neal Hall
7. Consent Agenda:
a. Minutes of Commission Meeting December 14, 2009
b. Ratify and Approve Claims and Procurement Card Transactions
c. Board Announcement for Beulah Utilities Board
d. Bid #2 for Uniform Cleaning - Sheriff Jay Jones
8.  OLD BUSINESS:
9.  New Business:
a. Condition of Lee Road 853- Deborah Simmons
b. 2010 NACo Legislative Conference Expenses - Commissioner Harris
c. Joint City/County Road Maintenance - Neal Hall
d. Energy Cost Recovery Services - Roger Rendleman
e. Proposed Director of Jail Medical Services - Roger Rendleman
f. Corrections Officer Positions - Roger Rendleman
g. Solid Waste Enforcement Proposal - Roger Rendleman
h. RFP for County Bridge Bond Issue - Roger Rendleman
i. Electrical Bid for new Highway Building - Roger Rendleman
10.  Executive Session - Stan Martin
11.  Adjourn

MONDAY, JAN. 11 (also Jan 14, 18, & 21), 5:30 - 8:30 PM — FOUR NIGHT SELF-DEFENSE CLASS FOR WOMEN
Held at the former Johnson Furniture Gallery location in downtown Opelika.
Pre-registration is required; $15 fee for the class. Participants may register at the Auburn University Department of Public Safety office on Magnolia, or at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Auburn University Department of Public Safety, along with the Auburn Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, is offering a four-night Rape Aggression Defense, or R.A.D., self-defense course for women only. R.A.D. is a nationally certified self-defense program designed for women of all ages and ability levels. Certified local instructors provide informative risk-reduction tips along with physical defense techniques in this empowering class, culminating in a simulated attack scenario in which participants utilize the techniques they’ve learned in order to escape their “attacker.”
For more information, contact Andrea Bartels, Auburn University Department of Public Safety R.A.D Coordinator, at bartead@auburn.edu.

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ONGOING THROUGH JAN. 15 - PTA REFLECTIONS ART EXHIBITION
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to all.
Reception, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2:00 - 4:00 pm.
PTA Reflections is an art education program that gives Auburn City School students the opportunity to create works of art in a variety of media. The program helps parents encourage the creativity and lifelong learning of their children in which they receive recognition for their artistic endeavors. The student winners will be announced at the PTA Reflections reception Sunday, Jan. 10 from 2 - 4 p.m.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 - JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 30 - ART EXHIBIT: FOUND OBJECTS II
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to all.
An annual exhibition featuring works utilizing non-traditional art materials, open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information about the Art Gallery or future exhibitions, please contact the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center at 501-2963.

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 13 - SECOND IN AUDUBON SERIES AT JCSM   ww.jcsm.auburn.edu
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is presenting John James Audubon’s Precursors and Contemporaries, the second in a two-part series, through Feb. 13 in the Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Gallery. This exhibition explores natural history publications and begins with some of the earliest publications about plants, specifically herbals, which were intended as references for apothecaries. It traces representations of flora and fauna from its earliest utilitarian modes in the 16th century through the development of more artistically conceived representations. The exhibition is made possible by Gilbert Johnston of Antique Nature Prints through his loaning of prints and bound volumes. For more information, see this link. http://jcsm.auburn.edu/exhibitions/current/2009_12_audubon_pre.php

UPCOMING CONFERENCE
Jan. 27-29, 2010 - Green and Blue Conference - www.greenandblueconference.com/
Sustainable Residential Building Conference
Held at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center.
Cost: $150. Special $50 rate available for AU faculty and students who register with their Auburn e-mail address.
This conference is aimed at those involved in residential design and construction as well as educators, researchers and policy makers. The conference will host five track areas: water, residential building strategies, neighborhood development, emerging research and building codes/systems. Speakers presenting include representatives from Auburn University School of Architecture, Florida Solar Energy Center, U.S. Department of Energy, Nature’s Tap and Habitat for Humanity.
Conference participants will examine the rationale for sustainable residential construction, and the methods and materials available to achieve it. There will be presentations by experts and practical workshops covering many topics including:
* Home energy audits
* Energy Star for the home
* Home water conservation
* Low impact development
* Green building regulations
* Net zero prototype buildings
* A comparision of sustainable building rating systems
CEU credits are available for participants.
The conference has been organized by Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates in partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction and the Office of Sustainability, USGBC Alabama, and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.
More info: http://www.greenandblueconference.com/

**** ****** **** ******
HUNTSVILLE TIMES - Huntsville’s Navistar assembly plant to assign workers to area community agencies in effort to avoid layoffs.

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - Alabama, Florida and Georgia ask federal judge to keep water war negotiations confidential.

(FLORENCE) TIMES DAILY - The Times Daily says that proposal to end Forever Wild and redirect funds to farmers who agree not to develop their property “looks and smells a lot like one of the primary byproducts of farming.”

ANNISTON STAR - The Anniston Star says Legislators should tell Alfa “hands off Forever Wild.”

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER - VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor says layoffs are only temporary as 225 lose jobs.

DOTHAN EAGLE - Houston County judge signs order halting Governor’s Task Force on Gambling raid on Country Crossing.

DOTHAN EAGLE - Planned raid on Country Crossing leads to closure of entertainment complex; developer Ronnie Gilley promises facility will reopen.

HUNTSVILLE TIMES - The Huntsville Times says that Alabama should follow the lead of other states and be vigilant in ensuring that industry’s receiving tax credits produce the jobs that they promise.

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CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Jan. 11, 2010

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Week of Jan. 5, 2010 — Meetings, updates & events

DEC. 18, 2009 COLUMN BY LISA BROUILLETTE — http://placeforum.org/blog/2009/12/19/dec-18-2009-column-by-lisa-brouillette/

ANOTHER AUBURN DE-ANNEXATION REQUESTED / see tonight’s Auburn City Council packet, item 10b
On tonight’s Auburn City Council agenda is a request for ‘reduction of corporate boundaries’ (i.e., de-annexation) of the 80+ acre Fred Adams property on Sandhill Road. The council packet info on this item shows staff recommending denial of the request. (Note: A previous request for de-annexation from Lee County Commissioner Mathan Holt and Jill Holt for their Hwy 14 property was approved by the Auburn City Council.)

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CITY OF AUBURN press releases:

Portion of Tichenor Avenue to Close January 4 - 8, 2010

Wire Road Bridge Replacement Project to Begin January 11, 2010
Bridge expected to be closed for several months

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Meeting details, dates and/or locations are subject to change,  sometimes with little notice. When possible, such changes will be sent via PLACE email and/or posted on the PLACE website http://placeforum.org/blog/.

MONDAY, JAN. 4 THROUGH FRIDAY, JAN. 8 — FREE PARKING IN DOWNTOWN AUBURN
Enjoy the free parking in downtown metered spaces offered through the holiday season!  Shop Auburn!

TUESDAY, JAN. 5, 4:00 pm  - AUBURN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD (IDB)
Held in the City Manager’s Conference Room, Auburn City Hall, 144 Tichenor Ave. Open to all.

TUESDAY, JAN. 5, 5:15 pm - AUBURN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD
Held at the Dean Road Rec Center. Open to all.

TUESDAY, JAN. 5, 6:30 PM - AUBURN PRESERVATION LEAGUE / Board Meeting
Held at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave.  Open to the public. www.auburnpreservationleague.org
The APL board meets the first Tuesday of each month. All meetings are open to the public and members are encouraged to attend.

TUESDAY, JAN. 5 — OPELIKA CITY COUNCIL
6:35 pm - work session  / 7:00 pm - regular meeting
Held at 204 S. 7th St, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda:   www.opelika.org
Regular session agenda includes:
6)  UNFINISHED BUSINESS  -
7)   REMARKS BY THE MAYOR -  Gary Fuller
8)   CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS - (Limit comments to five minutes or less)       Bob Shuman
9)   REPORT OF DISBURSEMENTS
10) COMMITTEE REPORTS
11) GENERAL BUSINESS -  Bob Shuman
a.  Public Hearing, weed abatement at 1804 Old Columbus Road.
12) AWARDING OF BIDS -  Shirley Washington         (None)
13)  RESOLUTIONS -  Guy Gunter
1.  Authorize weed abatement at 1804 Old Columbus Road.
2.  Refund of occupational license fees.
3.  Re-appointment of Assistant Municipal Court prosecutors.
4.  Annual appropriations contract with the Tree Commission.
14)  ORDINANCES -   Guy Gunter
1.  Amend City Code, Sec 28-145, unpaid sewer bill adjustments, 2nd  Reading.
15)  APPOINTMENTS  -  (none)
16)  ADJOURN

TUESDAY, JAN. 5 — AUBURN CITY COUNCIL
6:50 pm — Committee of the Whole /  7:00 pm - Regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: www.auburnalabama.org/agenda
Committee of the whole agenda includes:
BOARDS & COMMISSIONS. Nominations.
a. Water Works Board. One Vacancy. Incumbent: Homer Turner (has served 1 partial term and 2 full terms). Six Year Term Expires January 6, 2010.
b. Board of Zoning Adjustment. Two Vacancies. Incumbents: Jerry Burleson (has served 1 full term as supernumerary and 2 full terms as regular member) and J. R. Smith (has served 1 full term). Three Year Terms Expire January 20, 2010.
Regular meeting agenda includes:
7. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS.
8. CITY MANAGER’S COMMUNICATIONS. City Manager Duggan. None.
9. ORDINANCES.
a. Amend City Code. Adopt 2009 Editions of International Building Code, International Fire Code, International Plumbing Code, International Fuel Gas Code and International Property Maintenance Code w/Specified Amendments and Exceptions. Unanimous Consent Necessary.
10. RESOLUTIONS.
a. Conditional Use Approvals. Planning Commission Recommendations. Public Hearings Required.
(1) CB&T Bank East Alabama. Ronnie Wilson (Authorized Representative). Road Service Use-bank w/drive-through (CB&T Bank) in the Comprehensive Development District (CDD) zoning district. 2579 East University Drive.
(2) Kathy Matthews and LaKeshi Robinson. Lindburgh Jackson (Authorized Representative). Performance Residential Use - duplex in the Redevelopment District (RDD) zoning district. 300 North Donahue Drive.
(3) Cynthia H. Thrash. Tony Hiett (Authorized Representative). Road Service Use-auto dealership (Hiett Automotive) in the Commercial Conservation (CC) zoning district. 960 Opelika Road.
b. Corporate Limits Reduction. Parcels 1-3, Sandhill Road. 84.73 Acres. Adams Property. Staff recommendation for denial.
c. Adopt Maintenance of Annexed Streets (formerly County Roads). 9.3 Miles. Selected Streets.
d. Contracts and Agreements. Authorize Mayor and City Manager to Sign.
(1) Agreements.
(a) Economic Development Department. Capital Lease Agreement between City of Auburn and Industrial Development Board. Building Located at 155 Alabama Street. Auburn Industrial Park.
(b) Public Works Department. Gresham Smith and Partners.
Engineering Services. Downtown Pedestrian Signal Improvements and LED Lighting Retrofit Project. $28,974.
(2) Contracts.
(a) Information Technology Department. ESRI Inc. Enterprise
License 3-Year Agreement. Third Installment. $35,000.
(b) Environmental Services Department. EnviroWaste Equipment, Inc. 2008 F750 XLT Brush Hawg Model G-2200A Grapple Loader Shuttle Truck. $110,900. Emergency Purchase.
e. Drainage and Utility Easements and Rights-of-Way and Temporary Construction Easements. Acceptance and Vacation.
(1) John Cottier and Catherine Darby. Town Creek, Plat No. 1. Property located off Brookwood Drive, southeast of Jules Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art and west of Town Creek Park. Drainage and Utility Easements and Rights of Way. Acceptance.
(2) Madison Real Property LLC. 1445 South College Street.
Temporary Construction Easement. Vacation.
f. Boards and Commissions.
(1) Water Works Board. One Vacancy. Six Year Term Expires
January 6, 2016.
(2) Board of Zoning Adjustment. Two Vacancies. Three Year Terms Expire January 20, 2013.
11. OTHER BUSINESS.
12. ADJOURNMENT.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6, NOON - 1:00 PM CST — SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES FREE WEB CONFERENCE: TRENDWATCH 2010
Webinar Registration:  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/841971929
Free & open to all.
Sustainable Industries invites you to their exclusive annual TrendWatch Web Conference. Join this Free Webinar to gain critical insight into 2010’s high opportunity trends for sustainable business professionals. Based on the in-depth market analysis highlighted in Sustainable Industries’ Annual TrendWatch Issue, this Webinar includes input from leading experts in the cleantech, green building, energy efficiency and sustainable agriculture sectors.
Panelists include Dave Chen, Principal, Equilibrium Capital; Don Simon, Partner, Wendel, Rosen, Black and Dean; and Rachel Sheinbein, Senior Associate, Energy and Materials, CMEA Capital.  The panel will be moderated by Charles Redell, Associate Editor, Sustainable Industries.
Sponsored by Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort and Gold Sponsor Portland State University.

THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 3:00 PM — AUBURN URBAN CORE / DOWNTOWN STUDY COMMITTEE
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St.
Agenda: Review of Presentation Materials  [http://www.auburnalabama.org/pl/Misc/Downtown%20Study%20Committee.pdf or contact Auburn Planning Department at (334) 501‐3040.]

FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 11:30 am - AUBURN TREE COMMISSION
Held at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave. Open to all. http://www.auburnalabama.org/trees/

FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 7:00 PM - EXPRESSIONS CAFÉ  / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.  Free & open to all. Held the first Friday of each month.
Poets, authors, musicians, and storytellers are invited to perform their work for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience. The event is open to all and there is no charge for the event.

FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 7:30 pm - SUNDILLA CONCERT FEATURING Joe Crookston
Held at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall (AUUF), 450 E. Thach. www.sundilla.org
Admission: $10; with student ID $8; children under 12 free (and welcomed; play area provided). Light refreshments provided free of charge; you may also bring your own food or beverage (beer/wine allowed). For more info, and to hear music clips of Joe Crookston go to www.sundilla.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 9, 1:00 - 3:00 pm — WHISTLE STOP PICKERS DULCIMER GROUP
Held at the LCHS Museum, 6500 Stage Road (Hwy 14) Loachapoka; the museum and its grounds are located about half way between Auburn and Notasulga.
Free & open to all.     http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/
LCHS event calendar: http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/calendar.html
The Second Saturday Living History activities January 9 have been cancelled because of the predicted frigid weather and the lack of heat in the outbuildings (we’re not as hardy as our ancestors). However, the Whistle Stop Dulcimers will be playing in the heated Trade Center Museum from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 10, 2:00 - 4:00 PM — PTA REFLECTIONS EXHIBITION RECEPTION
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to all.
The student winners will be announced at this PTA Reflections reception. PTA Reflections is an art education program that gives Auburn City School students the opportunity to create works of art in a variety of media. The program helps parents encourage the creativity and lifelong learning of their children in which they receive recognition for their artistic endeavors.
PTA Reflections exhibition is open to the public Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information about the Art Gallery or future exhibitions, please contact the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center at 501-2963.

SUNDAY, JAN. 10, 2:30 PM — LEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Speaker: Dr. Thornton F. Jordan
Topic: Southeastern Gardens and Plants of the 1850s
Held at the LCHS Museum, 6500 Stage Road (Hwy 14) Loachapoka; the museum and its grounds are located about half way between Auburn and Notasulga.
Free & open to all.  http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/
LCHS event calendar: http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/calendar.html

SUNDAY, JAN. 10, 7:00 PM — CONCERT: JAMES DURST & JIM SCOTT
Held at AUUF / Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 450 E. Thach Ave.
Tickets for Jan. 10: $8 minimum requested; $7-$15 sliding scale gratefully accepted. Advance tickets will be available at AUUF following Sunday services or call 826-3005.
Renowned musicians James Durst, of NY, and Jim Scott, of MA, return to Auburn, singing their own compositions and
inviting the audience to lend their voices–or just listen–to a joyful extemporaneous vocal celebration of earth and peace through song styles ranging from classical to jazz to world folk music. No experience necessary; we’ll follow our artists both of whom are composers/guitarists/singers who have toured the world and recorded numerous CDs of original music.
Jim Scott, a former member of the Paul Winter Consort and co-composer of their Missa Gaia/Earth Mass, helped create the “Green Sanctuary” program for churches to become more sustainable and has gathered and written the “Earth and Spirit Songbook,” a collection of 110 songs by many contemporary
composers.  More at www.JimScottMusic.com.
James Durst for decades has been performing for audiences in 45 countries and 49 American states, drawing from a rich repertoire of songs in more than two dozen languages, reflecting a global perspective and a sense of the inter-connectedness of all life. In 2003 Durst founded Work o’ the Weavers to celebrate the musical legacy of America’s pioneering folk quartet, The Weavers, creating two CDs honoring the beloved familiar songs, with newer songs that activists like The Weavers might sing today. More at www.JamesDurst.com.
Co-sponsored by the Alliance for Peace and Justice (www.peaceeagle.org),  Rose of Sharon, AUUF’s Social Action Committee, and C-MOVE (Citizens Making Opportunity Visible for Excellence) as community-wide ways to celebrate in song the vision and work of Dr. Martin Luther King and all who continue to Live the Dream.

==========================

ONGOING THROUGH JAN. 15 - PTA REFLECTIONS ART EXHIBITION
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to all.
Reception, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2:00 - 4:00 pm.
PTA Reflections is an art education program that gives Auburn City School students the opportunity to create works of art in a variety of media. The program helps parents encourage the creativity and lifelong learning of their children in which they receive recognition for their artistic endeavors. The student winners will be announced at the PTA Reflections reception Sunday, Jan. 10 from 2 - 4 p.m.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 — JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 30 — ART EXHIBIT: FOUND OBJECTS II
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to all.
An annual exhibition featuring works utilizing non-traditional art materials, open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information about the Art Gallery or future exhibitions, please contact the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center at 501-2963.

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 13 — SECOND IN AUDUBON SERIES AT JCSM   ww.jcsm.auburn.edu
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is presenting John James Audubon’s Precursors and Contemporaries, the second in a two-part series, through Feb. 13 in the Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Gallery. This exhibition explores natural history publications and begins with some of the earliest publications about plants, specifically herbals, which were intended as references for apothecaries. It traces representations of flora and fauna from its earliest utilitarian modes in the 16th century through the development of more artistically conceived representations. The exhibition is made possible by Gilbert Johnston of Antique Nature Prints through his loaning of prints and bound volumes. For more information, see this link. http://jcsm.auburn.edu/exhibitions/current/2009_12_audubon_pre.php

UPCOMING CONFERENCE
Jan. 27-29, 2010 - Green and Blue Conference - www.greenandblueconference.com/
Sustainable Residential Building Conference
Held at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center.
Cost: $150. Special $50 rate available for AU faculty and students who register with their Auburn e-mail address.
This conference is aimed at those involved in residential design and construction as well as educators, researchers and policy makers. The conference will host five track areas: water, residential building strategies, neighborhood development, emerging research and building codes/systems. Speakers presenting include representatives from Auburn University School of Architecture, Florida Solar Energy Center, U.S. Department of Energy, Nature’s Tap and Habitat for Humanity.
Conference participants will examine the rationale for sustainable residential construction, and the methods and materials available to achieve it. There will be presentations by experts and practical workshops covering many topics including:
* Home energy audits
* Energy Star for the home
* Home water conservation
* Low impact development
* Green building regulations
* Net zero prototype buildings
* A comparision of sustainable building rating systems
CEU credits are available for participants.
The conference has been organized by Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates in partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction and the Office of Sustainability, USGBC Alabama, and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.
More info: http://www.greenandblueconference.com/
==========================

THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS — VIEWPOINTS: Recalling Alabama’s natural history by Pat Byington
http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-commentary/2009/12/viewpoints_recalling_alabamas.html

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - New report says Alabama becoming more environmentally friendly.
Read the Green Resource Center report.

Magnolia River designated Outstanding Alabama Water - al.com (blog)

TUSCALOOSA NEWS - Alabama taxes lowest in the nation.

DECATUR DAILY - Cities, counties across nation taking back corporate tax abatements when firms fail to produce promised jobs.

TUSCALOOSA NEWS - Environmentalist John Wathen says that Alabama is paying a high price in allowing coal ash to be dumped in Perry County.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - The Birmingham News says elected officials, once again, will have plenty of excuses on why they can’t get things done.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION - EPA, USDA encourage farmers to coal waste on fields.

WASHINGTON POST - Hispanic farmers claim discrimination, sue USDA.

HUNTSVILLE TIMES - Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Rep. Mike Ball (R-Huntsville) say that they will again sponsor package of bills to increase transparency in government.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER — Commission sets schedule for hiring next ADEM director.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Governor outlines $800 million plan to build elevated roadway to relieve congestion on U.S. 280.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER - Gubernatorial candidate Artur Davis says that weak ethics laws harm Alabama.

ANNISTON STAR - The Anniston Star looks at the financial impact of a correct Census count to Alabama communities.

WASHINGTON POST - 40 states on target to exhaust unemployment compensation funds within the next two year.

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - Senate approves landmark health care reform, with Sessions and Shelby voting no.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Alabama declared federal disaster area for farmers due to this year’s heavy rains.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - The Birmingham News looks at reports that other states are scaling back use of death penalty while Alabama continues to increase executions.

BIRMINGHAM WEEKLY - Cindy Lowry of the Alabama Rivers Alliance calls for public policies to place a higher value on protection of water resources.

==========================

CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp

CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
*Water Works Board - one vacancy will be filled at the Jan. 5 City Council meeting.
*Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) - two vacancies will be filled at the Jan. 5, 2010 City Council meeting.
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org) or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online: http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

==========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Jan. 5, 2010

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Week of Dec. 21, 2009 - Meetings, events & updates

DEC. 18, 2009 COLUMN BY LISA BROUILLETTE http://placeforum.org/blog/2009/12/19/dec-18-2009-column-by-lisa-brouillette/

City of Auburn Press Releases
Christmas and New Year’s Day Holiday Schedules
Free parking in metered spaces December 18 - January 8, 2010

==========

ONGOING THROUGH WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23 — ArTrees EXHIBIT
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to the public.
Info: contact the Arts Center at (334)501-2963.
The Auburn Arts Association will be hosting “ArTrees,” an exhibition of small, artistically themed holiday trees. Local artists and groups were invited to decorate a tree for the exhibit. ArTrees are not your traditional holiday trees. For example, artists may be inspired by their favorite artist, art period or by any imaginative theme.

ONGOING THROUGH JAN. 3 — AU THEATRE O. HENRY HOLIDAY PODCAST PRODUCTION
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org (click on radio dial)
The Auburn University Radio Flyer Theatre Company will present two of O. Henry’s short stories, “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Last Leaf,” in its first holiday podcast radio theatre production. Both stories are written in classic O. Henry style with his trademark twist at the end. The works were prerecorded and will be accessible Dec. 8 through Jan. 3 by going to the theater’s Web site (http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org ) and clicking on the radio dial. Produced by Auburn University Theatre
in the College of Liberal Arts, the holiday broadcast of O. Henry stories features a cast of Auburn University Theatre professors and students. The presentation is reminiscent of “audio theater” popular from the 1930s into the early 1950s, the Golden Age of Radio, and heard on programs such as Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre on the Air and the Lux Radio Theater. For more information, call the Auburn University Theatre box office at 844-4154.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 — JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection Oct. 24 through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

ONGOING THROUGH FEB. 13 — SECOND IN AUDUBON SERIES AT JCSM   ww.jcsm.auburn.edu
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is presenting John James Audubon’s Precursors and Contemporaries, the second in a two-part series, through Feb. 13 in the Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Gallery. This exhibition explores natural history publications and begins with some of the earliest publications about plants, specifically herbals, which were intended as references for apothecaries. It traces representations of flora and fauna from its earliest utilitarian modes in the 16th century through the development of more artistically conceived representations. The exhibition is made possible by Gilbert Johnston of Antique Nature Prints through his loaning of prints and bound volumes.
More info:  http://jcsm.auburn.edu/exhibitions/current/2009_12_audubon_pre.php

THROUGH FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 2010 — FREE PARKING IN DOWNTOWN AUBURN
Enjoy the free parking in downtown metered spaces offered through the holiday season!  Shop Auburn!

TUESDAY, DEC. 22, 3:30 - 4:30 pm –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE KIDS’ FALL DISCOVERY HIKE
Held Tuesdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds.
Meet at the Pavilion. Cancelled if rain.
Free, no registration required.  For children ages 5 to 12.
Parents and kids join us for a hike and some discovery time.  Encourage the kids to have some great outdoor time exploring the Preserve and learn more about the natural world.  Also try the Preserve’s Fall walks at 8:30 am Thursdays.  More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or http://www.auburn.edu/preserve

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23, 11:00 AM — ALABAMA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION / SPECIAL-CALLED MEETING
Held in the Alabama Room (Main Hearing Room), ADEM Building, Montgomery;  ph: 334-271-7706
Agenda
1. Consideration of adoption of an ADEM Director Search Process to be recommended by the Commission’s Personnel Committee
2. Clarification and ratification of personnel action taken on December 11, 2009
* The Agenda for this meeting will be available on the ADEM website, www.adem.alabama.gov, under EMC Information and Calendar of Events.

=============
LOCAL HOUSING STATISTICS - NOV. 2009 www.LeeCountyHousingStats.info

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Jobless rate approaches 19% for Alabama construction workers

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Alabama foreclosures drop in November.

GADSDEN TIMES -  Alabama’s Lilly Ledbetter to receive AARP’s Inspire Award.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Job losses hit state’s poorest counties the hardest.
BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Regulators seize Birmingham’s New South Federal Savings Bank.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Alabama’s November unemployment rate drops to 10.5 percent; decline first in 27 months.

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - Alabama Power Company says that dam safety records around coal ash ponds are confidential.

SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES - GREEN BUILDING: Model energy code makes strides. International Energy Code Council considers major overhaul.  UPCOMING EVENT — REGISTER NOW!
Green and Blue Conference  www.greenandblueconference.com
Jan. 27-29, 2010 - Sustainable Residential Building Conference
Held at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center.
Cost: $150. Special $50 rate available for AU faculty and students who register with their Auburn e-mail address.
This conference is aimed at those involved in residential design and construction as well as educators, researchers and policy makers. The conference will host five track areas: water, residential building strategies, neighborhood development, emerging research and building codes/systems. Speakers presenting include representatives from Auburn University School of Architecture, Florida Solar Energy Center, U.S. Department of Energy, Nature’s Tap and Habitat for Humanity.
Conference participants will examine the rationale for sustainable residential construction, and the methods and materials available to achieve it. There will be presentations by experts and practical workshops covering many topics including:
* Home energy audits
* Energy Star for the home
* Home water conservation
* Low impact development
* Green building regulations
* Net zero prototype buildings
* A comparision of sustainable building rating systems
CEU credits are available for participants.
The conference has been organized by Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates in partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction and the Office of Sustainability, USGBC Alabama, and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.
More info: http://www.greenandblueconference.com/

==========================

CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp

CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
*Water Works Board - one vacancy will be filled at the Jan. 5 City Council meeting.
*Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) - two vacancies will be filled at the Jan. 5, 2010 City Council meeting.
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org) or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online: http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

==========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Dec. 21, 2009

Comments Off

COLUMN BY LISA BROUILLETTE — AU Airport settles ADEM permit violations

First published in the Opelika-Auburn News, Friday, Dec. 18, 2009

Last week Trey Glenn resigned from his position as director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)., giving rise to thoughts about ADEM’s efficacy on the local level, most recently at AU’s airport expansion site.

Glenn’s attitude and actions at ADEM often disappointed. He squandered multiple opportunities to strengthen ADEM’s environmental regulation and enforcement.

Different leadership could have stimulated stronger and quicker enforcement of the laws protecting Alabama’s natural resources.

That latter element - the extended time over which environmental violations are allowed to continue and repeat - is a point of concern.

A recent local example of this involves our airport, which has been the site of land disturbance and construction.

In late 2006 ADEM first notified airport operator Auburn University of deficiencies in permitting and sediment controls.

AU and ADEM then batted the issue back and forth, with subsequent violations noted, until November of this year.

Finally, at that point, AU and ADEM negotiated a proposed settlement agreement covering AU’s improperly implemented and maintained erosion and sediment controls.  That agreement is now up for public comment. (http://adem.state.al.us/PublicNotice/Dec09/pdfs/12auburn.PDF.)

In the agreement, both AU and ADEM stipulate to multiple deficiencies over multiple years, which resulted in “discharges of sediment and other pollutants in stormwater runoff to a UT [unnamed tributary] to Moores Mill Creek and a UT to Sougahatchee Creek.”

It’s proposed that AU pay a $20,000 fine, with the possibility of up to a further $12,000 penalty. Additionally AU is to “take immediate action to prevent . . . sediment and other pollutants in stormwater leaving [the airport] Facility.”

Certainly the proposed agreement and fines are a step in the right direction. But repeated violations from October 2006 to December 2009?

Alabama deserves better.  Perhaps the next ADEM director will provide just that.

*      *     *

I got a good chuckle from Rep. Mike Hubbard’s comment that questions about his involvement in AU’s athletic broadcasting deals are “100% politics.”

Well, yeah, Mike, it is due to politics - your politics, including your involvement in crafting the laws exempting such contracts from state bid laws.

Folks, “follow the money.”  More on this in future columns and on my website (http://placeforum.org/blog).

#     #    #

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Week of Dec. 14, 2009 Meetings, events & updates

Meeting details, dates and/or locations are subject to change, especially during the holiday season, sometimes with little notice. When possible, such changes will be sent via PLACE email and/or posted on the PLACE website http://placeforum.org/blog/.

CITY OF AUBURN PRESS RELEASES: Citizens Reminded to Turn Off Irrigation Systems During Cold Weather
Frank Brown Recreation Center Renovation Completed

AUBURN CIVITAN CLUB OFFERS SMOKED TURKEYS & SMOKED HAMS FOR CHRISTMAS / ORDER TODAY
COST: $35 each, Smoked Turkey (12-14 lb) or Smoked Picnic Ham (8-10 lb).
Make check payable to: Auburn Civitan Club.
Place your order now for a smoked turkey or ham from the Auburn Civitan Club. Ready for pick up, hot off the smoker for your enjoyment, on Sunday, December 20, 2008 at 2:00 PM, from the Elks Club on Opelika Road.
Order by mail or email to Dodie Gross, 1481 Morning Glory Circle, Auburn, AL  36832; dodieandcharles@charter.net. Include your name, address, phone, email with your order.
Or order by phone: Dodie Gross 887-8924 or Andy Price 332-2948.

EXHIBIT ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 8 — ‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany: A Photographic Exhibit’
Held in AU’s RBD library. Free & open to all.
A photographic exhibition of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany will be shown on the main floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library through Dec. 8. The exhibition is being sponsored by the German Consulate in Atlanta, UNESCO, The German Information Center, Auburn University President’s Office and Auburn University Libraries.

ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 23 — ArTrees EXHIBIT
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to the public.
Info: contact the Arts Center at (334)501-2963.
The Auburn Arts Association will be hosting “ArTrees,” an exhibition of small, artistically themed holiday trees. Local artists and groups were invited to decorate a tree for the exhibit. ArTrees are not your traditional holiday trees. For example, artists may be inspired by their favorite artist, art period or by any imaginative theme.

ONGOING THROUGH JAN. 3 — AU THEATRE O. HENRY HOLIDAY PODCAST PRODUCTION
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org (click on radio dial)
The Auburn University Radio Flyer Theatre Company will present two of O. Henry’s short stories, “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Last Leaf,” in its first holiday podcast radio theatre production. Both stories are written in classic O. Henry style with his trademark twist at the end. The works were prerecorded and will be accessible Dec. 8 through Jan. 3 by going to the theater’s Web site (http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org ) and clicking on the radio dial. Produced by Auburn University Theatre in the College of Liberal Arts, the holiday broadcast of O. Henry stories features a cast of Auburn University Theatre professors and students. The presentation is reminiscent of “audio theater” popular from the 1930s into the early 1950s, the Golden Age of Radio, and heard on programs such as Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre on the Air and the Lux Radio Theater. For more information, call the Auburn University Theatre box office at 844-4154.
SPECIAL BROADCAST AT THE GNU’S ROOM - Dec. 15, 6:30 pm — A special community broadcast of the production will be held  at The Gnu’s Room, 414 S. Gay St. Auburn University Theatre’s Kelly Walker and Dan LaRocque will be on hand to answer questions after this performance.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 — JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection Oct. 24 through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

STARTING MONDAY, DEC. 14  — LEE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY “NO MORE WASTED LIVES” FUNDRAISER
Held in the Kroger and Dean Road parking lot.
The Lee County Humane Society is sponsoring “No More Wasted Lives” — LCHS Executive Director, Heather Meadows, will remain locked in a dog kennel day and night until the fund-raising goal of more than $24,000 is reached. All proceeds will benefit the general operating fund which sustains the shelter animals’ basic food, medical, and welfare needs.
Info: (334) 750-0002;  stacee@leecountyhumane.org

MONDAY, DEC. 14 THROUGH THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 12:30 - 1:30 PM Daily—- FREE H1N1 VACCINE CLINICS (flu shot and nasal spray)
Held in AU’s Pharmaceutical Care Center, 2155 Walker Building.
Free to AU students, employees & dependents ages 10 & older. Proof of insurance is not required.
For more info about the H1N1 flu and AU’s response, go to http://www.auburn.edu/emergency/flu.html. Questions may be
directed to emergencymanagement@auburn.edu.

MONDAY, DEC. 14   - LEE COUNTY COMMISSION   www.leeco.us
4:00 pm - work session / 6:00 pm - regular session
Held in the commission chambers, historic courthouse building, 215 S. Ninth St, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda includes:
3. Public Comment from Citizens:  (limit of 3-minutes per speaker)
4. Establish Quorum and Open Regular Meeting:
5. Awards, Presentations, Proclamations or Other Recognitions:
6. Reports from Commissioners and Staff:
a. CERT Presentation - Kathy Russell
7. Consent Agenda:
a. Minutes of Commission Meeting November 30, 2009
b. Ratify and Approve Claims and Procurement Card Transactions
c. Bid #1 for Patrol Vehicles - Sheriff Jay Jones
8.  OLD BUSINESS:
a. Lee-Chambers Utilities District/Amend Articles of Incorporation-Curt Johnson
9.   New Business:
a. Solar & Battery System for Residential or Commercial Use - Bill Bach
b. Aflac Benefits Proposal - Ashley Brown
c. December 28 Meeting - Judge English
d. AdvantageSite Designation / City of Auburn - Wendy Swann
e. Energy Grant Resolution - Wendy Swann
10. Adjourn

TUESDAY, DEC. 15, 3:30 - 4:30 pm –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE KIDS’ FALL DISCOVERY HIKE
Held Tuesdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds.
Meet at the Pavilion. Cancelled if rain.
Free, no registration required.  For children ages 5 to 12.
Parents and kids join us for a hike and some discovery time.  Encourage the kids to have some great outdoor time exploring the Preserve and learn more about the natural world.  Also try the Preserve’s Fall walks at 8:30 am Thursdays.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or http://www.auburn.edu/preserve

TUESDAY, DEC. 15  — OPELIKA CITY COUNCIL
6:25 pm - work session / 7:00 PM - regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 204 South 7th Street, Opelika.  Open to all.
Work session agenda: www.opelika.org/Default.asp?ID=170
Regular session agenda: www.opelika.org/Default.asp?ID=169

TUESDAY, DEC. 15 — AUBURN CITY COUNCIL
6:30 pm-Committee of the Whole /  7:00 pm - Regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet:  www.auburnalabama.org/agenda
Agenda includes:
Committee of the whole:
AIRPORT ORDINANCE.  Presentation. Justin Steinmann, Principal Planner.
4. TOOMER’S TEN UPDATE.  Presentation. Jacob Watkins, President, SGA
Regular meeting:
5. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS.  Mayor Ham.
a. Employee Recognition.
(1) City of Auburn Employees.  Leadership in Institutions Award. United Way of Lee County, Inc.
(2) Economic Development, Office of the City Manager, Parks & Recreation,  And Public Works Departments.  Selected Employees.  Auburn Veterans Memorial Event.  Teamwork Award.
b. Committee of the Whole.
c. Announcements.
6. AUBURN UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS.
7. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS.
8. CITY MANAGER’S COMMUNICATIONS.  City Manager Duggan.
a. Alcoholic Beverage Licenses.  Consideration.
(1) ASBE LLC dba/Calypsos.  154 North College Street. 020 - Restaurant Retail Liquor License.
(2) Maestro 2300 LLC dba/Maestro 2300.  2300 Moores Mill Road. 020 - Restaurant Retail Liquor License.
9. ORDINANCES.
a.  Zoning Ordinance.  Amendments to Section 512 and 907.   Airport Regulations. Public Hearing Required.  Unanimous Consent Necessary.
b.   Zoning.  Yarbrough Farms, LLC.  Gregory Forthofer (Authorized Representative). Property Located west of North Donahue Drive, north of Richland Road, and northwest of Shug Jordan Parkway (between Yarbrough Farms Boulevard and the 10th hole of Auburn University Club Golf Course.  Amend Ordinance No. 2199 (Yarbrough Farms Planned Development District (PDD) designation).  4.63 Acres of   557.65 Acre Parcel.  Public Hearing Required. Unanimous Consent Necessary.
c. Traffic Control Signs and Devices.  Establish No Parking Zone.  West Side of Dumas Drive from 452 Dumas Drive to Sherwood Drive.  Unanimous Consent Necessary.
10. RESOLUTIONS.
a. Auburn City Schools.  2009 Auburn High School Varsity Football Team and Coaches.  Commendation.
b. Agreements and Contracts.  Authorize Mayor and City Manager to Sign.
(1) Office of the City Manager.  City of Auburn and Groome Transportation.  Auburn University Student Government Association.  Toomer’s Ten Evening Transit Shuttle System.  Loading/Unloading Zone on West  Magnolia Avenue.  Parking Space Lease Agreement.
(2) Contracts.
(a) Office of the City Manager.  AuburnBank Property.  Amend Purchase  and Sale Contract.  Extend Lease Back Provision One Year.
(b) Information Technology Department.  TekLinks for Cisco Systems.  Cisco SmartNet License.  Renew Contract.  $77,997.95.
(c) Public Works Department.  Floyd Service Company, Inc.
Installation of four (4) mast arm traffic signal poles.  Airport Road and Glenn Avenue.  $17,050.
(d)  Environmental Services Department.  Rush Truck Center of Florida,  Inc. dba/Rush Truck Center, Winter Garden.  2010 Cab and Chassis with Curb Sorter/Trough Loader, Four Container Truck Mount Side Dump Recycling Body.   $172,042.
c. Drainage and Utility Easements and Water Easement.  Acceptance and Vacation.
(1) Peyton Development, Inc.  Brian Kendrick (Authorized Representative). Reno Subdivision, First Revision.  Property Located at 1165 Opelika Road. Drainage and Utility Easements.  Acceptance.
(2) Cleveland Brothers, Inc.  Lot 1, Ogletree Village Business Park, Third Revision.  Water Easement.  Vacation.
11. OTHER BUSINESS.
12. ADJOURNMENT.

TUESDAY, DEC. 15, 6:30 PM — AU THEATRE O. HENRY HOLIDAY PODCAST / SPECIAL COMMUNITY BROADCAST AT THE GNU’S ROOM
Held at The Gnu’s Room, 414 S. Gay St. www.thegnusroom.com
Special community broadcast of Auburn University Radio Flyer Theatre Company’s presentation of two of O. Henry’s short stories, “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Last Leaf.” Auburn University Theatre’s Kelly Walker and Dan LaRocque will be on hand to answer questions after this performance. Both stories are written in classic O. Henry style with his trademark twist at the end. The works were prerecorded and will be accessible through Jan. 3 at http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org (click on radio dial). More info: AU Theatre box office at 844-4154.

TUESDAY, DEC. 15, 7:30 PM — FREE CIVIC CHORALE CONCERT
Held at the First United Methodist Church, 702 Avenue A, Opelika. Free & open to all.
The Arts Association of East Alabama Civic Chorale will present this free concert. Celebrate the season with selections of holiday music, both old and new. Join the Chorale and instrumentalists as they share this joyous time.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16, NOON — AUBURN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION BOARD
Held at Pebble Hill (Caroline Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities).
All members are encouraged and invited to attend.   www.auburnheritage.org
Note: Held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from Sept to May

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16, 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held in the back room of Zazu’s Eclectic Eatery (formerly Buffalo’s), E. Magnolia, downtown Auburn. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. This will be a child-friendly gathering for those with little ones (or even medium-sized ones), with a large space and table/floor space for them to play and still be in direct eyesight/earshot.  Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16, 6:00 PM  — LEE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB / POTLUCK HOLIDAY DINNER
Held at Auburn University Club. 1499 N. Donahue Road. Free & open to all.
6:00 pm -  Bring a dish and a friend. The club will furnish a turkey and a ham.
6:50 pm — Guest speaker: Dr. Dell Crosby, founder of Mercy Medical Clinic. Dr. Crosby will give a brief history of the clinic and its operation, and will answer any questions.
Donations to Mercy Medical Clinic: At the November meeting, for the Christmas project members agreed to support Mercy Medical Clinic by donating funds for “patient scholarships.” One $20 scholarship will enable one patient to order meds through the Pharmaceutical Assistance Program for one year. Dr. Jim Matthews says there is a great need for assistance for those folks who fall through the cracks, and this is a very good way to help. Checks should be made out to Mercy Medical Clinic. Notate the use: Patient Scholarships. The gift is tax deductible. Remember: One $20 scholarship will help one patient for one year. Also remember, you may give as many scholarships as you can! This is truly the gift that keeps on giving!

THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 8:30 am –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE FALL WALK
Held Thursdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Meet at the Pavilion.  Cancelled only for rain.
Free, no registration required. Open to all.
Enjoy some exercise and observe the beauty of the Preserve as fall unfolds.  Also Discovery Hikes at 3:30 pm Tuesdays, for kids age 5-12 & their parents.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 10:00 AM — ALABAMA HOME BUILDERS LICENSURE BOARD
Held at 445 Herron Street, Montgomery. 334-242-2230 - Open to all.  Agenda

THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 4:00 pm - AUBURN WATER WORKS BOARD  http://www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/
Held in the Water Resource Management Conference Room, 1501 West Samford Avenue (Shug Jordan and West Samford). Info: 501-3060. The Board meets on the 1st Thursday after the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 5:30 PM — PUBLIC HEARING - AUBURN 2010-2014 CDBG CONSOLIDATED PLAN
Held in Meeting Room C, Boykin Community Center, 400 Boykin Street.  Open to all.
Citizens are encouraged to attend and offer their input on how CDBG funds should be allocated over the next five years. CDBG funding is provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  More info: press release; public hearing notice; or contact the City of Auburn Community Development Division at 501-7280.

FRIDAY, DEC. 18 — AU GRADUATION

FRIDAY, DEC. 18 THROUGH FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 2010 — FREE PARKING IN DOWNTOWN AUBURN
Enjoy the free parking in downtown metered spaces offered through the holiday season!  Shop Auburn!

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ADEM DIRECTOR RESIGNS; ADEM ATTORNEY NAMED INTERIM
http://www2.oanow.com/oan/news/local/article/adem_director_resigns_adem_attorney_named_interim/115301/

Alabama environmental management director resigns
Montgomery Advertiser
“The ADEM Reform Coalition is hopeful that the upcoming selection of a new director at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management will help …

Trey Glenn resigns as ADEM director Birmingham Weekly Mixed Media (blog)

After 5 years, former ‘water wars’ negotiator Trey Glenn resigns as ADEM director WHNT

Alabama’s environmental chief Trey Glenn resigns The Birmingham News - al.com (blog)

ADEM REFORM COALITION RESPONDS TO RESIGNATION OF ADEM DIRECTOR http://www.alabamarivers.org/press-room/headlines/adem-reform-coalition-responds-to-resignation-of-adem-director-trey-glenn

US REP. ARTUR DAVIS WANTS FEDS TO CLEARLY DETERMINE RISKS TO ALABAMIANS POSED BY COAL ASH al.com - Tom Gordon - ‎Dec 8, 2009‎ - Congressman Artur Davis is asking federal environmental officials to act more swiftly to assure the safety of coal ash …

Officials clash over coal ash in Perry County - al.com - Tom Gordon - ‎Dec 8, 2009‎  A trackhoe scoops up spilled coal ash which is being loaded into rail cars for shipment to an Alabama landfill in Perry …

Turner to DC to testify about Perry County landfill Selma Times-Journal - Leesha Faulkner - ‎Dec 7, 2009‎ WASHINGTON - The US House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment has invited Perry County …

Alabama Power’s West Jefferson plant nation’s second-highest carbon emitter among coal-fired plants http://blog.al.com/live/2009/11/alabama_powers_west_jefferson.html

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CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp

CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
*Water Works Board - one vacancy will be filled at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting.
*Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) - two vacancies will be filled at the Jan. 5, 2010 City Council meeting.
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org) or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online: http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

==========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Dec. 14, 2009

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NOTE:  During this holiday season, changes may occur to schedules.

Public Safety Awareness Day December 12

AU’s H1N1 vaccination schedule announced for remainder of December
Held at The Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center, located in 2155 Walker Building.
Free H1N1 vaccinations will be offered every day this week from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Vaccinations will also be provided Monday, Dec. 14, through Thursday, Dec. 17, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Both forms of the H1N1 vaccine (flu shot and nasal spray) are available at no cost to AU students, employees and dependents ages 10 and older. Proof of insurance is not required. For more information about H1N1 flu and Auburn University’s response, go to http://www.auburn.edu/emergency/flu.html . Questions may be directed to emergencymanagement@auburn.edu.

DEC. 3 - DEC. 23 — ArTrees EXHIBIT
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to the public.
Info: contact the Arts Center at (334)501-2963.
The Auburn Arts Association will be hosting “ArTrees,” an exhibition of small, artistically themed holiday trees. Local artists and groups were invited to decorate a tree for the exhibit. ArTrees are not your traditional holiday trees. For example, artists may be inspired by their favorite artist, art period or by any imaginative theme.

Auburn University Theatre presenting O. Henry holiday podcast production
The Auburn University Radio Flyer Theatre Company will present two of O. Henry’s short stories, “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Last Leaf,” in its first holiday podcast radio theatre production. Both stories are written in classic O. Henry style with his trademark twist at the end. The works were prerecorded and will be accessible Dec. 8 through Jan. 3 by going to the theater’s Web site (http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org ) and clicking on the radio dial. A special community broadcast of the production will be held Dec. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at The Gnu’s Room, 414 S. Gay St. Auburn University Theatre’s Kelly Walker and Dan LaRocque will be on hand to answer questions after this performance. Produced by Auburn University Theatre in the College of Liberal Arts, the holiday broadcast of O. Henry stories features a cast of Auburn University Theatre professors and students. The presentation is reminiscent of “audio theater” popular from the 1930s into the early 1950s, the Golden Age of Radio, and heard on programs such as Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre on the Air and the Lux Radio Theater. For more information, call the Auburn University Theatre box office at 844-4154.

TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 9:00 AM  — OPELIKA BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT (BZA)
Held in the Public Works Facility, 700 Fox Trail, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda includes:
A. ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL
1. Jim Parker, 1651 Parker Way (adjacent to Lowe’s), Sign variance request to exceed the 30 foot maximum sign height requirement in a C-3, GC-2 zoning district, to erect the American flag.

TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 11:30 am - AUBURN GREENSPACE ADVISORY BOARD
Held in the City of Auburn meeting room, 122 Tichenor Ave. (entrance off side of building, across from rear entrance to Cheeburger Cheeburger.) Open to all.
http://www.auburnalabama.org/greenspace/

TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 3:00 PM — AUBURN URBAN CORE/DOWNTOWN STUDY COMMITTEE
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St.
Agenda: UC/CEOD Regulatory Review and Discussion /  Wrap Up [view at http://www.auburnalabama.org/pl/Misc/Downtown%20Study%20Committee.pdf or contact Auburn Planning Department at (334) 501‐3040.]
NOTE: This might be the final meeting of this committee.

TUESDAY, DEC. 8,  3:30 - 4:30 pm –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE KIDS’ FALL DISCOVERY HIKE
Held Tuesdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds.
Meet at the Pavilion. Cancelled if rain.
Free, no registration required.  For children ages 5 to 12.
Parents and kids join us for a hike and some discovery time.  Encourage the kids to have some great outdoor time exploring the Preserve and learn more about the natural world.  Also try the Preserve’s Fall walks at 8:30 am Thursdays.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or http://www.auburn.edu/preserve

TUESDAY, DEC.8, 4:00 pm - AUBURN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Held in the Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda:  http://www.auburnalabama.org/hpc/agenda.aspx
1. CALL TO ORDER.  Anne Shaw, Chair.
2. ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
3. OTHER BUSINESS  Including:
a. CLG Annual report
b. Recent Certificates of Appropriateness issued administratively
c. Upcoming Historic Preservation Events
4. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS
5. ADJOURNMENT

TUESDAY, DEC. 8  - AUBURN BOARD OF EDUCATION   www.auburnschools.org
5:00 pm - dinner, Board of Education Office, 855 East Samford Ave.
6:00 pm - meeting, Auburn High School multi-media room, 405 S. Dean Rd. Open to all.

TUESDAY, DEC. 8 & WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9 — “Vegetation for Stream and Floodplain Restoration” workshop
Held in Montgomery, in the conference room, Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc. , 2660 EastChase Lane, Ste 200, Montgomery; Tel: 334.271.3200.
For more information, contact Eve Brantley brantef@auburn.edu or visit http://www.aces.edu/waterquality/iby.htm .
Topics will include:
* Invasive, nonnative plant management
* Riparian plant selection
* Bioengineering
* Planting techniques for stream and wetland plants
Registration information and a full agenda are available at:
http://www.aces.edu/waterquality/iby.htm#veg
Continuing education units (CEUs) from Auburn University will be offered for this workshop.
Project sponsors and partners include City of Montgomery, Auburn University, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc., Jennings Environmental, LLC, Upper Alabama River Clean Water Partnership, Auburn
University Montgomery, Young Meadows Presbyterian Church, North Carolina State University, USDA CSREES Southern Region Water Program

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9, 9:00 AM — ALABAMA HOME BUILDERS LICENSURE BOARD - special/called meeting
Held at 445 Herron Street, Mont.; ph: 334-242-2230
Agenda: Investigative Committee Meeting

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held in the back room of Zazu’s Eclectic Eatery (formerly Buffalo’s), E. Magnolia, downtown Auburn. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. This will be a child-friendly gathering for those with little ones (or even medium-sized ones), with a large space and table/floor space for them to play and still be in direct eyesight/earshot.  Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

THURSDAY, DEC. 10, 8:00 am  — AUBURN DOWNTOWN MERCHANT ASSOCIATION (DMA)
Held in the City of Auburn meeting room, 122 Tichenor Ave (entrance is at side of building, across from rear entrance of Cheeburger Cheeburger).   http://www.downtownauburnal.org/

THURSDAY, DEC. 10, 8:30 am –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE FALL WALK
Held Thursdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Meet at the Pavilion.  Cancelled only for rain.
Free, no registration required. Open to all.
Enjoy some exercise and observe the beauty of the Preserve as fall unfolds.  Also Discovery Hikes at 3:30 pm Tuesdays, for kids age 5-12 & their parents.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

THURSDAY, DEC. 10, 4:30 pm - OPELIKA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Held in the Planning Chambers, Opelika Public Works Bldg, 700 Fox Trail, Opelika. Open to all.

THURSDAY, DEC. 10, 5:00 pm - AUBURN PLANNING COMMISSION
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: http://www.auburnalabama.org/pc/agenda.aspx
Agenda includes:
CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATION
OLD BUSINESS
1. West Pace Village PDD   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00660
Applicant: J.A. Conner, Jr. for West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc.
General Location: North of Shell Toomer Parkway and east of South College Street
Zoning District: Comprehensive Development District (CDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council to apply the Planned Development District  (PDD) designation to approximately 165.55 acres
2. West Pace Village  PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00670
Applicant: J.A. Conner, Jr. for West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc.
General Location: North of Shell Toomer Parkway and east of South College Street
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) [pending approval of Case PL-2009- 00660] with Comprehensive Development District (CDD) underlying
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for outdoor recreational uses, including a park and bicycle/jogging/hiking paths; for institutional uses, including private libraries and museums, and aquariums; for indoor recreational uses, including a skating rink (roller & ice), bowling alleys, billiards, gymnasium, and indoor athletic facilities; for office uses; for commercial and entertainment uses, including an auto accessory store, barbershop/beauty shop, building material sales, clothing stores, copy shop, electronics repair, florists, garden supply, general merchandise stores, health & personal care stores, hotel/motel/condotel, office supplies/stationary/gift stores, package store, pet/pet supply store, restaurant, restaurant-lounge, restaurant- pub, specialty food stores, sporting goods/hobby/book/music stores, tavern, lounge, banks, dry cleaners, grocery stores,professional studios, and  theaters/indoor auditoriums; for road service uses, including ATM’s, auto dealerships, auto repair/paint/body work, convenience/small grocery stores, gasoline/service stations, bank with drive-thru, and fast food restaurant; for a commercial recreational use, specifically an amphitheater; for agricultural support uses, including farm equipment sales/rental/leasing, farm equipment sales/repair, and farm produce sales (permanent); for a nursery use, specifically retail; for a commercial support use, specifically a wholesale distributor; and for a regional shopping center use
CONSENT AGENDA
3. Town Creek, Plat No. 1 PL-2009-00832
Applicant: Jack Johnson for Dr. John Cottier
General Location: Off of Brookside Drive, southeast of the Jule Collins Smith Art Museum and west of Town Creek Park
Zoning District: Development District Housing (DDH)
Action Requested: Final plat approval for a 28-lot conventional residential subdivision
NEW BUSINESS
4. Lundy Chase, Phase III   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00833
Applicant: Blake Rice for Crosswoods Development, LLC
General Location: South of Lundy Chase Subdivision, Phase One and north of Willow Creek Subdivision
Zoning District: Neighborhood Conservation (NC-20)
Action Requested: Preliminary plat approval for a 38-lot conventional residential subdivision
5. C B & T Bank East Alabama    PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00817
Applicant: Ronnie Wilson for C B & T Bank East Alabama
General Location: 2579 East University Drive
Zoning District: Comprehensive Development District (CDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for a road service use (bank with drive-through)
6. Hiett Automotive   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00834
Applicant: Tony Hiett for Cynthia Thrash
General Location: 960 Opelika Road
Zoning District: Commercial Conservation (CC)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for a road service use (automotive sales)
7. 300 N. Donahue Drive    PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00802
Applicant: Lindburgh Jackson for Kathy Matthews and LaKeshi Robinson
General Location: 300 North Donahue Drive (adjacent to the CSX Railroad & north of Glenn Avenue)
Zoning District: Redevelopment District (RDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for a performance residential use (duplex)
8. Longleaf Crossing, Phase 5 Waiver  PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00844
Applicant: J.A. Conner, Jr., for Tiger Crossing
General Location: At the west end of Longleaf Drive at Cox Road
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) with Comprehensive Development District (CDD) underlying
Action Requested: Waiver to the design speed on a collector street (Longleaf Drive) from 35 mph to 20 mph
OTHER BUSINESS
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATION
STAFF COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT

THURSDAY, DEC. 10, 7:00 pm — EAST ALABAMA CYCLING CLUB
Held at the EAMC Health Resource Center, Pepperell Parkway, Opelika.  Open to all.
The East Alabama Cycling Club (EACC) is a bicycle club for riders of all skill levels and riding styles.  The club meets at 7:00 pm, on the second Thursday of each month. More info:  mk1hgn@yahoo.com

FRIDAY, DEC. 11, 9:00 - 11:00 AM — TOURS OF THE AU ARBORETUM
Held at AU’s Donald E Davis Arboretum; on Garden Drive, just west of S. College Street.
Meet in the Arboretum’s pavilion. Free & open to all.
Info: http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum/
Tours last one hour each and are scheduled on the hour from 9:00 - 11:00 am, the second Friday & Saturday of each month (except Jan & Feb 2010). Guides are members of the Lee County Master Gardeners. The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is maintained by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. For more information on the tours, call 844-5770 or visit the Web site ( http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum ).

FRIDAY, DEC. 11, 11:00 AM — ALABAMA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Held in the Alabama Room (Main Hearing Room), ADEM Building, 1400 Coliseum Blvd, Montgomery. ph: 334-271-7706
Agenda:
1. Consideration of minutes of meeting held on Oct. 16, 2009
2. Elections
3. Report from the Director
4. Report from the Commission Chair
5. Consideration of adoption of proposed amendments to ADEM Admin. Code Div. 1, General Administration Regulations, Rules 335-1-1-.07 and 335-1-6-.07 - The Commission will consider proposed amendments to ADEM Admin. Code Div. 1, General Administration Regulations, Rule 335-1-1-.07, “Departmental Forms, Instructions, and Procedures” and Rule 335-1-6-.07, “Payment of Fees”.  The Department held a public hearing on the proposed amendments on November 4, 2009.
6. Consideration of adoption of proposed amendments to ADEM Admin. Code Div. 6, Water Quality Program Regulations, Rules 335-6-10-.09 and 335-6-11-.02 - The Commission will consider proposed amendments to ADEM Admin. Code Div. 6, Water Quality Program Regulations, Rule 335-6-10-.09, “Specific Water Quality Criteria” and Rule 335-6-11-.02, “Use Classifications”.  The purpose of amending Rule 335-6-10-.09 is to change the bacterial indicator organisms and associated criteria for non-coastal waters from fecal coliform to Escherichia coli (E. coli) to be consistent with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendations for protection against water-borne illnesses.  Proposed amendments to Rule 335-6-11-.02 upgrade use classifications for segments of Hurtsboro Creek in Chattahoochee River Basin and the Magnolia River in the Mobile River-Mobile Bay Basin, respectively.  The Department held a public hearing on the proposed amendments on October 14, 2009.
7. Tuscloosa Resources, Inc. v. ADEM, EMC Docket No. 09-03 (NPDES-Related Matter) - The Commission will acknowledge Petitioner Tuscaloosa Resources, Inc.’s (TRI) withdrawal of the request for hearing in this appeal of ADEM’s inclusion of certain discharge limitations, terms, and conditions in TRI, East Brookwood Mine, NPDES Permit No. AL0074349, issued October 10, 2008, and effective November 1, 2008.
8. Friends of Hurricane Creek and Alabama Rivers Alliance, Inc. v. ADEM, and Tuscaloosa Resources, Inc., EMC Docket No. 08-07 Consolidated With Tuscaloosa Resources, Inc. v. ADEM, and Friends of Hurricane Creek and Alabama Rivers Alliance, Inc., EMC Docket No. 08-08 - The Commission will acknowledge Petitioner Tuscaloosa Resources, Inc.’s (TRI) withdrawal of the request for hearing for EMC Docket No. 08-08 for the appeal of ADEM’s revocation of TRI, Panther 3 Mine, NPDES Permit No. AL0074012, effective August 28, 2008, and reissuance of a new TRI, Panther 3 Mine, NPDES Permit also denoted as Permit No. AL0074012 having different discharge limits, terms, and conditions.
9. Other business
10. Future business sessions
* The Agenda for this meeting will be available on the ADEM website, www.adem.alabama.gov, under EMC Information and Calendar of Events.
** The Minutes for this meeting will be available on the ADEM website under EMC Information.

FRIDAY DEC. 11, NOON — AU WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY BOARD / ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON ESTATE PLANNING
Held in the private dining room at The Hotel at Auburn University
and Dixon Conference Center.
Dutch treat luncheon. Limited seating, register early.
To register, contact Sidney James Nakhjavan at 844-5324 or e-mail wpbchs1@auburn.edu.
The Women’s Philanthropy Board, in Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences, will host a roundtable luncheon and discussion featuring speaker will be Liz Hutchins, attorney at law. This roundtable is part of the Women’s Philanthropy Board’s yearlong effort of “Thriving in the ‘New Normal’: Maximizing your Philanthropic Footprint.” Hutchins is a shareholder with Sirote and Permutt of Birmingham, where she assists clients in the areas of estate and charitable planning; estate gift and trust tax law; wills and probate.

FRIDAY, DEC. 11, 5:30 PM — MARY CAROL MORAN / POETRY READING — at The Gnu’s Room
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. Free & open to all.
More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550; www.thegnusroom.com.
Moran has a new book of poetry, “Equivocal Blessings,” coming out at the end of November from Negative Capability Press. She will do a reading and signing on Friday, December 11th at 5:30 p.m. For more info on the workshop please email marycarolmoran@hotmail.com.

SATURDAY, DEC. 12, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm — 2009 HOLIDAY ART SALE
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center.
The Auburn Arts Association and Auburn Parks & Recreation Department will host the third annual Holiday Art Sale.  Local artists will be selling paintings, pottery, stained glass, photography, cards, jewelry, hats, scarves and much more! More info: Cari Philen, Art Education Specialist, 501- 2944 or cphilen@auburnalabama.org.
http://www.auburnalabama.org/news/2009/pr100809.asp

SATURDAY, DEC. 12, 9:00 - 11:00 AM — TOURS OF THE AU ARBORETUM
Held at AU’s Donald E Davis Arboretum; on Garden Drive, just west of S. College Street.
Meet in the Arboretum’s pavilion. Free & open to all.
Info: http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum/
Tours scheduled on the hour from 9:00 - 11:00 am, the second Friday & Saturday of each month (except Jan & Feb 2010). Guides are members of the Lee County Master Gardeners.

SUNDAY, DEC. 12, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm — LEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY / SECOND SATURDAYS - Living History & Whistle Stop Pickers Dulcimer Group
Held at the LCHS Museum, 6500 Stage Road (Hwy 14) Loachapoka; the museum and its grounds are located about half way between Auburn and Notasulga.
Free & open to all.     http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/
LCHS event calendar: http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/calendar.html
On the second Saturday of every month, a group of history re-enactors gather at the LCHS Museum in period attire to demonstrate their arts and crafts.  Blacksmiths are usually working at the forge, spinners and weavers are in the log cabin, and someone is always cooking up a meal in the fireplace or outdoors. The Museum is always open on Second Saturdays.  Also on Secord Saturdays, the Whistle Stop Pickers dulcimer group meets at the Museum at 11:00am. Anyone interested in joining the group is welcomed. Bring your dulcimer or other instrument and join in the pickin’.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, DEC. 12 & 13 — 3RD AUBURN HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES
Held at various locations.
Tickets: available in December at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce & each of the tour homes on the day of the tours.
Eight homes will be showcased. There will also be five free Saturday Cider Stops incorporated in the tour.
Sponsored by the Auburn Preservation League. http://www.auburnpreservationleague.org/

SATURDAY, DEC. 12, 10:00 AM - NOON — AU FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE HOLIDAY  WREATH WORKSHOP
Held at AU’s Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve.
Registration required. Call 334-844-8091 or 334-707-6512 or email the preserve@auburn.edu to register.
Cost: $15/wreath. No charge for children’s ornament.
More info & directions: https://fp.auburn.edu/preserve/Default.htm
Enjoy a fun morning making a beautiful fresh wreath that should last through the holidays.  Ginger Purvis from the Blooming Colors Market will lend her expert hand at making beautiful wreaths with natural materials.  Music and goodies and cider will make this a great way to get in the holiday spirit.  Children attending will make a cotton bole angel ornament.
Held at AU’s Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve.
Registration required. Call 334-844-8091 or 334-707-6512 or email the preserve@auburn.edu to register.
Cost: $15/wreath. No charge for children’s ornament.
More info & directions: https://fp.auburn.edu/preserve/Default.htm
Enjoy a fun morning making a beautiful fresh wreath that should last through the holidays.  Ginger Purvis from the Blooming Colors Market will lend her expert hand at making beautiful wreaths with natural materials.  Music and goodies and cider will make this a great way to get in the holiday spirit.  Children attending will make a cotton bole angel ornament.

SUNDAY, DEC. 13 — 3RD AUBURN HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES
Held at various locations.
Tickets: available in December at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce & each of the tour homes on the day of the tours.
Eight homes will be showcased. There will also be five free Saturday Cider Stops incorporated in the tour.
Sponsored by the Auburn Preservation League. http://www.auburnpreservationleague.org/
==========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Dec. 8, 2009

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Note: Events for the rest of the week will be emailed later today.

MONDAY, DEC. 7, 2009 — Meetings

MONDAY, DEC. 7, noon- AUBURN PLANNING COMMISSION PACKET MEETING (AGENDA DISCUSSION)
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: www.auburnalabama.org/pc/agenda.asp
Agenda includes:
CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATION
OLD BUSINESS
1. West Pace Village PDD   PUBLIC HEARING  PL-2009-00660
Applicant: J.A. Conner, Jr. for West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc.
General Location: North of Shell Toomer Parkway and east of South College Street
Zoning District: Comprehensive Development District (CDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council to apply the Planned Development District
(PDD) designation to approximately 165.55 acres
2. West Pace Village  PUBLIC HEARING  PL-2009-00670
Applicant: J.A. Conner, Jr. for West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc.
General Location: North of Shell Toomer Parkway and east of South College Street
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) [pending approval of Case PL-2009- 00660] with Comprehensive Development District (CDD) underlying
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for outdoor recreational uses, including a park and bicycle/jogging/hiking paths; for institutional uses, including private libraries and museums, and aquariums; for indoor recreational uses, including a skating rink (roller & ice), bowling alleys, billiards, gymnasium, and indoor athletic facilities; for office uses; for commercial and entertainment uses, including an auto accessory store, barbershop/beauty shop, building material sales, clothing stores, copy shop, electronics repair, florists, garden supply, general merchandise stores, health & personal care stores, hotel/motel/condotel, office supplies/stationary/gift stores, package store, pet/pet supply store, restaurant, restaurant-lounge, restaurant- pub, specialty food stores, sporting goods/hobby/book/music stores, tavern, lounge, banks, dry cleaners, grocery stores,professional studios, and  theaters/indoor auditoriums; for road service uses, including ATM’s, auto dealerships, auto repair/paint/body work, convenience/small grocery stores, gasoline/service stations, bank with drive-thru, and fast food restaurant; for a commercial recreational use, specifically an amphitheater; for agricultural support uses, including farm equipment sales/rental/leasing, farm equipment sales/repair, and farm produce sales (permanent); for a nursery use, specifically retail; for a commercial support use, specifically a wholesale distributor; and for a regional shopping center use
CONSENT AGENDA
3. Town Creek, Plat No. 1 PL-2009-00832
Applicant: Jack Johnson for Dr. John Cottier
General Location: Off of Brookside Drive, southeast of the Jule Collins Smith Art Museum and west of Town Creek Park
Zoning District: Development District Housing (DDH)
Action Requested: Final plat approval for a 28-lot conventional residential subdivision
NEW BUSINESS
4. Lundy Chase, Phase III   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00833
Applicant: Blake Rice for Crosswoods Development, LLC
General Location: South of Lundy Chase Subdivision, Phase One and north of Willow Creek Subdivision
Zoning District: Neighborhood Conservation (NC-20)
Action Requested: Preliminary plat approval for a 38-lot conventional residential subdivision
5. C B & T Bank East Alabama  PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00817
Applicant: Ronnie Wilson for C B & T Bank East Alabama
General Location: 2579 East University Drive
Zoning District: Comprehensive Development District (CDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for a road service use (bank with drive-through)
6. Hiett Automotive   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00834
Applicant: Tony Hiett for Cynthia Thrash
General Location: 960 Opelika Road
Zoning District: Commercial Conservation (CC)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for a road service use (automotive sales)
7. 300 N. Donahue Drive    PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00802
Applicant: Lindburgh Jackson for Kathy Matthews and LaKeshi Robinson
General Location: 300 North Donahue Drive (adjacent to the CSX Railroad & north of Glenn Avenue)
Zoning District: Redevelopment District (RDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for a performance residential use (duplex)
8. Longleaf Crossing, Phase 5 Waiver  PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00844
Applicant: J.A. Conner, Jr., for Tiger Crossing
General Location: At the west end of Longleaf Drive at Cox Road
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) with Comprehensive Development District (CDD) underlying
Action Requested: Waiver to the design speed on a collector street (Longleaf Drive) from 35 mph to 20 mph
OTHER BUSINESS
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATION
STAFF COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT

MONDAY, DEC. 7, 4:00 pm - AUBURN CEMETERIES ADVISORY BOARD
Held at the Dean Road Rec Center. Open to all.

MONDAY, DEC. 7, 7:00 PM — LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA / MEETING & HOLIDAY GATHERING
Held at Piccolo, the jazz bar at the AU Hotel. All are welcome.
Catch up with your League friends by joining them near the fireplace in the new jazz bar at the Auburn University Hotel. The atmosphere will be cozy, the menu options are tasty, and the crowd will definitely be interesting. Invite a friend (or two) and join  a casual evening of holiday cheer, starting at 7.
Piccolo menu:   http://www.auhcc.com/dining/documents/MenuTemplateOpening.pdf

==========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Dec. 7, 2009

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UPDATE

ADDITIONAL EVENT TODAY!
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 12:00 - 1:00 PM — GREEN LUNCH / PANEL DISCUSSION ON LOCAL FOOD
Held at AU Student Center, room 2223.
Free and open to the public. Bring your lunch!
http://www.auburn.edu/projects/sustainability/website/projects/green_lunch.html
Our final Green Lunch of the semester will be a panel discussion on local food. The panel will consist of people who grow or work with local food on a daily basis. Producers Zach Randle of Randle Farms LLC and Gary Weil of Redroot Farm will discuss the challenges and rewards of growing produce and selling it directly to consumers through CSAs and local businesses. Executive Chef David Bancroft of Amsterdam café will discuss the journey he took to source local food and the pleasure of cooking with it. Hans van der Reijden, Managing Director of Hotel Operations, Auburn University Hotel, will talk about the challenges and advantages of using local food in a large hotel restaurant. Lastly, Dr. Michelle Worosz from Auburn’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology will give an academic overview of the impact and advantages of maintaining and growing local food markets. During the final fifteen minutes of the event, the panelists will take questions from the floor.
AU Office of Sustainability: www.auburn.edu/sustainability;
200 Langdon Annex, AU; 334.844.7777.

CORRECTION / NO SOS MEETING THURSDAY
There will not be an SOS meeting this Thursday evening.

ADDITIONAL EVENT
FRIDAY, DEC. 4, 9:00 AM — ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION - special/called meeting
Held in the PSA Hearing Room, RSA Union Building, 9th Floor, Montgomery. Open to all.  334-242-1998
Preliminary Agenda
I.     Call to Order
II.    Roll Call of Members and Determination of Quorum
III.   Approval of Agenda
IV.   Consideration of Minutes of Previous Meeting
V.    Chairman’s Report
VI.   Executive Director’s Report
VII.  Discussion Items
VIII. Decision Items
IX.   Information Items

ADDITIONAL DETAILS - Santa visit; Drum Choir
SATURDAY, DEC. 5, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm — 14TH ANNUAL COOKIE WALK / Benefit for Habitat for Humanity Homes
Additional info: Santa Claus will make a visit at 10 am, and the Pot Luck Drum Choir will perform at 11:30 am
Held at Grace United Methodist Church, 915 E. Glenn Ave; next to Kroger. Come and buy a wide assortment of holiday cookies for $5/lb. Money raised is used for Habitat for Humanity homes.

ADDITIONAL EVENT
SATURDAY, DEC. 5, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM — 16th ANNUAL STANDARD DELUXE HOLIDAY SHOW & SALE
Held at Standard Deluxe, Waverly. Toll free: 800.382.9473
Direct: 334.826.6423. www.standarddeluxe.com/story1.html
Posters, prints, bags, & T-shirts available.
Established in 1991, STANDARD DELUXE is a high quality silkscreen print shop, design & build studio, music performance hall and onsite gallery/retail store specializing in T-Shirts, Hand-Printed Posters, Invitations, Signage and Archival Serigraph Art Prints.

ADDITIONAL EVENT
SATURDAY, DEC. 5, 8:00 PM –  ROOTS REGGAE BAND & SHOW / B-LAW RIDDIMWISE
Held at Fred’s Pickin Parlor (Fred’s Feed & Seed), 6434 Stage Road, Loachapoka. 334-502-6602
http://www.myspace.com/beduriddimwise
Come hungry! Papa D’s Super Grille opens at 7:00 pm.

UPCOMING EVENT
MONDAY, DEC. 7, 7:00 PM — LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA / MEETING & HOLIDAY GATHERING
Held at Piccolo, the jazz bar at the AU Hotel. All are welcome.
Catch up with your League friends by joining them near the fireplace in the new jazz bar at the Auburn University Hotel. The atmosphere will be cozy, the menu options are tasty, and the crowd will definitely be interesting. Invite a friend (or two) and join us for a casual evening of holiday cheer, starting at 7.
Piccolo menu:   http://www.auhcc.com/dining/documents/MenuTemplateOpening.pdf

REGISTER NOW!
Dec. 9 & 10 — “Vegetation for Stream and Floodplain
Restoration” workshop
Held in Montgomery, in the conference room, Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc. , 2660 EastChase Lane, Ste 200, Montgomery; Tel: 334.271.3200.
For more information, contact Eve Brantley brantef@auburn.edu or visit http://www.aces.edu/waterquality/iby.htm .
Topics will include:
* Invasive, nonnative plant management
* Riparian plant selection
* Bioengineering
* Planting techniques for stream and wetland plants
Registration information and a full agenda are available at:
http://www.aces.edu/waterquality/iby.htm#veg
Continuing education units (CEUs) from Auburn University will be offered for this workshop.
Project sponsors and partners include City of Montgomery, Auburn University, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc., Jennings Environmental, LLC, Upper Alabama River Clean Water Partnership, Auburn
University Montgomery, Young Meadows Presbyterian Church, North Carolina State University, USDA CSREES Southern Region Water Program

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
Auburn Preservation League Presents Auburn Holiday Home Tour
December 12 - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
December 13 -  1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
8 HOMES
Susan and George Konstant, 232 Chadwick Lane
Tina and Mike Rabren, 1547 Lakewood Place
Pheza and Shane Sumners, 566 East Samford Ave.
Leigh and John Hudon, 718 Burke Place
Lucy Little, 554 Berkeley Ave.
Rosemary and Ronnie Anders, 2487 Danbury Drive
Kelly and Rick Davidson, Camellia Drive
Peg and Peter Weiss, 105 Prather’s Lake Dr.
5 CIDER STOPS
Auburn City Hall (Old Post Office Building), 144 Tichenor Ave.
Jan Dempsey Art Building, 222 East Drake Ave.
Crenshaw Bed and Breakfast, 371 N. College St.
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, 901 S. College St.
Lee County Museum in Loachapoka
Tickets for the tour are $20 each, and benefit Auburn Preservation League.  Pre-tour tickets are available now at the Chamber of Commerce or at the Auburn United Methodist Bazaar December 5.  Tickets also available on tour days, at each home.  [2 tickets available at half price for each new membership in Auburn Preservation League.]
See www.auburnpreservationleague.org.
Holiday Homes Tour sponsored by AMI Windows and Doors

==========================

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - The Birmingham News says the practice of providing elected officials with free tickets to the Iron Bowl should end.

Will water footprints be the next energy star? Like their cousin the carbon footprint, water footprints are one of the latest methods scientists are using to assess humanity’s impact on the planet. And now businesses are starting to use water footprinting as well. National Geographic News

MAGNOLIA SPRINGS EXCEEDS STATE RULES TO PROTECT RIVER — . . . the town of Magnolia Springs passed what some say are the strongest water quality regulations in Alabama.The rules are designed to control runoff from construction and agricultural activities in the Magnolia River watershed. They establish stiff penalties for violators — including a $500 per day fine, along with the prospect of jail time  . . . .

FANNIE MAE UNVEILS DEED FOR LEASE PROGRAM
Fannie Mae is implementing a Deed for Lease Program where qualifying homeowners facing foreclosure will be able to remain in their homes by signing a lease in connection with the voluntary transfer of the property deed back to the lender. Something like this could help stave off some forclosures. For additional information about the Deed for Lease Program, including full details on program eligibility, review the Guide Announcement on www.efanniemae.com.
==========================

EXCERPT FROM ARCHWEEK RESIDENTIAL (e-newsletter from www.ArchitectureWeek.com)  — HOUSING MARKET / UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS MAP

Housing market statistics are in the news this week, including aseries of modest sales price increases during the third quarter, as well as the astounding (even if mechanistically driven) calculationthat 23% of U.S. homeowners are currently underwater in their mortgages.

While any degree of stabilization is welcome, the backdrop for U.S.
housing trends remains complex, with government stimulus funding and low interest rates supporting updraft, while various aspects of the market structure probably still draft downward.

As the Great Recession appears to be technically waning, very high unemployment continues to be one of the important background factors for housing.

This must-see animated map helps bring the scale of the U.S.
unemployment issue to life:

http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

Give it a moment for the trends to build, and see where they get by
September ‘09.  Then play the trend buildup a couple times more to really get the feel of it.

==========================

Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Dec. 2, 2009

Comments Off

Week of Nov. 30, 2009 — Meetings, events & updates

Meeting details, dates and/or locations are subject to change, especially during the holiday season, sometimes with little notice. When possible, such changes will be sent via PLACE email and/or posted on the PLACE website http://placeforum.org/blog/.

COLUMN BY LISA BROUILLETTE:  PROPERTY DE-ANNEXATION IN AUBURN RAISES EYEBROWS
First published Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 in The Opelika-Auburn News.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 — JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection Oct. 24 through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

ONGOING THROUGH FRIDAY, DEC. 4 — AU’S ONE COAT CAMPAIGN
The AU Medical Clinic and the East Alabama Medical Center
have partnered for “The One Coat Campaign,” which begins today and ends Dec. 4. The goal of the campaign is to collect one coat from everyone who is willing to share and distribute the coats to individuals around the community and beyond. Coats for men, women and children of any age will be accepted.  The coats given should be in good condition and clean. The campaign asks that torn, out-of-style or extremely worn coats that are in need of repair not be donated.
Info: East Alabama Medical Center Hospital Chaplain Scott Lee at 528-1415 or at chaplain@eamc.org or Joyce Chocklett at the Auburn University Medical Clinic at 844-6106 or joyce.chocklett@eamc.org.

EXHIBIT ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 8 — ‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany: A Photographic Exhibit’
Held in AU’s RBD library. Free & open to all.
A photographic exhibition of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany will be shown on the main floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library through Dec. 8. The exhibition is being sponsored by the German Consulate in Atlanta, UNESCO, The German Information Center, Auburn University President’s Office and Auburn University Libraries.

MONDAY, NOV. 30 — LEE COUNTY COMMISSION    www.leeco.us
4:00 pm-work session / 6:00 pm-regular session
Held in the commission chambers, Opelika Courthouse, 215 S. 9th Ave, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda includes:
3. Public Comment from Citizens:  (limit of 3-minutes per speaker)
4. Establish Quorum and Open Regular Meeting:
5. Awards, Presentations, Proclamations or Other Recognitions:
a. Miss Auburn-Opelika Area 2010 Ashley Garcia - Judge English
6. Reports from Commissioners and Staff:
7. Consent Agenda:
a. Minutes of Commission Meeting November 9, 2009
b. Ratify and Approve Claims
8.  OLD BUSINESS:
a. Property Issue on Lee Road 726 - Mattie Hinkl
b. Set Joint Work session with Lee County Firefighters Association - Pete Idsall
9.   New Business:
a. Public Hearing for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Inc.-Judge English
b. Proposed Resolution for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Inc.-Scott Pierce
c. Request Traffic Study at the Intersection of Lee Roads 230 and 240-Commissioner Long
d. Proposed Holiday Schedule for 2010 - Judge English
e. Early Debt Retirement Proposal - Roger Rendleman
f.  Retail Beer & Table Wine License for The Landing Convenience / D4
10. Adjourn

MONDAY, NOV. 30, 4:00 PM — FRANO VIOLICH / CROSSOVER: Buildings, Lasers and Sewing Machines
Held in the Ray Parker Memorial Auditorium (B6), Dudley Hall, AU School of Architecture. Free & open to all.
Speaker:   Frano Violich, FAIA | Principal, Kennedy Violich Architecture | MATx RESEARCH, Boston MA; http://www.kvarch.net/.

TUESDAY, DEC. 1 — AU COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE / WORLD AIDS DAY SYMPOSIUM
11:00 AM — Speakers: Stephanie Schleis / Mark Freedman
Held in the Goodwin/Overton Auditorium, AU Vet School, Wire Road.  Open to all. Lunch provided.
The College of Veterinary Medicine will host its World AIDS Day
Symposium on Dec. 1. Speakers are Stephanie Schleis, a veterinarian with the AU College of Veterinary Medicine, and Mark Freedman, veterinarian and epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Schleis, a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, will speak on “Pet Ownership and the Immunocompromised Client.” Her lecture will focus on what veterinarians should know and she will offer information to help veterinarians educate their clients. She will also dicuss the veterinarian’s role in working with physicians to facilitate the benefit of having companion animals when owners are immunocompromised. The symposium is sponsored by Auburn Diversifying Veterinary Medicine. For information, e-mail depompa@auburn.edu.

TUESDAY, DEC. 1, noon - 2:00 pm — FREE EPA WATERSHED ACADEMCY  WEBCAST
Free. Pre-registration required: www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.
Also available via streaming audio after the live seminar, and by podcast feed via iTunes or another RSS aggregator.
Nutrients have been identified as one of the top causes of water quality impairment in the United States. This EPA Watershed Academy webcast highlights the new State-EPA Nutrient Innovations Task Group report and related issues.Included are findings from the new report called “An Urgent Call to Action: Report of the State-EPA Nutrient Innovations Task Group” posted at www.epa.gov/waterscience.
Ephraim King, director, Office of Science and Technology, in U.S. EPA’s Office of Water, will discuss the key findings of this report, which characterizes the scope and major sources of nutrients, and includes recommendations to address the issue. Other speakers will include Craig Cox, Midwest vice president, Environmental Working Group, who will discuss effective ways to address nutrient pollution from agriculture. And finally, Walter Baker, director, Utah Division of Water Quality in Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality will share successful approaches Utah is using to reduce nutrient pollution from agricultural livestock and municipal sewage treatment plants.

TUESDAY, DEC. 1, 3:00 - 6:00 PM — H1N1 FLU VACCINE CLINIC / LEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPT
Held at the Lee County Public Health Dept, 1801 Corporate Drive, Opelika. (injectible vaccine only)
NOTE: Clinics also will be held at AU on Dec. 2 & Dec 4.

TUESDAY, DEC. 1,  3:30 - 4:30 pm –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE KIDS’ FALL DISCOVERY HIKE
Held Tuesdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds.
Meet at the Pavilion. Cancelled if rain.
Free, no registration required.  For children ages 5 to 12.
Parents and kids join us for a hike and some discovery time.  Encourage the kids to have some great outdoor time exploring the Preserve and learn more about the natural world.  Also try the Preserve’s Fall walks at 8:30 am Thursdays.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or http://www.auburn.edu/preserve

TUESDAY, DEC. 1, 4:00 - 6:00 pm — OPENING RECEPTION /  ART EXHIBITION SENIOR PROJECTS - BFA in FINE ART CANDIDATES
EXHIBIT ONGOING THROUGH FRIDAY, DEC. 11
Held in AU’s Biggin Gallery. Gallery hours: M-F 8 am - 4 pm.
More info: 334.844.4373. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Opening reception for the B.F.A. in Fine Art Candidates - Senior Project Exhibition, which runs from Dec. 1 - Dec. 11. Presented by the Department of Art, College of Liberal Arts.
TUESDAY, DEC. 1, 5:15 pm - AUBURN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD
Held at the Dean Road Rec Center. Open to all.

TUESDAY, DEC. 1, 6:30 PM - AUBURN PRESERVATION LEAGUE
Held at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave.  Open to the public. www.auburnpreservationleague.org
Agenda: Board meeting — The APL board meets the first Tuesday of each month. All meetings are open to the public and members are encouraged to attend.

TUESDAY, DEC. 1 — OPELIKA CITY COUNCIL
6:30 pm - work session  / 7:00 pm - regular meeting
Held at 204 S. 7th St, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda:   www.opelika.org
Work session agenda includes:
(1) -  a.  Resolution/supplemental agreement no. 1 with ALDO  concerning the Frederick Road project.
- b.  Resolution/supplemental agreement no. 3 with ALDOT
concerning the Frederick Road project  - Walter Dorsey
(2) -  a.  Resolution, budget adjustment to provide for upgrading
the OPD communication console  - Tommy Mangham
(3) -  a.  Resolution/agreement for architectural services to renovation the Municipal Courtroom.
-  b.  Ordinance - to prohibit signs on public ROW and public places.
-  c.  General updates
(4) -  Review/discuss the 12/01/09 CM agenda items - Mayor Fuller
(5) -  General Discussion  -  City Council
Regular meeting agenda includes:
6)   UNFINISHED BUSINESS  -
7)   REMARKS BY THE MAYOR -  Gary Fuller
a.  City financial summary - October 2009.
b.  Presentation of employee performance awards.
8)   CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS - (Limit comments to five minutes or less)     Bob Shuman
9)   REPORT OF DISBURSEMENTS
10) COMMITTEE REPORTS
11) GENERAL BUSINESS -  Bob Shuman
a.  Request from the Package Store for a lounge retail liquor class 2 license (package store).
b.  Public hearing, amend zoning ordinance, 95.96 acres to M-1.
c.  Public hearing, amend text of zoning ordinance, sec. 7.4 airport overlay district.
d.  Request by Opelika Mainstreet for the annual Christmas in a Railroad Town event.
12) AWARDING OF BIDS -  Shirley Washington
a.  Recycling trailer for the Solid Waste department.
13)  RESOLUTIONS -  Guy Gunter
1.  Designate city personal property as surplus and authorize disposal.
2.  Annual lease agreement with the OHA for a Senior Citizen Center.
3.  Request by T-Mobile for a special use permit - telecommunications.
4.  Designate for the O/A News and Opelika Observer.
5.  Set public hearing date to assess cost of weed abatement, 2112 Crestview Street.
6.  Set public hearing date to assess cost of weed abatement, 911 York Avenue.
7.  Set public hearing date to assess cost of weed abatement, 605 East Avenue.
8.  Authorize demolition at 1726 1st Avenue South.
9.  Authorize demolition at 310 3rd Street.
14)  ORDINANCES -   Guy Gunter    (none)
1.  Annexation,  WP Properties of Opelika, 95.96 acres off of Cunningham Drive and Gateway Drive (US280) — 2nd  Reading.
2.  Amend zoning ordinance, 95.96 acres to M-1  —  1st Reading.
3.   Amend text of zoning ordinance, sec. 7.4 Airport Overlay District  —  1st Reading.
15)  APPOINTMENTS
16)  ADJOURN

TUESDAY, DEC. 1 — AUBURN CITY COUNCIL
6:55 pm-Committee of the Whole /  7:00 pm - Regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet:  www.auburnalabama.org/agenda
Regular session agenda includes:
7.  Citizens Communications
8. CITY MANAGER’S COMMUNICATIONS.  City Manager Duggan.
a. Alcoholic Beverage Licenses.  Consideration.
(1) Jackie Lee Heard dba/Jackie Lees Karaoke Pub.  1577 S. College Street.  010 - Lounge Retail Liquor - Class I License.  Transfer of License.
(2) DBMC Restaurants of Auburn Alabama LLC dba/Santa Fe Cattle Company.  1660 S. College Street. 020 - Restaurant Retail Liquor License.  Change of  Ownership.
(3) Whatley Convenience Stores LLC dba/Zelmos In Auburn.  1700 Opelika Road.  050 - Retail Beer (Off Premises Only) and 070 - Retail Table Wine  (Off Premises Only) License.  Transfer of License.
b. Announcement of Board Vacancies.  Appointments at January 5, 2010 Meeting.
(1) Water Works Board.  One Vacancy.  Six Year Term Ends
January 6, 2016.
(2) Board of Zoning Adjustment.  Two Vacancies.  Three Year Terms End January 20, 2013.
9. ORDINANCES.
a.   Traffic Control Signs and Devices.  Establish Two (2) Speed Limit Signs on Alabama Highway 14.  Unanimous Consent Necessary.
10. RESOLUTIONS.
a. Conditional Use Approvals.  Planning Commission Recommendations. Urban Core (UC) Zoning District.  Public Hearings Required.
(1) Sprayberry Real Estate Partners, Ltd.  Patsy Reno (Authorized Representative).  Commercial and Entertainment Use-pawn shop (Gold & Silver Exchange).  219 North Gay Street.
(2) CPSW Investments, LLC.  Sean Foote (Authorized Representative). Performance Residential Development Use-multiple family development and office use and Commercial and Entertainment Uses (City Walk Plaza).  230 West Glenn Avenue.
b. National Incident Management System (NIMS) Protocols.  Lee CountyEmergency Operations Plan.  Adoption.
c. Contracts and Agreements.  Authorize Mayor and City Manager to Sign.
(1) Agreements.
(a) Information Technology Department.  Software House Int. (SHI). Microsoft Corporation’s Secure Computing Initiative  Three Year Installments.   Enterprise Agreement.  Installment 1-$133,275.10.
(b) Public Works Department.
(1) Traffic Signal System Programming Project.  Traffic
Engineering Services  Foresite Group.  Five Intersections.
$22,000.
(2) Downtown Parking Deck Project.  Professional Services. Walker Restoration Consultants.  $28,000.
(2) Contracts.
(a) Public Works Department.  Wire Road Bridge Replacement Project. Newell & Bush, Inc.  $441,041.64.
(b) Public Safety Department - Fire Division.  North America Fire Equipment Company.  Fifteen (15) sets Lion Apparel Turnout Coats and Pants.  $21,705.
d. Drainage and Utility Easements, Rights-of-Way, and Sidewalk Easement. Acceptance.
(1) North Woods, Inc.  Property Located west of Keystone Drive and south of Mrs. James Road in Camden Ridge Subdivision, 13th Addition.  Drainage and Utility Easements and Rights-of-Way.
(2) Jeffrey and Aubrey Carson.  Property Located at 819 Slaughter Avenue. Slaughter Avenue Sidewalk Project.  Sidewalk Easement.
11. OTHER BUSINESS.
12. ADJOURNMENT.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2 — ALABAMA CLEAN WATER PARTERNSHIP (ACWP) - Board of Directors
Held at Alabama Power Water Course, Clanton.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. & 3:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Person: Allison Jenkin; Phone: (205) 266-6285; Email:
ajenkins@elmore.rr.com
Agenda:  Quarterly meeting of the ACWP Board of Directors, to be held in conjunction with the ACWP 5th Annual Watershed Conference.
More info: http://www.cleanwaterpartnership.org/

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM — ALABAMA CLEAN WATER PARTNERSHIP 5TH ANNUAL WATERSHEDS CONFERENCE / “From the Headwaters to the Gulf - Alabama Watershed Initiatives”
Held at the Alabama Power Water Course Conference Center, Clanton, AL.
Free & open to all.  RSVP required by Nov. 30th for lunch.
Register now at www.cleanwaterpartnership.org.
You’re invited to join us for a day of learning and networking as we celebrate all of the good things going on in the watersheds of Alabama.
Questions?  Contact Allison Jenkins, Statewide Coordinator,
Alabama Clean Water Partnership at ajenkins@elmore.rr.com or call (205) 266-6285.
AGENDA
9:00 - Registration/Refreshments/Networking
10:00 — Welcome:Micky Smith, Board Chairman; Allison Jenkins, Statewide Coordinator
10:10  — The Alabama Rain Barrel Project:   Ashley Henderson, Ala-Tom CWP; Wendy Smith, World Wildlife Fund;Terry Sharp, Coca-Cola Enterprises
10:45 — Warrior-Tombigbee Riverbank Slope Failure: Danny Hensley, Mobile District US Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile Dist.
11:15 — HEADWATERS: A Journey on Alabama Rivers -  Beth Manor Young/John Hall
12:15 — Lunch / Networking
1:15 — 2009 Limited Edition Print Unveiling & Partner Recognition Awards:  Allison Jenkins; Keith Smith, Artist
2:00 — Waters to the Sea: Discovering Alabama  Dr. Doug Phillips, University of Alabama; John Shepard, Hamline University; Tracy Fredin, Hamline University
3:00 –  Forest Owner Education in Alabama  Jay Grantland, Tennessee CWP Facilitator; Christian Miller, Coastal CWP Facilitator; Jim Jeter, AL Forestry Commission
3:30 — Jefferson County “Assign a Highway” Litter Reduction Program: Patti Pennington, Cahaba CWP; Barbara Newman, Jefferson Co. Health Dept.
4:00 –  Conference Adjourns

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 9:30 AM - ALABAMA ETHICS COMMISSION
Held in the 9th floor PSC Hearing Room, RSA Union Building, 100 N. Union Street, Mont. Ph: 334-242-2997.  Open to all.
Agenda: In Open Session, to render Advisory Opinions requested by public officials/public employees.  An Executive Session will be held to discuss matters relating to complaints filed with the Ethics Commission and the results of those investigations.  These matters are covered by the Grand Jury Secrecy Act.  No matters will be discussed which are outside the scope of the State guidelines for the holding of Executive Sessions.  Matters discussed in Executive Session will be voted on in public.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 4:00 - 6:30 PM — H1N1 FLU VACCINE CLINIC AT AU
Held in room 103A Dunstan Hall, AU. (injectible & nasal vaccine).
Vaccinations are provided FREE to students, employees and dependents ages 10 and older.
Details & upcoming clinic info: http://www.auburn.edu/administration/public_safety/emergency/flu.html
NOTE: Additional clinics at AU on Friday, Dec. 4.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 4:30 pm - AUBURN BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT / BZA
Held in the city council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda:  www.auburnalabama.org/bza/agenda.asp
Agenda includes:
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
Variance to Section 436.01 of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance PL-2009-00750
Applicant: Auburn Housing Authority
General Location:  700 Martin Luther King Drive
Zoning District:  Redevelopment District (RDD)
Action Requested: Variance of 65 feet to the required 300 feet between curb cuts along an arterial street in order to allow a curb cut 235 feet from the adjacent curb cut to the west
Variance to Section 436.01 of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance PL-2009-00801
Applicant: Parker Lewis for CPSW Investments, LLC
General Location:  230 East Glenn Avenue
Zoning District:  Urban Core (UC)
Action Requested: Variance of 194 feet to the required 300 feet between curb cuts along an arterial street of 194 feet in order to allow a curb cut 106 feet from the adjacent curb cut to the west and a variance of 212 feet to allow a curb cut 88 feet from
the adjacent curb cut to the east
Variance to Section 516.02, Table 5-4, of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance  PL-2009-00808
Applicant: Berney Office Solutions for Clyde Meagher
General Location:  200 North College Street
Zoning District:  Urban Core (UC) with an overlay of the College Edge Overlay District (CEOD)
Action Requested: Variance from the Special Use Provisions section of Table 5-4 which states that: “No parking will be allowed to be visible from the street at any level. At grade level adjacent to the right of way, parking must be screened with a building.”  The applicant wishes for the existing parking to remain visible.
The applicant is also requesting a variance of 16 feet from the Setback section of Table 5-4 which states that: “All structures shall be set back no further than 10 feet from any designated corridor or primary street frontage.”  This will allow the building to remain 26 feet away from the property line.
The applicant is also requesting a variance from the Glazing section of Table 5-4 which states that: “The percentage of openings for glass fenestration at street level (1st Floor) is required to be 30% to 50% of the total façade area measured from finish floor line to finish floor line.  The applicant is requesting a variance of 3.5% from the required 30% to 50% to allow the building to have 26.5% glazing.
OTHER BUSINESS
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2 , 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held in the back room of Zazu’s Eclectic Eatery (formerly Buffalo’s), E. Magnolia, downtown Auburn. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. This will be a child-friendly gathering for those with little ones (or even medium-sized ones), with a large space and table/floor space for them to play and still be in direct eyesight/earshot.  Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

THURSDAY, DEC. 3  through WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23 — ArTrees EXHIBIT
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free & open to the public.
To pre-register for a tree or for more info: contact the Arts Center at (334)501-2963.
The Auburn Arts Association will be hosting “ArTrees,” an exhibition of small, artistically themed holiday trees. Local artists and groups are invited to decorate a tree for the exhibit. ArTrees are not your traditional holiday trees.

THURSDAY, DEC. 3, 8:30 am –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE FALL WALK
Held Thursdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Meet at the Pavilion.  Cancelled only for rain.
Free, no registration required. Open to all.
Enjoy some exercise and observe the beauty of the Preserve as fall unfolds.  Also Discovery Hikes at 3:30 pm Tuesdays, for kids age 5-12 & their parents.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

THURSDAY, DEC. 3, 5:30 PM — AUBURN CHRISTMAS PARADE
Held in Downtown Auburn. Free & open to all.
Join the Auburn Chamber of Commerce and Auburn University for an evening of holiday cheer. The evening kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with the Auburn Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Immediately following the parade, join the students, faculty, and staff of Auburn University on Samford Lawn for a Holiday Celebration beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Portions of downtown roads will be blocked for the parade beginning no later than 5 p.m., including College Street from Thach Avenue to Glenn Avenue, Glenn Avenue from College Street to Gay Street, Magnolia Avenue from Gay Street to Wright Street, and Gay Street from Glenn Avenue to Thach Avenue. Cars parked in metered spaces along College Street should be moved by 5 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC. 3, 6:00 - 10:00 pm — 9TH ANNUAL TASTE OF EAST ALABAMA / Fundraiser for the Domestic Violence Intervention Center
Held at The Marriott at Grand National in Opelika.
Admission is $30.00 for adults and $15.00 for children under 12 years of age.
Purcahse at the door, or in advance via Janice Clifford (email: cliffje@auburn.edu or phone: 844-5080).
Come and join in for the delicious food and fun at the 9th Annual “Taste of East Alabama”.  This annual fundraiser for the Domestic Violence Intervention Center offers food to sample from the area’s finest restaurants and live entertainment for your listening pleasure featuring Noisy Deidre and, also for dancing, Summer Breeze. The evening will also include a silent auction. Don’t miss out on this great event!

THURSDAY, DEC 3, 7:00 PM - SAVE OUR SAUGAHATCHEE (SOS)
303 Swingle Hall (Fisheries Bldg).  Open to all.
Agenda: Christmas party and elections

FRIDAY, DEC. 4,  — H1N1 FLU VACCINE CLINICS AT AU (injectible & nasal vaccine)
8:30 - 10:00 AM — Held at the 3D Arts Building (Facilities Complex).
11:30 am - 1:30 pm — Held at the College of Vet Medicine, 2nd Floor, Overton-Rudd Bldg.
Vaccinations are provided FREE to students, employees and dependents ages 10 and older.
Details & upcoming clinic info: http://www.auburn.edu/administration/public_safety/emergency/flu.html

FRIDAY, DEC. 4 - 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM — ANNUAL HOLIDAY SALE OF POTTERY
Also held Saturday, Dec. 5, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Held at The Armory Arts Center, 600 7th Ave North, Opelika.
The sale will include works of more than a dozen potters, all with their own unique style, all with a sense of beauty.
Please come and bring your friends.  A great place to do your Holiday Shopping - locally.

FRIDAY, DEC. 4, 6:00 PM — AUBURN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP (AUUF) AUCTION
Held at the AUUF/Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 450 E. Thach Ave.  No admittance fee; all are welcome. http://www.auuf.net/
6:00 pm — silent auction begins
7:00 pm — live auction begins
Amazing and unusual auction items,  with fabulous food provided.  Don’t miss this event!

FRIDAY, DEC. 4, 7:00 PM - EXPRESSIONS CAFÉ  / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.  Free & open to all. Held the first Friday of each month.
Poets, authors, musicians, and storytellers are invited to perform their work for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience. The event is open to all and there is no charge for the event.

FRIDAY, DEC. 4, 7:30 PM —-  EAST ALABAMA ORCHID SOCIETY
Held at the AU Fire Ant Lab.
The EAOS is the local chapter of the American Orchid Society, open to everyone, beginners and experts alike. We generally meet the first Friday of the month to discuss various orchid related topics.  For further information and directions to the Fire Ant Lab, please contact Vince Cammarata, cammavx@bellsouth.net or Julia Bartosh,  bartojl@auburn.edu.

SATURDAY, DEC. 5, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm — 14TH ANNUAL COOKIE WALK / Benefit for Habitat for Humanity homes
Held at Grace United Methodist Church, 915 E. Glenn Ave; next to Kroger.
Come and buy a wide assortment of holiday cookies for $5/lb. Money raised is used for Habitat for Humanity homes.

SATURDAY, DEC. 5 — AU WOMEN’S STUDIES PROGRAM - GRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Held in Tichenor, room 215, AU.
The symposium will include papers on topics related to women/gender/sexuality. Sponsored in part by the AU College of Liberal Arts. More info: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/other/womens_studies/

SATURDAY, DEC. 5 - 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
ANNUAL HOLIDAY SALE OF POTTERY
Held at The Armory Arts Center, 600 7th Ave North, Opelika.
The sale will include works of more than a dozen potters, all with their own unique style, all with a sense of beauty.
Please come and bring your friends.  A great place to do your Holiday Shopping - locally.

SATURDAY, DEC. 5, 7:30 - 9:00 PM — AUBURN UNIVERSITY/COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre. Free & open to all.
Featuring the winners of the 2009 Concerto Competition: Horn Concerto No. 3 (I) - Pedro Paz, Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 (I) - Courtney White, Kabalevsky: Piano Concerto No. 3 (I) - Jordan Hartford, Grieg: Piano Concerto (I) - Wesley Ballew, Mussorgsky-Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition.
Email music@auburn.edu for more information
More info: http://media.cla.auburn.edu/music/www.auburn.edu/music or phone 844-4165.

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(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - Standard & Poor’s cuts ThyssenKrupp’s bond rating to “junk” status.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Alabama’s high illiteracy rate has economic fallout.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Alabama’s food stamp rolls swell to over 740,000.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Alabama home sales rise 13 percent in October.

Auburn/Opelika housing statistics online -
Sept 2009 - http://www.leecorealtors.org/sei_pdfs/august_housing_stats.pdf.
Oct. 2009 - http://www.christinasoler.remax-alabama.com/remaxal/modules/agent/agent.asp?p=text&id=4095

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - Alabama Power’s West Jefferson plant nation’s second-highest carbon emitter among coal-fired plants. The report says the 31-year-old plant emitted 23.7 million tons of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, in 2007. Environment America says that was equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted by 4.1 million cars.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION - Diverse group from Alabama, Florida and Georgia come together in hopes of helping end water war.

ANNISTON STAR - Michael Mullen of the Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper responds to The Star’s recent call for environmentalists and ADEM to get along.

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The two items below are courtesy of  Conservation Alabama Foundation’s newsletter — www.conservationalabama.org . See current environmental stories on their website’s front page under the News Center section. Or subscribe to the Conservation Alabama News Feed through Google.

LUDDER ASKS FOR COAL ASH TO STOP
Environmental attorney David Ludder has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to stop the Arrowhead Landfill in Perry County from receiving coal ash.
The issue stems from operations at the landfill, where the owners do not have a permit to send certain pollutants to a wastewater plant in Marion, which discharges into a stream that flows into the Cahaba River.
Millions of tons of coal ash are arriving daily in Perry County in a controversial plan to clean up a major Tennessee Valley Authority spill near Kingston, Tenn. in December 2008. The Arrowhead Landfill had minimal amounts of garbage coming in prior to EPA determining it to be a suitable site to send the toxic waste.

$710 MILLION FOR ROADS IN THE SKY / U.S.280 - B’HAM
The debate around what to do about U.S. 280 near Birmingham began again this month when Governor Bob Riley proposed a $710 million for the snarled suburban road.
Riley proposed at the Birmingham Business Alliance luncheon that U.S. 280 could have 10 lanes - six “free” and four toll lanes - from the Red Mountain Expressway all the way to Double Oak Mountain. The portion west of I-459 would have at grade and below grade lanes, while the eastern portion would have an elevated four lanes.
Nowhere did Riley include a mass transit option through this route. $710 million could provide a tremendous start to building a world-class transit system in Alabama’s largest metropolitan area.
Mass transit creates jobs - not only in the construction of the system but more so in the investments in the property around transit nodes. Unfortunately, Riley’s “fix” to U.S. 280 is one dimensional and misses a great opportunity for new private investment that would be more environmentally friendly.

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STATES PLAN FOR WARMING BUT ALABAMA NOT IN GROUP FORMING STRATEGY FOR RISING SEAS.  Press-Register - al.com Over the next century, most of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts are likely to see close to a 2-foot rise in sea level, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

TOXIC PLAYGROUNDS
No kid should ever play in arsenic. Especially at school. Yet many probably do, according to findings of a study presented [Nov. 23].

THE ECONOMICS OF ECOSYSTEMS. Christian Science Monitor. Opinion, 17 November 2009. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity report for Policymakers , released by the United Nations Environment Program, belongs to a broader, ongoing effort to correct what ecological economists say is a failure in most cost-benefit analyses to adequately account for the very real value of living systems.

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CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp

CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
*Water Works Board - one vacancy will be filled at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting.
*Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) - two vacancies will be filled at the Jan. 5, 2010 City Council meeting.
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org) or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online: http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Nov. 30, 2009

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Lisa Brouillette: Property de-annexation in Auburn raises eyebrows

Lisa Brouillette
Columnist / The Opelika-Auburn News — Published: November 24, 2009

Cities annex property to exert controls, define service areas and obtain revenues for water and sewer infrastructure.

A recent case did the reverse, though, relinquishing Auburn’s control over a property and raising questions of public interest.

Lee County District 1 Commissioner Mathan Holt and his wife Jill requested the Auburn city council remove their 40-plus acre property on Highway 14 from the city limits.

This seems to run contrary to Auburn’s aggressive annexation policy, which urges annexation to ensure city control over land use and development.

But the council agreed to shift the city’s boundary to exclude the Holts’ land, which includes residential and commercial enterprises. Only council members Sheila Eckman and Gene Dulaney voted no.

It’s seldom done, but a city may legally “reduce its corporate boundaries,” effectively de-annexing property.

It appears the Holt case is only the second “de-annexation” in Auburn.

The first was related to a lawsuit between the city and the property owners, involving the land ultimately de-annexed. And the de-annexation was at the council’s behest, not the property owners’.

Although not explicitly noted as the justification for the Holt de-annexation, the Holt property’s city sewer connection provoked much discussion and some dispute.

Confusion over agreements between the Holts and the city about connecting to the city sewer dates back several years.

However, currently only land within the city limits is allowed to be connected to and be serviced by the city sewer.

So to comply with regulations for city sewer service, only the annexed portion of the Holts could be connected. Also they’d have to pay costly sewer access fees, including for their large RV park.

Holt said he “never purposely violated the law and that there are things that have not been brought out that make his situation unique.”

Which leads one to wonder: What wasn’t brought out and why wasn’t it?

As shown in the council resolution, reduction of a city’s corporate boundary is to be for “the public health and public good of the City.”

Perhaps that other information to which Holt referred would have clarified the public good of de-annexing his property.

As it stands, the only evident benefit is to the Holts.

The city and citizens have lost tax revenue, land use and environmental control over a large property abutting the city limits.

The council plans to craft a policy to cover any future de-annexations. That’s a good idea they should implement right away.

Lisa Brouillette is a community activist, editor and writer. Contact her at placeforum@gmail.com or visit her Web site http://placeforum.org.

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WEEK OF NOV. 23, 2009 — MEETINGS, EVENTS & UPDATES

AU PHARMACY SCHOOL OFFERS H1N1 VACCINE BY APPT & AT CLINICS
Pharmacy school distributing 33,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine
Auburn University volunteers are in the midst of a major coordination effort to administer up to 33,000 doses of H1N1 influenza vaccine to students, employees and dependents. Auburn has already received more than 7,500 doses to distribute through vaccination clinics on all campuses and off-site for employees who work in other areas of the state. “We have already provided 17 clinics on our Auburn, Montgomery and Mobile campuses since we received the first vaccine shipment in mid-October, and immunized almost 4,000 members of the Auburn family,” said Kimberly Braxton Lloyd, assistant dean of pharmacy health services.
“During the week of Thanksgiving, we will be offering the vaccine by appointment to any student, employee or dependent who wishes to come to the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.” The pharmacy school’s involvement has allowed Auburn to provide the vaccine free, as administration fees for the Auburn family have been waived. Appointments can be made by calling 844-4099 or e-mailing aupcc4u@auburn.edu. They will also be offering clinics on main campus the week after Thanksgiving. To read more, see the news release - http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1283 . More information about the project is available on the Harrison School of Pharmacy’s Web site  http://pharmacy.auburn.edu/aupcc/h1n1_central.htm .

IRON BOWL INFO WEBSITE  www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com/
The Auburn Chamber of Commerce has launched its Iron Bowl Web site –  http://www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com/. The site is updated frequently and includes tailgating and parking guidelines for the game (1:30 pm kick-off). It also includes guides to events, services, tailgating supplies, food, hotels and shopping in Auburn. For additional information about Auburn football, visit the official Auburn Tigers Web site (http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/aub-m-footbl-body.html).

CITY OF AUBURN PRESS RELEASE: Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule Free parking in metered spaces November 23 - 27

CITY OF AUBURN PRESS RELEASE: City of Auburn Parks and Recreation 2010 Events Calendar
CITY OF AUBURN PRESS RELEASE: Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center Closed for Maintenance Nov. 23 - 27
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ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 4 — AU’S ONE COAT CAMPAIGN
The AU Medical Clinic and the East Alabama Medical Center
have partnered for “The One Coat Campaign,” which begins today and ends Dec. 4. The goal of the campaign is to collect one coat from everyone who is willing to share and distribute the coats to individuals around the community and beyond. Coats for men, women and children of any age will be accepted.  The coats given should be in good condition and clean. The campaign asks that torn, out-of-style or extremely worn coats that are in need of repair not be donated.
Info: East Alabama Medical Center Hospital Chaplain Scott Lee at 528-1415 or at chaplain@eamc.org or Joyce Chocklett at the Auburn University Medical Clinic at 844-6106 or joyce.chocklett@eamc.org.

ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 8 — ‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany: A Photographic Exhibit’
Held in AU’s RBD library. Free & open to all.
A photographic exhibition of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany will be shown on the main floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library through Dec. 8. The exhibition is being sponsored by the German Consulate in Atlanta, UNESCO, The German Information Center, Auburn University President’s Office and Auburn University Libraries.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 — JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection Oct. 24 through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.
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TUESDAY, NOV. 24, 2:00 pm — AUBURN LIBRARY BOARD
Held at the Auburn Public Library, Library Board room, 749 E. Thach Ave.  Open to all.
The Library Board meets the fourth Tuesday of every other month.

TUESDAY, NOV. 24, 3:00 PM — AUBURN URBAN CORE/DOWNTOWN STUDY COMMITTEE
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St.
Agenda: UC/CEOD Regulatory Review and Discussion  Meeting schedule: online at http://www.auburnalabama.org/pl/Misc/Downtown%20Study%20Committee.pdf or contact Auburn Planning Department at (334) 501‐3040.

TUESDAY,  NOV. 24 , 7:00 pm - AUBURN BIKE COMMITTEE  www.auburnalabama.org/cycle/
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Meeting agendas & minutes online at http://www.auburnalabama.org/cycle/Minutes.aspx.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 25 — BLACK WEDNESDAY / DOWNTOWN AUBURN PRE-THANKSGIVING SALE Details at www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com/

THURSDAY, NOV. 26 — THANKSGIVING DAY

THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 8:00 AM — AUBURN TURKEY TROT / BENEFIT FOR FOOD BANK OF EAST ALABAMA
Held at the Moore’s Mill Club Pavilion, 1957 Fairway Drive. Auburn.
Fee: $10.  www.AuburnRunning.org
Day of Race: Registration open at 7:00 am; Race starts at 8:00 am.
Thanksgiving Morning - Huffin’ for Stuffin’. Pre-register* today for the Auburn Turkey Trot benefiting the Food Bank of East Alabama.
*Only those who pre-register receive a t-shirt on race day.
Questions: SydneeCleveland@gmail.com

THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 2:00 - 8:00 PM — DOWNTOWN AUBURN MERCHANTS OPEN / THANKSGIVING SALE Details at www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com/

THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 6:00 - 9:00 pm - DOWNTOWN AUBURN / PEP RALLY  WITH LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BY TYN TYMES (http://www.tyntymes.com/home/home.cfm)

FRIDAY, NOV. 27, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM — DOWNTOWN AUBURN MERCHANTS OPEN / THANKSGIVING SALE Details at www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com/

FRIDAY, NOV. 27, 9:00 AM — FOOTBALL, FANS & FEATHERS / RAPTOR PROGRAM
Held at the Southeastern Raptor Center, just off Shug Jordan Parkway.   www.vetmed.auburn.edu
Tickets: $5 - available at the Raptor Center gate. Children under three are admitted free.
The Southeastern Raptor Center will host an educational, birds-in-flight raptor program in the 350-seat amphitheater. Guests will see hawks, falcons, and eagles flying close. All birds used in the program are permanent residents that are non-releasable due to prior injuries or human imprinting. Any bird capable of surviving in the wild must be released, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which permits Auburn to house the birds. The Southeastern Raptor Center, part of the College of Veterinary Medicine, has a mission of rehabilitating injured or orphaned raptors and educating the public.

FRIDAY, NOV. 27, 1:30 PM — AU HOME FOOTBALL GAME — IRON BOWL / AU V. ALABAMA
Game day info: http://www.auburn.edu/communications_marketing/gameday/index.html
2009 Iron Bowl Info:
Auburn University has announced changes in tailgating and parking guidelines for the Alabama game, scheduled to be played at Jordan-Hare Stadium at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, November 27. These changes are in effect for the Alabama game only.
- RVs may enter the hayfield parking lots (corner of Donahue Dr. and Lem Morrison Dr.) beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
- Fans may reserve their tailgating beginning at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26.
- Transit service begins at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 27.

SUNDAY, NOV. 29, 4:00 PM — MUSIC BY JOHN PETERSON & ROY SCHNEIDER  / AT THE GNU’S ROOM www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.
Seating is limited and the suggested minimum donation is $5.00 for the musician.
From his home in Ft. Myers, Florida on a tour through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, multi-talented musician Roy Schneider makes a repeat visit to the Gnu’s Room. Last May, Schneider stopped by to promote his newest release “Roadside Turtle Rescue.” Schneider’s music is an eclectic blend of folk, blues, reggae, rock and bluegrass influences, and his songs spring from an interesting life path, a vivid imagination, and are delivered with warmth and humor.  Now on his way back home he makes a stop to entertain us with his wonderful musicality, songwriting abilities and a few stories from the road. If you missed the concert in May, don’t miss your second opportunity to hear Roy Schneider live! To sample Schneider’s music or learn more about him, please visit his website at www.royschneider.com
Opening for Roy Schneider will be local musician John Peterson, who will also accompany some of Schneider’s songs on banjo and mandolin.

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Ebsco Industries attempts to block Vincent quarry, gets accusations
http://www.myfoxal.com/Global/story.asp?S=11546051

ADEM announces penalty worksheet
http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2009/11/20/local_news/doc4b02fe5530a0d829343267.txt

Lawyer asks EPA to order end to coal ash shipments to Perry County landfill
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/11/lawyer_asks_epa_to_order_end_t.html

*****  ******* ******* ******* ******* ******

Agencies to Report on Biosolids-PFC Contamination Near Decatur, Ala.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a public availability session and meeting on Dec. 1, at the Moulton Recreation Center in Moulton, Ala., to share information with residents about the status of the investigation of perflourochemical contamination from biosolids applied to agricultural fields near Decatur, Ala.

Representatives from EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (AL A&I), and Public Health (ADPH), and Decatur Utilities will participate in the meeting, which is set to begin at 6 p.m.

EPA is coordinating with the federal and state agencies, Decatur Utilities Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and local industries to address elevated levels of perflourochemicals found in treated sewage sludge (biosolids) in Decatur. For approximately the past 12 years, these biosolids were used as a soil amendment on about 5000 acres of privately owned agricultural fields in Lawrence, Morgan and Limestone counties.

In March 2009, EPA collected 30 additional soil samples from farm fields that received the highest application of biosolids. The final surface soil sample results indicated elevated levels of perfluoronated compounds in the soil that received the biosolids.

[Copyright 2009, 1105 Media, Inc.]

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CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS
http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp
CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
*Water Works Board - one vacancy will be filled at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting.
*Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) - two vacancies will be filled at the Jan. 5, 2010 City Council meeting.
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org) or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online: http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Nov. 23, 2009

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UPDATE - Additional info & events

CITY OF AUBURN PRESS RELEASES
Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule - Free parking in metered spaces November 23 - 27
City of Auburn Parks and Recreation 2010 Events Calendar

ADDITIONAL EVENT TODAY
RECEPTION: 4:00 PM TODAY, WED. NOV. 18 — ‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany: A Photographic Exhibit’
Exhibit ongoing through Dec. 8
Held in AU’s RBD library. Free & open to all.
A photographic exhibition of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany will be shown on the main floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library through Dec. 8. The exhibition is being sponsored by the German Consulate in Atlanta, UNESCO, The German Information Center, Auburn University President’s Office and Auburn University Libraries. An opening reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the Ralph B. Draughon Library on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 4:30 p.m.  A German delegation will attend the ceremony and reception. German Deputy Consul General Soenke Lorenz and Auburn University President Jay Gogue will officiate at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

TONIGHT’S GRYPHON PIANO TRIO CONCERT CANCELLED
The Auburn Chamber Music Society regrets to announce the concert featuring the Gryphon Trio scheduled for today, Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. is canceled. Due to a clerical error on a form, the Department of Homeland Security will not allow the trio to cross the Canadian border into the U.S. The Gryphon Trio will be rescheduled for a concert date sometime in early 2010. Tickets purchased in advance for the Gryphon Trio concert for Wednesday will be honored at the rescheduled concert date to be named later. The Auburn Chamber Music Society apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this change.
http://www.auburnchambermusic.org/

ADDITIONAL EVENT
THURSDAY, NOV, 19, 6:00 - 9:00 PM — JAPANESE FILM: NOBODY KNOWS
Held in AU’s Haley Center, room 1203. Free & open to all.

ADDITIONAL INFO
FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 7:00 PM — MUSIC BY JOHN PETERSON / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.  No admission fee, however a suggested $5 donation will go to the musician.
Talented local singer/songwriter John Peterson is a particular favorite at the Gnu’s Room. His lyrics are thoughtful, often humorous, and full of soul. To sample Peterson’s music, please visit his web page at www.myspace.com/alabamahog

ADDITIONAL RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP / REGISTER NOW!
SATURDAY, NOV. 21, 1:00 - 3:30 PM — RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP
Held at AU’s Davis Arboretum.
Cost: $25 for materials (can be paid on day of workshop, via correct cash or check, made to ACES)
Space limited, so register early (deadline: midnight tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 19) via Tia Gonzales gonzats@auburn.edu.
Due to overwhelming demand, we are offering one more rain barrel workshop. Please pass this on to anyone who might be interested.
The fee covers the cost of materials for one rain barrel. The workshop is free.
Special thanks to SWaMP for providing the funds to make these workshops possible. Please visit http://www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/aww/swamp/ to learn more The Saughahatchee Watershed Management Plan.
Workshop participants will learn about watersheds, local watershed issues, storm water and it’s impacts on water quality. We’ll introduce various forms of rain water harvesting and talk about why rain barrels can be an extremely valuable part of an integrated approach to rain water harvesting. You will build your very own rain barrel, with the tools and materials provided. There will be  trainers there to help folks that are unfamiliar with using power tools.
Be prepared to get a little dirty and have a lot of fun. And don’t
forget that a 55 gal plastic barrel may not fit into your trunk.
Please check our website for more info and workshop postings in 2010. http://www.aces.edu/waterquality/raincatchers/index.html

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
SATURDAY, NOV. 21 — GNU’S ROOM EVENTS  www.thegnusroom.com
5:00 pm — DRAMATIC READING
6:30 PM — POETRY READING
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, 334-821- 5550 or tina@thegnusroom.com.
5:00 PM — DRAMATIC READING: Prize-winning local writer Charlene Redick will be at this presentation of  her short story, “Lamentations of a Texas Wanton” as a dramatic monologue by actor Carolyn Messina. Redick is a poet, playwright, painter, novelist and essayist. For more information about her, please visit her website at www.charleneredick.com.
6:30 PM - POETRY READING: Theatre major Chase Cox will present “The Implied Verb.” A series of poems by Cox, a junior at Auburn University, will focus on the struggle involved in existing as a conscious being and the place of art in our existence. What is it “to be?” After the reading, Cox will hold an open forum discussion on any of thoughts prompted by his presentation.

IRON BOWL INFO WEBSITE  www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com/
The Auburn Chamber of Commerce has launched its Iron Bowl Web site –  http://www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com/. The site includes tailgating and parking guidelines for the game, which is scheduled to be played at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 27 at 1:30 p.m. It also includes guides to events, services, tailgating supplies, food, hotels and shopping in Auburn. For additional information about Auburn football, visit the official Auburn Tigers Web site (http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/aub-m-footbl-body.html).

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER - Michael Mullen of Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper, Inc. accuses ADEM Director Trey Glen of failing to represents the interests of general public.

TUSCALOOSA NEWS - The Tuscaloosa News calls for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) to allow committee vote on federal shield law that would protect journalists from having to turn over confidential sources.

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Nov. 18, 2009

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Week of Nov. 16, 2009 — Meetings, events & updates

Meeting details, dates and/or locations are subject to change, sometimes with little notice. When possible, such changes will be sent via PLACE email and/or posted on the PLACE website http://placeforum.org/blog/.

AU H1N1 FLU VACCINATION CLINICS THIS WEEK
MONDAY, NOV. 16, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM — held in AU’s Draughon Library, newspaper reading room, next to parking deck entrance.
THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM — held in AU’s Student Center, room 2223.
Auburn University now has the H1N1 flu shot in addition to nasal spray. If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, now is the time to do so before the holidays. Two H1N1 vaccination clinics will be held this week. Vaccinations will be provided free to students, employees and dependents ages 10 and older, and both forms of H1N1 vaccine (flu shot and nasal spray) will be available.
More info: http://www.auburn.edu/administration/public_safety/emergency/flu.html.
Questions may also be sent to emergencymanagement@auburn.edu.

AUBURN CIVITAN CLUB OFFERS THANKSGIVING SMOKED TURKEYS & SMOKED HAMS
COST: $35 each, Smoked Turkey (12-14 lb) or Smoked Picnic Ham (8-10 lb). Make check payable to: Auburn Civitan Club.
Place your order now for a smoked turkey or ham from the Auburn Civitan Club. Ready for pick up, hot off the smoker for your enjoyment, on Sunday, November 22, 2008 at 3:00 PM, from the Elks Club on Opelika Road.
Order by mail or email to Dodie Gross, 1481 Morning Glory Circle, Auburn, AL  36832; dodieandcharles@charter.net. Include your name, address, phone, email with your order.
Or phone your order to: Dodie Gross 887-8924 or Andy Price 332-2948.

ONGOING THROUGH TODAY, MONDAY, NOV. 16 - INDUSTRIAL & GRAPHIC DESIGN EXHIBIT
Held in AU’s Dudley Gallery. Free & open to the public.
Info: Sylvia Jackson at (334) 844-2364, jackssys@auburn.edu.
This gallery show will feature a variety of industrial and graphic design student work, and is being held in conjunction with AU’s Dept of Industrial and Graphic Design’s 31st annual Design Interaction symposium.

MONDAY, NOV. 16 - FRIDAY, NOV. 20 — ART EXHIBITION: SENIOR PROJECTS / BFA in GRAPHIC DESIGN CANDIDATES
Opening reception: Monday, Nov. 16, 4:00 - 6:00 pm.
Held in AU’s Biggin Gallery. Hours: M-F 8 am - 4 pm.
More info: 334.844.4373.
All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
The Department of Industrial and Graphic Design, College of Architecture, Design and Construction, presents  B.F.A. in Graphic Design Candidates Senior Project Exhibition

THROUGH THIS FRIDAY, NOV. 20  -  AUBURN-ALABAMA FOOD FIGHT
Collection barrels at all local grocery stores. www.foodbankofeastalabama.com / www.beatbamafooddrive.com

ONGOING THROUGH NOV. 20 - JURIED PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION / Photo XI
Held at the Dempsey Arts Center. Free & open to all.
Annual juried exhibition of photographs by regional artists and photographers.

ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 4 — AU’S ONE COAT CAMPAIGN
The AU Medical Clinic and the East Alabama Medical Center
have partnered for “The One Coat Campaign,” which begins today and ends Dec. 4. The goal of the campaign is to collect one coat from everyone who is willing to share and distribute the coats to individuals around the community and beyond. Coats for men, women and children of any age will be accepted.  The coats given should be in good condition and clean. The campaign asks that torn, out-of-style or extremely worn coats that are in need of repair not be donated. Info: East Alabama Medical Center Hospital Chaplain Scott Lee at 528-1415 or at chaplain@eamc.org or Joyce Chocklett at the Auburn University Medical Clinic at 844-6106 or joyce.chocklett@eamc.org.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 - JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection Oct. 24 through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

MONDAY, NOV. 16, 8:30 AM — ALABAMA HOME BUILDERS LICENSURE BOARD: special/called meeting
Held at 445 Herron Street, Montgomery. Ph: 334-242-2230. Open to all. Click here for agenda.

MONDAY, NOV. 16, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM — H1N1 FLU VACCINATION CLINIC / for AU employees, staff & dependents over age 10
Held in AU’s Draughon Library, newspaper reading room, next to parking deck entrance. See details above.

MONDAY, NOV. 16, 4:00 PM — AU CAMPUS BAND CONCERT
Held in AU’s Goodwin Music Building, Band Hall. Free & open to all. More info:  844-4165
http://media.cla.auburn.edu/music/EventCalendar/index.cfm

MONDAY, NOV. 16, 4:00 - 6:00 pm — OPENING RECEPTION: ART EXHIBITION / SENIOR PROJECTS / BFA in GRAPHIC DESIGN CANDIDATES
Held in AU’s Biggin Gallery. Hours: M-F 8 am - 4 pm.
More info: 334.844.4373. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Opening reception for the B.F.A. in Graphic Design Candidates Senior Project Exhibition. Presented by the Department of Industrial and Graphic Design, College of Architecture, Design and Construction.

MONDAY, NOV. 16, 7:00 PM — GERMAN FILM SERIES: DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREN
Held in AU’s Haley Center, room 3242, Free & open to all.
The Fall of the Wall - Twenty Years After; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck: Das Leben der Anderen.

MONDAY, NOV. 16, 7:00 PM - LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA / Paying for a 21st century education in Alabama
Held in the EAMC Health Resource Center, Pepperell Pkwy, Opelika. Open to all.
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Nowlin, Superitendent, Lee County Schools
Topic:  Paying for a 21st century education in Alabama
7:00 - meet & greet  / 7:30 - program
http://www.lwval.org/eastalabama/index.html

MONDAY, NOV. 16, 7:30 - 9:00 PM — AU SYMPHONIC BAND CONCERT
Held at the Opelika Center for the Performing Arts. Free &  open to all. More info: 844-4165.
The Auburn University Symphonic Band in concert with the Opelika High School Band.
http://media.cla.auburn.edu/music/EventCalendar/index.cfm

TUESDAY, NOV. 17 (& WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18) — 6TH ANNUAL ALABAMA RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE
Held at the Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
Hosted by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Auburn University Natural Resources Management and Development Institute (NRMDI)
Register at https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/conference/adeca2009/registrationForm.php
U.S. Rep. Artur Davis and ADECA Director Doni Ingram will kick off the conference with opening remarks. This year’s conference will feature a series of panel discussions and speakers on topics that include:
·    Federal and State Policies Related to Renewable Energy and their Impact
·    Federal Biomass Crop Assistance Program
·    Carbon Sequestration Opportunities in Alabama
·    Overview of Renewable Energy Initiatives in the Southeast, particularly involving public/private partnerships
·    Current Technology Trends and Opportunities
·    Profiles of Success - An overview of renewable energy projects around the state that successfully combine the resources and expertise of ADECA, Auburn University, local municipalities and/or local farmers to positively impact communities
Who should attend?
·    Agricultural and renewable energy entrepreneurs
·    Producers of agricultural and/or forest biomass
·    Members of the academic community
·    State and local government leaders
·    Members of the private sector with an interest in renewable energy
More details: http://www.nrmdi.auburn.edu/bio/ADECA/conference/2009/index.php

TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 3:00 PM — AUBURN URBAN CORE/DOWNTOWN STUDY COMMITTEE
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to the public.
Agenda: UC/CEOD Regulatory Review and Discussion  More info: contact Auburn Planning Department at (334) 501‐3040 or go to http://www.auburnalabama.org/pl/Misc/Downtown%20Study%20Committee.pdf.

TUESDAY, NOV. 17,  3:30 - 4:30 pm –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE KIDS’ FALL DISCOVERY HIKE
Held Tuesdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds.
Meet at the Pavilion. Cancelled if rain.
Free, no registration required.  For children ages 5 to 12.
Parents and kids join us for a hike and some discovery time.  Encourage the kids to have some great outdoor time exploring the Preserve and learn more about the natural world.  Also try the Preserve’s Fall walks at 8:30 am Thursdays.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or http://www.auburn.edu/preserve

TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 4:00 PM — LITTLETON-FRANKLIN LECTURE / DIGITAL PIONEER NATALIE JEREMIJENKO - “DON’T ASK WHAT ROBOTICS CAN DO FOR YOU, ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR ROBOTICS”
Held in the College of Sciences and Mathematics’ Sciences Center auditorium, Roosevelt Drive, AU. Directions, parking, bus & other info: http://www.auburn.edu/littleton-franklin/.
Jeremijenko directs the xDesign Environmental Health Clinic at New York University. Her experimental xDesign explores opportunities new technologies offer for nonviolent social change. Jeremijenko’s work draws on a background in art, biochemistry, physics, neuroscience and precision engineering. It spans a range of media from statistical indices and biological substrates to robotics. Jeremijenko was named one of the Top 100 young innovators by the MIT Technology Review and one of the Top 40 most influential designers by J.D. Magazine.

TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 6:00 PM  — LEE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB (Note change of speaker)
6:00 pm - buffet dinner ($11, tax & tip included)
6:50 pm -Speaker: Dr. Gerald Johnson, Capital Survey Research
Topic: new polling data and analysis of races in the upcoming election
Held at Auburn University Club. 1499 N. Donahue Road.**
**DIRECTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY CLUB - Go around Shug Jordan Parkway to the intersection with N. Donahue and go north on N.Donahue for about 0.4 miles.  Turn left at the entrance to Yarbrough Farms subdivision.  Go down a divided road into the subdivision for about 0.3 miles to the University Club on a hill to your right.
Note - November’s meeting is on Tuesday evening instead of the usual Wednesday.  Back to Wednesday in December.

TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 6:30 PM — FRENCH FILM SERIES: STUPEUR ET TREMBLEMENTS [Fear and Trembling]
Held in AU’s Haley Center, room 3203. Free & open to all.
Stupeur et tremblements (2003); Fear and Trembling (107 min.)
In search of a new beginning, Amélie (Sylvie Testud) moves from Belgium back to her early-childhood home of Japan, where she starts working full time for a large corporation. But life as a foreigner proves difficult to navigate — and Eastern office etiquette is nothing like what she’s used to. French director Alain Corneau helms this Tokyo-based dramedy adapted from the autobiographical novel by Amélie Nothomb.
More info: Dr. Adrienne Angelo,  ama0002@auburn.edu.

TUESDAY, NOV. 17  — OPELIKA CITY COUNCIL
6:30 PM - work session / 7:00 PM - regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 204 South 7th Street, Opelika.  Open to all. Agenda: www.opelika.org/
Work session agenda includes:
(1) -  a.  Resolution/contract with Custom Engineering Solution for substation relay & control services -  Derek Lee
(2) -  a.  Resolution/agreement with Engineering Service Associates to develop an Asset Mgt. System, phase 2 for the sewer and  storm water systems - Walter Dorsey
(3) -  a.  General updates
(4) -  Review/discuss the 11/17/09 CM agenda items
(5) -  General Discussion:  a. New / Old Business; b. Board appointment; c. Other City business.
Regular session agenda includes:
6)   UNFINISHED BUSINESS
7)   REMARKS BY THE MAYOR -  Gary Fuller
a.  Recognize fourteen (14) Police Officers & OPD employees for October 2009.
b.  Building Inspection report for October 2009.
8)   CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS - (Limit comments to five minutes or less)     Bob Shuman
9)   REPORT OF DISBURSEMENTS
10) COMMITTEE REPORTS
11) GENERAL BUSINESS -  Bob Shuman
12) AWARDING OF BIDS -  Shirley Washington
a.  Lease of a digital document system - Engineering.
b.  In-car cameras - OPD
d.  One (1) new Ford F-250 P/U Truck and One (1) Ford Ranger Extra Cab - L&P
13)  RESOLUTIONS -  Guy Gunter
1.  Annual appropriation contract, Ala. Cooperative Extension System.
2.  Annual appropriation contract, Lee County Rabies Officer.
3.  Set public hearing date, weed violation at Parcel 59.008 on Old Columbus Road.
14)  ORDINANCES -   Guy Gunter    (none)
1.  Amend text of zoning ordinance, Section 8.1 Off Street Parking - 2nd Reading.
2.  Amend test of zoning ordinance, Section 7.3C Use Categories - Airports - 2nd Reading.
3.  Annexation,  WP Properties of Opelika, 95.96 acres off of Cunningham Drive and Gateway Drive (US280) - 1st Reading.
15)  APPOINTMENTS
16)  ADJOURN

TUESDAY, NOV. 17 — AUBURN CITY COUNCIL
6:55 pm-Committee of the Whole /  7:00 pm - Regular meeting
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: www.auburnalabama.org/agenda
Committee of the Whole agenda includes:
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Nominations. Two Vacancies.  Incumbents: Larry Molt and Frederick (Butch) Brock (have served 2 full terms).  Four Year Terms Expire November 30, 2009.
Regular meeting agenda includes:
7. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS.
8. CITY MANAGER’S COMMUNICATIONS.  City Manager Duggan.
9. ORDINANCES.
a.   Occupational License Fee.  Amend City Code.  Sections 2-4 and 11-45-2 (b).  Ordinances 417 and 1676.  Unanimous Consent Necessary.
10. RESOLUTIONS.
a. Close City Streets.  Auburn Chamber of Commerce.  Iron Bowl Thanksgiving Celebration.  Thursday, November 26, 2009.
b. Contracts and Agreements.
(1) Contracts.
(a) Human Resources Department.  Frank Gates Service Company. dba/Avizent.  Worker’s Compensation Third Party Administrator. Three Year Period.  $2,500/Month.
(b) Economic Development Department - Community Development Division.  Community Development Block Grant, Housing  Rehabilitation Loan Program Group Eleven.  Three (3) Houses.
(1) 1518 VFW Road.  The Infinity Group.  $14,824.
(2) 965 Holmes Street.  ProSystems Elite.  $24,424.54.
(3) 3583 Mill Creek Road.  ProSystems Elite.  $16,974.21.
(c) Water Resource Management Department.  2009 Sewer  Rehabilitation  Improvements Project.  Reynolds Inliner, LLC.  $388,785.
(2) Agreements.
(a) Public Works Department.  Renovations to the Frank Brown Recreation Center Phase II and Senior Center Projects.  Infinity Architecture. $143,151.
(b) Parks & Recreation Department.  Boykin Community Center Tenants. Auburn Day Care Center, Inc. and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County.  Revise Leases.
c. Temporary Constructions Easements, Drainage and Utility Easements.  Sidewalk Easements, and Warranty Deeds.  Acceptance and Settlement for Value Lost.
(1) Donahue Land LLC.  North Donahue Widening Project.
(a) Temporary Construction Easement.
(b) Warranty Deed.
(2) Cory and Theresa O’Steen.  North Donahue Drive Bridge Replacement Project.
(a) Drainage and Utility Easement.  $380 for Value Lost.
(b) Warranty Deed.  $2,675 for Value Lost.
(3) Heirs of C. R. and Annie Bonnie Vinson.  831 Slaughter Avenue.  Slaughter Avenue Sidewalk Project.  Sidewalk Easement.  $175 for Value Lost.
(4) James E. Gunter.  230 Opelika Road.  Opelika Road at Guthrie’s Drainage Improvements Project.  Drainage and Utility Easement.
d. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.  Two (2) Positions.  Four Year Terms End November 30, 2013.
11. OTHER BUSINESS.
12. ADJOURNMENT.

TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 7:30 PM — AU THEATRE: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS BY NEIL SIMON
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre, Main Stage.
Directed by Scott Phillips.
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org/season/index.cfm

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18 — 6TH ANNUAL ALABAMA RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE
See details above, Tuesday, Nov. 17.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 9:00 AM — ALABAMA STATE LICENSING BOARD FOR GENERAL CONTRACTORS / Administrative Meeting
Held at 2525 Fairlane Drive,  Montgomery. Ph: 334-272-5030. Administrative Meeting. Agenda items will include board review of violations, applications for license, administrative items, and the attendance of guests.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, NOON — AUBURN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
Held at Pebble Hill (Caroline Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities).
Board meeting. All members are encouraged and invited to attend.   www.auburnheritage.org
Note: Held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from Sept to May

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 3:00 PM — DISCOVER AUBURN LECTURE: CHARLES ISRAEL — EVOLUTION PROVEN: THE CURIOUS DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN ANTI-EVOLUTION
Held in AU’s Special Collections and Archives Department, Ralph Brown Draughon Library.
Free & open to all. Reception follows program.
Charles Israel, chair of AU’s History Dept, will discuss the anti-evolution legislation in the U.S.  A Special Collections & Archives exhibit will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species.
News release - http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1260.
Discover Auburn is a year-long series that features programs on research, history, and other topics of interest by Auburn faculty, staff and graduates. The series is co-sponsored by the AU Libraries, the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, and the AU Bookstore. For more info: 334-844-4946; www.auburn.edu/cah.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 3:00 pm — AU FACULTY FORUM / LECTURER & SENIOR LECTURER GUIDELINES
Held in AU’s RBD library, auditorium, room 1106. Open to all.
AU provost Mary Ellen Mazey will hold an open forum to discuss the Lecturer and Senior Lecturer guidelines. The forum is open to anyone interested in attending.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held in the back room of Zazu’s Eclectic Eatery (formerly Buffalo’s), E. Magnolia, downtown Auburn. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. This will be a child-friendly gathering for those with little ones (or even medium-sized ones), with a large space and table/floor space for them to play and still be in direct eyesight/earshot.  Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 5:30 PM — ITALIAN PLAY:  IL LUNGO VIAGGIO [The Long Crossing]
Held in room 2222, AU’s new Student Center. Free & open to all.
Italian Play: Il lungo viaggio(The Long Crossing) by Leonardo Sciascia
The play will be performed by Italian students, in English, and is part of the events to celebrate International Week (November 16-20).

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 7:30 PM — AU THEATRE: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS BY NEIL SIMON
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre, Main Stage.
Directed by Scott Phillips.
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org/season/index.cfm

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 7:30 PM — AUBURN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY CONCERT / GRYPHON PIANO TRIO
Held in AU’s Goodwin Hall.  www.auburnchambermusic.org
Individual performance tickets $20. Season tickets $50.
Student Rush Tickets - $5 — Returned or unsold tickets will be offered at performance time with valid student ID.
Upcoming performances: Paris Piano Trio, February 18, 2010;
Pacifica String Quartet, April 15, 2010.
At this concert by the Gryphon Piano Trio, a work by the little-known twentieth-century composer Rebecca Clarke will be featured.
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) was born and educated in England but lived nearly all her life in the US. She was an accomplished violist who did much of her work during the Interwar years (1919-1939). While her family was musical, her father pulled her out of formal music instruction at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatory of Music in London. She did become a member of several musical ensembles during her time in London just after World War I. During this time, she wrote much of her music which consists of chamber music and songs. In all, she wrote nearly 100 works, yet only 20 pieces were published in her lifetime, and by the time of her death in 1979 at the age of 93, all of these were long out of print.
Clarke’s music is striking for its passion and power. Her viola sonata and piano trio are among her best received works. They bear similarities to works of Ravel and Debussy. Clarke suffered setbacks that had very much to do with the limitations a professional woman musician encountered in England and America in the early twentieth century. She turned away from composition having run into many difficulties getting her piano trio published. Much of her music still remains in private hands. (Notes based on those of Craig Bertholet, English department).
A link to the Rebecca Clarke Society is: http://www.rebeccaclarke.org/

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM — H1N1 FLU VACCINATION CLINIC / for AU employees, staff & dependents over age 10
Held in AU’s Student Center, room 2223. See details above.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 8:30 am –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE FALL WALK
Held Thursdays at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Meet at the Pavilion.  Cancelled only for rain.
Free, no registration required. Open to all.
Enjoy some exercise and observe the beauty of the Preserve as fall unfolds.  Also Discovery Hikes at 3:30 pm Tuesdays, for kids age 5-12 & their parents.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 9:00 - 10:30 am — AU WOMEN’S FACULTY MENTORING & NETWORKING
Held in AU’s Women Resource Center conference room, room 312, Mary Martin Hall.
These gatherings give attendees a chance to meet other new faculty and share their experiences in negotiating the academic world.  Throughout the year, we will have regular gatherings, on the first Fridays and third Thursdays of each month.  We will also have brown-bag lunches that will have speakers or panels who will address specific topics, including surviving the first years, how to allocate family and work time, how to set goals, and promotion and tenure issues. We will also work with those new faculty members interested in finding mentors, and we’ll assist them through this process.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 10:00 AM — ALABAMA HOME BUILDERS LICENSURE BOARD / regular meeting
Held at 445 Herron Street, Montgomery. Ph: 334-242-2230. Open to all.
Agenda: click here for full agenda; includes public input, legal reports, appearances before the board, appeals/hearings, etc.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, NOON - 1:00 PM — LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA / Brown Bag lunch meeting
Held at the Dempsey Arts Center. Free & open to all.
Topic: Kick-off for county tax study
http://www.lwval.org/eastalabama/index.html

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 3:00 pm-OPELIKA PLANNING COMMISSION / regular session
Held at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika Public Works bldg. Open to all.    www.opelika.org
Agenda includes:
A. PLATS (preliminary and preliminary & final) - PUBLIC HEARING
1. Silver Oak S/D, 10 lots, 920 Lee Road 266, Gentry Development, Inc., Preliminary approval
2. Century Park S/D, 3 lots, Century Boulevard, Century Park, LLC, P/F approval
3. Michael Patton S/D, 1 lot, South Fox Run Parkway, P/F approval
4. Piney Woods S/D, 22 lots, 1121 Saugahatchee Lake Rd., The Rhema Group, Inc., P/F approval, Tabled at October 27th PC meeting
B. CONDITIONAL USE APPROVAL
5. Lonnie Money, 125 South 8th Street, C-1, residential dwelling in C-1 zone (downtown)
NOTE: There will not be a work session this month; this will be the regular (voting) session for November.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19 , 4:00 pm - AUBURN WATER WORKS BOARD  http://www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/
Held in the Water Resource Management Conference Room, 1501 West Samford Avenue (Shug Jordan and West Samford). Info: 501-3060. The Board meets on the 1st Thursday after the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 5:00 - 8:00 PM — JCSM / THIRD THURSDAY DRAWING CLASS FOR ADULTS
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Reception & wine/beer tasting follows class.
Free & open to all, but reservations required. Limit 20 people for the class; call to reserve a seat: 844-3085.
Ever wanted to try your hand at drawing?  Come join us for an evening of sketching at the museum.  We’ll have all the supplies you need, and Barry Fleming from the AU Dept of Art will be here to offer instruction.  Followed by a reception and wine/beer tasting by Gus’ Fine Wine and Beer. Info: www.jcsm.auburn.edu

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 6:00 - 7:00 PM — ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS ORGANIZATION (EAO) Meeting
Held in AU’s Student Union. room 2107.  Open to all.
http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/eao/index.html

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 6:30 PM — EAST ALABAMA ‘SAVE ALABAMA PACT’ http://www.savealabamapact.com/
Held at Lee-Scott Academy, 1601 Academy Drive (off Gatewood Drive).
This meeting is for parents, grandparents and planned beneficiaries of the state’s Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (PACT) plan.  Several state poitical officials and candidates will attend the meeting. Info: Terry Calcote 256-558-5915 or 334-826-7829.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 7:30 PM — AU THEATRE: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS BY NEIL SIMON
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre, Main Stage.
Directed by Scott Phillips.
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org/season/index.cfm

FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 7:00 PM — MUSIC BY JOHN PETERSON / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. No admission fee, however a suggested$5 donation will go to the musician.
More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.

FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 7:30 PM — AU THEATRE: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS BY NEIL SIMON
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre, Main Stage.
Directed by Scott Phillips.
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org/season/index.cfm

SATURDAY, NOV. 21, 5:00 PM — CHARLENE REDICK / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.

SATURDAY, NOV. 21, 7:00 - 10:00 PM — STARRY NIGHTS / FALL ASTRONOMY NIGHT
Held at the Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest.  In case of cloud cover, the event will be cancelled.  Call the Preserve at 334-502-4553 to hear a recorded message if the weather is “iffy.”
Admission: $3/non-members; $2/members.  Not recommended for children under age 5.
Directions & info:  https://fp.auburn.edu/preserve/Default.htm
Join the Forest Ecology Preserve staff and the Auburn Astronomical Society for a night under the stars.  Enjoy a short program on the basics of astronomy, the chance to look through some amazing telescopes, a laser constellation show, a space movie, and some out-of-this-world snacks — moon pies and milky Ways.
DIRECTIONS: To find the Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest, go one mile past the new CVS on Moore’s Mill Road.  Watch for the sign on the left.  We will have someone with a lantern by the road.  Turn in and park.  Walk to pavilion for the program.

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AU CENTER FOR GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES NEWSLETTER
Center for Governmental Services publishes first newsletter
AU’s Center for Governmental Services, or CGS, has announced the release of the first edition of a research-based quarterly newsletter. The purpose of the publication is to inform readers about research projects being conducted through CGS and ways in which the CGS Survey Research division benefits the university as well as faculty and staff.
Visit http://www.auburn.edu/cgs to review the first
edition of the newsletter, and learn more about ways in which the CGS capabilities and experience are available to assist you with your projects.

ANNISTON STAR - HELPING ALABAMA’S RURAL SCHOOLS: Larry Lee, Director of the Center for Rural Alabama, and Alabama State University’s Ron Lindahl look at the unique needs of Alabama’s rural schools.  For student performance on the reading and math portions of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Alabama’s rural students scored, shockingly, second lowest in the nation. This can be attributed in part to the concentrated areas of poverty in rural Alabama, also rated second most urgent in the nation. Similarly, the report ranked Alabama 15th in relation to the combined percentages of minority, special needs and poverty-stricken students in rural areas.

(FLORENCE) TIMES DAILY - The Times Daily calls for state to enact measure to regulate dams.

BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL - Alabama foreclosures up 193% over October 2008.

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Landscapes now get ‘green’ ratings; Environmental friendliness of the outdoors evaluated

SUSTAINABLE SITES INITIATIVE — http://www.sustainablesites.org/

The Sustainable Sites Initiative is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. After four years of development and public feedback, the Initiative has released the nation’s first rating system for sustainable landscapes. Details: www.sustainablesites.org/report/.

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CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS
http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp
CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
*Parks and Recreation Advisory Board - Two vacancies will be filled at the Nov. 17 City Council meeting.
*Water Works Board - one vacancy will be filled at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting.
*Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) - two vacancies will be filled at the Jan. 5, 2010 City Council meeting.
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org) or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online: http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Nov. 15, 2009

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WEEK OF NOV. 9, 2009 - MEETINGS, UPDATES & EVENTS

Meeting details, dates and/or locations are subject to change, sometimes with little notice. When possible, such changes will be sent via PLACE email and/or posted on the PLACE website http://placeforum.org/blog/.

DID YOU MISS THE RECENT GUBERNATORIAL FORUM HELD AT AU?  WATCH IT ONLINE — OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS:  2010 Alabama Gubernatorial Forum

ONGOING THROUGH TUESDAY, NOV. 10 — ART EXHIBITION / WATER: THREE STATES (PHASE II)
Held in AU’s Biggin Gallery, 101 Biggin Hall. Free & open to all
Gallery hours: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Mon-Fri (open through the lunch hour).

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, NOV. 14 — POVERTY AWARENESS WEEK & FUNDRAISER
Held  at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Gay Street, in front of the Wesley Foundation.
In recognition of Poverty Awareness Week, Lisa Pierce, director of Alabama Rural Ministry, will be living in a shack from Sat., Nov. 7, through Sat., Nov. 14. Her goal during her time in the shack is to not only raise awareness about poverty in our communities but also to raise $10,000 to support home repair projects for families living on fixed incomes. Those interested in learning ways to become involved with the cause are encouraged to stop by and talk to Pierce sometime during the week and take her poverty quiz.

ONGOING THROUGH MONDAY, NOV. 16 — INDUSTRIAL & GRAPHIC DESIGN EXHIBIT
Held in AU’s Dudley Gallery. Free & open to the public.
Info: Sylvia Jackson at (334) 844-2364, jackssys@auburn.edu.
This gallery show will feature a variety of industrial and graphic design student work, and is being held in conjunction with AU’s Dept of Industrial and Graphic Design’s 31st annual Design Interaction symposium.

ONGOING THROUGH FRIDAY, NOV. 20  —  AUBURN-ALABAMA FOOD FIGHT
Collection barrels at all local grocery stores. www.foodbankofeastalabama.com / www.beatbamafooddrive.com

ONGOING THROUGH NOV. 20 — JURIED PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION / Photo XI
Held at the Dempsey Arts Center. Free & open to all.
Annual juried exhibition of photographs by regional artists and photographers.

ONGOING THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 23 — JCSM EXHIBIT: ADVANCING AMERICAN ART
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.   www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Info:  http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1219
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University will exhibit a selection of some of the museum’s most treasured pieces from its “Advancing American Art” collection Oct. 24 through Jan. 23 in JCSM’s Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery.
The 36 paintings and works on paper in this collection constitute one of the most significant components of the museum’s permanent collection. Acquired by Auburn University in 1948, when Auburn was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, they were originally part of a group of 117 oil paintings and watercolors assembled by the U.S. State Department in 1946 to demonstrate the ascendancy of American modern art at the mid-century.

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MONDAY, NOV. 9, noon- AUBURN PLANNING COMMISSION PACKET MEETING (AGENDA DISCUSSION)
Held in the conference room, Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet:  www.auburnalabama.org/pc/agenda.asp
NOTE: Planning Commission regular meeting held Thursday, Nov. 12 - see details below.)
Agenda includes:
CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATION
OLD BUSINESS
1. West Pace Village PDD  PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00660
Applicant: West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc.
General Location: North of Shell Toomer Parkway and east of South College Street
Zoning District: Comprehensive Development District (CDD)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council to apply the Planned Development District (PDD) designation to approximately 165.55 acres
2. West Pace Village PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00670
Applicant: West Pace, LLC and Lynch Properties, Inc.
General Location: North of Shell Toomer Parkway and east of South College Street
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) [pending approval of Case PL-2009- 00660] with Comprehensive Development District (CDD) underlying
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for outdoor recreational uses, including a park and bicycle/jogging/hiking paths; for institutional uses, including private libraries and museums, and aquariums; for indoor recreational uses, including a skating rink (roller & ice), bowling alleys, billiards, gymnasium, and indoor athletic facilities; for office uses; for commercial and entertainment uses, including an auto accessory store, barbershop/beauty shop, building material sales, clothing stores, copy shop, electronics repair, florists, garden supply, general merchandise stores, health &
personal care stores, hotel/motel/condotel, office supplies/stationary/gift stores, package store, pet/pet supply store, restaurant, restaurant-lounge, restaurant-pub, specialty food stores, sporting goods/hobby/book/music stores, tavern, lounge, banks, dry cleaners, grocery stores, professional studios, and theaters/indoor auditoriums; for road service uses, including ATM’s, auto dealerships, auto repair/paint/body work, convenience/small grocery stores, gasoline/service stations, bank with drive-thru, and fast food restaurant; for a commercial recreational use, specifically an amphitheater; for agricultural support uses, including farm equipment sales/rental/leasing, farm equipment sales/repair, and farm produce sales (permanent); for a nursery use, specifically retail; for a commercial support use, specifically a wholesale distributor; and for a regional shopping center use.
CONSENT AGENDA
NEW BUSINESS
3. Yarbrough Farms PDD Amendment  PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00754
Applicant: Dilworth Development, Inc. for Yarbrough Farms, LLC
General Location: West of North Donahue Drive, north of Richland road and northwest of Shug Jordan Parkway
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) with Comprehensive Development District (CDD) underlying
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council to amend Ordinance Number 2199 that amended the Planned Development District (PDD) Designation on 557.65 acres
4. Camden Ridge Subdivision, 13th Addition PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00763
Applicant: North Woods, Inc.
General Location: On Mrs. James Road, west of Camden Ridge Subdivision, 8th Addition
Zoning District: Development District Housing (DDH)
Action Requested: Preliminary plat approval for a 4 lot conventional residential subdivision and a waiver to Article IV, B4 Design Standards of the City of Auburn Subdivision
Regulations regarding Restriction of Access.
5. Camden Ridge Subdivision, 13th Addition PL-2009-00764
Applicant: North Woods, Inc.
General Location: On Mrs. James Road, west of Camden Ridge Subdivision, 8th Addition
Zoning District: Development District Housing (DDH)
Action Requested: Final plat approval for a 4 lot conventional residential subdivision
6. Gold & Silver Exchange   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00739
Applicant: Patsy Reno for Sprayberry Real Estate Partners, Ltd.
General Location: 219 North Gay Street
Zoning District: Urban Core (UC)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for conditional use approval for a commercial and entertainment use (pawn shop)
7. City Walk Plaza   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00741
Applicant: Sean Foote for CPSW Investments, LLC
General Location: 230 East Glenn Avenue
Zoning District: Urban Core (UC)
Action Requested: Recommendation to City Council for amended conditional use approval for a performance residential development use, specifically a multiple family development, and for conditional use approval for an office use; for indoor
recreational use,specifically an indoor athletic facility; and for commercial and entertainment uses, including a barbershop/beauty shop, clothing store, copy shop, florist, general merchandise stores, health and personal care stores, office supplies/stationary/gift stores, specialty food stores, and sporting goods/hobby/book/music stores
8. Lundy Chase, Phase II   PUBLIC HEARING PL-2009-00780
Applicant: Blake Rice for Sky is the Limit Homes, LLC
General Location: South of Lundy Chase Subdivision, Phase One and north of Willow Creek Subdivision
Zoning District: Planned Development District (PDD) with Development District Housing (DDH underlying
Action Requested: Waiver to the design speed for Deer Run Road from 30 mph to 25 mph
OTHER BUSINESS
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATION
STAFF COMMUNICATION
ADJOURN

MONDAY, NOV. 9   - LEE COUNTY COMMISSION  www.leeco.us
4:00 pm - work session / 6:00 pm - regular session
Held in the commission chambers, historic courthouse building, 215 S. Ninth St, Opelika. Open to all.
Agenda includes:
3. Public Comment from Citizens:  (limit of 3-minutes per speaker)
4. Establish Quorum and Open Regular Meeting:
5. Awards, Presentations, Proclamations or Other Recognitions:
a. Deputy of the Month - Sheriff Jay Jones
b. Recognize Kathrine Russell as Certified Emergency Manager - Judge English
c. Resolution Commending Joey Marlett - Judge English
6. Reports from Commissioners and Staff:
7. CONSENT AGENDA:
a. Minutes of Commission Meeting October 26, 2009
b. Ratify and Approve Claims & Procurement Card Transactions
8.  OLD BUSINESS:
a. Property Issue on Lee Road 726 - Mattie Hinkle
9. NEW BUSINESS:
a. Lee County Firefighters Association - Pete Idsall
b. Legislative Considerations - Commissioner Harris
c. HRRR Project Agreement - Neal Hall
d. Bid #15 for Maintenance Stone - Neal Hall
e. Lounge Retail Liquor License for Caberet /District 1
f. Retail Beer & Retail Table Wine License for Stop N Shop / District 4
10. Adjourn

MONDAY, NOV. 9,, 6:00 PM –  20TH ANNIVERSARY OF FALL OF BERLIN WALL / COMMEMORATION - PANEL DISCUSSION - CONCOURSE ART PROJECT
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, auditorium. Free & open to all.  www.jcsm.auburn.edu
AU’s Dept of Foreign Languages and Literature and the Honors
College are presenting this panel discussion commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Panel members include Paul Harris, Fulbright scholar to Germany, associate director of the Honors College and a faculty member in the Dept of Political Science; Anja Werth, native of Leipzig in the former East Germany and a faculty member in the Dept of Foreign Languages; Robert Weigel, native of Ansbach in the former West Germany and a faculty member in the Dept of Foreign Languages; and Pat Deery, retired U.S. Army officer who was stationed in Berlin & director of Human Resource Development. Also on Monday, a replica of the Berlin Wall will be displayed on the Haley Center concourse. It is intended to be a wall art project, so students are invited to comment in writing, drawing or painting. German students will gather on the concourse at 2 p.m., weather permitting. For more information, contact Robert Weigel at 844-4345.

MONDAY, NOV. 9, 7:00 PM — GERMAN FILM SERIES: HERR LEHMANN
Held in AU’s Haley Center, room 3242. Free & open to all.
The Fall of the Wall - Twenty Years After; Leander Haussmann: Herr Lehmann.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10 — CITY OF AUBURN: Portion of West Magnolia Avenue to Close November 10

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 8:30 am –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE WALKS
Held at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Free & open to all.
Weekly walks at 8:30 am Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also Discovery Hikes at 3:00 pm Thursdays.  More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 10:00 AM — PERMANENT JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE OF WATER POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
Held at  in the Alabama Power Auditorium of the New Wing of the Archives & History Bldg, 624 Washington Avenue, Montgomery. (It is in the Capitol Complex, Montgomery, beside the First White House of the Confederacy and across from the Avenue of Flags at the Capitol.)
Open to all. (Lunch break noon - 1:00 pm.)
Speakers:
** Matthew Lembke, Bradley, Arant, Rose & White LLP /Georgia Water Wars;
** Office of Water Resources / Surface Water Availability Assessment;
** Marlon Cook, Geological Survey of Alabama /Ground Water Availability Assessment;
** Dr. Eve Brantley, Auburn University Water Resources Center /
River Health and Effective Water Policy

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 11:30 am - AUBURN GREENSPACE ADVISORY BOARD
Held in the City of Auburn meeting room, 122 Tichenor Ave. (entrance off side of building, across from rear entrance to Cheeburger Cheeburger.) Open to all.
http://www.auburnalabama.org/greenspace/

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM — OLLI AT AUBURN  BROWN BAG LUNCH PROGRAM
Held at the Lexington Hotel, 1577 South College Street, Auburn.  Free & open to all. Bring your lunch.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) will host a Brown Bag Lunch meeting featuring Gary Webb, associate director of the AU Office of Planned Giving. This event is presented by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University. All interested people are invited to bring a lunch and attend the talk. For more information, contact Linda Shook, coordinator of OLLI at Auburn, at the OLLI office, 334-844-5100 or OLLI@auburn.edu. Visit the OLLI at Auburn website, www.olliatauburn.org.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 2:00 PM — DAN MEADOR
Held in AU’s new Student Center, Room 2216. Free & open to all.
Dan Meador (pre-law, ‘49), author of At Cahaba: From Civil War to Great Depression, will discuss his 1940s Auburn experience and highlights of his career as academician and public servant. Co-sponsored by the Mock Trial Competition Team. [Note Meador's book talk & signing at 4:30 pm; details below.]

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 3:00 PM — BOOK TALK / JAMES DAWSEY - MASTERS AND SAVAGES http://www.jamesmdawsey.com/publications/masters-and-savages.
Held in AU’s Ralph Brown Draughon Library, Special Collections and Archives Department. Free & open to all. Reception follows talk.
Info: http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1253
James Dawsey, former faculty member in AU’s College of Liberal Arts, will talk about his newest book, “Masters and Savages.”  Set in Africa and onboard a contract labor ship headed to Brazil after the Civil War, the book centers on questions of conscience, faith and humanity. Power struggles with the ship’s captain, a rebellion among the laborers, horrific weather and British warships in hot pursuit reflect the main character’s state of mind.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 3:30 - 4:30 PM — LECTURE ON CIVIL WAR / Prof. Kenneth W. Noe - Sleettown: An African-American Community on a Civil War Battlefield
Held in AU’s new Student Center, room 2218. Free & open to all.
The Africana Studies Program in AU’s College of Liberal Arts will present a lecture by Professor Kenneth W. Noe, the Draughon Professor of Southern History at Auburn University and the author of many books and articles on the American Civil War. More info: Dr. Patience Essah, 310 Thach Hall, AU; (334) 844-6651.

DAY/DATE CORRECTION  – CORRECT = TUESDAY, NOV. 10,  3:30 pm –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE DISCOVERY HIKE
Held at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Free & open to all.
Also try the Preserve’s weekly walks at 8:30 am Tuesdays and Thursdays.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10   — JCSM ART TALK, DINNER & MOVIE  www.jcsm.auburn.edu
4:00 pm — JAMES M. SALEM /Elvis, Memphis Musical Precedents, and First Wave American Youth Culture
5:00 pm — Dinner, catered by Ursula/The Museum Cafe
6:00 pm — MOVIE: SCTIF: Milking the Rhino
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10,  4:00 pm - AUBURN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Held in the Development Services Bldg, 171 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda/packet: http://www.auburnalabama.org/hpc/agenda.aspx
1. CALL TO ORDER.  Anne Shaw, Chair.
Approval of Minutes:  a. August 11, 2009
2. CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
3. OTHER BUSINESS
Including:
a. Alabama Preservation Conference recap
b. Discussion of the upcoming work program for the HPC
c. Recent Certificates of Appropriateness issued administratively
d. Upcoming Historic Preservation Events
4. CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS
5. ADJOURNMENT

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 4:30 pm — BOOK TALK / DAN MEADOR - AT CAHABA; FROM CIVIL WAR TO GREAT DEPRESSION
Held at the Alumni Center, 317 S. College St, Goodwin Room. Free & open to all. Followed by a reception and book signing. Co-sponsored by AU’s College of Liberal Arts, AU Libraries, CMD Center for the Arts & Humanities, and the AU Bookstore.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10  - AUBURN BOARD OF EDUCATION   www.auburnschools.org
5:00 pm - dinner, Board of Education Office, 855 East Samford Ave.
6:00 pm - meeting, Auburn High School multi-media room, 405 S. Dean Rd. Open to all.
Agenda:
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approve  Agenda
4. Recognitions: Joy Dixon, Kindergarten Teacher, Auburn Early Education Center / A Day Made Better Award, Office Max
5. Hear Delegations
6. Approve Minutes:  October 13, 2009, regular session; October 16, 2009, special session
7. Communications
8. Approve Payment of Bills and Salaries - October 2009
9. Unfinished Business
10. Superintendent’s Report and New Business
1. SACS Update and Two Year Report
2. Local Textbook Committee Appointment
3. Change Order # 2 for Auburn High School Fine Arts Addition/Renovation
4. Bid Results: Roof for Drake Middle School Gym
5. FY 2009 Final Financial Statement (information only)
6. FY 2010 Flexibility Authorization Due to Proration
7. FY 2010 Prorated Allocations (information only)
8. FY 2010 Average Daily Membership and Current Unit Allocation (information only)
11. Personnel
12. Other
**Members of the Board of Education will attend the Alabama Association of School Boards Annual Convention and Delegate Assembly, December 3-5, 2009, in Birmingham, Alabama.
* * The Board of Education will meet for its next regular session on December 8, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. in the Multi-Media Room at Auburn High School.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 5:00 pm — EnvironMentalities: Contemporary Eco-Artists as Preservationists, Conservationists, Deep Ecologists, EcoFeminists, Urban Ecologists / Linda Weintraub
Held in AU’s Art History auditorium, room 005, Biggin Hall.
Free & open to all. Reception follows lecture.
Info: www.ag.auburn.edu/ArtinAg/; 844-6647 or 844-1974.
Author, curator, educator, and artist Linda Weintraub is interested in artists who adopt the multiple “EnvironMentalities” of preservationists, conservationists, deep ecologists, ecofeminists, and urban ecologists as they formulate “strategies to assure the continuance of life on Earth.” These eco-artists mold “the principles of ecology into popular thought and cultural practice.” In her lecture Weintraub discusses a roster of artists such as Mel Chin, Andy Goldsworthy, Fritz Haeg, Alan Sonfist, and Rirkrit Tiravanija who ” invest ecological data with political, spiritual, social, and personal meaning.”  Co-sponsored by the AU Department of Art and AU Women’s Studies Program.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 6:00 PM — JOINT MEETING OF AUBURN CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION / RE: CompPlan 2030
Held in the Auburn City Meeting Room, 122 Tichenor Ave. Open to all.
Info: http://www.auburnalabama.org/CompPlan2030/
Documents, presentations & audio archives of community focus interview: http://www.auburnalabama.org/CompPlan2030/docs_maps.asp.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE — WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11
6TH ANNUAL ALABAMA RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE
To be held Tuesday & Wednesday, Nov. 17 & 18, at the Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
Hosted by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Auburn University Natural Resources Management and Development Institute (NRMDI)
Register today at https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/conference/adeca2009/registrationForm.php

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11, 10:00 am — AUBURN VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
Held at the Auburn Veterans Memorial Monument (corner of Ross Street & Glenn Ave). In case of rain, will be held at the Auburn City Council chambers, 141 N. Ross St.  All invited to attend.
Parking: at Felton-Little Park & the Watson Municipal Complex, Ross St.
Reception immediately following ceremony at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave.
More info: www.auburnalabama.org/veterans

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11, 5:00 PM - PHILOSOPHY ROUNDTABLE - “The Mind/Body Problem” / AT THE GNU’S ROOM
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. Free & open to all.
More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550; www.thegnusroom.com.
The Gnu’s Room hosts the Auburn University Philosophy Club on a monthly basis. The topic for this month’s panel discussion is “The Mind/Body Problem.” Philosophy faculty and students discuss the topic, then open the discussion for audience participation. Come early for a good seat!

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11, 5:30 - 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held in the back room of Zazu’s Eclectic Eatery (formerly Buffalo’s), E. Magnolia, downtown Auburn. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. This will be a child-friendly gathering for those with little ones (or even medium-sized ones), with a large space and table/floor space for them to play and still be in direct eyesight/earshot.  Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11, 7:00 PM — AUUF / ENVIRONMENTAL MOVIE: SHORT FILM MIX
Held at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) Hall, 450 E. Thach Ave. Free & open to all.
Short days - short films. We will end this fall’s environmental movie series with a string of short films that are fun and informative.
Meet, for example, Vitya, The Recycling Man, who lives off the grid and collects recyclable goods in rural India via bicycle to take them to the city.  In exchange for the money he gets from the recycling center, he buys bread to sell to the villagers on the way home. In another movie find out how honey bees produce honey on the rooftops of New York City and Chicago in Every Third Bite.
Take a Stroll Through an Old Neighborhood in Shanghai and see the contrast to a modern Chinese designer’s house.  Let yourself be surprised by an evening of short films, sweetened by organic cookies! This will be the last AUUF environmental movie night for fall, so don’t miss it!

THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 8:00 am  — AUBURN DOWNTOWN MERCHANT ASSOCIATION (DMA)
Held in the City of Auburn meeting room, 122 Tichenor Ave (entrance is at side of building, across from rear entrance of Cheeburger Cheeburger).   http://www.downtownauburnal.org/

THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 8:30 am –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE WALKS
Held at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Free & open to all.
Weekly walks at 8:30 am Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also Discovery Hikes at 3:00 pm Thursdays.  More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

THURSDAY, NOV. 12,  3:30 pm –  FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE DISCOVERY HIKE
Held at the Forest Ecology Preserve, on N. College Street, on the right just past the AU fishponds. Free & open to all.
Also try the Preserve’s weekly walks at 8:30 am Tuesdays and Thursdays.
More info:  Jennifer Lolley at 707-6512 or go to the Forest Ecology Preserve website -  http://www.auburn.edu/preserve.

THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 4:30 pm - OPELIKA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Held in the Planning Chambers, Opelika Public Works Bldg, 700 Fox Trail, Opelika. Open to all.

THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 5:00 pm - AUBURN PLANNING COMMISSION
Held in the council chambers, 141 N. Ross St. Open to all.
Agenda & full packet: http://www.auburnalabama.org/pc/agenda.aspx (For details, see  above, Monday, noon, Nov. 9, PC packet meeting)

THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 6:00 - 7:00 PM — GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY, JR. USMC (RET.) / THE UNITED STATES ORGANIZATION FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
Held in AU’s Lowder Bldg, room 125-A. Free & open to all.
Retired Gen. Carl Mundy, the 30th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, will address AU’s Naval ROTC unit. The presentation is open to the public. Mundy graduated from Auburn in 1957 with a degree in business administration and in 2007 he received the Auburn Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 6:00 - 7:00 PM — ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS ORGANIZATION (EAO) Meeting
Held in AU’s Student Union. room 2107.  Open to all.
http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/eao/index.html

THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 7:00 pm — EAST ALABAMA CYCLING CLUB
Held at the EAMC Health Resource Center, Pepperell Parkway, Opelika.  Open to all.
The East Alabama Cycling Club (EACC) is a bicycle club for riders of all skill levels and riding styles.  The club meets at 7:00 pm, on the second Thursday of each month. More info:  mk1hgn@yahoo.com

FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM — WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY BOARD SEMINAR & LUNCHEON: CAREGIVING 101
Held at The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at
the Convention Center, Montgomery.
Info: http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/1241
Event flier:  http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/wpb/09Events/CaregivingPoster.pdf
The Women’s Philanthropy Board, in Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences, will host “Caregiving 101,” a seminar and luncheon. Topics will include the legal, financial and managed care aspects of caregiving. Irene Collins, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Senior Services, will serve as keynote speaker. Other featured speakers will include Leah Dubberly of the Dubberly Group/Merrill Lynch; Cheri Rudgers, a licensed certified social worker; and Debby Spain of J.D. Capell and Howard.
Registration: $50, includes the 8:30 a.m. seminar and the noon lunch. Tables of10 can be reserved for $500. Seating is limited and early registration is recommended.
To register, contact Sidney James Nakhjavan at 844-3524 or wpbchs1@auburn.edu. Make checks payable to the Auburn University WPB for Caregiving 101 and mail to Auburn University College of Human Sciences, Women’s Philanthropy Board, 210 Spidle Hall, Auburn, AL 36849.

FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm — FREE SECURE DOCUMENT SHREDDING & ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT
Info: http://www.auburnalabama.org/news/2009/es110609.asp
Held in the Auburn Chamber of Commerce parking lot, located at 714 East Glenn Avenue. Held rain or shine. Free & open to Auburn citizens, businesses & non-profits.
The City of Auburn’s Environmental Services Department - Recycling Division, in partnership with the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, Sand Hill Recycling, Waste Recycling, and Weston Solutions, will host a FREE, secure document shredding andelectronics recycling day.  This event provides Auburn citizens, businesses, and non-profits the opportunity to properly dispose of outdated, unwanted, or broken electronics and destroy documents in a secure manner.
More info: www.auburnalabama.org/es,  click on the announcements button or contact André Richardson in the City of Auburn Environmental Services Department at 501-3084.
* Television sets cannot be accepted for recycling during this event. However, Auburn residents may recycle their electronics year-round through curbside collections or at the City of Auburn Environmental Services Department, located at 365-A North Donahue Drive. Televisions of all sizes may be left at curbside for collection. Items accepted by appointment only at the Environmental Services Department include computer-related equipment and televisions 19″ and smaller. To make an appointment, contact the Environmental Services Department by email at webenvirsvc@auburnalabama.orgor by phone at 501-3080.

FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 9:00 - 11:00 AM — TOURS OF THE AU ARBORETUM
Held at AU’s Donald E Davis Arboretum; on Garden Drive, just west of S. College Street.
Meet in the Arboretum’s pavilion. Free & open to all.
Info: http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum/
Tours last one hour each and are scheduled on the hour from 9:00 - 11:00 am, the second Friday & Saturday of each month (except Jan & Feb 2010). Guides are members of the Lee County Master Gardeners. The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is maintained by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. For more information on the tours, call 844-5770 or visit http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum.

FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 7:30 pm (doors open 6:30 pm) - SUNDILLA CONCERT FEATURING KATE CAMPBELL
Held at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall (AUUF), 450 E. Thach.  www.sundilla.org
Admission: $15/reserved seats** (limited number of tickets available; see details below).
Please note that there is NOT a special student discount for this concert, nor are children 12 and under admitted free.
Light refreshments provided free of charge; you may also bring your own food or beverage (beer/wine allowed).
The simplest way to put it is that Kate Campbell is by far the most popular performer among our audience (and it isn’t even close.) Kate has released 12 CDs, two of them since her last Sundilla performance four years ago, the most recent of which is called “Save the Day.”  For more info, and to hear music clips of Kate Campbell go to www.sundilla.org.
** You can buy tickets at The Gnu’s Room until the day of the show. Buying one of these tickets is the only way to be sure that you’ll be able to get in the door, and the ONLY way that you can sit in one of the comfortable padded chairs. (We will set out a limited number of folding chairs in the back of the room.)

FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 7:30 PM — AU THEATRE: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS BY NEIL SIMON
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre, Main Stage.
Additional performances: Saturday, Nov. 14, 7:30 pm; Sunday, Nov. 15, 2:30 pm; and Nov. 17 - 20, 7:30 pm.
Directed by Scott Phillips.
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org/season/index.cfm

SATURDAY, NOV. 14   — JCSM ART EXHIBIT “1072″ OPENS  www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Free & open to all.

SATURDAY, NOV. 14. 14, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm CST (9 am-5 pm ET) — 1ST ANNUAL FREDONIA HERITAGE DAY  — Help us Save Fredonia! (www.savefredonia.com)
Location: Fredonia Community Club House; on Co. Rd 222, one block west of downtown Fredonia intersection with Co. Rd. 267. About 12 miles northwest of West Point/Lanett, 5 miles southeast of Five Points.
Free admission & open to all.
Join us at the Fredonia Community Club House for  a fun-filled day celebrating Fredonia’s rich heritage! Exhibits by area crafters, artisans and vendors -  Antique cars and tractors - Children’s fun activities -  Old-fashioned cake walks - Drawing for Fredonia’s Freedom Quilt - Silent auction of treasured heritage items - Heritage story-telling - Country and Bluegrass & Gospel music - Country sausage & biscuits, and BBQ sandwiches!
Vendors: spaces available, 10×10-$15, 15×15-$25
For info, call 334-499-0400 or 334-499-2380

SATURDAY, NOV. 14, 9:00 - 11:00 AM — TOURS OF THE AU ARBORETUM
Held at AU’s Donald E Davis Arboretum; on Garden Drive, just west of S. College Street.
Meet in the Arboretum’s pavilion. Free & open to all.
Info: http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum/
Tours scheduled on the hour from 9:00 - 11:00 am, the second Friday & Saturday of each month (except Jan & Feb 2010). Guides are members of the Lee County Master Gardeners.

SUNDAY SATURDAY, NOV. 14, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm — LEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY / SECOND SATURDAYS - Living History & Whistle Stop Pickers Dulcimer Group
Held at the LCHS Museum, 6500 Stage Road (Hwy 14) Loachapoka; the museum and its grounds are located about half way between Auburn and Notasulga.
Free & open to all.   http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/
LCHS event calendar: http://leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/calendar.html
NOTE: Though typically held monthly on the 2nd Saturday, November events were not yet listed on the Lee County Historical Society website.
To contact the Lee County Historical Society: 334-887-3007; webmaster@leecountyhistoricalsociety.org

SPACE LIMITED! REGISTER EARLY!
SATURDAY, NOV. 14 , 1:00 - 3:30 PM — RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP
Held at AU’s Davis Arboretum. Space limited. Pre-registration required, via email to Tia Gonzales gonzats@auburn.edu.
Cost: $25 for materials, payable on or before date of the workshop with correct cash or check made to ACES.
Info: www.aces.edu/waterquality/raincatchers/index.html
Workshop participants will learn about watersheds, local watershed issues, storm water and it’s effects on water quality. We’ll introduce various forms of rain water harvesting and talk about why rain barrels can be an extremely valuable part of an integrated approach to rain water harvesting.
We’ll show you how to build a simple, inexpensive and easy to maintain rain barrel. Then you’ll be able to build your very own rain barrel, with the tools and materials provided. There will be several trainers there to help folks that are unfamiliar with using power tools.
Be prepared to get a little dirty and have a lot of fun. And don’t forget that a 55 gal plastic barrel may not fit in your trunk.
NOTE:  The fee covers the cost of materials for one rain barrel. The workshop itself is free. Special thanks to SWaMP for providing the funds to make these workshops possible.
Please visit http://www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/aww/swamp/ to learn more about how SWaMP is working to protect our water quality and provide education for all citizens. Public involvement in SWaMP is welcome and encouraged. We all drink the same water.

SATURDAY, NOV. 14 — AT THE GNU’S ROOM
5:00 pm  — POETRY READING & BOOK SIGNING BY SHAUNTEKA CURRY
6:00 pm — ACOUSTIC MUSIC BY KRISTEN HINES
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. Free & open to all.
More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550; www.thegnusroom.com.
Shaunteka Curry, a Birmingham native currently living in Atlanta, reads from her recently released book of poetry, “Honeysuckle Lyrics,” and will sign copies after the reading.
Immediately following the poetry reading/signing, local musician Kristen Hines will be performing some of her acoustic works. To learn more about Kristen or to sample her music, visit www.kristenhinesmusic.com.

SATURDAY, NOV. 14, 7:30 PM — AU THEATRE: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS BY NEIL SIMON
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre, Main Stage.
Additional performances: Sunday, Nov. 15, 2:30 pm; and Nov. 17 - 20, 7:30 pm.
Directed by Scott Phillips.
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org/season/index.cfm

SUNDAY, NOV. 15, 2:30 PM — AU THEATRE: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS BY NEIL SIMON
Held in AU’s Telfair Peet Theatre, Main Stage.
Additional performances: Nov. 17 - 20, 7:30 pm.
Directed by Scott Phillips.
http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org/season/index.cfm

SUNDAY, NOV. 15, 3:00 - 4:30 PM –  ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES / PRESENTATION & DISCUSSION: Sun Power: Thermal and Photovoltaic - Sushil Bhavnani, AU Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Held in the Auburn City Meeting Room, 122 Tichenor, west of City Hall; entrance on side of building, behind Cheeburger Cheeburger parking lot.  Free & open to all.
Co-hosted by AU’s Office of Sustainability.
http://www.auburn.edu/projects/sustainability/website/energy/talk_series.html.

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AUBURN CIVITAN CLUB OFFERS THANKSGIVING SMOKED TURKEYS & SMOKED HAMS
COST: $35 each, Smoked Turkey (12-14 lb) or Smoked Picnic Ham (8-10 lb). Make check payable to: Auburn Civitan Club.
Place your order now for a smoked turkey or ham from the Auburn Civitan Club. Ready for pick up, hot off the smoker for your enjoyment, on Sunday, November 22, 2008 at 3:00 PM, from the Elks Club on Opelika Road.
Order by mail or email to Dodie Gross, 1481 Morning Glory Circle, Auburn, AL  36832; dodieandcharles@charter.net. Include your name, address, phone, email with your order.
Or phone your order to: Dodie Gross 887-8924 or Andy Price 332-2948.

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Debating the landfill. Rose squats and points to tawny, slimy water seeping out of the ground. This, he claims, is evidence of pollution finding its way into the creek via groundwater from Florence’s municipal landfill. Florence Times Daily, Alabama. 8 November 2009.

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - National survey ranks Alabama’s Ethics Commission among weakest in nation.

(TALLADEGA) DAILY HOME - The Daily Home says that GOP Chairman Mike Hubbard “is showing his lack of leadership” by attempting to frame the need for ethics reform along party lines.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS - Publisher of economic development trade journal predicts that southern states are poised for a wave of manufacturing plants as recession ends.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER - National expert predicts that Alabama foreclosures will increase.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS — OUR VIEW: Criminal probe and Jefferson County lawsuit should follow SEC’s action against investment bankers.

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - Appleseed’s Vaughan Branch looks at how health care reform would help Alabama communities.

MONTGOMERY INDEPENDENT — Accountability or sleight of hand by governor’s office? . . . What would cause an apparently otherwise rational spokesman for the governor to utter such a disingenuous statement? “We all take pride in the fact that the governor is running the most open, transparent and accountable administration in the state’s history,” the spokesman is quoted as saying. It’s a good bet that if the governor doesn’t know what accountability is, and if he doesn’t, then members of his staff probably don’t either.

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CITY OF AUBURN WEBSITE / LINKS TO AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS
http://www.auburnalabama.org/publications.asp
CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
*Parks and Recreation Advisory Board - Two vacancies will be filled at the Nov. 17 City Council meeting.
*Water Works Board - one vacancy will be filled at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting.
*Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) - two vacancies will be filled at the Jan. 5, 2010 City Council meeting.
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org) or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online: http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
Nov. 9, 2009 [corrected 11-10-2009]

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