Local hotel owners said the 2011 Babe Ruth 12U Softball World Series will make a significant impact on the economy.
Dwight Mikel, City of Andalusia director of leisure services and tournament coordinator, said approximately 250 rooms have been blocked in hotels in Andalusia and Opp at a Tuesday committee planning meeting.
The World Series will be held Aug. 4-9 at the Andalusia Sports Complex, where 12 teams and their families from across the eight geographic regions of the United States will converge to be a part of the tournament.
Mikel said the World Series itself is a “county-wide venture,” where the City of Andalusia, the City of Opp and the Covington County Commission have donated funds to help with the cost of hosting the event.
“We’re all stakeholders in this, and we’re all trying to showcase this,” Mikel said.
Comfort Inn owner Nick Patel said the softball World Series will drastically help his business.
“It will help in revenues, and it will help everybody in town’s businesses, restaurants and gas pumps,” Patel said.
Holiday Inn Express manager Kim Jenkins said in addition to helping with her hotel’s revenues, it will bring Andalusia some good notoriety.
“It’ll actually cause them (visitors) to come back,” Jenkins said. “It’s a good PR (public relations) tool.
“We’re able to show what Andalusia offers,” she said. “Instead of a small-world town, we’re an up-and-coming city.”
Neil Patel, manager at the Best Western in Opp, said the World Series is just plain “good for business.”
“It just helps out and brings revenue,” Neil said. “It just helps us out when they come. It’s good to see Andalusia host something this big.”
As early as next week, managers from each hotel that have rooms blocked for the World Series will meet to discuss how the registration will work, Mikel said.
Gov. Robert Bentley and ADO Director Seth Hammett are among the dignitaries expected to be on hand todaywhen the Coving-ton County Econo-mic De-velopment Com-mission and South Alabama Regional Airport Authority hold a groundbreaking expansion ceremony for Vector Aerospace.
The groundbreaking is set for 11 a.m. on Wed., June 1.
Vector is located in the airport industrial park.
Local parents don’t have to worry about their children going hungry this summer, if they take advantage of a free breakfast and lunch program offered in Andalusia.
The program, which is sponsored by the Andalusia City Schools System and funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, is available to all children and teens in the county.
It is designed to curb hunger and fill the nutrition gap that school-aged children could potentially face in the summer months without free and reduced-price school lunch programs.
While there is no fee and no financial requirements, students are required to eat the meals at the facility where they are provided.
“These meals are provided at no charge – they’re absolutely free to anyone under 18,” said Stephanie Dillard, ACS child nutritionist and program director. “They do not have to be enrolled as a student in the Andalusia school system.”
In years past, daily participation has ranged between 100 and 300 children.
“It can become quite expensive to feed children throughout the summer while they’re at home,” she said. “This program is a great alternative to that.”
The program, which will be held at Andalusia Middle School, has been in place for more than 15 years.
“Our lunch menu is very similar to the school lunch menu,” Dillard said. “We will have fresh fruit every day, too.”
Breakfast, which consists of everything from fresh fruit and muffins to breakfast burritos, is offered from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, beginning June 7 and ending June 30.
Lunch will be served daily from 10:45 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
Menu selections will range from spaghetti to sloppy Joes to sandwiches and sliced turkey and gravy.
Large groups, such as vacation Bible school groups, are welcome, Dillard said.
“The only thing is we ask that you call the day before and give us a head count,” she said. “We want to make sure there is enough food prepared and ready to go.”
Dillard said parental supervision is requested for small children.
To schedule a large group or for more information, call 334-222-6379.
The Powerplant Marketplace will open this morning at 7.
The market provides area farmers an outlet to sell their homegrown vegetables and fruits.
It is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. until noon.
Gov. Robert Bentley and ADO Director Seth Hammett are among the dignitaries expected to be on hand tomorrow when the Coving-ton County Econ-mic Development Commission and South Alabama Regional Airport Authority hold a groundbreaking expansion ceremony for Vector Aerospace.
The groundbreaking is set for 11 a.m. on Wed., June 1.
Vector is located in the airport industrial park.
The expansion was announced last fall and is expected to increase employment at the local facility to 200.