PACKAGES
Stand-Up Teases
Hay Bale Art
Prom Promise
FORKLAND, Ala.
On Highway 43, in Forkland, Alabama, Jim Bird's property is providing drivers with an interesting sight to see.
Jim Bird, Hay Bale Artist: "Well sometimes I tell folks I started 'cause it took me off the whiskey."
Claiming he has no hobbies, Bird sculpts art out of hay bales. He has a limit of spending no more than five dollars per creature and uses items such as old tires and buckets to create characters and objects from hay.
Jim Bird, Hay Bale Artist: "I say the best thing to do is go down the highway at 50 MPH and look at it, when you look at it real close, you'll see it ain't nothin' but a bunch of junk."
That "junk", as he calls it, brings in curious helpers and visitors. People come to admire his hay bale creatures and many want to meet the artist. One man told Bird his creatures are folk art. When Bird asked what folk art was, the man responded...
Jim Bird, Hay Bale Artist: "It's trying to do art when you don't know what the hell you're doing."
Many people love Bird's quirky creativity, including his great granddaughter who says her favorite hay creature is the cat.
Ellie Bird, Jim's Great Granddaughter: "Because it's my favorite animal."
Drivers on Highway 43 love these hay creatures because they're so unique and interesting to look at. But Jim Bird has a special place in his heart for these creatures, not only because they're his most famous masterpieces, but because they have a connection to his own personal love story.
Jim Bird, Hay Bale Artist: "I decided to surprise my wife, Lib, while she was gone off, so I made her a caterpillar and a spider to surprise her when she came back."
While Jim's wife, Lib was away on a trip, he took his failed hay bales and created his first two creatures to surprise her when she got home.
Jim Bird, Hay Bale Artist: "Well she knew I hadn't been off messin' around, I had been busy... doing my sculptures. She liked them, she really did."
Jim and Lib worked together on creating the hay bales, but sadly, Lib passed away earlier this year. Even though Jim doesn't have her to assist with the hay creatures, he still works on additions to the display while keeping her in mind.
Sipsey Valley students got an eyeful this morning when they saw a drunk driving accident on their high school's lawn. Paramedics rushed in to help the passengers, but don't worry this is all part of a demonstration. Sipsey Valley senior, Azaiah Blackmon, says this experience will help his classmates realize the severity of drinking and driving.
Azaiah Blackmon, Sipsey Valley Senior: "It kinda open a lot of people's eyes 'cause I know a lot of people, a couple of my friends, they drink and drive and I think it makes them think twice before they do that, like I wouldn't want my friends to do that so I would probably be the first person to step up to them and talk to them about it."
The students involved in the demonstration were taken away on stretchers while their parents and classmates watched in horror. Lieutenant Training Officer for Northport Fire, Dustin Fowler, shares the frequency of drunk driving in the community.
Lt. Dustin Fowler, Northport Fire: "We have a lot of drinking and driving all the time but especially during this time of year, you know the younger kids, underaged, it starts to pick up, like I said celebrating the end of the school year and stuff."
With Prom and Graduation in the near future, Sipsey Valley Faculty hope the students take this lesson to heart and realize the serious consequences of drinking and driving.
Hannah Hall, Sipsey Valley Teacher: "We have a big heart for our students here and we just wanted them to really think about after prom, getting into a car, when somebody has been drinking, we wanted them to have this thought and this scene in their mind, so hopefully they make the choice to choose not to drive while drinking or ride with someone who has been drinking."
After this demonstration, the faculty is hopeful students will make the right decision when celebrating this spring.
Bark in the Park
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
Evan Davis loves to spend time with his German Shepard at the Will May Dog Park here in Tuscaloosa.
Evan Davis, Dog Owner: "It's super important if you're gonna have a dog you gotta take care of them properly, They really need to have exercise and somewhere to do it safely and plus they like socializing with other dogs."
Which is one reason why they're here at Bark in the Park 2, celebrating dogs and owners in the community. The Tuscaloosa Association of Realtors held the festival and this year they're trying to break two world records--one, for the most dogs washed in eight hours by a twelve person team, and two, the most dogs walked by one person at one time.
Evan Davis, Dog Owner: "This is great for everyone to come out here and support the community and maybe if we keep having turnouts like this then Tuscaloosa will continue to put things on like this.”
While the dogs are having such a ball at this event, The Tuscaloosa Association of Realtors actually plans to use the festival to benefit our community.
Jack Ryan, Tuscaloosa Assoc. of Realtors: "Parks are a location amentity just like schools are because it gives people a chance to go outside of the home, outside of the school, outside of shopping, it's a way to enhance their quality of life."
Ryan says the Association of Realtors wants to use the festival to draw attention to the importance of parks in the community. He says parks and schools have an impact on home value in the area and if the parks and schools are great, then the community is typically more desirable.
Bama Brew and Que
NORTHPORT, Ala.
Steve Korson, Bar-B-Ham Team Captain: "Well we can't be intimidated, that's the first thing so we're not intimidated, but we put a lot of love into what we're doing so hopefully we can come out with a win today."
Steve Korson, has been barbecuing for ten years now and claims he knows the secret to a perfect barbecued meat.
Steve Korson, Bar-B-Ham Team Captain: "We definitely have some secret spices that we use, we like to think low and slow is the way to go."
Which is why he and his barbecue team "Bar-B-Ham" are going head to head with other barbecue enthusiasts from all over the south. Today marks the third annual Bama Brew and Que barbecue competition. Forty-three teams are competing in categories like sauce, chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket, hoping to go home with the gold. However, their food has to first pass by the taste test of forty-six professional judges. Pitmaster Timmy Lovett says he has the inside scoop on what it takes to win.
Timmy Lovett, Pitmaster:"The judging is fierce, I am a certified judge so I know what it takes, and just any little bit can be off or just not to that judge's satisfaction."
This event is cooking up some friendly competition but what seems to be a fun day of chillin' and grillin' is actually a great way to benefit the community.
Brooke Nixon, Bama Brew & Que Director: "It's really just a community event where we have things for kids, we have things for adults, where we have concessions, and all the profit that we make and also any canned goods that we collect will be going to Temporary Emergency Services."
At the end of the day, the forty-three teams, whether amateur or professional, will help the local community, and that makes every team a winner.
Tuscaloosa Air Show
The Tuscaloosa Regional Air Show spread its wings, inviting spectators to enjoy a weekend full of flips and flights. It's an entertaining event for the whole family! U.S. Navy Sailor, Antoine Lee Hill, believes it gives civilians an inside look at our country's armed forces.
Antoine Lee Hill, U.S. Navy Sailor: "TV shows them the bombs and all that, where this shows them another side of the Navy, this is what we do and this is how we do it when we're overseas."
The Air Show had over fifteen different acts that took to the sky this weekend and pilots showed off their daredevil skills in the clouds. The featured flyers represented different branches of the military. Korean Conflict Veteran, Bill Lawley, hopes this event is a learning lesson for all civilians.
Bill Lawley, U.S. Korean Conflict Veteran:"[I hope it brings them] patriotism, and a pride in their country, like what's going over right now. Look at that."
The Air Show features a jetting variety of aircrafts, some dating back to historic time periods in America's history. As these vessels are flying into spectators' hearts, everyone is anxiously awaiting the main event, the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.
Antoine Lee Hill, U.S. Navy Sailor "Their job is to basically show a force of power, show what their jets can do, what our airplanes can do, what our military does."
And that's exactly what they did; the Blue Angels amazed everyone with their combat sequences and formations. Their final flight through Tuscaloosa thrilled their fans and ended a weekend of celebrations of all those who served.