Recently in Places Category

We've got a new high school going in near our house, way out in the country north of Prattville, Alabama. There has been a lot of buzz about naming the new school after the (old) Marbury High School which this school will be replacing. There's been online petitions and a regular stream of articles in the local weekly paper talking about community, memories, provenance, etc.

It seems to me that building a new school is an excellent change to brainstorm, involve the community, get creative and come up with a new name for a new school. Instead everyone seemed to get stuck in nostalgia.

The (old) Marbury High School is in Marbury, a very small community in rural central Alabama. The (new) Marbury High School in not in Marbury, it is not even near Marbury. It's 8.5 - 10 miles from Marbury to the new school site depending on your route. The new school does find itself in the community of Pine Level, Alabama.

Why not rename the current Marbury High School to Marbury School (it is destined to become the new middle school) and give the new school a new name that reflects something about its new location, an honored member of the education community, or some famous individual (president, governor, etc.)?

That's my two cents, now I'll sit back and wait for the first sporting event at the school where the visiting team erroneously goes to the old school because they didn't even know there was a new school...

• (new) Marbury High School construction project page from Cooper Brothers Construction
• (new ) Marbury High School construction photos from Cooper Brothers Construction

My collection of things you'll only see in Alabama.

The Alabama Nature Center at Lanark is open to the public the following weekends this Spring:

April 12-13	May 3-4	June 14-15
April 19-20	May 17-18	June 21-22
April 26-27	May 24-25	June 28-29
	May 31-June 1

Special events are planned for each weekend. Mark your calendars now.

The Alabama Nature Center at Lanark is a 350-acre wildlife preserve that serves as the headquarters of the Alabama Wildlife Federation. It is located between Millbrook, AL and Prattville, AL, just north and east of exit 179 (Cobbs Ford Road) on I-65. The facility is currently only open to the public one weekend a month (the third weekend.)

If you are a nature buff, a photographer, or just like to catch some fresh air, you should take some time out of your weekend to visit and explore the facility. They've got over 5 miles of beautifully-built walking trails organized in 3 loops around the property. They are all marked with interpretive signs about the flora and fauna you'll see around you.

Price is currently $3/adult/day or $5/adult/weekend and $2/child (3-9)/day $3/child/weekend. Kids under 3 are free.

(Every third weekend of the month)
Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Directions and more information can be found at the following link.

Alabama Nature Center @ Lanark

Photo Gallery >> Lanark
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Jim Bishop is an interesting character who has decided to build his own castle in Nowhereville, CO. He's been at it for a number of years and now has a very big castle in the middle of the forest in the southern mountains of Colorado. Every stone is hauled and placed by him. The castle is well over 150 feet tall and growing constantly. He comes from the decorative ironwork trade and there is plenty to see in stone, iron, and glasswork in his rather fabulous castle. If you've ever had a dream...

You are free to visit, explore, make a donation if you like, but Jim's got rules you must follow...

www.bishopcastle.org

Tag: jimbishop - bishop - bishopcastle - castle - colorado - building - construction - pueblo - buelah

Since I'm not 'from around here', when I spotted this graffiti the other day, I found myself rather offended. My year of public school Latin gave me a quick translation as "God will vindicate." That mixed with the stars and bars I found somewhat disturbing. I'm aware there are groups who maintain the Confederate States' ideals and would like to see us go back to how things were before the Civil War. I know that even today racism is sitting right below society's skin, not dead or eradicated as many would like to believe. The fact that someone would make that statement anonymously and without context caught me off guard.

A little more research on "Deo Vindice" and I learned that is was the national motto of the Confederate States of America. So maybe the artist's intentions were pure, but there's a nasty racist undertone to this graffiti. "Southern Pride" rhetoric is tossed around by racist, bigoted, and legitimate groups alike for clearly different reasons.

Those still fond of their southern pride would prefer you translate it as "God is our protector" but I find that a deception from its true meaning. I'm guessing the Confederate statesmen who chose the motto wanted it to have a more literal meaning of "God will vindicate" than that politically correct translation.

I found this UNC Latin professor's alternate translation of the phrase interesting: "with God as our punisher."

Anyway, the backwards 'N' is a nice touch.