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Thursday, April 5, 2007

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Total Clips: 7

	Date	Outlet
AU to converge on Capitol for Higher Education Day	04/05/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Civil rights icon carries on message	04/05/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Area one of fastest growing	04/05/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
EBSCO Industries has pledged $2 million to Auburn	04/05/2007	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Brown went from pigs to prizes	04/05/2007	Montgomery Advertiser
Waterfront access critical to Gulf Coast living	04/04/2007	Press-Register Online
Alabama Transportation Conference Held In Auburn	04/02/2007	ACP


AU to converge on Capitol for Higher Education Day 04/05/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Weaver, Amy		Return to Top
Students faculty, alumni and others voices from Alabama's public universities will converge on the state capitol lawn today to mark Higher Education Day. "We want to remind people that their decisions are impacting lives no matter what level (higher or lower education)," said Gordon Stone, executive director of the Higher Education Partnership, an advocacy organization for all public universities and organizer of the annual event. He said the gathering, which starts at 11 a.m., is typically the largest advocacy rally in the state because it draws students from the 13 state universities. Organizers expect more than 2,000 people, including representatives from various student organizations on the Auburn University campus. Stone expects this year's rally, with the message, "Equitable Funding Opens Doors of Opportunity," will get the attention of state legislators who are discussing capital funds for public education. By appearing on the capitol lawn, in droves, Stone said the movement tends to leave an impression on lawmakers. It reminds them that universities are not abstract, but rather they are people, people who are impacted by the lack of resources in Alabama, he said. "It puts a face on the issue," Stone said. "We come together with a combined voice to make sure we have sufficient revenue. That’s what it's all about." The program will include remarks from Gov. Bob Riley, Lieutenant Gov. Jim Folsom, Speaker of the House Seth Hammett, Senate Pro-Tempore Hinton Mitchem and other key legislative leaders.
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Civil rights icon carries on message 04/05/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Weaver, Amy		Return to Top
Civil rights activist C.T. Vivian spoke at AU this week. Forty years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against the Vietnam War at New York City's Riverside Church, a friend and fellow civil rights advocate continued his message on the campus of Auburn University. Like a preacher delivering a sermon from the pulpit Sunday morning, the Rev. C.T. Vivian explained on Wednesday to a crowd of nearly 200 how King's words that day changed the course of history, and yet are still prevalent today. Vivian referred to King as a "prophet for the age" because his actions have as much meaning today as they did then. Even before that famous speech on April 4, 1967, King's actions changed the course of institutions like religion, law and education as the country knew them, he said. On that day, King not only spoke out against the war in Vietnam, but he also explained how to end it and when to get out, Vivian said. He explained what the American people as well as the government needed to do. Vivian said the such content made it "as great as any speech he gave or better." But it had dire consequences. For someone like King to come out publicly against the war, Vivian said it put King's own life in jeopardy. Not only did it sever his ties with President Lyndon B. Johnson, but also with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Vivian said he had no support in the south after that day. "He was set up for being murdered right there. But he knew it when he did," Vivian said. King was assassinated exactly a year after making that speech on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tenn. Vivian even associated King's words to the current situation in Iraq, calling for an end to the violence and a date to bring troops home. The country hasn't learned enough from the social and moral changes King demanded to have a free society for all, Vivian said. We are just repeating the same mistakes.
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Area one of fastest growing 04/05/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Jennifer Foster		Return to Top
A new U.S. Census Bureau report ranks the Auburn-Opelika area 89th among the top 100 fastest-growing metro areas in America. In the period between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2006, Auburn-Opelika gained 10,689 residents - a growth of 9.3 percent, according to the population estimates released this week. Huntsville was the only other Alabama city to appear in the top 100, registering a 10 percent growth rate and coming in at No. 83. Local officials say the news reflects positively on the area. "Wow," Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said when notified of the report. "What fuels this (growth) are good paying jobs and all of the industry and manufacturing and the opportunities that there are for people to be employed. People will move for good jobs and for opportunities, and I think that is one of the things that has happened. "I'm excited about that." Growth in Opelika remains steady, Fuller said, noting that in the coming months, his city has a chance to break its record, not yet a year old, for the number of new homes built in a fiscal year. Auburn Mayor Bill Ham echoed Fuller's delight with the report but attributed Auburn's continued growth, currently paced at about 2,000 residents per year, to residents' satisfaction with city services. Ham called the city's annual citizen survey, released this week, "very telling." "There's a tremendous amount of information in there ... the overwhelming numbers are very positive," Ham said. "The quality of life and schools are still very, very big issues." Ham said the positive reviews Auburn consistently draws in the citizen survey show that the rate of the city's growth has not negatively impacted residents' quality of life. "Nearly all the numbers, across the board, were more positive than they were the previous year," Ham said. "I would have a concern if they were going in the opposite direction." Fuller and Ham agreed that the spoils of growth, such as increased tax revenue and expanding retail opportunities, come with their own challenges - especially in ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with residential growth. "We don't want to outrun our infrastructure," Fuller said, noting as an example Opelika's recent expansion of its Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant. That plant, he said, was reaching capacity, and the expansion project will allow it to serve an 1,100-home development planned at National Village. "We work at it every day," Fuller said. "We're a long way from being at the tipping point, but we've got to be conscious of it, and we are." Ham said as growth continues, cooperation between Auburn and Opelika, especially on transportation issues, will be key for both cities. It is fortunate, he said, that Auburn and Opelika enjoy a good working relationship and cooperate on many projects, including public safety issues, the Auburn-Opelika Robert G. Pitts Airport and workforce development, among others. "We're essentially joined at the hip in so many ways," Ham said. "A healthy working relationship with Opelika is vitally important." Auburn City Manager Charlie Duggan agreed, saying that municipal officials share a desire to explore "areas of cooperation" that have the potential to make government services more efficient. "Under the current climate right now, among Auburn, Auburn University, Opelika and Lee County, I think we have as much political cooperation as has ever been enjoyed here before," he said. "We do compete, and I don't see that changing, because we each want what's best for our cities. Where we go head-to-head, we're going to fairly compete. But where we can combine, I think the willingness is there."
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EBSCO Industries has pledged $2 million to Auburn 04/05/2007 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Larry Gierer		Return to Top
EBSCO Industries has pledged $2 million to Auburn BY LARRY GIERER Staff Writer University's "It Begins At Auburn" campaign. The Auburn libraries will receive $1.5 million and other parts of the university will receive the rest. A portion of the gift will support the program to digitize unique and rare collections in the library. The College of Business will receive $300,0000 to establish the EBSCO Industries Inc. endowed professorship. The School of Forestry and Wildlife Services will get $75,000 for research programs and the athletics department will get $125,000. The "It Begins At Auburn" campaign is a $500 million fund raiser.
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Brown went from pigs to prizes 04/05/2007 Montgomery Advertiser Alvin Benn		Return to Top
This story features former AU journalism department head Jerry Brown as one of five to receive the 2007 Distinguished Auburn University Alumnus Award. AUBURN -- As Jerry Brown grew up slopping hogs on the family farm, he never dreamed he would make a national reputation with his words. His true calling took root on a hot summer day in 1964 when he and his dad were fanning themselves on the porch of the family farmhouse in Choctaw County. When the letter carrier deposited the day's mail in a box near the porch, the Auburn University agricultural science student went to see what was inside. It was a $25 check from Progressive Farmer magazine for an article he had written about his transition from farming to college. "My dad had been fanning himself with his hat, and I waved the check at him," said Brown, with a laugh. "He took one look at it and said 'Son, go into that line of work. If you can walk to the mailbox and pick up $25, it beats working in the hot sun.'" Brown took his dad's advice, not that he needed much prodding. All he had to do was remember those hogs and all that went with them. He had already been writing about intramural sports at Auburn and loved it. It wasn't long before he became a journalism student. During the past four decades, Brown has compiled an enviable resume of journalistic achievements -- including stints as a reporter, editor, teacher, department head and author. Since 1999, Brown has been dean of the University of Montana's School of Journalism, which recently opened a $13 million building. It's due, in great part, to his leadership. He will receive another award Friday, this one from his alma mater which hasn't forgotten all the positive things he did during his 20 years at Auburn, especially as head of the AU Department of Journalism. Brown, 61, will receive the 2007 Distinguished Auburn University Alumnus Award during a ceremony at the AU Hotel and Conference Center. He's one of five journalists to be honored by the AU Journalism Advisory Council and his joy was evident during a telephone interview earlier this week from his office in Missoula, Mt. "This means a lot to me because I could not have succeeded at the University of Montana without my training at Auburn," said Brown, who is married and the father of two daughters. Jack Simms, one of Brown's Auburn mentors, will introduce him at the luncheon today. He's not surprised by the award. "I've always called Jerry an educator," said Simms, former head of the AU Department of Journalism. "He has a basic inquisitiveness that is necessary for a journalist, not to mention a very good mind." Inquisitiveness and scholarly pursuits have led Brown on a circuitous route through the country after getting his bachelor's degree in journalism at Auburn in 1967. He got his master's degree in creative writing at Hollins College in Virginia, followed by a doctorate in English at Vanderbilt University. After that came a fellowship at Dartmouth College. The Ivy League is a long way from Clarke County, where his family lived prior to moving to Choctaw County. Be fore wanderlust got the best of him, he was just a country boy seeking adventure. His first real exposure to journalism was at the age of 11 when he wound up in the Clarke County Democrat -- holding up a huge timber rattler. Young Jerry stumbled onto it while hunting pesky crows. His dad had given him a pump-action rifle and assigned him to plug a few. Jerry decided to play John Wayne and began crawling along a dirt road, pulling himself forward inch by inch. He was playing the Duke in "Sands of Iwo Jima" and was about to surprise the "enemy." The snake surprised him first, but Jerry kept his wits about him and began firing his rifle until the rattler looked like Swiss cheese. His reward was a photo in the local paper, showing him stretching his right arm as high as it could go. The snake still touched the ground. "I was full of bravado by then," he said. "My fear was gone." Alvin Benn writes about people and places in central and south Alabama. If you have suggestions for a story, contact him at (334) 875-3249 or e-mail him at benn8071@bellsouth.net.
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Waterfront access critical to Gulf Coast living 04/04/2007 Press-Register Online		Return to Top
AU is participating in this effort to ensure that a sustainable working waterfront is maintained along the Gulf Coast. Transportation, recreation, commercial fishing: no matter how you look at it, water, and access to it, is an integral part of our lives along the Gulf Coast. The livelihood of some, such as oystermen, boat makers and charter fishermen, rely on ready access to the water. The market for waterfront residential property is as popular as ever, however, putting increasing pressure on the land available for open waterfront access. Other states have experience with this issue. Maine, Florida and Connecticut have all taken measures to ensure that access to their waterfronts remains for those who depend on it. In some cases, such as with the city of Orange Beach, land or marinas have been purchased by governments for this purpose. In addition, Senate Bill 741 has been introduced in Congress. This bill, if approved, would provide states with funds to purchase property or interest in property to provide access for commercial fishing and the aquaculture industry. In coastal Alabama, a group of concerned stakeholders, representing interests in commercial and charter fishing, tourism, boat building, retail business, seafood processing and real estate, have formed the Alabama Working Waterfront Coalition. The goal of the group is to maintain a sustainable working waterfront. In partnership with Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, the AWWC has contracted with Auburn University to conduct an inventory of the working waterfront in Mobile County. This will serve as a baseline for the waterfront as well as an educational tool. A growing community is one of balances and compromises. It is up to the members of communities along the Gulf Coast to set its own priorities regarding working waterfronts. Efforts should be made to ensure that all parties and economic interests -- recreational, commercial and residential -- have the access they need to our waterways. (Jody A. Thompson is an environmental extension assistant at Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center. Sea Grant writers may be contacted at 438-5690.)
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Alabama Transportation Conference Held In Auburn 04/02/2007 ACP Steve Hudson, Dixie Contractor		Return to Top
Contractors, designers, ALDOT representatives, and other industry representatives from across Alabama gathered at Auburn University recently for the 50th annual Alabama Transportation Conference. More than 650 highway contractors, engineers, Alabama DOT personnel, and other industry representatives gathered in Auburn, Ala., recently for the 50th Annual Transportation Conference. The conference, held at Auburn University, featured a wide variety of technical sessions, plus presentations by the Alabama Governor Bob Riley and by Alabama DOT Director Joe McInnes. The event also included "Career Night 2007," hosted by the Auburn University student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The conference general session was moderated by Dr. Frazier Parker, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University. Sponsors of the conference included the Alabama Department of Transportation; Auburn University; Federal Highway Administration; Alabama Road Builders Association; Alabama Asphalt Pavement Association; Alabama Concrete Industries Association; Association of County Engineers of Alabama; Institute of Transportation Engineers, Alabama Section; American Concrete Pavement Association; Southeast Chapter; American Council of Engineering Companies of Alabama; Bridge Construction Association of Alabama; Alabama Concrete Pipe Association; and the Alabama Section, ASCE. The Governor's Perspective A highlight of the general session was a presentation by Alabama Governor Bob Riley. Riley noted that his goal when taking office was to surround himself with "people who have no political agenda but want to do what's right for the state of Alabama," adding that where road money is concerned, "we don't have the luxury to play politics again. "I hope we can get to the point where we never take political solutions and put them in the Department of Transportation," he said. "For 40 years we have done that," Riley continued. "We've started roads all over the state of Alabama for a vote here and a vote there." But he added that such a strategy "will cost us in the end" because "when we've done that we've taken away the ability of the DOT to have a strategic plan. "As long as I'm governor," he said, "we're going to continue the policy of doing what's right for the state of Alabama, and if it costs me in the political arena, so be it." Riley noted that Alabama is poised to enjoy some significant growth. "But that creates some challenges," Riley said, adding that the state must "make sure that we don't limit our ability to be successful." He said that "two things could limit our ability to be successful," one of them being manpower. "But the second is lack of access," he said. "We'd better not ever tell [new industries] that we can't give them access to an interstate," he said, because in that case everything "comes to a halt." In the future, Riley said, the state's transportation industry will face even more demands — and to build those projects, he said, "We are going to have to think out of the box, and we are going have to be more creative than we've ever been. "The first thing we're going to do is to continue to operate the Department of Transportation the way it needs to be operated," he said. Additionally, he said, future factors will include "public-private partnerships, total private operations [and] toll roads. "If we can start looking at more private and public investment," he said, "there is no reason we cannot have a multiplier effect for what we're going to be spending for the next 10 years. "But if we continue to do things like we've been doing them," he said, "I can promise you we're going to limit our success." Riley said that the state's legislators should "forget whether you're a Republican or a Democrat. If we can get two years where everyone will do what's best for the state, you're going to see Alabama transform itself." He continued, "We absolutely are at the cusp of not only leading the South but also leading the nation. All we've got to do is take advantage of it. Very few states ever have the ability to make decisions like we have to make today." He concluded, "We're going to build a lot of roads and lot of bridges, and we're going to allow Alabama to be as great as it can be." Special Presentations Another conference highlight was a presentation by Joe McInnes, director of the Alabama Department of Transportation. "We ended another fiscal year with a record letting," McInnes said, noting that this is "the third consecutive year for all-time record lettings." He added, "We set those records without significant increases in funding." McInnes said that the focus will remain on "closing the gaps" in Alabama's transportation system, with an emphasis on safety, on looking at what is needed versus what people want, and on "remembering the economic impact of everything we do." "Our three priorities remain the same," he said. John Bobo, acting administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovative Technology Administration, rounded out the general session presentations. "I came to you today to ask for your help in coming up with ideas for the future of transportation," he said. Bobo noted three challenges facing transportation today, including financing, system performance and technology, and he went on to discuss how each may impact the transportation picture of the future. "That's why these conferences are so important," he said, "to find out what works." The program also featured a presentation by Merrill Eisenhower Atwater, great-grandson of President Dwight David Eisenhower. Atwater spoke on "President Eisenhower and the Interstate System." "Ike understood the importance of roads," Atwater said. Atwater discussed the development of the Interstate System and also commented on what may lie ahead. "What's the future of the highway system?" he asked, noting that there are three factors he believes will be significant in the years to come. These include the use of tunnels, the impact of the trucking industry, and toll roads, privatization and other approaches to funding. "I know my great-grandfather would be very, very proud of what we have accomplished, and my challenge is to look to the future." The conference program also included a presentation by Mark J. Bloschock of the Texas Department of Transportation, Austin, Texas. In his remarks, Bloschock focused on the topic of highway and wildlife interaction, with particular attention to "Bats and Bridges." Technical Sessions Conference participants enjoyed a full complement of technical sessions spotlighting a variety of topics. The "Construction" block included sessions on "Emergency Response to Katrina Damage: NS & CSX Railroad Bridges," presented by Ike Scott and Chuck Davis, Scott Bridge Company, Opelika, Ala.; "John James Audobon Bridge: Louisiana DOTD's First Major Design Build Project," presented by Greg H. Schafer, Audubon Bridge Constructors, New Roads, La.; and "Repaving the Talladega Motor Speedway," presented by Brian Prowell, National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. These sessions were presided over by Renee Casillas, executive director of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Alabama. "Transportation Safety" presentations, presided over by David Turner, president, ITE Alabama Section, Tuscaloosa, Ala., included "Guidelines for Pedestrian Crossing Treatment: Results from TCRP/NCHRP Project on Improving Pedestrian Safety at Unsignalized Crossings," presented by Kay Fitzpatrick, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas; "High Tension Cable Guardrail in Alabama," presented by Steve Walker, ALDOT, Montgomery, Ala.; and "Low Cost Local Road Safety Solutions," presented by Melisa D. Finley, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas. William F. Conway, bridge engineer, ALDOT, Montgomery, presided over the "Bridges" sessions. Topics included "Bridge Vulnerability to Terrorist Threats," presented by James C. Ray, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Miss.; "Innovative Applications of High Performance Steel in Highway Bridge Design," presented by Hassan H. Abbas, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.; and "Hurricane Surge Wave Forces on Deck-Girder Bridges and Design/Retrofit Options For These Forces," presented by G. Ed Ramey, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. The "Transportation" sessions, presided over by Bill Carwile, ARCADIS, Montgomery, Ala., included "New Directions in Urban Street Design," presented by R. Marshall Elizer Jr., of Gresham, Smith and Partners, Nashville, Tenn.; "Rational Speed Limit — Is It Real? Can It Work?" presented by Brian Park, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.; and "Personal Protective Equipment In Highway Construction," presented by Wesley C. Zech, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. "Asphalt Pavements" presentations, presided over by Larry Lockett, materials and test engineer, ALDOT, Montgomery, Ala., included "Perpetual Pavements In China," presented by David Timm, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.; "2006 Track Research and Construction," presented by Buzz Powell, National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.; and "A Study of High RAP Content HMA," presented by Randy West, National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. The "Surveying" sessions, moderated by Philip Widner, president of the Association of County Engineers, Cullman, Ala., included "New National Geodetic Survey Adjustments of NAD 1983," presented by Milton Denny, Denny Enterprise, LLC, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; "GPS CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations) In Alabama," presented by John D. Russell, ALDOT, Montgomery, Ala.; and "CORS Benefits In The Private Sector," presented by Thomas Brooks Jr., Brooks & Brooks, Inc., Northport, Ala. Sessions focusing on "ALDOT Projects" were moderated by Don Arkle, assistant chief engineer for policy and planning, ALDOT, Montgomery, Ala., and included "Environmental Studies For A New Mobile River Bridge," presented by Nathaniel "Skeeter" McClure, Volkert and Associates, Inc., Mobile, Ala.; "I-85 Extension Corridor Study," presented by Paul Griggs, Volkert and Associates, Inc., Mobile, Ala.; and "Overview of Birmingham Northern Beltway Studies," presented by David Welch, ALDOT, Montgomery, Ala. The "Concrete" presentations, moderated by Butch Wyatt, masonry director, Alabama Concrete Industries Association, Montgomery, Ala., included "Rapid Bridge Deck Replacement Strategies In Utah," presented by James McMinimee, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City, Utah; "Lightweight Concrete For Bridges," presented by Reid W. Castrodale, Carolina Stalite Company, Salisbury, N.C.; and "Self-Consolidating Concrete For Transportation Structures," presented by Anton K. Schindler, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. Next year's conference, the 2008 51st Annual Transportation Conference, is scheduled to be held Feb. 20–21, 2008, again at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center.
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