Congratulations to Callie Walker, Miss Point Mallard’s Outstanding Teen, on being crowned Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen 2012! She will represent our state in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant in Orlando, Fla., August 14-18. Callie also won a preliminary physical fitness award.

Thirty-eight contestants from throughout Alabama were part of the 10^th annual competition held March 3-4 in Sylacauga.

First runner-up was Miss Tuscaloosa’s Outstanding Teen, Hannah Brown of Tuscaloosa. Second runner-up was Miss Rocket City’s Outstanding Teen, Bria Kalpen of Phenix City. Third runner-up was Caroline Pettey of Decatur, Miss Tennessee Valley’s Outstanding Teen. Fourth runner-up was Madge Ellis of Sylacauga, Miss Talladega County’s Outstanding Teen.

Miss Jefferson County’s Outstanding Teen, Susanna Bagwell of Birmingham – who was Miss Point Mallard’s Outstanding Teen 2010 – was a Top 10 finalist.

The Decatur Daily
Editorial

Decatur had the privilege Monday of publicly honoring some of the many soldiers who have risked their lives to defend our nation.

Joe Bongiovanni of Decatur received the Spirit of America Humanitarian Award. An Italian immigrant who’s now general manager of Serra Toyota, Bongiovanni is a Vietnam veteran who volunteered to lead a U.S. Marine Corps combat squad. While his military service was outstanding, he received the award for his efforts to support service men and women returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank Libutti of Huntsville received the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award. The Vietnam veteran earned a Silver Star and three Purple Hearts for his involvement in a perilous action in which 130 Marines battled 3,000 North Vietnamese troops. Libutti carried the dead and wounded to tanks despite constant enemy fire, demonstrating the harsh truth behind the Marine slogan, “Leave no one behind.”

Ret. Col. Terry Thomas and Sgt. Major John and Brenda Perry also received awards for their distinguished service.

Most of us consider ourselves patriots. We love our country. We vote, engage in debate designed to improve our nation, volunteer for community service and fly our flag.

Few of us, however, have had to measure the extent of our patriotism against the brutal measuring stick of combat. Would we die for our country? Would we risk all to serve our nation in an unpopular war?

Bongiovanni and Libutti demonstrated the extreme patriotism and bravery that has protected the greatest democracy on Earth. Like those honored Sunday, thousands of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan must wonder every day whether they will live to see tomorrow. They also must face the mundane aspects of courage that don’t get mentioned in award ceremonies: the sweat and dirt and heat, the tedium and homesickness, the fear of friends who may turn out to be enemies, the long stretches without sleep. And many must deal with a haunting emotional burden that follows them home.

These men and women are putting it all on the line to support the United States of America. We owe them not just our gratitude, but our promise that we will do what we can to make sure our nation remains worthy of their sacrifice.

Daily photos by Jeronimo Nisa - Miss Point Mallard 2011 Meredith Ervin.

The Decatur Daily
By Evan Belanger

For the second time, Meredith Ervin of Huntsville claimed the Miss Point Mallard title at the Spirit of America Festival in Decatur on Monday.

The 23-year-old, who also won in 2009, is only the third repeat winner in the scholarship pageant’s 41-year history.

Calling the win “an unbelievable honor,” Ervin said she will continue her work with Protecting You/Protecting Me. The Mothers Against Drunk Driving initiative strives to prevent alcohol and drug abuse through educational programs geared toward school-aged children.

After her last win, Ervin filmed television commercials for the initiative that aired in 150 cities. She said she hopes to continue the ad campaign and form a partnership with the local mental health association.

A graduate of Birmingham-Southern University with a degree in dance, Ervin also won the talent portion of the pageant with her ballet performance, and she won the evening wear competition.

Miss Point Mallard 2011 Meredith Ervin is crowned by the 2010 winner Haley Bagwell on Monday.

The daughter of Huntsville residents Norm and Debbie Ervin, she takes home a $5,600 scholarship, and will go on to compete for Miss Alabama in June. The winner of that contest will compete in Miss America next year in Las Vegas.

“This is such a giving community as evidenced by the amount of scholarship money that was raised,” Ervin said after accepting the title. “Being able represent this community for another year is just an unbelievable honor.”

First runner-up and winner of the swimsuit competition was Sydnii Todd, a 21-year-old broadcast journalism major at Troy University. She took home a $1,400 scholarship.

Second runner-up and Miss Congeniality winner was Carly Evans, 20, of Pratville. She took a $1,200 scholarship as she continues her nursing studies at the University of Alabama.

Miss Point Mallard 2011 Meredith Ervin, left, embraces her father, Norman Ervin.

Third runner-up was Julie Meeks, 21, of Tuscaloosa. A telecommunications major at the University of Alabama, she won a $950 scholarship. And Caitlin Guffin, 23, of Auburn, took fourth runner-up and $750 scholarship as she continues her public relations studies at Auburn University.

Winning the community-service award was Jamie Brooks, 21, of Clay. A student at the University of North Alabama, she is studying public relations.

In all, $10,000 in scholarships were awarded during the pageant.

The Decatur Daily
by Evan Belanger

Spirit of America Festival pays homage to heroes among us

Daily photos by Jeronimo Nisa - Spectators watch Monday night’s Fourth of July fireworks display at the 45th-annual Spirit of America Festival at Decatur’s Point Mallard Park.

With multiple awards to his name for heroism in the face of grave danger, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank Libutti humbly accepted another honor Monday — this one named for a childhood hero.

Libutti is the 2011 recipient of the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award, presented during the 45th-annual Spirit of America Festival at Point Mallard Park.

The annual award bears the name of its first recipient, Murphy, the most decorated serviceman of World War II.

He died in a plane crash before he could accept the award at the first Spirit festival in 1967.

“He represented all that is great about this country,” Libutti said. “He was a great hero and a great American.”

Libutti, a Vietnam veteran, who lives in Huntsville, is no stranger to heroic acts.

Audie Murphy Award recipient, retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank Libutti, at Monday night’s ceremony.

He earned a Silver Star and three Purple Hearts for his service in a dangerous action involving 130 overwhelmed Marines battling some 3,000 North Vietnamese troops.

Despite withering enemy fire — Libutti was wounded three times during the engagement — he continued carrying dead and wounded Marines to awaiting tanks, taking steps to ensure they did not withdraw before all had been extracted.

Libutti, who says the real heroes are those who did not come home, continues his heroic work today, coordinating fundraisers to provide weekend entertainment for wounded veterans.

Following the Sept. 11 terror attacks, he also served as New York City’s deputy police commander over the Counter Terrorism Bureau and later was undersecretary of information analysis and infrastructure protection for the Department of Homeland Security.

In accepting the award, Libutti stressed the vision and sacrifice made by so many Americans to form the country he called the greatest democracy on earth.

“Americans are our country. You are America,” he told hundreds of people in the audience at Spirit Field.

Other awards presented Monday were as follows:

John and Brenda Perry were presented the new Support for Military Families Award at the Independence Day ceremony. Subsequent awards will bear their name.

• Command Sgt. Maj. John and Brenda Perry Support for Military Families Award: Recipients John and Brenda Perry serve more than 140 families with loved ones overseas. The Perrys are volunteer leaders for a family readiness group serving a deployed combat engineering unit.

In their work, they regularly organize farewell and welcome-home ceremonies, inform family members of war developments and arrange teleconferences between soldiers and spouses. With their son, Chad, deployed with the unit, their work takes on a deeply personal meaning.

The award will forever bear their name as its first recipients, though they say there are hundreds more involved in their work.

“We are only the tip of the iceberg,” John Perry said.

Retired Army National Guard Col. Terry Thomas, right is presented the Barrett C. Shelton Freedom Award at Monday night’s ceremony from Maj. Gen. Troy Oliver. Oliver is a former commander of the Decatur-based 142nd Signal Brigade Guard unit, and mayor of Russellville.

• Barrett C. Shelton Sr. Freedom Award: After coordinating the deployment of 2,000 U.S. troops to Iraq in 2004, Ret. Col. Terry Thomas volunteered to deploy himself to the war-torn country.
• At the request of a friend who was still serving, Thomas shipped overseas to coordinate communications in Kuwait and Baghdad.

“At some point, you’ve got to look inside yourself and say, ‘You know, I sent 2,000 people over there, but I haven’t been myself.’ It makes you feel better running into them on the street and they know you’ve been to the same places you have.”

During his 29-year military career with the U.S. Air Force and Alabama Army National Guard, he earned the Silver Order of Mercury, the U.S. Army Signal Corps’ highest honor.

He also coordinated warfare training in South Korea during the 1980s.

Joe Bongiovanni of Decatur, Humanitarian Award winner, on the Spirit stage Monday night.

• Spirit of America Humanitarian Award: A Vietnam War veteran who volunteered to lead a U.S. Marine Corps combat squad, Joe Bongiovanni continues his support of the military and its personnel today. As chairman of Semper Fi Community Task Force, he works to improve the morale of service men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

And, as general manager of Serra Toyota in Decatur, he is also a major contributor to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and numerous other charities. Bongiovanni immigrated to America from Italy at the age of 11 and became interested in the Marine Corps while learning U.S. history.

While accepting his award, Bongiovanni told the crowd his greatest gift in life was becoming an American citizen in 1974.

“It is the greatest country in the world and it is the greatest gift we’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m so proud to be an American and I’m proud to be a Marine.”

The Decatur Daily
by Jason Lankford

Courtesy Photo - Retired Col. Terry Thomas will be honored tonight.

Coordinating the deployment of 2,000 troops from three National Guard battalions is no small task, but for Col. Terry Thomas, it was just part of his duty to his country.

Thomas made sure the guardsmen were medically fit and in top condition before their 2004 deployment to the Persian Gulf, and stepped in to help soldiers’ families while their loved ones were overseas.

For his efforts, Thomas will receive the Barrett C. Shelton Freedom Award tonight during the Spirit of America Festival at Point Mallard.

After the guardsmen returned home after a year’s deployment, Thomas was preparing to retire after 29 years of military service. At the request of a friend serving in Kuwait, though, he volunteered to go overseas to coordinate communications in Kuwait and Bagdad.

“At some point you’ve got to look inside yourself and say, ‘You know, I sent 2,000 people over there, but I haven’t been myself,’ ” Thomas said. “It makes you feel better running into them on the street and they know you’ve been to the same places they have.”

Life in Iraq

Thomas said life in Iraq was far different than what he was used to, but some things were virtually the same.

“It was really interesting that there was a war going on, but you would see (families) out there working in a field just like you would see here in Alabama,” Thomas said.

“They were just going on with their lives. A few bad guys ruined it for everybody else.”

Thomas was born on Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, where his father was stationed. Like many children of military personnel, he moved around to different places, ultimately ending up in Texas, where he finished high school.

He started his military career in the Air Force in 1976. Ironically, he said, his first assignment was as a clerk in the same hospital where he was born. He transferred to the Army National Guard two years later, attending the Alabama Military Academy, where he became a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps upon graduation.

Thomas became an administrative officer for the Alabama National Guard, serving in several posts in North Alabama.

During the 1980s, he coordinated warfare training at a military base in South Korea.

He earned several honors during his career, including the Silver Order of Mercury, the Signal Corps’ highest medal for officers.

Most satisfaction

The award that brought the most satisfaction, however, was the Alabama Commendation Medal he received for mobilizing National Guard members to help people who had lost power and water in Lauderdale County during an ice storm, he said.

“That one means a lot to me,” Thomas said. “It’s the things you do for your own community that really matter.”

Thomas retired in 2006, then asked himself, “What do I do now?”

He became a JROTC instructor at Albertville High School, providing students with an introduction to the military, offering guidance and being there to help resolve problems at home.

Thomas said he can relate to the challenges many students face.

“It’s hard being a kid in 10th grade and trying to figure out what you want to do with your life,” Thomas said.

“I’ve got years of life experience I can share with the young ones, and if it makes a difference in even one kid’s life, then it’s worth it.”

The Decatur Daily
By Jason Lankford

Courtesy Photo - John and Brenda Perry will be honored for their efforts as Family Readiness Group leaders.

The war in Afghanistan took on a deeply personal meaning for John and Brenda Perry when they volunteered to be Family Readiness Group leaders for the combat engineering unit their son Chad was deployed with over there.

The husband-and-wife team reached out to more than 140 families with loved ones overseas — organizing farewell and welcome-home ceremonies, keeping them informed about war developments, and organizing teleconferences between soldiers and spouses.

“The spouses and parents were really appreciative of what we were doing,” said John Perry, then a command sergeant major in the Army Reserves. “It was a very emotional time for the families, and we could relate. They could look at us and know that we were sincere, and not just mouthing the words.”

The Perrys have been named recipients of the Spirit of America Festival’s inaugural Support for Military Families Award, and future awards will be named in their honor.

“They have been on the key front of critical and charitable programs for families since day one of the war,” said Spirit of America Festival Committee Chairman David Carney. “They are leaders in the North Alabama area.”

John Perry said he and his wife are “just the tip of the iceberg” of many people who made a difference in the lives of soldiers and their families.

John Perry, a Vietnam War-era veteran, was drafted in 1970 to serve in West Germany as part of the Pershing Missile Operation, the first line of defense against a potential Soviet invasion of Western Europe.

It was a time when being a soldier was unpopular, he said, and returning veterans were met with suspicion or outright abuse.

“Those of us from the Vietnam era don’t want to see our sons and daughters get the same treatment,” he said. “We need them to feel like their sacrifice was worth it. We want to make them feel like heroes.”

John Perry said the war in Afghanistan brought the local veteran community much closer together, and the bond he has with his own family was strengthened.

“It made us closer and made our faith stronger,” Brenda said. “It made me realize you don’t fuss and argue about small stuff. It put a lot of things in perspective.”

A Connecticut native, John Perry was on active duty for seven years, spending half of that time in Germany.

After he returned from Germany he was stationed at Redstone Arsenal, and earned an electrical engineering degree. He joined the Army Reserves and was assigned to a chemical unit.

He met Brenda, an Alabama native from Skyline, while both worked at Chrysler in Huntsville.

John Perry said he was apprehensive about what Brenda’s father, a World War II veteran, would think about her dating a “Connecticut yankee,” but his veteran’s status scored points with the patriarch.

The two have been married 22 years.

Since retiring three years ago, John Perry has been very active in the Family Readiness Group and other service organizations. He said he may actually be busier now than he ever was before.

The couple helped the city of Madison start the Holiday Cheer Brigade, putting together gift packages to send to deployed soldiers and their families at Christmas.

They also helped other veterans to start Operation Christmas Bear, a holiday party for the children of soldiers.

“They’re a group of people who just do wonders,” Brenda said. “It’s not a hit-and-miss thing. It’s a really organized, good quality show of community support for the families to let them know we really appreciate their sacrifices.”

The Decatur Daily

Fireworks mean more than simply sparkles; displays will honor anniversaries: 50th for Vietnam, 10th for Sept. 11

Daily file photo by Gary Cosby Jr. - See the fireworks at the Spirit of America Festival on Monday night about 10. The display will honor the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11.

The red, white and blue of the American flag will adorn jackets, T-shirts, cars and hair bows as revelers celebrate the Fourth of July on Monday. It is a day of fun, food, fireworks and family at the Spirit of America Festival in Decatur. But it is also a day of remembrance.

“This year is the 50th anniversary of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and also the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and we will commemorate that,” said Melinda Dunn, organizer of the festival. “The whole theme of Spirit of America — ‘I Pledge Allegiance’ — is to honor the sacrifice of others.”

A mainstay at Point Mallard Park for 45 years, the festival will feature live entertainment, a children’s bike parade, the Boy Scouts Celebration Area, the Miss Point Mallard, Miss Outstanding Teen and Little Miss pageants, the honoring of war heroes, including a Silver Star Award and Purple Heart recipient, and yes, of course, fireworks.

The 13-minute display, scheduled to begin at 10 p.m., will include patriotic music and radio recordings from an ambush in Vietnam, of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center, a dispatch to 9-1-1 from a fire department and excerpts of speeches by President John F. Kennedy and President George W. Bush.

“I wanted to create something besides the usual boom, boom, boom to music,” said Julianne Lowman, who designed and coordinated the display. “I wanted to really capture what it means to live in America and to honor the military troops serving overseas. It really is very powerful.”

The best spots to view the fireworks: on-site at the park and by boat on the water. Do not, Lowman said, stop by the side of the interstate.

“We create the display specifically with the audience on site in mind,” she said. “When you are physically here, you can hear and feel the concussion of the shells that really places you in the scene. It just adds so much more.”

New to the festival this year is the Lego Adventure Tour.

“They will set up four tents and will have timed competition buildings. It is all very fun and very free,” Dunn said.

For those not able to travel to Point Mallard, check out the Spirit of Athens Fireworks Festival or the Celebration Huntsville show.

The Athens display will kick off at dusk at Athens High School.

In Huntsville, for the first time, Bridge Street Town Centre and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center are partnering to display synchronized shows. The dual shows will start about 8:45 p.m. and last 20 minutes.

Even the organizers are anticipating the lighting up of the night sky with red, pink, yellow, green and blue explosions.

Doug Badia, executive vice president of operations with Bridge Street developer O&S Holdings, called the show “the largest fireworks display I believe the city has ever seen.”

Before the production, revelers can spend the day listening to live music while testing their competitive eating chops with ice cream, watermelon and wings.

The Decatur Daily
By Ronnie Thomas

Joe Bongiovanni didn’t speak English when he arrived at Niagara Falls, N.Y., from his native Sicily as a wide-eyed 11-year-old.

“We only went to fifth grade in the old country, and I had almost finished school when we immigrated to America,” he said. “They put me back in third grade here.”

But in learning the new language, he became as familiar with the Latin phrase — Semper Fidelis — as he did with English terms such as “let’s play ball.”

That’s because Bongiovanni buried himself in history lessons as he moved forward with his reading skills.

He became intrigued with books about World War II and the Korean War, and enamored of the Marine Corps and its abbreviated slogan, Semper Fi — Always Faithful.

“The Marines are the first to fight,” he said. “I was proud of my country, and I wanted to do the right thing and fight for my country.”

Bongiovanni did that as a 19-year-old Marine in Vietnam, serving as a combat squad leader.

He continues to support his country by boosting the morale of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

For that, and for giving back to area residents as well, the Decatur resident will receive the Humanitarian Award on July 4 at the 2011 Spirit of America Festival at Point Mallard Park.

The award is part of a tribute to Vietnam veterans during the 50th anniversary year of the Vietnam War.

“I couldn’t think of a better person than Joe to receive the award,” said Joe Shelley, 64, of Madison, who is vice chairman of the Semper Fi Community Task Force of North Alabama, which Bongiovanni serves as chairman. “He’s modest about his service and one of the most patriotic persons I know. He does a lot in the community that people don’t realize to help our veterans.”

Shelley served as a captain in an artillery battery in the mountains of Da Nang in 1964.

Bob Marshall, 50, of Huntsville is the previous chairman of the task force.

“Joe is a very passionate and great-hearted man,” said Marshall, a former Marine aviator who served from 1983 until 2004, gaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. “He’s never forgotten the sacrifices and the cost of military service in combat. I think he was probably never recognized for that, as so many thousands of Marines, sailors and soldiers serving in Vietnam weren’t, upon their return home. I think that is an indelible memory in the minds of most Vietnam veterans.”

Serra Toyota

And Bongiovanni, 63, general manager of Serra Toyota in Decatur, who also is a major supporter of the annual Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and numerous other charities, said he is fortunate to meet other veterans, dating to World II.

“I believe the greatest generation we have is the young men and women serving now,” said Bongiovanni, who came to Decatur in 2000 from Bradenton, Fla., where he was a partner in a Toyota dealership. “Each generation steps up to the plate, and those serving today are all volunteers.”

He volunteered for Vietnam in 1967 for a 13-month tour that landed him in rat-infested bunkers and some of the most vicious battles of the war, such as the Tet Offensive in late January and early February 1968 and the Battle of Dai Do that May.

He also read newspapers from the states, finding it disturbing that troops didn’t have the support they believed they deserved. That really came to light for the veterans as they returned home, he said, some getting spat upon simply because they answered their country’s call.

Task force member

Determined to avert such treatment for veterans in the future, Bongiovanni became involved with the Semper Fi Community Task Force of North Alabama, established in 2006.

In April 2007, the Marine Corps initiated its first Heroes Week during Veterans Day weekend and brought 17 Wounded Warriors to the area.

In November, more than 60 Wounded Warriors and their spouses will be in North Alabama for a week of activities.

“Battle shock, field fatigue or post traumatic stress syndrome, whatever term you wish to call it, has always been there,” Bongiovanni said. “Seeing all the destruction and buddies being killed and maimed affects the psyche. It’s great that our community turns out to welcome these heroes.”

Eyes of warriors

He said the gratitude is seen in the eyes of warriors such as Lance Cpl. John Hermann of Wisconsin.

“He was so appreciative and thankful for his visit here,” Bongiovanni said. “He sent me his rack (medals). He died twice on the operating table in Iraq. He served another tour there and is now serving in Afghanistan.”

Bongiovanni said he has attended the Spirit of America Festival several times in the past.

“I got to meet heroes then,” he said. “When I was notified I’d be the recipient of this award, I was somewhat surprised. But as it gets closer and it really begins to sink in, I feel really proud and happy. I wish I could share this with the men who served with me.”

He and Denice, his wife of more than 30 years, have two sons, Christopher, 26, of Huntsville, and Jonathan, 22, of Decatur.

The Decatur Daily
By Catherine Godbey

Daily file by Jeronimo Nisa - Miss Point Mallard’s Outstanding Teen 2010 Susanna Bagwell will crown this year’s winner at the pageant Sunday night.

Fourteen singing, clogging, high-kicking and saxophone-playing teens will kick off the 45th annual Spirit of America Festival on Sunday.

While many teenagers will spend the Fourth of July pigging out on barbecue and hanging out with friends, these teen girls registered for Miss Point Mallard’s Outstanding Teen Pageant.

The fourth annual competition, which begins at 7 p.m. on the Spirit of America Stage at Point Mallard Park, will include girls from Oneonta, Pelham, Trussville, Hoover, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Calera, Huntsville, Madison and two representatives from Decatur: Anna Moses and Caroline Pettey. Moses will perform a ballet en pointe and Pettey, a jazz routine.

The winner of the competition will compete for the title of Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen in Sylacauga in March.

Like the Miss Point Mallard Pageant, which is Monday night, the Outstanding Teen Pageant is turning into one of the premier contests, said Barry Sublett, pageant director. The three previous winners of Miss Outstanding Teen — Katie Malone of Trussville, Katie Gilhooly of Decatur, and Susanna Bagwell of Hoover — all placed in the top 12 of the state competition.

“It’s a good entryway for the girls into the bigger pageants,” Sublett said.

Earlier this month Malone competed in the Miss Alabama Pageant as Miss North Jefferson Area and is returning to the Spirit of America stage Monday to compete in the Miss Point Mallard competition.

Based on the theme “Sweet Home Alabama,” the pageant will feature music by Alabama artists, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lionel Richie, Nat King Cole, The Commodores, Percy Sledge and Jimmy Buffett.

Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen 2010 and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen first runner-up Scarlett Walker of Birmingham will serve as mistress of ceremonies. Miss Alabama’s reigning Outstanding Teen Mi’a Callens of Birmingham will make a special appearance.

A five-member judging panel will rate the contestants on talent, private interview, physical fitness, evening gown and onstage question.

Little Miss

The Little Miss Point Mallard competition for girls ages 6 to 12 will be Saturday at 7 p.m. in the T.C. Almon Recreation Center.

Miss Point Mallard’s Outstanding Teen contestants:

• Madison Brown, 14, Calera, tap
• Miranda Cornelius, 15, Oneonta, vocal
• Selena Henderson, 14, Madison, tenor saxophone
• Connie Jo Malone, 16, of Trussville, clog
• Sera Jane McAnally, 13, Decatur, dance
• Mary Ann McDougal, 14, Birmingham, vocal
• Janna Meeks, 14, Tuscaloosa, dance
• Anna Moses, Decatur, ballet en pointe
• Emily O’Rear, 13, of Oneonta, jazz
• Caroline Pettey, 16, Decatur, jazz
• Caitlynn Quintela, 13, Huntsville, ballet en pointe
• Sydney Slaughter, 13, of Pelham, ballet
• Anna Thigpen, 13, of Hoover, jazz
• Callie Walker, Birmingham, ballet en pointe

Have a blast this 4th of July at the 45th Annual Spirit of America Festival held at Point Mallard Park !  This year’s event promises to be filled with all of the food, fun and fireworks that visitors have always enjoyed, as well as incorporate new features that will celebrate American traditions and spirit.  The activities and pageantry associated with this Decatur tradition has garnered the event a significant reputation throughout the Southeast,  with the event being one of the largest FREE 4th of July events in the southeast.  The 2011 Spirit of America theme is “I Pledge Allegiance” and honors those individuals who have demonstrated their pledge to our nation through their service and sacrifice.  It is also a call to action for citizens today to renew their commitment to our country.  As part of the festival, the Spirit of America Festival is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and the 10th Anniversary of 9-11.  The festival is also proud to highlight 2011 as The Year of Alabama Music as designated by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.  The Spirit of America Festival combines meaning, memory and mirth into a two-day event that offers something for the entire family!

Spend your entire 4th of July at Point Mallard Park, as events will be concentrated throughout the day to encourage families to make the Spirit of America Festival their destination for fun on the 4th.   All events open at 12:00 on Monday, July 4.  Decorate your bike, trike, wagon, strollers and wheelchairs and participate in the Children’s Bike Ride to kick-off the day!  See Lady Liberty live as she escorts guests in the bike parade to a Children’s Area that is overflowing with activities this year to include displays, carnival games, inflatable’s, crafts and a children’s entertainment stage with featured entertainment from Lady Liberty.  (Note:  Though there is no charge for entry into the festival,  some activities in the children’s area will require the purchase of a ticket for participation.  All efforts are made to keep these costs low and support the rental of equipment, purchase of supplies, etc.)  Make slime with Sci Quest and enjoy “Dinosaurs” from the Space and Rocket Center  as part of the featured exhibits and activities in the Children’s Area that will entertain and delight your family.   New to the festival this year is LEGO EXPERIENCE TOUR 2011 which brings a highly entertaining, family-friendly experience that consists of multiple interactive experiences, including construction experience with thousands of lego bricks, the DUPLO Experience for children ages 26 and the Challenge Experience where guests can participate in timed challenges that will test creativity and building skills.

Throughout the day, an explosion of music and entertainment will be featured on the Spirit of America stage.  Ellie Claytor, Abrielle Mullins and the U.S. Army Materiel Command Four Star Jazz Orchestra will all perform on the Spirit of America Stage.  Sit down and enjoy some of the best talent found in the Tennessee Valley as you enjoy a variety of food and beverages from the vendors participating in this year’s event.

A highlight of the Spirit of America Festival for 2011 is the participation of  Boy Scouts from the Arrowhead District and their Boy Scout Celebration Area.   Scouts will be encamped near the Children’s Area, and will provide displays and hands-on demonstrations of  typical scouting activities.  Among the many hands-on activities for guests to experience are 2 liter bottle rockets, monkey bridge and hillbilly skis, peddle cars, religious emphasis booth, knot tying, ham radio, pinewood derby, branding station, rocket launch and a raingutter regatta.  Get your Scout passport stamped as you participate and enjoy the many displays that celebrate youth and the perpetuation of American traditions, skills and values. Scouts will also be playing an integral role in activities such as flag-raising ceremonies and the awards program.

It is critical to remind everyone why the festival was created in the first place-to honor heroes, both past, present and future.   A highlight of each Spirit of America Festival is the Awards Ceremony which recognizes outstanding service and sacrifice for country and fellow man.  The festival was created in 1967 during the height of the anti-war sentiment, when local citizens decided to support military personnel serving overseas and honor those who had lost their lives in battle.  In keeping with the patriotic theme,  an awards program  was developed and has resulted in three awards being given each year, the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award, the Barrett C. Shelton Freedom Award and the The Spirit of America Humanitarian Award.  This moving ceremony defines all that is good and true in our country, and is a “must” for families seeking to capture the true meaning of the day.  LtGen Frank Libutti will be the 2011 recipient of the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award for his exceptional and courageous leadership, selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk during the Vietnam War, and a lifetime of patriotic service to the nation.   The Barrett C.  Shelton Freedom Award will be presented to COL Terry A. Thomas for his lifetime of service, outstanding patriotism and military leadership during Operation Iraq Freedom.  The Spirit of America Humanitarian Award will be given to Joseph C. Bongiovanni for his community support and efforts to support and assist military veterans in the Tennessee Valley.  A new award,  The CSM John and Brenda Perry Award for Support to Military Families is being given for the first time in 2011 to CSM John and Brenda Perry for their dedicated service assisting military families whose members serve in our nation’s Armed Forces.    The Awards Ceremony is a fitting reminder that the sacrifices made to ensure our freedoms are not for someone else, it is personal, and is something that touches each of us!  As day moves to evening, the festival atmosphere is heightened, as the stage is set to display poise, intelligence, talent and character during the Miss Point Mallard Pageant.

Celebrating its 41sth year, the Miss Point Mallard Pageant is one of the longest running and most successful pageants within the Miss Alabama system.  It holds the distinction of producing more Top 10 contestants than any other state preliminary.  The pageant was most recently named as the Most Oustanding Pageant in the Miss Alabama system and its director, Barry Sublett, was named Director of the Year in June 2011 by Miss Alabama officials. The pageant is consistently recognized by the Miss Alabama Pageant for Most Prizes Awarded to participants and has also been named Best Open Preliminary.  “Open” means that any young woman between the ages of 17 and 24 who lives in or is a full-time student in Alabama can enter.  “Closed” preliminaries limit participation to a certain city, county or region.   In the late 1960’s, the Miss Point Mallard Scholarship Pageant was added to the Spirit of America Festival line-up.  The pageant is now known as the Miss Point Mallard Pageant and is one of the many preliminary pageants for the Miss America pageant.  The winner of the Miss Point Mallard pageant advances to the Miss Point Mallard pageant along with receiving a variety of scholarship opportunities, gift certificates and prizes.  The reigning Miss Point Mallard is Haley Bagwell, who was just named as 2nd runner-up to Miss Alabama.   In addition to the Miss Point Mallard Pageant, young women can gain pageant experience and exposure by competing in the Little Miss Point Mallard Pageant, open to girls ages 6-11, and the Miss Teen Point Mallard Pageant, featuring outstanding young women in the 13-17 age category.  For more information on the pageants or to learn more about entering, please contact Barry Sublett at 256-318-5945 or visit the festival website.

What would the 4th of July be without fireworks?  The fireworks display at the 2011 festival will be one that delights and dazzle as the night sky is lit up and embers reflect over the beautiful Tennessee River.  The fireworks theme will be “I Pledge Allegiance” and will be accompanied by a musical soundtrack that will make you smile and perhaps bring a tear to your eye, as we celebrate our pride in America, our love for the State of Alabama, and the special place that we call home-Decatur!

For more information on the 2011 Spirit of America Festival, please visit the festival website at  www.spiritofamericafestival.com or call the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 256-350-2028 or 800-524-6181.