It's down to just three Dauphin Island west end homeowners. These last three holdouts are the only remaining obstacles to work beginning on the berm.
These remaining three property owners are holding up construction of a new $4 million wall of sand, a berm, which would run approximately 4 miles along the Dauphin Island beach front, protecting over 500 west end Dauphin Island vacation homes. The federally funded berm is intended to reduce Gulf flooding on Dauphin Island's west-end beach.
Why are these property owners holding up progress? According to an article in the Mobile Register (see link below), one of them is still upset that a previous berm washed away by Isidore in 2002 left "several feet" of sand under his house which his insurance company declined to remove.
Island resident Jim Hartman said he's one of the holdouts. He said he's refused to sign an entry agreement because Isidore's storm surge spread the sand of the last berm across the island, leaving sand several feet deep under his house and over his lot. His insurance company refused to pay to remove the sand because the incident "was not nature's work but was man-made," Hartman said.
January has begun. With the turning of the new calendar year Alabama's snowbird season officially opens all along our Dauphin Island beaches.
Snowbirds are winter season vacationers to the Alabama Gulf Coast, retirees from cooler northern states like Michigan and Wisconsin. They come to vacation on the Dauphin Island beaches during the cold winter months of January and February and March.
Remember the stories last summer and early fall about the TV show "Antiques Roadshow" visiting Dauphin Island?
TV film crew visits Dauphin Island
Antiques Roadshow visits Dauphin Island
Film crews from the show visited Mobile and Dauphin Island, and captured a wealth of material from the floor of Mobile's convention center, where about 5000 people brought in heirlooms to be appraised by the show's experts. During their visit to Mobile, the "Antiques Roadshow" crews visited Dauphin Island's Audubon Bird Sanctuary to capture some of Dauphin Island's unique beauty.
The producers of the "Antiques Roadshow" series have turned that visit into three episodes which will be shown on local TV beginning in March. Look for them to air on PBS over three consecutive Monday nights beginning March 26.
Dauphin Island's sand dunes will get a nice belated Christmas gift this season - recycled Christmas trees.
Mobile County residents will be dropping off their Christmas trees at several drop off points around the Mobile area. The collected trees will then be brought to Dauphin Island where they will be used to help strengthen and replenish the sand dunes along the island.
Keep Mobile Beautiful is the organization behind the plan. They usually collect the trees and mulch them; but this year they are working with the Town of Dauphin Island on this new and innovative beach restoration opportunity.
Dear Neighbors,
Many islanders have experienced losses in the past two years from which are still recovering. On Wednesday evening, one island family has experienced a second devastating loss in a little more than a month, made all the more tragic because of the time of year of its occurence. Below is an article in this morning's Press Register with the details. At the end of the article is information about what you can do to help if you are able. Thank you.
In the spirit of the season,
Island Watch
To help, send donations to: For the Benefit of the Janet Sweetser Family, care of Bay Bank, 640 LeMoyne Drive, Dauphin Island, AL 36528. For information, call Dauphin Island Town Hall at 861-5525, ext. 23