Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL—Each day gets better on Alabama’s Gulf Coast as recovery from Hurricane Ivan continues.
Herb Malone, president/CEO of the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau (AGCCVB) announced 95 percent of area accommodations will reopen.
Most of the 5 percent not reopening were already scheduled for demolition with new units planned for their space.
Many businesses have reopened and others are not far behind. Restaurants are serving delicious fare and folks are enjoying the diversity of their menus.
The famous and much-loved Flora-Bama says they are “battered but not broken” and will be back again soon.
Although the October Fishing Rodeo has been cancelled, the Orange Beach Fishing Association reports its fleet fared very well.
Bobbi Walker, president of the Orange Beach Fishing Association said, “The charter fleet is 95% intact and some of the boats are already out fishing. We are looking forward to once again offering our services to recreational anglers.”
Several marinas are open and others will reopen soon. For information on marina status, go to www.orangebeach.com and click on Ivan Recovery.
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is presently closed for cleaning and repair. Chucky, the 1,000-plus-pound celebrity alligator, is back home after his taste of freedom in the outside world. To help the zoo in its efforts to get the animals back in nice digs, donations may be made to the Zoo Ivan Account located at Vision Bank, P O Box 4649, Gulf Shores, AL 36547. The zoo is a non-profit Alabama corporation and all donations are tax deductible.
The Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival will help rebuild the community with spirit and song beginning Thursday, November 11. Check www.fbis.com for information.
Golf courses are getting spruced up for play. Several golf courses are open and more are scheduled for early-to-mid-October.
For updates on business openings, go to www.gulfshores.com or www.orangebeach.com

This story was published on 09 Oct 2004.