E911 Tower

The E911 tower rises to meet the first promise of rain in weeks.

Selma finally received a shower Friday afternoon, and we enjoyed an even better one on Saturday.

The tower, which serves emergency responders in Selma and Dallas County, is located next to the courthouse annex.

This photo was taken from the courthouse parking lot. A decorative lantern and white crape myrtle provide the foreground.

Dallas County Courthouse Architecture

A sprawling oak tree surrounded by lush ground cover forms the foreground for a salvaged section of the 1910 Dallas County Courthouse. The architecture featured columns and arched windows. A view of the original structure can be found at the Selma Historic Postcards link here. The clock tower collapsed in 1957, and most of the exterior was remodeled with synthetic marble. Most recently, stucco was added, and the building changed colors from green to cream.
Historically, the courthouse was the scene of voter registration drives and marches during the 1960's Voting Rights Movement.

Summer Flowers at WCCS

These sunshine-yellow daylilies practically wave a welcome to passersby and students at the entrances of Wallace Community College-Selma.
They would certainly brighten my day if I had to take an exam!

(A special thanks to Abraham Lincoln of Brookville, Ohio, Daily Photo
for his help with improving my photo presentations).

School of Discovery

School is out for summer, but the grounds of the School of Discovery are like an oasis downtown. I love the courtyard atmosphere and how the building is framed by the trees. Enclosed on the left is the butterfly garden, and enclosed on the right are picnic tables and benches. The school is also the site of the Pickard Auditorium, which provides a stage and seating for large community events such as Tale-Telling Festival and Junior Miss.

Lest We Forget

Sixty-three years ago, Allied forces began the invasion of Normandy in what is known as D Day.

This monument memorializes troops from Dallas County who died in both world wars but also gives special recognition to the campaign for Normandy and France. Both my father and father-in-law participated in this historic battle...my father in Britain who readied and repaired planes for the U.S. Army Air Corps (forerunner of the U.S. Air Force), and my father-in-law on bloody Omaha Beach, who served in the U.S. Army. They lived to return home, marry and raise families. I dedicate this post to them and to all the rest who lived and died that day.

The monument is located at Selma's Memorial Stadium.

Beware the Kudzu Strangler!

Crawlin’, crawlin’ like a spider,

Kudzu weaves its web of green.

Creepin’, sneakin’ ever wider,

Trappin’ trees in each ravine.

Reachin’, reachin’ towards the blacktop

Stalkin' all the cars that pass.

Can’t the guv’ment make it stop

‘Fore it strangles us en masse?

Kudzu grows everywhere, and here it is right in downtown Selma...on the river bank, through the fence and heading for the pavement.

Often called "the vine that ate the South," kudzu is not native to America. The government imported it from the Far East in the 1930s for erosion control. But the fast-growing plant took over like a tyrant...swallowing trees, gripping power poles, threatening ecosystems. It is very difficult to kill, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture officially declared it to be a weed in 1972.

The "Flying-est" T-33

Off we go into the wild, blue yonder

This T-33 aircraft was used for pilot training at Selma's Craig Air Force Base and gave young men the opportunity to "climb high into the sun" and learn how to navigate the skies after World War II.
It flew more than 7200 hours and 2.5 million miles. The plane was presented to the City of Selma March 4, 1964, and the display was erected at Memorial Stadium by Selma Squadron #288 AF Association.

The Air Force base was closed in the late 1970s by the Jimmy Carter Administration. Today, it is operated as an airport and industrial authority with a runway that can accommodate jets.

Cheapest Drink in Town

The cheapest drink in town?
No, it isn't Koolaid or some inexpensive wine. It's plain old tap water straight from the tanks of Selma Water Works.

The city has six wells and the capacity to pump 8 million gallons per day while average usage is about half that amount.

Discovering The Wall

The back wall behind The School of Discovery is a colorful mural. It depicts typical local landscapes and butterflies in flight. Selma is the Butterfly Capital of Alabama, and the school, which educates city sixth graders, is also the site of the Mallieve Breeding Butterfly Garden. The school includes several arts, music and technology programs geared specifically for young people who are about to enter junior high.

(June Theme Day) View from My Window

June's City Daily Photo theme is:

The view from my window...

Bird feeder...birdbath...pot of petunias...perch places...

and shade from a crape myrtle tree...

But NO BIRDS!
Why not?
Check out my Selma NOW link to find out.


Please visit these other CDP sites participating in this month's Theme Day:

Seattle (WA), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Toruń, Poland - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Madison (WI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Omaha (NE), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stockholm, Sweden - Grenoble, France - Lubbock (TX), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Hyde, UK - Joplin (MO), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Kansas City (MO), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Manila, Philippines - Sydney, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - London, UK - Chandler (AZ), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Singapore, Singapore - Hamburg, Germany - Sydney, Australia - Tenerife, Spain - Moscow, Russia - Lyon, France - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Evry, France - Hayle, UK - Mumbai, India - Kitakami, Japan - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - La Antigua, Guatemala - Paderborn, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Madrid, Spain - Lyon, France - Selma (AL), USA - Shanghai, China - Baziège, France - Cologne (NRW), Germany - North Bay (ON), Canada - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Stayton (OR), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Hong Kong, China - Trier, Germany - Joensuu, Finland - Paris, France - Greenville (SC), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Cork, Ireland - Bastia, France - Vancouver, Canada - Brookville (OH), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Mainz, Germany - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Zurich, Switzerland - Torino, Italy