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Davie, FL (PRWEB) February 20, 2009

Co-founder of the prestigious Signature Grand banquet hall, Arlene Pecora continues to serve as a Sales Executive for the company. Largely due to her dedication and expertise, the facility has gained a stellar reputation as one of South Florida’s premier catering and reception facilities, once generating up to $ 10 million in annual revenue.

One of the facility’s biggest annual events is the Bridal and Quince Show, the region’s most comprehensive wedding extravaganza. This year, the show will be held on April 28, 2009, when Mrs. Pecora and her staff will host dozens of South Florida’s finest wedding vendors. Future brides, grooms, and their families and friends will be able to:

    Sample delicious gourmet food and wedding cakes from elaborate catering stations
    Enjoy cocktails, champagne, and wine from one of several open bars (with Three Olives vodka served from an ice carving!)
    View professional flower arrangements from the finest local florists
    Enjoy a variety of music from talented musicians and DJs
    Check out the latest cutting-edge wedding photography and cinematic videos
    Explore luxurious limousines on display
    See the latest chic bridal gowns and formal attire
    View artistic wedding stationery

Since it opened in the 1990s, the Signature Grand has been the venue for some of the region’s finest black-tie events, fundraisers, receptions, corporate conferences, and ceremonies. Located in the town of Davie, Florida in Broward County, the sprawling, 100,000-square-foot mansion is distinguished by its salmon-colored exterior and charming design that calls to mind a 19th-century, Spanish-style hacienda. Over the years, Mrs. Pecora and her catering team have hosted dozens of noteworthy politicians and celebrities, including presidential hopeful George W. Bush.

About Arlene Pecora

An alumnus of Nova Southeastern University, Mrs. Pecora has taken part in dozens of charitable volunteer activities, serving on dozens of different boards and committees over the years. Below is a summary of some of her philanthropic endeavors:

United Way of Broward County: Mrs. Pecora is one of only 100 contributing members of The Tocqueville Society, Broward County’s United Way chapter. Founded in 1984, The Tocqueville Society is dedicated to improving the quality of life in neighboring communities through altruistic efforts. Mrs. Pecora also participated in the United Way Mayor’s Gala, helping to raise more than $ 500,000 for non-profit community programs. In 2006, she was named one of the local United Way’s Outstanding Volunteers.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County: This organization was launched to help provide safe, productive activities for the area’s youth. Arlene Pecora donated her time and resources to help set up The Cattleman’s Club, a fundraiser designed to educate and entertain local children with ranching activities.

Community Foundation of Broward: Mrs. Pecora served as grant chairperson for this organization, which works to foster philanthropic efforts to benefit local community causes.

Women in Distress: As a board member of Women in Distress, Arlene Pecora has worked to help educate Broward County’s judges, attorneys, and business leaders on the state of community issues.

Boys & Girls Club: As a committee member from 2001-2007, Mrs. Pecora helped plan the Signature Grand Ghoul to raise awareness and funds for the local Boys & Girls Club. To commemorate her work, she was presented with the Limited Edition National Award Winning Piece of Art in 2003.

One Community: As a 2008 Silver Medallion Honoree and Partner for Justice Sponsor of One Community, Arlene Pecora has worked to promote diversity, understanding, and acceptance throughout the Broward County community.

Nova Southeastern University: As an alumnus of NSU, Mrs. Pecora has contributed generously to the growth and development of the campus. Her philanthropic efforts led to the launch of The Michael and Arlene Pecora Hospitality Pavilion, a modern food court and dining area in NSU’s new University Center.

Florida Atlantic University: As an active member of FAU’s Broward County President’s Community Council, Arlene Pecora has helped raise awareness of FAU’s local branches, encourage interactivity among staff and students, and raise the quality of education offered at the Broward County campuses.

Broward County First Ladies Award: Arlene Pecora was recognized with this designation in 2004, honoring her community contributions in business, charity, education, government, and media.

Balance Magazine Board of Directors: Balance Magazine is a sophisticated quarterly publication dedicated to promoting the personal and professional success of local women, helping them find a healthy balance between work and family. Mrs. Pecora served on the magazine’s founding advisory board to help make the original vision a reality.

Circle of Friends of the Alvin Sherman Library: As an alumnus of Nova Southeastern University, Arlene Pecora was pleased to serve on the board of Circle of Friends, a group dedicated to building a library of intellectual resources at the university’s Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center. Mrs. Pecora was instrumental in the creation of the “NSU Glass Garden,” a series of creative sculptures commissioned by renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

Over the years, Mrs. Pecora has received an array of awards to commemorate her philanthropic and community-enriching work. Among the long list of organizations that have recognized her include The American Cancer Society, Schott Communities, Ann Stork Center, American Express Travel Auction, Prestige Club, and Boys and Girls Club.

To purchase tickets to the 2009 Bridal and Quince Show at the Signature Grand banquet hall, call (954) 424-4000 or visit their website, http://www.thesignaturegrand.com. Admission is $ 22 if paid in advance and $ 30 if paid at the door.

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More Schott Champagne Glasses Press Releases

Temecula, CA (PRWEB) May 18, 2011

Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country is gaining well-deserved recognition for its premium, quality wines and becoming a desirable destination for green, eco-friendly travelers and visitors. The casual, picturesque region’s natural beauty includes three unique destinations, each of earth-friendly interest: Downtown Old Town Temecula with surrounding untouched, chaparral-covered hills and nearby, untamed river; Pechanga Resort & Casino nestled against majestic mountains that bloom with lilac in spring; and Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country where vineyards thrive in morning air, refreshing and still.

Efforts toward harmony with nature extend beyond and include local government, families, and schoolchildren. The City of Temecula is helping to preserve the night sky for nearby Palomar Observatory with its 6,500, dark-sky friendly, low-pressure sodium (LPS) arterial and streetlights. Slow Food Temecula Valley’s school gardens program has helped establish and keep growing, edible, organic gardens at more than a dozen, Temecula schools.

Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country

With 5,000 acres protected in an agricultural preserve, rolling hills, and a big beautiful sky overhead, the vineyards and wineries of Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country host a variety of sustainable practices. Many of these practices begin in the vineyards where the health and vitality of the vines are a precursor to the flavors of the wines. Throughout the valley, cover crops grow between vineyard rows to fortify the soil. Pest management is encouraged by red tail hawks during the day and by owls at night. At harvest-time, the grapes of many vineyards are picked during the cooler temperatures of night and early-early morning, both for energy savings and for the quality berries and juice night-harvesting helps to ensure.

Among Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country champions of sustainability is Ponte Family Estate, which manages its vineyards and winery under the sustainability standards of the California Association of Winegrape Growers and the Wine Institute. In the vineyards, natural cover crops limit carbon dioxide emissions, preserve soil integrity, enhance soil health, and prevent erosion. Bluebird boxes encourage bluebirds to help manage insects. Soil moisture is monitored; deficit and drip irrigation foster wine quality. Ponte’s ‘green team’ has implemented sustainability practices throughout the winery, tasting room, and restaurant, with its wine club shipping and estate landscaping; and is continually in the process of expanding these efforts. Ponte is also a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) weekly pick-up location.

Farm-elegant and widely recognized for its handcrafted estate grown wines, Palumbo Family Vineyards & Winery is certified sustainable by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), proud to be members of the Santa Margarita River Watershed monitoring program and active in promoting its overall health. Palumbo recycles grape winemaking by-product (grape skins, seeds, and stems) by nourishing the vineyards with composted grape pomace. Cover crops between vineyard rows include wildflowers to attract ladybugs. All Palumbo corks are derived from sustainable cork forests and are fire-branded, eliminating the need for ink branding. The tasting bar was built using recycled wood scraps found at a local guitar factory for Taylor and Gibson guitars.

The owners of family-run, Leonesse Cellars began as farmers. As a result, and as long-term farmers, Leonesse is earnest in its role as caretakers of the land. Leonesse vineyards are sustainably farmed incorporating practices such as deficit irrigation for quality fruit and for water conservation; organic composts under the vines for nutrients; cover crops – barley in every other row – to build the soil profile; and the encouragement of hawks, owls, and beneficial insects. At Leonesse, the “Touch the Vine, Taste the Wine,” tour and tasting includes a trek via jumbo electric golf cart to experience the vineyards firsthand. Leonesse is the host venue for Slow Food Temecula Valley’s annual Field To Fork, a premier wine, craft beer, and food-pairing event.

The vineyards of stunning estate, Monte de Oro Winery are also sustainably farmed as naturally as possible. Another example of Monte de Oro’s green commitment is its 9,000 square-foot, subterranean, wine cellar. Utilizing the environment and aesthetics of the structure maintains a proper, consistent temperature and constant humidity for wine barrel storage and cellaring. This dramatically reduces the need for electricity that would be required for an above-ground wine barrel facility.

With a deep farming history and passion for Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country, boutique-winery, Stuart Cellars is clearly focused on sustainability. Vineyard land is fortified with legumes and barley, and composted grape pomace is used as a natural soil amendment. Deficit irrigation watering and soil moisture monitoring are practiced, and emitters with spaghetti tubing that directs water to the base of vines, eliminates trans-evaporation of the water (versus cordon drip systems) by 33%. Towering eucalyptus trees are home to nesting Red Tail hawks and a nesting Coopers hawk, and in Spring 2011, Stuart Cellars’ owl box was home to two adult barn owls and eight baby owls.

At all-Italian varietal, Cougar Vineyard & Winery, cover crops and composted lees (grape seeds, leaves, and skins remaining from the winemaking process) are used to fortify the soils. No pesticides and no herbicides are used in the vineyards, and only natural sulfur is used when necessary to control powdery mildew. By night, owls patrol the Cougar vineyards.

Popular for its unique wines including almond champagne, Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyard’s sustainability efforts include monitoring and limiting soil moisture to conserve water; these efforts also control vine canopy growth, and reduce berry and bunch size, thereby improving grape quality. Wilson Creek is also participating in a vineyard water usage study in Wine Country that uses an ADCON network of weather and soil moisture sensing stations. Wilson Creek refrains from using any chemical fertilizers; instead, compost, green waste, and cover crops increase the available nutrients to the vines and retard moisture evaporation.

At South Coast Winery Resort & Spa (Best California State Winery two-years-running), sustainable vineyard growing practices include the use of vine-based compost (grape skins, grape seeds, leaves, and stems leftover from the winemaking process) to improve overall soil health and nurture the growth of future grape production efforts. Grape seeds, leaves, and grape skins (known as ‘lees’) are also recycled to create customized spa services at South Coast’s GrapeSeed Spa. Offered every year at ‘crush,’ the exclusively designed, Lees Mud Scrub is naturally filled with antioxidants from the grapes; the grape skins and grape leaves add an exfoliating texture to the treatment.

Mount Palomar Winery also incorporates sustainability practices in its vineyard management. Grape stems leftover from the winemaking process are used to prevent soil erosion; cover crops and composted grape pomace nourish the soil; and deficit irrigation is practiced. Owl boxes encourage the nighttime predators, and in Spring 2011, a pair of Red Tail hawks had made their home in Mount Palomar’s towering eucalyptus trees. Mount Palomar uses recycled pressed paper (instead of styrofoam) in packaging/shipping its wines.

At Callaway Vineyard & Winery, cover crops limit carbon dioxide emissions, inhibit weed growth, preserve soil integrity, enhance soil health, and encourage beneficial insects. Composted pomace also nourishes vineyard soils, and hawks and owls are effective in their patrols. Weather data and soil moisture monitoring help to limit water usage, and Old World winemaking techniques allow the wines to express themselves. Seasonal events with the winemaker feature an adopt-a-vine program and provide the opportunity to learn more.

Very small, family-owned and operated, Foot Path Winery is Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country’s only certified organic vineyard. Natural cover crops, no pesticides (an organic, chrysanthemum-based alternative is used instead), and hawks and owls on-patrol are practices in the production of Foot Path’s handcrafted wines. The Foot Path Winery also features a small stand with navel, Valencia, and blood oranges; tangerines; pomegranates; figs; apricots; and other tree fruit in-season.

The primary values of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s sustainability statement are exemplified throughout Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country but perhaps two values are best illustrated by pioneer Hart Winery. Those values: produce the best quality wine and/or grapes possible and honor the California wine community’s entrepreneurial spirit. While well-respected for a stellar array of estate and Temecula Valley appellation wines, Hart Winery also supports other Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country vineyards and grape growers by buying their grapes for Hart wines, a sustainability practice, indeed.

Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country wholeheartedly recycles glass, cardboard, wooden pallets, etc. For Earth Day 2011, the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association and its 34 member wineries also launched a partnership with ReCORK. The natural cork, recycling program’s goal is to inform of the crucial role, renewable cork forests play in curbing climate change.

Dining in Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country

Sampling a region’s wines while enjoying the local cuisine is a time-honored travel tradition. In Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country, dining in a variety of winery restaurants where local ingredients are used to craft seasonal menus affords the opportunity to experience the natural affinity – and natural synergy – of Temecula Valley wines and foods together.

Among earth-friendly, winery restaurants in Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country is Meritage at Callaway Vineyard & Winery, a genuine proponent of ‘shopping for the day’ using local, sustainable and organic ingredients. Based on the small plate/Tapas concept of big flavor and variety, seasonal menus feature tapas, salads, and entrees with a Mediterranean flair. Meritage is vegetarian- and vegan-friendly.

The Restaurant at Ponte Winery sources much of its fresh produce from Crows Pass Farm located across the street; olive oils and cheeses are also sourced locally. Poultry and meats are from sustainable farms, and all seafood selections are on the Seafood Watch from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The menu features Italian, French, and California-influenced seasonal selections, and is vegetarian-friendly.

The Creekside Restaurant at Wilson Creek Winery has an inspired menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and seasonal specials. Creekside utilizes organic and local produce, and is vegetarian- and vegan-friendly. Creekside also serves a complete gluten-free menu.

Pechanga Resort & Casino

The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians have called the Temecula Valley home for more than 10,000 years. Within Pechanga Resort & Casino’s 445-acre footprint, there is a relaxed symmetry; the architecture is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright and infused with Luiseño tribal art and culture. The AAA 4-Diamond casino resort garners high acclaim as one of the premier live entertainment venues in Southern California. Lesser known is Pechanga’s alternative-energy creation station – a cogeneration plant.

Using natural gas, the CoGen plant can produce up to 4 megawatts of power to produce 75% of the power that the Resort uses during the winter months. The plant has an automated system that uses waste heat to produce steam for domestic hot water heaters, and produces chill water for the air conditioning system. This translates to carbon dioxide reduction, and the relief of taking 1.5 megawatts of energy off the grid.

Pechanga’s interest in clean, renewable energy and regard as an authentically gracious, full-service resort were further demonstrated on Earth Day 2011. Six electric car-charging stations debuted and became available on the first level of the Resort’s north parking structure.

Journey at Pechanga

The championship 18-hole, golf course, Journey at Pechanga, is acknowledged with highly desirable accolades from top golf publications. Literally “10,000 years in the making” and a union of nature, form and function, the spectacular course snakes through the awe-inspiring terrain of native canyons and along the boulder strewn mountain. The course includes 7+ miles of cart paths and many stunning vistas of the Temecula Valley and the surrounding mountains. Electric golf carts are equipped with state-of-the-art GPS systems; GPS and communications are solar-powered.

With respect for the natural habitat and Pechanga heritage, design and construction of the course on nearly 300 acres of unique, ancestral land, preserved most native, oak trees; those removed were moved and transplanted at great expense. Visible from the back 9 is the ancient Great Oak (namesake for the resort’s Great Oak Steakhouse fine-dining restaurant). The Great Oak is the largest, natural-growing, indigenous coast live oak tree in the United States. It is estimated to be 850 to 1,500 years old, making it one of the oldest oak trees in the world. The second-largest Pechanga oak is a deep-rooted feature on hole 9. Mature California oaks also stand on holes 1, 3, and 4; and are challenging obstacles on holes 2 and 7.

Each hole on the Journey course bears a Luiseño name from The Beginning Place/Chuxi’ vonga at hole 1 through Eagle’s Nest/Aswut Potee’I at hole 18. The course also hosts cultural exhibits that chronicle the history of the Pechanga people.

Beside the Rainbow Gap: Temecula Creek Inn

Nestled against one of the Temecula Valley’s most recognized, geographic features, the peaceful elegance of Temecula Creek Inn sets on 350 acres of secluded, natural beauty. A recent recipient of the coveted Four Star rating Golf Digest Places to Play, the Inn’s 27-hole championship golf course includes a distinctive trio of course options. From the traditional adjoining fairways of the Creek Course, to the scenic beauty of the Oaks, to the dramatic elevation changes of the precision-demanding Stonehouse, each offers challenge and reward to players of all skill levels. Century-old oak trees and towering sycamores line the fairways.

At Temecula Creek Inn, birdwatchers revel in watching Red Tail hawks soar high above. For hikers and joggers seeking morning and late-afternoon jaunts, miles of well-marked trails wrap around the resort.

Unique to Temecula Creek Inn is the historic Stone House. Built circa 1825 and once used as a mess hall for hard-working quarrymen, the quaint, 870-square-foot granite and stone building is a perfect venue for cozy wine dinners, intimate retreats, and team-building activities. The structure with its cool, stone walls, rustic-beamed ceiling, wood furnishings, stone fireplace and antiques, sits beside towering, 100-year old oaks.

Old Town Temecula

The first people of the original village knew it as “the place where the sun shines through mist.” Years later, Butterfield stagecoaches rumbled into Temecula, stopping at Temecula’s first post office (established in 1859). Old Town Temecula was born with the arrival of the California Southern Railroad in 1882; those railroad days endured into the 1930s.

Today, more than a dozen historical properties dating as far back as the 1890s still exist and have been repurposed and reopened in the Old Town Temecula entertainment-dining-shopping district. The circa 1890, red-brick Burnham Store, later Temecula Mercantile, is now The MERC, a popular, small, concert venue and art gallery, adjacent the Old Town Temecula Community Theater.

Old Town’s newest landmark is the Mission Revival-style Civic Center and Parking Structure. Designed to meet the US Green Building Council’s Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification requirements, award from the USGBC is anticipated by Autumn 2011. An example of the new Civic Center’s conserving energy and being healthier and safer than conventional construction is its highly efficient, direct/indirect cooling system providing 100% fresh air, 100% of the time. Meanwhile, the parking structure’s top-level, photovoltaic/solar-panel installation generates 90% of the energy for the parking structure’s uses.

Old Town Temecula’s Tasting Trail

Gaining renown is Old Town Temecula’s Tasting Trail featuring merchants of local and artisan foods, olive oils, and luscious wines. Among Old Town purveyors is family-owned and operated Temecula Olive Oil Company which sustainably grows olives on its ranch 18 miles east of Old Town (tours by advance reservation the second and fourth Saturdays of each month; final olive oil pressings fuel the tractor); produces all its 100% California, 100% extra virgin olive oil products in Temecula; and offers complimentary olive oil tastings everyday in its Old Town Temecula location. Exceptionally fresh the way nature intended, savoring the purity dramatically illustrates that sustainable growing practices and the old world process indeed make all the difference. As popular as the rich, buttery Olivum (Late Harvest), are seasonal flavors like Citrus and Fresh Basil.

Among Old Town’s wine tasting rooms and wine bars is premium wine lounge, The Collective, representing a variety of small, Temecula Valley appellation, boutique wineries including Woodworth Vineyards. The unique micro-climate in the Del Luz area east of Old Town and attentive craftsmanship enable Woodworth Estate Wines to produce award-winning Pinot Noir. Woodworth Vineyards are sustainably farmed and self-assessed annually per California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) guidelines.

Farmers and specialty food artisans at Saturdays’ California Certified, Old Town Farmers’ Markets (8am to 1:30pm) are 99% local (within 100 miles). Products include organic and conventional, fruits and vegetables; honey, nuts, free-range eggs, cheese, pesto, garlic pastes, and olives. Local avocados and citrus are available year-round; strawberries, March-April-May; ; peaches, apricots, plums and other stone-fruit, June-July; sweet white corn by the 4th of July; tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peak in August; persimmons, guavas, September-October; sweet navel oranges, tangerines, as well as Dragon fruit, and Buddha’s hand/fingered citron, November-December; cherimoyas into January-February.

Dining and Shopping in Old Town Temecula

Dozen-block, Old Town Temecula is made for strolling; exploring the unique, specialty stores; and experiencing the independently owned restaurants, bistros, and coffee houses. Among earth-friendly, dining options are Old Town’s gastro-pub, The Public House where local, seasonal, and sustainable foods are served; and the menu and specials change regularly. Public House food and beverage sources include Old Town Temecula’s Spice Merchants and Café Bravo; and Temecula’s own microbrewery, Black Market Brewing Company. The Public House’s popular meatloaf is made with regional, all-natural, grass-fed beef. The Public House is also vegetarian- and vegan-friendly.

Palumbo’s Ristorante prepares much of its Southern Italian cuisine with locally grown, organic produce; features seasonally-inspired specials (the Caprice salad and Margarita pizza are exceptionally delicious in summer when made with local, heirloom tomatoes); offers a nice variety of local Temecula Valley wines; and the bread, raviolis, sausage, meatballs, soups, and sauces are house-made. Palumbo’s is vegetarian-friendly and all soups including the minestrone are vegetarian.

Sharing a handsome, Old Town building are Baily’s Fine Dining (California/Continental cuisine) and Front Street Bar & Grill (upscale, casual, with patio dining). At Baily’s, local, seasonal ingredients are used and inspire the menu; the popular prix fixe menu changes weekly (every Tuesday). Like Baily’s, Front Street Bar & Grill is vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, and the menu features local and seasonal ingredients.

The Edge Restaurant is sophisticated and trendy, and the menu reflects the use of local and organic ingredients, and certified, grass-fed prime beef. Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, The Edge also features local Temecula Valley wines.

Old Town’s specialty coffee house, Cafe’ Bravo locally fresh-roasts fair-trade/in-season whole bean coffee and serves up latte performance art in for-here porcelain mugs. Cafe’ Bravo’s coffee grounds are recycled to fortify the soil of customers’ gardens.

Down the block at Old Town Spice Merchants, recycled 100-year-old, barn beams support the shelves. Local source for teas and spices for many Temecula Valley wineries and restaurants, Old Town Spice Merchants also garners a following for its fine, spice and herb blends, and sea salts.

With its lavender fields in Temecula Valley So Cal Wine Country, and its products made exclusively in Temecula, Temecula Lavender Company offers bath, body, and home products including sweetly scented soaps, lotions, and candles. Also available are novelty, lavender pepper, and culinary lavenders, both savory and sweet.

Back at Temecula Olive Oil Company, the line of locally made, nourishing, olive-oil bath and beauty products (body soaps, lotions, and butters) also includes shampoo bars. The shampoo bars eliminate detergent common in shampoos and involve no plastic bottle.

Natural Treasures in Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country

The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve consists of 8,300 acres and protects unique ecosystems like ancient Engelmann oak woodlands (one of California’s rarest oak species), Southern California’s rare, bunchgrass prairie, and the region’s last remaining vernal pools – home to rare fairy shrimp, found nowhere else on earth. Small songbirds winter in the oak woodlands, and spring finds an abundance of native wildflowers in bloom and butterflies busy at work.

Formed from the confluence of the Temecula Creek and the Murrieta Creek, the Santa Margarita River is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Southern California. The Santa Margarita River Watershed includes Temecula Gorge, a 5-mile canyon formed by the Santa Margarita River as it courses through the southern Santa Ana Mountains. Located on the upper Santa Margarita River is the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve. Sycamore, cottonwood, and willow forests are part of a 30-mile protected riparian corridor.

With evidence of the region’s Ice Age environments, mastodons and mammoths are the hallmarks of the Western Science Center’s collection. The Center, awarded Platinum LEED Certification from the USGBC, hosts monthly Astronomy Nights providing opportunities to clearly see the moon, stars, and planets.

***Information is believed to be accurate but is subject to change. Please call ahead for the latest details.

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Livonia, MI (Vocus) March 18, 2010

RedPlum, a leading provider of deals and savings on brands consumers want most, announced today the launch of a Savings Personality Quiz on its lifestyle and savings Web site http://www.redplum.com. With interest in coupons and savings at an all-time high, visitors can take the short six-question quiz to learn what kind of saver they are and where they can find deals to best match their lifestyle on http://www.redplum.com.

To take the quiz and enter the sweepstakes, savvy savers can visit http://www.redplum.com/mysavingsstyle by May 31 for a chance to win movie tickets for the year (24 adult admissions with an ARV $ 12 each ticket). Pass it on! Registrants also have the opportunity to refer friends and post results to Facebook. It’s fun to see what kind of savers your friends and family are. Visitors must have Internet access to register.

Answer fun questions like how you feel when you get a good deal and what you could purchase with the money you save by using coupons – a few grapes, a glass of wine or a fine bottle of champagne. At the end, you’ll find out what kind of saver you are – from loving the thrill to going to great lengths.

In addition, get links for grocery coupons; information on how to sign up for redplum.com newsletters for hot deals right in your inbox; articles with savings tips and tricks to enhance your lifestyle; and information on Diva Toolbox: Viva La Value, our online radio show hosted by Lisa Reynolds, RedPlum’s Mom-Saver-In-Chief.

About RedPlum

RedPlum brings consumers relevant offers and good deals on the brands they want most to best stretch their budgets. We deliver deals on a weekly basis to over 100 million shoppers in the mailbox, in the newspaper, in-store and online. At redplum.com, you will find one of the largest collections of printable coupons, coupon codes and savings tips along with the best deals and the sweetest coupons plus trends, tips and inside information on what to wear, buy and do right now. RedPlum is the consumer brand of Valassis, a Michigan-based company that has been delivering savings and value for 40 years. Building upon our wish to help American families, we empower the public to take part in the effort to help safely recover missing children through our America’s Looking For Its Missing Children® program, which appears on our RedPlum products. For more information, visit http://www.redplum.com. To learn about advertising opportunities with RedPlum, please call 1-800-437-0479.

Media Contact:

Mary Broaddus

Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

734-591-7375

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More Inside Out Champagne Glasses Press Releases

James Bond is a character created by Ian Fleming in 1953 and since then has lived adventures in 12 books, 2 short story collections and 23 films. The cool and collected killer saves the world and suaves his way through casinos with as much ease as he freefalls from tall buildings — about as close to a real-life superhero anyone can aspire to be.

Indeed, it’s far easier for mere mortals to order eggs Benedict, rather than break into a Soviet embassy or convert a lesbian to heterosexuality. That’s why Fleming wanted the reader to taste Bond’s life—if not through his blood and sweat— then through what he ate:
My contribution to the art of thriller-writing has been to attempt the total stimulation of the reader all the way through, even to his taste buds.
In one of many descriptions on dining, Fleming indulges the reader with the richness of Bond’s breakfast routine:

Sitting down to The Times, he breakfasts on two large cups of very strong coffee, from De Bry in New Oxford Street, brewed in an American Chemex and an egg served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top, boiled for three and a third minutes. There is also wholewheat toast, Jersey butter and a choice of Tiptree ‘Little Scarlet’ strawberry jam, Cooper’s Vintage Oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum and Mason, served on blue Minton china. Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper, whose friend supplies the speckled brown eggs from French Marans hens. [From, The James Bond Dossier website www.tjbd.co.uk]
As you can read, there’s more than just a little name-dropping, but Fleming didn’t receive any endorsements—this was before product placement took a grip on cinema with its lingering shots of Omega watches and BMW badges.

Why did Fleming make food and drink such a focus in his writing as much as the description of battle scars and the freak show of dastardly villains? Come on, if Bond ordered Caesar salad, hold-the-bacon-mayonnaise-and-croutons, would any woman want to jump into bed with his no-carb abs? A man’s man is a meat fiend, a connoisseur of the dangerous and rare. Willing to risk the ire of caviar protectionists worldwide, he tosses beluga-covered blini into his mouth with about as much guilt shown after tucking his Walther PPK back in its holster.

What do you think Bond’s favourite meal would be? Something grand, like smoked confit of venison with raspberry jus and truffle oil rosti, or would he be more into British ‘bangers ’n’ mash’? He’s a bit in the middle—simple, good-quality ingredients prepared with care, ‘just so’. There’s even a James Bond recipe by Fleming for the humble Scrambled eggs.

Throughout his travels around the world, Bond tastes the local cuisine as much as he samples the local women. When he’s with CIA counterpart Felix Leiter in the US, he eats Little Neck Clams and Fried Chicken Maryland. In France it’s cold langoustine; in Italy, tagliatelle verde. Universal to anywhere, anytime, is the staple of oysters, beluga caviar, eggs (Benedict, en concotte, scrambled) and any array of grilled meat accompanied by potatoes.

Overall, Bond eats rather well; a good balance of protein and carbs. He also eats fruit, such as fresh figs, strawberries and pineapple. His aversion to cream-based sauces is from snobbery rather than health; he believes it masks the taste of poor quality meat. This is no man to eat donuts on a stakeout.
But the downfall in his lifestyle is alcohol, cigarettes and coffee. And not just because of the drugs laced in it as in Dr. No.
Drinking
By the time of Thunderball, (9th book) Bond’s daily intake of spirits is around half a bottle. And that doesn’t even count other drinks such as champagne of any mentioned brands: Dom Perignon, Bollinger, Taittinger, and Veuve Cliquot.
Fleming describes the role of drinking in 007’s life:

“Drink relaxed Bond. His only rule was not to get drunk, but perhaps for 20 years he had hardly gone to bed cold sober. His other rules were not to drink at midday or after dinner, and never to drink liqueurs.”

The ‘Atomic Martinis’ website calculated that Bond has had 431 drinks, with more than the standard Martini as his poison cocktail of choice; such as the Vesper, the Old-Fashioned, the Negroni and the Americano.
No wonder he had developed his own hangover cure of a ‘prairie oyster’ [egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, vinegar and tomato sauce].

To stay awake for long stakeouts, Bond would drink coffee, usually some name-dropped straight black Jamaican blend. Despite being on her Maj’s secret service, tea was described by Fleming through Bond as the ‘flat, soft, time-wasting opium of the masses’.
Smoking
In the film version of You Only Live Twice, Bond uses a Q-branch secret weapon explosive cigarette to cause distraction long enough for him to sabotage the rocket launch. This wasn’t the only danger of cigarettes; Bond would smoke 60 a day of custom-made special Balkan and Turkish mixture with three gold bands on the filter.

If we civilians were to live the same lifestyle—except without skiing Swiss slopes and swimming with sharks—surely our livers would be pickled, and our lungs spluttering in an overdose of smoke. The rich butter-based seafood dishes would result in fat-clogged arteries, though the favourite ingredient of eggs may counteract this.
However, having a licence to kill means you live each day as your last. Sure, his liver and heart are likely to have a short countdown like an impending nuclear explosion at Fort Knox, but Bond needs the energy to fight off assassins, seduce ladies, and chase bad guys. He’s fiction. In real life he’d be a pudgy, spluttering alcoholic with poor blood circulation.

But as Bond said in You Only Live Twice:
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them; I shall use my time…

So one night as James Bond won’t hurt.
Just don’t cook it yourself, as the man himself recommends: [website: The Commander’s Club]

Show no knowledge of how food is actually prepared. You have never cooked a meal in your life. What you eat is provided either by the Scottish treasure who keep house for you or by a girl or by a restaurant. In your world, a meal appears, is devoured and vanishes.

James Bond Menu

The Vesper
Stonecrabs and melted butter
James Bond Scrambled Eggs
Green figs

/////The Vesper///////
This cocktail was devised by Bond in honour of Vesper Lynd, the double agent love interest in Casino Royale. Bond states that he named the drink ‘The Vesper’, because once he tasted it, it was all he wanted to drink.

“A dry martini,” [Bond] said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.”
“Oui, monsieur.”
“Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”
“Certainly, monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
-Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

NOTES:
• Kina Lillet is no longer available. Use Lillet Blonde instead or Dry Vermouth with a dash of bitters.
• For the more hardcore authentic drink, us
e 100 proof Vodka—as per 1953 standards.
• Use a champagne goblet—not a martini glass.

/////Stone Crabs/////
Bond ate stone crabs while dining with gluttonous businessman Mr Du Pont in Goldfinger.
The meat of the stonecrabs was the tenderest, sweetest shellfish he had ever tasted. It was perfectly set off by the dry toast and the slightly burned taste of the melted butter. The champagne seemed to have the faintest scent of strawberries. It was ice-cold. After each helping of crab, the champagne cleaned the palate for the next. They ate steadily and with absorption and hardly exchanged a word until the dish was cleared.
Steamed Stone Crab Claws with Melted Butter [From Saveur.com]
SERVES 4
Stone crab claws—the only part of the shellfish that’s eaten—are usually served chilled, but they’re still quite tasty when steamed and eaten with a little melted butter, like lobster.
1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) butter
32 large stone crab claws, chilled
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1. Put uncracked claws into a steamer basket and set over steamer pot of boiling water over high heat. Cover and steam until heated through, about 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, melt butter in a small pan, being careful not to brown it. Remove from heat. Transfer to small serving bowl.
3. Remove claws from steamer, crack shells, and serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.
This recipe was first published in Saveur in Issue #57

//////Green Figs with Yoghurt//////
When visiting Turkey, Bond knew which foods were as tantalising as the exotic belly dancers. He eats figs at ally Darko Kerim Bey’s Station T, in From Russia With Love:
“The yoghourt, in a blue china bowl, was deep yellow and with the consistency of thick cream. The green figs, ready peeled, were bursting with ripeness, and the Turkish coffee was jet black and with the burned taste that showed it had been freshly ground”.

Green Figs Stewed in Honey with Vanilla, Lemon Zest and Thyme [From http://www.spicelines.com]
To serve two
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon water
1 6-inch vanilla bean (I prefer Mexican)
2 or 3 strips of lemon zest
1 sprig of lemon thyme (or any other thyme)
8 ounces fresh Calimyrna or other green-skinned figs

Method:
1. Rinse the figs and pinch off the stems. Cut them in half and set aside.
2. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and cut each half into 2 or 3 pieces.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, water, vanilla bean and lemon zest over the lowest flame. Stir to dissolve the honey and turn off the heat. Add the figs, gently toss them in the honey mixture, and let them macerate, covered, for an hour.
4. After an hour, add the lemon thyme. Turn the heat to very low and gently simmer the figs for 30 to 40 minutes, turning them carefully so that they don’t fall apart but are just cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and let them cool to room temperature.
5. You can eat the figs now if you like, but they are even better if you leave them overnight to soak up the syrupy vanilla and lemon-infused juices they have exuded. To serve, divide the figs between two bowls and spoon their pale pink syrup over them. Serve with Greek yoghurt, of course, and coffee. Very black.

///James Bond Scrambled Eggs//////
Described in Fleming’s Thrilling Cities

. . . The Edwardian Room at The Plaza, a corner table. They didn’t know him there, but he knew he could get what he wanted to eat – not like Chambord or Pavillon with their irritating Wine and Foodsmanship and, in the case of the latter, the miasma of a hundred different women’s scents to confound your palate. He would have one more dry martini at the table, then smoked salmon and the particular scrambled eggs he had once (Felix Leiter knew the head-waiter) instructed them how to make:

For four individualists:
12 fresh eggs
Salt and pepper
5-6 oz. of fresh butter.

Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well. In a small copper (or heavy bottomed saucepan) melt four oz. of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.
While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove the pan from heat, add rest of butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding the while finely chopped chives or fines herbes. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittinger) and low music.

Related Tiffany’s Champagne Glasses Articles

The Mobile Mardi Gras season starts in November with exclusive parties held by some secret mystic societies, then New Year’s Eve balls. It has become closely entwined with the social debutante season for certain families. Other mystic societies begin their events at Twelfth Night (January 6), with parades, balls (some of them masquerade balls), and king cake parties.

During the last two weeks before Mardi Gras, at least one major parade takes place each day in the city. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last few days of the season. In the final week of Mardi Gras, many events large and small occur throughout Mobile and the surrounding communities (see event schedule).

The parades in Mobile are organized mainly by Carnival krewes or orders. Krewe float riders toss throws to the crowds. The most common throws are strings of colorful plastic beads, doubloons (aluminium or wooden dollar-sized coins usually impressed with a krewe logo), wrapped candy/snacks/MoonPies, decorated plastic throw cups, stuffed animals, and other small inexpensive toys. Major krewes follow the same parade schedule and route each year.

To Mobilians, “Mardi Gras” refers to the entire festival season, also known as Carnival. Local schools have multiple “Mardi Gras Holidays” (which can include Ash Wednesday), with the final Tuesday called “Fat Tuesday” or “Mardi Gras Day”. Mobile’s culture has become diverse, and the Mardi Gras season has been extended. The area’s traditions draw from all its history, including Spanish, British, African, Creole,American and even Swedish influences.

History

A type of Mardi Gras festival was brought to Mobile by the founding French Catholic settlers of French Louisiana, as the celebration of Mardi Gras was part of preparation for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. The first record of the holiday being marked in America is on March 3, 1699, at a camp site along the Mississippi River delta. After the construction of Fort Louis de la Mobile (17001702), the settlers celebrated Mardi Gras in Mobile in 1703, beginning an annual tradition, only occasionally canceled because of war.

Mobile was the capital of La Louisiane in 1702, but became British in 1763. Mobile later became part of Spanish West Florida (17801812). The Carnivale (Carneval) began on Twelfth Night (January 6) with torch-lit processions.

Mardi Gras has evolved over centuries in the Mobile area, combining tradition and culture with new ideas. French Mardi Gras arrived in North America with the founding French settlers, the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville: in the late 17th century, King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France’s claim on the territory of La Louisiane, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama and Louisiana.

The two explorers, coming through Dauphin Island (Alabama), navigated the mouth of the Mississippi River (charted by Cavelier de La Salle, 1682), sailed upstream, and on March 3, 1699, celebrated, naming the spot Pointe du Mardi Gras (French: “Mardi Gras Point”) 60 miles downriver from the wilderness that would become New Orleans 20 years later. Meanwhile, between 17001702, the 21-year-old Bienville founded the settlement of Mobile (Alabama), as the first capital of French Louisiana, and in 1703, the American Mardi Gras tradition began with French annual celebrations in Mobile. The feasting and revelry on Mardi Gras in Mobile was called Boeuf Gras (Fatted Ox). The masked ball, Masque de la Mobile, began in 1704, and the first known parade was in 1711, when Mobile’s “Boeuf Gras Society” (“fat beef society”) paraded on Mardi Gras, with 16 men pushing a cart carrying a large papier-mch cow’s head.

Mobile shifted to Mississippi Territory in 1812, Alabama Territory in 1817, and Alabama state in 1819

By 1720, Biloxi became the second capital of Louisiana, and also celebrated French customs. Due to fear of tides and hurricanes, in 1723, the capital was moved to the inland port founded 1718 and called “Nouvelle-Orlans” (New Orleans). That city also started a Mardi Gras celebration.

In 1763, Mobile came under British control. Its restrictions on free blacks and racial segregation caused many Creoles to leave Mobile and move west towards New Orleans. In 1780, Spain took control of the Mobile area in the aftermath of the American Revolution. The Carnival celebration incorporated the Spanish custom of torch-lit parades on Twelfth Night (January 6, also known as Epiphany.) In 1813, Mobile became a United States city, included in the Mississippi Territory. In 1817 it was part of the Alabama Territory. In the Anglican and Episcopal traditions, the day before Ash Wednesday was celebrated as Shrove Tuesday, marked by consumption of rich foods before the fasting practices of Lent.

Cow bell (hung on collar) as in name: Cowbellion de Rakin Society

About 11 years after Alabama became a state (1819), a group of revelers, led by Michael Krafft, who was likely influenced by his Pennsylvania Swedish traditions of celebrating the New Year, stayed awake all New Year’s Eve, started a dawn parade on January 1, 1831, making noise with cowbells, hoes, and rakes. The group became the first parading mystic society (or “krewe”), calling themselves the Cowbellion de Rakin Society, in a parody of French. They had annual parades each New Year’s Eve. Nearly 125 years after Mobile’s first parade of 1711, the new mystic society from Mobile, the Cowbellion de Rakin Society (1830), took their parade into New Orleans, circa 1835. In 1838, people in New Orleans adopted the “European custom of celebrating the last day of the Carnival by a procession of masqued figures through the streets.”

In 1843, some men who had been refused membership by the Cowbellions, formed the Mobile “Strikers Independent Society” with their own New Year’s parade. However, other men from Mobile formed the New Orleans Cowbellions in 1850, and in 1857, that Cowbellion society, renamed the Mistick Krewe of Comus, held its first parade on Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The Boeuf Gras Society (17111861) held their last procession on Shrove Tuesday in 1861, before the American Civil War, and then dissolved.

Joe Cain as Slacabamorinico

In 1867, after the War Between the States, Joe Cain revived the parades in Mobile on Mardi Gras, riding in a decorated charcoal wagon, along with six fellow veterans. That event is celebrated annually with Joe Cain Day (since 1966) and a parade on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The event’s founder, artist and historian Julian Lee “Judy” Rayford, portrayed the “Chief” and in 1970 handed the features to the third “Old Slac”, fireman J. B. “Red” Foster. Foster prtrayed the “Chief” until passing the features in 1985 to historian, public relations professional and pastor, Bennett Wayne Dean Sr. Dean, as Old Slac IV “hisself”, celebrated his 25th year under the feathers on Joe Cain Day in 2010.

War, economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to cancellation of some or all major parades, especially during the Civil War and World War II. The city has traditionally always observed some celebration of Mardi Gras.

Today, many mystic societies operate under a business structure; membership is basically open to anyone who pays dues to have a place on a parade float. In contrast, the traditional mystic societies were social clubs with secret membership lists. Divulging one’s membership in a society can be grounds for dismissal. Some of the newer mystic societies actively recruit prospective members. Some of the older societies have restricted membership, with waiting lists numbering in the hundreds; others restrict members to alumni of particular schools, or other conventions.

The oldest parading society in Mobile is the Order of Myths, founded in 1868. Its Emblem consists of Folly chasing Death around the broken pillar of life, a symbol of Mardi Gras in Mobile. Other notable mystic societies include Knights of Revelry with its Folly dancing on the rim of a huge Champagne Glass, Comic Cowboys, Infant Mystics, Mystics of Time, Crewe of Columbus, Mystic Stripers Society, Order of Inca and Conde Cavaliers. Ladies’ Societies include the Order of Polka Dots (OOP), oldest and largest of the Mobile ladies, the Maids of Mirth (MOMs), their friendly mystic rivals who hit the streets just one day following the OOP in 1950. Other women’s mystic societies who have made a name for themselves include the society with the grammatically incorrect name, Order of LaShe’s (sic.), Order of Athena which kicks off the parades on Mardi Gras Day and Neptune’s Daughters. Each of these societies have contributed something to the fabric of Mobile’s Mardi Gras tradition.

Traditional colors

Traditional colors, with metallic shine.

Meaning of Colors

 Justice (purple)

 Faith (green)

 Power (gold)

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras in Mobile are purple and gold. Purple has been related to royal monarchies in Europe, and is the liturgical color used during Lent in Christianity. Many people in Mobile have incorporated a third color of green, perhaps from New Orleans’ traditional colors of purple, green, and gold, from the Russian House of Romanov in 1872, when Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff Alexandrovitch, brother of the heir apparent to the throne of Russia, had accepted New Orlean’s invitation to attend Mardi Gras, with festivities in his honor.

After Hurricane Katrina

Mobile, Alabama: Downtown flood waters came several feet up the Federal Courthouse steps during Hurricane Katrina, 4 months before Mardi Gras 2006.

Like so much of the Gulf Coast, many parts of Mobile were flooded due to the intense storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina in summer of 2005. Downtown Mobile was flooded several feet deep, including the downtown parade routes. Despite these difficulties, enough of the routes were cleared to continue Mardi Gras celebrations and Mobile had the largest Mardi Gras in its history following the storm. Mardi Gras in Mobile continues to be a popular local and tourist tradition with strong turn outs. The recent 2007 Mardi Gras season in Mobile was attended by nearly 0.9 million people, with police estimating the overall attendance at 878,000 and a crowd of 105,600 along the streets for the Fat Tuesday finale.

Contemporary Mardi Gras

Each year, the Mardi Gras (or Carnival) season starts with three major events: the November parties of the International Carnival Ball and the Camellia Ball, New Year’s Eve and January 6, also known as “Twelfth Night” or the Feast of the Epiphany. In Mobile, the parade season generally starts three weekends before Mardi Gras Day with the Conde Cavaliers parade.

Starting two Fridays before Mardi Gras, there is usually at least one parade every night. The Wednesday before Mardi Gras is reserved as a “rain out” day in case one or more of the earlier parades are affected by weather.

Mardi Gras in Mobile: the Order of Myths 2007 catepillar float.

The weekend before Mardi Gras

Multiple parades lead up to Mardi Gras day. On Sunday (before Fat Tuesday), Joe Cain Day celebrations are held. In recent years these have included a joggers run and the Joe Cain Procession, also known as the “People’s Parade”, as originally, joining the parade did not require membership in a mystic society. It is always led by Chief Slacabamorinico “hisself” personified today by only the fourth person in the city’s long-Carnival history to wear the features of the “Chief”. He is surrounded by the Mistresses of Joe Cain mourning in red and followed by Cain’s Merry Widows wailing in black.

Lundi Gras

The Monday before Ash Wednesday is known as “Lundi Gras” (“Fat Monday”), after the French tradition of eating good foods this day as well as Tuesday, in preparation for dietary restrictions during Lent. In Mobile, Lundi Gras is traditionally a family day. Schools are closed both Lundi and Mardi Gras. At noon, the Mobile Carnival Association’s Floral Parade is held, with area parochial and public schools providing floats and young riders. The Optimist Club hosts a family-oriented midway near Fort Conde, complete with carnival rides, food, games and activities. Lundi Gras is also a day for king cake parties and other family get-togethers in Mobile.

As a tradition, after other parades, the Infant Mystics society has held its parade annually after 6 p.m. on this Monday night in downtown Mobile.

Annual events are shown in the Lundi Gras event schedule of Mardi Gras 2009:

Events on Monday, February 23 (2009):

11:00 am Arrival of King Felix III (name of Mobile’s carnival king) on Government St.

12:00 Noon Felix III Parade and Floral Parade

3:00 pm MLK Business and Civic Organization Parade (rolls on Route D)

3:30 pm MLK Monday Mystics Parade (rolls on Route D)

4:00 pm Northside Merchants Parade (rolls on Route D)

6:30 pm Infant Mystics Parade

Mardi Gras Day

Celebrations begin early on Mardi Gras day. Downtown, the long parade organized by the Order of Athena rolls first, followed by the Comic Cowboys, founded in 1884. The evening ends with a spectacular night parade of illuminated floats decorated to a theme chosen by the Order of Myths. Each parade follows a defined route so that viewers can plan attendance along particular streets or balconies.

Order of Myths 2007 parade, emblem float

Some parades are long and circular so that viewers can walk to a second viewing spot and catch more throws, as the floats circle back. It allows more time to see performances as well.

The Fat Tuesday event schedule for Mardi Gras 2009 is as follows:

Events on Tuesday, February 24, 2009:

FAT TUESDAY! (always the day before Ash Wednesday)

10:30 am Order of Athena Parade

12:30 pm Knights of Revelry Parade

1:00 pm King Felix III Parade

1:30 pm Comic Cowboys Parade

2:00 pm Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association (rolls on Route B)

6:30 pm Order of Myths Parade (rolls on Route C)

Numerous smaller parades and walking clubs also parade around the city.

The end of Mardi Gras

Promptly at the stroke of midnight at the end of Fat Tuesday, all festivities related to Mardi Gras cease, as it is the start of Lent. The city quickly cleans the streets for the next day. Local traditions frown on wearing Mardi Gras beads during Lent. Both Catholics and other Christians often observe Lenten rituals, such as giving up certain foods or taking on charitable obligations during the season of repentance.

Costumes and masks

OOM catepillar float.

Folly: Order of Myths 2007

On the days before Fat Tuesday (other than at parties), people who do not belong to a mystic society seldom wear costumes and masks publicly. Sometimes the general public may wear costumes or masks on Mardi Gras Day. Most people simply dress to be attractive, enjoying the open air and the chance to socialize with other people.

Mystic society members wear elaborate costumes that reflect the theme of their parade, ball or float. Costumes include custom-made hats or feather headdresses, though some societies do not require this. Most of the traditional krewes require riders to wear a mask that is sufficient to conceal the rider’s identity. Excessive cutting of the mask or removing the mask at anytime during the parade is grounds for dismissal from some societies. Some mystic societies also require that members wear masks during the society’s ball (typically held the same night of its parade).

Since 1957, the general public has been allowed to wear masks only on Mardi Gras day from 9am – 9pm, or if they are members of mystic societies. The restriction related to problems with masked bandits and also associations with the damage done by the Ku Klux Klan. (See below: Legal restrictions.)

Mardi Gras mask

Commercialization

There is virtually no commercial advertising during the Mobile parades, as it was prohibited by law in 1935. The various floats in a parade have been designed as independent creations, although some mystic societies have entertained the idea of corporate sponsors.

Floats

Mardi Gras in Mobile: the Order of Myths 2007 catepillar float

Order of Myths, 2007: Folly chasing Death

The design, construction and decoration of Mardi Gras floats is a year-round business in Mobile. Several companies along the Gulf Coast do no other work than building floats. The larger floats in Mobile’s parades are designed to hold about 15 or 16 adult men and their throws. City regulations stipulate length, width and height of floats, to ensure that the floats can safely navigate the narrow streets and tight turns of Downtown Mobile.

The floats are typically multi-level, with a lower level, an upper level, and one or two mezzanine stations (typically near the back of the float). The Float “captain” typically rides on the upper level, which lets him or her see everyone on the float. For floats in night-time parades, the structures are wired for lighting, and a portable generator is towed behind the float to provide power. Each float also contains some type of portable restroom facilities. Although from the street, a Mardi Gras float might look like a dainty, flimsy contraption, the reality is that they are quite sturdily built and are capable of withstanding a good rocking by the riders.

Some of Mobile’s most famous floats include:

Order of Myths Emblem: Folly chasing Death around the broken pillar of life (see image).

Infant Mystics’ black, hissing cat, humping his back atop a cotton bale.

Knights of Revelry Emblem: Folly dancing in the goblet of life.

Infant Mystics Emblem: A black cat atop a cotton bale (the pillar of Mobile’s antebellum wealth)

Mystics of Time’s Vernadean, Verna & Dean: Giant, rolling fire and smoke-breathing dragon floats

Mystic Stripers Society’s two large 40-foot long emblem floats, one a ferocious and “strong” Tiger, the another a sleek and “fast” Zebra.

Crewe of Columbus’ Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria: Three floats built to resemble Columbus’ famed ships.

Order of Polka Dots’ famed emblem featuring three winged sons of Pegasus bearing the Golden Chariot of the Gypsy Queen through rainbow enveloped clouds

Order of Inca Messengers and Sun Worshippers: Some of Mobile’s largest moving structures.

Conde Cavaliers Emblem: Swashbuckler points his sword right at Mobile.

The throws

Tossing throw beads as gifts

For many of the Mardi Gras parades in Mobile, members of societies on floats toss gifts to the general public, as so-called throws, including plastic beads, doubloon coins, decorated plastic cups, candy, wrapped cakes/snacks, stuffed animals, and small toys, footballs, frisbees, or whistles.

Mardi Gras throws have themselves evolved over the years. As little as 20 years ago, the beads thrown by Mobile maskers were small, cheap plastic pieces, and few maskers gave much thought to them. Today, the beads can be the most expensive items on a masker’s throw list. In 1956, the first Moon Pies were thrown by children on the Queen’s float in the Comic Cowboys parade. Moon Pies have since become a staple of Mardi Gras in Mobile. Other items that have come and gone through Mobile’s Mardi Gras history include Cracker Jacks (outlawed in 1972), confetti and unbagged candy. Maskers throwing candy today typically throw small bags of bubble gum, kisses and other sweet treats. A recent fad, attributed to members of the Order of Inca, has been to throw Ramen Noodle packs to crowds. The noodle packs are easy to throw, and cost about the same or less than Moon Pies.

Beads

Plastic beads with metallic finish

Mystic society members have thrown inexpensive strings of beads from floats to parade-goers since at least the late 19th century. Until the 1960s, the most common forms were custom-colored necklaces of smaller glass beads made in Czechoslovakia. These were replaced by inexpensive, durable, standardized plastic beads, first from Hong Kong, then from Taiwan, and more recently from China. Lower-cost beads allow riders to purchase greater quantities, hence throws have become more numerous and common. However, the mass-produced items have limited variety, and many bead necklaces are of one single color, bagged in bulk from the factory. This might lead to multiple necklaces of the same color being thrown at the same time, rather than a multi-color variety.

In the 1990s, many people lost interest in small, common beads, often leaving them where they had landed on the ground. Larger, more elaborate, multi-colored bead necklaces and strands with figures of animals, people, or other objects have become the sought-after throws. Nevertheless, citing the increasing cost of throws, maskers continue to buy and throw the smaller diameter beads to the masses and save the more expensive, elaborate creations for friends along the route.

Doubloons

One of the many Mardi Gras throws, doubloons are large coins, either plastic or metal, that are usually in the Mardi Gras colors. These coins portray the mystic society’s emblem, name, and founding date on one side, and the theme and year of the parade and ball on the other side. The Infant Mystics were the first Mobile mystic to toss doubloons in the mid-1960s.

Mardi Gras doubloons are round like old Spanish doubloons (pictured)

The doubloons thrown during the parade are inexpensive, stamped anodized aluminum. However, a thriving cottage industry has developed for the production and collection of limited edition doubloons. As a means of fundraising, many societies now offer limited edition doubloons struck from bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Other offerings include cloisonn and hand-painted varieties. Rather than being stamped, these pieces are struck like legal tender coins. The Resurrected Cowbellion de Rakin Society struck what has become the most unusual coins in Mobile Carnival history – the Belldallion – doubloons struck in the shape of a cowbell.

Plastic cups

In recent years, plastic cups have been thrown. The Order of Inca was the first krewe to throw plastic cups emblazoned with their emblem and the theme of the parade and ball. Now, every mystic society in the city throws themed cups from their floats. Also thrown are generic Mardi Gras cups, often with the dates of future Mardi Gras seasons printed on them.

Snacks

The snacks are typically wrapped, individual portions of food, such as a brownie cookie, snack cake, bag of peanuts, or a Moon Pie, a chocolate, banana, or orange frosted marshmallow cake. The tossed snacks have also included various bags of pork rinds crackers. Other snacks include Ramen Noodles (a recent trend), dried fruits and whole bags of candy and gum.

Toys/frisbees/footballs

A large variety of soft plastic toys have become throws, such as hollow plastic water pistols, or ribbed tube-straw whistles. The plastic toy Frisbees are typically small-sized frisbees, with the round disc less than 8 inches (41 cm) in diameter. Small footballs of soft plastic, or foam rubber, have been thrown from floats, often aimed to spin when thrown like a full-sized football. Many of these are emblazoned with the Society’s emblem or initials.

Prohibited throws

A number of objects are prohibited as parade throws in Mobile, based on safety or sexual restrictions, as defined in Section 49 of the Mobile City Code (from 10 February 2004):

“It shall be unlawful for any person to throw the following items from Mardi Gras floats or during Mardi Gras parades: Rubber balls, hard balls such as baseballs, wooden handled objects, condoms or similar items, dolls of any construction with explicit sexual organs, candy apples, ice cream or food products requiring freezing or refrigeration, any food stuff in cans, whole boxes of any food, trinkets, etc. All Moon Pies, trinkets and other throws shall be thrown individually or in small numbers.”

All boxes are prohibited as throws (also since February 2004), including “crushed or empty” boxes.

King Cake: coffee cake, re-frosted with dyed sugar.

Other Mardi Gras traditions

The King cake

The first week of January starts the King Cake season. The traditional King Cake was associated with Epiphany, January 6, also known as Twelfth Night, when English and Europeans celebrated Christmas for twelve days up to this night. The current version is a coffee cake, and is oblong and braided. The cake is iced with a simple icing and covered with purple, green and gold sugar. Each cake contains a hidden one-inch baby doll. According to custom, whoever finds the doll must either buy the next King Cake or throw the next King Cake party. In Mobile, people throw hundreds of King Cake parties every year, and thousands of cakes are made, bought and eaten.

Flame torches: 2007 OOM parade

Flambeaux carriers

The flambeaux (flame-torch) was originally a beacon for parade-goers to better enjoy the spectacle of night festivities. In Mobile, night parades were formerly cross-lit by torches topped by signal flares (as might be placed in the street at a night traffic wreck).

By the end of the 20th century, most burning flares were replaced by generator-powered electric lights on the floats. The Order of Myths parade (at night on the final Tuesday) still uses people carrying flambeaux.

Mardi Gras icons

Several common images or phrases appear during the Mardi Gras season:

Traditional colors: purple/green/gold.

Mobile flag.

official Mardi Gras flags: flags with a special emblem in Mardi Gras colors;

signs or items using traditional colors: purple, green, and gold;

the faces of Comedy and Tragedy: the smiling and frowning theater faces;

feathered masks: with fluffy feathers attached at the edges;

Fleur de Lis: the French symbol from the time Mobile was the capital of the French colony;

“Let the good times roll!” (French: Laissez les bons temps rouler!);

“Throw me something, Mister!”: shouted by a parade viewer.

the Moon Pie chant, heard along the parade routes as crowds chant “Moon Pie! Moon Pie!”

Mystic societies

Main article: Mystic society

A type of mystic society began in Mobile in 1704, with the Societ de Saint Louise founded by French soldiers at Fort St. Louis de la Mobile. The annual Masque de la Mobile was started in the same year. In 1830, a group celebrating with an early morning parade, later became the Cowbellion de Rakin Society as the first parade krewe, with annual organized parades, rather than just spontaneous processions, as had been the custom. The Cowbellions dissolved in 1912, but saw a revival of sorts in 1990 as the Resurrected Cowbellion de Rakin Society although it claimed no direct connection with its great-greatgranddaddy.

Dozens of mystic societies have come and gone over the past three centuries in Mobile. Membership has been formed by affiliated groups such as co-workers, bachelors, women, blacks, black women, Jews, married women, married couples, or open membership, including visitors.

There are more than 40 mystic societies in Mobile. Because many are run as secret societies, their impact on Mobile politics, business affairs, and Carnival activities is difficult to determine, but they have been another avenue of social and political influence. Current notable mystic societies are listed in parade and event schedules, described below (see: Recent mystic parades and events).

Development of mystic societies

Carnival celebrations in Mobile, of which Mardi Gras Day is the final day, begin in November and end promptly at the stroke of midnight of Mardi Gras Day, with the beginning of Lent. Society balls are held throughout the season, first in November, next on New Year’s Eve. Mobile’s mystic societies build colorful Carnival floats and parade throughout downtown during the Mardi Gras season, with masked society members tossing small gifts, known as throws, to the parade spectators.

Mobile first celebrated Carnival in 1703 when French settlers began the festivities at the Old Mobile Site. A form of mystic society began in Mobile in 1704, with the Societ de Saint Louise, founded by French soldiers at Fort St. Louis de la Mobile, and later became another Mobile Carnival society in 1711 as the Boeuf Gras Society (Fatted Ox Society, 17111861). Mobile’s Cowbellion de Rakin Society was the first formally organized and masked mystic society in the United States to celebrate with a parade, in 1830: the Cowbellions got their start when a cotton broker from Pennsylvania, Michael Krafft, began a parade with rakes, hoes, and cowbells. The Cowbellions introduced horse-drawn floats to the parades in 1840 with a parade titled Heathen Gods and Goddesses. The Strikers Independent Society was formed in 1843 and is the oldest remaining mystic society in the United States.

Carnival celebrations in Mobile were cancelled during the American Civil War; however, Mardi Gras parades were revived by Joe Cain in 1866 when he paraded through the streets in a wagon on Fat Tuesday, while costumed as a fictional Chickasaw chief named Slacabamorinico, irreverently celebrating the day in front of the occupying Union Army troops. The Order of Myths, Mobile’s oldest mystic society which continues to parade, was founded in 1867 and held its first parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868. The Infant Mystics also began to parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868, but later moved their parade to Lundi Gras (Fat Monday). The Mobile De Leon Carnival Association was formed in 1871 to coordinate the events of Mardi Gras, so in 1872 the first Royal Court was held with the first king of Carnival, Emperor Felix I. The Comic Cowboys of Wragg Swamp were established in 1884, along with their mission of satire and free expression. The Continental Mystic Crew mystic society was founded in 1890, it was Mobile’s first Jewish mystic society. The Order of Doves mystic society was founded in 1894 and held its first Mardi Gras ball. It was the first organized African American mystic society in Mobile.

The Infant Mystics (1868), the second oldest society that continues to parade, introduced the first electric floats to Mobile in 1929. The Mobile Colored Carnival Association was founded and had its first parade in 1939 (later renamed the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association or MAMGA), then installed the first African American Mardi Gras court in 1940, with the coronation of King Elexis I and his queen. The Conde Cavaliers were founded in 1977 (parade 1978), and hold the first parade of the season, since parades stopped on New Year’s Eve. Following the lead of the little known and now-defunct Krewe of Pan and Apostles of Apollo societies composed of the city’s gay and/or lesbian community, the Order of Osiris held its first ball in 1980. It is now one of the Carnival season’s most anticipated balls and sought-after invitation. Another gay society, the Krewe of Adonis, held its first ball on New Year’s Eve of 1991, but is now gone from the social scene. The Mobile International Carnival Ball was first held in 1993 with every known Mobile mystic society in attendance. The year 2002 saw Mobile’s Tricentennial celebrated with parades that represented all of Mobile’s mystic societies.

Recent mystic parades and events

The schedule of mystic parades and events, included below, reveals some aspects of the notability of various krewes within the Mobile Carnival season.

2009 Mardi Gras schedule:

Saturday, January 24

1:00 pm Krewe De La Dauphine Parade (Dauphin Island)

Saturday, January 31

1:00 pm Island Mystics Parade (Dauphin Island)

Friday, February 6

6:30 pm Conde Cavaliers Parade

Saturday, February 7

2:30 pm Bayport Parading Society

6:30 pm Pharaohs Parade (www.thepharaohs.org)

7:00 pm Conde Explorers Parade

Thursday, February 12

6:30 pm Order of Polka Dots Parade

Friday, February 13

6:30 pm Order of Inca Parade (www.orderofinca.com)

Saturday, February 14

2:00 pm Mobile Mystics Parade (www.mobilemystics.com)

6:30 pm Maids of Mirth Parade

7:00 pm Order of Butterfly Maidens Parade

7:30 pm Krewe of Marry Mates

Sunday, February 15

6:30 pm Neptune’s Daughters Parade

Monday, February 16

6:30 pm Mobile Mystical Ladies Parade

7:00 pm Order of Venus Parade

Tuesday, February 17

6:30 pm Order of LaShe’s (sic.) Parade

Thursday, February 19 (Wednesday is rain-out day)

6:30 pm Mystic Stripers Society Parade

Friday, February 20

6:30 pm Crewe of Columbus Parade

Saturday, February 21

12:00 noon Floral Parade

12:30 pm Knights of Mobile Parade

1:00 pm Order of Angels Parade

6:00 pm Mystics of Time Parade

6:30 pm Coronation of Queen to King Felix III (Mobile Convention Center)

Sunday, February 22

1:00 pm Arrival of King Elexis I (at foot of Government Street)

2:30 pm Joe Cain Procession

5:00 pm Le Krewe de Bienville Parade

5:30 pm Les Femmes Cassettes Parade

8:15 pm Coronation of King Elexis (Mobile Civic Center)

Monday, February 23

11:00 am Arrival of King Felix III (name of Mobile’s carnival king) on Government St.

12:00 Noon Parade of Felix and Floral Parade

3:00 pm MLK Business and Civic Organization Parade (rolls on Route D)

3:30 pm MLK Monday Mystics Parade (rolls on Route D)

4:00 pm Northside Merchants Parade (rolls on Route D)

6:30 pm Infant Mystics Parade

Tuesday, February 24

(Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday, always the day before Ash Wednesday)

10:30 am Order of Athena Parade

12:30 pm Knights of Revelry Parade

1:00 pm King Felix III Parade

1:30 pm Comic Cowboys Parade

2:00 pm Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association (rolls on Route B)

6:30 pm Order of Myths Parade (rolls on Route C)

So, the final parade is held by the Order of Myths (OOM), Mobile’s oldest Tuesday-parade mystic society (founded in 1867).

Legal restrictions

Over the past centuries, laws have been established in Mobile to limit certain types of behavior during the Carnival season. Laws in Mobile have regulated activities based on race, immorality, noise, face masks, gloves, parading, fireworks, and objects thrown. In 1826, people of color were required to obtain licenses for assemblies or dances; in 1845, balls were banned at homes of free blacks or slaves (but not Creoles); and in 1866, laws restricted noise or any party where “immoral or disorderly persons” might gather:

1826: According to Section 7 of City of Mobile Ordinance 4 titled “An Ordinance to establish a City Watch and to regulate the duties of Watchmen,” no ball, dance, or assembly of people of color would be permitted within the City unless they first obtain a license from the Mayor or the Alderman, with no license granted passed 1 a.m. in the morning;

1845: A Mobile city Ordinance prohibits free blacks or slaves from holding balls at their place of residence; the restriction does not include the Creoles in Mobile, who held a distinct status in American society as written in the 1803 Treaty of Paris (Louisiana Purchase), with Thomas Jefferson; Alabama had become a state in 1819, giving American protection to citizens after Mobile had been a colony of Spain, 17801812.

After 1902 the use of masks were largely limited to mystic societies or children under 12. In 1918, public masking was forbidden in Mobile during World War I (repealed in 1920); by 1947, masks were limited to mystic societies only, plus a masked individual was forbidden to “wear gloves or have his hands concealed” or covered. After 1957, the general public were allowed to wear masks, but only on Mardi Gras day from 9am – 9pm, or as members of mystic societies.

Because of safety issues, in 1987 fireworks were prohibited during Mardi Gras. The city also restricted pets in parade areas, skateboards and scooters, prohibited firearms, and the public throwing any object into the parade.

While many visiting tourists might think of Mardi Gras as an “adult” holiday, local residents view it as a time of family traditions; indeed, many view the parades mainly as sources of enjoyment for children. Many families with young children gather along the parade routes in downtown. The city discourages nudity, public drunkenness and other lewd behavior, which can lead to quick arrest.

Short glossary

The Mobile Mardi Gras season uses several terms which have specific meanings for the events:

Carnival: the festival season (term used in Spanish period of Mobile, 17801812), generally from January 6, Twelfth Night, to Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday;

Lundi Gras: (“Fat Monday”) the Monday before Lent;

Mardi Gras: (“Fat Tuesday”) the Tuesday before Lent, also refers to the general several weeks of Carnival festival;

King Felix III: the contemporary king of the Mobile Mardi Gras;

mystic society: secret society formed for any annual Carnival events;

parade krewe: a society that has annual, organized parades;

tableau: a pageant event; and

throw: any gift thrown from a float to the spectators.

See also

New Orleans Mardi Gras

Notes

^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa “Carnival/Mobile Mardi Gras Timeline” (list of events by year), Museum of Mobile, 2001, webpage: MoM-timeline.

^ a b c d e f g h i j k “”Mardi Gras – Mobile’s Paradoxical Party”". “The Wisdom of Chief Slacabamorinico”. http://jacksonsnyder.com/arc/slac/MardiGras/paradox.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-18. 

^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t “New Orleans & Mardi Gras History Timeline” (event list), Mardi Gras Digest, 2005, webpage: MG-time.

^ a b “Calendar” for McGill-Toolen Catholic High School (week of 3-Feb-2008), Mobile Archdiocese, November 2007, webpage: .

^ a b “Westlawn Elementary – All Events for February/2008″ (calendar), Westlawn Elementary, Mobile, AL, 2007, webpage: Westlawn-calendar: events in February 2008; also check 2007 (“iYear=2007″).

^ a b c d e f g h i j “Mardi Gras” (description), Mobile Chamber of Commerce, 2007, webpage: MChamber-Mardi.

^ a b c d “Gulf Coast’s oldest Mardi Gras” (overview), USA TODAY, 1-26-2004, webpage: UToday-MG (lists throws as stuffed animals, Moon Pies, sunglasses, beads).

^ a b c “Mobile Carnival Association, 1927″ (3rd group), Mardi Gras Digest, 2006, webpage: MD-com-Mobile-Carnival-Association.

^ a b c “Mobile Bay Convention – Mardi Gras Terminology” (list), Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2007, webpage: MBC-terms: “Carnival” definition has November events & daily parades.

^ a b The International Carnival Ball and the Camellia Ball are held in November each year (since 1993), and the grand ball of the Striker’s Independent Society is held on New Year’s Eve.

^ a b c “Mardi Gras Information and Safety Tips” (press release), Mobile Police Department, Mobile, Alabama, 2007-02-01, webpage: MPD-press-release (uses term “Mardi Gras season” & prohibits pets, skateboards, motorized scooters, and throwing objects to parade).

^ a b “Louisiana Timeline: Year 1699″ (events for March 23), Encyclopedia Louisiana, September 2000, webpage: EnLou-year1699.

^ a b c d “NOLA.com : Mardi Gras : About Carnival” (history), New OrleansNet LLC, 2007, webpage: www-NOLA-mardigras-history.

^ a b “Timeline 18th Century: 17001724″ (events), Timelines of History, 2007, webpage: TLine-17001724: on “17021711″ of Mobile.

^ a b c “Mardi Gras in Mobile” (history), Jeff Sessions, Senator, Library of Congress, 2006, webpage: LibCongress-2665.

^ “Mardi Gras” (history), Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2007, webpage: MGmobile.

^ “Carnival/Mobile Mardi Gras Timeline” (list of events by year), Museum of Mobile, 2001, webpage: MoM-timeline: states “Michael Krafft in Mobile establishes America first organized and masked Carnival Society, The Cowbellion de Rakin Society. On December 31, 1830…

^ “About Mardi Gras” (short history), Toomey’s, The Original Mardi Gras Headquarters, 2006, webpage: ToomeysMG.

^ a b “Katrina floods downtown Mobile, beaches, bayous” (news), USA TODAY (from AP), 2005-08-30, webpage: USAT-Katrina-floods-Mobile: reported “MOBILE, Ala. (AP) Hurricane Katrina’s surging floodwaters swept over cars and roads and turned downtown buildings into stark concrete islands Monday as its pounding rains and destructive winds hit coastal Alabama.”

^ a b c “Girl killed after Mardi Gras parade” (news), Montgomery Advisor, The Advertiser Co., Montgomery, AL, 2007-02-23, webpage: MA-Mobile-344: reported “Police described the overall carnival as safe, despite the 5-year-old’s death [20Feb07 4:30pm]. Arrests included 22 felony charges and 237 misdemeanors.”

^ “The Original Mardi Gras: Mobile, AL” (overview), Squidoo, LLC, 2007, webpage: www.squidoo.com/originalmardigras/ MG-schedule.

^ a b c d “2009 Mardi Gras Schedule”, Official Mardi Gras, 2008-12-21, webpage: OfficialMG-53.

^ a b c d “Mobile Government – City Council Meetings: Minutes and Agendas” (includes updates to Mobile City Code), City of Mobile, Alabama, February 2004, webpage: CoM-Council-minutes-161.

^ “”Mardi Gras Terminology”". “Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau”. http://www.mobile.org/vis_mardigras_terms.php. Retrieved 2007-11-18. 

^ Houston, Susan (2007-02-04). “Mobile; It Has History”. The News & Observer (News & Observer Publishing Company, (Raleigh, NC)). 

^ a b c d e f g h i j “”History”". “Mobile Carnival Museum”. http://www.mobilecarnivalmuseum.com/History.aspx. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 

^ “Joe Cain Articles” (newspaper story), Joe Danborn & Cammie East, Mobile Register, 2001, webpage: CMW-history.

^ “”MAMGA History”". “Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association”. http://web.archive.org/web/20040604100834/www.mamga.org/Templates/history.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-18. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mobile Mardi Gras

City of Mobile, Alabama webpage

Mobile Mardi Gras website

Mobile Mystics Mardi Gras Association website

Mobile Carnival Museum

Categories: Festivals in Alabama | Carnival & Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama | Cultural institutions in Mobile, Alabama | Carnivals | 1703 establishments

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Portland, Ore. (Vocus/PRWEB) December 22, 2010

Two of Portland’s Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List Hotels throw parties and offer packages for New Year’s Eve! With sold out NYE packages for the past three years, Hotel deLuxe and Hotel Lucia will keep up its reputation as the Portland destination for ringing in the New Year.

Hotel deLuxe is a unique Portland hotel located in downtown near the Pearl District & NW 23rd, where guests step into the Golden Era of Hollywood beneath crystal chandeliers and gold-gilded ceilings, and partygoers get more than a glass of champagne.

New Year’s Eve package at the deLuxe: Be glamorous at this masquerade with live music by Portland’s popular New Orleans style jazz band The Stolen Sweets accompanied by Rose City Shimmy (Portland-based burlesque troupe)! Enjoy entrance to the most glamorous party in town, 2 drink tickets, overnight accommodations, valet parking, party favors and champagne toast at midnight.

Package rates starts at $ 319. To make reservations, visit hoteldeluxe.com or call 503.219.2094.

The Hotel Lucia, a hip and trendy Portland hotel, featuring black-and-white photographs of Pulitzer-prize winning photographer David Hume Kennerly is the perfect place for New Year’s Eve revelers to celebrate.

New Year’s Eve package at the Lucia: Celebrate New Year’s Eve with style and sophistication at the Hotel Lucia. Indulge in the “calm” of your guest room before indulging in a Casino Royale type of thrill. Fabulous butler passed hors d’oeuvres, inspired cocktails, Black Jack, Roulette, fabulous prizes, breakfast for the morning after ($ 30 credit), late check-out (2 p.m.) and champagne will make this a New Years to remember. Remember, what happens at the Lucia, stays at the Lucia. Package rates starts at $ 309. To make reservations, visit hotellucia.com or call 503.225.1717.

About Hotel deLuxe

Like its sister hotel in Portland, Ore., the Hotel Lucia (Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Hotels in the World) and its brother hotel in Seattle, Wash., the Hotel Max (http://www.hotelmaxseattle.com), the Hotel deLuxe (http://www.hoteldeluxeportland.com) is unique in Portland with its film-inspired design and magnified focus on personal guest services – awarded to Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Hotels in the World three years running. For more information, please contact Dina Nishioka for details at 503.295.2122 x223. Also, visit http://www.hoteldeluxe.com for updates.

About Hotel Lucia

Centrally located at 400 SW Broadway in the heart of downtown Portland, Hotel Lucia – named to Condé Nast Traveler’s World’s Best Hotels list and Reader’s Choice list multiple times, and Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the world – offers an artsy boutique setting steps away from the city’s best shopping, restaurants and night clubs. This comfortable hotel extends more-than-friendly rates for all 127 guest rooms and indulgent but essential amenities, including high-speed wireless Internet access, Aveda bath products, organic coffee and a “Get it Now” button on every hotel phone for the most whimsical desire or typical need. The Hotel Lucia can be found on the Web at http://www.hotellucia.com. Reservations are available online or by phone at 877.225.1717.

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Glass stemware may consist of clear wine glasses, coloured wine glasses, champagne flutes, brandy glasses, cocktail glasses and sherry glasses. These possess varying shapes and sizes. The red wine glasses for instance have a wide bowl that raises the surface area in connection with air and increases the rate of air flow necessary for red wines. On the other hand, the glass champagne flute has a tall thin bowl that reduces the surface area thereby keeping the beautiful bubbles related with champagne. Indeed there are contemporary and traditional styles of stemware some of which are short and others long. The long stems are normally sought-after for white glasses as this allows the drinker to hold the stem and not increase the temperature of the wine.

As compared to other glass flutes, tumblers have no stem or foot at their base. There are one pint glasses, highball glasses, juice glasses, shot glasses and other kinds. Pint glasses for instance appear in varying shapes and sizes. The most popular are the tulip, nonic and conical shapes.  The nonic shapes have a bulge near the top making them stronger and less likely to slither out of the drinker’s hand.

The coffee glasses also differ from the glass champagne flute as they have a handle. Also they possess flat bases like mugs. The ice cream and dessert glasses are normally tall attractive glasses with short stems under glass bowls or tall goblets. Sometimes the latter are known as Knickerbockers glory goblets because they are regularly used to serve the popular dessert of the same name.

Glassware unique from the glass champagne flute is the disposable glassware. It is another option perfect for catering events and outdoor activities. It is less susceptible to breakage than normal glass and does not weigh so much. It is therefore very suitable for activities that require travelling to the venue. It is more replaceable as it’s relatively cheaper compared to others.

Make sure that you care and store your glass very well in order to avoid chipping and breakage. You could equally use glass jacks between the glasses when travelling to avoid them hitting against each other resulting in breakage.

The standard monograms we are all accustomed to are the three letter monograms. This type of monogram will have three letters each identifying the first, middle, and last initial of a name. The first initial will go on the left, the middle initial on the right, and the last initial directly in the middle. Often times these monograms are decorated with artistic calligraphy or flowing embellishments. This type of monogram is commonly used in items such as wedding invitations, towels, jewelry, and other household items to identify the owner.

The basic three letter styling of monograms has not been changed much since the late 19th century to the early 20th century and are still the most commonly used today. Before then, however, monograms consisted of usually one initial, that being the first initial of the last name. Royalty would commonly use this form of monogram with an elaborate family crest intertwined throughout. Single letter monograms are still used today but usually in the monogramming of linens. A single “M” could be used for either the last name, Mally, or the fist name Michael. In recent years a single letters on pendants have been used extensively as a first name identification monogram.

As of late the most popular monograms have been on jewelry and other keepsake items. In fact, there are stores dedicated to just this such thing. Most of these jewelry items with monograms are made of stainless steel, which is a softer metal than gold and easily engraveable. A matching necklace and bracelet set with monograms are a great gift for that special occasion or holiday. A champagne glass set with matching monograms are very popular for brides and grooms to use for toasting at their wedding and is a desirable bridal shower gift. Baby blankets with custom monograms for the baby are also wonderful gifts and keepsakes.

Monograms have also been used throughout history to mark gravestones. These were much more than artistic embellishments. The initials of the deceased were oftentimes engraved in the top portion of the gravestone for easy identification. Many of these gravestones were commissioned by the wealthy and were usually put on already elaborated memorials. Irish ancestors put monograms of IHS on their gravestones in some areas of the country denoting they were of the Christian faith. The letters IHS are a direct Latin reference to Jesus Christ. Monograms of IHS are also commonly found on crucifixes.

Whether it is a piece of jewelry, or a religious artifact, monograms have had many purposes and uses throughout history. There are more around than one would think. Next time, stop and look and see for yourself, I’ll bet you find some interesting monograms.

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(PRWEB) March 7, 2004

They are called glowBE’s & they are the hottest item on the market for parties, restaurants, & nightclubs. This new line of drinkware that features an LED light strip that illuminates, jumps, twirls & twists to create a dynamic effect.

The glowBE™ line includes drink stirrers, martini,margarita,wine & champagne glasses. Retail buyers can also partake in promoting an ongoing glowBE™ recipe collection of mixed cocktails such as the “Blue Flame Martini” as a “buy the drink, keep the glass” promotion.

The product line is being sold exclusively by BoydOnline.Net, a North American wholesale distribution company.

“Already we’ve sold over 25,000 glasses from this collection.” Said Boyd rep Kiara Shackleford. “We’re selling alot to nightclubs for special drink promotions & because we have the lowest prices anywhere on a glowing glass, we’re seeing alot of return orders.”

You can find glowBE™ items lots on sale at Ebay™ or BoydOnline.Net

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