Grill With the Governor on July 23, 2013

Grill with the Governor

Event to benefit the Governor’s Mansion

By Diane Christy, Friends of the Alabama Governor's Mansion

 

Governor and Mrs. Robert Bentley will host a casual summer cookout on the Governor’s Mansion grounds on Tuesday, July 23, 6:00-8:00 pm, with the Governor himself doing the honors at the BBQ grill.

The public is invited to meet the Bentleys and to take a tour of the Mansion while enjoying traditional picnic fare.  Children are welcome and special activities are planned for them.

Grill with the Governor is a benefit for the Friends of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion (FOAGM).  FOAGM is a non-profit organization which helped pass the First Lady Dianne Bentley Mansion Preservation Act in June 2011.  The legislation created a state agency to protect the integrity of the Mansion Complex.  The Friends are not only engaged in fund-raising, but also with the development of interior design, acquisitions and collection restoration plans for this historic home. The Friends work closely with the Mansion Authority to carry out these plans.

Mrs. Bentley has been tremendously supportive of the Friends and deeply involved in their current and projected improvements to the Mansion. 

Tickets are $50 for adults and $35 for children under 12.  They can be purchased through the Governor’s Mansion Gift Shop at 30 Finley Avenue. 

 

 

Friends of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion is an all-volunteer statewide non-profit organization.

 

 

 

Verizon Wireless Donations

Kate Jay
Verizon Wireless
678-339-4828
Kate.Jay@VerizonWireless.com

                                                                          

 

VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK NOW SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE

 IN ALABAMA

 

Company Celebrates Network Buildout with Presentation of Four Major Grants

 

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  – Verizon Wireless announced today that the company’s 4G LTE network is now substantially complete in Alabama just two years after first launching in Montgomery and Mobile. The company’s 4G LTE network now represents the vast majority of the company’s 3G footprint that provides coverage across tens of thousands of square miles in Alabama, from Muscle Shoals to Mobile. Nationally, Verizon’s 4G LTE network is currently available in 497 markets covering 287 million people.

Verizon’s 4G LTE buildout in Alabama represents a significant and ongoing investment in the state. Since 2010, the company has invested more than $340 million on its network in the state, with a substantial portion of that supporting its 4G LTE rollout; Verizon’s ongoing network investment in Alabama now totals more than $900 million since the company was formed in 2000.

            To celebrate this network milestone, Verizon today announced “4Gs,” or four grants, to Alabama organizations:

·         A $10,000 Verizon Foundation grant to the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund recognizing Verizon’s ongoing commitment to tornado recovery in the state;

·         A $10,000 Verizon Foundation grant to Ready Alabama’s Be Ready Camp to help inspire the next generation of first responders;

·         A $30,000 HopeLine grant to the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence in honor of HopeLine Hero First Lady Dianne Bentley;

·         A $50,000 Request for Proposals from the Verizon Foundation seeking proposals from organizations offering domestic violence prevention programming.

“We were the first wireless provider to introduce 4G LTE to Alabama just two years ago , and now more than four million Alabamians have access to our blazing fast network, which reaches beyond  the state’s major cities into rural Alabama,” said Jonathan LeCompte, president – Georgia/Alabama region, Verizon Wireless. “With a wireless network that offers speeds comparable to broadband cable Internet, our customers are discovering how 4G LTE revolutionizes the way we communicate.”

The numbers show that Alabama consumers and businesses are taking advantage of Verizon’s 4G LTE network: data traffic on the network increased nearly 325 percent from 2012 to 2013 in Alabama. Nationally, more than 50 percent of Verizon Wireless’ data traffic is now carried over the 4G LTE network, demonstrating dramatic adoption of the new technology.

While smartphones and tablets account for a large portion of the 4G LTE data usage, Verizon’s 4G LTE network is increasingly being used for machine-to-machine connectivity in industries such as healthcare, transportation and and logistics as well as for providing broadband solutions in rural areas and on-the-go through technology such as mobile hotspots, 4G LTE routers, and HomeFusion from Verizon.

Today’s “4Gs” grant announcements bring the company’s total community contributions to more than $900,000 in the same two-year period. The majority of those dollars have gone to support tornado relief, emergency preparedness and domestic violence awareness and prevention. In addition to the company’s network and community investment, Verizon Wireless employs more than 1,200 people in Alabama, including at Verizon’s state headquarters in Huntsville, and operates 24 company-owned retail locations across the state, with a 25^th location opening in Madison in August.

 

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 98.9 million retail customers, including 93.2 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 73,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  For the latest news and updates about Verizon Wireless, visit our News Center at http://news.verizonwireless.com or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNews.   

Brantwood Fishing Rodeo

This past Saturday Governor Robert Bentley and First Lady Dianne Bentley participated in the "Brantwood Fishing Rodeo." This event was sponsored by the Alabama Bass Trail and invited the youth of Brantwood to come enjoy a day of fishing in Coosa County. Jim Hardy, a professional fisherman, was happy for everyone to use his pond for the day and he even took time to teach everyone the best techniques.

First Lady Dianne Bentley promotes adoption through foster care as a part of her agenda, and she calls it a blessing to work with the children and youth in Alabama foster homes. It is her hope that every child can find a forever home and a family to share in their life's memories.

Tallassee Quilt Show

First Lady Dianne Bentley is an avid quilter and truly appreciates the craftsmanship and time that goes in to each one of these pieces of art. This past week she had the opportunity to travel to Tallassee to view and help judge their quilt show. While there, she learned much about Tallassee's fiber art history and had the chance to meet many members of the community. The mayor was also there to greet her and welcome her to town.

She is thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this event and hopes shows like this will revive an interest in fiber art.

Scholastic Book Donation: Odenville Elementary School

First Lady Dianne Bentley just returned from her trip to Odenville Elementary where she donated the last Scholastic books of this school year. She was greeted at the front door by the principal, the librarian, and the school's DARE officer. They were so enthusiastic and immediately began to show her around the school. As she toured she walked in and out of many of the classrooms meeting the students and their teachers.

The last class she visited was Mrs. Herron's second grade. While there she spoke with students, read them a book, answered questions, and even signed a few autographs. Following the class visit, she was escorted to the library by Will K. with his classmates close behind.

Mrs. Bentley is thankful for the time everyone spent with her today, and for the kindness she was shown. Odenville Elementary made her visit special!

Scholastic Book Donation: New Brockton Elementary School

First Lady Dianne Bentley traveled south to New Brockton Elementary to donate books to their school. She began her visit by reading a book by Faye Gibbons called Night In The Barn. Mrs. Bentley works to promote Alabama and its people wherever she goes.

After, Mrs. Bentley told them about life in the Mansion, responsibilities she has as First Lady, and general facts about Alabama. Then each student in the library had the opportunity to ask her a question! These ranged from information about her family to questions about the state.

It was such a wonderful visit. Mrs. Bentley is thankful for each person she was able to meet.

This is the New Brockton Elementary SGA.

Collins-Rhodes Elementary School

First Lady Dianne Bentley selected Collins-Rhodes Elementary as one of the five Alabama schools to receive a donation of Scholastic books. She was extremely impressed by the principal and the way she leads the school. Everything was well organized, efficient, and pleasant.

Mrs. Bentley had the opportunity to read to some Pre-K students when she first arrived. They read about missing cookies and helped figure out who had taken them from the jar. Each student listened closely and interacted with the First Lady at every page turn.

After, she took a school tour, during which the principal detailed ways they engage students and encourage the learning process. Mrs. Bentley also got to speak to a few fourth grade classrooms since they study Alabama history as a part of their curriculum.

Mrs. Bentley was very positive about her visit and wishes this school continued success and growth.