Continental is preparing to cut more than 200 jobs from the Huntsville, Alabama plant it recently took over from Siemens VDO, reports Automotive News. The cuts are due to a fall in orders from its largest customer, Chrysler LLC.

"Sanders Family Christmas," Renaissance Theatre Alpha Stage Productions at Burritt on the Mountain - A Living Museum, 3101 Burritt Drive, 7:30 p.m., $20, 536-2882, 536-3117 or renaissancetheatre.net.

Galaxy of Lights, Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave., drive through, 5:30-9 p.m. for $15 per car with $1 discount for donated canned food, paper product, pet food, children's book, warm coat or Toy for Tots; $2 discount for drive-through tickets purchased at the garden in advance, 830-4447 or hsvbg.org.

ATHENS — A city councilman said Monday that Athens can compete with Decatur and Huntsville for retail opportunities associated with BRAC.

Jobs are moving to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as part of the federal government’s Base Realignment and Closure process, and communities like Athens expect to experience residential and economic growth.

“To me, where we’ll see increase is in people, not factories,” Athens City Councilman Harold Wales said during a work session.

Public Works Director James Rich told the Athens City Council Monday that the community should organize to snare a portion of the estimated 5,000 spin-off jobs resulting from Base Realignment and Closure.


BRAC is expected to bring 4,000 jobs to Redstone Arsenal over the next five years, but officials estimate related contractors would require another 5,000 employees.

JANUARY

Polar Bear Dip. Jan. 1. Run from white as snow sand around the infamous Flora-Bama Lounge into the bracing, blue Gulf. Steaming bowls of lucky black-eyed peas, hot music and New Year's toasts! Perdido Key, Fl., 800-874-1234, www.florabama.com.


Mario Villafuerte / Bloomberg News
(ENLARGE)
Mardi Gras celebrations are happening throughout the Southeast in January and February.

Have patience, and bone up on special skills in meanwhile

So, you've heard about the thousands of well-paying jobs coming to Redstone Arsenal, and you want one of your own.

How do you get it?

Pretty much, right now, you don't.

Even though 4,700 defense jobs are headed this way under the Base Realignment and Closure plan approved by Congress in 2005, they aren't here now, and won't entirely be here until 2011.

If there is one word to describe the expansion and relocation climate in the Huntsville, Ala., metro, it would be “diverse.”

Huntsville has seen growth and an expansion of jobs in a variety of industries, including aerospace and defense, call centers, and research and development. Such a diverse sector of industries means that a metro needs to have a well-qualified work force, and the Huntsville metro has that.

Items in this feature may be faxed to 532-4420 or e-mailed to businessnews@htimes.com. Event information should include date, time, place, cost and contact information. Deadline is Wednesday noon for Sunday publication:

BNI - Business Network International wants to give small-business owners and sales professionals referrals. Chapters meet Tuesday through Thursday for breakfast or lunch. For more information on dates and times available, call 866-291-9496, e-mail meg@bni.com or visit bnialabama.com. BNI also is forming a chapter in Hampton Cove. For more information, call Jennifer Rogers at 683-9952 or Jerry Williamson at 513-6448.

Getting the word out on the Women's Council of Realtors' (WCR) benefits and recruiting new members are top goals for incoming President Regina Underwood as she readies to kick off the Huntsville chapter's new year.

"In planning for the coming year, I have put together a great group of officers and committee chairs," says Underwood, broker-owner of A Realty Group in Madison for seven years. "This group consists of 25 people: Realtors, mortgage brokers, insurance agents, attorneys and service salespeople. This will bring a lot of new ideas and personalities to the organization, and we are certainly looking forward to that."

CMT on Tour 2007 Sugarland Change, Von Braun Center Arena, 700 Monroe St., 8 p.m., $40.50, parking reservation $5, ticketmaster.com.

Christmas Star planetarium show, presented by Roy Young, Von Braun Astronomical Society Planetarium in Monte Sano State Park off Nolen Avenue, 7:30 p.m., $3, children 11 and under $2, members free, vbas.org or 539-0316.

"A Christmas Carol," Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater, Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St., 2 and 7 p.m., $15, children $10, 539-6829 or letthemagicbegin.com, parking reservation $5, ticketmaster.com.