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Weather

The National Weather Service predicts sunny skies and a high of 87 degrees.

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History

On May 20 in

1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for farming.

1927 Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France.

1932 Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart set down in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.)

1939 Regular trans-Atlantic mail service began as a Pan American Airways plane, the Yankee Clipper, took off from Port Washington, N.Y., bound for Marseille, France.

1959 Nearly 5,000 Japanese-Americans had their U.S. citizenship restored after renouncing it during World War II.

1961 A white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order.

1969 U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as "Hamburger Hill" by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

1970 Some 100,000 people demonstrated in New York's Wall Street district in support of U.S. policy in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In The Star

May 20, 1938, in The Star: The celebration of National Airmail Week will come to a close with the dedication of Anniston Airport on Sunday, May 22. The two-day celebration will open tomorrow with an exhibition of airplane models at 10 o¹clock at the airport administration building. The judges will be evaluating based on craftsmanship and design, not on whether the models might fly. A banquet will be held Saturday night at the Alabama Hotel, followed by a dance. Stunt flying, parachute jumps and ordinary passenger flights will be carried out Saturday and Sunday afternoons. “The fire department will provide a fire truck at the airport to be on hand in the event of a crack-up and fire,” the article concludes. [Coverage of preparations for this event include a dominant Page 1 photograph of local pilot Wallace Aderhold accepting a sack of mail the previous day to be flown from Anniston to Birmingham in the first-ever airmail flight from here. The significant detail of this photo: It¹s given the credit line of “— By Star Staff Photographer.” Although The Star has printed locally produced photos before, such as 4-H kids on Zinn Park hill, or various buildings, this could well be the first-ever news photo credited to a photographer on the staff of The Anniston Star.] Also this date: An editorial notes with annoyance that traffic signals at several intersections have been malfunctioning lately in that all three colored lights are lit at the same time on all sides of the signal. Traffic creeps to a halt as motorists try to figure out what¹s going on, but the writer worries that one day soon two motorists will keep going and have a collision.

May 20, 1988, in The Star: A discussion between Roanoke Mayor Spec Bonner and Councilman Tommy Fincher about the mayor's altercation with a garbage worker erupted into a brawl last night, leaving both men's faces bruised and Bonner's bloody. “I am deeply embarrassed that something like this could deteriorate into a situation that happened like this,” Bonner said, clutching a blood-soaked rag, which he had used to stop a gash on his forehead. Said Fincher this morning, “He challenged me. I answered the challenge. That's all I did. It shouldn't have happened. The time and place was wrong. I'm sorry it did happen.” Also this date: The Anniston Museum of Natural History has launched a major expansion which will include the ''Dynamic Earth'' exhibit hall as well as 1,800 square feet in needed new space. The proposed 1,250-square-foot exhibit, which Museum Director Chris Reich said should improve the facility's standing as a regional tourist attraction, is being funded through private, anonymous donations, most coming from Calhoun Countians. It is scheduled to open next spring.

Birthdays for April 15

Actor David Proval is 71. Singer Joe Cocker is 69. Singer-actress Cher is 67. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 64. Rock musician Warren Cann is 61. Former New York Gov. David Paterson is 59. Actor Dean Butler is 57. TV-radio personality Ron Reagan is 55. Rock musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 55. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 54. Singer Susan Cowsill is 54. Actor John Billingsley is 53. Actor Tony Goldwyn is 53. Singer Nick Heyward is 52. TV personality Ted Allen is 48. Actress Mindy Cohn is 47. Rock musician Tom Gorman (Belly) is 47. Actress Gina Ravera is 47. Actor Timothy Olyphant is 45. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 41. Actress Daya Vaidya is 40. Rock musician Ryan Martinie is 38. Actor Matt Czuchry is 36. Actress Angela Goethals is 36. Actress-singer Naturi Naughton is 29.

Thought for Today

“Intolerance of ambiguity is the mark of an authoritarian personality.”— Theodor W. Adorno, German philosopher (1903-1969).

TV listings

River Monsters: Unhooked, 7 p.m. on Animal Planet: The cable channel's "Monster Week" is showcasing some real-life scary creatures, from giant squids and killer snakes to very hungry hippos. In this new installment of his series, extreme angler Jeremy Wade investigates reports of aquatic predators in Florida's Indian River Lagoon and Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks.

The Goodwin Games, 7:30 p.m. on Fox: This new comedy from the executive producers of How I Met Your Mother is about three estranged siblings who return home after the loss of their beloved father and unexpectedly find themselves poised to inherit more than $20 million — if, and only if, they can adhere to their late father's wishes.

Rules of Engagement, 7:30 p.m. on CBS: Talk about "when it rains, it pours." It's Adam and Jennifer's (Oliver Hudson, Bianca Kajlich) wedding day, but Jeff and Audrey (Patrick Warburton, Megyn Price) are a bit distracted; Brenda (Sara Rue) is in labor. Russell and Timmy (David Spade, Adhir Kalyan) attempt to reconcile. Audrey has a surprise for Jeff in the season finale, which is also the show's 100th episode.

American Masters: Mel Brooks: Make a Noise, 8 p.m. on PBS: The comedy giant behind Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and other classics shares never-before-heard stories about his life and career in this program featuring new interviews with Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman and others.

Mike & Molly, 8:30 p.m. on CBS: After Mike's (Billy Gardell) mom (Rondi Reed) breaks up with his boss (Gerald McRaney), Mike and Carl (Reno Wilson) are assigned to work at the Renaissance Faire. With a tornado threatening the city, Mike tries to get home to share some big news with Molly (Melissa McCarthy), who has some of her own, in the season finale.

Hawaii Five-0, 9 p.m. on CBS: The season finale kicks off when an unlisted plane lands on Oahu with four bodies onboard and a missing terrorist detainee. The CIA tasks Five-0 with finding him before he carries out an attack on U.S. soil. Kono (Grace Park) is on the run from the police for a murder she did not commit, and McGarrett's (Alex O'Loughlin) prison visit to Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos) ends with a shocking discovery. A recent report said CBS is moving Hawaii 5-0 to Fridays next season, which doesn't bode well for our caring about it anymore. Thanks, CBS.

Bates Motel, 9 p.m. on A&E: The debut season of the Psycho prequel concludes with Norman (Freddie Highmore) taking Emma (Olivia Cooke) to the dance, while Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) decides that the time has finally come for him to act on his suspicions.

Revolution, 9:01 p.m. on NBC: Nora (Daniella Alonso) is tortured and left for dead by her captors. Monroe (David Lyons) learns about Rachel's (Elizabeth Mitchell) quest to reach the Tower. As he tries to understand why so many of his associates are being killed, Miles (Billy Burke) joins Charlie, Neville, Jason, Hudson and Sanborn (Tracy Spiridakos, Giancarlo Esposito, JD Pardo, Malik Yoba, Leland Orser) on their mission to rescue Rachel in this new episode.

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ATLANTA -- Alabama athletics director Bill Battle spoke with reporters Thursday afternoon at Turner Field before coach Nick Saban’s latest Crimson Caravan stop. Among other things, Battle discussed the possibilities the Southeastern Conference television network will bring, along with the Crimson Tide's new women’s basketball coach, Kristy Curry. Question: SEC meetings are coming up later this month and this will be your first time dealing with that. Have you had time to study the agenda at all? Battle: I have. We had a two-day athletic director meeting at Amelia Island (Jacksonville, Fla.) last week or ten days ago. We went over the agenda. We talked about the new SEC television network, some bowl game initiatives and some other legislative initiatives that are on the agenda. So we got a fair heads up of what’s coming. Question: What’s the biggest thing that has your attention? Battle: Obviously, the SEC network. The potential there is great. It’s premature to really know or to think about how much it really is, or to have a feel for what it is. I know the goals are aggressive. ESPN and the Southeastern Conference form a formidable partnership so the expectations and the goals are high and aggressive, but we’re 16 months out. We’re a long way from launch, but it’s pretty exciting to think about. Question: Did they give you a preview while you were in Jacksonville, Fla.? Battle: They talked about a thousand hours of live programming, 450 linear and 550 on digital media, then the 24/7 programming. They are working with each individual institution on their production, and they said, “If you produce it, we’ll air it.” So that’s an interesting concept. They are pretty bullish on what they think they might be able to do in the 11 state SEC footprint, and they believe there’s a market outside of the footprint. Question: Do you have the facilities to create your own content, or is that something you look to expand? Battle: I think we may be ahead of the game. We have that new media center that’s going into the stadium and it’s state-of-the-art. We have, as I understand it, wired every venue, so I think we’re in pretty good shape from a production standpoint. Question:You introduced the new women’s basketball coach Thursday. How does it feel to have that process out of the way and to be able to move forward? Battle: It felt great. Kristy Curry was a great choice for us. We didn’t know if she’d be interested in the job, but she was high on our list. Early on, we found out she was interested. My conversations with her were very positive. She’s a neat lady. She’s a really outstanding coach. She’s proven that in the Big 12 and Big Ten. She, her husband and two daughters will be great assets to the community. They’re a hardworking family, both on the court and off. Question: What’s being talked about with the baseball stadium? Battle: There are a couple of options that we’re discussing. There’s a renovation option that has been pretty impressive. There’s still an option for a new stadium. We recognize there’s a need to improve and that’s in our plans to do. Question: Is there a timetable set for the baseball stadium? Battle: No. We’re following the lead of our board. We hope to get it back on the table hopefully in the next two to five years. Question: Beyond that, what’s next on the list for facilities? Battle: There’s a rowing facility that’s pretty high on the list. [Rowing and baseball] are the two primary facilities on our list other than the ones we have going on right now. Question: Are you satisfied with Coleman Coliseum as a long-term basketball venue? Battle: Right now, I think the answer is yes. There’s been some talk about whether Foster [Auditorium] is the right venue for women’s basketball, and we think it is right now. Our goal is to outgrow Foster. If we outgrow Coleman, we’ll address that when the time comes. We have a ways to go before we get there.

If you check the label on the back of your shirt, chances are it wasn’t made in the United States (the label on my shirt has actually washed off past the point of reading, but my daughter’s dress was made in the Philippines and my son’s T-shirt was made in China). In the past, I’ve had no problem buying clothes made overseas — I like a good deal, we all know that. But since the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Bangladesh April 24, killing more than 1,100 people, we’ve really gotten a look at how horrendous it can be to work in the garment industry. And I’m not really comfortable with the idea of people dying for my $6 T-shirt. In the aftermath of the collapse, some change has already occurred — Western retailers have entered a legally binding agreement to pay for improved working conditions. The country may also alter its labor laws to make it easier for workers to unionize allowing them to demand better conditions and pay (at $38 a month, Bangladesh’s minimum wage is the lowest in the world). On our end, it’ll mean slightly higher prices (10-15 cents per garment) in the future — or the garment industry will pack up and move to whichever country pays even less. So why will the garment industry do whatever it takes to give us the cheapest clothing possible? Because we want it. We love our cheap fashion. I’ve heard a lot of interviews with Elizabeth Cline, author of “Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion,” over the last few weeks. I haven’t had a chance to read her book, but it sounds intriguing. For her research, Cline traveled to factories in China and Bangladesh and looked at the impact (both here and abroad) of America’s drastic increase in imported clothing. She also explores how the pressure to keep prices cheap has forced retailers to reduce detail and craftsmanship, making our clothes more uniform, basic and low quality. Now I’m not about to say that everyone should go out and learn to sew — it’s not easy, feasible or cheap enough, for most people. But I do think we as Americans should change the way we consume clothing. Don’t just be a “buy-and-toss” consumer — learn to restyle and mend your clothes instead of buying something new and trendy. Cline calls it the “slow clothing”: knowing where your clothes come from and what impact they have on the environment. If you can afford it, buy clothes made in the U.S. They’re better quality and will last longer than most clothes made oversees. Even more expensive, but of even higher quality, is to have an outfit made for you by a tailor. You’ll be amazed at the difference in fit of a ready-made outfit and one tailored to your shape. To help motivate you into an outfit restyle, I’m giving away a copy of “99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim & Tie Your T-Shirt Into Something Special.” The title is pretty self-explanatory, and the pages are filled with hip, easy-to-read illustrations and instructions. Some of the refashions require no sewing at all. To be entered in the giveaway, just comment on this story. Gain another entry by following me on Twitter @star_features. Features Editor Deirdre Long: 256-294-4152. On Twitter @star_features.