Communication should be key to civic pride

Even if you just stumble across this page, I’d love to hear what ideas you may have from your own towns about this post.

Bets and I had some friends over for drinks to celebrate the end of the Carnival season before the beginning of Lent and my attempt to get back into decent shape before Memorial Day. While enjoying beer and wings, the conversation shifted to the norm: what’s going on and how can we change things. Among those at the gathering were friends that we did not make until we met here in Birmingham, though we were actually neighbors in Savannah. The conversation with them about what we missed about Savannah while being honest and frank about its shortcomings made me think about simplifying the statement I earlier today (if that’s possible). The main thing that seems to drive the future of a city is communication on all levels. The question is how many people really take advantage of the tools and resources currently available to reach this goal

Planned changes to my office’s website in the next two or three weeks that will make our intentions somewhat clearer. Several organizations in the region are trying to make their websites cleaner and simpler. While this eventual streamlining may be well for those of us on the other side of the technological divide, there are many people here in town that do not have access to a computer and that do not “know” what’s going on. The coolest thing about my time in Savannah was watching the availability of information change and how that change impacted the way things were done in the city. It is still far from perfect. The key is figuring out how to plug in wherever you are. We all operate in spheres of influence that prevent us from seeing everything going on. activeculture.info, organizational websites and the newspapers are fine, but what about 4” x 5” cards announcing upcoming events. Let’s beat them over the head with flyers announcing what’s going on. And not just art gallery openings, and not just in the usual places. How about getting some of this information in West End, Ensley and Pratt City? Even if they do not attend at first, the seed is planted for the next time.

For those of us who experienced college, this is nothing more than taking our extracurricular activity experiences and applying them to modern times. The only real way to affect change is to get out there and make it known every way possible.

I’m tired of selling those that do not have the right “tools” short; I’ll get off the soapbox only after making people aware of all that their city has to offer. But it takes a change in attitude that a city must undertake thoroughly and completely before that happens. If we’ve truly done everything that we can and people are still apathetic, then it will just have to stay the way it is. People must begin to consider the fact that everyone wants to see their city succeed; now let’s figure out how to get everyone to the table. Let me know what you think.

Cheers.

Catalyst gets a director; now the fun begins

For those of you not familiar with Catalyst for Birmingham, two things to do before you continue:

1) Check out their website

2) Point of disclosure: I’m on the steering committee (like I said a while back, I have a hard time saying the word “no,” plus it’s a great organization). However, what I write on my blog is my opinion and not that of the entire committee.

Now that those things are out of the way,

Today the organization announced that they have hired a director to manage the day-to-day operations. Cherie Fields, a Birmingham native, will assume the duties of director officially tomorrow, beginning with a meeting of the organization’s steering committee. Cherie’s focus will be to help manage the goals and needs of the membership base of the organization and to assist the steering committee as it attempts to fulfill these goals. These two objectives are extremely important as the organization attempts to reinvigorate itself. She’s going to do a great job and is going to have a lot of fun doing it.

Joining the steering committee re-engaged me in a study of young professional organizations that started while in Savannah. I found the concept of the creative class interesting, though flawed, and ability to pull together young progressives for events such as the Memphis Manifesto as impressive and necessary for the future of cities as they hoped to become. The result has been following the activities of several organizations around the country and beginning to track the activities of similar organizations in our region. So far it’s been a lot of fun to learn how other groups are driven to make their communities better. It’s also made me aware of things that could be tried here to continue progress in the Magic City.

One of the issues faced by Catalyst is its perception as a downtown-focused or young professional-focused organization. I’ve been reminded recently of the one thing that drew me to Catalyst when meeting with Alan Hunter in August 2004: the idea that an organization was open to anyone that wanted to join and that it could make a difference. Young professionals may make up the leadership of the organization, but to me it’s always been a focus on allowing ideas from anyone that wants to voice them to be expressed. That is why it has never used the latest “catch phrase” to describe itself and why I hope it never will. What drives Catalyst is that its members are committed to change; it is what drives most civic organizations at their core, and hopefully for the better. Instead of calling them “hipsters,” “bobos,” “yp’s” or “progressive,” let’s call them what they really are: people who care about seeing good things for their native or adopted hometown. Let’s cheer them on rather than find new ways to meet and not share information.

A hope for the near future is to have a meeting of all of these organizations, providing an opportunity for civic and political leaders to know what’s being talked about out there, what’s really being talked about around town.

Thoughts? Comments?

Cheers.

The Game, music for fun and the problem with television today

One for the ages It was an interesting turnout yesterday and an INSANELY LONG game. The ones that appeared were the diehards, the ones that sought refuge from the rest of the world and those just looking for an excuse to call their parents and friends and tell them that they were going to be on TV (i.e., me). While reports had the crowd at Rickwood Field at 4,000, you get the feeling that more people would have been aware had the game been publicized to the general public more. The wind didn’t help matters much either. Nonetheless, my mom got to see me look like a geek on television. Those that felt left out by not being able to attend, there’s still some home: the annual Rickwood Classic is scheduled for June 22. And of course there’s always the option of trying to convince them to hold the Negro Leagues event again, providing everyone a chance to enjoy the game. Click here to learn about those that were elected to the Hall of Fame today in a special called vote to honor former Negro Leagues stars.

Jump and wine Today is a chance to listen to Carnival (or at least get in the mood) courtesy of www.pointalive.com. This website originates from Point Fortin (where my uncle just happens to be the mayor) and should give listeners a pretty good idea of the way things are going down there. The server has been slammed on and off for most of the day. Something to keep in mind is the number of Trinidadians living off of the island trying to listen. If you’re patient, you’ll eventually have some fun bopping your head along.

No chance for failure Finally, I figure I haven’t had a real rambling commentary for a while (that is the name of the blog after all)… I will freely admit that I’d become a fan of Love Monkey, the CBS drama that did not involve murder, explosions or “reality” television. I’d been wondering why the show did not come on two weeks ago when I was looking forward to an excuse to take a break from watching the Olympics. For some unknown reason, I finally decided to check out one of my favorite music magazines earlier today, Paste. While trying to catch up with the rat race, I learned of the show’s current “hiatus” though plans call for their not to be a return.

Now, call me a weird individual, (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), but I keep wondering how three episodes is enough to measure the success of a television show. I’ve been wondering just how many people tuned in to watch the show and were upset that a rerun of NCIS was on instead. It’s funny that networks never mention what those numbers are instead. I also realize that I’m one of the few on this information superhighway that does not have cable television, probably shielding me from the news longer since I’m not wired up on the latest gossip from E! Online or similar stations. For Love Monkey, the idea of looking at something other than a court room, police precinct or an emergency room was quite refreshing as was the music. The issue is more with providing an opportunity for shows to truly succeed, even this age of instant gratification where something has to be an instant success. People are more frightened than ever to take their time and take a chance. It’s led to a cookie cutter style that is slowly beginning to infiltrate all that we do.

Though in a perfect world a cable network or another station would pick it up and run with it, I’ll include the link to the online petition but accept that part of our creativity is disappearing daily whenever execs refuse to take a chance.

Cheers.

A chance to give back to nature, people and yourself (well...maybe)

If you stumble across this post this afternoon, live in the metro Birmingham region and want to help support one of our greatest assets, please consider stopping by Ruffner Mountain tomorrow afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. We will be holding an organizational meeting for the Friends of Ruffner Mountain, which I mentioned sometime last week, wherever this link takes you :) This is an interest meeting and the idea is to identify those that may want to volunteer at the Nature Center in various ways, including fund raising. I hope some of you will make the pilgrimage out there tomorrow, even with the raindrops falling on your heads. I also have one more link to an existing young professional organization to post. For those that want to learn more about this initiative, please click here; it should answer most of your questions. The Young Advisory Board for Big Brothers, Big Sisters Thanks to our friends over at Wade on Birmingham for that lead. Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the fact that this is one of the busiest weekends in the Caribbean. Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago reaches its climax over the next few days. Being raised by Trinidadians, it was my belief that my year basically began and ended with the festival. In some respects, it still does. It's a great chance to remember what you're grateful for as well as an opportunity to determine what you need to do to better yourself in the coming months. Of course, the most important thing is to point out all of the cool things going on right now. So, over the weekend the sounds of jazz, pop and hip hop on my computer are replaced with the sounds of calypso and soca. And I'd like to offer a couple of links to get everyone in the mood. Toronto-Lime.com TriniSoca.com And in case you wondered just how seriously Trinis take Carnival, click here to see the importance of the upcoming World Cup soccer warm-up match taking place on Tuesday, courtesy of the Trinidad and Tobago Express. Enjoy your Friday evening. Cheers!

Baseball set to capture the Magic City's imaginaton, and some other things

Leading off
The ESPN Classic game featuring the Birmingham Black Barons taking place on Sunday afternoon that I’ve previously mentioned received some great press in two of our local publications today: The Birmingham News and Birmingham Weekly. I’m hoping there’s a great turnout. It definitely provides an opportunity to take a good look at and honor some history, complete with individuals that hover larger than life over the game and our culture. Few things embody the ability to slow down and enjoy life than being at a ballpark. You don’t even necessarily have to be watching the game. It’s definitely something to get you in the mood for the season to begin, especially with players beginning to report for spring training in Arizona and Florida.

Civic organizations round up, Part 1
I have to put on my Jaycees board member hat for a moment: The Birmingham Jaycees are having a bowling night at Lightning Strikes Lanes in Trussville this evening beginning at 6 p.m. You can always imagine the worst part of your week sitting at the end of the lane to motivate some high scoring this evening. If you have a chance, please come on out. Keep a lookout for a blog site for the chapter in the coming weeks.

Please take a moment to view my personal webpage for the upcoming American Cancer Society Relay for Life event in Leeds/Moody on May 19. I plan to take part in that event as a member of the Birmingham Jaycees team. The page has links to addition information and provides opportunities to donate online. I encourage you to at least visit to learn more about this incredible project.

More later. Cheers.

Good news on Constitutional Reform front!

Here’s an e-mail I just received from Hill Carmichael at http://www.gbm.org. Please take a moment and look it over and pass it on. Cheers.

GREAT NEWS!!!  Yesterday, the Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections Committee passed a substitute of Senate Bill 52 (Citizens Convention Bill) out of committee on a unanimous 10-0 vote.  The substitute bill of SB52 is very similar with the following changes:

• Strengthened the Ballot question to include that the people would vote on any recommendation made by a Convention, Yes or No - this is already required by Amendment 714, passed in 2002


• Changed the age requirement for the delegate to18 years of age, rather than 21 years of age as currently required for Representatives.


• Removed the findings of Section 1 found in the original bill


• Senator Bedford amended the substitute bill to include several of the Findings in Section 1 that had been removed

To view the original SB52 and the substitute SB52, please visit www.constitutionalreform.org.  

The bill now goes to the Senate Rules Committee for scheduling on the Senate floor.  It is crucial that we contact the Senators on the Rules Committee TODAY and urge them to give Substitute SB52 priority!  Below you will find the contact information for the members of the Senate Rules Committee. 

Thanks to all of you for your extraordinary efforts!  Now, let’s pick up those phones and call our Senators!

Hill   
 
Senate Rules Committee:
 
Chair, Vice Chair & Ranking Minority Member
 
Jim Preuitt (D) District 11, Chair
H 256-362-5253 Talladega
S.H. Rm. 729-B, 334-242-7898
 
Pat Lindsey (D) District 22, Deputy Chair
O 251-459-2478
H 251-459-3508 Butler
S.H. Rm. 721, 334-242-7843
 
Roger Bedford (D) District 6, Vice Chair
O 256-332-2880
H 334-256-332-7709   Russelville
S.H. Rm. 730-B, 334-242-7862
 
Members
 
Lowell Barron (D) District 8
H 256-638-1982   Fyffe
S.H. Rm. 726-B, 334-242-7858
 
Jack Biddle (R) District 17
H 205-631-4591
O 205-945-6551
S.H. Rm. 722-B, 334-242-7846
 
Tom Butler (D) District 2
O 256-837-8374    Madison
S.H. Rm. 733-C, 334-242-7854
 
Gerald Dial (D) District 13
O 256-396-5600
H 256-396-5626   Lineville 
S.R. Rm. 735-A, 334-242-7882
 
Larry Means (D) District 10
O 256-547-6386
H 256-538-2014 Gadsden
S.H. Rm. 729-A, 334-242-7857
 
Hap Myers (R) District 34
O 251-471-6549
O 251-342-5199   Mobile                           
S.H. Rm. 735-B, 334-242-7886
 
Tommy Robert (D) District 3
O 256-773-2854
H 256-776-3618    Hartselle
S.H. Rm. 534-C, 334-773-2854
 
Hank Sanders (D) District 23
O 334-875-9264
H 334-875-1395   Selma
S.H. Rm. 730-A, 334-242-7860
 
Roger Smitherman (D) District 18 
O 205-322-0012
H 205-322-3768   Birmingham
S.H. Rm. 732-A, 334-242-7870
 
Zeb Little (D) District 4 Majority Leader
O 205-934-2693 
H 256-734-6348
S.H. Rm.  736-A, 334-242-7855
 
Jabo Waggoner, Jr. (R) District 16
O 2O5-969-7524  
H 205-822-7443
S.H. Rm. 7 37-C, 334-242-7892

Olympic spirit? Ratings push

If you read the reports from Turin and the watch the coverage on the networks of NBC, you would think that there was a major news story going on in the world of speed skating. I’m even giving into the hype by writing something here. No matter, this is more a case of people trying to create drama during a Winter Games where most of the drama, as far as American media is concerned, has not materialized. The debate over who is right in the war of words between speed skaters Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick has almost become more important than the dispute itself. For as much as we want to believe that the Olympics are about winning one for the team and the country, the obvious fact is that they are an opportunity for individuals to shine. They are also an opportunity for your dreams to come true. It may help to remember the goals that the individuals had before arriving in Italy earlier this month. Davis was focused on one medal and one medal only: the 1,000 meters. He fashioned all of his training to accomplish that one goal. If you’ve been competing in the sport for 17 years, working to achieve a gold medal in a race where you enter as the odds on favorite, would you consider taking part in an event that you feel would hurt your chances? If making sure he was “the first black male” had anything to do with it, you’ll never really know, since I have a feeling that it was more about his accomplishing the feat for himself, his family and friends in Chicago more than anything else. Hedrick was driven to be a dominant force in these Olympics. His personal goal was to equal a feat only accomplished once before: win gold in all five speed skating events. Serving as team captain, he felt that everyone would want to assist him in accomplishing that goal. One could argue that since Davis chose not to compete in the team pursuit that Hedrick felt as though he was not being given all possible assistance to achieve his goal. I found it funny how the two men appear to have approached the game. Hedrick seemed to be viewing the Games as a race against Davis. His quotes in yesterday’s Associated Press article all but stated that was how he felt. Davis viewed it as a race against the clock and the world, and not just Hedrick. While Davis may come across at time to be egotistical according to reports, he is no more egotistical than an individual that wants to hoard all of the gold for himself. The Associated Press report yesterday stated that Davis skated in the last pairing, “…knowing the time that he had to beat.” I find it interesting that the report does not mention what time he was aiming for, Fabris' time or Hedrick's. In the end, Davis had the last word, even though it was not with Olympic gold. He was just fast enough to humble the Texan. He beat Hedrick twice, which probably upset Hedrick more than anything else. Are we really going to care after the games end February 26? Unfortunately no; the individual pursuit only seems to matter once every two years when the United States acknowledges the rest of the world’s interest in events other than those that we deem important.

Get up Offa that Thing!

“… & shake ‘til you feel better, get up offa that thing, and try to release that pressure.” – James Brown Just got an e-mail outlining Rotaract’s first major fund raising event. “Dress Up, Get Down” will take place on Friday, March 3 at WorkPlay. Click here to view the invitation. Proceeds from this event will help the organization raise money for their “Ready2Read” Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to place reading libraries in 2^nd grade classrooms throughout the Birmingham City School district. Tickets are $40 per person; $75 per couple. Check out the invite over here to find out how to get tickets or visit their site. This is a great way to give back and at the same time give yourself a release from the work week.

I have gotten some more responses from my call for information about young professional organizations. Here they are:

Hands on Birmingham

Central Alabama Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers

PARCA Roundtable

I"ll put in a link to an expanded list and more details about the goal of this exercise by Friday evening. Stay tuned.

And finally... There's always something buried in the newspaper that turns out to be an interesting story down the road. I'm a historian by accident guess I also enjoy hearing of things that were once thought to be left in the past returning. This morning's paper was one of those instances. It appears that Harpersville, AL is preparing to install the metropolitan area's second drive in theater. It's not without some opposition. Click here to read more about it from the Birmingham News. I want to think about it some more before I offer my thoughts on it. But it would give a great excuse to go out and explore some more.

Cheers.

Happy Presidents' Day!

A few quick things on this Presidents’ Day:

This is a shot taken outside of Sixteen Street Baptist Church earlier today shortly after ceremonies officially placing this grand structure on the National Register of Historic Places concluded this morning in downtown Birmingham. “Let Peace Prevail All Over the World.”

An update on the “young professionals summit” progress:

I’m wondering if anyone has any information on the history of the old Birmingham Council of Clubs. I learned of their previous existence over the weekend and would like to know if they are still active or if that group needs to be reactivated.

My friend Tom diAsio passed on some information to me about the upcoming edition of Speaker’s Corner Birmingham. The group is working with the UAB African American Studies Program to present the film Favela Rising this Wednesday, February 22 at the Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall (950 13^th Street, South – next to the Alys Stephens Center) on the UAB campus. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion on crime and poverty that will include the film’s director/producer/magician Jeff Zimbalist. This film was screened at the 2005 Sidewalk Film Festival, winning the Audience Choice Award along with accolades at other film festivals around the world. To learn more about the film, check out it’s website at http://www.favelarising.com

Finally, the organizational meeting of the Friends of Ruffner Mountain that I mentioned last week will take place this Saturday evening beginning at 3 p.m. at the Nature Center. Post questions if you have any about that and I'll see what I can get done about answers.

Hope everyone's staying warm. Cheers.

If history's your thing, this is a great time to be here

Adding on to my earlier post, it’s a great day for those of us who claim to be preservationists. As reported in today’s Birmingham News, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church will be added to the National Register of Historic Places during a ceremony on Monday taking place at the church. The building not only serves as one of the most important sites of the civil rights movement, it also represents the work of someone that needs to be recognized in the African American community, not just during Black History Month, but all year long. Wallace A. Rayfield served as the chair of the architecture department at Tuskegee Institute and as the designer of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Despite the fact that some of his buildings no longer stand, it is important to recognize the amount of work that this Georgia born architect created. Two brilliant examples of his work are currently being preserved in very different ways. Sixteenth Street is in the midst of a stabilization campaign, while 32nd Street Baptist Church, located in the Lakeview section, is being converted into residential lofts. Rayfield’s work is found all over the world, from Chicago, IL to Kenya. He is recognized as the first Black architect to practice in Alabama, despite having never been registered with the state. He also served at one point as a professor at Tuskegee Institute. This is a great honor to be bestowed upon a building that has meant so much to the lives of many African Americans in the city of Birmingham and supporters of civil rights around the world. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. and it is scheduled to be quite brief. So get there early. SAY HEY! For those of you who don’t know, and I still think there are plenty that don’t, ESPN has scheduled an exhibition game set in 1948 between the Bristol Barnstormers and your Birmingham Black Barons. The game is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch at the friendly confines of Rickwood Field on Sunday, February 26. The game is also scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN Classic. A portion of the proceeds from the game are scheduled to benefit the Alabama Negro League Association, benefiting those former Negro League players living in the state. The ballpark is one of the hidden gems in this city and the cause is great.

What's else is there to explore in the Magic City?

A while back I said I'd try to write about some of the cooler things in the city from time to time. Some of them were among the reasons I ended up trying to move here in the first place. One of the reasons that I chose to move to Birmingham was the ability to see a varied terrain again. Growing up, the apartment sat at one of the highest points in the city and had some really cool views of not just the borough, but of the East Side skyline. On a clear day you could see planes taking off and landing at LaGuardia Airport. Living in Savannah was great too. There’s nothing wrong with living fifteen minutes away from the beach and having Spanish moss draping over most of your major roadways (so yeah, I do miss it).

That being said, the opportunity to be able to look out and enjoy views of the area without having to make the climb on a man-made object is pretty good. It’s also great to have an oasis from the real world close by. Luckily, Birmingham has several of those escapes close by, but the closest is Ruffner Mountain. One of the cooler things that’s happened since moving here has been the opportunity to serve on the center’s board. There is nothing more important that the ability to get away from it all. Sometimes it’s nice when you don’t have to get away that far in order to do it.

I am definitely not a wealthy individual, choosing to work in the non-profit realm. I am someone who figures that if I have a blog that is even being remotely read that it provides an opportunity to talk about a resource that may not always be in plain view to most, partially on purpose. There are some great things getting ready to happen up on the mountain, including construction on a new building for exhibits and meeting space and the development of a Friends of Ruffner Mountain group that will look at ways to spread the good words about the mountain and maybe even help us encourage additional donations for the facility. I’ll post when informational meetings will take place when I get more information.

The opportunity to drive less than 10 minutes to Ruffner Mountain gives me a chance to escape a crazy world and at least partially escape the buzz. Hopefully the showers tomorrow won’t keep people from participating in the orienteering class on the mountain. And you can always visit their website to find out some more info as well.

The same question applies as last time... what are some of the things in your city that make it unique? Post a response. Or join the group and start a debate.

That’s all for now. Have fun.

Update from Montgomery, Pt. 2

Here's the rest of that message from Hall (GBM):

Update on the Public Hearing for Senate Bill 52 (Citizens Convention Bill).

More than 70 people poured into Room 727 of the Alabama State House on Tuesday, February 14th, to tell the Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections Committee what they thought about SB52 that calls for a constitutional convention. Supporters of the Bill outnumbered opponents by more than 2 to 1. The petitions from the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform (ACCR), containing more than 67,000 signatures, were presented to the Senate Committee. Senator Mitchell indicated that the committee would probably vote on SB52 next week. Please begin calling your Senators and the members of the Committee and encourage them to support SB52.

Senate Constitution , Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections Committee Chair Wendell Mitchell, ( D) Distict 30 Attorney S.H. 733-A; 334-242-7883 Luvern (O) 334-335-3449

Roger Bedford, (D) District 6 Attorney S.H. 730-B 334-242-7862 Russelville (O) 256-332-2880 (H) 256-332-7709

W. H. Pat Lindsey (D) District 22 Attorney S.H. 721 334-242-7843 Butler (O) 251 459-2478 (H) 251-459-3508

Roger Smitherman (D) District 18 Attorney S.H. 732-A 334-242-7870 Birmingham (O) 205-322-0012 (H) 205-322-3768

Zeb Little (D) District 4 Attorney S.H. Rm 736-A 334-242-7855 Majority Floor Leader Cullman (O) 256-734-0456, (H) 256-734-6348

Steve French (R) District 15 Financial Consultants S.H. 737-D 334-242-7851 Birmingham (O) 205-871-5900 (H) 205 871-3881

Curt Lee (R) District 5 Attorney S. H. 737-A / 334-242-7891 Jasper (O) 205-387-7575 (H) 205-302-0831

Hank Sanders (D) District 23 attorney S.H. 730-A 334-242-7860 Selma (O) 334-242-7860 (H) 334-875-1395

Vivian Figures (D) District 33 Widow S.H. 732-B / 332-242-7871 Mobile (O) 251-208-5480 (H) 251-28-5480

Tommy Lee Roberts (D) District 3 Retired S.H. 729-C 334 242-7874 Hartselle ( O) 256-773-2854 (H) 256-773-2854

Ted Little (D) District 27 Attorney S.H. Rm 740 334-242-7865 Auburn (O) 334-887-3472 (H) 334-887-6552

Gary Tanner (D) District 35 Assistant to Transportation Director, ALDOT S.H 733-B 334-242-7894 Mobile (O) 251-653-8000 (H) 251-661-4741

And now an update from Montgomery...

Here's the latest regarding the constitutional reform effort taken from an e-mail sent out by Hill Carmichael of Greater Birmingham Ministries earlier today:

The House Constitution and Elections Committee voted on Tuesday, February 15th on HB109 (Citizens Convention Bill). The Committee voted 7 to 7 meaning that HB109 did not pass. Everyone in the Constitutional Reform Movement waits to hear if additional action on the bill will be taken by the House Constitution and Elections Committee.

Unfortunately, many legislators still do not trust the people of Alabama. I encourage each of you to contact your legislators and urge them to “Let the People Vote”. And please encourage others to do the same. Also, please remember to thank those legislators who voted in favor of HB109. It is important that our legislators hear from as many people as possible over the next week. Urge each”NO” vote to reconsider this matter immediately. It is critical if we hope to have the Senate Committee take us seriously next week. Remind them that over 67,000 people signed petitions, and that a new survey shows that 71% of the registered voters of this state support a citizens-delegated, constitutional convention.

These are the members AND HOW THEY VOTED:

House Constitution and Elections Committee Randy Hinshaw, Chair (D) Dist 21 Program Director VOTED "YES" Huntsville; H 256-828-7119 State House 334-242-7733 Rm 535 Jeff McLaughlin, Vice Chair (D) Dist 27 Attorney VOTED "YES" Guntersville H 256-582-2520 State House : 334-242-7765 Rm 526-B Greg Albritton (R) Ranking Minority Member, Dist 64 VOTED "NO"

Attorney,Excel H 251-578-6900 ( Evergreen) State House 334-242-7747 Rm 539-7747

George Bandy (D) Dist 83 Pastor VOTED "YES" Opelika H 334-242-7721 State House 334-242-7721 Rm 526-D Randy Davis (R) Dist 96 Edu administrator VOTED "NO" Daphne H 251-937-0324 or 251-626-5825 State House 334-242-7724 Rm 538-B Joe Faust (R) Dist 94 Insurance sales VOTED "NO" Fairhope H 251-928-5445 State House 334- 242-7699 Rm 524-C Paul DeMarco ( R) Dist 46 Attorney VOTED "YES" Homewood H 205-802-7285 W 205 326-6600 State House 334-242-7740 Rm 536-C Micky Hammon ( R ) Dist 4 Electrical Contractor VOTED "NO" Decatur H 256-350-4261 or 256-350-0375 State House 334- 242-7709 Rm 523-C Steve Hurst ( D ) Dist 35 Businessman VOTED "NO" Munford H 256-761-1935 State House 334-353-9215 Rm 630-A Bryant Melton ( D) 334-242-7752 Dist 70 College Administrator VOTED "YES" Tuscaloosa H 205-391-2614 or 205-758-6800 State House 334-242-7752 Rm 525-C Joseph Mitchell ( D) Dist 103 Retired VOTED "NO" Mobile H 251-473-5020 State House 334-242-7735 Rm 517-A Mary Moore (D) Dist 59 Medical Technology VOTED "YES" Birmingham H 205-322-0254 State House 334-242-7608 Rm 539-D Sue Schmitz (D) Dist 6 School Teacher VOTED "YES" Tony ( Madison) H 256-852-7003 State House 334-242-7704 Rm 524-D Tommy Sherer (D) Dist 13 Retired Elem School Principal WAS ABSENT Jasper H 256-522-2348 or 205-387-1321 State House 334-242-7704 Rm 522-D

Randy Wood (R) Dist 36 Owner Wood’s Body Shop VOTED "NO" Anniston H 256-237-8114 or 256-892-2151 State House 334-242-7700 Rm 524-E

and now some websites...

I finally have the website address for the Birmingham Jaycees' Relay for Life team. Click here to be redirected to the site and to find out additional information. You may also call the Jaycees hotline at 942-7313 to leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. I also want to remind (or inform) you of a partnership between the the Internet Professional Society of Alabama and TechBirmingham. Find out how close you are to a public WiFi hotspot (and let us know if there are more that need to be added. Visit www.bhamwifi.com for more information. One more: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dre_ramblings/ is the Yahoo Groups home for additional conversation about issues on the blog. If you're interested in saying something, here's your chance!

Young Professionals Activities update for 2/16

It’s already been a fairly busy day out there in the Magic City for the world of young professionals. Here’s what we’ve got so far:

It appears that some of our young professional organizations are getting some more press recently. Today’s Birmingham News includes an article talking about the recent success of the city’s Rotaract Club. The organization does have an international presence, but it has a local focus, as the article points out. Click here to read more about them.

The Ronald McDonald House Young Leadership Board is preparing to host a “Hook ‘Em for the House Fishing Tournament” on April 8 at Lake Logan Martin from safe daylight to 3 p.m. Proceeds will go to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama. Click here to view more information about the event. Please note that they are also still looking for sponsors for the event; I’ve also uploaded a sponsorship form. For more information, please contact Leah Dube at 956.9530 or David Hopkins at 907.4446. The Birmingham Jaycees will be holding their monthly membership meeting a week from today, Thursday, February 23, at 7 p.m. in their offices at 619 Robert Jemison Road. Scheduled to speak are representatives from the Leeds/Moody American Cancer Society Relay for Life committee. The Jaycees plan to participate in this year’s Leeds/Moody event and welcome anyone interested in learning more about the chapter activities or about participating with their team to attend. I'll post the link to view their Relay for Life website later on today.

I’ll check in again later on today. Have fun!

Constitutional Reform hearing tomorrow...

The following is an e-mail that was sent out as a reminder about tomorrow's constitutional reform hearing. Please pass this information on to anyone that you think would be interested...

Hello Constitutional Reform Advocates,

I just wanted to send a quick reminder about the Public Hearing on SB52 tomorrow (Valentine’s Day) from 10:00am to 12:00pm in Room 727 of the State House Building (11 South Union Street) in Montgomery. Remember, if you would like to speak in support of SB52, please arrive no later than 9:45am to sign-up.

After the public hearing, people are invited by Greater Birmingham Ministries to walk down Dexter Avenue to the King Memorial Baptist Church to break bread together. In the downstairs meeting room, you can eat the lunch that you have brought or you can pre-order and buy a lunch that will be waiting for you. If you are interested in being a part of this, please go to the following web page (as soon as possible) for details: http://www.gbm.org/al_constitution_reform.htm

I hope to see many of you in Montgomery this Valentine’s Day as we urge our Legislators to Show Alabama Some Love & Let the People Vote!

Take care,

Hill

Hill Carmichael Training & Communications Organizer Constitutional Reform Education Campaign Greater Birmingham Ministries 2304 12th Avenue North Birmingham, Alabama 35234 205.326.6821, ext. 108 www.gbm.org

Comments on the church burnings

Here it is: an extremely short entry allowing me to throw in my two cents worth about the senseless church burnings in Alabama recently.

I feel sorry for the two “friends” (as the profiled suspects have been described by news accounts) that have to get their kicks by destroying houses of worship in the dark of night. I am extremely sorry that the congregants of these churches have to suffer as emotional a loss as visiting the remains of their buildings and now only having their memories of these structures in these communities. The people that are suffering now though have something that our currently elusive criminals most likely do not; the strength to continue on and support each other as a church community. Those buildings are important, but not nearly as important as the life that goes on outside of those buildings week after week that is shared when the community comes together. They are only destroying a physical structure while the one that has developed over the years among attendees continues to grow and survive.

When they are captured, these guys will probably not even realize that their attempt to destroy has only led to more building and support than ever before. I feel sorry that they will not be able to comprehend that either. N.B. I have added a couple more groups to my list of progressive organizations with the original post. Let me know if you have any others. Thanks…

Young Professionals, part 2 (The Other Cities)

I posted earlier this week about developing a list of all of the young professional organizations in the Birmingham metropolitan area. Well, I've added more listings to the list that I've already started and again encourage anyone who sees this list and notices that there are groups missing to post a comment providing some additional information about these groups. I figured I would go one step further and provide lists of organizations similar to the "new" young professional civic organization in other cities around the country. This may provide an idea of the types of projects being conducted by groups of people who have been said "...don't really care about being involved" around the country. After reading some of their sites, I would find it very hard to believe that statement at all. Again, if you know of any other groups that I've left off, please post a comment telling me some more information and I'll put it on the list. Thanks

Forum 35 - Baton Rouge, LA Create Detroit - Detroit, MI Metropolis St. Louis - St. Louis, MO Mpact Memphis - Memphis, TN synerG - Greensboro, NC ypTulsa - Tulsa, OK Creative Tampa Bay

Calling all Young Professional Groups...

I've written a little bit in the past about my thoughts on the need for civic engagement in order for a city to move forward. I would like to see what groups exist out there, or rather, what groups are known to exist out there for people to join. It's more an exercise in seeing what already exisis in a city before attempts are made at reinventing the wheel. I had already been working on developing this list and seeing what else could come from such a resource for the Birmingham community. I was encouraged to move forward on expanding my search after hearing Mayor Kincaid speak at yesterday's Rotaract meeting at the Harbert Center. He identified the Creative Class, the group that is considered the main demographic of most of these young professional groups, as a key to the success of the city. I could not think of a better way to continue and promote that success than by trying to figure out just how many groups there are in this town. Here's the plan: I'm going to start by listing some organizations below. Some of these groups have active sites though I am aware that some sites are preparing to reorganize or restructure soon. I would appreciate it if people would list other organizations that they know of in their comments. If you know of anyone that may know of some additions, please forward the link to this post to them so that they can respond and add on. I will also add on to the list as I learn of more. Thanks in advance:

Catalyst

Birmingham Jaycees

Birmingham Change Fund

Rotaract

First Chair

Alys Stephens Center Young Patrons

Birmingham Museum of Art Junior Patrons

Birmingham Urban League Young Professionals

BCRI Leadership Council

Junior League

Birmingham's Young Real Estate Professionals

Young Professionals of Birmingham

Youth Leadership Board - Ronald McDonald House of Birmingham