Filed under: 2006 Winter Olympics, AL, Birmingham Alabama, Birmingham, AL, Catalyst, Chad Hedrick, church fires, Civic Engagement, civic/service organizations, Commentary, people, Rickwood Field, Rotaract, Shani Davis, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, The Year in Review, Wallace Rayfield, yp events
The shortest month of the year had a lot things packed into it here at the Ramblings. Let’s get to it…
Young leadership emerges in the Magic City
We started it off by trying to get a working list of young professional organizations up on the site and seeking additional input. You can cheat ahead and click here to see what happened as a result. Or you can try to hold out until October’s review gets posted next week.
Organizations like Rotaract held a fundraiser and Catalyst hired Cherie Fields as director, happenings geared at making people realize that the current YP generation is ready and willing to roll up their hands and do whatever needs to be done for the improvement of the city. We also spoke of the need to increase communication in the region so that it may move forward or stay in a vacuum.
Commentary a little outside the normal realm of the blog
We voiced our opinions about the rash of church fires in central Alabama that has recently reared its head again on mainstream media. We also talked about the only story that seemed to matter from the 2006 Winter Olympics, the saga between speed skaters Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick and the hype that was built around it simply because we didn’t dominate the way we wanted to.
Honors during Black History Month shines spotlight on Birmingham, Alabama
Locally, the sports world revolved around Rickwood Field and the five hours of free advertising the nation’s oldest ballpark received with a retro game that returned the Birmingham Black Barons to action, even if only for a day. The game was scheduled to coincide with Black History Month, the annual celebration of the African diaspora in our country including honoring one of its most hallowed landmarks shortly before its extensive restoration began (an image of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on the day of the event is posted here).
Like I said, a lot packed into a short amount of time.
Next, the first month on WordPress.
Enjoy the day.
Cheers.
See also:
The Year in Review – January
Filed under: AL, Birmingham Alabama, Birmingham, AL, Catalyst, city stages, Clear Channel, clearchannel, Commentary, Erik Jambor, Facebook, gospel, Hallelujah FM, music, music venues, radio, Sidewalk, Taylor Hicks, The Radio Carousel, The Rambles, The Vulcan, The X at 100.5, WENN-FM, WRAX
Thanks to all that have stumbled across this blog as a result of this story. I hope that you’re all enjoying it and that maybe you’ll nose around a bit and find some other stuff that you might like.
UPDATE: There is also a MySpace page for the new station. And FYI, the e-mails to the Vulcan are not currently active.
I’ve been interested in the fact that the entry that I posted on Monday morning is on pace to becoming my most visited ever by the end of today (actually before lunch). This would mean more than any of the Taylor Hicks posts (here’s the former #1 ), more than posts about civic engagement and community involvement. It is more than just looking at the images on the site and their downloadable links.
Here’s the Birmingham News’ take on the story from yesterday’s paper:
Gospel station turns to rock, The Birmingham News, 12.5.2006
It has solidified some of my beliefs and led me to make some interesting observations. Here are a few of them:
People may disagree on Alabama vs. Auburn, but they are willing to come together on the issue of music. (Really a no-brainer, but it is still interesting).
I probably stand by this post I typed about race in Birmingham more than ever before after seeing some of the comments at the end of the post.
The people of metro Birmingham, AL are seeking some answers on all sides of this conversation. Those that are members of Facebook should click here (if you’re not a member, you’re not going to be able to see this, sorry). A group of young adults felt compelled enough to start a group about the demise of their favorite station. They’ve even started a petition to bring back The X.
I have also seen a groundswell of concern via comments on the post from loyal listeners of Hallelujah FM asking some of the questions that were not necessarily asked by The X at 100.5 when the plug was pulled on it. It will be interesting to see how those who listened to Hallelujah FM decide to organize their thoughts and concerns.
I’ve seen the issue of religion be brought up in ways that quite frankly worry me. Now I am a damn Yankee, but I’m a God-fearing damn Yankee. I would still not say that the Lord will strike a station down for no longer carrying a certain message. I’m not sure what to think about those comments but a discussion of faith is best saved for another day and time.
That the ability to choose what one can listen to on the radio, even in the age of iPods and digital downloads, is extremely important to many people. More important than two other issues currently taking place in our community that one would think people would be focusing on just as much, a fight to save City Stages by young professionals and questions surrounding the future of one of our most unique experiences here in the Magic City, Sidewalk. But when you look at these in comparison, the issue becomes which of these do you interact with on a daily basis?
Not everyone’s musical tastes are represented in our current selection of stations. Here’s something of consider: Where the fast growing Latino population in our metropolitan area can they listen to music on the FM dial? I grew up listening to calypso and reggae as a child of West Indians and there are plenty of natives and first generation Americans in that situation here in Birmingham. We don’t even get the AM dial for options.
With all of my observations and the comments and visits to my site, I believe that what people want more than anything else are answers. I’m about to send an e-mail to the program manager at the new 105.5 (they do have a web site now – thanks to Grumpy Old Man for that info) linking to this post and the post from Sunday. I’m hoping that they will be willing to answer some of the questions that have been asked. Maybe you want to ask them yourselves. If so, click here and send one to the program manager. As to contacting Citadel Communications (The former X at 100.5), your options are to contact their corporate offices in Las Vegas or maybe even WJOX itself.
While an online petition has been set up for one, I think it’s safe to say that the X and Hallelujah are both no more. What happens next will be heavily influenced by the way that both of these new stations start out the New Year.
Any more comments, let’s hear about it.
Enjoy the day.
Cheers.
Filed under: Birmingham Alabama, Birmingham Jaycees, Birmingham, AL, Catalyst, city stages, Civic Engagement, The Ticker
I’m assuming that all of you are attempting to settle back into the regular routine after a weekend of family and friends (some of whom are probably closer than family). It’s been entertaining watching the happenings of our region with the eyes of an outsider again as I wandered the streets of New York for the latter part of the week. It is nice to be back in the sleeping giant that is Birmingham, Alabama and seeing what we can do in our own, albeit little, part of the blogosphere to make it better. Here are a few events that are aimed at making it a lot better around here:
Decorating for a Cause
Apparently the YWCA is always ready to do its part. Their grants manager (and Catalyst chair) Elizabeth Dotts asked that I pass along information about her annual ornament making party. She is not only doing her part to help raise funds for the programs of the local YW, she’s also the first to step out and answer the bell for the parties with a purpose call for sustaining City Stages from Catalyst that first went out via e-mail last week. Click here to learn more about the proposed parties and what it means to be involved.
From Dotts’ mouth (or fingers as the case may be…)
This year we are having a party with two purposes:
- * Making ornaments for the YWCA Celebration Art Show – the proceeds go to help our homeless childcare facility and
- * Helping Catalyst with their Sustain City Stages Campaign.
There is no cover charge, but we provide damn good grub, a supply of beverages until we run out, and crazy pieces of art to make ornaments. We hope you can drop by to be crafty and give your talent and a few bucks. Bring yourself, bring a friend, bring some “found objects”, music, and a good spirit.
If you’re interested in attending, let me know via e-mail. I’m still recovering from being one of the millions in cars trying to get back from the holiday travel rush (1 a.m. this morning was our arrival time to be exact), but I may be able to last long enough to bring some friends along if anyone’s interested. BTW; it’s tonight beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Letting your voice be heard for City Stages
Continuing on the City Stages angle, the folks at Catalyst have also announced plans for a town hall meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening, November 28, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Birmingham Public Library. While the exact location of the meeting is not located in the post, I’m sure that someone at the library will be able to direct to you the location once you step inside. The link from earlier will also provide information about tomorrow’s event aimed at providing feedback and suggestions for the music festival.
Metal for a cause
Many of the regular visitors to the Ramblings are aware of the Birmingham Jaycees’ annual Christmas shopping tour and that the main fundraiser for the event, the haunted house had to be canceled. Well, this Thursday, November 30 the chapter is sponsoring a heavy metal concert at Banana Joe’s in Five Points South (directions) beginning at 7:30 p.m. There will be a $10 cover and it will serve as our fundraiser for the chapter’s Christmas project. Come on out if you can, or at least pass on some information about the event.
Last but not least…
I’m making an assumption that several people have not been visiting recently due to my lack of posting. Who’d blame you? Anyhow, in case you’re interesting in some of the no so Birmingham items posted in recent days, you may want to check out these posts.
Random Shots: Homewood High plays Broadway
Well it must be true now, the paper’s picked it up
There are others, but I’m not going to ask you to read through what is basically a personal release if you don’t want to.
Enjoy the day,
Cheers.
Filed under: 9/11, 9/11 Experiences, AL, Artwalk, B'ham social events, Birmingham Alabama, Birmingham, AL, Blogging, Bottletree Cafe, Catalyst, Cities, city stages, Commentary, Man or Astroman?, music, music venues, New York, New York City, News Media (as source & subject), The Year in Review, urban reversi
Showing some life in the city center
The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival and Artwalk 2006 made people aware of the level of traffic that could one day be visible on a consistent basis sometime soon. This image from Artwalk gives the best example of what it could be like. We put together a list of the movies that were taking part in Sidewalk’s competition, something we’re looking forward to either doing again next year or seeing the organization take on.
Looking back
Bets and I moved here on Artwalk weekend in 2004, meaning it was time to be somewhat reflective on how things are going here in the Magic City. We also got reminiscent about what happened to our nation five years ago along the eastern seaboard.
Man or Astroman? Decided to make Birmingham, Alabama one of two locations for a “reunion tour” this September. The show at Bottletree was a lot of fun; weird since I remember unloading them in Savannah 12 years ago for their SCAD show, but fun. Artwalk provided a larger showcase for Urban Reversi, celebrating its second year the following week with a trip to New York.
And it’s still my kind of town… to a point
A good portion of the month was spent talking about my hometown. There are about four or five posts related to New York from the fall. Here’s one of the first ones I did. There are more, but it makes more sense to move through the week and find them than for me to post them here.
Can the music stay alive?
Catalyst announced their support of City Stages’ plan to raise $1 million to eliminate its debt and provide a base for its future. The conversation also seems to include making suggestions for how to improve the festival. Many will be watching this summer to see what will happen.
We’ll see if we can’t get the rest of the year up during the course of the day.
Happy New Year!
Cheers.
See also:
The Year in Review: January and a little December ‘05 too
The Year in Review: February 2006
The Year in Review: March 2006
The Year in Review: April 2006
The Year in Review: May 2006
The Year in Review: June 2006
The Year in Review: July 2006
The Year in Review: August 2006