Alabama's topics - tribe.net

Meet Up Oct.9-11/12 Mentone Alabama

KnightsIntent — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:05:47 GMT

Meet Up - Mentone Alabama - Intentional Community/Retreat/Eco-Village Minded
- Causal Camping Weekend - Just Fun & Company - Oct.9th - 11th/12th
- If Interested See Group ASAP At: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject

http://facebook.com/KnightsIntent

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Join Us

KnightsIntent — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:25:05 GMT

Become A Part Of Reality - See:
http://intentionalone.com/essence/presentlreality.html

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Meet Up Aug 8th Alabama Intentional Community

KnightsIntent — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:08:36 GMT

Meet Up August 8th Alabama Intentional Community

Meet Up - Alabama Intentional Community Get Together Aug 8th. Details: http://bit.ly/CJQ7w or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject Members & Potential Members Only. Those interested in joining our intentional community/eco-village/co-housing/commune [now forming], please see links for more information, and get involved. We plan to move this project ahead immediately to come together as friends and family to do a wonderful thing together. RSVP after you get the details so we can plan this accordingly. Those coming from out of town can find out about camping or local motels.

We are listed in the directory at IC.ORG

Thanks,

The Eden Project
The Eden Experiment
The Essence Of Eden

http://intentone.ning.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject
knightsintention@yahoo.com

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Alabama Intentional Community Forming

KnightsIntent — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:52:32 GMT

Alabama Intentional Community Forming

Intentional Community In Central Alabama Now Forming. Get In On The Process If Your In Alabama or Have A Desire To Relocate Once Formed. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject and http://intentone.com http://intentone.ning.com [network] For On-Going Discussions. Sustainable Living, Self-Sufficiency, Gardening, Friends Becoming Family, etc.

The Eden Project
The Essence Of Eden

Be A Founding Member

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Reiki Classes in Prattville, Alabama on March 21

Richard — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:56:32 GMT

We will be presenting Traditional Usui Reiki classes for all levels on Saturday, March 21, in Prattville, AL about 14 miles from Montgomery. Directions will be sent with registration confirmation.

The classes will be taught by Richard C. Fiallo, Reiki Master. Richard has been teaching and sharing Reiki with others since 1999 and has personally attuned over 600 different students. The classes are always fun, informing and include lots of hands-on experience.
The classes are all inclusive. At the end of the class you will leave with your certificate. The fees include handout, attunement, and certificate. The level 1 class ($75) will be from 9am-2pm and the level 2 class ($85) will be from 2pm-5pm.

Please visit website for more info.
http://healingtoday.com/classes.usa.htm

Home study course are also available.
http://healingtoday.com/homestudy.htm

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Who in here is a Democrate?

Bren-duh-the-highness-of-the-Duh-Club — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:59:22 GMT

I keep seeing the red listed for our state meaning that it will go Republican again.

Anyone in here who is voting for Obama?

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

AlabamaBurnerTalk@yahoogroups.com new group on Yahoo

BuBbaJoHn — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:20:28 GMT

AlabamaBurnerTalk@yahoogroups.com

please come and join us

Bubba JoHn

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Harmonie Dance Studio

Brandie — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:32:55 GMT

Just letting everyone know that their is a Belly Dance studio in Florence, Al. Get info by emailing harmoniedancestudio@yahoo.com or by visiting their myspace www.myspace.com/harmoniedancestudio

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Burning Ham Arts Festival 2.

BuBbaJoHn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:25:54 GMT

-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anne Brown <burningmanbirmingham@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Subject: [atlanta-announce] Burning Ham
To: atlanta-announce@burningman.com

ahem. I was wondering if you would spread the word about our Alabama Burn. It started last year because we were too poor to go to BM. This year we're still too poor so we're doing it again! Here's our humble pr so far, hope you can help build our community:

Greetings Flamers! We're doing it again! We had at least 6 people at last year's event, and we're looking to break some records at Burning Ham Arts Festival 2.

Come out to support and promote the local Burning Man community, if you're not going to the desert. Last year we danced, sang, heard local performers, burned a small effigy, and participated amongst interesting folk!

Bring your art, music, dance, food, water, tent, pets, and kids if you must, and camp out at the Pioneer Campground at Oak Mountain State Park, Birmingham, Alabama, August 29- Sept 1. Or just show up on Labor Day for the Big Burn.
How much? Three bucks, cheap.

Camping Reservations and information: e-mail to

burningmanbirmingham@hotmail.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

RUN YOUR CAR ON WATER

violetta wilson — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:46:13 GMT

CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE;wilsonwaterforgas.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Carpools to Tfus 08

BuBbaJoHn — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:58:53 GMT

anyone want to ride with me from Central east Alabama to tfus and back ??
can take 3 bodies and I have a trailer for gear

leaving eary morning july 15th to get to Deerfields at 8am
and returning the following tuesday after clean up

I am helping mark theme camps out and involved in Firesafety and EMT so I need to be on site early
and stay late

any takers?? makes fuel cheaper for us all

I drive a SUV so its not to crowded

Thanks

BuBba JoHn

Contact me at

Hooterbubbajohn@yahoo.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Alabama Burner sound off

BuBbaJoHn — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:48:04 GMT

all you burners in Alabama please sound off , It would be nice to find out where we are all at , north , south , east , or west where all we all,
there was a burner in the north area lookin for a ride to the WNP at Deerfields and we knew of noone up there ,

so please sound off , what area your in ,

Thanks

BuBba JoHn aka Wing Nut

I am in east central Alabama

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Half Price Tickets to Crawfish Boil - 4 Available! MUST SELL!

Heather — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:06:01 GMT

4 VIP Weekend Passes to the Schaffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil, May 2nd and 3rd. Original cost of $240, will take $125 obo.

ENTERTAIN your clients and colleagues at the VIP Club with an exclusive VIP Experience at the 2008 Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil, which will feature:

Exclusive raised viewing area next to the stage

Access to the VIP Tent located next to the stage

FREE Hot Louisiana Crawfish

Private Restrooms

Private cash bar

Entry into the main festival gates is included.

Acts include Three Doors Down, Southern Culture, Seether, Candlebox, T-Pain, Flo Rida, Reve Carney, Rue Melo, Cory Smith, Gavin Degraw, and Fergie.

Website www.schaeffercrawfishboil.com/

Please call Brittany 205-753-0589

*Must be sold by Friday 05/02/2008 at noon, or they are bound for the trashcan due to a conflicting engagement!

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

washer and dryer?

HoopKat — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:38:04 GMT

i have a GE washer and dryer set for $350 if anyone's interested. $175 separate. can be delivered, i have a truck.

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

burners

BuBbaJoHn — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:25:02 GMT

where are they , are you all getting together ia a secret place , been up in Al for a year and havent met a burner or see a drum circle yet, here, have to go to Atlanta to play with fire ??? east central AL seems void of burners ? thanks BuBba JoHn

posted in Alabama - 7 replies

Hoopers in/around Mobile?

Junebug57 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:30:51 GMT

Hey all - greetings from KY! I'll be down in Mobile in a couple of weeks on business. Just looking to see if there is an active burner community there or any hoopers that might want to get together sometime that week. I'm there often, so I'd love to get connected...

Namste.
~Junebug

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

anyone need any of this?

HoopKat — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:54:26 GMT

i have a washer for sale, a crib, a stroller with inter-locking car seat for infant, and a toddler car seat. make offers if interested.

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Hoop classes

HoopKat — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:34:01 GMT

Ok, the day is definite this time. hoop classes will be at the studio on jordan lane every friday from 6:30-7:30. classes are pre-register only due to space and is a 6 week course of classes for $50. Classes start this friday, January 18th. pre-register can be done through paypal (message me for paypal address), or can be paid on first day of course. please make sure you can make all classes as refunds are not possible.

I have 8 spots left for the classes. even if you're going to wait to pay at the first class i'll need your name to reserve your spot. I'm kicking off the very first 6 weeks of my classes by spicing things up with a little contest. those attending will find out friday...hehe ;)

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

hula hooping anyone?

HoopKat — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:01:16 GMT

Hooping workshop, january 12th, The Studio across chuck e cheese on jordan lane

Hooping 101

Hooping is a fun way to boost stamina, metabolism, and weight loss. Hooping is way more fun than the hula hooping you remember as a child, because the bigger and heavier the hoop, the slower it rotates around your body (making it easier for people of all shapes, sizes, and ages to do it).

About me:
After 6 years of solo belly dance and in desperate need of new inspiration, I turned to hula hooping. I was almost 200 lbs and depressed with hubby being gone to Iraq for a year. I had recently added Hoop girl (Christabel Zamor) to my friends list in Tribe.net and decided to check her out. I was floored at how cool and fun it looked. So I preceded to go to wal-mart and buy a kids hoop to try out. After learning the basic rotation and traveling, I realized I needed a better hoop, because I was hooked and wanted to learn more. So I bought a bigger, slightly heavier, easier hoop from hoopshine.com and looked up tricks and moves from hooping.org and youtube. I began to learn more and more tricks, some out of accident but it worked. Three to four months later I found myself 40 lbs lighter and inspired. Here I bring it to you to try. Smile and have fun!

Schedule:
8:00 am- 9:30 am Registration/shopping
9:30am -11:00 am Getting started
-Getting acquainted with your hoop (warm-up rotations)
-Easier, effortless ways to the basic rotation
-Traveling with the hoop
-Learning Basic Tricks: Beam me up, booty bump, shoulder isolation and easy hand isolation.

11:00am-12:30pm Lunch
12:30-2:30 Review of basic tricks
-Hoopercize (take a hoop, add some dance, add some exercise, and have a whole lot of fun!)

7:00-Hoopla! (Hoop Hafla)

Costs:
$20 for workshop
$30 workshop package (includes a hoop to take home)

There will be enough hoops for everyone to use as well as for sale. All you need to bring is comfy clothes, your best pair of tennis shoes, an open mind, and a smile.

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

visiting birmingham

wilyum — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:51:48 GMT

im coming through birmingham later this week for a job interview
any recommendations for things that are really worth checking out?

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

I need a job!

Frouke — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:29:37 GMT

Is there someone out there who could help me out with a job in Alabama?
I'm a Dutch registered art therapist (bachelor) and qualified to do so many other different things. I would love to work with people (healthcare, therapy, counseling) and I'm familiar with working in rehab-clinics. I would also like to find me a job where I'd be able to use my Dutch language skills. Perhaps be a mediator, interpretor or translator.
Besides being a therapist I'm a (stone/clay) sculptor as well. I'm qualified to teach a variety of art classes or develop an art program when needed.
For references or futher inquiries you can contact my agent in Killen, Alabama.
My resume and portfolio are available on request.

posted in Alabama - 9 replies

Movies set in Alabama

Jennifer — Wed, 03 Mar 2004 23:46:00 GMT

How many movies can you list that were either set in Alabama or filmed in Alabama?

Adventures of Huck Finn

posted in Alabama - 36 replies

GLOBAL MALA PROJECT IN HUNTSVILLE, AL

transformduality — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:19:41 GMT

www.globalmala.org

The purpose of the Global Mala Project is to unite the global yoga

community from every continent in the world, forming a "mala around

the earth" through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of

108.

On September 21st - 23rd, Fall Equinox and the United Nations

International Day of Peace, studios, teachers and organizations across

the globe will create fundraising celebrations, raising funds and

awareness for some of the most essential issues of our times.

BE A PART OF THE GLOBAL MALA

SEPTEMBER 23, 2007

3:00pm

CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY (DOWNTOWN HUNTSVILLE)

..Raising Consciousness and funds for: WAR CHILD

http://www.warchild.org/

108 is a sacred number in yogic traditions. We will use this number in

sequences during the event...Everyone who attends is requested to

complete 4 sets of 27 Surya Namaskars (Sun Salutations) modified.

Between sets we will have '108 form' Tai Chi, pranayama, meditation,

multi-cultural chanting and song, and water/bathroom breaks. Please do

not be intimidated by the amount of Surya Namaskars (Sun Salutations).

We will offer a modified set that will mostly be in childs pose.

In the spirit of the sacred 108; a donation of $10.80 is requested. These

funds will be allocated to WAR CHILD http://www.warchild.org/ and The

Church of the Nativity.

Styles of chanting and song that Blake Briscoe, Liz Seifried, and John

Tinger will be conducting will be centered on a multi-cultural level. The

intent of including ALL traditions will be the focus.

Come enjoy these peacemaking efforts in sacred space and support

the local and global community.

PEACE BE WITH YOU

SHALOM, SALAAM, SHLAMA, SHANTI, PAX

THE VILLE'S GLOBAL MALA CREW

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

FOOD DRIVE KIRTAN IN HUNTSVILLE, AL

transformduality — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:47:26 GMT

FOOD DRIVE KIRTAN IN HUNTSVILLE, AL

FOOD DRIVE KIRTAN
To benefit North Alabama Food Bank
Saturday, August 4, 2007, 7:00pm

FEATURING Maa Das
with Liz Seifried and Blake Briscoe

Admission for the Kirtan: At Least 3 non-perishable items of food (no glass). Fee free to bring more. Donations and Kirtan will take place at

THE STUDIO
1219-C Jordan Lane
Huntsville, AL 35816

For any questions about what to bring, please feel free to call (828) 515-0163, or email today091979@hotmail.com

Directions call: (256) 658-6804

North Alabama Food Bank:
http://www.alfoodbanks.org/huntsville/index.htm

The Studio and Naughty Nomads:
http://www.naughtynomads.com/

Maa Das:
http://www.myspace.com/madas

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

NBC 13 sold; CBS 42 for sale

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:44:13 GMT

Birmingham’s NBC 13 has a new owner while CBS 42 is looking for a buyer.

The Media General broadcasting company announced Thursday morning that it has agreed to buy NBC 13, along with three other NBC Universal stations, for about $600 million.

Also, Richmond, Va.-based Media General has put CBS 42 up for sale, along with the CBS affiliates in Wichita, Kan.; Mason City, Iowa, and Chattanooga.

NBC 13 General Manager James Powell came back from a business trip in New York to announce the sale to his staff early Thursday morning.

“I told them how happy I was it was these folks,” Powell said. “NBC did a lot of work to make a good fit.”

Bob Carlton

(Posted at 10:10)

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Henna Art 101 in Huntsville

MIKIBOW — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:28:08 GMT

Heather Foster aka txilar/5inyoureye/Summayyah will be teaching a 3 hour instructional course on the art and history of Henna on Feb 24 from 1-4pm (last hour for applying henna)at The Studio, 1209 Jordan Lane across from Chuck E. Cheese. The cost is $25 prepaid and $30 at the door with students enrolled on a monthly basis at The Studio receiving a 10% discount. Included in the course will be a reference book with instructions, information & designs; henna for class use and home use; and one artist application of henna during class. The class will spill over into a party with food, music, dancing, and henn, of course!, for all. Heather will be available for more detailed henna art during the party. The party is open to everyone -- you don't need to attend the workshop to attend, however, the door won't be open to non-workshop attending party-goers until after 4pm. Some food will be provided, but mostly potluck, so bring your favorite munchies and beverages to party with The Naughties and Heather while we get tattoed ... henna, that is!

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Hello to all.

David — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:34:20 GMT

I joined the tribe back in October of 2006, but have not posted until now. I just wanted to say hi to everyone.

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

hoola hooping

HoopKat — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:54:37 GMT

anyone into hooping? i recently got into it and was wondering if any local people did it, too. i made a tribe for huntsville hoopers in case anyone wants to join.

posted in Alabama - 10 replies

Hey Stan

Bren-duh-the-highness-of-the-Duh-Club — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:49:30 GMT

Tell us what you have been up to since getting home.

Did your stay in Iraq have a good or bad effect on you?

posted in Alabama - 3 replies

war is hell

stan — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 03:25:39 GMT

as some of you may have notice i have not been around. i have been in iraq protecting freedom yada yada yada. anyway i should be back for good.

posted in Alabama - 7 replies

Hello I'm going to be in Alabama for about a year.

Read-or-Die — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 06:45:35 GMT

So what is there to do around here. I am in Huntsville.

posted in Alabama - 5 replies

BAN FIGURE SKATING!!!

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 03:30:23 GMT

Go here for the full story
http://www.banfigureskating.com/

Support those who offer wholesome alternatives to figure skating. In Birmingham, Alabama, an arena football team is making a difference. By building their field on top of the largest ice rink in the state, they have assured there will be absolutely NO figure skating on these dates. There will only be exciting football games with plenty of fun for the kids. Even though the Birmingham Steeldogs have not returned any of our calls, we have included a link to their website because we want to support their obvious anti-figure-skating stance. Buy your tickets now and STRIKE A BLOW AGAINST THIS PSUEDO-SPORT!!!

****For the record, this was a news item, not something I support****

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

shucks howdy

Kevin — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:46:39 GMT

Hiya folks, anything happening in Anniston?

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Bellydance, Tattoos, Hot Rods, and Swords

transformduality — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 02:18:47 GMT

Come check out Ms Liz and Eidolon...two of Huntsville's awesome solo bellydancers. They'll be shimmying and playing with swords between bands and throughout the night.

Ink City Tattoo celebrates it's 7th anniversary with
THE 2nd ANNUAL ROCKET CITY TATTOO BASH, BBQ and OL'Skool Car Show.
When: Sunday, September 24th, 3PM until . . .
Where: Flying Monkey Arts Center, 2211 Seminole Dr. Huntsville, Alabama

Live Tattoo Contests
Live Rockabilly Music
Door Prizes and Raffles
BBQ Cookout
Ol' Skool Car Show open to all traditional style rods and customs 1965 and earlier. Rat Rods, Trucks and Bikes welcome. NO trailered vehicles. (Car show registration begins at 2:30)
Pinstripers & automotive artists welcome to set up.

website: flyingmonkeyarts.org
email: inkcitytattoo@aol.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Kassar is coming!

MIKIBOW — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:52:55 GMT

Yeah, we've managed it. Mel and Karin of Kassar fame will be in Huntsville, AL November 18-19 to make us sweat, courtesy of The Naughty Nomads. The workshop wil be held at The Studio located at 1219 C Jordan Lane which is on the corner of Jordan Lane and Commercial Drive in the Penny Plaza across from Chuck E. Cheese. That Saturday will be partnering choreography and Sunday will be partnering with floorwork. Each day will offer 3 hours of classes starting at 11am with an hour for lunch starting at 12:30. Don't miss this one --- getting these chickies here from New Jersey is NOT an easy task! And while you're here you can attend the Third Annual Shahala's Toys for Tots Show which Kassar will be performing in. Come on and join us --- you could even be in the show and be able to claim that you danced on the same stage as Kassar! The price is only $75 for both days or $40 for one day as long as you pay before the day of the workshop. It will be $90 at the door for both days or $45 for one day. That's a great price for these two gloriously wonderful dance teachers!

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Montgomery

Chris — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 02:59:58 GMT

Sorry if there is another topic on this and I didn't see it, but I'm just wondering if there is anyone else who lives in Montgomery on here. Please contact me, I'd like to meet some new people.

Chris

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Petite Jamilla returns to Alabama for a workshop and show

jamillarasa — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 13:43:43 GMT

Petite Jamilla Workshop & Evening Show
*August 12* (Saturday)

Children's Dance Foundation
1715 27th Ct S, Homewood, AL
(205) 870-0073 (call studio for directions)

contact Jamilla Rasa to register and for more details
Jamillarasa@yahoo.com

Veil Workshop from 1pm-4pm
$45.00 prepaid
$50.00 at door

Evening show featuring Petite Jamilla and the South's Finest Belly Dancers
$15.00 at door
$12.00 at door for students w/cards & Senior Citizens

Prepaid Combination ticket
workshop and show
$57.00
(we accept Visa and MasterCard)

Contact Jamilla Rasa to register
jamillarasa@yahoo.com

IF you haven't had a chance to take a workshop with
*PETITE JAMILLA*
NOW is the time!
Touring full time since 2004 with BELLYDANCE SUPERSTARS leaves very little time for PETITE JAMILLA to teach workshops, so the rare opportunity of the workshops in NYC and BHAM is a treat indeed! A steller instructor, PETITE JAMILLA, will leave you with new knowledge of veil use, including using more then one veil. Don't miss your chance to study with PETITE JAMILLA this summer.

ABOUT PETITE JAMILLA:
Bellydance Superstars youngest member Petite Jamilla, as pictured on the cover of “Live at the Follies Bergere” DVD has been touring with the Bellydance Superstars since January of 2004. Performing the celestial and inspiring double veil as a featured part of the show, is just a fraction of what this talented dancer has to offer. Since she was 17, Petite Jamilla has been teaching workshops that range from Zill Techniques with Modern Incorporations, Choreographed Fusion Drum Solo’s, and Spinning Introductions with Double Veil “How To’s.” By the age of 20, she had produced 2 instructional DVD’s [Beginner’s Dance Movements, and Secrets of the Double Veil] available for purchase through www.bohemianmarket.com. Cross-Cultural Fusions are a passionate focus for this dancer as her Irish/Native American ethnicity became the incentive to further explore and push the boundaries of fusion in dance. With training in Bellydance (taught by her mother, Jamilla Rasa), Polynesian, Scottish Highland, Modern Irish, and Cape Breton Step Dancing her unique blend began an unclassifiable style. Dually equipped as a classically trained musician in Western style compositions and Scottish/Irish blends - it was, of all things, the Highland Bagpipes that showcased Petite Jamilla’s talent for the critically acclaimed Rod Stewart in February of 2000

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Mayor hopeful Montclair hospital moving to Irondale

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 11:40:55 GMT

Wednesday, April 19, 2006
ANITA DEBRO
News staff writer
Irondale Mayor Tommy Joe Alexander recently told residents he is hopeful that his city will be selected as the new site for Montclair Baptist Medical Center.

Alexander said during a council meeting that negotiations with Triad Hospitals Inc., which has a majority ownership in the hospital, are ongoing regarding a property in the city at the Interstate 459 and Grants Mill Road exit.

"Things are moving along and we are talking to (the owners of the hospital)," Alexander said. "It looks good."

Triad officials announced last October its intention to build a new $300 million hospital to replace the 534-bed center on Montclair Road in Birmingham. Officials said they were looking at the Interstate 459 corridor as a possible location.

"We are still looking at four sites along the Interstate 459 corridor," said Leisha Harris, director of marking for Montclair Baptist Medical Center.

Harris said one of the sites Triad is looking at is in Irondale. The company is also looking at land in Liberty Park in Vestavia Hills, Overton Road in Birmingham and Leeds.

Harris did not say when the company will announce the new location of the hospital. Triad is expected to rename the hospital around the same time the new location is announced.

Alexander said getting the hospital in Irondale would be a coup for the city since it is expected to employ about 1,800 people.

E-mail: adebro@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 3 replies

Holloway probe takes its toll on Arubans

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 11:22:17 GMT

Holloway probe takes its toll on Arubans
4/27/2006, 1:38 p.m. CT
By JONATHAN M. KATZ
The Associated Press

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — From the dusty, cactus-studded center of this Caribbean island to its palm tree-lined resort beaches, few leads have been unexplored in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway.

All the investigations, arrests, rumors and intense media coverage in the 11 months since Holloway disappeared have taken a toll on islanders. Hundreds of people have been questioned, said prosecutor's spokeswoman Mariaine Croes, from beach workers, fishermen and the homeless to the scions of well-off families. At least nine have been arrested and released without charges.

Hundreds of volunteers, Dutch Marines, the local coast guard, the FBI and others have scoured the island's dunes, beaches and trash dumps. Scuba divers and sonar-equipped coast guard ships have examined the seabed offshore.

With the case still unsolved, islanders now fear that Aruba, which gets 70 percent of its gross domestic product from tourism, will be permanently scarred by the mystery.

The island off the coast of Venezuela has beautiful white sand beaches and is home to a lively mix of Europeans, Caribbean immigrants and descendants of the original Arawak Indians. But islanders now fear they'll be known only for the night when a single U.S. tourist vanished.

A recent "Lonely Planet" guide devoted one of its four paragraphs on Aruba's 4,000-year history to the Holloway case.

"We're concerned about the negative publicity," said Myrna Jansen-Feliciano of the Aruba Tourist Authority.

Locals are quick to call the case a tragedy and say they hope Holloway — last seen leaving a bar with three young men early on May 30, 2005 — will be found alive. But most also believe criticism of the investigation is unfair — and they worry the case is scaring away visitors, most of whom are Americans who patronize U.S. chain restaurants and hotels that accept U.S. dollars.

They're especially angry that cable TV crime shows echo criticism by Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty, that Aruban authorities are corrupt and incompetent. And they're enraged that the governors of Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama have criticized the investigation and backed a travel boycott of Aruba.

"They're saying bad things about Aruba. Maybe if it is Aruba's fault, they can say bad things. But if it's not, they shouldn't," said Jason Angela, a 15-year-old Oranjestad student.

Hotel occupancy was down 3 percent through February compared to the year before, Jansen-Feliciano said. Big hotels were hit particularly hard — down 10 percent. It is unclear whether the drop is a result of bad publicity and the boycott or of rising hotel rates.

And while some businesses that rent jet skis and take people tubing on the water report steady business, others blame a difficult low season last year on the Holloway case.

The arrest of Geoffrey van Cromvoirt, 19, on April 15 underscored the close ties among members of the island community. The Dutch teen's father owns a private security company that had also employed the son of Police Commissioner Gerold Dompig, who voluntarily stepped down as lead investigator amid criticism.

Police have said nothing about their latest arrest, of a 20-year-old man, identified by prosecutors by the initials A.B. He was released after six hours of questioning on Saturday.

"I don't know who they're going to get next," said Danielle Gross, a 26-year-old friend of van Cromvoirt's. "It is like a never-ending story."

posted in Alabama - 3 replies

Hoover may be home to metro area's next mosque

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 11:58:28 GMT

Wednesday, April 19, 2006
DAWN KENT
News staff writer
The Birmingham Islamic Society's plans to transform a Hoover church into a mosque and family life center will provide more space and a more central location for area Muslims to meet and worship, officials say.

A school at the organization's Homewood campus has grown to more than 160 full-time students in kindergarten through eighth grade, forcing it to spill over into space used for community activities.

"They'd like to expand, but there's not enough room for us to continue the community activities combined with the school," BIS Treasurer Hafiz Chandiwala said.
Meanwhile, 40 percent of Muslims in the greater Birmingham area live in southern suburbs like Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Pelham, so a Hoover mosque would be a better location for them, Chandiwala said.

The BIS has a contract to buy a church building on Hackberry Lane from Point of Grace Ministries. Plans call for renovations to the existing building for the mosque and, eventually, the construction of a family life center. The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission last week approved the plans, despite opposition from residents, who cited traffic concerns. The Hoover City Council will have the final say on the plans May 15.

During the meeting, BIS representatives outlined plans for the 6.5-acre parcel, which sits near Running Brook Condominiums and Camelot Woods Estates. The existing building will be used as a mosque and remodeled to have an Islamic architecture appearance. Future plans include the family life center, with education space and a gym, as well as an expanded parking lot.

Worship services will be on Fridays at 1 p.m. Sunday school will be on Sunday mornings, and family activities will be on Saturday afternoons. BIS representatives expect the largest traffic volumes at the Friday services, which draw about 250 people and end at about 1:45 p.m. The mosque also will be open for daily prayer, as many churches are, but BIS representatives said they expect only a handful of people at those times.

There are no plans to move the Homewood school to Hoover, and worship services also will continue in Homewood. In addition, there will be no outdoor loudspeakers that signal audible calls to prayer, a concern named by residents during the meeting.

Local opposition:

At last week's Planning and Zoning meeting, most residents who opposed the plans said they do not want the traffic, particularly on the winding Hackberry Lane. Shades Mountain Elementary School also is nearby, they said, and many children walk to class. Camelot Woods resident Clare McDowell cited statistics on the fast-paced growth of the Islamic religion, saying she feared the mosque and resulting traffic would overwhelm the residential streets.

"The potential is to grow," she said.

Another Camelot Woods resident, Frank Denney, said the mosque will draw people from a wide area, because there are not as many mosques as there are other types of churches.
"Anytime you have a minority group, you're going to draw from a wide area," he said. "That would be Muslims coming in from Jefferson County and surrounding counties." Other residents said they would be happy to have the mosque in their neighborhood, and it is a compatible use for the Point of Grace Ministries property.

Chandiwala said the Birmingham Islamic Society's growth has been a gradual progression, not an explosive increase.

When the organization moved to its Homewood facility in 1996, there were 200 to 250 people attending worship services, he said. Since then, attendance at the worship services has grown to 300 to 350, he said. The school's growth also has happened slowly over time, he said. It has been sharing space with community activities since 1996. BIS President Ashfaq Taufique said the commission's decision was based on the merits of the project, adding that the mosque will be a good neighbor.

"We want to be a positive addition to the neighborhood," he said.

E-mail: dkent@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Alabama Ballet director, Wes Chapman, going to American Ballet Theatre

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 11:30:54 GMT

Thursday, April 20, 2006
MICHAEL HUEBNER
News staff writer

After 10 years at the helm of the Alabama Ballet, Artistic Director Wes Chapman will become a ballet master at the American Ballet Theatre in New York. He will continue in his position at the Alabama Ballet through the 2006-07 season, returning to direct major productions, and will likely step down after that.

Roger Van Fleteren, the Alabama Ballet's principal choreographer and ballet master and Chapman's likely successor, according to some ballet board members, has been promoted to associate artistic director. Tracy Neumann Alvey, a former principal dancer with London City Ballet, will become ballet mistress, commuting from her home in Savannah, Ga.

ABT is one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world. George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Twyla Tharp are among the choreographers it has commissioned. It performs for 600,000 people annually and has taken 15 international tours to 42 countries. Next season, Chapman will travel with the company to London, Paris and several U.S. cities.

Chapman, a native of Union Springs and honors graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, first joined the Alabama Ballet at 18. A year later, he was invited to join ABT by Mikhail Baryshnikov. He danced numerous principal roles with the company during the 1980's and '90s, advancing to principal dancer in 1989. He returned to Birmingham in 1996 to become artistic director of the Alabama Ballet, replacing Bulgarian ballerina Sonia Arova.

"I am delighted to welcome Wes home again," said ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. "We look forward to the years he has matured post-performer, with all the knowledge he has gained as a teacher and a coach. We welcome him with open arms."

Dancers reacted emotionally to the news, some with tears.

"Everybody reacted differently," said Tatiana Ledovskikh, who joined the company in 1995. "Some of them were sad, some were happy for him. Honestly, I didn't know how to react, to be happy for Wes or to be sad. I just need time to think. Only time can show exactly whether it is a good decision or not."

Full circle

Chapman, 41, reflected on his return to New York with anticipation and nostalgia.

"This has been another full circle for my career," he said. "It's the second time I've gone from Alabama to New York."

Chapman signed a one-year contract with ABT, joining Susan Jones, Irina Kolpakova and Sophia Parkinson as staff ballet masters. He will work under McKenzie and Associate Artistic Director Victor Barbee.

His role with the Alabama Ballet after next season is still uncertain.

"We're going to have to see how things go," he says. "I would love to continue a relationship with this company. It's my heart and soul. Roger and I are already working on repertoire for the 2007-08 season."

Van Fleteren, who also danced numerous solo roles with ABT as well as London City Ballet, joined the Alabama Ballet in 1996. Although Chapman's successor hasn't been named, Van Fleteren is the most promising candidate and there were no plans to conduct a search.

"Roger and I have been so like-minded through the past 10 years," Chapman said. "I see the company's general direction continuing. I want to be helpful during the transition, helping Roger understand all aspects of the business."

Kacy Mitchell, who has served on the Alabama Ballet's board through Chapman and Van Fleteren's entire tenure, has seen dramatic changes.

"Wes took it from a semi-professional company to an outstanding professional company that, outside New York, is as good as it gets," Mitchell said. "He has improved the caliber of dance every year. He repaired relationships within the dance community and established a school that is sending dancers to ABT because they're trained and they can dance."

During Chapman's decade, the company built an 18,000-square-foot facility in Birmingham's Lakeview warehouse district to house its studios and school, was sanctioned to perform George Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" by the Balanchine Trust, commissioned several new works and established a pre-professional training program and summer camp.

ABT connection

Because of Chapman, the Alabama Ballet has maintained close ties to ABT. In recent years, ABT dancers such as Marcelo Gomes and Leslie Browne have contributed to several Alabama Ballet productions. Two Chapman-trained dancers, Melissa and Mary Thomas of Mountain Brook, are recent additions to ABT.

Board chairman Michael Guilsher believes the ABT connection can work to the company's advantage.

"ABT is interested in affiliating with our school," Guilsher said. "This is a phenomenal opportunity for Alabama Ballet. We could be the feeder school from the Southeast up to New York. The two-way communication is going to be wide open now."

Added board member Dudley Reynolds, "It's bittersweet for us. When you have somebody as talented as Wes, you always know this possibility exists. We all understand that there could be some uncertainty, but the ballet is so much stronger than it was. We're proud of Roger and are optimistic that the transition will be seamless."

E-mail: mhuebner@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Jim Nabors honored in his native Alabama with HOF induction

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 03:50:21 GMT

Apr 23, 1:47 PM EDT

Actor Jim Nabors honored in his native Alabama with HOF induction

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Actor-singer Jim Nabors, best known for his role as Gomer Pyle, received tributes during his induction into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame.

Actor-comedian Ronnie Schell, a long-time friend of Nabors' who co-starred as Duke Slater on "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.," emceed the Saturday night event in Tuscaloosa, offering shtick between segments, and also inducting his friend Nabors, an Alabama native.

Nabors' video tribute featured luminaries such as good friend Carol Burnett, Loni Anderson and Ruth Buzzi. In a clip, Nabors noted what Andy Griffith said to the young man on first seeing his act: "I don't know what you do, but you do it very well."

The clip recounted his career on TV, film and recording studios, spoke for a while about his brush with death in the early '90s, before a liver transplant saved his life, and ended with a segment from "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." in which he sang the stirring "The Impossible Dream."

Nabors told the gala audience of about 400 that it was the first time he'd seen that recording of the song. "I really never watched myself on TV. Now I know why," he said.

He entertained with true-life stories, spun in a Gomer "can you believe this?" fashion, but choked up when talking about Burnett, who helped him through his health problems. "Carol is like a sister to me," he said. "Carol saved my life."

"I could go on all night about my wonderful experiences," he said. But he concluded simply, "It's always good to be home."

Also inducted Saturday night was HBO executive producer Rick Bernstein, a Mountain Brook, Ala. native.

A 20-minute video tribute to Bernstein played on the big screen above the stage, with everyone from his boss Ross Greenberg to Jim Lampley, Bob Costas, Frank DeFord, Bryant Gumbel and Dan Marino offering tributes.

Costas joked that as Bernstein was his boss now, "... judge for yourself the credibility of this heartfelt testimony ...."

Referring to Bernstein's Mayberry co-inductee, he said, "What, Floyd the barber wasn't available?"

---

Information from: The Tuscaloosa News, http://www.tuscaloosanews.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Pregnancy and Parenting

Kristina — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 21:53:47 GMT

Soon

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Museum checks for Nazi art crimes

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:39:29 GMT

BMA ownership cleared for work once in Hitler's trove, others taken in war

Thursday, April 06, 2006
MICHAEL HUEBNER
News staff writer

A painting of two small children, one playing a guitar, the other petting a dog, hangs prominently in the European gallery at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The pastoral scene, painted by Francois-Hubert Drouais in 1761, is the picture of childlike purity.

That innocence was lost in 1941, when the painting came into the possession of Adolf Hitler. It was one of about 250,000 art works plundered by the Nazis from Jewish families and institutions between 1933 and 1945. That represents one of every five European art works then in existence, according to U.S. government estimates.

Since 2000, many museums have bonded to right the Nazi wrongs, either by forming provenance departments that trace history of ownership or retaining researchers like Amy Walsh, former head of provenance research at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and co-author of a guidebook for museums about provenance research.
Since 2003, BMA has spent about $30,000 for Walsh's services. So far, she has investigated 17 works, including the one once owned by Hitler, and says the museum seems to have gone through the proper channels to acquire the works.

Neither Walsh nor the museum expect the rest of the investigations to turn up any irregularities. "It doesn't happen very often," says Jeannine O'Grody, BMA's Curator of European Art. "When it does, it's a high-profile case. All of our paintings so far have been 100 percent cleared. We don't anticipate anything happening, but it is still incumbent on us to do the research and clear the paintings." About 50 works at the museum are suspected of having fallen into Nazi hands. Of those, 25 are being thoroughly investigated by Walsh.

"We went through our files and determined clear provenance back to a certain time," says BMA director Gail Trechsel. "In some cases we had done our research, but we had not taken the time on every object. We have culled from our collection the pieces that have gaps in their history."

Mysteries remain

Art was taken by the Nazis either through forced sales or confiscation. Many were restituted after World War II, either to financial institutions that owned them or to the estates of their original owners. But thousands of mysteries remain, among the most famous being the disappearance of a Raphael portrait from the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland.

"By the late 1930s, Jews were being excessively taxed and forced to sell things," Walsh says. "Art works that were sold are now considered forced sales. Confiscation took place when people left the country or were sent to concentration camps. They weren't allowed to take the art works with them, so they were considered abandoned property."

The largest case of Nazi-plundered art was settled in February when more than 200 paintings hanging in Dutch museums were returned to their proper heirs after eight years of legal wrangling. In Raleigh, N.C., a settlement between two sisters and the North Carolina Museum of Art resulted in the sisters agreeing to accept half of a painting's worth in exchange for donating the painting to the museum.

Nazis meticulous

Walsh investigates works by scouring art libraries, looking at museum records and examining details on the backs of the paintings. "The Nazis were meticulous about keeping records," she says. "There were boxes and boxes of inventories. They knew what their targets were and placed numbers on the backs, then would declare them abandoned property."

Some Jewish art dealers would cut deals with the Nazis in hopes of getting family members out of Germany or concentration camps. Once in Nazi possession, the art would often be traded among officials, but the two largest collectors were Hitler and Hermann Goering. Although they realized the value of the art, they didn't always have good taste.

"What Hitler considered good art was sentimental, romantic art of the 19th century, landscapes, sculptures of big burly men, and women who represented the ideal German type," says Walsh. "Anything that represented the Aryan race was considered superior."

Other works, such as impressionists, expressionists and the avant garde, were banned by Hitler, himself a failed art student. "In 1933, Hitler began to close the art schools and fire the administrators of cultural centers that did not agree with his policies," Walsh says. "Some museums started selling art off quietly, and by the late 1930s they were being confiscated."

Goering had a better eye, particularly for Dutch masters, but he didn't like the impressionists. "By that time he realized these paintings were valuable as a means of raising foreign currency."

Still unaccounted for

Allied forces rescued a great deal of art, leaving it at depots in Munich and Wiesbaden. But much of it remains unaccounted for. "There are enormous numbers," says Walsh, who is working with three museums and has examined four private collections. "The loss of property is part of war, but what was unique with the Nazis is that it was government policy. They wanted to destroy Jewish culture."

"Museums have a moral responsibility to their communities," she says. Adds Trechsel, "This is a very important topic, one that we've been addressing at this museum. We care about doing the right thing."

E-mail: mhuebner@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 4 replies

Gifts to McNair weren’t bribes, lawyers say

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:42:14 GMT

Lawyers at Chris McNair’s trial on bribery charges agreed in their opening statements today that sewer rehabilitation work contractors gave the former Jefferson County commissioner gifts. But they differed over whether the gifts represented homage to a great man or bribes.

Prosecutor Bill Dillon told the jury that McNair used his position to get more than $350,000 in cash and to get services, including salaries and materials for an elaborate expansion of his photo studio that took more than a year and work to build a lake house in Arkansas.

He said McNair’s daughters, Kim and Lisa, who work at his photo studio, will testify that on two or three occasions their father brought them envelopes of cash to deposit in the bank, cash that could not be accounted for by the family business.

Dillon said he would show that McNair repeatedly asked for money and construction work from occasionally unwilling and shaken county contractors. He said he would also show a pattern of altering or writing inaccurate receipts or work orders so that there was no trail to McNair.

Lawyers for the eight people and companies on trial for bribing McNair say they don’t deny their clients gave McNair some gifts, work or cash. But they deny that their clients gained anything in return. After Jefferson County was ordered to rehabilitate its sewer system, there was so much work to do that qualified companies had almost more than they wanted.

“There is no evidence Pugh ever asked for or wanted anything from Mr. McNair,” said Mike Brown, an attorney for Roland Pugh Construction Inc.

For complete story, see Friday's Birmingham News.

Val Walton and Katherine Bouma

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

State's farmers split with Sessions on immigration

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 03:32:50 GMT

Many don't want to lose cheap foreign labor

Thursday, March 16, 2006
MARY ORNDORFF
News Washington correspondent

WASHINGTON - More than 200 Alabama farmers warned Sen. Jeff Sessions on Wednesday that new immigration laws that don't let them keep their foreign workers would endanger their farms.

"I can speak from a personal perspective from my farm, that if you take the migrant work force out of the agriculture industry in Alabama, I can't see it doing anything but shutting us down," said Hal Lee, a poultry farmer from Hartselle.

The American Farm Bureau, the new parent organization of the Alabama Farmers Federation, estimates the industry nationally would suffer between $9 billion and $14 billion in economic damage if growers and farmers had to replace workers who would get deported under some of the immigration proposals now pending in Congress.

"We all want to have secure borders. And we all want to have legal workers," said Jerry Newby, president of the Alabama Farmers Federation, also known as Alfa.

Sessions, who is on a Senate committee that is debating immigration, said he remains opposed to amnesty, or allowing illegal immigrants to stay and work legally in certain jobs. He also questioned whether the economic fallout would be as dramatic as the farmers claimed.

"I'm not going to be, you know, panicked about it," Sessions said. "You'd think the republic is going to fall if there isn't somebody to put chocolate on your pillow every night at your hotel room. I mean, really. We're not going to stop workers from coming into this country."

President Bush for two years has advocated a guest worker program to allow some of those already in the United States to register and stay temporarily but legally. Other proposals provide them with a chance to earn citizenship over time. Sessions is sponsoring legislation that focuses instead on border security and enforcement, including a 2,000-mile fence along the Mexican border.

"We need foreign workers. We have foreign workers now and we're going to continue to have them, but it needs to be in a lawful way," Sessions said. "And this nation has a right to decide the number and we also have a huge national security issue that needs to be dealt with at the same time. All of these are achievable, really. So we're working through it."

Estimates are that 11 million people live in the United States without permission, and about 10 percent of them are working in agriculture, said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

After speaking to the Alabama farm group during its annual Washington trip, Stallman said the economic impact of losing immigrant labor comes from the extra cost of higher wages, the difficulty of filling the holes in the workforce and the burden of farmers having to enforce immigration laws in their hiring decisions.

"I've got a heck of a hard time finding people willing to work on a rice farm, because rice farming is hard work," he said.

Lee, the poultry farmer, said the poultry company brings 18 workers onto his farm when it's time to take the birds to market and normally only two are U.S. citizens, he said.

"We are as patriotic as any group of Americans anywhere and we are real concerned about border security. However, we also realize that without guest workers, a lot of our farms would be shut down," Lee said. "If we didn't have guest workers, who would catch my chickens?"

E-mail: morndorff@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 6 replies

$40 million downtown project set

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 03:20:21 GMT

Federal Reserve site to become offices, hotel

Saturday, March 18, 2006
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer

A Georgia real estate firm has bought the old Federal Reserve site downtown with plans to renovate it and develop a 14-story office and hotel tower in a $40 million project.

Savannah-based Melaver Inc. plans to immediately start renovation of the two buildings that make up the Federal Reserve site on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue North and 18th Street, creating nearly 80,000 square feet of commercial space. A more significant change is slated to take place on the parking lot behind the Federal Reserve building on the northeast corner of Fourth Avenue North and 18th Street. Preliminary plans call for a building with as much as 175,000 square feet of space, rising to 14 stories. The top three floors would have a 34,000-square-foot hotel, with the other floors dedicated to offices.

"A project of that significance is a logical next step after the success of One Federal Place," said Michael Calvert, president of Operation New Birmingham, referring to the $50 million office building project next door. "This also continues the westward expansion of notable projects."

Colin Coyne, developer of WaterMark Place outlet mall near Visionland and Melaver's chief operating officer, said negotiations have already started with hotel operators, and a major tenant is considering a large amount of the office space. "We had been looking in Birmingham for some time," Coyne said. "We're hoping that this is the first of a number of projects we will do here."

A 270-car underground parking deck is planned to allow the first floors of the Federal Reserve building and the new structures to line up. Coyne, however, said if a large tenant is not signed before construction on the new building, the deck may be built at ground level, reducing some of the office space. Should the demand for office space be outpaced by the desire for condominiums, Coyne said the open floor plans of the building are flexible enough to allow for residential development.

The project aims to earn LEED certification, he said. The U.S. Green Building Council awards its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design to recognize projects that are energy efficient, use natural resources and environmental friendly materials, and help limit sprawl. The renovation project is shooting for a LEED Silver rating. The new building aims for a higher certification. "A `green' building is a better building - better for the occupants, better for the clients, better for the owners - it's just better," McLennan said.

Jason McLennan, director of the Elements division of national design firm BNIM Architects, said he was attracted to the project because of the LEED criteria but because of the classic design of the Federal Reserve building. "We're going to do everything we can to preserve the aspects of that building and highlight those things that make it so special," McLennan said.

The original Fed building, empty since the agency left the site to move to Liberty Park in 2000, was constructed in 1924 from Georgia marble and Indiana limestone. The developers say the main vault is being eyed for conversion into a board room, a wine bar or some other use. The design of the new building will likely be revised to incorporate more aspects of the Federal Reserve building.

Brasfield & Gorrie has been hired as the general contractor, Coyne said. Work on the renovation could begin as soon as permits are issued and crews are assembled, he said.
Coyne also said financing for the project is already in place. Melaver paid cash to buy the property. Birmingham's Sloss Real Estate, which developed the One Federal Place project with a partner, was the seller of the Fed site. "With their successful portfolio, Melaver is probably the national leader in the field of sustainable development," said Tim Blair, director of business development at Sloss. "We believe in this firm and we believe in their vision."

The Melaver and Levy families founded the M&M Supermarkets chain in Georgia in 1915 and 1940 and sold the business to Kroger in 1985. The company's leaders, having developed shopping centers for their markets, began focusing on real estate development. In addition to a number of projects in Savannah and the Atlanta area, Melaver owns a couple of buildings in Huntsville, including the Colonial Bank Building.

E-mail: mtomberlin@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 3 replies

Alabama weighs sweeping historical pardon

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 03:58:44 GMT

Lawmakers consider bill to pardon those arrested under segregation laws

Updated: 4:32 p.m. ET March 16, 2006

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama lawmakers are considering pardoning hundreds, possibly thousands, of people who were arrested decades ago for violating Alabama’s segregation laws. The idea of a mass pardon gained traction after the death last year of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, who had refused to give up her bus seat to a white man half a century earlier.

Even though the law allowing segregated seating on city buses was eventually overturned, Parks conviction is still on the record, said Rep. Thad McClammy. “This is something that’s long overdue. It’s something aimed at giving the state a forward look,” he said.

His proposed “Rosa Parks Act” would pardon everyone ever arrested under the state’s segregation laws, which date back to the state’s 1901 constitution. A House committee approved the bill Thursday, sending it to the full House for debate.

The old segregation laws required that blacks attend separate schools, use separate water fountains and theater entrances, and made it illegal for blacks and whites to marry, among other things. There was no opposition to the proposed legislation in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, where the plan was praised by Republicans and Democrats. “I think it’s wonderful. There were 89 people arrested during the bus boycott and I think every one of them should be pardoned because of the contribution they made to the state and the nation,” said Rep. Alvin Holmes, a Democrat and veteran of the civil rights movement.

The Legislature is in the final 10 days of the 2006 session, but the committee chairman, Rep. Marcel Black, said he believes there’s enough time to pass the bill.

“I can’t imagine anyone opposing this,” said Republican Rep. Steve McMillan.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Alabama cow tests positive for mad cow disease

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 20:48:10 GMT

Third U.S. case could cripple the beef industry

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 3:36 p.m. ET March 13, 2006
WASHINGTON - A cow in Alabama has tested positive for mad cow disease, the Agriculture Department confirmed Monday, the third case in the U.S.

The animal was a beef cow but hadn’t entered the food supply for people or animals, said the department’s chief veterinarian, John Clifford.

A routine test last week had indicated the presence of the disease. Results were confirmed by more detailed testing at a government laboratory in Ames, Iowa, Clifford said.

U.S. investigators have found two previous cases of mad cow disease. The first was in December 2003 in a Canadian-born cow in Washington state. The second was last June in a cow that was born and raised in Texas.

The cow spent the past year at an Alabama farm, he said. The department is investigating where the animal was born and raised.

The animal appears to have been at least 10 years old, Clifford said.

Analysts said the animal’s age will be a key factor in determining consumer and trader reaction.

If the cow was born after 1997, it would mean the animal became infected after a feed ban that was put in place to prevent the disease. If it was born before 1997, the cattle industry could argue the feed ban continues to work in preventing the disease.

In the two previous U.S. mad cow cases, the infected animals were born before 1997.

“If it was born after the feed ban in the United States it is a bigger problem, because it would be harder to say our system is working well,” Jim Robb, a Livestock Meat Information Center economist, said on Saturday after the preliminary results were announced.

Countries worldwide banned U.S. beef after the country’s first mad cow case, but many of those bans have been lifted.

Japan, once the top overseas buyer of U.S. beef, briefly lifted its ban, but it reinstated it in January after receiving a shipment of U.S. veal that contained some banned parts.

This third mad cow case could make it difficult for negotiators to convince Japan to resume purchases of U.S. beef.

First discovered in Great Britain in 1986, mad cow disease destroys the brain in cattle.

A similar, fatal disease can affect people who eat meat from infected cattle, according to scientists. More than 140 people, mainly in Britain and Europe, have died from the disease.

Different types of tests indicated the presence of mad cow disease in the Alabama cow. Two versions of the initial “rapid” screening test suggested the cow had the disease, and a more detailed Western blot confirmed that finding. The department is still doing a third type of test, immunohistochemistry, or IHC, and will release those results later in the week.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Buying Tutwiler Hotel `like a dream come true'

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 08:23:45 GMT

Area man, partner plan renovations
Friday, March 03, 2006
ROY L. WILLIAMS
News staff writer

As a child, Bill Murray was awed by the beauty of the building that's now the Tutwiler Hotel, a downtown landmark at Fifth Avenue North and 20th Street. On Thursday, Murray became a part owner of The Tutwiler, located at 2021 Park Place. "It's like a dream come true," said Murray, a 25-year hotel veteran who says he has eyed The Tutwiler since forming Trussville-based Integral Hospitality Solutions three years ago.

Murray and Dallas investor Harold Rosbottom closed a deal for the Tutwiler on Thursday and are set to begin a $6.2 million makeover of the hotel in May. Dallas-based Lone Star Funds was the seller. The Tutwiler will continue to be affiliated with the Wyndham hotel chain through the renovation, then become a part of the Hampton Inn & Suites brand once renovations are completed in September.

The Tutwiler name will remain, though the hotel will become a part of Hampton's national reservation system, enabling guests worldwide to book rooms. Murray on Thursday also set up a new Web site, www.thetutwilerhotel.com, that will give the hotel its first online presence and allow guests to get a glimpse of room plans and track construction progress from groundbreaking to September's grand opening. Murray said the upgrades - which will add 16 new suites, a fitness center, possible street-level retail shop and eighth-floor breakfast room with a view of downtown - will enhance the hotel's stature.

"Birmingham is my home, and I was really drawn to the idea of being a part of something that celebrates Birmingham's history and draws visitors into our city center," Murray said. "We believe upgrading this important piece of Birmingham history is worth a little patience and investment. It promises to be an exciting time for the city, its residents and visitors."

Mike Calvert, head of Operation New Birmingham, said the Tutwiler renovation will help his agency's efforts to attract businesses to downtown. He said Murray's planned upgrades were critical to help the Tutwiler compete.

"We are thrilled with the prospects of another high-quality hotel to serve the corporate community in the heart of downtown," he said. "This is the kind of facility that'll serve VIPs, company officers and top speakers coming to Birmingham."

The original Tutwiler was built in 1914 by Robert Jemison Jr. with financing by Major Tutwiler, owner of Tutwiler Coal and Coke Co. The historic hotel at 20th Street North and Fifth Avenue was torn down in 1974. The Tutwiler family reopened the hotel in 1986 at the site of the Ridgely Apartments, a complex also owned by the family.

Murray spent 20 years at Jackson Hospitality before forming his own hotel management company. His Integral Hospitality now manages 42 hotels across the country, including several Hampton Inns.

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 6 replies

Hello

thefunkandjunk — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 17:46:59 GMT

I'm just discovering the tribe network. Just got back from Guadalupe Canon in Mexico, and I couldn't pass a palm tree without hearing about tribe. Now that I've logged on and I'm seeing so many of my fellow Alabamians, I'm wondering how have we kept missing each other. I've lived here (between travels) a large portion of my life, and it's home. But we do need a network to keep us going without having to fly to the west coast. So, what's going on out there? Are there any tribal happenings to speak of in AL? I'll help start some!! Holla back!

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Birmingham Southern Honor Students Responsible for Church Burnings in Alabama

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 23:50:20 GMT

NBC News and news services
Updated: 4:32 p.m. ET March 8, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Three college students, including two aspiring actors known around campus as pranksters, were arrested Wednesday in a string of nine church fires across Alabama. Federal agents said the defendants claimed the first few fires were set as “a joke” and the others were started to throw investigators off the track.

Gov. Bob Riley said the church arsons did not appear to be “any type of conspiracy against organized religion” or the Baptist faith. With the arrests, he said, “the faith-based community can rest a little easier.”

Benjamin Nathan Moseley and Russell Lee Debusk Jr., both 19-year-old students at Birmingham-Southern College, appeared in federal court and were ordered held on church arson charges pending a hearing Friday. Matthew Lee Cloyd, 20-year-old junior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was also arrested.

Nine churches torched
The fires broke out at five Baptist churches in Bibb County south of Birmingham on Feb. 3 and four Baptist churches in west Alabama on Feb. 7. The federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agency had made the arsons its top priority, with scores of federal agents joining state and local officers. “While all three are entitled to have their day in court, we are very hopeful that this is the end to the fear that has been rampant in West Alabama,” said Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala.

An affidavit said Moseley told agents on Wednesday that he, Cloyd and Debusk went to Bibb County in Cloyd’s Toyota sport utility vehicle and set fire to five churches. A witness quoted Cloyd as saying Moseley did it “as a joke and it got out of hand,” according to the affidavit. Moseley also told agents the four church fires in west Alabama were set “as a diversion to throw investigators off,” an attempt that “obviously did not work,” the affidavit said.

The first two suspects were arrested Tuesday night, NBC’s Pete Williams reported. WVTM-TV, citing the state fire marshal’s office, said the two are students at Birmingham Southern College and were arrested at a college dorm. Authorities analyzed tire tracks and traced the purchase of the tires to Cloyd. Investigators found tracks at one fire from a BF Goodrich all-terrain tire, according to NBC’s Williams. Provided with a description of a Toyota Forerunner SUV from witnesses at a few of the fires, federal agents checked tire dealers for records of purchases for tires on that kind of vehicle, and came up with Cloyd’s mother.

The pastor at one of the destroyed churches said he was told of the arrests by investigators. “We are relieved. We were fearful while they were on the loose because we did not know their agenda,” said Jim Parker, pastor of the Ashby Baptist Church in Brierfield, which was burned to the ground.

Ten Baptist churches in rural parts of the state were burned by arsonists last month. Nine of the fires — five on Feb. 3 in Bibb County and four on Feb. 7 in west Alabama — have been linked. Another church fire on Feb. 11 in Lamar County has been ruled arson, but investigators have not determined if it is connected to the others.

No racial pattern
There was no racial pattern — five of the churches had white congregations and five black. All were Baptist, the dominant faith in the region, and mostly in isolated country settings. A federal source said the apparent motive was that the three students just liked to set and watch fires.

Five of the churches were destroyed and four were damaged, including one in which congregants, alerted during the night that churches were afire, arrived just as the apparent arsonists were leaving. That fire, quickly put out, had been set in the sanctuary near the altar — a pattern in the other church arsons in Bibb County and west Alabama.

NBC News, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.

posted in Alabama - 4 replies

Highland condo aims to both blend in, stand out

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 09:14:59 GMT

8-story project to adopt slate, stucco details
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer

Housing along Birmingham's long popular Highland Avenue is about to become a little more plentiful.

Developers are spending $24 million on the eight-story 2600 Highlands condo project at the corner of Highland and Niazuma Avenue. With nearly one-third of the building's 41 condos already under contract, the developers are finding living on Highland remains popular. "Many of those that are buying used to live on Highland when they were younger and now are moving back," said Tracey Ross, agent with Ingram & Associates' Condominium Shoppe who is selling the units. "But we're also getting interest from young couples. It's a good mix."

Ingram Tynes, one of the developers, said he believes the project's appeal is enhanced by efforts to keep the new building from sticking out like a sore thumb in the historic community. "We tried to design a development that will look like it's been there forever," Tynes said. "We want it to have all of the elements of modern living but blend into the neighborhood."

To accomplish that, architectural firm SGN+A incorporated design elements of the old Otto Marx mansion the tower replaces, along with the brick, slate, limestone and stucco looks common in homes throughout the neighborhood. Birmingham architects Krumdieck A+I Design also worked on the project.

The condos range in size from 1,100 square feet to 2,400 square feet and have one to three bedrooms. Prices start in the low $300,000s and rises to more than $800,000.

"A lot of care and thought went into the floor plans," said Phil Mulkey, another of the project's developers, along with Scott Hinkle. "These will be very modern condos inside." A three-story parking deck will be attached to the rear of the building with two parking spaces per condo as well as added storage space for residents. The area behind the building will also include a swimming pool and garden deck.

Each unit will include a balcony and lots of floor-to-ceiling glass. There will also be a fitness center and spa off the lobby. "The lobby is a very elegant part of the building and really is a grand entranceway," said Margi Ingram of Ingram & Associates "I think those who live in the building will feel good every time they come home and step into the balcony."

But developers think some of the biggest selling points are elements already found in the Highland neighborhood. "Sitting out on the balcony and listening to the symphony is nearly the only attraction you need," Mulkey said, referring to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra which traditionally holds summer performances in the adjacent Caldwell Park. The Virginia Samford Theater is also nearby, as are restaurants for which Highland has become known.

Golden & Associates Construction LLC is set to start work in April, with the project scheduled for completion by fall 2007. The 2600 Highland is one of the latest condo projects spreading into the Highland area. Also under development is the eight-story, 55-condo Capri just up Red Mountain. On the Web: www.2600highland.com mtomberlin@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 5 replies

Homemade fuel

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 04:25:49 GMT

Sunday, February 19, 2006
ROY L. WILLIAMS
News staff writer

MOUNDVILLE - In this rural Tuscaloosa County town 70 miles west of Birmingham, a plant that used to turn out chemicals is now producing thousands of gallons of fuel a month from an unusual source - soybean oil.

Ray Lowery, owner of Alabama Biodiesel Corp., thinks he might have hit a gusher, but not the kind that spews oil. This one, as he sees it, is spouting potential. For nearly seven months, Lowery's 10 employees at Alabama Biodiesel have been producing a clean-burning fuel that acts as a substitute for conventional diesel in cars, trucks and equipment such as tractors. Lowery is selling his soybean-derived fuel to country singer Willie Nelson, who sells his BioWillie brand across the country. Other Alabama Biodiesel customers include Hager Oil of Jasper, which recently began selling biodiesel for the Birmingham International Airport's vehicle fleet, and several distributors in Florida.

"Nationally the response has been positive," he said, adding that more than 90 percent of his customers are outside Alabama. Lowery and others think the timing is right for this company. With President Bush promoting development of more alternative fuel facilities, Alabama Biodiesel is poised for growth as folks seek to cut dependence on foreign oil, said Jim Price, executive director of Central Alabama Clean Cities in Birmingham. "Biodiesel, along with ethanol-based fuels, have a lot of potential," said Price, whose agency is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy to promote alternative fuel sources.

Last Wednesday, Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks urged companies to use biodiesel to power vehicles and machinery that use diesel fuel. "It is extremely important to develop alternative fuels that will make us less dependent on foreign oil, but getting machinery that can produce biodiesel in mass quantities can be expensive," said Sparks, whose office provided a grant to help the Moundville plant start production.

Second thought:

Lowery isn't the kind of person you'd expect to be processing fuel from soybeans. Now in his 60s, Lowery spent 28 years running Warrior Sand and Gravel, which had plants in Tuscaloosa and Macon counties - hardly a job that prepared him for the cutting edge of the energy business. He got into biodiesel by accident after retiring a few years ago and buying a defunct resin plant that was housed on a brownfield site where Alabama Biodiesel now stands.

At first, Lowery had no plans to produce biodiesel at the former Eastman Chemical Co. plant. Located on 54 acres on the banks of the Warrior River, the plant dates back to the mid 1970s, but had sat empty since shutting down in the late 1990s. He originally used the plant to house materials used in a real estate development company he formed after selling his business that builds subdivisions in Tuscaloosa County. Lowery decided to take a new direction after a retired chemical engineer and friend, Jim Davenport, suggested he convert it to produce biodiesel. He researched the industry for two years and visited other biodiesel plants across the country, then took the plunge.

Last June, Lowery began converting the Moundville plant into a facility capable of converting soybean oil into biodiesel. Lowery, who has modified existing storage tanks and brought in high-tech equipment, wouldn't say how much he has invested in the plant. Alabama Biodiesel Corp. opened at the right moment. A few weeks after the plant was up and running, Hurricane Katrina disrupted oil production and distribution along the Gulf Coast. When concerns surfaced about whether Alabama farmers could get enough diesel fuel to harvest their products, Price at Central Alabama Clean Cities called Richard Campo, who runs the Alabama Biodiesel refinery, and asked if production could be boosted. The company also picked up business from oil distributors across the South that couldn't get diesel fuel because their normal suppliers were out of service, Campo said.

Today, Alabama Biodiesel's refinery is producing several thousand gallons of biodiesel a day. Campo wouldn't release exact figures, but said at full capacity the plant could produce up to 30,000 gallons of biodiesel per day, or 10 million gallons a year. Across the country, the number of plants producing biodiesel from soybeans, palm, cottonseed and other agricultural products has soared in recent years. The National Biodiesel Board, a trade group based in Missouri, estimates the industry sold more than 30 million gallons of biodiesel fuel last year. In 1999, only 500,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel was sold.

Rich Degarmo, whose Safe Fuels biodiesel plant near Houston is doubling the size of its four-year-old facility to meet demand, said industry expansion is expected to boost biodiesel production to 100 million gallons by the end of 2006. "Demand from power generation plants and for alternative fuel make opportunities endless in this industry," said Karl Rabago, director of the energy and buildings solutions group at the Houston Advanced Research Center, who addressed a biofuels conference at Samford University last week.

Tax credits:

Despite growth, biodiesel production doesn't come close to the amount of oil produced in the U.S. According to the Department of Energy, U.S. oil refineries produced more than 142 million barrels, or 5.6 billion gallons, of oil in November alone. But tax breaks could help propel biodiesel. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates federal tax incentives could boost biodiesel demand to at least 124 million gallons a year or higher, depending on crude oil prices. The federal government already gives tax credits that help lower the costs of producing biodiesel, Price said.

A gallon of petroleum diesel had a price before dealer mark-up of $1.84 last week, while a rack price for biodiesel was 6 cents cheaper at $1.78 a gallon thanks to federal tax incentive, Campo said. The pump price for a gallon of petroleum diesel averaged $2.49 last week, according to AAA-Alabama. Campo said Alabama Biodiesel is poised to reap big business later this summer, when the Environmental Protection Agency enacts tougher standards on diesel fuel designed to lower emissions in the air.

"Alabama drivers use over 2 million gallons a day of diesel fuel," he said. "So every gallon of biodiesel we produce lessens the need for imported petroleum diesel and helps the environment. Biodiesel is a much cleaner fuel."

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Homosexual book ban?

Julian — Wed, 12 Jan 2005 07:10:29 GMT

So what do you guys think of the proposed ban on books written by gay authors or containing homosexual content? Personally I think this is pretty absurd.

posted in Alabama - 12 replies

pottery classes

Tisha — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:14:34 GMT

Hi Dixie Chicks and Dudes
I'm looking for a pottery class for kids and kids at heart.
In Northern AL.
Thank you all

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Matilda - world's oldest chicken - dies at age 16

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:58:36 GMT

Tuesday, February 14, 2006
BILL PLOTT
News staff writer

Matilda, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living chicken, died over the weekend at her home in Bessemer.

Matilda, 16, was featured in a magic act called Mort the Mystifying and Donna. She belonged to Keith and Donna Barton of Bessemer and had appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. "She died Saturday evening," said Donna Barton. "Sixteen is very old for a chicken. We feel very, very blessed that she was with us that long. She had been having some health problems but her quality of life was good and that meant a lot to us. We always dreaded that we might have to put her down but she passed on her own."

Matilda retired in October but her long-time co-star, Lucky the rabbit, continued to appear in the magic act. "She had begun having some seizure-like episodes. The first time we thought it was a panic attack. She was OK one minute, then chirped and tried to take off running in her cage. We grabbed her and calmed her down," Donna Barton said.

"We had considered several years ago getting an understudy for her, but we were worried about another bird introducing an illness to her. She was very delicate and we didn't want to risk that," said Donna Barton. She said they are not going to look for a replacement chicken any time soon. "We have been watching the bird flu issue," she said. "If it makes it here to the states, having another bird might be more of a liability than an asset because people would be worried (about the flu)."

Matilda was recognized by Guinness in April 2004. She appeared on "The Tonight Show" the following September. Last fall she received the Olivia Bearden Award from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society "for service to man and animal." Barton credited veterinarians Randy Britt and Alvin Atlas with Matilda's longevity. She said Britt was her primary caregiver for many years and Atlas, an avian specialist, had looked after her the past few months.

"It's like losing a member of the family. Our hearts are broken," she said.

E-mail: bplott@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

The Birmingham Police Department is running low on horsepower.

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:52:11 GMT

Police have need for steeds
16-animal patrol dwindles to 13 as officers look for gift horses

Thursday, February 16, 2006
CAROL ROBINSON
News staff writer

The Birmingham Police Department is running low on horsepower. The 16-horse Mounted Patrol - which acquires its animals solely through public donations - is down to 13, and some veteran mounts are nearing time to be put out to pasture.

Chosen, a 23-year-old quarter horse, has been an excellent patrol horse but his legs are getting tired, and sometimes he starts to limp. Long John, who joined the force in the 1980s, will be 30 next month and already is off patrol duty. Tonka and Mel may have just a few good years left to work. "They've done a good job for the department but it's time for them to rest," police Sgt. Glen White said. "I've run out of options trying find people to donate horses."

The unit was formed in the 1970s when the Five Points West Merchant's Association bought the department one of its first horses - Booger Red Myers, affectionately named after then-police chief Bill Myers. Ever since, horses have walked the city streets. All but a few have been given to the force. Not every horse is fit for police work. White said they are looking for horses taller than 15 hands. A hand is roughly 4 inches. The department prefers geldings - castrated males with calmer, more predictable temperament. Quarter horses are ideal; thoroughbreds are usually too high strung.

The ideal age for a horse to start law enforcement service is about 10. "Old enough to be rid of the spunk ... but young enough that we could have them for many years," White said.

Horses' job description:

The duties are many. The horses carry about 10 officers on street patrols - mainly downtown and the UAB and Southside areas - as well as at major Birmingham shopping centers: Summit, Brook Highlands, Century Plaza, Five Points West and the Huffman Wal-Mart. Anywhere, White said, where there is high pedestrian traffic. "People see us out there, and they feel safer," White said.

They also do numerous school programs, ride in parades and funerals, and compete nationally. Over the years, the department's unit has brought back many awards from the Mounted Police Colloquium Training and Competition in Lexington, Ky. But looks aren't everything. The officers and horses are ready for action. Officers on horseback have chased down thieves and made traffic stops.

Officer Lee Taylor once chased a former Wal-Mart employee who had been fired for stealing and showed up at the store. When workers told police that warrants had been issued for his arrest, Taylor followed the worker on horseback through Roebuck. The chase continued across several busy roads until Taylor and his horse caught up. "I got close to him and just nudged him," Taylor said. "He was shocked. They get wide-eyed when you get close to them. They see a 1,200-pound animal and they don't want to mess with that."

Only one horse, Apache, has been killed in the line of duty. The appaloosa died Sept. 15, 1998, when something spooked him and he backed into a truck on Second Avenue North. Officers cried openly in the street that day, and later held a memorial service. It was attended by dozens of officers who remembered Apache's strength, speed and bravery.

Screening process:

The department accepts donated horses on a 30-day trial. The horse first undergoes a thorough veterinary screening, and then is put through a series of exercises to see if it is fit for duty. "They have to be friendly horses, non-biters and child friendly," White said. "They can't be easily spooked."

The animals are housed and trained at the department's barn on the Alabama State Fairgrounds. There, they learn on a two-acre obstacle course that subjects them to smoke, sirens, gunshots, horns and more. The officers can quickly tell whether the horse would be able to adjust and work well under stressful conditions. "It works out probably less than half the time," White said.

E-mail: crobinson@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Crestwood/Oporto Redevelopment Plan

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:42:29 GMT

A dream for Crestwood
Less retail, more housing suggested for struggling area
Sunday, February 05, 2006
HANNAH WOLFSON
News staff writer

The area around Eastwood Mall should have less retail, a new hotel and a surge of condominium development in the next five to 20 years, according to a new master plan commissioned by the City of Birmingham.

The Crestwood/Oporto Redevelopment Plan created by KPS Group Inc. calls for new roads, landscaping and even a bridge over Oporto-Madrid Boulevard to create a pedestrian-friendly district with shops, civic buildings and housing. "It's a dream plan for an area that has been in decline for years", said Carol Clarke, director of economic development for the City of Birmingham.

The city is in negotiations with Wal-Mart for a store and a 160,000-square-foot shopping center on the site of the former Eastwood Mall, with as much as $11 million in incentives on the table. But although the city may decide in the future to fund some of the additional public improvements called for in the plan, most of the development ideas are just that - ideas.

The city will hold a public meeting Thursday to reveal the details of the study, which looked at the area's 476 acres, including more than 2 million square feet of retail space. It included a market study, traffic analysis, interviews with landowners and reviews by a steering committee that included city staff and neighborhood officers.

"Essentially it confirmed what we already knew - that this area can't sustain this much retail for the long-term," Clarke said. "It told us that if we did nothing, this area will continue to decline." It also found that 66 percent of area homes are occupied by just one or two people, and 40 percent of respondents said they would be interested in attached housing. That led KPS to decide there's a market for condominiums and townhouses for young couples and empty nesters who could be attracted by the neighborhoods nearby, proximity to Interstate 20 and hilltop views. They also suggested new apartments to replace aging rentals in the area.

In turn, Clarke said, new residents would support a retail market that has become increasingly local in the years since Eastwood Mall - once a magnet for shoppers around the region - has fallen in popularity.

Streets

At the center of the plan are new or redesigned streets around the current intersection of Crestwood and Oporto-Madrid Boulevards. A new "Mainstreet" forms a horseshoe shape from Crestwood Boulevard at Century Plaza, across Oporto on an overpass, linking to what is now a closed Toys R Us. A sloping green lawn would become a "Town Square" and a greenway or bike path would run along the entire street.

The new lawn, landscaping and streets would help draw traffic off Interstate 20 to the shopping area and provide a center for the new homes, Clarke said. "The neighborhood is underserved with parks, outdoor spaces and community facilities, suggesting a demand for community life," KPS vice president Amy Smith said in notes on the project.

The plan outlines six key development opportunities. Several imagine the relocation of businesses that have given no indication they plan to move, including K-Mart, Big Lots and Regal Cinemas' Festival Stadium 18 movie theater.

Five- and 20-year imaginings of Century Plaza call for the mall to morph into a Summit-style lifestyle center, with stores, restaurants and entertainment such as a movie theater or bowling alley. A new tower would be a beacon to draw shoppers from I-20. In the long-term version, a cluster of multi-family dwellings sit high on the hill overlooking the development.
Of course, there's still an operating mall at Century Plaza. Sean McIntosh, general manager at Century Plaza, said owner General Growth Properties of Chicago is still exploring redevelopment options. "General Growth definitely has some concerns and issues with the plan and we plan to bring them up at the meeting next week," said Sean McIntosh, general manager at Century Plaza. "Overall, we're delighted the city has taken such an interest in developing the area."

The eastern corner of Oporto-Madrid and Crestwood Boulevard, the site of a defunct Toys R Us, could include a hotel, restaurants, shops and entertainment along a boardwalk above the new grassy plaza. KPS found hotels in the area are at high occupancy and determined more could thrive. The "Town Square" theme would be continued with space for a police substation, fire station and library. Clarke said the library, long a draw at Eastwood Mall and recently relocated to a rental storefront nearby, would be a natural for the spot. A police substation has been requested repeatedly by merchants in the area but is far from guaranteed, she said, and she said a fire station would depend on the condition of the nearest active station.

The current K-Mart site at the corner of Crestwood Boulevard and Montclair would remain a large store under the plan - possibly a home improvement or furniture store - with restaurants and other outparcels facing Crestwood Boulevard. K-Mart has given no indication of plans to move, however.

At Eastwood Mall, a new big-box store - the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter isn't mentioned by name - would switch the orientation to Montclair Road on the south side, with stores, restaurants and banks lining the perimeter. A new public street with a median would create a clearer cut-through from Montclair to Crestwood Boulevard. Visitors facing the new store would have their focus drawn upward to Century Plaza and other stores on the hill, Clarke said.

Village East would become mostly multi-family housing, with room for mixed-use buildings and even possibly some live/work opportunities. Outparcels such as restaurants, a video store or dry cleaner would line Crestwood Boulevard. A fitness center and medical or other office are also listed as possibilities.

Festival Center would also become mostly housing, with rows of townhouses or condos and a small cluster of garden homes surrounding a clubhouse with pool or playground. Medium-sized buildings - including a furniture or office supply store and a structure designated as ground floor retail or office with residential above - would face Crestwood Boulevard.

E-mail: hwolfson@bhamnews.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Disaster relief for Eastwood Mall

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:33:39 GMT

Money for Wal-Mart is disaster aid
Sunday, February 12, 2006

Think about $11 million for a minute. It's enough to buy a laptop computer for every one of Birmingham's 30,000 students. It could buy enough gas to circle the globe 2,250 times in a Hummer. Assuming that was possible.

You get the picture. It's a lot of money. But this $11 million isn't to be spent on computers, or schools, or global journeys. The city of Birmingham might spend it to lure Wal-Mart to the brownfield that used to be Eastwood Mall.

That's an $11 million incentive for the world's biggest retailer. A company with annual sales of more than $256 billion. No wonder that smiley face bounces around that way. It goes where it's paid the most to go, and then it pulls in more money.

Griffin Lassiter, economic development liaison for Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid, wouldn't say what that $11 million would pay for. He's taking it to the Finance Committee in a couple of weeks, and he's "not going to go into it" until then. It might be tax breaks or street improvements or drainage or Sam-Walton-knows-what. All we know is it's got to be something for which the council must approve an expenditure. But is the $11 million figure reasonable? Is it in line with what other cities have given to lure Wal-Mart?

"It's what's reasonable for Birmingham," Lassiter said. It seemed high to me. But then, anybody who wants to anchor a mixed-use development with a Wal-Mart seems high to me. I don't mean Lassiter. He's just recruiting.

In Illinois this year, the Belleville City Council packaged $19.8 million in incentives to lure a Wal-Mart and a Lowe's. Denver offered Wal-Mart a $10 million incentive, and Wood River, Mo., offered a $6 million tax incentive package. Phenix City paid for tons of street, utility and sanitation improvements to ease the pain as Wal-Mart moved to town, and Millbrook gave $5 million in tax rebates.

So maybe Lassiter was right. Maybe $11 million is reasonable for Birmingham. After all, Eastwood Mall is like a ground zero for the nothing that is creeping across that once-bustling retail area.

Just drive through it. Eastwood Mall is virtually vacant, but for the Books-A-Million. There's the abandoned bowling alley and the empty Crockmier's. Toys-R-Us across the street has long been closed, and the Shoney's, and the Tweeter's up the street. The pawn shops and check-cashing stores do OK, but that's just another sign retail has moved to hospice. Century Plaza continues to struggle across the street.

The city unveiled an ambitious new concept for the Eastwood Mall area Thursday night, and maybe it can work. The idea of Wal-Mart as a pedestrian destination seems far-fetched, but Birmingham is desperate to stop the Crestwood hemorrhage.

I can handle that. At least the city is doing something. I just hate thinking of 11 million tax dollars going to Wal-Mart. So instead, I'll just think of it as disaster relief.

John Archibald's column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Write him at jarchibald@bhamnews.com.

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

$3000 chairs? Sheriff's spending out of contol.

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:26:45 GMT

Sheriff wants 7 chairs for $22,138
Friday, February 17, 2006
BARNETT WRIGHT
News staff writer

The Jefferson County sheriff's department wants to spend $22,138 on seven chairs. The County Commission president says that's ridiculous.

Larry Langford said the request illustrates wasteful spending and he won't allow it on the commission's agenda. "These are the kinds of things that make taxpayers question the way government is being run." Jennifer Kilburn of the sheriff's office made the request during Thursday's commission meeting. The chairs are intended for use by the sheriff's dispatchers.

Commissioners questioned the request after Billy Morace, who is in charge of building services, said he ordered 13 chairs last week for sheriff's department radio dispatchers at a total cost of $8,400. Langford said Morace bought the chairs from a different vendor than the one the sheriff's office plans to use.

Deputy Chief Sheriff Jim Roberson explained in an interview after the meeting that his department wants these chairs because they will be sturdier, will last longer and will take more abuse. "These chairs we're talking about are used by people 24-7, 365 days a year." he said. "They're never unoccupied. These people don't go anywhere. They sit in them for eight, and sometimes 16 hours at a time."

The sheriff submits budget requests to the commission for information purposes only. State law allows the sheriff to manage his budget, which was $63.5 million for fiscal 2006, according to county officials. That means the sheriff can make the purchase without the commission's approval. And that's why Langford said the chair request will not be on the commission's next agenda. He said putting the sheriff's spending on the agenda "gives gives the impression that we are supporting it. If this is a constitutional state office, why isn't the state funding it?"

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Roy Moore being crammed down our throats by outsiders

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:18:50 GMT

Moore's strength lies out of state
Friday, February 17, 2006
BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE and MIKE CASON
News staff writers

Roy Moore received more than 60 percent of his campaign contributions from out of state and named only 25 individual donors from Alabama, according to his annual campaign finance report.

An analysis of campaign contributions to the four major gubernatorial candidates also shows that Gov. Bob Riley received most of his donations from political action committees. Eighty-one PACS gave Riley $2.2 million, or 58 percent of his total $3.8 million in contributions, the analysis by The Birmingham News shows.

While former Gov. Don Siegelman raised the least among the candidates, his campaign received contributions from more Alabama communities than the other candidates - 173 towns and cities, the analysis shows.

Candidates filed their campaign disclosure forms last month, listing thousands of contributors in reports that covered fund raising in 2005. Riley, Siegelman and Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley received at least 93 percent of their money from sources within the state and listed hundreds of Alabama donors.

Not all sources listed:

Moore's report, filed Jan. 31, doesn't fully show where his support came from because he did not list the sources of more than $60,000, nearly 20 percent of his campaign money. Baxley's also did not list contributors of less than $100, amounting to $9,975, less than 1 percent of her contributions.

Alabama's campaign finance law does not require candidates to report the name and city of residence of donors who give less than $100.

Moore, the ousted Alabama chief justice, will face Riley in the June 6 Republican primary. Baxley and Siegelman are expected to meet in the Democratic primary.

Riley, Baxley and Siegelman listed sources for at least 99 percent of their campaign dollars. Riley identified 1,030 individual donors from Alabama, Baxley listed 422 and Siegelman 419.

Moore noted on his campaign report that he received money from 2,214 individual contributors, a statement that was not required and is not documented more fully in the report.

Eighty-five of the 2,214 contributors are named, and only 25 of them live in Alabama.

He listed one donation of $500 from a business and none from political action committees. Moore's campaign declined a request to provide a list of the unnamed donors.

Brad Moody, associate professor of political science at Auburn University Montgomery, said Moore's relatively low level of money from inside the state could mean his campaign is in trouble. But he noted that Moore trounced Harold See in the 2000 Republican primary for chief justice even though See raised far more money.

"Moore doesn't have to raise as much money as other candidates do," Moody said.

Moody said contributors from outside the state don't necessarily have the same motives as those inside the state.

"Somebody from outside Alabama can give money on the basis that they support the Ten Commandments," Moody said. "Somebody inside Alabama has to think of broader consequences. Do I think this person is likely to be an effective governor?"

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Need Part Time merchandisers

Marci — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 16:27:35 GMT

This is a paid part time position calling on Publix stores once a month for our company. Cities needing coverage are Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Montgomery. Basic knowlegde includes cleaning and straightening upscale hair care products.
Please reply with e-mails of interest and include contact information for yourself.

marci_belco@yahoo.com

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

TRIBAL RITES August 12th!!!

thehickmick — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 16:19:12 GMT

Gypsy Red Tribe presents TRIBAL RITES
EVERY SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH!
Safari Cup Cafe, Downtown Birmingham
Corner of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd and 3rd Ave N
August 12th 7 to 10 PM Admission $5

EVERY SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH!!! The "Most Emailed Event" in town on Evite.com for the month of August, Alabama's premier tribal style bellydance performance ensemble Gypsy Red Tribe presents TRIBAL RITES, a performance event featuring tribal style bellydance by local bellydance performance ensembles Gypsy Red Tribe and members of Devyani Dance Company, Middle Eastern hand-drumming demonstrations by Karachi Rocket, and DJing and spinning local DJ Rashido. Starting May 13th, TRIBAL RITES is scheduled to take place every second Friday of the month at Safari Cup Cafe located in Downtown Birmingham at the corner of Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard and 3rd Avenue North from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Admission is $5 and all ages are welcome. The event will feature tribal bellydance demonstrations by Gypsy Red Tribe and members of Devyani Dance Company, Middle Eastern hand-drumming demonstrations with open-floor dancing, DJing and spinning of traditional and modern world-music with open-floor dancing.

Tribal style bellydance is a form of bellydance that draws from the traditional dance styles of the cultures of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, including Egypt, Persia, Morocco, India, and Afghanistan, as well as modern dance techniques. The costuming is typically a mixture of traditional Eastern attire, sometimes with infulences from modern Western culture. The style of dance itself includes both choreographed and improvisational movements. All are welcome and are invited to attend and participate, and all are encouraged to come learn about tribal style bellydance, local tribal style bellydance culture, and Middle Eastern music and percussion.

Gypsy Red Tribe has been featured on Fox 6 News' "Good Morning Alabama" morning show and has performed as a featured act at City Stages, Art Walk, Art in Avondale Park, Imagination Festival, and the Improv Festival. Ryan Morrison has also been featured on Memphis, Tennessee's News Channel 3 morning show "Live at 9." Sherry Morrison and Ryan Morrison also offer instruction for tribal fusion style bellydance and Middle Eastern hand-drumming.

For more information about the Safari Cup visit safaricup.com or call Dave McLaughlin at (205) 326-0019. Please see our TRIBAL RITES event listing on Evite.com.

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!!!!!!!

posted in Alabama - 10 replies

OK who else is in Southeast ALA? thas the "wiregrass" I know there's some fun ladies..OOPs?

DJ — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:04:26 GMT

I know there's some fun folks in southeast alabama... am looking for folks to get to know... and maybe some NOT to get to know, some to have fun with, I have to say, I love women with good taste. er... that came out wrong? I mean I like women that Can like me? yeah that sorta fits better... LOL

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

HELLO NEW TO TRIBE

dawn — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 16:22:08 GMT

well first we live in p-cola now, oh ya like thats real far from the boarder....lol.. we are looking for some gulf coast folks to meet.....

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

How to convince wife

jholder — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 09:26:17 GMT

I am orginally from Alabama, small town called Haleyville just north of Birmingham. I have lived here in San Diego, CA for the last 8 years, met and married my wife here 2 years ago. I am tired of all the hussle, rude people and high prices and want to move back to Alabama but its been hard trying to convince my wife that she would love it in Alabama. She is city girl, and a filipino. I think she believes that all of Alabama is just country and woods, and that as a filipino she would not have any other filipinos in Alabama, or that she might be discriminated against. (you know how the media still tries to push into everyones brains that all southern people are racist). Any ideas what I can do to help convince her? She has never been anywhere in the U.S. outside of california. I am thinking of planning a trip back there in a couple of weeks, maybe if she actually sees it for herself it will help.

posted in Alabama - 6 replies

I'm coming home Alabama!

Danitza — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 14:18:21 GMT

Been In Alaska since April mainly for work and now that I'm done I'm getting ready to come back home. let me tell you this, Sweet Home Alabama Baby, Yeah!

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

Sweet Home Alabama

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 03:22:37 GMT

I heard that song on the radio the other day. *sigh
Makes me long for my home state.

The Alabama river runs through the middle of the town I was born and raised in. We use to have so much fun on that river!

I'll be going to Alabama in July for a family reunion. Looking forward to that!

I feel lonely in this tribe! Where are all my fellow Alabamians?

posted in Alabama - 36 replies

Katrina

transformduality — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 19:09:32 GMT

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEW ORLEANS

I just quickly perused another email from another famous person who is such a know-it-all about whats wrong with our government, that hes missing the mark on how to create immediate assistance to those in need. He offers nothing more than a criticism of what is when he could be offering an invitation for us all to intercede with what we want to vision as solutions to the problems as they are unfolding. All problems are simply indicators of what needs to be visioned instead!

Whats so great about our country is free speech. We get to speak and show our intelligence and/or our ignorance (prejudice, biases, judgment and arrogance) as often as we want!

Its is truly our inherent individual responsibility to be discerning and to communicate about that which is not yet working.

My point is: there are truly amazing, powerful and energizing ways to do this, lets make it a point to try higher forms of communication about the events in our lives.

Let me keep it simple.

If you really want to help, stop giving your attention to all that is not going well.

Instead, VISION our governments abundance arriving miraculously to assist and feed and nourish and heal the people of New Orleans as well as throughout the World.

ZERO JUDGMENT. Whats not been handled well - or at all - up to this point no longer matters, because the past cannot be changed. What matters is seeing solutions generating, and being beautifully created out of the greatest good in people now, now and now.

VISION for FEMA:

Divine Orchestration, Divine Order, Divine Assistance and Immediacy. SEE solutions unfolding perfectly now, quickly, easily, powerfully and in a state of the greatest grace imaginable.

Resist the urge to judge, resist or push against anything about this situation, for it offers these people no relief, no help it only keeps sending an energy vibration that is chaotic and disruptive.

Resist the urge to judge and criticize and be a know-it-all about anything other than PEACE, and LOVE and LIGHT.

If you really want to see a Miracle in New Orleans SEE IT.

Hold your vision upon all the abundance, help, resources arriving and arriving NOW.

See that the people being transported to safe places are reunited easily with their families. For every problem the media presents to us, SEE the solution being given these people.

Refuse the temptation to listen to those who are proponents of the cup half full.

Lets DO THIS THING and while we are at it lets practice continually sending out the best and highest energy, vision, expectation for all the governments of the World.

There is so much money and resources and abundance not even being tapped into because we are too busy focusing on the problem, the problem, the problem.

VISION beautiful, heart-healing solutions arriving NOW.

As you watch the looting and vandalism on TV for all those people starving and dying of dehydration, pray for the highest spirit to take over in their lives. See that nothing is too big for Spirit for that which created the entire Universe, to intervene and bring ease to this situation.

See the greatest in ALL human potential emerging. See these people rising up in their greatness and championing each other and themselves. These are the events that bring that energy through.

SEE THAT!

Why give your energy to any thing else ever again?

In the days, weeks and months ahead, observe yourself as you talk about whats happening in this situation, or other situations regarding government throughout the World. Because whatever comes out of your mouth is what you believe and is the energy you are sending out, which of course, only comes right back at you. Is your energy helping create solutions, or is your energy helping to create more chaos and destruction?

Think wisely. Vision abundantly, and together we can begin to see amazing changes overnight with what the media begins to report.

Call it the Divine Experiment

Lets all see IMMEDIATE assistance and order and healing in New Orleans NOW and then apply the same miracle-mindedness throughout every single situation throughout the World.

Bless and praise. See great things unfolding.

We have never before had so much connection with each other, because of the wide reach of the Internet. Lets use it as powerfully as possible by what we all now decide to hold in mind.

in Light & Love,
Mary
Author of www.YouAreLoveMovie.com
www.MaryRobinsonReynolds.com

posted in Alabama - 7 replies

Call out for B-Ham!

Spit — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 09:41:48 GMT

Spit here bringin Moldy Peaches MP3s into B-Ham first half of Feb...

Anyone else out there?

posted in Alabama - 7 replies

best way to fix greens

Ann — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 04:06:31 GMT

Since moving to Bham I've been seeing lots of big bunches of greens for sale in markets around here. So far as I can tell, they are locally produced...but I could be wrong on that.

These bunches of greens are .. BIG! So big you can't fit them in the little plastic bags you find on rolls in the produce sections. The first time I saw those big bunches tied together with rubber bands, I thought the stocker had forgotten to divy them up.

Anyhow, I've been playing around with different ways to fix them. Boiling for a few minutes and then mixing in a little blackstrap molasses is yummy. Black bean paste (from a Chinese market) is also good.

Anybody else have any good recipes to share? Meat or no meat - either way is fine.

posted in Alabama - 9 replies

reasoning in an idea of change

transformduality — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 03:39:11 GMT

Looking to further expand Alabama's mind and heart by presenting a music of beautiful tastes of diversity from around the world; Mid Eastern, Indian, Di Islands, Afrikan, Asian, hispanic, keltic, what ever your flavor lets come together and see what we can create.

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." Nelson Mandela

If music is a universal language. We should then be able to speak to hummanity through music and help it expand and grow its consciousness of love. With intent anything is possible!

If your interested in reasoning or feel a desire to be a part of this movement of changing energy hit me up.

ONE LOVE I-TERNAL
Blake

"The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men." John F. Kennedy

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

about my continuing absents and the such

stan — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 20:06:53 GMT

ha, what can i say? i get busy with other parts of my life and i just don't have time to stop by. once again i will try to at least visit a couple times a week even if i don't run my mouth off. great to see so many new people.

later.

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Hey all! I'm new here. . .

Ailleagan — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:29:09 GMT

Just wanted to say how happy I am that I'm not the only person on tribe in Alabama!

posted in Alabama - 5 replies

Riley loses his mind but remembers our Constitution!!!

thehickmick — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 19:14:50 GMT

Hello friends and fellow Alabamians! As many of you may know by now, the recent actions of the Supreme Court of this country have threatened the very basis of our Constitution: our rights to private property. (For those of you unaware of what the Constitution is, you are probably a politician, and this wouldn't make any sense to you. But, if you have at least forgotten what it is as a result of being educated in public school, as I was, please visit here for a refresher: http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html.) Now hear this! Shockingly, in a bizarre and inexplicable turn of events, our own Governor Bob Riley has apparently suffered a blow to the head resulting in severe brain trauma, causing him exhibit strange and unusual behaviour, such as to stand up for Alabamians' right to private property!!! Please read below if you really give a flying f**k on a rolling donut. Otherwise, do like the rest of us, ignore it, and pretend it will never effect you.

Protecting private property
Riley seeks no-seizure law

By M.J. Ellington
DAILY Staff Writer
mjellington@decaturdaily.com · (334) 262-1104

MONTGOMERY — Gov. Bob Riley said he wants the Legislature to pass a law keeping government from seizing your house for a shopping mall or your cotton land for an automotive plant.

He's trying to get the legislation ready for a special session expected in July.

At least two state legislators say they also want to introduce bills to protect private property rights when Riley calls the Legislature back for a special session expected in July.

Riley's concerns came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Connecticut town can take private property for commercial development. The ruling has politicians across the state looking at how the decision affects Alabama.

In a 5 to 4 decision released last week, the high court ruled in favor of the town that wants to use the property of Suzanne Kelo and others in her New London, Conn., neighborhood for a commercial economic development project. The court decision said that in the economically depressed town, the proposed economic development project was an appropriate public use under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The Fifth Amendment allows governments to use eminent domain takeover only when the result is in the public good.

Traditionally, this has applied to public projects.

Gov. Bob Riley's spokesman, Jeff Emerson, said Riley has asked Attorney General Troy King to research state laws on the issues and make recommendations on any changes the state needs to make to protect private property owners.

"He wants to do something in the special session if possible," Emerson said. "He wants to know what is the best avenue to protect private property." Emerson said it is too early to know specifics of the governor's proposals.

Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, said he believes lawmakers will address the issue, but he does not know if legislation will be ready for the special session. He said he believes if Riley can get consensus in a special session, Riley will put the private property issue in the call, making it easier to pass.

Wants consensus first

Hammon said he doesn't think Riley will force the issue unless there is consensus because he doesn't want to threaten the General Fund budget and a supplement for prisons.

Rep. Bill Dukes, D-Decatur, said he will support legislation to strengthen protections for private property owners.

"I can't accept it as the American way," Dukes said of the high court ruling.

Dukes agrees with Hammon's assessment on whether the legislation will be ready for the special session.

Several lawmakers, including Sen. Jack Biddle, R-Gardendale, and Sen. Pat Lindsey, D-Butler, want to introduce bills in the upcoming special session.

Biddle said he plans to reintroduce a bill that he introduced in the 2005 regular session that prohibits government takeover of private property for commercial development. Biddle said he also wants a second bill to require that land sold through eminent domain sell for more than the current market value. Some European countries require that governments pay 15 or 20 percent above fair market price in such proceedings, Biddle said.

Lindsey said he agreed to sponsor a bill to make it more difficult for governments to take a person's property for non-governmental use. As a person who once had his own property seized by eminent domain, Lindsey said he favors strong legislation on the matter. Lindsey said he hopes to have his bill ready for the special session.

Rep. Jack Venable, D-Tallassee, introduced similar legislation in the last session that some lawmakers believe may surface again in the special session.

Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley said the eminent domain issue is an emotional one. Baxley said when she was a Birmingham Realtor, she served on a commission that reviewed how much people would be paid in cases of eminent domain.

The cases Baxley reviewed all involved issues where governments sought private property for public use such as water or sewer lines, but Baxley said the cases were never easy and she does not think they should be.

"If Alabama law can be amended to protect private property owners from takeovers for private development, I'm for that," Baxley said.

================================================

UPDATE: Eminent domain bill a part of Riley's special session agenda
Special session starts Tuesday
From staff reports.
July 15, 2005

Alabama legislators will have 12 days to pass a General Fund budget starting Tuesday, but they will have a little bit more on their plate after Gov. Bob Riley announced his agenda for next week's special session Friday.

According to a statement, Riley has answered calls from some lawmakers by seeking a law barring city and county governments from using eminent domain to seize private property for private development like residential, office or retail space.

The bill is in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded local governments' powers to seize land for public use by broadening the definition of "public use" to include private development projects that could aid economic development. The ruling left regulation of the extent local governments can use eminent domain in state lawmakers' hands.

Riley also wants legislators to approve tougher penalties against sex offenders, including longer minimum prison sentences for those convicted of committing a sex crime against a child.

Among other measures, the governor wants legislators to amend the state's unemployment compensation law to avoid employers losing federal tax credits totaling $630 million, take Social Security numbers off of commercial driver's licenses and accident reports and pass a three-year extension sales, use and lodging tax exemptions for movie companies filming in Alabama.

Riley reiterated in the statement that he wants legislators to take care of all session's business in five days.

"There's no reason why this special session should take any longer than the minimum number of days if legislators will put aside personal and partisan differences and agree to work together on these priorities," he said in the statement. "I believe they're ready to get these items passed."

Alabama's constitution requires the passage of a state budget before Oct. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year.

Read Thursday's edition of The Crimson White for full coverage and check www.cw.ua.edu for more updates and breaking news.

http://www.cw.ua.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/07/15/42d843272cb79

posted in Alabama - 1 reply

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

setslab — Fri, 18 Mar 2005 17:05:12 GMT

So this lovely lady from the North wrote:

How many in this class are from the the REAL AMERICA? The Good ol' boys original Southe'n States? All of ya? Ya don't say.......hmm

Here:

Fuck the South. Fuck 'em. We should have let them go when they
wanted to leave. But no, we had to kill half a million people so
they'd stay part of our special Union. Fighting for the right to
keep slaves - yeah, those are states we want to keep.

And now what do we get? We're the fucking Arrogant Northeast Liberal Elite? How about this for arrogant: the South is the Real America? The Authentic America. Really?
>
Cause we fucking founded this country, assholes. Those Founding
Fathers you keep going on and on about? All that bullshit about what you think they meant by the Second Amendment giving you the right to keep your assault weapons in the glove compartment because you didn't bother to read the first half of the fucking sentence? Who do you think those wig-wearing lacy-shirt sporting revolutionaries were? They were fucking blue-staters, dickhead. Boston? Philadelphia? New York? Hello? Think there might be a reason all the fucking monuments are up here in our backyard?
> No, No. Get the fuck out. We're not letting you visit the Liberty Bell and fucking Plymouth Rock anymore until you get over your real American selves and start respecting those other nine amendments.
Who do you think those fucking stripes on the flag are for? Nine are for fucking blue states. And it would be 10 if those Vermonters had gotten their fucking Subarus together and broken off from New York a little earlier. Get it? We started this shit, so don't get all uppity about how real you are you Johnny-come-lately "Oooooh I've been a state for almost a hundred years" dickheads. Fuck off.
>
> Arrogant? You wanna talk about us Northeasterners being fucking arrogant? What's more American than arrogance? Hmmm? Maybe horsies? I don't think so. Arrogance is the fucking cornerstone of what it means to be American. And I wouldn't be so fucking arrogant if I wasn't paying for your fucking bridges, bitch.
>
> All those Federal taxes you love to hate? It all comes from us and goes to you, so shut up and enjoy your fucking Tennessee Valley Authority electricity and your fancy highways that we paid for. And the next time Florida gets hit by a hurricane you can come crying to us if you want to, but you're the ones who built on a fucking swamp. "Let the Spanish keep it, it ’s a shithole," we said, but you had to have your fucking orange juice.
>
> The next dickwad who says, "It ’s your money, not the government's money" is gonna get their ass kicked. Nine of the ten states that get the most federal fucking dollars and pay the least... can you guess? Go on, guess. That ’s right, motherfucker, they're red states. And eight of the ten states that receive the least and pay the most? It ’s too easy, asshole, they ’re blue states. It ’s not your money, assholes, it ’s fucking our money. What was that Real American Value you were spouting a minute ago? Self reliance? Try this for self reliance: buy your own fucking stop signs, assholes.
>
> Let ’s talk about those values for a fucking minute. You and your Southern values can bite my ass because the blue states got the values over you fucking Real Americans every day of the goddamn week. Which state do you think has the lowest divorce rate you marriage-hyping dickwads? Well? Can you guess? It ’s fucking Massachusetts, the fucking center of the gay marriage universe. Yes, that ’s right, the state you love to tie around the neck of anyone to the left of Strom Thurmond has the lowest divorce rate in the fucking nation. Think that ’s just some aberration? How about this: 9 of the 10 lowest divorce rates are fucking blue states, asshole, and most are in the Northeast, where our values suck so bad. And where are the highest divorce rates? Care to fucking guess? 10 of the top 10 are fucking red-ass we're-so-fucking-moral states. And while Nevada is the worst, the Bible Belt is doing its fucking part.
>
> But two guys making out is going to fucking ruin marriage for you? Yeah? Seems like you're ruining it pretty well on your own, you little bastards. Oh, but that's ok because you go to church, right? I mean you do, right? Cause we fucking get to hear about it every goddamn year at election time. Yes, we're fascinated by how you get up every Sunday morning and sing, and then you're fucking towers of moral superiority. Yeah, that's a workable formula. Maybe us fucking Northerners don't talk about religion as much as you because we're not so busy sinning, hmmm? Ever think of that, you self-righteous assholes? No, you're too busy erecting giant stone tablets of the Ten Commandments in buildings paid for by the fucking Northeast Liberal Elite. And who has the highest murder rates in the nation? It ain't us up here in the North, assholes.
>
Well this gravy train is fucking over. Take your liberal-bashing,
federal-tax-leaching, confederate-flag-waving, holier-than-thou,
hypocritical bullshit and shove it up your ass.
>
And no, you can't have your fucking convention in New York next
> time. Fuck off.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Does anyone else get tired of the diatribe spouted off by people who have some superiority complex based on where they were born?

this was my retort, lemme know what you think.

Wow, that's funny coming from someone who obviously has never set foot outside her precious northern Blue states....Real togetherness and tolerance shining through, with a gleam that only Nathan Bedford Forrest can appreciate.
You missed some things in points to make the South look bad... as if we need help from an obvious ignorant troll such as yourself.
Do you live under those bridges you spout off about.
By the way, highways are maintained and patrolled by the jurisdiction that the highway is in, not federally.
Maybe if you read your history books, you would learn that the only reason the South is in poverty is because of the North. The South decided it would be cheaper to buy goods from England, but the North wasn't going to let that happen, OH NO! They decided to Blockade all goods coming to the South via England and taxed the shit out of them....gee that sounds like a Microsoft tactic, free trade my ass. Thus the start of the Civil war. So then the North (to punish the south) jacked up prices on goods & sent down their Con-men to jack us from what was left. That was why the civil war was fought...I mean it was less than 1% of people in the South who actually had slaves....do you honestly think that the rest of the population would follow into a war because of something that had nothing to do with them? Oh and about the Bill of Rights you cherish...THE AUTHOR WAS A SLAVE OWNER....and he wasn't in the South.
Also to get real with the Fed Aid issue....the north gets more aid than the South. Always has, Always will, especially with intolerant fucks like you, who give all Northerners bad names.
Also if it wasn't for the South, the Birthplace of civil rights, some of my friends wouldn't be allowed to vote....it took the South, not the North with their segregated Boroughs.....that is why there is no Little Italy, Chinatown, or Brighton Beach in Atlanta. We get along.
Did you know that the largest racist factions in the continental U.S. is based in the North?...real nice.
You also have nice monuments to Lincoln...funny he only freed the slaves in southern states...not the ones in Ohio or Indiana...which I believe is above the mason-dixon. And don't forget about that indentured servant plan he had, that really put an end to slavery.
The people in the south honestly could care less about what you think as a "Blue" state, because after all the blue states are the ones that vote for Ted Kennedy, Vote Hilary Clinton in with NO EXPERIENCE in New York politics, and let Priests Molest little boys since the times of burning "witches".
And what's up with this Blue or Red bullshit anyway...who the fuck cares....Only Northern pricks want to put labels on things like states.
And as for production of goods, it's the South and the midwest that produces, I mean other than those apples you Northerners are able to grow.
Wheat, Barley, Cotton, Oranges, Peaches, Soy, Peanuts, Watermelon, Peas, Corn, Beans and on and on.....all in the "red" states.
And the South is the real America, along with the Midwest, the North, and the Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest.......That is America Bitch, since you brought up the stripes, I'll bring up the stars, There are 50, that means fifty states, 50, and none of them are blue or red.

posted in Alabama - 4 replies

39 members and nothings on

Bren-duh-the-highness-of-the-Duh-Club — Thu, 22 Apr 2004 03:54:09 GMT

HELLO ALABAMA. Where is everybody? Did all the members move out of Alabama while I wasn't looking?

Why don't everyone state where they live and let's see if we might have a friend living close by.
I am from a small little town called Leeds.

posted in Alabama - 44 replies

Just stopping by...

Thu, 12 May 2005 02:54:23 GMT

... to say hello to all my southern friends!

"Howdy!" *waves hand

Hope everyone is well!

Take care! Trina

posted in Alabama - 6 replies

Huntsville Drum Circle

transformduality — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 01:37:55 GMT

Just letting all of you cool cats know that every Sunday evening there is a drum circle located at the Big Spring Park in Huntsville. Be there or be somewhere else....JUST DRUM!!!!!!
ONE LOVE

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

lOOKING FOR MICHELE sKELTON

Fri, 12 Nov 2004 07:52:20 GMT

SHE USED TO LIVE IN TOMS RIVER ,n.J.&WAS FROM aLABAMA.
i MISS HER&WANTED TO SAY HELLO

posted in Alabama - 4 replies

nitrate-free meats in Bham area

Ann — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 04:16:48 GMT

I'm looking for a market that sells nitrate-free sausages and bacon. So far I've looked in the obvious places - Piggly Wiggly, Brunos, and the other big grocery chains. But so far, no luck! Can anyone point me toward a place that sells organic meats? Organic meats don't have any nitrates or MSG. But I'd be happy with non-organic meat that lacks the additives.

Any guidance you could give me would be great!

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Merry Christmas

Bren-duh-the-highness-of-the-Duh-Club — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 16:41:27 GMT

I would like to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my Alabama friends.

Think we might get some snow? Come on, let us all wish real hard for it. Eyes closed.......wishing, wishing...

Bren-duh

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

jobs in Birmingham

Ann — Sun, 04 Apr 2004 16:40:09 GMT

Hi!

I'm curious about what the economy is like in Birmingham. Would you say that it is fairly easy to find a good job in Birmingham?

By "good job," I mean: a living wage - enough pay to live comfortably and not have to take a second job to make ends meet.

-A.

posted in Alabama - 4 replies

Calling out the freaks!

whittlesjh — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 21:48:18 GMT

The Dresden Dolls are touring again and we're looking for interactive performers in the audience for the shows. What you do is pretty much up to you, so use your imagination! Juggling, roller skates, human statues, mechanical ballerinas, bellydancers, trained monkeys, saw soloists, etc... It will be great exposure as their shows have been selling out all over the place. And we definitely need people for Birmingham.

The tour is as follows:

10/08 Austin TX
10/09 Houston TX
10/10 Dalla TX
10/12 New Orleans LA
10/13 Birmingham AL
10/15 Athens GA
10/16 Atlanda GA
10/17 Kansas City KA
10/19 St Petersburg FL
10/20 Tallahassee FL
10/22 Carborro NC
10/23 Columbia SC
10/24 Ahseville NC
10/27 Washington DC
10/29 New York NY
10/30 Boston MA
10/31 Northhampton MA
11/02 Montreal QUE
11/03 Toronto ONT
11/05 Chicago IL
11/06 St Louis MO
11/08 Denver CO
11/09 Salt Lake City UT
11/12 Seattle WA
11/13 Vancouver BC
11/15 Portland OR
11/17 San Francisco CA
11/19 Los Angeles CA
11/20 San Diego CA

If you haven't heard of the dolls, check them out!
www.dresdendolls.com

If you're interested, drop me a line, or come join us at

www.gothic.net/dresden_brigade

Long live punk cabaret!

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

storm

Bren-duh-the-highness-of-the-Duh-Club — Thu, 02 Sep 2004 18:58:45 GMT

http://tdcar.timesdispatch.com/Storm0831/storm0831.html

After looking at this slide show of pictures from the storm in Eastern Seaboard, we should all say a prayer of thanks.

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Another vast wasteland?

Steve — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 19:50:53 GMT

Like any other message board on the 'net does anyone else feel like they're surfing through a vast wasteland when you search sites connected with Alabama????

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Wholefoods to Alabama...

Brian — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 03:04:45 GMT

I have been blessed by Wholefoods since I got into health food and now I am being deprived... Anyone interested in joining me let's write to Wholefoods to bring a new location to Birmingham perferably (cause that's where I live) but if we flood them with enough Alabama requests they may consider it... Write to newstore.requests@wholefoods.com

posted in Alabama - 4 replies

Auburn or Alabama football?

Jennifer — Mon, 02 Aug 2004 19:19:38 GMT

Which rival team do you root for?

posted in Alabama - 8 replies

Michael Moore

Jennifer — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 20:57:55 GMT

Hi,

Is Fahrenheit 9/11 showing in Alabama?

Jennifer

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

"Big Fish"

Barefoot Bex — Tue, 04 May 2004 12:40:27 GMT

So, "Big Fish". It was set and filmed in Alabama, and in my opinion, it's an amazing movie.

What do you guys think? How accurate/inaccurate do you think the portrayals of southern people were? Do you know anyone who was involved in the movie? What are your thoughts? :-)

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Homesick..

stacy — Wed, 30 Jun 2004 20:29:24 GMT

Howdy folks,

I'm a native Alabamian (from Pell City) and I live in Christchurch New Zealand, now. I joined this group for a taste and feel of home. Hope to get to know some of you. :)

Stacy

posted in Alabama - 4 replies

Fishing in Alabama

jholder — Sun, 16 May 2004 19:15:59 GMT

Having grown up in Alabama I know how great the fishing is there. I own a Sportfishing site called Hook and Sinker (www.hookandsinker.com) and we have just opened up in that region. We are looking for moderators that would like to run the forums for their region. If you are interested please take a look at our site and email me at yellowchaser@hookandsinker.com with detail on the type of fishing you do, the areas you fish and a little about yourself. Thanks

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

carnie chaos!

Rok — Fri, 16 Apr 2004 22:13:26 GMT

a shameless plug, april 22nd birmingham's own carnevil circus will be at the highnote lounge,(in B-ham) if you're interested in sideshows (freakshows) feel free to check us out, if not, well just ignore us. hehehehe

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Food

Jennifer — Mon, 29 Mar 2004 18:43:25 GMT

What Southern food have you had that might be difficult to find in other parts of the US?

My high school school used to have goat stew fund raisers. I have never seen such a thing in other parts of the US.

posted in Alabama - 5 replies

nice places to live in Birmingham?

Ann — Sun, 04 Apr 2004 16:30:28 GMT

Hi all!

Can anybody recommend some nice places to live in Birmingham? I'm looking for apartments that aren't too expensive, are close to UAB, and also have some outdoor gardening space.

Also, how easy is it to find houses to rent?

Thanks for your advice,

A.

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

Going on a date

Jennifer — Tue, 23 Mar 2004 18:22:37 GMT

Every city is unique especially the little towns of Alabama. Where do you take a date in your town?

When I lived in Elkmont, AL, I never dated. But if I did, I would take a date to Dairy Queen for ice cream.

But when I was in Huntsville, I think I would take a first date first to dinner at an all you can eat Chinese buffet called Formosa and then either to Big Springs Park or Monte Sano.

posted in Alabama - 0 replies

Religious

Jennifer — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 17:46:16 GMT

How religious are your parents?
Are you religious?
Which religion do you or your parents practice?

My parents are Southern Baptist and while I was raised in a Christian home, I have found that as I grew up I didn't believe anymore.

I now enjoy meditating.

posted in Alabama - 2 replies

jello biafra in altanta

stan — Fri, 27 Feb 2004 06:16:18 GMT

so i am going to see jello in altanta friday the 27th, any one want to join me?

posted in Alabama - 3 replies

National topics

Jennifer — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 21:14:15 GMT

In your area of Alabama, what are some of the views on these national topics:

1. the war in Iraq
2. marriage for gay couples
3. Janet Jackson's superbowl show

posted in Alabama - 21 replies