Design Review Committee disapproves replacement "Sign"
Preserve Jazz Festival announces sabbatical for 2015
Today’s Birmingham News sings the praises of the Railroad Reservation Park’s pending construction (interesting how the name keeps getting shorter depending on where you look). I would go one step further than they did in their description. It is in fact an example not just of what the city center can and will become, but what can happen throughout the city and the region if people show faith in the potential success in a project. Three parks, one currently operating and two beginning to see the light of day, benefited in part thanks to the efforts of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and their belief that projects like these needed to be done and supported.
The organization announced a new initiative during its annual meeting on Thursday evening that would enable more projects like “Birmingham’s Central Park”, Ruffner Mountain Nature Center‘s expansion and Red Mountain Park‘s creation to become reality. The Community Catalyst Fund serves as an opportunity for Birmingham to dream bigger than it ever has before and achieve those dreams for ourselves and future generations.
The possibilities for these unrestricted funds are only as limited as your mind allows it to be. Many projects seem to die a slow death here only because you cannot see past the naysayers. What if we had the ability to seed an arts funding source that could encourage murals, ecoscapes and galleries throughout the region?
What if the money existed to help jump start a facade improvement program that could augment existing dollars for building rehabilitation, enabling a community to put its best face forward to those that did not believe the rumors of its pending rebirth?
What if the money were used to encourage alternative transportation methods in the region, while allowing Birmingham to become more viable for the large manufacturing plants that many seem to think is needed?
What if the money were available to bring even bigger exhibits to an expanded Museum of Art, encouraging a truer sense of collaboration among our existing cultural facilities? Or if resources were made available for more of the metropolitan area’s growing arts community to create and display their work, no matter what it is?
Is it not time to stop pointing the finger at what is wrong and instead roll up our sleeves and ask what needs to be done to make it better?
The News said that much more fund raising lies ahead for the Railroad Reservation Park. A city that once mined for ore should also be mining for ideas as it reaches forward into the 21st century and carves a space out as a leader – one that it has always had among some, but now also in the hearts of those that call it home. City, county, state and federal officials should (and have) been willing to support projects with their access to general funds, but we cannot ask them to lead the way by themselves anymore.
Hopefully when we’re asked to answer the bell, we are ready to provide the energy and the monies necessary to power the engine for the future of The Magic City. The new Community Catalyst Fund is one way to do just that. Check it out and see what you can do to help some more of that magic make some dreams come true.
NOTE: Let us know what your big dream for Birmingham is over on Magic City Question…
André Natta is the publisher and managing editor of The Terminal.
So we’re going to look to an old slogan for the city for some inspiration for a new series of submissions about The Magic City. The 1961 “It’s Nice to Have You in Birmingham” campaign is one that still rings in the ears of residents in the region both young and old. We’d like for you to take a new look at that statement – to really think about who you like to see every day in Birmingham and why. We’re hoping that it will help us develop a mosaic of careers, backgrounds, personalities and missions that best exemplify the best thing about Birmingham – its people.
Exercise that right to vote
Today is one of the most important days for folks who are interested in seeing change occur. It’s the last day that you’ll be able to register to vote in the upcoming November elections in Alabama. I wanted to take this opportunity to implore you to take the time today to register or to update your voter registration for this upcoming election if you have not already done so.
I’m sitting in a coffeehouse in Denver, CO, preparing to head up to Ft. Collins and Boulder just as the stretch run of our campaign season begins. I can feel the level of excitement that’s existing out here as Election Day approaches, though for many, the change to exercise that right to vote has already been experienced via mail-in ballots. The work that I’m out here doing in Colorado has kept me from digging in and finding out just what that means for the region, but there is an energy that’s palpable in The Mile High City and elsewhere in this country. For that reason, I do hope that you will take advantage of the opportunity to vote on November 4, regardless of party affiliation. You cannot complain about the direction our country will take or the results of the election if you do not exercise that right. People must get out, speak up and make sure that their voice is heard. If you think that your vote doesn’t count, realize that it will send a message to our elected leaders, allowing them to hear loud and clear the wants and needs of their constituents without the need of a filter, no matter what it is.
We’ve purposely not done a great deal of coverage of the national campaign in part because we think that those of you that visit the site on a regular basis have an idea of how those national issues will affect our region. We will also, as is our policy, not endorse a candidate (though I’m sure if you talk to us individually, we’ll be happy to share who and why).
This is a chance to take part in the process, to have your voice heard, to not sit on the sidelines and let others decide for you (and yes, I do realize that we turn over our votes to the Electoral College after the 4th, but I think you get the idea).
Don’t forget to take the opportunity to remind your friends to vote as well, since I know you don’t necessarily want to hear from them either after this is over (if you haven’t already tired of hearing their views during the process). Events like Trick or Vote are necessary as registering only makes you eligible while taking the next step and acting upon that notion is extremely important.
I’ll be back in plenty of time to cast my ballot. I hope to see you sporting that “I Voted” sticker that day. BTW, how about sending in a photo on Election Day of you wearing that sticker (have some fun with it – and hopefully you’ve actually voted too). 5 random submissions will get a white Terminal T.
Exercise that right.
André Natta is the managing editor of The Terminal
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Posted in Commentary, politics
Tagged Election Day, information, last day to register