Tag Archives: announcement

Langford to suggest support for zoo expansion

Posted on February 17, 2009 | Leave a comment

Trails of Africa logoThis morning during Mayor Langford‘s  comments to the Birmingham City Council, he announced plans to present a proposed redevelopment agreement to councilors next week that would allow the Birmingham Zoo to begin work on its long planned expansion called Trails of Africa.

The mayor reported that the zoo, which is currently the state of Alabama’s #1 tourist attraction, has already raised more than $6 million for the 14-acre expansion but needs additional financial support to make it a reality. A report in The Birmingham News from September 2007 had zoo officials estimating the overall cost of the project at $15 million.

The City of Birmingham owns the zoo, but the property is operated by an independent 501©3 organization.

Image: Courtesy of Birmingham Zoo website

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Posted in On the agenda

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Sidewalk, Lipstick make changes

Posted on February 16, 2009 | 2 comments

While we first heard rumblings about the possible firing of Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival executive director Catherine Pfitzer on Wednesday evening, this post from Wade on Birmingham confirmed it on Saturday morning. Pfitzer had served as the executive director for the organization for approximately two years and had held other positions with the film festival. Wade’s post includes excerpts from the email announcement as well as one from Pfitzer thanking supporters and encouraging them to continue to support the festival. Entries are already being accepted for this year’s edition, scheduled for September 25-27.

The other surprising news this past week was of the shut down of one of Birmingham’s newest magazines, Lipstick, as confirmed on the Media of Birmingham blog. The March issue will be the publication’s last. The entire staff was laid off as of Friday and former editor Tina Hatch reflected on it via her blog.

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Posted in Events, Media

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Time for a Bojangles biscuit run…

Posted on February 6, 2009 | 2 comments

… much closer to home. Charlotte, NC-based Bojangle’s has announced plans to expand into the Birmingham, AL market, with hopes of opening four (4) locations in the metro area before the end of the year. We here see this as a great excuse to eat breakfast whenever we want, and that’s important, even to their corporate office, especially when you take a look at their recipe for success.

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Posted in Business, food

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Metro Birmingham thinks “green” collectively

Posted on January 26, 2009 | 3 comments

Elected officials from throughout metro Birmingham announced the formation of the Alabama Green Initiative (AGI) on Friday. AGI is, according to Friday’s press release, “a non-profit organization created to assist the municipalities of the metro Birmingham area in applying for and receiving green-only and stimulus grant monies from President Barack Obama’s upcoming stimulus package.” It could be one of the most powerful moves yet to a truly regional approach to the area’s future.

According to reports, this is the first such partnership in Alabama and the United States. The organization will be headed up by Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos, with participation from other cities and the Jefferson County Commission.

Examples of programs that will be targeted by the new organization include low emission vehicles, public works’ projects and large-scale community structures utilizing green-building standards.

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Posted in environmental, politics

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UPDATE: BBVA Compass announces layoffs

Posted on January 23, 2009 | Leave a comment

Yep, that’s the word we’ve just received – BBVA Compass will announce plans to lay off nearly 10% of their workforce as early as later today. NOTE: They did announce it today – here’s NBC 13’s account via the Associated Press and The Birmingham News‘ post on their breaking news blog, where they confirm that 200 of the jobs will be lost in the Birmingham area.

We’re awaiting confirmation. It would be a major amount of cuts as well, reportedly 10% reduction in current staff numbers. When the last round of job cuts were announced in late November, the bank was reportedly employing more than 13.000 people across six states.

Sources report that internal emails indicated that 1,200 positions would be eliminated with individual notifications made “over the next couple of weeks.”  Severance and placement services were also offered.

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Posted in Business

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Birmingham’s “Voice of Civil Rights Movement” ill in NYC

Posted on November 19, 2008 | Leave a comment

Odetta in Birmingham. ILIGHT/FlickrSinger/songwriter Odetta is currently in critical condition at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York after suffering kidney failure according to a statement released by her manager and published on WFMU’s blog earlier today. 

The Birmingham native is still expecting to perform at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20. Those who wish to pass along well wishes will want the hospital’s address, which follows:

Ms. Odetta Gordon
Room # 719, 7th Floor ICU Unit
LENOX HILL HOSPITAL
100 East 77th Street
New York, NY 10021

Thank my former student government advisor (and good friend) John Bennett in Savannah for the lead.

Photo: Odetta in Birmingham. ILIGHT/Flickr

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Posted in music

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What do you think of Birmingham’s image?

Posted on November 19, 2008 | 2 comments

The Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce wants to know. They’ve contracted with Samford University‘s Brock School of Business Marketing to do a survey of all of us so they know what we think of Birmingham’s image, in particular the city’s strengths and areas that it needs to work on. It takes three minutes to complete it (tops), (and you’ll be joining at least 400 people who’ve already completed it) so what’s keeping you from clicking here and doing it. Oh yeah, the password is bham (and you’ve only got until Friday (11.21) to complete it).

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Posted in The City

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