Tag Archives: Birmingham

Regions Field gets ready for its closeup

Posted on April 10, 2013 | Leave a comment

home plate installIf you’re lucky enough to get over to Regions Field today, you’ll see work crews putting finishing touches on the $40 million facility. They were busy this morning doing things like installing this signage above the ballpark’s main entrance at the intersection of 14th Street and 1st Avenue South.

The public will get a chance to formally explore  and admire their handiwork for the first time at 5 p.m. when the gates open and the buzz leading up to the Birmingham Barons‘ 2013 home opener will reach its climax. The ballpark, part of a larger $69 million project for the area currently set to include a museum looking at Birmingham’s Negro Leagues history, gives the city a pretty unique honor until next April. Until the Charlotte Knights finally move into North Carolina at that time (no, we’re not kidding), Birmingham can lay claim to being the home of both the oldest ballpark in the country (Rickwood Field) and the newest.

Obscure trivia knowledge aside, this will no doubt lead some die hard baseball fans to make the pilgrimage down here for the five-game Barons home stand against the Tennessee Smokies beginning May 28. The following day’s game will be the 18th annual Rickwood Classic. This means fans could see games in both the oldest and newest ballparks in the country on consecutive days if they so chose this year. Pretty cool, huh?

Local media outlets are doing extensive coverage of today’s festivities, with all of the local television stations placing reporters there throughout the day and both The Birmingham News and the Birmingham Business Journal running pieces about what not to miss.

First pitch for the sold-out game is at 7:05 p.m. and it will be available via WERC-FM (105.5 FM and online via live stream).

Of course, the real question is whether or not you’re going to any of the games during this first homestand…

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Aereo announces expansion into Birmingham

Posted on January 10, 2013 | 1 comment

aereo_antennaThere was a lot of buzz Wednesday afternoon as folks in Birmingham learned New York-based TV tech start-up Aereo was including The Magic City in a 22 city expansion this spring. It’s the result of the company receiving a $38 million infusion of financing from IAC/InterActiveCorp and Highland Capital Partners – a development made public on Tuesday and announced at CES.

It does seem to be a viable solution for those in the metro area who aren’t able to easily receive over-the-air digital signals who don’t want to consider cable TV or satellite as replacements. Customers will also be able to access Bloomberg TV, where Aereo’s CEO, Chet Kanjolia, spoke about the legality of the service yesterday morning. But if you want to watch, let’s say a BCS championship game on ESPN, you’re out of luck for right now.

But back to legality…

Shortly after it launched in New York City last year, many of the broadcast networks filed temporary injunctions against the company on the grounds of copyright infringement. Their workaround involves the digital antenna you’re paying to lease from them (that’s what’s pictured up above, alongside a dime). Incidentally, The New York Times points out that Aereo doesn’t currently pay for the content. There are also concerns about what legally constitutes digital video recording, and how the service will affect revenue for the networks.

Prices for the service range from $1 a day to $80 a year in addition to a one hour per day free trial option, with DVR storage options available from 3 – 40 hours. It works on PC and Mac platforms, with plans for an Android version to be introduced later this year.

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Posted in technology, television

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See Jane Write panel looks at blogging and community journalism this Thursday

Posted on January 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

See Jane Write logoThere are very few slots left for this Thursday’s See Jane Write Birmingham panel on blogging and community journalism at Innovation Depot. It’s a topic of particular interest to us as 2013 begins.

The panel will look talk about whether or not community news will flourish as we move forward and how bloggers can use their sites to cover issues that may not be getting the exposure they deserve. It will include Staci Brown Brooks, Alabama Media Group/The Birmingham News; Emily Lowrey, Magic City Post; Erin Shaw Street, Southern Living magazine; and André Natta, The Terminal. Edward T. Bowser, community engagement specialist for the Birmingham Hub of Alabama Media Group,will moderate.

For those not familiar with See Jane Write Birmingham, Javacia Harris Bowser started the “organization for women writers and bloggers in the Birmingham area” in March 2011. It now boasts an email list of at least 200. Additional plans for this year include Tweets & Sweets, a tweet-up and birthday party for Bowser that will serve as a fundraiser for the organization next month.

Those looking for help to jumpstart their blogging in 2013 may also be interested intaking part in the 31 Days to a Better Blog initiative she’s organized on her blog, The Writeous Babe.

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Posted in 35203, blogging

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Safari Cup faces a fight against Starbucks… in Chicago

Posted on December 10, 2012 | 1 comment

It’s been a little more than three years since Safari Cup Coffee (somewhat) unexpectedly closed up shop at the corner of 21st St. (Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd) and 3rd Ave. N. What some folks may not be aware of is that they simply moved the operation a few hours north to Chicago.

They opened in October of 2009 along the Southport corridor of the Windy City’s Lakeview neighborhood. A 2011 interview with the city’s RedEye has Dave McLaughlin saying the move was because he and wife “desired a more open-minded city and one that would embrace their African-only coffee.”

An email sent out over the weekend from “Andrew” via the site Change.org  directs people to sign an online petition asking Starbucks to not go through with plans to open a new location next door to the independent coffee shop. The email, however, asked for folks to “Save Birmingham’s Safari Cup coffeeshop.”

The news first broke in Chicago on November 16 via Facebook, with DNAInfo and the Patch site for Lakeview both writing about McLaughlin’s concerns and the fact that Starbucks hasn’t exactly done anything wrong.

A local blog, 900poundgorilla, maintained by W.C. Truck, has also been vocal about the impending Starbucks expansion. He’s gone so far as to write an open letter to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on his site inviting him on his radio show Sunday (yesterday) on WCPT-AM 820. We don’t know if Schultz accepted the invitation.

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Posted in Business, food

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Area taxis become latest tool in efforts to fight crime

Posted on October 22, 2012 | 1 comment

T.O.P. in BaltimoreThe next time you see one of the city’s Yellow Cabs rolling through Birmingham city streets, realize they might be doing a little more than just heading to their next fare. They’re probably helping keep your neighborhood safe.

The Birmingham News reported early Monday morning about the new Taxis on Patrol initiative underway courtesy of the city’s police department and Yellow Cab of Birmingham. It’s not the first civic-minded initiative undertaken by the company as it’s also coordinated a Safe Ride Home initiative popular during the holiday season in recent years.

A similar project started in Baltimore, MD in the 1970s. Recent success in Denver, CO has resulted in an increased amount of adoption across the country, including communities like Broward County, FL; Nassau County, NY; Savannah, GA; and Toledo, OH.

While our local effort is based on the Citizens on Patrol initiative, the recent announcement could also be seen as part of a larger effort underway by the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Foundation (TLPF) to see a broader adoption of the Transportation On Patrol (TOP) educational program nationwide – one that’s been underway since last April.

Photo: Yellow Cab with T.O.P. badge in Baltimore, MD, April 2012.

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Posted in Crime, transportation

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ALDOT shares Plan A, then springs possible Plan B for I-20/59

Posted on July 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Boutwell public hearingA small crowd gathered upstairs at Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium to learn about plans for the replacement of 6,600 feet of bridge deck between U.S. Highway 31 and the area known to many locals as Malfunction Junction.

Those in attendance did learn about how that plan would proceed, including receiving some clarification about reports of the project taking two years. The first year would allow for things like electrical power to lighting along the highway to be relocated (possibly below ground) and for the estimated approximately 100 sets of steel girders to be ordered for the project – meaning little disruption for motorists. One direction would then be shut down for up to 25 weeks during the second year, with the other one being shut down afterward. This is similar to what recently happened along the portion of I-20/59 in Bessemer (here’s the official project page) – a contract with incentives built in to encourage it to be completed as soon as possible.

Motorists looking to avoid the construction while passing through the metro area would be encouraged to use Interstate 459 since planned highway projects cannot be rerouted along city streets (though officials did announce that three northbound and three southbound city streets running under the span would need to be open throughout the process).

After the update, those in attendance were informed by Brian Davis, ALDOT‘s division engineer for the region that includes Birmingham, that both the city and Jefferson County had asked for the agency to consider completely replacing the section of road from the ground up in order to address several issues (including sound from the roadway) – and that they would be investigating the option before going forward.

There was no timetable available for when that investigation would be finished and how long it would hold up the start of the project if it was deemed an appropriate alternative.

While major construction would not interfere with the expected opening of The Westin Birmingham on January 1, 2013, it may be an issue for those planning to open businesses in what’s currently being referred to as The Marketplace later on next year.

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A website launches for 2013 commemoration

Posted on July 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

birmingham13.com screenshotSomething that hasn’t been talked about very much – at least publicly – are the plans to commemorate 50 years passing since the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in September 1963. A visit to the city of Birmingham’s official website now provides you with a link to one major source of information about those plans.

Birmingham13.com is the official website for the commemoration, reminding those who visit that it was part of “the movement that changed the world.” According to the site’s city plans page, there will be a traveling exhibition (called “The Civil Rights/Sister Cities Traveling Exhibition”) visiting five sister cities highlighting their contributions: Selma, AL; Washington, D.C.; Jackson, MS; Columbia, South Carolina; and Memphis, TN. (Montgomery, AL is listed on the site as well though the original National Press Club announcement from January did not include the city.) The site also suggests that the Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail will be expanded (it would be the second time that the trail was expanded and the first instance since late 2010) in addition to plans for a humanities conference and a three-day festival in September. You can also watch the video of Mayor Bell’s remarks at the National Press Club on the site’s “Sharing” page.

It contains a calendar section as well that will most likely be updates with events being organized by other organizations and institutions as details are finalized.

Screenshot: birmingham13.com home page.

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Posted in Online, The City

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