V. Richards
July 7th, 2010
$8-$12 Entrees
V. Richards, a lovely, diminutive grocery store and cafe in Birmingham, AL, must secretly install homing devices in the back of the neck of each of its customers, because I keep coming back … over and over again. However, each time I return, the menu is different from the last. The decidedly gourmet cafe, located in the back of the market (where one can purchase everything from quail eggs to British digestives) is a haven for us homing pigeons.
Each day, the cafe serves breakfast, which may include Eggs Benedict with Creole Hollandaise and cinnamon-drenched French Toast. After 11:00 a.m., the cafe offers a pasta special, fish special, lunch special, and daily special, as well as three soups du jour. There are no less than (and usually more than) 23 types of salad available on a daily basis. Augment this with an assortment of toothsome, made-from-scratch pastries and desserts, to be consumed with imported espresso, and you have yourself a European form of Nirvana unique to Alabama. If that makes sense…
At V. Richards, it does. The staff are consistently gracious and complaisant. Seating may be found indoors or outdoors. Outside, there are patios filled with the soothing sound of the fountain overlaid with soft jazz. Red awnings provide shade for the stone tables where wine tastings are held on Friday evenings. The chefs are creative and add personal touches to ingenious recipes. Ingredients are clearly fresh and often organic.
Today, I opted for the fish special: seared diver scallops, rapini, jumbo asparagus, and roasted potatoes. The tender rapini and asparagus were flavorful and robust. The red potatoes savoured of garlic and red pepper. But the scallops. I believe people close their eyes in ecstasy when they taste something especially delicious, because they want no outside stimuli to distract from the experience. The seared scallops had a seaside sweetness all their own, with the merest suggestion of lemon. They were poetry. My eyes closed.
In addition to being helpful, the staff are knowledgeable about the dishes created at the cafe and the items sold in the market. Almost any employee can pair a cheese with a complimentary wine and will even offer to chill the bottle prior to purchase. The butcher will proffer only the best cuts of meat, and the seafood is often sashimi quality. Much of the produce sold is local, and most dairy items are organic. It was raining as I left, but the woman at the checkout made sure I had a golfer’s umbrella to shelter the path to my car. Now that’s TLC.
4.5 Kudzu
Tags: Birmingham Alabama, Food Review
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MAGIC IN THE CITY
March 15th, 2010
Web Site Recalls Birmingham’s Postwar
Pop Culture History
By Bonnie Bailey
Do you remember Pizitz and Loveman’s? How about the Wigwam Village on Bessemer Super Highway, Burger in a Hurry or the Starlite Theatre? If your nostalgia meter just spiked, chances are you lived in Birmingham during the postwar era of drive-in movies, soda fountains and classic diners. Want to take a walk down memory lane? BirminghamRewound.com offers you that opportunity.
The Bear
Birmingham Rewound, the online brainchild of Savannah, Georgia, radio host Russell Wells, may be the ultimate example of distance making the heart grow fonder. Wells, who has never lived in Birmingham, started the web site in 2005, dedicating it to the Magic City’s postwar memories, specifically, its unique pop culture, e.g. Kiddieland, the Alabama Theatre and Grayson’s Delicious Ice Cream in Southside. Growing up with a father climbing the ladder at Sears, Roebuck and Co., Wells was born in Birmingham but only spent his first few months of life in the city, afterwards moving every couple of years to a new state. His grandparents’ house in Homewood was a destination for Wells and his family, Birmingham “the only constant in a sea of change,” he says. Birmingham held both family and his boyhood passion: radio. As soon as Wells got close enough to the city, he’d always find his favorite radio station, WSGN, the leading top 40 station in Birmingham for years. After graduating from Arkansas State University’s radio program in 1987, Wells says, “I flooded the radio stations in Alabama with resumes. I finally went to work for a radio station in Troy, but it wasn’t Birmingham.” Eventually Wells went to work for Georgia Public Broadcasting, where he is now the Operations Manager of WSVH in Savannah.
Birmingham Train Terminal
It was a pivotal day in 2003 that planted the seed for Birmingham Rewound. A friend sent Wells a link to deadmalls. com, a retail history site devoted to memories of retail outfits no longer the hot spots they once were. “I’ve always been interested in roadside history, old Americana and pop culture, so I checked it out and noticed that it said nothing about Eastwood Mall,” he said. Wells decided to make a quick trip to Birmingham to take pictures of Alabama’s first indoor, air-conditioned mall (the marquee for Eastwood Mall read, “South’s largest mall – Open one door to 47 stores – 73 degrees year round”). Most of the stores were closed, Wells says, but what impacted him the most wasn’t the dying establishment. “My grandmother had died earlier in the year, and she was my only remaining connection to Birmingham,” Wells says. “I
realized that I had nowhere to go that day after taking pictures at the mall. Birmingham was nolonger a destination, and I didn’t want that to happen. I started thinking about old Birmingham, about the zoo and the railroad. I thought it would be really cool to have a web site with images of Birmingham, but I didn’t have the images.” That’s where local historian and author Tim Hollis came in.
Starlite Drive In
“I got an email from Tim saying he had tons of pictures of old Birmingham landmarks, but he had no web design experience. It was a perfect combination because I had web experience, so we started putting together a site,” Wells says. Their efforts at first just targeted Eastwood Mall, but eventually they broadened to a site devoted to all of Birmingham.
Within a month of going live, “I feared I was going to start getting emails from Comcast about bandwidth,” says Wells. Emails filled with memories poured in. A year later Wells had maxed out his space. Dan Cole, a friend with a web hosting business and a common interest in Birmingham’s history, came to the rescue, offering Wells hosting that would support growing amounts of traffic. Using photos, brochures, road maps and menus saved from Tim’s childhood, plus articles, advertisements and cartoons printed from library microfilms, Wells and Hollis grew Birmingham Rewound into a site that features info on Birmingham’s old retail, like Pizitz, Loveman’s and Bargain Town USA plus roadside landmarks and restaurants like Constantine’s Drive-In, Spinning Wheel and Kelly’s Hamburgers. There’s also info on postwar radio, movies and TV in Birmingham, plus a section called ‘This month in history,’ which features history going back 40, 50, 60 and 70 years.
“I would give anything for a time machine,” says Wells. “But this is the next best thing.” Even though Wells has never lived in Birmingham, he says, “From working with Tim Hollis and Dan Cole and getting the response from people that we’ve gotten, I almost feel like I’ve been a lifelong resident of Birmingham, even now.” Get your dose of Birmingham nostalgia at www.birminghamrewound.com.
Russell Wells
Tags: Birmingham 1960, Birmingham Train Terminal, Kiddieland Birmingham Alabama, Nostalgia, www.BirminghamRewound.com
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A Brilliant Stroke
February 10th, 2010
Wendy LoVoy Original
From stick figures to masterpieces – popular Sips n Strokes unleashes the artist within
Girls’ Night Out just got a facelift.
Don’t worry, the old standbys – movies, shopping, spas – all still welcome your patronage. It’s just that you may not want to settle for the old romantic comedy when you can instead put your mind and your hands to work creating something that you can take home and hang on your wall.
That’s the concept behind a rapidly growing business known as Sips n Strokes, a business which has no shortage of gals (and a few guys) looking to enjoy their night out doing something a bit different for a change.
Founded by Birmingham artist Wendy LoVoy in 2003, Sips n Strokes offers customers a blank canvas, a bottle of wine and a one-of-a-kind art lesson. For an average cost of $20-$45, patrons of Sips n Strokes can learn to paint everything from flowers, crosses and human figures to replicas of famous paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, Edvard Munch and Vincent Van Gogh. No artistic experience or ability is required – LoVoy believes even those who can only draw stick figures can become artists if given the chance. That’s why she created Sips n Strokes – to empower would-be artists who otherwise would never dare to pick up a brush.
Since 2003 Sips n Strokes has expanded from its original location on Hwy 280 to locations in Pelham, Trussville, Auburn, Fultondale, Tuscaloosa, Dunwoody and East Cobb, Georgia, and Franklin, Tennessee. The Tuscaloosa location, which opened in May 2009, is the first Sips n Strokes franchise. With a tall exposed brick wall and track lighting lining its high ceiling, the Tuscaloosa store looks like an art gallery. Completed paintings pose on stands and hang about the walls, and the night of a class, long tables are set with easels and canvases, brushes and stools. There’s a buzz about the place as customers arrive for a class, giggling and hugging with a slight charge of nervousness to their exchanges. For most people, that nervousness disappears as they watch their own hand creating a real work of art, but for those who can’t shake the nerves, well, that’s what the wine is for.
Not everyone partakes in the alcohol, says Kara Lindsey, who opened the Tuscaloosa franchise with her mom, Vicki Meads, and her sister, Katie Lindsey. In fact, says Lindsey, most customers don’t drink at all. “People come for the painting experience,” she says. “The option to drink is an added bonus but not the focus for most people.”
Most customers are indeed intently focused on two spots: their canvases, and the front of the room, where the instructor platform rises two feet above the floor. Amiable and reassuring, instructors like Tuscaloosa’s Haley Spaulding demonstrate step by step how to blend colors, hold brushes and create shapes and forms. Atop the platform Spaulding encourages her students to relax and not be afraid of the brush and paint. She wants to impart more than just technique – she wants the class to enjoy painting as much as she does. Teaching at Sips n Strokes is a dream come true for Spaulding, who’s been painting since she was a little girl. “It’s been said that if you can find a job doing what you love to do, then you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s what teaching at Sips n Strokes is like,” she says.
By Lindsay Hubbard
The customer experience is just as enthusiastic. People walk out bubbling with excitement and awe. Lindsay Hubbard, Branch Manager and Consumer Loan Officer at First United Security Bank in Bucksville, says she’s been to Sips n Strokes approximately 19 to 20 times, and each time has been fun and awe-inspiring. “It is exciting to see that you can “create a masterpiece”! The instructors always use that phrase, and I have never seen anyone leave unsatisfied,” says Hubbard.
Hubbard says the satisfaction lasts long after the class because she is able to give the paintings as truly personalized gifts to her family, plus the ones she keeps to decorate her house are constant reminders of fun times with friends. “I write who I go with on the back of all my paintings,” she says. “I have great memories from all the classes.” Hubbard says a bonus for her is the reaction people have when they see her paintings. “I had never painted on a blank canvas before going to Sips n Strokes for the first time, but now people will be at my house and say, “Oh my, did you really paint this?” The step by step process makes it to where everyone goes home with a great picture,” she says.
Pick out your masterpiece and sign up for a class online at www.sipsnstrokes.com.
By Bonnie Bailey www.bonniebailey.net
Tags: Sips n Strokes Birmingham, Sips n Strokes Franchise, Sips n Strokes owner Wendy LoVoy, Sips n Strokes Tuscaloosa
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GIPS
February 9th, 2010
GIP'S Place
Mr. Henry Gipson
There are certain places in the world that seem to exist outside of time and contain a magic that can’t be expressed in words. There are songs that are the same. So, what happens when you take two and put them together?
You end up with a place like Gip’s. “Gip’s Place” is what most would call a shack. It’s a metal and wood structure built at the edge of a tree line in the back yard of Henry Gipson. In the community of blues musicians and fans that exist in the south it is a refuge. It is one of the few remaining “Juke Joints” of it’s kind. Nothing commercial or modern about it.
In the summer, they pull part of the wall down and plug in a few fans. In the winter, they crank up the old fashioned boiler. The walls are covered with artwork and pictures of the legends, both local and national, that have graced the stage. By 9 or 10pm on most Saturday nights the place is jumping with an energy and atmosphere that makes it seem like you are lost in a Hollywood movie about a by-gone time.
Part of the crowd sits and listens, lost in the music. Part of the crowd dances the night away with friends and strangers. There is no “white” or “black”, just people who love music and other people.
Some Saturdays are like open mic nights with locals playing originals and covers of blues tunes, backed by whatever other musicians are in the house that night. Other Saturdays there are featured bands that come from all over.
My first time there, Sam Lay was the featured act. Sam is the creator of the “double shuffle”. He played in Little Walters band, was Howlin’ Wolf’s drummer, played on Paul Butterfield’s first two albums, and played for Bob Dylan’s controversial electric set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. He was also the drummer on Dylan’s”Highway 61 Revisited”. He played on Muddy Waters’ “Fathers and Sons” album, and the list of thers he’s worked with goes on and on.
Best known for his work in the Chicago blues scene, Sam is actually a native of Birmingham. He’s in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Jazz hall of fame. He’s been nominated for the W.C. Handy “Best Instrumentalist” award eight times and as recently as a few years ago.
That’s a lot of space dedicated to one artist. And that’s the point. He’s just one of the act’s with a rich past to grace the stage in Mister Gip’s back yard. Burnside, King, & Lay are just some of the last names of artists who have played there. Keep an eye on magiccityblues.org for upcoming events.
By Randy Webb www.baconfatguitars.com
Tags: Bessemer Alabama, Blues, Gips Place, Henry Gipson, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, W. C. Handy
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ARMCHAIR-CRITIC.COM 2010 MOVIE REVIEW
January 13th, 2010
After a fairly decent 2009 movie season I was curious to look ahead and see what is coming down the pipe for next year. Looks like 2010 may be an even bigger year than the previous one. If 2009 was the time for sleepers and innovation (Paranormal Activity, District 9) 2010 looks to be strictly blockbusters, so here… we… go…
DAYBREAKERS (Jan 8th, 2010)
Plot: It’s 2019 and vampires have taken over the world. In fact they have fed on every human being there is and are starting to run out of a food source. While the vampires figure out how to survive with the dwindling blood supply, the remaining humans plot their revenge.
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Isabel Lucas, Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill
Director: Michael & Peter Spierig
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Horror
Why it made my list: Well first of all it has Willem Dafoe in it. But it looks to be a stylish, futuristic take on the overplayed, over romanticized vampire story that has recently been such a fad. I’m thinking this will be less “emo” twilight vampires, and more “Gattica” meets “Blade”.
THE BOOK OF ELI (Jan 15th, 2010)
Plot: In post-apocalyptic America one man is on a mission to protect a sacred book that may be the salvation of us all.
Cast: Mila Kunis, Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Malcolm McDowell, Jennifer Beals, Tom Waits
Director: Albert & Allen Hughes
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Disaster, Western
Why it made my list: It has Mila Kunis in it. Eli looks to be a movie taken straight out of the video game Fall Out. With the directors of “From Hell” and “Menace II Society” this stylish post-apocalyptic western should live up to the hype. Where “The Road” was a moody drama about living after a disaster, this should be more steam-punk action and a lot of fun.
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Lucky Thirteen — Alabama Wins BCS National Championship
January 10th, 2010
Alabama’s thirteenth national championship comes home to Tuscaloosa. It was a game for the ages as they say. #1 Alabama versus #2 Texas. Alabama was 0-7-1 against the horns all time. Was. After all was said and done, after all the battle scars were engraved, after all the laughter and all the tears, The University of Alabama defeated Texas 37-21 in Pasadena, California for the BCS National Championship in the Rose Bowl where Alabama won their first four national titles.
It turned out to be a true war. Alabama was behind early 6-0, after a fake punt resulted in an interception, and field goal and the ensuing kick off was allowed to hit the ground, a live ball, that Texas recovered. They would be held to another field goal. Their All-American quarterback Colt McCoy went out of the game on the first drive, after being hit in the shoulder by the Tide’s defensive tackle Marcel Dareus. In came freshman QB Garrett Gilbert. Gilbert struggled on and off throughout the night, with some throws that let you know that Texas football will be just fine and a few that made you feel bad for the kid. He arrived to that game expecting to watch Colt McCoy do his thing one more time, then wound up playing pretty much the entire game. He seemed to be growing up live on TV, right before our eyes after throwing two interceptions early, one, with three seconds left in the half, returned by Dareus for a TD. Then he seemed to get comfortable and mature and led the Horns back for two scores and a two point conversion to dwindle Bama’s lead to just three. 24-21.
Then the game turned again. With Texas holding all the momentum. After a missed 52 yard field goal by Leigh Tiffin and a stalled drive by the Tide, Texas got the ball back with 6 minutes left. Plenty of time to take the lead and win the game. Not to be. Maybe the biggest play of the game came on Texas’ second play of that drive, when Tide linebacker Eryk Anders sacked Gilbert and forced a fumble that Bama recovered on the Longhorn three yard line. Mark Ingram would score the touchdown, his second of the night to put Alabama up 31-21. They would add another score by freshman Trent Richardson, his second. Tiffin missed the extra point, leaving Alabama with a 37-21 victory to crown a wonderful season.
14-0. Alabama’s first Heisman winner, Mark Ingram led the Tide with 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Proving he didn’t buy the Heisman jinx talk, becoming only the second player in the BCS era to win the Heisman and the National Championship in the same year, the sixth player since 1950 to accomplish the feat, the first running back since Tony Dorsett for Pittsburgh in 1976. Trent Richardson had 109 yards on 19 carries and two TDs, also. Greg McElroy was 6 of 11 for 58 yards passing. He just never seemed to be comfortable and thankfully wasn’t forced to throw, thanks to our running game.
The Tide brings home lucky thirteen, their eighth major poll title, tying them with Notre Dame for the most. They lead the nation in bowl appearances and bowl wins also.
Alabama is picked to be the pre-season number one for next season as well. Next season will bring what it will when it will. For now they can bask in the glory and relish every second of fame that comes with winning a National Championship. What Coach Nick Saban has brought to the Capstone is nothing short of amazing. Bringing a storied program back to where it once was, back to where Crimson Tide football belongs. At the top. Where it looks they may be to stay.
Congratulations Alabama, on your unbeaten season, your Heisman Trophy winner, your unprecedented six first-team All-Americans, your 22nd SEC title, and your 13th National Championship. Congratulations Alabama on lucky thirteen. May it bring thirteen more. Roll Tide!!!
By MP
Comments?
Tags: Alabama versus Texas, BCS National Championship, Pasadena California, Rose Bowl, University of Alabama
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Who Is My Neighbor?
January 9th, 2010
Yes, Virginia and he lives in Greenwood, Alabama
As the hustle-bustle of the holiday season ends and we stash away decorations in
the attic, ever wonder what comes of old Saint Nick? I am not speaking of the
light up model you took off the roof but the living, breathing one. Does he
drift back to the North Pole and start making toys for next year or to the
Caribbean for some fun in the sun? I found out that he actually goes back to
work for Norfolk Southern Railroad as a dispatcher for the Southeastern region.
Bo McDonald is one of many Santa’s helpers from our area who help spread Holiday
cheer around Christmas parties and local retailers like the “Bass Pro Shop” in Leeds.
He first donned a Santa suit many years ago for family events.
He was a natural with his prematurely gray whiskers; a thing that sets him apart from
many would be Santa’s who try to pull off fake beards. Bo has the personality to
go with the job description and being jolly is just being Bo. He is the kind of
person who makes you smile being around him.
For Bo the Christmas ritual began in earnest in 2005 and has taken his family a
bit by surprise. His daughter Ashley must now share her personal Kris Kringle
with thousands of others and wife Mae has to let moms kiss Santa beneath the
mistletoe without jealously. The family seems to have adapted although a couple
of brothers in- law think the whole thing is a bit much, reminding Bo “he is NOT
Santa Clause”. But Bo isn’t deluded in his role playing, just having the time of
his life. “The Christmas of 2008 was one of the best. It just makes Christmas
real and fun again to share it with so many people and to see the light in
children’s eyes.”
The job can be frantic at times. On one double shift over 1700 sittings/photos
were done in two days. Sometimes he gets a baby on his lap that needed a change
before landing there and of course some cry out of sheer terror and Mr.
Christmas must smile through the pain. Another integral part of the job is
listening to all the requests. Some are down-right silly but others tug on your
heart strings. “What gets to me most is how many children don’t ask for a toy
but for a happy home life for Christmas”.
Bo reminds everyone that Christmas is a celebration of giving more than of
receiving brings the real joy of the Holiday and that “Jesus is the reason for
the season”. “I am always meeting people and having the chance to talk with them.
You can touch the lives of children, they run to see Santa Clause excited beyond
words.” It’s not just children drawn to the bearded Saint. Adults love him too.
“One lady took my picture in the theater yesterday without asking.” The adults
usually have more unusual request and the toy list changes with the years but
for St. Nick and his helpers one thing remains the same ; people love the rosy
cheeked man in the red suit who has become a part of Christmas tradition.
When he is not busy with photo ops and parties, he is dispatching trains or
helping his mom Willine or doing some other regular Joe (Bo) stuff around
Greenwood Alabama.Bo hopes to one day soon make it a year round job. It seems
he’s found his calling.
Tommy Littleton
Who is my neighbor invites you to meet the interesting people around you and,
like Jesus said, be a neighbor to them.
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‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
December 12th, 2009
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas — A Parody
By Keri Pugh—Student Brookwood High School
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Everyone was restless, including the mouse.
Scurrying around in search for a snack, he found Santa’s cookies
And he won’t give them back.
The children, all peeking out into the snow
Patiently waiting on Santa to show
Leaving us gifts neatly under the tree
Lots of great toys for sister and me.
When all of a sudden, I heard a big crash.
I ran from my room, gone in a flash
I arrived to a living room full of debris
Santa crashed right through the roof, destroying the tree
He looked at me with eyes really wide–
The reindeer are gone just the sleigh is inside!
I looked at the hole Santa came through
He says with a sigh “what will I do?”
Santa chanted a merry little chant
“Soon” he says “the elves will be here”
“Without a doubt they’ll fix this mess.
So, other children won’t go Christmas-less”
The elves ride in on candy canes
Zipping through clouds like airplanes
The elves, like magic, fix the place up
Fresh cookies on the plate, even milk in the cup!
He leaves tons of great gifts all festively wrapped,
Continues his trip–he has it all mapped.
This night is a night, I won’t soon forget
This Christmas is the best one yet!
“Merry Christmas!” I shouted as he flew away
Off into the night reindeer pulling his sleigh
He proclaims a loud “Ho, Ho, Ho!!” with great cheer
“Good night to all! I’ll see you next year!”
Tags: Brookwood High School Tuscaloosa County Alabama, Student Reporter Program
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McAdory High School Participates in VSA Arts of Alabama
December 3rd, 2009
McAdory High School would like to congratulate students Anthony McElroy and David Romine. Both students participated in the 2009 VSA Arts of Alabama “Call for Art.” The artwork was on display at Children’s Hospital for months.
Tags: Arts, McAdory High School
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SHM’s Glycemic Control Mentored Implementation Targets Hyperglycemia
December 3rd, 2009
The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) is announcing the launch of its new Glycemic Control Mentored Implementation (GCMI) project. Now in place in 30 hospitals across the country, the new program will improve early detection and treatment of hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients.
Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and the fourth most common co-morbid condition complicating all hospital discharges. Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, in hospitalized patients complicates a variety of illnesses and is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes. Read the rest of this entry »
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Lake View Elementary Fall Festival
November 26th, 2009
Lake View Fall Festival Created Smiles for All!
Tags: Lake View Elementary, Tuscaloosa County School System
Posted in Community Activism, Education | No Comments »
Breakfast With Santa at Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q Tannehill State Park
November 25th, 2009
Make your reservation now to have a special Breakfast with Santa at
Bob Sykes BBQ in Tannehill State Park.
You will be able to enjoy a delicious Southern breakfast, decorating a holiday cookie, Christmas Carolers, Christmas elves as servers, and a special visit at your table from Santa. This is a great way to get your photo with Santa in a relaxed yet fun atmosphere.
Cost: $20.00 per child and adult
Each child receives chocolate chip or regular pancakes, bacon, fruit, and drink
Adults receive a breakfast casserole, scones, fruit, and drink.
A visit to the cookie station to decorate their own cookie, a visit with Santa and an 8×10 sheet of photos with Santa.
Dates: December 5th, 6th,12th, 13th, 19th and 20th
Time: 2 different sitting times to choose from 9am and 11am
Where: Bob Sykes Bar B Q in Tannehill State Park
Tannehill State Park
12632 Confederate Parkway
McCalla, Al 35111
205.477.4121
Tags: Alabama, Bob Sykes Bar B Q, Christmas, Tannehill State Park
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University of Alabama News
November 21st, 2009
UA Joins Rural Partners to Expand Tourism along Lower Cahaba with Unveiling of Nature-Historic Site Signs
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development in partnership with several agencies will be unveiling a series of signs highlighting Alabama’s natural beauty to guide visitors through a four-county area along the Cahaba River.
Facts about rare birds, mussels, butterflies and where to see these endangered species are included on the signs, as well as a synopsis of 10 highlighted historic/nature and outdoor recreation sites that can be explored and visited.
The signs can be used as a guide to explore Alabama’s past, says Nisa Miranda, UCED director. ”Whether you want to connect with the Civil War, the civil rights movement, watch the birds, bicycle, camp, or browse through a museum, there is plenty to discover along the lower Cahaba River. The signs include a detailed map so travelers can locate charming towns and their nearby historic treasures - all within a 1-1/2-hour drive.”
To mark the unveiling of the new signs, five unveiling events will take place in selected areas on Friday, Dec. 4, including:
-The ceremonies will begin in Hale County at 8:30 a.m. at the entrance to the Moundville Archaeological Park.
-The next ceremony will take place in nearby Brent at 10:30 a.m. at the park in front of Brent City Hall, 22 1st St.
-Following will be the Cahaba River Historical Park, 421 Montevallo Road, in Centreville with a ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
-From Centreville, the next ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the Perry County Chamber of Commerce, 1200 Washington St., Marion.
-The final ceremony will take place at the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center on Hwy. 175 near Marion at the entrance road to Perry Lakes Park and Bartons Beach Preserve at 2:30 p.m.
UCED has partnered with the Corp. for National and Community Service-AmeriCorps VISTA, USDA Forest Service Oakmulgee District, Bibb County Commission, Alabama Historical Commission, Perry County Chamber of Commerce and Moundville Archaeological Park with the goal of expanding tourism and outdoor recreation in west central Alabama. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Cahaba River, Historic, Nature, University of Alabama
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Bob Sykes Tannehill World Class Bar-B-Q and Blues—
November 15th, 2009
Van Sykes from the Historical Tannehill State Park Bob Sykes B-B-Q
A Flavor of the Historical South
I found Van Sykes to be an articulate, learned man, yet humble with his successful culinary art. Even though Sykes is an extremely busy man he exuded every bit of traditional southern charm as time and questions passed effortlessly. Sykes kicked back, speaking with me as old friends of the South might do — sharing southern culinary techniques, processes and future aspirations in his life and within the Bob Sykes Restaurant business.
Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, Pride of the South, has expanded to a new location within the Historical Tannehill Ironworks State Park. What could be more appropeaux? A historical product served within a historical setting. As some things will remain the same, some will change and evolve within this location. What will remain the same is the authenticity of the product, and the changes will take place methodically– not radically. The excitement for Sykes’ plans, spilled over into our conversation.
He revealed, “This year we are offering sweet potato casserole and pans of dressing for people who do not like to cook. “I am working on a smoked ham product, breading our own chicken tenders, and I want to have a good southern style light bread catfish.” During this arm of his career Sykes said he would like to experiment more with Southern food, do a few things that are fun and seasonal such as festivals. He also plans to produce a barbequed turkey for holidays sometime in the future and to introduce a cooking class conducted by a chef. (This writer was possibly the first to enroll.)
In regards to Sykes deeper involvement with southern food recipes, is the fact that Sykes is a founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, along with well known chefs such as Frank Stitt, Paul Prudhomme, and Ella Brennan of Brennan’s in New Orleans. This interaction with other great food artists enables him to draw from a vast cabinet of recipes created and preserved by some of our greatest southern chefs. Sykes shared, “I am able to reach out and find recipes to keep it fresh and exciting for people who come to the park.” Sykes plans to share from his own collection of southern recipes monthly via the Tannehill Trader. He will have a food column filled with recipes, tidbits and book reviews. This column will begin in the December issue. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: BLues Music, Bob Sykes Bar B Q, Historical State Park, Tannehill State Park
Posted in Community Activism | No Comments »
Arguing with idiots may be a waste of time, but reading Beck’s new book isn’t
November 9th, 2009
A BOOK REVIEW
Ah, Glenn Beck. Let’s not sugarcoat it. I luvvv him. Wanna marry him, but both he and I are both already attached. And happily so. But were we not…
OK, seriously, it seems there are only two kinds of people out there when it comes to Glenn Beck: those who love him and those who loathe him. Those who are ecstatic that somebody is finally saying what they’ve been thinking all these years, and those who hate that books by conservatives are enjoying more time on the New York Times Best Seller list than books by liberals. Because that means the latter folks are surrounded by brainless half-breeds, of course! Ugh!
Glenn Beck’s new book, Arguing With Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government, points the finger in the other direction. The book is written in debate form – two characters going back and forth, each with a different point of view. They banter on the topics you’d expect: Second Amendment rights, education, illegal immigration, universal health care, capitalism, economics, energy and more. Glenn Beck naturally takes the conservative/libertarian position, and the other guy, the imaginary idiot who appears to be part Rosie O’Donnell, part Keith Olbermann and part Roseanne Barr, takes the “living in a separate reality” position. The goal of the book seems to be to prove, using facts, that some positions out there really are just plain crazy.
I say “using facts” because Beck does, in fact, use facts – there are, count ‘em, 25 pages of footnotes in about size 8 font at the back of the book. Amongst these footnotes for Beck’s chapter on gun control: a 2007 London Times article that notes a 340% increase of gun-related crimes between 1998-2005 in Britain, where Parliament enacted a near-total handgun ban in 1997. In his chapter on universal healthcare, a footnote from a U.S. Census report showing that 18 million people without insurance have a household income of over $50,000 a year, and more than half of those folks have a household income of more than $75,000 a year. On the same page, a footnote from a book called Reality Check: The Unreported Good News About America, which highlights the fact that of the famous “46 million uninsured” figure, 10 million of those are illegal aliens.
But Arguing With Idiots isn’t just a bunch of boring facts (that Glenn Beck coerced people into fabricating for his sake, of course!). It’s also chock full of “Guest Ideeot” quotes – real quotes from real people who said stupid things on tape, such as Rosie O’Donnell quipping “It’s not really a right” to Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s assertion that the right to bear arms is indeed in our Constitution.
Beck fills the book with all kinds of “A.D.D. Moments” – his term for comments and tangents that are related to the topic at hand but that don’t necessarily fit in with the discourse (by the way, Glenn Beck has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The opening “A.D.D. Moment” to the chapter on home ownership: “Looking at my mortgage statement, using the word “owned” is as ridiculous as using the word “married” to describe the way I look at Gisele.”
Bottom line: if you believe what Glenn Beck believes, Arguing With Idiots amounts to one heck of a fun read. But, truly, it’s more than just fun – it’s solid argument, too. Beck says in his intro, “There are plenty of good debates to be had in America, but we often forget that opinions should end where facts begin.” Serious point from a guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously. No matter what you think on the various issues discussed, Beck lays out his arguments with facts that readers can verify for themselves. That’s a tactic we would all do well to emulate. Only when we can back up our arguments with facts does it make any sense to open our mouths. Otherwise, as the Bible says, we just reveal we’re fools. And idiots.
By Bonnie Bailey
Tags: Book Review, Glenn Beck, Health Care, Republican
Posted in Arts, World News | No Comments »
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