Johnathan Austin Campaign Launch Party and Fundraiser
May 29, 2009 by Russ McClinton
Filed under Politics |
Johnathan Austin City Council District 5
TONIGHT - The friends of Johnathan F. Austin will be hosting a “kick-off” fund raiser Thursday, May 28 at Twist and Shout from 6-8:30p. Councilor Austin will be the guest of honor, and featured speaker at this event. Come meet and greet the city’s dynamic City Councilor as he will shares his goals and vision for the citizens and merchants of District 5, as well as the exciting progress made since his appointment in December 2008!
This event will be an incredible social gala with many different types of people with one goal: to continue to live, work, and play in Birmingham’s premiere loft and entertainment district, District 5!
Live Entertainment:: Casual Dress Code:: Centrally Located.
Twist and Shout
2011 Highland Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
6p – 8:30p
BCRI Kicks Off Summer With Juneteenth Celebration!
May 27, 2009 by Russ McClinton
Filed under Community |
IT’S TIME FOR THE 14TH ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CULTURE FEST featuring “The Recession Proof Block Party”
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) has hosted its Juneteenth Celebration for over a decade and this year’s fourteenth anniversary promises to be an event to remember! The commemoration acknowledges the date (June 19, 1865) when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally received word they were free.
On Saturday, June 6, 2009, the Institute will host its free day-long street festival beginning at 11:00 a.m. The celebration will feature live music, activities for children and fun dance contests for all ages. Kelly Ingram Park will be transformed into a Children’s Village with moon walks, storytellers, art activities and more. Additionally, there will be a performance stage for spoken word artists along with R&B, jazz and gospel performances. Along Sixteenth Street, individuals can look forward to a multitude of vendors selling tasty dishes with a Southern flair, colorful art, jewelry and more. Additionally there will be a performance stage for spoken word artists along with R&B, reggae, jazz and gospel performers. “The Recession Proof Block Party” begins at 6:30 p.m. and will feature a block-long “Electric Slide” line dance.
On Sunday, June 7, the community is invited to bring the weekend to a close by gathering for an 11:00 a.m. worship service at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church where Rev. Arthur Price is Pastor.
Vendor space is still available! For additional information regarding the Juneteenth Culture Fest, contact Angela Fisher Hall at (866) 328-9696, ext. 211 or visit the Institute’s Web site at www.bcri.org.
U.S. Congressman Artur Davis (AL-7) Hosts Homeownership and Lending Event
May 27, 2009 by Urbanham
Filed under Community, Community Focus |
Thursday, May 28, 2009
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Birmingham City Hall
City Council Chambers, 3rd Floor
710 20th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Are you facing foreclosure or struggling to make your mortgage payment due to an adjustable rate mortgage? Seek help now—before it is too late! Join Congressman Davis and a panel of lending experts for a valuable discussion on homeownership — including information on how to purchase a new home or keep the one you have. Attendees will hear about the latest information regarding programs designed to help those having trouble making mortgage payments avoid foreclosure. For more information on this event, contact Sissy Hembree in the Birmingham office at 205-254-1960.
Panelists:
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Neighborhood Housing Services
Alabama Bar Association
Regions Financial
Sissy Hembree
Special Projects Coordinator
Office of U.S. Representative Artur Davis, AL-7
Two North Twentieth, Suite 1130
Birmingham, AL 35203
205-254-1960 phone
205-254-1974 fax
Fashion on Canvas coming to Birmingham this September
The Fashion on Canvas fashion show is a unique display of art, high fashion and body art coming to Birmingham this September.
The show will present high fashion from area designers and boutiques as well as artwork from selected artist and photographers.
Interested models, designers, artist and photographers should email models@reallifefashion.com to be notified of upcoming model calls and participation information.
Fashion on Canvas : The Art of Fashion
The Highland Conference Center
2012 Magnolia Avenue
Birmingham Southside
September 20, 2009
Alabama A&M University Celebrates Founder’s Week Student Convocation Speaker Erskine “Chuck” Faush
May 25, 2009 by Russ McClinton
Filed under Community |
Erskine “Chuck” Faush enters his sixth season as host an executive producer of BET Networks nContrast. The weekly entertainment celebrity talker,covers film, television, stage,events, fashion and lifestyle. He also hosts Epiphany, a weekly, faith based celebrity talker broadcast internationally on the Inspiration Network wrapping a four season run. Other credits include ESPN, Simmons Latham Media Group, Tribune and FOX Sports.
Faush returns an Ordained Minister Back on “The Hill”
Faush is an ordained Minister in African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and is Pastor of One Zion United AME Zion Church in Birmingham, AL. Being back on the Hill is exciting to both reminisce and see the incredible expansion of the University, Faush said. He also joined the AAMU Media Department in a special broadcast presentation on the State of the HBCU.
New Legislation Introduced HBCU Tour Scheduled
The 1st tour stop of BETJ nContrast “Are HBCUs Still Needed”, panel discussion, was held on April 17, 2009. This forum presented by the Just Be Reel Foundation., was hosted in the rocket city of Huntsville, AL, on the historic campus of Alabama A&M University. With legislation currently being introduced in several states, it is imperative that organizations become proactive and host these types of panel discussions. BETJ nContrast has targeted six other HBCUs to be future panel sites.
Contact: Bessie Bell / Just Be Reel Foundation Jbreel@aol.com / 205.529.9404 Jeffrey Burgin, Jr., AAMU Interim VP Student Affairs Jeffery.burgin@aamu.edu / 256.372.5233 ###
ADRENALINE MMA III – “BRAGGING RIGHTS” MAKE HISTORY IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2009
WHERE: LINN PARK — BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
TIME: 11:30AM – 12:30PM
ADRENALINE MMA III – “BRAGGING RIGHTS” MAKE HISTORY IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA AS
MAYOR LARRY “PRIMETIME” LANGFORD FACE-OFF AGAINST OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST &
FORMER BOXINGHEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD RAY “THE MERCILESS” MERCER
Birmingham, AL – Adrenaline MMA III – “Bragging Rights” will make history in Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 in Linn Park — Downtown Birmingham, Alabama has Mayor Larry “Primetime” Langford face-off against Olympic Gold Medalist & Former Boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World Ray “The Merciless” Mercer. Adrenaline MMA President & CEO Monte Cox states, “this is unbelievable, is Mayor Larry “Primetime” Langford out of his mind – Ray “The Merciless Mercer stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 250 pounds and he boxes for a living. Also, he wants a piece of the Ultimate Fighting Champion – who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 275 pounds. Well, the City of Birmingham will be looking for a new Mayor,” states Cox.
Mayor Larry “Primetime” Langford who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs-in at 135 pounds promises to put Mercer and Sylvia on their backs. Birmingham, Alabama, is a city of the move! Under my leadership, the city, with its ‘do something’ attitude is determined to be the best ‘New South’ city in the nation and one of the world’s leading centers for medical research, biotechnology, green space and world-class culture! Together with our City Council, I pledge to put our citizens first and to make Birmingham ‘More Magic Than Ever.” Basically, I’m going to kick Mercer and Sylvia butts,” states Mayor Larry “Primetime” Langford. “All Birmingham Citizens come out to Linn Park and bring your lunch because it’s going to be a very long day,” says Mercer.
For more information on Adrenaline MMA III – “Bragging Rights” please visit www.mmaweekly.com, and/or by calling 641-821-0300.
###
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chris Hartsell, Chief of Operations – City of Birmingham 205-254-2320 chris.hatsell@birminghamal.gov
Andrew Wyatt, Media Consultant- Purpose PR Firm 205-422-5573 purposeprfirm@yahoo.com
Rod Ricciardi, Promoter- Adrenaline MMA III 205-249-6014 romani771@yahoo.com
Patricia Pickett, President- South Models, LLC 205-305-8912 pdpickett@gmail.com
About Adrenaline MMA III – Bragging Rights!
Monte Cox is the President & CEO of Adrenaline MMA. He gave up a decorated career as a newspaper editor and entered the world of mixed martial arts in 1995. Almost (13) years later, he’s generally considered one of the world’s most successful fight managers, having produced a record (7) World Champions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and built an impressive team of nearly (60) World-Class Competitors. As a promoter, Cox has staged well over (400) events, including the flagship Extreme Challenge Event. He has been called the “gold standard” of promoters by UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva, and the benchmark for fight managers. He has been featured and quoted in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, USA Today and numerous industry publications. A graduate of Ball State University, Cox majored in Journalism with a Minor in English. He spent (11) years as the Sports Editor of the Muncie Evening Press (Muncie, Indiana), followed by (7) years with Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa), where he was Sports Editor and later News Editor. Cox is a former professional boxer. For more information, visit www.coxcorner.tripod.com and/or call 641-821-0300.
Twelve Major Brands That Will Disappear Soon
A number of well-known brands disappeared in the last year in large part due to economic forces. Many of them were in the retail industry, led by Circuit City. ATA and Aloha airlines are gone. Gateway Computers has effectively disappeared after being bought by Acer. It still has a website, but the brand is no longer marketed.
As the recession deepens and stretches out quarter after quarter, more companies will close or will shut divisions. More brands will disappear because their parents firms fold or can no longer afford to support them. Other brands will be obliterated by mergers.
Natalie Cole has kidney transplant
May 21, 2009 by Urbanham
Filed under Entertainment, Music |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — Singer Natalie Cole underwent kidney transplant surgery at a Los Angeles, California, hospital Tuesday, according to a statement from her publicist.
Natalie Cole holds one of the Grammys she received in February for “Still Unforgettable.”
Cole was “resting comfortably” at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, it said.
“Ms. Cole’s physicians have advised her to postpone her summer tour dates as she recuperates for the next three to four months,” it said.
Rescheduled concert dates will be announced soon for Cole’s tour, which is in support of her current double-Grammy-winning CD, “Still Unforgettable.”
The Birmingham Heritage Festival makes a comeback!
May 19, 2009 by Urbanham
Filed under Entertainment |
The Birmingham Heritage Festival
August 14th, 15th, and 16th
Downtown Birmingham, Linn Park Area
Birmingham, AL – One of the most anticipated events in the South is back! The Birmingham Heritage Festival has returned to Birmingham under new management. The Ascension Event Management Group will be promoting this year’s festival and it is estimated that over 100,000 people will attend this historically sought out event and activities. The Ascension Event Management Group promises to deliver many of the traditional components that The Birmingham Heritage Festival is famous for. R&B and Gospel talent, cultural arts & performances, merchandise & commercial vendors, and some of the best cuisine in the South! People everywhere are welcomed to attend.
The festival will begin with community empowerment seminars that will focus on family strengthening, health screening, and financial empowerment. These seminars will be held at the Boutwell Auditorium beginning Tuesday, August 11th and continuing through Thursday, August 13th at no cost to the public.
The musical festival will take place in and around Linn Park on Friday, August 14th from 5:30pm – 12am, Saturday the 15th from 12pm - 12am, and Sunday the 16th from 1pm – 11pm. Featured artists include: Keyshia Cole, Joe, Avant, Angie Stone, Chaka Khan, The S. O. S. Band, Flo Rida, and Atlantic Starr. Other artists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Featured artists will be performing on two main stages and local & regional artists will perform in a tented lounge area. New to the event, will be the Mobile Sports Bar fully equipped with satellite television and other audio and visual amenities. The festival will include an exclusive kid’s area with clowns, face painting, bounce a rounds, arts & crafts, and carnival rides.
Kids 12 and under will be admitted at no cost when accompanied by a paying adult. Advanced weekend passes are available from May 4th – June 6th for $45. After June 6th, weekend passes will be priced at $55. Daily passes are $33.
Tickets are available online at www.bhamheritagefest.com or call (205) 994-6980 for ticket purchasing and to hear general information about the festival.
Major sponsors include Coca-Cola United of Birmingham, Cox Radio, NBC 13, and The City of Birmingham.
Former Oklahoma great Tisdale dies at 44
May 16, 2009 by Urbanham
Filed under Entertainment, Sports |
Wayman Tisdale, a three-time All-American at Oklahoma who played 12 seasons in the NBA, died after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 44.
Tisdale died Friday morning at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, hospital spokeswoman Joy McGill said.
After three years at Oklahoma, Tisdale played in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-9 forward, with a soft left-handed touch on the court and a wide smile off it, averaged 15.3 points for his career. He was on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.
After basketball, he became an award-winning jazz musician, with several albums making the top 10 on the Billboard charts.
“Wayman Tisdale is one of the best people I have ever had the privilege of knowing,” Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said in a statement. “He had an incredible gift of making the people who came in contact with him feel incredibly special.”
Tisdale’s death was announced on the Oklahoma Senate floor Friday by Senate Majority Leader Todd Lamb, who led the chamber in prayer.
“Whether you’re a Cowboy or a Sooner, Oklahoma has lost a great ambassador,” Lamb said. “He was a gifted musician, a gifted athlete and he just wore that well wherever he went.”
Gov. Brad Henry attended Oklahoma at the same time Tisdale did and later appointed him to the state’s Tourism Commission.
“Oklahoma has lost one of its most beloved sons,” Henry said. “Wayman Tisdale was a hero both on and off the basketball court. … Even in the most challenging of times, he had a smile for people, and he had the rare ability to make everyone around him smile. He was one of the most inspirational people I have ever known.”
The famously upbeat Tisdale learned he had cancerous cyst below his right knee after breaking his leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2007. He said then he was fortunate to have discovered the cancer early.
“Nothing can change me,” Tisdale told The Associated Press last June. “You go through things. You don’t change because things come in your life. You get better because things come in your life.”
His leg was amputated last August and a prosthetic leg that he wore was crimson, one of the colors of his beloved Oklahoma Sooners. He made a handful of public appearances in recent weeks, including one April 7 at an Oklahoma City Thunder game, where he received the team’s Community Hero Award.
Also within the past month, Tisdale was honored at the Greenwood Cultural Center in his hometown of Tulsa and presented with the Legacy Award. During the ceremony, he spoke about his cancer, saying “In my mind, I’ve beaten it.”
Last month, Tisdale was chosen for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was the first freshman to be a first-team All-American since freshmen were allowed to play again in the 1971-72 season. He was also one of 10 three-time All-Americans: The others were Oscar Robertson, Bill Walton, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Patrick Ewing, Tom Gola, Jerry Lucas, David Thompson and Ralph Sampson. Ewing and Tisdale were the last to accomplish the feat, from 1983-85.
Tisdale played on an Olympic team that sailed to the gold medal in Los Angeles. The squad was coached by Bob Knight and featured the likes of Ewing, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and Chris Mullin.
“Wayman was kind of a catalyst for people accepting roles,” said C.M. Newton, the manager of the ‘84 team and now chairman of the NIT selection committee. “Michael was the leader of the team but Wayman was special in that way. He had a great work ethic. He loved to play and was just fun to be around.”
Perkins and Tisdale shared a love of music and became fast friends during their Olympic experience. Perkins later was the best man at Tisdale’s wedding.
“That’s a real friend who’s got your back and would do just about anything for you,” Perkins said. “That smile just gets you. He was upbeat all the time.”
Tisdale averaged 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds during his three seasons with the Sooners, earning Big Eight Conference player of the year each season.
He still holds Oklahoma’s career scoring record with 2,661 points and career rebounding record with 1,048. Tisdale also owns the school’s single-game scoring mark, a 61-point outing against Texas-San Antonio as a sophomore, along with career records in points per game, field goals and free throws made and attempts.
In 1997, Tisdale became the first Oklahoma player in any sport to have his jersey number retired. Two years ago, then-freshman Blake Griffin asked Tisdale for permission to wear No. 23, which Tisdale granted. Griffin went on to become the consensus national player of the year this past season as a sophomore.
“His basketball talent and accomplishments pale in comparison to the impact he had on the lives that he influenced by the way he lived his life, and the tremendous character he displayed in his fight with cancer,” Capel said.
“Throughout it all, he always had that infectious smile. This is an incredibly sad day as we have lost not only one of the greatest Sooners ever, but one of the all-time best people to walk the face of this earth.”
Tisdale is survived by his wife, Regina, and four children.
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Associated Press Writer Ron Jenkins in Oklahoma City and AP Sports Writers Larry Lage in Detroit, Jim O’Connell in New York, Doug Tucker in Kansas City, Mo., and Cliff Brunt in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
