I have one of those long-winded baseball posts in the works for tomorrow, so I figured I’d take a stab at the Ramble today (knowing that with my luck I’ll think of some more stuff or issues of interest before Sunday). I have a feeling that I will end up doing two posts tomorrow as well. Thanks for the encouragement.
The world of young professionals keeps on chugging
It’s been a while since I’ve even tried to do this. First of all, I’d like to point out the latest edition to the MySpace universe insofar as civic organizations go. The Birmingham Jaycees set up shop on the MySpace caravan earlier this week. I’d invite you to check it out as they update it over the next few days.
There is also news on the roundtable front as it moves forward in planning stages. Meetings have taken place in recent weeks to discuss how to move forward with this concept. I was able to sit in on one of these discussions and it is very promising. The hope and apparent eventual reality is that several organizations will be willing to come to the table and move on the idea of opening additional lines of communication. I look forward to letting you know more about what is going on as information becomes available.
Chow down on some crawfish
Though I will not be going, the idea of attending the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil is still tempting as it begins tomorrow evening downtown. One of the coolest things about the festival for me is not the lineup but the advertisements for the event. This year’s advertisements actually call the location for the event the Railroad Reservation Park. The park was recently announced to be in the implementation as noted in this press release from City Hall. I would be happy to go out on a limb and say that this is the first time that the park has been identified by its name as the location for an event. Those that were beginning to lose hope about the future of the park, realize that it is in the public psyche now more than ever. The question as always is now a matter of when; according to published reports, dirt should be moving within the next year.
Hope springs eternal as dirt begins to move
Another event that is taking place in the upcoming days is not one that will probably draw the same type of attention or crowds as the Crawfish Boil. The symbolic nature of the event will be one that has the potential focus the spotlight on a great section of the city. Groundbreaking for the Tuxedo Court HOPE VI development will be taking place on Monday, May 8 on the 1600 block of 20th Place. Here’s a link to an article from earlier this week in the Birmingham News talking about the event. Here are two link, (#1, #2) courtesy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for those that are not familiar with what HOPE VI is. I apologize for the legalize talk that I know exists in some of these documents. For some, this is another project under way. For others it could be the first in several steps to energize a community.
I appear to have decided to move to town at a very awkward time in the history of that area. I brought Bets to town for her first visit the evening of the shootings of the three police officers. I never imagined that one of my focus areas would be Ensley only three months later. This section of the city, particularly its downtown, holds a special place in the hearts of many residents in this region. The historic buildings and the community spirit in this section of town has few equals. The redevelopment of the brickyard as it’s known by former residents and neighbors will be the brightest sign yet that there are great things happening in Ensley and in Birmingham. There are several other projects currently taking place in the area, including the completion of a new expanded Jackson Olin High School that will house both “JO” and Ensley High School and plans for a linear park to be installed along Village Creek. There are businesses in downtown Ensley that have been servicing the surrounding community and the region for several generations. Hopefully these current activities will help encourage a new generation to begin to look at this historic section of the city in a new light.
And check out the picture from this morning. Are there any other “lost” signs that should be sought out around the region?
Cheers.
