Home Blog Page 107

Birmingham Retirees Could See First Pension Raise in Over 20 Years Under New Proposal

0
A proposed $400 monthly increase for Birmingham retirees would cost the city an additional $22 million and now awaits approval from the city council. (File)

Retired City of Birmingham employees may be getting a long-awaited boost to their monthly pension—potentially their first increase in more than two decades.

On Wednesday, the city’s pension board voted to recommend a $400 per month raise for all retired municipal workers. It’s a proposal that still needs final approval from the Birmingham City Council, but for many who’ve spent their careers in public service, it’s a hopeful step forward.

If passed, the city’s contribution to the pension fund would increase by more than $22 million in the next fiscal year. That’s in addition to the nearly $38 million already budgeted to maintain the pension system.

Pension board trustee Dexter Cunningham said the increase is modest compared to the value retirees bring to the city.

“We’re going to lobby the council and hopefully they will hopefully try and find a way to maybe not give some money to outside interest, outside of the state or outside of the city to look after the people who’ve served. So we’re talking about less than a percent increase in compensation. That’s not too much to ask,” Cunningham said.

Randall Woodfin. (File)

Mayor Randall Woodfin, who serves as chair of the pension board, provided the following statement following the board’s vote to approve the recommendation:

“The city is committed to strengthening our pension and supporting our current and retired employees.This administration inherited a pension system more than seven years ago that was severely underfunded. Every year we have increased our contributions to the system and even secured legislation in Montgomery to ensure the pension fund would be adequately funded for the future.Today’s recommendation by the board would increase the city’s contribution by more than $22 million in the next fiscal year. That would be in addition to a minimum $38 million contribution from the city to maintain the pension in the upcoming budget.This comes as the city continues to work to project revenue for the upcoming operating budget. The security of the pension fund is our absolute priority for our employees and retirees. We will take a close look at what impact this recommendation will have on the pension and the budget.”

While the vote marks progress, city leaders emphasized that this increase would only apply to the upcoming fiscal year. A long-term solution for pension adjustments would still need further discussion and action.The proposal will now head to the city council for debate and a potential vote in the coming weeks.

April 10, 2025

0
By multiple measures, the Birmingham area has seen dramatic declines in unemployment since the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

 

_____________________________

 

Employment

____________________________

 

Public Safety Ambassador

 

BJCC, is recruiting for a 1) Public Safety Ambassador, for information & to apply visit https://www.bjcc.org/jobs/ or send resume to careers@bjcc.org /fax resume 205-458-8530.

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

______________________________

 

LEGAL

 

______________________________

 

 

 

 

CASE NO. CV-2024-900567

 

 

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

 

TO:     STATE OF ALABAMA, ELLA FREEMAN BOWDEN AND HER HEIRS AND DEVISEES, (DECEASED), HERBERT E. PAGEL AND HIS HEIRS AND DEVISEES, IF DECEASED, J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA AND ANY AND ALL OTHER UNKNOWN HEIRS, CLAIMANTS OR INTERESTED PARTIES CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTAGE, LEIN, OR INTEREST IN THE REAL ESTATE DESCRIBED HEREIN,

 

The  Birmingham Land Bank Authority (the “Land Bank”), a public corporation organized under the laws of the State of Alabama, filed a Petition to Quiet Title and Foreclosure (the “Petition”) on the property described herein on February 12, 2025, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County and recorded a Notice of Pending Quiet Title and Foreclosure Action (the “Lis Pendens”) on March 11, 2025, in the Probate Court of Jefferson County Alabama. Notice is hereby given that a final hearing was set to be heard on May 5, 2025 at 10:00 A.M. at the Jefferson County Courthouse, Courtroom 340, 716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard, North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. The property that is the subject of this hearing is described as follows:

Property Address: 2626 17th Street, Birmingham, Alabama 35208

Tax Parcel ID No.:  22-00-32-4-017-004.000 a/k/a 0122003240170040000000

Legal Description:  Lot 5, Block A, according to the Survey of Shadyside Park Addition to Birmingham as recorded in Map Book 13, Page 31, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama, a/k/a LOT 5 BLK A SHADY SIDE PARK ADD TO BIHAM LYING S OF I-59.

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION.  The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority.  Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975 et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued.  FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE FIVE-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.  The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 20th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 and may be contacted care of the City of Birmingham Law Department at 205-254-2117.

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

CASE NO. CV-2024-900534

 

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO:     CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, BAMA LTD, INC., RESIDENTIAL FUNDING CORPORTATION, J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; AND ANY AND ALL OTHER UNKNOWN HEIRS, CLAIMANTS OR INTERESTED PARTIES CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN, OR INTEREST IN THE REAL ESTATE DESCRIBED HEREIN,

 

The  Birmingham Land Bank Authority (the “Land Bank”), a public corporation organized under the laws of the State of Alabama, filed a Petition to Quiet Title and Foreclosure (the “Petition”) on the property described herein on February 10, 2025, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County and recorded a Notice of Pending Quiet Title and Foreclosure Action (the “Lis Pendens”) on March 11, 2025, in the Probate Court of Jefferson County Alabama. Notice is hereby given that a final hearing was set to be heard on April 17, 2025 at 11:15 A.M. at the Jefferson County Courthouse, Courtroom 340, 716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard, North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. The property that is the subject of this hearing is described as follows:

Property Address: 1936 Clover Drive, Birmingham, Alabama 35214

Tax Parcel ID No.:  22-00-21-2-002-030.000 a/k/a 012200212002030000000

Legal Description:  Lots 27, Block 4, according to the Survey of Shadyside Park Addition to Birmingham as recorded in Map Book 163, Page 11, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama, a/k/a LOT 27 BLK 4 PHASE 1 4TH SECT HUNTINGTON HILLS 1ST ADD 163/81

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION.  The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority.  Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975 et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued.  FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE FIVE-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.  The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 20th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 and may be contacted care of the City of Birmingham Law Department at 205-254-2117.

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

CASE NO. CV-2025-900880.00

 

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO:      ALISON LEA KETCHAM and LISA LYNN LARGE, as heirs of E. RAY LARGE; PAMELA J. PARSONS, as heir of STANFORD J. SKINNER; STANFORD J. SKINNER and unknown heirs of STANFORD J. SKINNER; E. RAY LARGE; DALE CORLEY and unknown heirs of DALE CORLEY; JAMES M. COOKE and unknown heirs of JAMES M. COOKE; ROSEMARY COOKE and unknown heirs of ROSEMARY COOKE; JAMES M. COOKE, JR.; MYRA LEIGH GERONTAKIS; JOHN MORGAN COOKE; JAMES W. CONRAD, III, as Trustee; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

TAKE NOTICE that on March 7, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

 

Property Address:       2104 18th Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35234

 

Tax Parcel ID No.:      01-22-00-23-4-031-002.000

 

Legal Description:      Lot 2, in Block 11, according to the map and survey of E. A. Westbrook as recorded in Map Book 74, Page 356, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama, situated in Jefferson County, Alabama (It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument No. 2019111476 as follows: LOT 2 BLK 11 E A WESTBROOK 74/356)

 

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION. The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for May 30, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:30 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

 

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th St., Birmingham, AL 35203. The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Cherokee W. Wooley, Law Offices of Thomas J. Skinner, IV, LLC, at (205) 802-2545.

 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this cause before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

CASE NO. CV-2025-900876.00

 

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO:      HENRY D. MARTIN and unknown heirs of HENRY D. MARTIN; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ROSCOE WHISENANT; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ROOSEVELT WHISENANT; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ETHEL WHISENANT; ROOSEVELT WHISENANT, III and unknown heirs of ROOSEVELT WHISENANT, III; PATRICIA WHISENANT BOWEN and unknown heirs of PATRICIA WHISENANT BOWEN; REPUBLIC FINANCE; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

TAKE NOTICE that on March 7, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

 

Property Address:       3401 33rd Terrace North, Birmingham, Alabama 35207

 

Tax Parcel ID No.:      01-22-00-13-4-001-007.000

 

Legal Description:      Lots 11 and 12, Block 1, according to the Survey of Douglasville, as recorded in Map Book 5, Page 119, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama, situated in Jefferson County, Alabama (It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument No. 2022101000 as follows: LOTS 11+12 BLK 1 DOUGLASVILLE)

 

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION. The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for July 21, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

 

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th St., Birmingham, AL 35203. The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Cherokee W. Wooley, Law Offices of Thomas J. Skinner, IV, LLC, at (205) 802-2545.

 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this cause before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

CASE NO. CV-2025-900875.00

 

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO:      ANGELA WELLS, individually and as heir of GWENDOLYN ADAMS; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF GWENDOLYN ADAMS; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF LAWRENCE ADAMS; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF EVELYN ADAMS; HEALTHCARE AUTHORITY FOR MEDICAL WEST, AN AFFILIATE OF UAB HEALTH SYSTEM; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

TAKE NOTICE that on March 7, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

 

Property Address:       4762 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222

 

Tax Parcel ID No.:      01-23-00-28-2-038-008.000

 

Legal Description:      SW ½ of Lot 29, in Block 4, in the survey of F.M. Wood, as recorded in Deed Book 71, Page 367, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama, situated in the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama (It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument No. 2017023617 as follows: SW ½ LOT 29 BLK 4 F M WOOD)

 

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION. The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for May 30, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:30 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

 

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th St., Birmingham, AL 35203. The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Cherokee W. Wooley, Law Offices of Thomas J. Skinner, IV, LLC, at (205) 802-2545.

 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this cause before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

CASE NO. CV-2024-900062

 

SECOND AMENDED NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO:     HEIRS OF ALPHONSO RIGGS, DECEASED; JOHNNIE LEVERT, DECEASED; JACKIE MCSWAIN, DECEASED; ESTELLA RIGGS; VANESSA DEDRICK; FREDDIE MEISTER; CALVIN RIGGS, DECEASED; ALHONSO RIGGS JR. DECEASED; JANEL MAYER; PORTIA COLEMAN BROWN; LARRY A. RIGGS, JR. DECEASED; ALABAMA MEDICAID AGENCY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY-IRS; ROYAL FURNITURE COMPANY, INC; J.T. SMALLWOOD; JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; LATONYA RIGGS JONES; TARA LASHONE RIGGS; SHAWNDA MICMILLAN; LILIAN DECENA RIGGS; ANTHONY LEVERT; ANTONIO LANIER LEVERT; JOYCELYN DIONE LEVERT STARR; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

 

TAKE NOTICE that on January 5, 2024, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

 

That part of Lot 3, in Block 3, according to the survey of the property of J.M. Ware, as recorded in Deed Record Volume 158, page 131, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama, more particularly  described as follows: Begin on the  westerly line of 12th Street as shown by the said plat at most southerly and easterly comer of said Lot 3: run thence southwesterly along the southeasterly lines of said Lot 3 for a distance of 100 feet; run thence northwesterly and parallel with the westerly line of 12th Street for a distance of 50 feet; run thence northeasterly and parallel with the southeasterly line of said Lot 3 for a distance of 100 feet to a point on the westerly line of 12th Street; run thence southeasterly along 12th Street for a distance of 50 feet to the Point of Beginning a/k/a SE 50 FT of NE 100 FT of LOT 3 BLK 3 JM WARE

 

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION.  The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for May 16, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., in Room 340, 716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard North, Jefferson County Courthouse, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority.  Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued.  FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

 

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th St, Birmingham, AL 35203.  The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Greer B. Mallette, Christian & Small, LLP 505 20th Street North, Suite 1800 Financial Center, Birmingham, AL 35203 at (205) 795-6588.

 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this case before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

CASE NO. CV-2024-904172

 

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO:     DAVID M. KILLINGSWORTH; CRAIG T. DOUGHTY; CASTLE DEMOLITION & CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.; MILTON SHARPE; LINDA YOUNG-SHARPE; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA, and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

 

TAKE NOTICE that on October 18, 2024, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

 

Lots 4, 5 and 6, in Block C, Mary E. Gallaghers Map of West Highland Addition to Pratt City as platted in Plat Book 4 Page 374.

 

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2024057631 as follows: LOTS 4 THROUGH 6 BLK C MARY E GALLAGHERS MAP OF WESTHIGHLAND ADD TO PRATT CITY PB 4 PAGE 374

 

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-19-3-001-099.000

 

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION. The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for July 21, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 a.m. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority.  Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued.  FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

 

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th St, Birmingham, AL 35203.  The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this case before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT

OF JEFFERSON COUNTY ALABAMA

 

U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee for the CIM TRUST 2023-NR1 Mortgage-Backed Notes, Series 2023-NR1 )

)

 
Plaintiff, ) CASE NO. 01-CV-2024-904809.00
vs. )  
Demeatrius Jones )

)

 
Defendant )  
  )  

PUBLICATION NOTICE

 

To: Demeatrius Jones
Last Known Address 3020 33RD WAY NORTH, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35207

 

You are hereby notified that U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee for the CIM TRUST 2023-NR1 Mortgage-Backed Notes, Series 2023-NR1 filed a Complaint for Ejectment on November 25, 2024 in the Jefferson County Circuit Court against Demeatrius Jones (“Defendant”). Numerous attempts to locate the Defendant for service of process have been unsuccessful.

This notice is to run for four consecutive weeks.  You are hereby notified that you must answer the complaint by the ________ day of _________, 2025, which is 30 days from the last date of publication or default judgment may be entered against you for not answering.

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ESCAMBIA COUNTY, ALABAMA

 

IN THE MATTER OF                                 )

the adoption of:                                             )

)           Case No:                                     

LAYLA GRACE ALVESHIRE,                  )

)

A Minor (DOB: 1/16/23).                              )

 

NOTICE OF ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS

 

Notice to: Mother and Father of L.G.A. Address Unknown

 

Please take notice that a Petition for Adoption in the above-styled matter has been filed in said Court by Miguel and Jennifer Flores, Petitioners, and that the 11th day of June, 2025, at 10 o’clock a.m. has been set for hearing on the same at the Escambia County Courthouse in Brewton, Alabama. Please be advised that if you intend to contest this adoption, you must file a written response within thirty (30) days hereof with counsel for said Petitioners, whose name and address are as shown below and with the Clerk of the said Probate Court.

DONE this 7th day of April, 2025.

 

 

/s/ Jeremy L. Hawsey Jeremy L. Hawsey Attorney at Law

P.O. Box 883 Brewton, AL 36427

 

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

Notice of Completion

 

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended notice is hereby given that Willoughby Contracting Co., Inc., Contractor, has completed the Contract for Construction of Titusville Community Project P.04134, 2nd St S, 3rd Ave S,3rd St S, Kappa Ave S, 1st Ave/Way S, 4th Ave S, Omega St S, Delta St S, Gamma St S, and Alpha St S for the State of Alabama and Jefferson County, City of Birmingham and the Birmingham Water Works, owner, and have made request for the final settlement of said contract.  All persons having any claim for labor, material, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Birmingham Water Works board (Architect/Engineer)

Willoughby Contracting Co., Inc.

Contractor

2550 Cone Drive

Birmingham, Al 35217

 

BT4/?/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

Notice of Completion

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given

that Ingle Demolition & Salvage, Inc. Contractor, has completed the Contract for Alteration of 900 13th St South, Birmingham, AL 35294 for the State of Alabama and the (County) (City) of Birmingham. Owner(s), and have made request for final settlement of said Contract.  All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Associated Space Design Inc. at 5404 S Seventh Court, Birmingham, AL 35212.

 

 

            Ingle Demolition & Salvage, Inc

(Contractor)

 

 

                                                                                   3700 Old Jasper Hwy, Adamsville, AL 35005

(Business Address)

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

Notice of Completion

 

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given

that       Williford Orman Construction LLC            , Contractor, has completed the Contract for (Construction) of New Canopies for Oak Mountain HS, Vincent HS and Career Technical Education Center at Shelby County for the State of Alabama and the (County) of Shelby, Owner(s), and have made request for final settlement of said Contract.  All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify

Lathan Associates Architects PC

 

            Williford Orman Construction LLC            

(Contractor)

 

 

______PO Box 1985, Pelham, AL 35124     

(Business Address)

 

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

Notice of Completion

 

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended notice is hereby given that Shelby Company, LLC, Contractor, has completed the Contract for Renovation of Fine Arts Addition and Renovation to Oak Mountain High School Package B: Athletic Renovations at 5476 Caldwell Mill Road, Birmingham, AL 35242 for the State of Alabama and  County, City of Shelby County, Owner(s), and have made request for the final settlement of said contract.  All persons having any claim for labor, material, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Lathan Associates Architects, P.C. 300 Chase Park South #200, Hoover, AL 35244.

 

Shelby Company, LLC

Contractor

3120 4th Ave S, Birmingham, Al 35233

Business Address

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

Notice of Completion

 

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended notice is hereby given that Shelby Company, LLC, Contractor, has completed the Contract for Renovation of UAB North Pavilion 6th Floor Heart and Vascular Center Administration Demolition and Renovation at 1802 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35233 for the State of Alabama and Jefferson County, City of Birmingham, Owner(s), and have made request for the final settlement of said contract.  All persons having any claim for labor, material, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Birchfield Penuel Architects 2805 Cresent Avenue Birmingham, AL 35209.

Shelby Company, LLC

Contractor

3120 4th Ave S, Birmingham, Al 35233

Business Address

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

Invitation to Bid

 

The Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA) in Birmingham, AL, is accepting sealed bids for the above referenced item. Sealed bids should be plainly marked and will be received at:

Ed Seoane

Birmingham Airport Authority

5900 Messer Airport Highway

Birmingham, AL 35212

Until 2:00 PM CST, Thursday, April 17th, 2025, at which time bids will be opened at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and read aloud.  All bids received after that time will be returned unopened.  The BAA highly recommends hand or courier delivery of bids to the BAA front office located at the southern end of the terminal building on the lower level.  Please visit https://www.flybirmingham.com/procurement/ to obtain a copy of the Invitation to Bid, which contains additional critical information.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

  • A Base Bid which includes the relocation of a 2,000-foot-long section of Taxiway H, with all associated electrical, grading, and drainage improvements along with new pavement markings and final site restoration;

 

  • A Bid Alternate #1 which includes the milling and asphalt strengthening overlay of the remaining 3,200-feet of Taxiway H, with all associated grading, drainage, and electrical improvements along with new pavement markings and final site restoration;

 

  • A Bid Alternate #2 which includes the replacement of the Taxiway H Edge Lighting system with new LED light fixtures and associated components.

 

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

 

Sealed proposals will be received by the Bessemer City Schools Board of Education at their office in the

main board room, 1621 5th Ave. North Bessemer, AL 35021, until 10:00 AM, CDT Monday, April 21,

2025, Attn: Crystal Briggs, CSFO for

 

PROJECT: CHARLES F. HARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – ROOFTOP MECHANICAL UNIT REPLACEMENT

BESSEMER CITY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION

 

 

 

at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read. General Contractor’s License number and type must be on the envelope.

 

A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Bessemer City Schools Board of Education in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000.00, must accompany the bidder’s proposal.  Performance and Payment Bonds and evidence of insurance required in the bid documents will be required at the signing of the Contract.

 

The Owner intends to award the contract for this work to a pre-qualified General/Roofing Contractor.  The Owner will accept proposals only from firms which demonstrate their experience and ability to perform the work necessary for this project.  Interested General/Roofing Contractors must submit a Contractor’s Qualification Certificate.  Minimum Qualifications to be certified by prospective bidders include: 1) statutory licensure requirements, 2) bonding capacity in excess of $1,000,000 dollars, 3) minimum of five (5) years successful history as an approved, authorized or licensed General/Roofing Contractor, 4) minimum annual income of $750,000 dollars in construction value for the past three (3) years, and 5) successful current and recent experience in work for commercial construction with scope similar to this Project within the specified schedule.  Joint venture arrangements must qualify solely on the strength of the principal firm’s qualifications.  Notarized Contractor’s Qualifications Certificates must be submitted to the Architect by a General Contractor by Friday, April 11, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CDT.  The required Form of Certificate is AIA Document A305 Contractor’s Qualification Statement 2020 Edition and Application with Attachments available from the Architect.

 

Bid Drawings and Specifications will be available and can be requested digitally or examined at the office of the Architect on and after March 24. 2025.

 

Name of Architect:  John Brennan / Cliff Watkins

Name of Company:  Davis Architects, Inc.

Address:  120 Twenty Third Street South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233

Phone No.: (205) 322-7482

 

Bid Documents can also be reviewed at F.W. Dodge Plan Rooms, Birmingham Construction Industry Authority Plan Room, Construction Market Data Plan Room and obtained from Alabama Graphic Digital Plan Room. Cost of printing plans and specifications are non-refundable.

 

General Contractor Bidders may obtain a digital copy of the documents from Davis Architects, Cliff Watkins– cwatkins@dadot.com.  Hard copy sets of drawings and specifications will be available to General Contractors bidders and others for the cost of printing and handling directly from the documents printer:  Alabama Graphics (2801 Fifth Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233; phone 205/252-8505).  Addenda and other bidding information will be issued only to holders of drawings and specifications distributed by the Architect.  Release of the Bid Documents to the bidder does not imply acceptance of the bidder’s qualifications by the Owner or Architect.

 

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof.  All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the provisions of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975, and must show evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by the Architect; the bidder shall show such evidence by clearly displaying his or her current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered.  The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in the Owner’s judgment, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted.

 

Alabama law (section 41-4-116, code of Alabama 1975) provides that every bid submitted and contract executed shall contain a certification that the vendor, contractor, and all of its affiliates that make sales for delivery into Alabama or leases for use in Alabama are registered, collecting, and remitting Alabama state and local sales, use, and/or lease tax on all taxable sales and leases in Alabama. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the bidder is hereby certifying that they are in full compliance with Act No. 2006-557; they are not barred from bidding or entering into a contract pursuant to 41-4-116, and acknowledges that the Owner may declare the contract void if the certification is false.

 

Nonresident bidders must accompany any written Bid Documents with a written opinion of an attorney at law licensed to practice law in such nonresident bidder’s state or domicile, as to the preferences, if any or none, granted by the law of that state to its own business entities whose principal places of business are in that state in the letting of any or all public contracts.

 

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at Charles F. Hard Elementary School, 2801 Arlington Ave. Bessemer, AL 35020 on Monday, April 14, 2025 at 3:30 PM CST. The project site will be visited. Attendance by General Contractor, Bid Conference and the site visit is mandatory. 

 

Awarding Authority:

Bessemer City Schools Board of Education

Reginal Mitchell, Director of Support Operations

Dr. Dana Nicole Arreola, Superintendent

 

Architect:

Davis Architects, Inc.

John Brennan, Principal

Cliff Watkins, Project Coordinator

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

 

Sealed proposals will be received by the Bessemer City Schools Board of Education at their office in the

main board room, 1621 5th Ave. North Bessemer, AL 35021, until 11:00 AM, CDT Monday, April 21,

2025, Attn: Crystal Briggs, CSFO for

 

PROJECT:  WEST HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND J.S. ABRAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ROOF REPLACEMENTS

BESSEMER CITY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION

 

 

 

at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read. General Contractor’s License number and type must be on the envelope.

 

A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Bessemer City Schools Board of Education in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000.00, must accompany the bidder’s proposal.  Performance and Payment Bonds and evidence of insurance required in the bid documents will be required at the signing of the Contract.

 

The Owner intends to award the contract for this work to a pre-qualified General/Roofing Contractor.  The Owner will accept proposals only from firms which demonstrate their experience and ability to perform the work necessary for this project.  Interested General/Roofing Contractors must submit a Contractor’s Qualification Certificate.  Minimum Qualifications to be certified by prospective bidders include: 1) statutory licensure requirements, 2) bonding capacity in excess of $1,000,000 dollars, 3) minimum of five (5) years successful history as an approved, authorized or licensed General/Roofing Contractor, 4) minimum annual income of $750,000 dollars in construction value for the past three (3) years, and 5) successful current and recent experience in work for commercial construction with scope similar to this Project within the specified schedule.  Joint venture arrangements must qualify solely on the strength of the principal firm’s qualifications.  Notarized Contractor’s Qualifications Certificates must be submitted to the Architect by a General Contractor by Friday, April 11, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CDT.  The required Form of Certificate is AIA Document A305 Contractor’s Qualification Statement 2020 Edition and Application with Attachments available from the Architect.

 

Bid Drawings and Specifications will be available and can be requested digitally or examined at the office of the Architect on and after March 24. 2025.

 

Name of Architect:  John Brennan / Cliff Watkins

Name of Company:  Davis Architects, Inc.

Address:  120 Twenty Third Street South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233

Phone No.: (205) 322-7482

 

Bid Documents can also be reviewed at F.W. Dodge Plan Rooms, Birmingham Construction Industry Authority Plan Room, Construction Market Data Plan Room and obtained from Alabama Graphic Digital Plan Room. Cost of printing plans and specifications are non-refundable.

 

General Contractor Bidders may obtain a digital copy of the documents from Davis Architects, Cliff Watkins– cwatkins@dadot.com.  Hard copy sets of drawings and specifications will be available to General Contractors bidders and others for the cost of printing and handling directly from the documents printer:  Alabama Graphics (2801 Fifth Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233; phone 205/252-8505).  Addenda and other bidding information will be issued only to holders of drawings and specifications distributed by the Architect.  Release of the Bid Documents to the bidder does not imply acceptance of the bidder’s qualifications by the Owner or Architect.

 

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof.  All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the provisions of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975, and must show evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by the Architect; the bidder shall show such evidence by clearly displaying his or her current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered.  The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in the Owner’s judgment, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted.

 

Alabama law (section 41-4-116, code of Alabama 1975) provides that every bid submitted and contract executed shall contain a certification that the vendor, contractor, and all of its affiliates that make sales for delivery into Alabama or leases for use in Alabama are registered, collecting, and remitting Alabama state and local sales, use, and/or lease tax on all taxable sales and leases in Alabama. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the bidder is hereby certifying that they are in full compliance with Act No. 2006-557; they are not barred from bidding or entering into a contract pursuant to 41-4-116, and acknowledges that the Owner may declare the contract void if the certification is false.

 

Nonresident bidders must accompany any written Bid Documents with a written opinion of an attorney at law licensed to practice law in such nonresident bidder’s state or domicile, as to the preferences, if any or none, granted by the law of that state to its own business entities whose principal places of business are in that state in the letting of any or all public contracts.

 

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at starting at J.S. Abrams Elementary School 1200 23rd St. N. Bessemer, AL with West Hills Elementary 710 Glenn Rd Bessemer, AL to follow on Monday, April 14, 2025 at 1:30  PM CST. The project site will be visited. Attendance by General Contractor, Bid Conference and the site visit is mandatory. 

 

Awarding Authority:

Bessemer City Schools Board of Education

Reginal Mitchell, Director of Support Operations

Dr. Dana Nicole Arreola, Superintendent

 

Architect:

Davis Architects, Inc.

John Brennan, Principal

Cliff Watkins, Project Coordinator

 

 

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT for BIDDER PRE-QUALIFICATION

And NOTICE of INTENT to RECEIVE BIDS

 from PREQUALIFIED BIDDERS

 

Pre-qualification submittals will be received by the Owner’s Representative/Project Manager, Jeff Orr on behalf of Office of the Chief Facilities Officer, UAB Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Alabama Board of Trustees at UAB Hospital Planning, 2020 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35249 until 4:00 PM Central Time, April 15, 2025.  The original and two (2) flash drives with duplicates of submittals are required for pre-qualification approval; however, email transmission copies may be transmitted to the Project Manager at jeorr@uabmc.edu and copied to rachelh@bparchitects.com to expedite the review process with a hard-copy of the submittal and two flash drives to be delivered within 24 hours.

 

North Pavilion 5th Floor – Equipment Replacement for OR 520

For The

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama

UAB Project No.: H245011

 

  1. SCOPE OF WORK:

 

This project involves equipment replacement in an existing operating room. Replacement will include a new C-arm, table, and ceiling air delivery system. There will be emphasis on structural, electrical, and mechanical disciplines. Coordination with equipment vendors will be necessary. The budget is anticipated to be between $1,000,000 and $1,200,000.

 

The work will be performed under a single Prime General Contractor who will coordinate the work of this project. Particular and specific care will be required to coordinate complex shutdowns, limit disturbances and follow strict Infection Control and Interim Life Safety Measures (ICRA/ILSM) requirements for the protection of patients, family, and staff. The Prime General Contractors seeking to be pre-qualified will require experience with similar size and type hospital projects performed in and adjacent to an operating hospital environment and with the implementation and maintenance of infection control measures, interim life safety measures, coordinating shutdowns, and maintaining a clean and organized job site in an operating hospital. The General Contractor must have experience with representative projects as a General Contractor (not as a Construction Manager, Program Manager, etc.)

 

 

 

  1. PRIME CONTRACTOR BIDDER PRE-QUALIFICATIONS:

 

Prime contractor bidders interested in submitting a proposal must apply for pre-qualification and must be licensed under the Provision of Title 34, Chapter 8, and Code of Alabama, 1975. A copy of current Alabama Contractors license is to be included in pre-qualification submittal.

 

Only prime contractor bidders who have completed the pre-qualification process and that have been approved will be eligible to submit a bid/perform work for the Project.  Prospective Bidder’s Pre-qualification Package must be received by the Owner’s Project Manager no later than 4:00 PM Central Time, April 15, 2025 after which no further requests will be considered. 

 

Pre-qualification Requirements Information Package may be obtained from the Architect upon letterhead request. Any addendums to the prequalification requirements will be issued to documented prime contractors only.

 

The pre-qualification procedure is intended to identify responsible and competent prime contractor bidders relative to the requirements of the Project.  Each prospective prime contractor bidder will be notified of the results of the pre-qualification, on or about April 18, 2025.

 

The Owner reserves the right to waive technical errors in applications, extend or abandon the pre-qualification process, should the interests of the Owner appear to be promoted thereby.

 

Progress Design and Construction Documents:

Prior to the pre-qualification deadline, project progress plans and specifications may be examined at the following location:

 

Architect:

Birchfield Penuel Architects

2805 Crescent Avenue, Suite 200

Birmingham, Alabama  35209

Ms. Stacy Williams

205-870-1876

stacyw@bparchitects.com

 

  1. BIDS BY PRE-QUALIFIED PRIME GENERAL CONTRACTOR BIDDERS

 

Documents: 

After notice to pre-qualified bidders is given, the pre-qualified prime contractor bidders may obtain bid documents from the Architect (see address above) upon deposit of $100.00 per set.  The deposit is refundable in full on the first two (2) sets issued to each prime general contractor bidder upon return of documents in reusable condition within ten (10) days after bid opening.  Additional sets for pre-qualified prime contractor bidders, subcontractors, vendors, or dealers may be obtained upon payment of the same deposit.  The deposit for additional sets shall be refunded less the cost of printing, reproduction, handling and distribution, upon return of the documents in reusable condition within ten (10) days after bid opening.

 

Bid documents will be available at the following locations after notice to pre-qualified bidders is given.  Drawings and specifications may be examined at the Office of the Architect; and electronically at ConstructConnect and Dodge Data & Analytics.

                 

                  Bonds:

A certified check or bid bond payable to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000 must accompany the bidder’s proposal.  Performance and Statutory Labor and Material Payment Bonds will be required at the signing of the Contract.

 

Bids:

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms or copies thereof furnished by the Architect. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids for a period of ninety (90) days.  The Owner reserves the right to reject bids if such action is determined to be in the best interest of the Owner.  The Owner reserves the right to revoke pre-qualification of any bidder in accordance with Section 39-2-12, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended in 1997 (by Act 97-225). The Bid Date is May 6, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Hospital Planning, 2020 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35294. Bids shall be clearly identified on the exterior of the package with the bidder’s name, address, State license number, the name of the project being bid, time and place of the bid opening. Sealed bids shall be properly identified.

 

Proposals may be hand delivered or received by mail on the date of the bid opening at the Office of Jeffry Orr, Project Manager Facilities and Capital Projects, 2020 Building, 2020 University Blvd, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, until 12:00 noon.  After 12:00 noon of the date of the bid opening, proposals must be hand delivered and presented at the bid opening.  Sealed proposals shall be submitted in triplicate and shall be properly identified. All proposals received after 2:00 p.m. on May 6, 2025 will be returned unopened.

 

Fire Alarm Work

In accordance with Title 34, Chapter 33A, of the Code of Alabama 1975, bidders for fire alarm work of this project, if any, must include with their bid, evidence of licensure as required by the act, by including with the bid submittal, a valid State Fire Marshal’s permit.

 

 

 

 

  1. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

A mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be April 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM at UAB Hospital Facilities, 2020 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35233. It is mandatory that all pre-qualified prime contractor bidders attend the Pre-Bid Conference.

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

INVITATION FOR BIDS

 

REBID OF uss DRUM TANK CLEANOUT – PHASE II

 

Sealed bids will be received by the USS Alabama Battleship Commission at the Battleship Memorial Park Commission Room located at 2703 Battleship Parkway in Mobile, AL 36602, until 3:00 p.m., Local Time, Thursday, April 17, 2025, and then publicly opened and read for furnishing all labor and materials and performing all work for the following project:  Rebid of USS DRUM Tank Cleanout – Phase II (Proj. No. 1165005).

 

Specifications may be inspected at Volkert, Inc., 1110 Montlimar Drive, Suite 1050, Mobile, AL.  Electronic Specifications may be obtained via email for review only from Volkert, Inc. (Email: keturah.doherty@volkert.com).  All bids must be submitted on a numbered set of Specifications obtained from Volkert, Inc. as described in the Instructions to Bidders.

 

Copies of the Specifications for bidding purposes may be obtained from Volkert, Inc. upon a non-refundable payment of $40.00 per set.  No Specifications will be issued later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to bid submission time.

 

A MANDATORY pre-bid meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m., Local Time, Thursday, April 10, 2025 at Battleship Memorial Park. Specific items related to this project will be discussed and the USS Drum will be open to contractors for inspection during this time.

 

Bids must be submitted on the standard forms included with the Contract Documents.

 

A Guarantee will be required with each bid for at least 5% of the amount of bid not to exceed $10,000 filed in the form of a certified check or Bid Bond payable to the USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Bid Bonds shall include certification that the bonding company is listed in Circular 570 of the U.S. Treasury Department. The name, address, telephone number and contact person for the bonding company shall also be included.

 

The Contractor shall also furnish both a Contract Bond and a Labor and Material Bond.  All bonds shall be for 100% of the Contract price.

 

The right is reserved, as the interest of the Owner may require, to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities in bids received.

 

Envelope containing bids must be sealed, marked, addressed as follows, and delivered to the Executive Director, USS Alabama Battleship Commission, Battleship Memorial Park, Gift Shop Ticket Office, 2703 Battleship Parkway, Mobile, Alabama 36602:  “Bid for Rebid of USS DRUM Tank Cleanout – Phase II (Proj. No. 1165005)”, to be opened 3:00 p.m., Local Time, Thursday, April 17, 2025. The Bidder’s Alabama State Contractor’s License Number shall be included on the envelope containing the submitted proposal.

 

Attention of Bidders is also called to the license required by Title 34, Chapter 8, of the code of Alabama, 1975, and amendments thereto, relating to the licensing of General Contractors. Only bids from pre-qualified contractors licensed by the Alabama State Licensing Board for General Contractors will be accepted.

 

THIS INVITATION FOR BIDS IS CONDENSED FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS FOR BIDDERS CAN BE FOUND IN THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.

 

USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP COMMISSION

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

INVITATION FOR BIDS

 

The Jefferson County Commission will receive bids for the Jefferson County Housing Authority Park Improvement Project (CD22-03F-CW-JCH) at Room A-420 meeting room of the Jefferson County Courthouse until 10:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

 

Any bid to be delivered by hand or mail prior to the above time or at a different place shall be at the full risk of the bidder. Such bids may be delivered or mailed to the Jefferson County Department of Community Services, at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. If for any reason such bid does not reach Room A-420 meeting room of the Jefferson County Courthouse prior to the opening, it may be rejected. No bids shall be accepted after the time stated for receipt of bids. This requirement shall not be waived.

 

All bids must be submitted on bid forms furnished, or copy thereof, and must be in a sealed envelope. The outside of the envelope should contain the following:

(1) “SEALED BID”; (2) “DO NOT OPEN”; (3) PROJECT NAME AND NUMBER; (4) PROJECT OFFICER: “Alfonso Holt”; (5) CONTRACTOR’S NAME AND ADDRESS; (6) ALABAMA GENERAL CONTRACTORS LICENSE NUMBER (7) DUNS #.

 

Bids are invited upon the following work, but not limited to, as follows:

 

Installation of Little Tykes Playground equipment supplied by Jefferson County Housing Authority. Installation to include some demolition of existing equipment, replacement of existing equipment and installation of new equipment. The installations will be at four locations:101 Hickory Grove Drive, Birmingham AL 35212; 100 Village Circle, Brookside AL 35036; 4010 Ruff Road, Pinson AL 35126; and 601 Pecan Street, Warrior 35180.

 

Bids must be accompanied by a certified check or bank draft payable to the order of Jefferson County, Alabama negotiable U.S. Government Bonds (at par value) or a satisfactory Bid Bond executed by the bidder and an acceptable surety, in the amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total of the bid amount but not to exceed $10,000.00, for the construction of Jefferson County Housing Authority Park Improvement Project (CD22-03F-CW-JCH)

 

The bid security is to become the property of the owner in the event that: (1) the bidder fails to meet any of the qualifications required in the bid specifications stated herein; (2) the bidder misrepresents or falsifies any information required to be provided by the owner; (3) for any reason that the bidder fails to qualify, causing his bid to be withdrawn or rejected and such withdrawal or rejection results in delay or substantial additional expense to the owner; (4) the contract and bond are not executed within the time set forth, as liquidated damages for the delay and additional expense of the owner caused thereby.

 

Bid documents are on file and will be available for examination at the JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203; at the BIRMINGHAM CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AUTHORITY, 601 37th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222; at the Office of Sentell Engineering.

 

General Contractor Bidders may obtain two (2) sets of hard copy drawings for each project and specifications from the Engineer upon receipt of deposit check in the amount of $40.00 per set made payable to Tuscaloosa Blueprint at (205) 752-9825. General Contractors will then be placed on Official Bidders List. Additional sets of drawings/ specifications and digital copies will be available to General Contractors for purchase directly from Tuscaloosa Blueprint. Addenda and other proposal information will be issued only to holders of drawings and specifications distributed by Sentell Engineering and on the Official Bidders List. Release of contract documents to the bidder does not imply acceptance of the bidder’s qualifications by the Owner or Engineer.

 

Bids received from General Contractors who are not on the Official Bidders List may not be accepted or opened. Sentell Engineering makes no guarantee for plans and specifications obtained by Contractors and Vendors from sources other than the printed contract documents provided by their firm. Contractors and Vendors who base their pricing from contract documents obtained from other electronic sources, either in part or whole, do so at their own risk.

 

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Engineer or copies thereof, issued either with the original contract documents or by addendum. General Contractors shall not use Proposal Forms other than those provided in the contract documents.

 

All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the provisions of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975. The Bidder must display current General Contractor’s License Number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered or it will not be considered by the Engineer or Owner. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in the Owner’s judgment, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted.

 

Bidders are advised that submitted bids bind the bidders to the “Bid Conditions Setting Forth Affirmative Action Requirements for all Non‑Exempt Federal and Federally‑assisted Construction Contracts to be awarded in Jefferson, Shelby and Walker Counties, Alabama, “also known as the Birmingham Hometown Plan.

 

Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages as set forth in the contract documents must be paid on this project, and that the contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

 

All bidders be advised that this contract is subject to Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development act of 1968, as amended, (12 USC l701U) which if it is in excess of $100,000, requires that to the “greatest extent feasible”, opportunities for training and employment be given lower income residents of the project area and contracts for work in connection with the project be awarded to business concerns which are: (1) 51 percent or more owned by section 3 residents; or (2) Whose permanent, full-time employees include persons, at least 30 percent of whom are currently section 3 residents, or within three years of the date of first employment with the business concern were section 3 residents; or (3) That provides evidence of commitment to subcontract in excess of 25 percent of the dollar award of all subcontracts to be awarded to business concerns that meet the qualifications set forth in paragraphs (1) or (2) in this definition of “section 3 business concern.”

 

 

The Jefferson County Commission reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding.

 

This project will be funded in its entirety (100%) with Federal Community Development Block Grant Funds.

No Bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of the opening of bids to allow the Jefferson County Commission to review the bids and investigate the qualifications of bidders, prior to awarding the contract.

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

Request For Proposal

 

The Birmingham Airport Authority (“BAA” or “Authority”) is requesting proposals (RFP) from highly experienced and professional firms to operate a Valet Parking Concession at the Birmingham Shuttleworth International Airport. Copies of the RFP can be obtained by visiting the Airports Website at http://www.flybhm.com or via email request sent to eseoane@flybhm.com. We will be having a pre-submittal meeting on April 16, 2025, located at 5900 Messer Airport Highway, Birmingham, AL 35212 at 2:00PM in Meeting Room A. The deadline for proposals is April 30, 2025 @2:00PM.

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

INVITATION FOR BIDS

ITB# 45-25 “PERIMETER FENCING” JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL

 

Bids will be received by the Jefferson County Commission Purchasing Agent Michael D. Matthews, Ph.D., C.P.M., until 4:00 (CST) p.m. on   04/15/25, for “PERIMETER FENCING”.

 

All solicitation information including forms, and specifications are available for download free at https://jeffcobids.jccal.org/Search.aspx . Interested parties must meet bidder requirements and qualifications as specified in the bid documents on or before the date that the bids are due.

 

All questions must be submitted in writing to procurementservices@jccal.org attention: Joy McDowell.

 

A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held Monday, April 3 at 10:00 AM (CST) in Suite 830 of the Jefferson County Main Courthouse or by Microsoft TEAMS. The meeting information is contained in the bid.

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

 

HOUSING AUTHORITY BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT NOTICE OF

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) No. B25019 ROOFING REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS

AGENCY CONTACT PERSON Kozette Todd, Procurement Analyst Telephone: (205)521-0762

E-mail: ktodd@habd.net

TDD/TTY: 800-548-2546

HOW TO OBTAIN THE RFP DOCUMENTS ON THE E-PROCUREMENT MARKETPLACE 1.  Access ha.internationaleprocurement.com (no “www”).

2.  Click on the “Login” button in the upper left side.

3.  Follow the listed directions.

4.  If you have any problems in accessing or registering on the Marketplace, please call customer support at (866)526-9266.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 3:00 PM CT
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS Tuesday, April 15, 2025, 3:00 PM CT
BID SUBMITTAL RETURN DEADLINE Friday, April 25, 2025, 3:00 PM CT 1826 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, Al 35233
 

[Section 3, Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

HOUSING AUTHORITY BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

 

 

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) No. P25020

Project-Based Voucher Program

 

AGENCY CONTACT PERSON Darryl Grayson, Procurement Analyst

Telephone: (205)521-0611

E-mail: dgrayson@habd.net

TDD/TTY: 800-548-2546

HOW TO OBTAIN THE RFP DOCUMENTS ON THE EPROCUREMENT MARKETPLACE 1.  Access ha.internationaleprocurement.com (no “www”).

2.  Click on the “Login” button in the upper left side.

3.  Follow the listed directions.

4.  If you have any problems in accessing or registering on the Marketplace, please call customer support at (866)526-9266.

Existing Projects Proposal Due Dates (A) April 28, 2025

(B) June 23, 2025

(C) August 18, 2025

 

Pre-Selection Inspection 14-21 Days After Proposal Due Date

 

Substantial Rehabilitation/New Construction Projects Proposal Due Date (A) April 28, 2025

(B) June 23, 2025

(C) August 18, 2025

 

[Section 3, Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

INVITATION TO BID

BIRMINGHAM-SHUTTLESWORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

RFP: Runway Intersection Drainage Improvements

 

The Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA) in Birmingham, AL, is accepting sealed bids for the above referenced item. Sealed bids should be plainly marked and will be received at:

 

Ed Seoane

Birmingham Airport Authority

5900 Messer Airport Highway

Birmingham, AL 35212

 

Until 2:00 PM CST, Tuesday, April 29th, 2025, at which time bids will be opened at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and read aloud. All bids received after that time will be returned unopened. The BAA highly recommends hand or courier delivery of bids to the BAA front office located at the southern end of the terminal building on the lower level. Please visit https://www.flybirmingham.com/procurement/ to obtain a copy of the Invitation to Bid, which contains additional critical information.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

  • The replacement of two stormwater inlets
  • The installation of a new aircraft rated stormwater inlet
  • Turf grading modifications in the northeast quadrant of the intersection of both Runways (Runway 18-36 and Runway 6-24)
  • The grout stabilization and remediation of a subsurface void in the northeast quadrant of the runway intersection

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

INVITATION TO BID

 

Sealed bids for City Hall South Parking Deck Structural Repairs at 710 N 20TH Street Birmingham, AL 35215 will be received by the City Architect in Room 220 Birmingham City Hall, Birmingham, Alabama until 2:00 PM, Thursday May 6, 2025.  Sealed bids will receive a time and date label to indicate timely receipt. All sealed bids received upon or prior to the stipulated time and date will then be publicly opened and read aloud in Room 220 City Hall at approximately 10:10 AM.

 

All bids must be on a lump sum basis.  Bids are to be submitted in duplicate on the Proposal Form provided with specifications.  No pre-qualification of bidders will be conducted prior to receiving bids.

 

Under the Alabama State Code, Section 39-2-4, as amended by Act #97-225, it is required for any contract exceeding $50,000 that the Bidder submit with his bid, either a cashier’s check, drawn on an Alabama bank, or a bid bond, executed by a surety authorized and qualified to make bonds in Alabama, payable to the City of Birmingham, in an amount (subject to a maximum of $50,000.00) equal to five percent (5%) of the bid.  In order for a bid to be considered, it must be accompanied by an acceptable bid bond or cashier’s check.

 

Any bid submitted for an amount of $50,000 or more, the bidder must be a licensed general contractor in the State of Alabama in accordance with Section 34-8, of the Alabama State Code.  Contractor’s license number shall appear on the outside of the envelope used to submit bid.

 

A Performance Bond in the amount of 100% of the contract amount and a Statutory Labor and Material Payment Bond in the amount of 100% of the contract amount will be required from the successful bidder at the signing of the contract.  Also, proof of insurance will be required when the contract is signed.  The City will review bonds and insurance and execute the contract within twenty (20) days unless the successful contractor agrees to an extension in writing.

 

A Pre-bid Conference to review and discuss the project will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday April 22, 2025 in Conference Room 220-Birmingham City Hall 710 20th Street, North Birmingham, AL 35203.  Attendance at the Pre-bid Conference is MANDATORY and shall be deemed a consideration of a bidder’s responsiveness, in addition to any other stipulations.

 

Bid documents may be viewed and purchased through the City of Birmingham online plans room site at https://www.birminghamplanroom.com/.  Any cost for reproduction shall be the responsibility of bidders.

 

Since award may not be made within thirty (30) days, no bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the date of the bid opening.

 

The City reserves the right to reject any or all bids submitted, and to waive any informalities.

 

IMPORTANT BIDDER INFORMATION

 

Bidders are expected to prepare their bid to include all necessary material, labor, bonds, permits, overhead, profit, taxes, insurance, etc. costs.  It is not the City’s obligation to bring mistakes/omissions in bid to bidder’s attention.  If after bid opening, a bidder determines he has a mistake in bid, he may seek withdrawal of his bid without forfeiting his bond, if the request is in writing within three (3) work days after the bid opening, and is accompanied by clear and convincing evidence of the mistake.

 

All cashier’s checks or bid bonds will be returned immediately after bids are checked and tabulated to all except the three (3) lowest bona fide bidders.  Bid bonds shall be returned to the three (3) lowest bona fide bidders when the contract is signed, and performance and payment bonds and insurance are furnished by the successful bidder.  If award is not made within fifteen (15) days after bid opening, all bid guarantees will be returned except for those of the potentially successful bidders.  If after sixty (60) days, no award has been made, all bids shall be rejected, and the potentially successful bidder’s guarantee will be returned unless the bidder agrees in writing to a time extension.  If a time extension is effected, bidder may substitute any cashier’s check for a satisfactory bid bond.

 

Any contract resulting from this Invitation to Bid shall not be assignable without prior written consent of the City.  Under no conditions shall the contract be assigned to an unsuccessful bidder whose bid was rejected as non-responsive and/or non-responsible.

 

Special attention is called to the applicability of the Birmingham Plan-Construction Industry Program to the project.  Under this Program, the utilization of Minority Business Enterprises and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (MBE/DBE) is encouraged on a voluntary basis.  The Construction Industry Authority established a system of floating MBD/DBE goals which may differ from year to year and project to project.  Overall, these goals shall not be less than the historical participation of MBD/DBE’s in construction projects of the City and its agencies.  Additional information about this Program is contained in the Project Manual and may be obtained from the Executive Director, Birmingham Construction Industry Authority at 3600 4th Avenue, South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222 (Telephone:  205-324-6202).  For federally funded contracts, the provisions of the President’s Executive Order 11246 and federal agency regulations requiring affirmative action to achieve employment and utilization of minority persons and business will apply.

 

As a matter of public policy, the City of Birmingham agrees to make opportunities available to the maximum extent possible, to actively include Historically Underutilized Business Enterprises (HUBE’s) such as architectural firms, engineering firms, investment banking firms, other professional consultant services providers, and construction contractors as part of business, economic and community revitalization programs.

 

Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked: City Hall South Parking Deck Structural Repairs.  Bids may be hand-delivered to Room 220 City Hall, Birmingham, Alabama, or mailed to: City of Birmingham Department of Capital Projects, Architectural Division, Room 220 City Hall, 710 North 20th Street, Birmingham, Alabama 35203.  Bids sent by any express carrier (Federal Express, UPS, Airborne, etc.) must specify delivery to Room 220 City Hall.

 

It is the bidder’s responsibility to make sure that his bid is in the possession of the City Architect on or before 2:00 PM, May 6, 2025.   Bids received after this time will not be considered.

 

Gary C. Ohlman, City Architect

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

 

Sealed proposals will be received by the Bessemer City Schools Board of Education at their office in the

main board room, 1621 5th Ave. North Bessemer, AL 35021, until 10:00 AM, CDT Monday, May 19,

2025, Attn: Crystal Briggs, CSFO for

 

PROJECT: DEMOLITION OF NEW HORIZON ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL

BESSEMER CITY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION

DCM # TBD

 

 

 

at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read. General Contractor’s License number and type must be on the envelope.

 

A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Bessemer City Schools Board of Education in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000.00, must accompany the bidder’s proposal.  Performance and Payment Bonds and evidence of insurance required in the bid documents will be required at the signing of the Contract.

 

The Owner intends to award the contract for this work to a pre-qualified General Contractor.  The Owner will accept proposals only from firms which demonstrate their experience and ability to perform the work necessary for this project.  Interested General/Roofing Contractors must submit a Contractor’s Qualification Certificate.  Minimum Qualifications to be certified by prospective bidders include: 1) statutory licensure requirements, 2) bonding capacity in excess of $1,000,000 dollars, 3) minimum of five (5) years successful history as an approved, authorized or licensed General/Roofing Contractor, 4) minimum annual income of $750,000 dollars in construction value for the past three (3) years, and 5) successful current and recent experience in work for commercial construction with scope similar to this Project within the specified schedule.  Joint venture arrangements must qualify solely on the strength of the principal firm’s qualifications.  Notarized Contractor’s Qualifications Certificates must be submitted to the Architect by a General Contractor by Friday, May 2, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CDT.  The required Form of Certificate is AIA Document A305 Contractor’s Qualification Statement 2020 Edition and Application with Attachments available from the Architect.

 

Bid Drawings and Specifications will be available and can be requested digitally or examined at the office of the Architect on and after March 31. 2025.

 

Name of Architect:  John Brennan / Cliff Watkins

Name of Company:  Davis Architects, Inc.

Address:  120 Twenty Third Street South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233

Phone No.: (205) 322-7482

 

Bid Documents can also be reviewed at F.W. Dodge Plan Rooms, Birmingham Construction Industry Authority Plan Room, Construction Market Data Plan Room and obtained from Alabama Graphic Digital Plan Room. Cost of printing plans and specifications are non-refundable.

 

General Contractor Bidders may obtain a digital copy of the documents from Davis Architects, Cliff Watkins– cwatkins@dadot.com.  Hard copy sets of drawings and specifications will be available to General Contractors bidders and others for the cost of printing and handling directly from the documents printer:  Alabama Graphics (2801 Fifth Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233; phone 205/252-8505).  Addenda and other bidding information will be issued only to holders of drawings and specifications distributed by the Architect.  Release of the Bid Documents to the bidder does not imply acceptance of the bidder’s qualifications by the Owner or Architect.

 

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof.  All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the provisions of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975, and must show evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by the Architect; the bidder shall show such evidence by clearly displaying his or her current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered.  The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in the Owner’s judgment, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted.

 

Alabama law (section 41-4-116, code of Alabama 1975) provides that every bid submitted and contract executed shall contain a certification that the vendor, contractor, and all of its affiliates that make sales for delivery into Alabama or leases for use in Alabama are registered, collecting, and remitting Alabama state and local sales, use, and/or lease tax on all taxable sales and leases in Alabama. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the bidder is hereby certifying that they are in full compliance with Act No. 2006-557; they are not barred from bidding or entering into a contract pursuant to 41-4-116, and acknowledges that the Owner may declare the contract void if the certification is false.

 

Nonresident bidders must accompany any written Bid Documents with a written opinion of an attorney at law licensed to practice law in such nonresident bidder’s state or domicile, as to the preferences, if any or none, granted by the law of that state to its own business entities whose principal places of business are in that state in the letting of any or all public contracts.

 

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at starting at New Horizon Alternative School 1701 6th Ave N. Bessemer, AL on Monday, May 9, 2025 at 1:30 PM CST. The project site will be visited. Attendance by General Contractor, Bid Conference and the site visit is mandatory. 

 

Awarding Authority:

Bessemer City Schools Board of Education

Reginal Mitchell, Director of Support Operations

Dr. Dana Nicole Arreola, Superintendent

 

Architect:

Davis Architects, Inc.

John Brennan, Principal

Cliff Watkins, Project Coordinator

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

INVITATION TO BID

The City of Birmingham will accept sealed bids for an IDIQ Work Order Agreement for Storm Sewer Repairs; Project # ENG 2025-010.  Bids will be received by the City Engineer in Suite 220 of City Hall, Birmingham, Alabama until Wednesday, May 7, 2025, by 2:00 p.m. Sealed bids will be time-stamped at the time of arrival. Bids will then be publicly opened and read in Suite 220 Conference Room beginning at 2:00 pm. It is the bidder’s responsibility to make sure that the bid is in the possession of the City Engineer on or before time set for opening. Bids received after this time will not be considered. Bids can be dropped into the bid box located in Room 220 City Hall, hand-delivered to the City Engineer in Room 220 of City Hall, or brought to the bid opening.

 

This Contract is an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract to perform an undetermined number of storm sewer repairs at various undetermined locations, as needed, for smaller projects or to meet emergency needs.  A master agreement will be awarded to the Contractor and separate works order will be issued to the Contractor for each specific assigned location on an as-needed basis. These work orders will reflect minor storm system repair work including pipe point repairs, inlet rebuilds, structure replacements, and roadway restoration, that typically need to be responded to and completed quickly.

 

A MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 3:00 pm (CST) in Conference Room 220 City Hall.

 

The bidder will base its bid amount on the unit prices and the estimated quantities set forth in the Form of Proposal, which will only be used for the purpose of the comparison and evaluation of bids. The contract term will be for one (1) year.  The contract value is anticipated to have a maximum value of $500,000.

 

Bid documents are open to public inspection at the Office of the City Engineer in the Department of Capital Projects — Suite 220 of City Hall, 710 20th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203.  Bid documents may be viewed and purchased through the City of Birmingham online plans room site at https://www.birminghamplanroom.com/ under the project name STORM SEWER CLEANING AND CCTV INSPECTION WORK ORDER IDIQ CONTRACT. Any cost for reproduction shall be the responsibility of bidders.  Prospective bidders are advised to check their source of bid documents frequently for any addenda to the bid documents. It is the bidder’s responsibility to bid on the correct set of bid documents.

 

Bids shall be accompanied by a cashier’s check drawn on an Alabama bank, or a bid bond executed by a surety company duly authorized and qualified to make such bonds in the State of Alabama, in an amount equal to 5% of the bid (subject to maximum of $10,000) and payable to the City of Birmingham. Bid bonds of the three (3) lowest bidders will be held for a period of ninety (90) days unless bidders agree, in writing, to a longer period of time. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for the receipt of the bids for a period of ninety (90) days.

 

A performance bond equal to 100% of the contract amount and a payment bond equal to 100% of the contract amount will be required of the successful bidder during the award process. Said bonds shall be executed by a surety company duly authorized and qualified to make such bonds in the State of Alabama.

 

Liability insurance certificates shall be required of the successful bidder during the award process and such certificates shall list the City of Birmingham, its officials, agents, and employees as additional named insured.

 

Only bids submitted by General Contractors licensed in the State of Alabama in accordance with Alabama Code Chapter 8, Title 34 (inclusive) will be considered.

 

Bids shall be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “Storm Sewer Repairs Work Order Contract 2025” on the outside of each envelope. Contractors shall also write on the outside of the sealed bid envelope his or her State of Alabama general contractor’s license number as well as the name of the company submitting the bid.

 

The sealed bid envelope shall contain the following documents: (1) the Form of Proposal, (2) Sales Tax Attachment (3) the Authorization to execute the Form of proposal, (4) fully executed bid bond or certified check, (5) MBE/DBE Forms A, C, and D and (6) a copy of the Contractor’s State of Alabama General Contractor’s License, (7) a current City of Birmingham Business License and (8) E-verify documentation.

 

This project is subject to the requirements of the Birmingham Plan-Construction Industry Program, which is designed to encourage the utilization of Minority Business Enterprises and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“MBE/DBE”) in City of Birmingham construction projects.  The program is administered by the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA) which establishes a system of floating MBE/DBE goals which may differ from year to year and project to project. Overall, these goals shall not be less than the historical participation of MBE/DBE’s in construction projects of the City and its agencies.

 

Special attention is called to the requirement of all bidders to identify trades and activities for which it will solicit and accept bids from potential MBE/DBE subcontractors. Potential bidders are encouraged to contact the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA) to request a list of potential subcontractors and submit the required MBE/DBE forms by contacting the Executive Director, Birmingham Construction Industry Authority at 601 37th Street South, Birmingham, AL, 35222; telephone (205) 324-6202 or info@bcia1.org.

 

As a matter of public policy, the City of Birmingham agrees to make opportunities available to the maximum extent possible, to actively include Historically Underutilized Business Enterprises (HUBE’s) such as architectural firms, engineering firms, investment banking firms, other professional consultant services providers, and construction contractors as part of business, economic and community revitalization programs.

 

The City of Birmingham reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informality in any bid.

 

Jesse Miller, PE

City Engineer

 

Advertisement dates in local newspaper:

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

Furniture for Sale

 

I have a Amana washer and dryer, Stainless steel Kenmore refrigerator, king side bed with dresser mirror detached, and a small  kitchen table for sale $2,000

 

 

BT4/10/2025

 

______________________________

 

 

Birmingham City Leaders Release Details on How $141 Million in Federal Relief Funds Were Used  

0
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and members of the Birmingham City Council gathered at City Hall on Thursday to discuss how the money was allocated. (City of Birmingham)

Barnett Wright |The Birmingham Times

On Thursday, Birmingham City officials announced that $141 million in federal relief funds were used for nearly 200 local projects from creating a comprehensive response to violent crime to helping families and small businesses thrive.

The funds came from American Rescue Plan Act the city received after the Covid pandemic of 2020 to help cities and states get through the crisis of a near-shutdown of the U.S. economy through mandated lockdowns.

“This is an unprecedented investment in Birmingham’s future,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “We are committed to using every dollar to make our city stronger, fairer, and more prepared for tomorrow.”

Woodfin and members of the Birmingham City Council gathered at City Hall on Thursday to discuss how the money was allocated.

“It’s really remarkable to think about where we were just five short years ago, the entire world gripped by uncertainty, isolation and fear of what’s to come,” said Birmingham City Council President Darrell O’Quinn. “No one knew what to expect … We were able to maximize the impact across the city on a really localized level.”

Key investments include:

  • Transportation projects: $25.7 million (includes Birmingham Xpress, street improvements)
  • Affordable Housing: $13.8 million (examples include Veranda at Graymont, Belview Heights housing development)
  • Safe and Healthier Neighborhoods: $11.6 million
  • Blight Removal: $9.6 million
  • Job Training and Unemployment Reduction: $8.5 million
  • Small Business and Non-Profit Support: $8.5 million (examples include forgivable loans)
  • Community Violence Prevention: $5.5 million
  • Retention Pay: $5 million
  • Storm Water Management Upgrades: $2.8 million
  • Education: $4 million

All available funds have been allocated to projects. The city must finish spending all those funds by Dec. 31, 2026.

The city released a 23-page report detailing expenditures and funding partners. A full project list of Birmingham’s ARPA projects and funding is available on the city’s website: www.birminghamal.gov/ARPA.

The Negro Southern League Museum Hosts Jackie Robinson Festival 2025 on Saturday

0
The Negro Southern League Museum is set to host Jackie Robinson Day 2025 on Saturday, April 12, in downtown Birmingham. (City of Birmingham)

City of Birmingham

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke Baseball’s color barrier when he made his historic Major League Baseball debut. Every year, baseball honors Jackie’s legacy by celebrating his life, values and accomplishments.

Jackie Robinson was the first Black baseball player in the major leagues.

The Negro Southern League Museum is set to host Jackie Robinson Day 2025 on Saturday, April 12, in downtown Birmingham.

“Breaking Barriers and Honoring Heroes,” is the theme of this year’s celebration, and will mark the past, present, and future of baseball in America.

The family-friendly event promises a day filled with live music, poetry, line dancing, food trucks, boutique vendors, and activities for all ages. Attendees can also look forward to giveaways from Major League Baseball.

Families with children ages 4 to 10 years old can sign up for the Nike RBI Skills Camp at neighboring Regions Field led by former MLB player and Boston Red Sox World Series winning coach Ron Papa Jack Jackson, a graduate of Wenonah High school. All participants will receive exclusive access to MLB giveaways and programming including a yearly subscription to MLB TV as well as discounts on MLB merchandise.

The event will also offer a rare chance to meet legendary players from the Negro Leagues, allowing attendees to celebrate their achievements and hear their stories firsthand. Exclusive Jackie Robinson Day merchandise, designed by Voltron Printing, will be available at this event.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the Jackie Robinson Day Marketplace, curated by The Modern Green Book, which will feature local businesses and creators.

All Activities:

  • Live music
  • DJs
  • Line dancing
  • Poetry
  • Food trucks
  • Kid friendly games
  • Arts and crafts
  • Baseball activities
  • Shopping with local vendors at the Modern Green Book Vendor Marketplace
  • Luncheon for former players
  • Meet former players of the Negro and industrial Leagues.

Nationwide, the extensive and unified League-wide show of support has included retiring Jackie’s number throughout the Majors in 1997; dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day each year since 2004; and requesting that every player and all on-field personnel wear his No. 42 during games scheduled on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009.

More information about Jackie Robinson Day 2025, or contact the Negro Southern League Museum at (205) 581-3040.

UAB, City of Birmingham Offering Health Screenings on Regional Wellness Day

0
Community members will have access to screenings for common health concerns such as glucose levels and blood pressure, as well as cancer screenings for age-eligible individuals on Regional Wellness Day. (Adobe Stock)

Community members will have access to screenings for common health concerns such as glucose levels and blood pressure, as well as cancer screenings for age-eligible individuals. The event will provide community resources on social and economic stability, education, and other essential topics.

Available screenings include biometric screenings (blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight), clinical breast exams, PSA tests, fall risk assessments, vision screenings, mental health screenings and HIV tests. Individuals requiring further care can schedule follow-up appointments with health care providers on-site.

Attendees can engage with health care professionals and community organizations, participate in group workouts, learn about clinical research opportunities, and enjoy giveaways throughout the event. Lunch will also be provided while supplies last.

Regional Wellness Day will be held Thursday, April 17, from 3-7 p.m. at the Birmingham CrossPlex located at 2337 Bessemer Road, Birmingham, Alabama, 35208. To register, click here.

How Lessons of Birmingham Shape Modern-Day Protests Against DEI Rollbacks

0
Members from two generations of Foot Soldiers -- Not On Our Watch and the Civil Rights Activist Committee -- meet inside the courtyard of the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Barnett Wright and Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

Leaving the Super Target in Hoover, Alabama, recently, Kevin Jackson was unapologetic. Yes, he was aware of calls to boycott the retailer after it rolled back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Yes, he was concerned about the other corporations eliminating DEI programs. But that wasn’t enough to stop him from shopping there.

“Black people still work there. They have to pay their bills,” the Hoover resident told The Birmingham Times. “People are working. It’s their job, unless we’re going to have a really large boycott and it’s effective. … To make it effective, you really have to have a lot of people, and you really have to be organized. … But the boycotts are piecemeal. It’s scattered all over the place.”

Target also carries a lot of products developed and produced by Black companies like Bevel, one of his favorite hair care brands, Jackson said.

Cayce Fox Gardner, who lives in Wenonah, Alabama, said she was at Target for another reason. She works there.

“I came to get groceries. … I understand that I can go anywhere else, [but] I choose to go right here since I work here. … I understand that people may want me to quit, but I need this money to pay my bills,” said Fox Gardner, who works in the retailer’s clothing department.

Inside the courtyard of the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham, members of the Civil Rights Activist Committee of The Foot Soldiers, from left: Jacqueline Pickens Taylor; Iris Phillips; Arnie Evans; Mackie Bennett; Brenda Paige Ward and Najah Reeves Najiy. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

While some still may support Target and other corporations that have eliminated DEI initiatives, Eric Hall, a certified labor strategist and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Birmingham, is not one of them, he said.

When companies refuse to support DEI “[It] shows that they are not supporting that person’s identity, and I think that’s important — especially for somebody’s that’s patronizing you and giving you their resources,” he said.

Hall added, “You want my money, but you can’t respect who I am? As a patron, I expect more. … I cannot in good faith support anyone who doesn’t respect my identity.”

Less than 100 days into Donald Trump’s presidency, several boycotts of Target, Walmart, Amazon, and many other corporations are either underway, have been launched, or are being planned by groups of consumers or activists to protest companies that are abandoning their DEI programs. Among those on the front lines are groups like the NAACP and The People’s Union USA, as well as prominent leaders like the Rev. Jamal Bryant, senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, Georgia, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and CEO of the National Action Network (NAN), all of whom are attempting to accomplish what faith leaders and activists did more than 60 years ago during the Civil Rights Movement.

Holding Corporations Accountable

In Birmingham, Cara McClure, CEO of Faith and Works, a nonpartisan, social justice organization, has created Not On Our Watch, a grassroots movement that she feels has been born out of a necessity: holding corporations accountable for abandoning DEI initiatives.

McClure chose to unveil Not On Our Watch in April, the month that the Birmingham boycotts focused on more than 60 years ago during the Easter season. Activists wanted to hit businesses when they earned a big chunk of their profits. According to one account, 85 to 90 percent of the Black population of the city participated in those boycotts, which led to a 12 percent decline in sales during a peak buying season.

Easter is April 20 this year and, while no formal plans are in place for this month, McClure said the symbolism of April in Birmingham is a perfect time to launch.

By abandoning DEI, McClure said, “[Corporations] are sending a message about our voices, our talents, and contributions. They are saying [Black people] don’t matter, but they still want our dollars. To us that is unacceptable. If corporations turn their backs on DEI, our goal is to turn our backs on them economically. … Not On Our Watch is about holding [corporations] accountable and ensuring that our progress is not erased.”

Paulette Roby was 13 years old during the children’s marches in Birmingham in the early 1960s. She now serves as chair of the Civil Rights Activist Committee at the Foot Soldiers Headquarters in downtown Birmingham.

Each year, the organization hosts a reunion for Foot Soldiers to commemorate the work they did and highlight the importance of ordinary people in the Civil Rights Movement.

Boycotts in the 1960s were more than withholding dollars from the white business establishments, Roby said: “It is very important for us to spend our money in our own communities and with our own people because it will help us maintain what we already have and make it greater.”

Model for Success

For Roby, Hall, McClure, and many others, Alabama has been a model for successful boycotts.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott began after NAACP activist Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person on December 1, 1955. A boycott began on December 5, and the one-day affair was so effective that Black citizens and Civil Rights leaders continued the momentum. Montgomery’s city buses remained empty for a year.

Inside the courtyard of the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham, from left: Cara McClure, CEO, Faith And Works; Founder Not On Our Watch; Terry Collins, Civil Rights Activist Committee of the Foot Soldiers; Paulette Roby, chair of the Civil Rights Activist Committee; Lamar Black, Not On Our Watch and Nadine P. Smith. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

April 1963 saw the beginning of the Birmingham Campaign—a coordinated series of direct-action protests led by the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth-founded Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) and joined by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Their mission was clear: to challenge the city’s system of segregation head-on through nonviolent protest.

What followed—Project C, mass arrests, the Children’s Crusade—captured the attention of the nation and the world. The courage shown by everyday people in Birmingham helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Hall said, “When people band together and stick to what they say, we can stand on business, we can have an impact some things, especially when you have Black folks spending millions of dollars in your store on a daily basis. If we pull back those monies it will hurt.”

“Don’t Stop Praying”

Inside the courtyard of the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham, members of the Civil Rights Activist Committee of The Foot Soldiers, from left: Georgia Richardson; Judy Stickney; Danny Ransom; Mildred M. Bennett and Nadine P. Smith. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

But are people banding together? Many African Americans are still shopping at places that are being boycotted by other members of the community. If unity won’t work, what’s left?

Bishop Calvin Woods, 91, former president of the SCLC, retired pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Birmingham’s Norwood neighborhood, and longtime activist who played a key role in the 1960s demonstrations, said boycotts were effective because “we always had prayer [meetings] before we did anything.”

“Whatever we did—whether we marched, or boycott, or picketed, whatever—we put the Lord first,” said Woods, who added that protesters should not become discouraged.

“When [God] is in front of a thing, it will work. It may not work like you want it to work, but the main thing is striving to do His will. … That’s where prayer comes in. You have to continue to stay in prayer. That’s one thing the Lord said we should always do: always pray — and don’t stop. Some things you may stop doing, but don’t stop praying.”

The Rev. Thomas Wilder Jr., pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, where Shuttlesworth preached, said past tactics worked for a reason.

“Selective buying is definitely a way to get people’s attention,” he said. “The reason Birmingham broke segregation barriers is because people selectively thought about where their money was being spent. … Selective buying is a way to help people understand that you vote with your pocketbook.”

Michael Wesley Sr., pastor of the Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in the Birmingham’s West End community, said boycotts are only one way to get attention.

“We need more articles, continuing with putting it on social media , on e-platforms that young people are attracted to. We need to get into the spaces where young people are. They don’t watch television, and they don’t pay attention to the news. Some don’t go to church. They can’t get much at a school, and they’re not getting it at home,” said Wesley.

Advocating for policy changes can create a bigger impact, said the Rev. Arthur Price, pastor of 16th Street Baptist Church, where four girls died in a horrific bombing on Sept. 15, 1963.

“During the Civil Rights Movement, when the church was bombed, our forefathers and mothers got angry, but they also became advocates for change,” Price said. “They didn’t want the death of those four little girls to be in vain. They advocated until they got the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965—and that is exactly what it will take to make boycotts more effective.”

What Alabama’s Ban on Cellphones During Class Could Mean for K-12 Students

0
Back to School Digital Detox Week is a mental health wellness initiative designed to help communities adjust to the demands of Alabama’s new FOCUS Act, which restricts phone use in classrooms. (Adobe Stock)

By Williesha Morris | wmorris@al.com and Mike Cason | mcason@al.com

The Alabama House last week passed a bill which stops K-12 students from using cellphones and other personal devices during class.

HB166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey (R-Jefferson), also says the State Department of Education also must provide training on “the risks of using social media and how to use social media safely.” The bill passed 70-15 with some amendments.

“It’s going to have them focused on what’s going on in that classroom, working on developing these critical social skills and then continuing to learn how to have great debates in their classrooms, just like we did on the floor today,” Hulsey told AL.com after the bill’s passage.

“I think this is going to be a game changer, and I’m really excited to see how this plays out in our kids’ lives in our classrooms,” she said.

The bills would ban students from using cellphones, tablets, laptops or other portable communication devices on campus during the school day. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, devices must be turned off and stored in a locker, backpack, car, or a pouch monitored by a teacher. Lawmakers removed a proposed penalty for local schools that don’t create and enforce a policy.

“Studies have shown that cellphones and other electronic communication devices are negatively impacting learning outcomes,” according to the language in the bill. “Increased social media usage may negatively affect the mental health of school-aged children.”

In February, the Alabama state school board adopted a resolution to “strongly encourage” local school districts to have a policy that would limit cellphone use on school grounds, citing their negative effects on learning and retention. Gov. Kay Ivey voiced support of the legislation in her State of the State address.

Rep. Mary Moore (D-Jefferson County) opposed the bill during the debate, saying there needs to be more research before passing a “ridiculous” bill. She said the state board of education, who should be the experts, are “the weakest people I’ve ever come across.”

“They ought to have the courage and the professionalism to say this is good, this is bad,” Moore said. “But they don’t.”

Several legislators had safety concerns about students not having access to their phones. Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) said because of the prevalence of school shootings, students need to be able to call 911 or their parents.

She said that as a grandmother, it would be “nerve-wracking” if her grandchildren didn’t have access to their phones.

Hulsey said the National Association of School Resource Officers recommends students don’t have phones when an event happens, because “it actually makes the situation harder to manage and deal with successfully and quicker.”

Hulsey said three exemptions should address legislators’ concerns: Students will be allowed to use phones for medical purposes, such as when a diabetic student needs to monitor glucose levels; during a life-threatening emergency; or for educational purposes under a teacher’s supervision.

Rep. Anthony Daniels (D-Madison County) praised the bill, saying the governor’s office should look into starting a “campaign to start educating the public” on the impact of cell phones in the classroom.

The amended bill removes punitive actions for schools that don’t comply. Rep. Pebblin Warren (D-Lee County) said they may need to “put some teeth in this bill” later.

“If we get data back that says that they’re not complying, we need to look more seriously at coming back and amending this to add those punitive damages,” Hulsey said.

The Senate companion bill, SB92, was referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy Feb. 4.

Activists Paulette Roby and Cara McClure: Rebirth of the Birmingham Campaign

0
Cara McClure, CEO, of Faith And Works and founder of Not On Our Watch; and Paulette Roby, chair of the Civil Rights Activist Committee of the Foot Soldiers. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

As the CEO of Faith and Works, a nonpartisan, social justice organization based in Birmingham, Cara McClure has always been committed to transformative outreach that enhances the quality of life for the underserved and underrepresented.

Now McClure is taking her activism to another level with Not On Our Watch, a newly launched grassroots movement that she feels has been born out of a necessity: holding corporations accountable for abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

“The rollback of DEI programs, in my opinion, is a direct attack on the progress that Black and brown communities have fought for,” she told The Birmingham Times. “These programs were never about special treatment. They were about exactly what our work stands for: fair access, representation, and dismantling systemic barriers [that] have historically excluded us.”

By abandoning DEI, McClure said, “[Corporations] are sending a message about our voices, our talents, and contributions. They are saying [Black people] don’t matter, but they still want our dollars. To us that is unacceptable. If corporations turn their backs on DEI, our goal is to turn our backs on them economically. … Not On Our Watch is about holding [corporations] accountable and ensuring that our progress is not erased.”

Paulette Roby was 13 years old during the children’s marches in Birmingham in the early 1960s. She now serves as chair of the Civil Rights Activist Committee at the Foot Soldiers Headquarters in downtown Birmingham. She spent time recently bridging the two generations of activists when she met with McClure at the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham and outside the Super Target in Hoover, Alabama, which has been the focus of boycotts because of its DEI rollbacks.

Paulette Roby, chair of the Civil Rights Activist Committee of the Foot Soldiers. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

“When I was coming up, the elders held our hands,” Roby told McClure. “They showed us the way. They shared their wisdom with us. And I will be with you all the way. I’m going to walk with you, and I’m going to stay with you to make sure things are done right.”

April 1963 saw the beginning of the Birmingham Campaign — a coordinated series of direct-action protests led by the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth-founded Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) and joined by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Their mission was clear: to challenge the city’s system of segregation head-on through nonviolent protest. What followed—Project C, mass arrests, the Children’s Crusade—captured the attention of the nation and the world. The courage shown by everyday people in Birmingham helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Boycotts in the 1960s were more than withholding dollars from the white business establishments, said Roby: “It is very important for us to spend our money in our own communities and with our own people because it will help us maintain what we already have and make it greater.”

Not Business-as-Usual

Not on Our Watch is inspired by the spirit and success of historic boycotts, such as the Selective Buying Campaign in Birmingham and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which leveraged economic power as a tool for justice and equity, McClure said.

Cara McClure, CEO, of Faith And Works and founder of Not On Our Watch. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

“We aim to disrupt business-as-usual for corporations that turn their backs on DEI, while uplifting businesses that remain committed to fostering inclusion and equity,” she said.

For those who wonder whether boycotts are still effective today, “history has shown that economic pressure works,” McClure said.

“For instance, the Montgomery Bus Boycott forced the desegregation of buses. Companies listen when their profits are threatened. They only understand one language, and that is money. When we strategically withdraw dollars, we force change,” she said.

Not on Our Watch is more than a boycott, McClure continued.

“It is about corporate accountability. The purpose of this is not a new boycott. We are standing in solidarity with the boycotts that are ongoing. … And because people forget, we want to keep it on the forefront of people’s minds that we need to keep this going for as long as we can. The bus boycotts were strategic, and we plan to be strategic, as well.”

Motivation to Change

McClure, a Birmingham native, grew up in different parts of the city, mostly Powderly. She graduated from West End High School in 1987 and attended Jacksonville State University, as well as Alabama State University.

The 55-year-old McClure didn’t get her start into activism until 2014, after it was announced that officer Darren Wilson would not be charged with the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old in St. Louis, Missouri. McClure recalled the moment she found out and how it set her on a path to create change.

“I was out with Lamar [Black], co-founder and team member of Faith and Works], and we were visiting the motel where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered, the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. After we left there, we went to a restaurant, and we saw on the television that the murderer of Mike Brown was acquitted.

“We were very shocked. A few minutes later, I got a call from [my son], Brandon [McClure, who is also member of the Faith and Works team], and he was like, ‘Your generation dropped the ball.’”

That moment “was everything,” McClure remembered.

“I think that is important for us because [Brandon] talked about how my generation could have done more to continue the fight after the Civil Rights Movement. … After he said that and we had lengthy conversation, I said to him, ‘When I got back home, I am going to find something to do.’”

Full-Circle Moment

Roby, 75, learned the meaning of civil disobedience when she was 13 years old. As a teen who grew up in the South Town Projects in Birmingham, Roby took part in the demonstrations and marches.

She left her home state in 1969, moving to San Diego, California, where her uncle owned a hotel, club, and record store that were all located in the city. She lived on the West Coast for 25 years and returned to Birmingham in 1986. She was surprised by the changes she found.

“When I left Birmingham in 1969, we didn’t have Black police officers. [By 1986], we were beginning to have Black police officers, Black firemen, and Black people working for the gas company, the power company. I saw a difference,” Roby told Variety magazine in an interview last summer.

Roby got involved in local Democratic politics and wound up landing a job that she never saw coming. It marked a full-circle moment for the teenage Civil Rights activist, given the importance of bus boycotts by Black residents in the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

“I went back, landed a job at the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, and ended up driving the bus myself. … That was really a big experience for me. I loved it,” she said.

Speaking about McClure and today’s marchers, Roby said, “The road forward will not be easy.”

“Voting is a must,” she continued. “That is the only way your voice is going to be heard. … And keep your faith—that’s one of the main things.”

 

Goals of Not On Our Watch

Corporate Accountability. Demand the reinstatement and expansion of DEI programs by targeted corporations.

Economic Justice. Promote alternative businesses that prioritize DEI and align with the values of marginalized communities.

Community Mobilization. Educate and activate communities to participate in sustained, impactful boycotts and advocacy efforts.

Public Awareness. Raise awareness about the importance of DEI programs and the consequences of corporate abandonment.

Mass Community Engagement. Mobilize 100,000 Alabamians to pledge their commitment to the boycott and spread awareness through their networks.

Faith and Justice Intersection. Engage Black churches and faith-based communities as pillars of economic justice.

For more visit www.notonourwatch.net

Aniayah Brown: Survivor, Now Advocate, Bringing Awareness to Hodgkin Lymphoma  

0
Aniayah Brown was diagnosed with, and survived, Hodgkin lymphoma. (Provided)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

When Aniayah Brown, 24, began her graduate studies at The University of Alabama (UA) School of Social Work she was prepared for the challenges that faced many her age.

She knew the stress of being a college student and having a job as an employee for a retail store but there was something she wasn’t prepared for — a cancer diagnosis.

Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Awareness week is April 5 – April 11 and created to raise awareness about the unique challenges that AYA cancer survivors face each day and to show how their community can help.

That’s what Brown, who began UA’s graduate program during the summer of 2022, has been doing as someone who was diagnosed with, and survived, Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system which is a part of the body’s germ-fighting and disease-fighting immune system.

“It’s a categorized as a type of blood cancer. It affects your lymphatic system, your blood depending on where it is. Mine was in my stomach, my spleen, and basically underneath the right side of my body,” she told The Birmingham Times.

“There’s not much awareness about Hodgkin lymphoma,” she continued. “I never want to stop talking about blood cancers. They are very under talked about. While I was looking for loans and grants from different places, most of them targeted well-known cancers like leukemia. Where’s that help for other people?”

“Something Was Off”

Brown described what led to her diagnosis.

“Everything was good going through my first year (of grad school),” she said. It wasn’t until April 2023 that she recalled something was off during a school trip to Washington D.C.

“I had just celebrated my birthday. We were coming to the close of my first year and I remember had an anxiety attack at one the events … I come back, and I realize I’m super irritable, everything is getting on my nerves. Even the stuff that I deal with every day, it was really working my nerves. I started feeling really overwhelmed so I started talking to my therapist.”

In prior therapy sessions, Brown had discussed a potential ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) but then I started feeling super tired. I couldn’t finish a meal. I wanted nothing but water and I was falling asleep at the drop of a hat.”

After a fainting spell at work [my godfather] was like let’s just go to the doctor and make sure that everything is okay.”

“The first red flag came when they ask to do an EKG. My doctor told me that my heart rate was little elevated, and she gave me medication, and did my blood work.”

“My Blood Count Was Low”

Brown remembers she wasn’t even gone from the hospital for an hour when her doctor called and said “my blood count was low,” and her doctor personally called the ER.

“She said I need you to go today and tell them what is going on, so you can get a blood transfusion,” said Brown.

“I’ll never forget that day. It was Friday, April 21, 2023, I called my mom and a couple other people and told them what was going on. I packed a bag with all my school stuff because it was towards the end of the semester, grabbed some food and headed to the ER.”

“I get there. They check me in. They get me to the back, they talk to me, redo my blood work. They said I really needed a transfusion and fluids. Next thing you know, they’ve started IVs in both arms. One for transfusion, one for fluids.”

Brown was admitted into the hospital where she thought she would be just for a night but turned into a week’s stay in the hospital.

Within the week, Brown’s doctors would confirm the reason for her fever, rapid heart rate, and swollen lymph nodes — [Hodgkin] lymphoma,” said Brown.

Aniayah Brown, who began UA’s graduate program during the summer of 2022, was diagnosed with, and survived, Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system which is a part of the body’s germ-fighting and disease-fighting immune system. (Provided)

Normal Life As Possible

By May, Brown was in her first rounds of chemotherapy.

“I ended up having to take an incomplete for all of my [grad]classes except for one.” Brown continued to live in Tuscaloosa despite being urged by friends and family to move back to Birmingham.

“Everybody kept asking was I going to take a break for school, and I said ‘no.’ I wanted my life to be as normal as it possibly can be. I didn’t want to just stop everything.”

Prior to her diagnosis, Brown worked at a furniture store part time.

“I stopped working, because it was just too much on my body, but I stayed in school.  Over the summer, I had chemo every 21 days once a month for six months from May until September.

“My mom always came down every week I had chemo . She would stay with me for the entire week. She would help me prepare my house by making sure it was clean and that we had food before I had treatment because afterwards I wouldn’t feel good. “

After completing chemotherapy in September 2023 and a follow-up scan, Brown’s spleen was still enlarged. “It concerned my oncologist who suggested radiation for it,” said Brown

From October to November, Brown underwent radiation treatments.

“Cancer affects every part of life, whether you think it does or not.  It’s frustrating because you don’t have time to get used to one change before another one is happening. I didn’t have time to adjust to the fact that I’m not working before I had to focus on the fact that now I have to deal with being sick from my chemotherapy and that my hair is falling out.

“On top of not working and trying to figure out where my next money is coming from. The entire time I was sick I didn’t have a job. I applied for disability in June of 2023. I didn’t hear back from disability about my approval until March 2024.

UA had special grants and things, other people were helping me out, my mom was helping me out, and refund checks from school. I never knew where money was coming from or where my next opportunity for cash was going to be,” said Brown.

Unique Challenges

Today, Brown still resides in Tuscaloosa.  She is currently working as a mental health social worker and though she has some lingering symptoms she wants people to know about the unique challenges that Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer survivors face each day.

“People aren’t used to seeing young people get cancer. Cancer in young people and adolescents are very underrepresented. Either you’re a child with cancer, you’re really old, or you’re a woman with breast cancer. There’re so many different cancers out there that effect so many different people,” she said. “I had stage 3.”

With Hodgkin lymphoma Awareness Month in September finding merchandise to represent what she was going through was proven difficult, she said.  “Nobody really talks about it …”

Brown is doing her part during Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Awareness week by telling her story so she can bring more attention to cancer patients and survivors like herself.

Severe Weather Conditions Safety Tips

0

Annually we discuss severe weather safety because it is our continuous goal to try and help you mitigate loss of life and/or property. Yes, it appears to be redundant especially in a state such as Alabama because one would believe that Alabamians are pretty severe weather savvy, but unfortunately, they are not. Alabamians are seemingly just the opposite.

Maybe the frequency of severe weather warnings makes them more prone not to take the different types of severe weather conditions seriously. They often believe the weather warnings are not as serious as predicted.  This belief can put them often in harm’s way.

With this in mind, let us continue our review of safety tips associated with the different types of severe weather conditions. A few safety tips are more commonly understood and practiced than others:

  • Rain – Wear waterproof clothing and shoes with good traction, and be cautious of slips and falls. Slow down when driving in the rain to prevent your vehicle from possibly hydroplaning.
  • High Winds – Secure loose items outside your home like patio furniture, etc. and be aware of hazards such as fallen branches or flying debris.
  • Heat – Wear light-colored, lightweight clothing, drink plenty of water, and take frequent breaks in a cool, shady area. Make sure your pets stay hydrated as well.
  • Cold – Wear warm clothing, such as a hat. Note the heat leaves your body from the top of your head. Wear gloves and a warm jacket/coat also. Take frequent breaks in warm areas if you must be outside for long periods of time.
  • Lightning – When thunder roars, go indoors. Use the 30/30 thunderstorm rule which is when you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If that is 30 seconds or less, the thunderstorm is close enough to be dangerous. Seek shelter even if you cannot see the lightning, just hearing the thunder is a good back up rule. Wait 30 minutes or more after the lightning flash before leaving your shelter.
  • Tornadoes – never try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle. Pull over and take shelter in a sturdy building. Keep away from windows. If you are home, go to the lowest level such as your basement. If you do not have a basement, go to a room preferably without windows in the center of your home. If you live in a mobile home, leave immediately and seek a sturdy shelter.

Hopefully these two weeks of refresher reviews on severe weather safety will help you continue to Keep an Eye on Safety for you and your loved ones.