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Birmingham Water Works Customers to Receive Letters of Potential Lead Issues in Faucets

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Birmingham Times
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The Board of Directors of Central Alabama Water on Monday night selected a new logo for the organization. (File)

dcwins.com

Some customers of Birmingham Water Works will receive letters next week from the utility under new federal rules that are designed to identify households whose homes may be served by lead pipes.

The letters will primarily go to customers in homes built before 1989. Receiving a letter does not mean the customer’s water is contaminated by lead.

The water from Birmingham Water Works is routinely tested and far exceeds safety standards for lead. The new rules are focused on potential lead contamination that could occur in privately owned service lines that connect to individual homes.

Some older homes with lead pipes may have had plumbing upgrades using newer materials, and homes that still have lead service lines do not necessarily have an immediate problem. For customers who have opted into voluntary in-home testing, Birmingham Water Works tests water from home faucets and is able to detect problems in homes whose pipes contain lead.

“We want our customers to be aware of potential lead issues, but we don’t want them to be alarmed if they receive this letter,” said Darryl R. Jones, Interim General Manager of Birmingham Water Works. “The goal is to make sure our customers know if they have a risk in their home, and to give them information to address that risk.”

Customers who do have lead service lines have several options:

  • They can use water filter pitchers that will be provided for free by Birmingham Water Works.
  • They can request regular in-home testing by Birmingham Water Works to see if the water from their inside faucets contains unsafe levels of lead.
  • They can hire a plumber to replace their service lines with pipes that do not contain lead.

The new rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency require water utilities across the country to compile an accurate count of customers whose service lines contain lead. The letters will ask that customers examine their pipes and report the results to Birmingham Water Works.

Any customer who has concerns about lead pipes can visit Birmingham Water Works’ website at www.bwwb.org/leadfree or call (205) 244-4000.  Resources include how to identify lead pipes, what the potential risks are and how to mitigate those risks.

The new federal requirements are in addition to the steps Birmingham Water Works has been taking proactively for years to ensure the quality of its water. In addition to other safety measures, Birmingham Water Works tests its water more often than required, and it has been proactively identifying and replacing portions of infrastructure that contain older pipes, including service lines, Jones said.

“Our top priorities are to ensure the quality of our water remains excellent and to safeguard the health of our customers,” Jones said. “Under these new federal rules, water utilities like ours can do an even better job of helping our customers identify risks in their own lines and take steps to protect their families.”

What Birmingham Mayor, Retired Police Chief Are Now Saying About New Crime Commission

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Birmingham Times
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Mayor Randall Woodfin, left, and retired Lt. Gen. A. C. Roper, the former chief of the Birmingham Police Department, gave details recently about the new violence prevention commission that was unveiled last month. (File)

By Alaina Bookman | AL.com

Alaina Bookman reports for the “Beyond the Violence” collaborative, a partnership between AL.com, The Birmingham Times and CBS42.

On Tuesday, Mayor Randall Woodfin and retired Lt. Gen. A. C. Roper, the former chief of the Birmingham Police Department, gave more details during a Kiwanis Club of Birmingham event about the new violence prevention commission that was unveiled last month.

So far this year, there have been 135 homicides in Birmingham. Amid a rise in violent crime that may result in the city breaking its tragic homicide record, Woodfin recently appointed local business, community and criminal justice leaders to an advisory board – the crime commission – to reduce homicides in the metro area.

The commission is still in its early stages, but Woodfin said it is one step of many toward a safer Birmingham.

“Gun violence is a public health crisis in our nation…we refuse to rest on our laurels,” Woodfin said. “The key to a safer Birmingham lies in collaboration, the coming together of like minds and shared experiences to create a game plan to effectively address crime, particularly gun violence.”

The commission is putting together a report to present to the mayor aimed at determining what steps need to be taken to curb violence throughout the city. The commission features a community input team, criminal justice evaluation team and national models and data team.

The crime commission’s advisory board includes Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway, Alabama Power Vice President Ralph Williams, Regions Bank Executive Vice President Leroy Abrahams, Renasant Bank Chief Community Development and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Tracey Morant Adams and Jefferson County Health Officer David Hicks.

“We look at the vast wealth of resources in our community, those individuals recognized for not only their thought leadership, creative approaches to complex problems and mainly a love of our city,” Woodfin said. “Then we took a page from Mayor Arrington when basically a similar crisis in the past created a crime commission to bring viable solutions to the table.”

During the Kiwanis Club event, Roper spoke to the members about his experience in the Army, his work on the police force and his hope for the future of Birmingham with the new crime commission.

“Empathy, understanding and addressing the needs of those you lead and those you impact is absolutely critical…We wanted to meet people right where they were, and engage and hear their concerns. And that’s one of the things that we’re doing with the crime commission,” Roper said.

He hopes the commission is one step toward making Birmingham the safest city in America.

“I think the stars are aligned for us to make transformational change,” Roper said. “And each of us have a role to play in that.”

HBCU Football Roundup:  Miles College Clinches Spot in SIAC Title Game

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Birmingham Times
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Lashon Young, a freshman defensive back, leads Division II with seven interceptions. (Ta'Ron Williams, Miles College)

By Donald Hunt | Special To The Times

Miles College is on a major roll. The Golden Bears will visit Tuskegee University on Saturday, Nov. 9 with an opportunity to extend its seven-game winning streak on the final regular season game. The kickoff will be at 1 p.m. Miles College (7-2, 7-0) has already clinched a spot in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship (SIAC) game and alone in first place in the SIAC.

The Golden Bears are coming off a terrific 37-3 win over Morehouse College. Quarterback Kamren Ivory completed 10-of-19 passes for 191 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and sparked the Golden Bears’ scoring parade.

Defensive back Lashon Young had four tackles and one interception that was returned 52 yards for a score against Morehouse College.  Young, a freshman defensive back, leads Division II with seven interceptions.

In other action, Tuskegee University (5-4, 5-2) suffered a tough 36-28 loss to Clark Atlanta a week ago. However, the Golden Tigers have won five of their last six games.

In the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Alabama State (5-3, 4-1) will face Grambling State (4-5, 1-4) on Saturday, Nov. 9 on the road. The kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ASU picked up a 21-17 victory over Alcorn State last week. The Hornets are trying to keep pace with Jackson State (7-2, 5-0) which leads the SWAC East. Alabama A&M (3-5, 1-3) will travel to Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-6, 2-3) on Saturday, Nov. 9. The kickoff will be at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs are looking to snap a two-game losing streak and last week dropped a 25-20 decision to Southern University last week.

VP Harris: Nation Must Accept Results; ‘Sometimes the Fight Takes a While’

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Birmingham Times
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Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her concession speech Wednesday on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. (Ben Curtis, AP)

By Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Faced with a sweeping rejection by American voters, Kamala Harris conceded the presidential election to Donald Trump on Wednesday and encouraged supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country.

The Democratic vice president said the battle would continue “in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.”

“Sometimes the fight takes a while,” she said at Howard University, her alma mater, where she had hoped to make a victory speech after the election. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

Harris’ decisive defeat shattered hopes that she could rescue Democrats’ chances after President Joe Biden’s reelection effort stalled and she replaced him at the top of the ticket.

She trailed in every battleground state to Trump, a Republican whom she described as an existential danger to the country’s foundational institutions. And Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three campaigns for the White House — even after two impeachments, felony convictions and his attempt to overturn his previous election loss.

Despite her stark warnings about Trump, Harris reached for optimism on Wednesday.

“It is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK,” she told supporters as some of them wiped tears from their eyes.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, was in the audience with his family. So were Reps. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, and Barbara Lee, both from Harris’ home state of California.

“Peaceful Transfer Of Power”

Before her speech, Harris called Trump to congratulate him on his victory. She told the crowd that “we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” an implicit reference to Trump’s unwillingness to do the same four years ago.

After Trump lost to Biden, he directed his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol, leading to a violent insurrection that interrupted the ceremonial certification of the election results.

Now Harris is expected to oversee the same certification process to finalize Trump’s victory as voters brush off concerns about the future of American democracy and return the former Republican president to the White House.

Biden plans to address the election results on Thursday. The White House said he spoke with Harris and Trump on Wednesday, and he invited the president-elect to meet with him soon.

David Plouffe, a top Harris adviser, said campaign staffers “left it all on the field for their country.”

“We dug out of a deep hole but not enough,” he said. “A devastating loss.”

Harris became the Democratic candidate after Biden, who was already struggling to convince voters that he could serve as president until he was 86 years old, stumbled badly in his June 27 debate with Trump.

He dropped out of the race on July 21 and endorsed his vice president, who swiftly unified the Democratic Party around her candidacy.

It was a remarkable twist of fate for Harris. Four years earlier, her own presidential campaign had flamed out and revealed the political limitations of someone once dubbed “the female Barack Obama.” Even though Biden chose Harris as his running mate, she languished in the role after taking office as the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

Some Democrats started writing her off when they pondered the party’s future after Biden. But Harris found fresh purpose after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, and she became the White House’s leading advocate for abortion rights.

Forging Connections

Harris also made a more concerted effort to network with local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures, forging connections that could serve her down the road. The moment arrived sooner than she anticipated, and she was catapulted into the presidential race with Biden’s departure only a month before the Democratic National Convention.

Harris instantly reset the terms of the contest with Trump. She was 18 years younger and a former courtroom prosecutor going up against the first major presidential candidate convicted of crimes. Her candidacy energized Democrats who feared they were destined for defeat with Biden at the top of the ticket.

But she also faced steep odds from the beginning. She inherited Biden’s political operation with just 107 days until the end of the election, and she faced a restless electorate that was eager for change.

Although Harris pitched “a new way forward,” she struggled to meaningfully differentiate herself from the unpopular sitting president. In addition, she had limited time to introduce herself to skeptical voters, who never cast a ballot for her in a presidential primary.

Democrats now face the prospect of picking up the pieces during a second Trump presidency, and it’s unclear what role Harris will play in her party’s future.

“The work of protecting America from the impacts of a Trump Presidency starts now,” wrote Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris’ campaign chair, in a letter to staff. “I know the Vice President isn’t finished in this fight, and I know the very people on this email are also going to be leaders in this collective mission.”

Yashiba ‘Red’ Blanchard: How a Voice for the Voiceless Became an Elected Probate Court Judge in Jefferson County, Alabama

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Birmingham Times
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Yashiba “Red” Blanchard was elected Jefferson County Probate Court Judge Place 1. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times

Yashiba “Red” Blanchard likes to say she’s a “voice for the voiceless.” And that’s not a slogan she began when campaigning for Jefferson County Probate Court Judge Place 1. It goes back to eighth-grade in Birmingham City Schools, she said.

“I don’t like it when people can’t express themselves when they are mistreated,” she told The Birmingham Times. “That’s something I decided to do [speak for others] on the debate team in the 8th grade in Washington Elementary. I would have classmates that would get picked on and I would take up for them … I’m for the person who can’t speak for themselves.”

Blanchard, 50, can now be a voice for tens of thousands. According to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election with 98 percent of the vote counted, Blanchard received 143,971 votes or 52.22 percent to defeat Republican John Amari who received 131,502 votes or 47.70 percent for the Probate Court Place 1 seat making her the first, along with fellow attorney and sorority sister Jameria Moore, Place 2, Black females elected to Probate Court in Jefferson County.

Probate courts have jurisdiction over matters dealing with wills, estates, real property, mental illness, and adoption. The Place 1 seat has more of the administrative duties.

“I’m so elated that the citizens of Jefferson County have put their trust in me to lead in this position,” Blanchard told the Times Tuesday from her Watch Party at Dread River Distillery on the Southside. “I had a magnificent team with God first, my family, my husband, my children. We put it all together and made it happen.”

Yashiba “Red” Blanchard, was joined by supporters Tuesday night at her Watch Party at Dread River Distillery on the Southside. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

Blanchard, who will be sworn in sometime in January, credited her education both in city schools as well as her neighborhoods for her journey as lawyer and judge to probate court.

“I will always give Holy Grail to the Bright Star on the Hill – that’s Wenonah High School,” Blanchard said, “only the best come out of there. I will tell anybody the Birmingham City School System that we can do whatever anybody in these United States can do and we can do it better.”

As for her upbringing, Blanchard said, “it was my village that poured into me, a lot of people would say I had a hard knock life because I didn’t have a silver spoon, but it was the community … It’s the connections I made in the village. It’s the people that raised me. It’s the friends that I made that are lifetime friends. Not my lawyer friends and colleagues but the friends I had when I was growing up.”

Blanchard said they were taught well, “we were disciplined not only by our parents but by everybody in the community and they valued education … that’s a recipe for success.”

The judge-elect said she is aware of the challenges young people face in inner-city communities. “I stayed in Goldwire Circle in Titusville and it was right next door to Loveman’s Village (the razed public housing community) … When we were growing up [and didn’t act right] the whole community could beat our behinds. Not just our parents.”

Her parents, she said, “originated from the Brickyard in Ensley, mother from Fountain Heights and Avondale, predominantly Black communities … we stayed inside of Prince Hall apartments.”

But they were exposed to a world outside of the neighborhood, she said.

“We had other interests, we would read, we would go to the library, go to ‘lockouts’ in the YMCA – they would let schools go the lockdowns (at the Y) on Fridays and we would all come together and we had our leaders in our communities who told us we could be what we wanted to be. But they stated the importance of education. When things got tough, we were taught to push through.”

Yashiba “Red” Blanchard practices through Glenn Blanchard and Associates, P.C. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

Born and raised in Birmingham, Blanchard is a graduate of Wenonah High School and Jefferson State Community College, with an Associate of Applied Sciences Degree. She also holds a degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in political science, and a master’s degree in public administration. She received her Juris Doctorate Degree from Birmingham School of Law and has been successfully defending cases at her law firm Glenn Blanchard and Associates, P.C.

Part of her campaign is to educate residents on their voting rights; advocate for programs to help felons recover voting rights; ensure reliability of elections and fully staff polls; provide resources for those representing themselves in probate court; manage courts to avoid clogging the system.

Each year, more than 600,000 people are served in some capacity by the Jefferson County Probate Court. Probate is considered by many as a family court to resolve or assist in matters such as settling the estate of a deceased loved one, legal name changes, adoptions, elections, marriage licenses, and the recording of land records.

Blanchard said she will always be a voice to those like the little Black girls in the city where she was raised. And has this message: “Keep your head up high and reach for the stars. You can be whatever you want to be. It doesn’t matter where your parents come from, it doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, just keep God first and push. The sky is the limit. Anything above that we can get it as well.”

Jameria Moore: From Birmingham City Schools to Elected Probate Court Judge in Jefferson County, Alabama

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Birmingham Times
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Jameria Moore won the race for Jefferson County Probate Court Place 2 seat. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

When Jameria Moore walked into the Uptown Jazz Lounge on Tuesday evening for her election night watch party she wasn’t there to celebrate. “I’m just ready to serve,” she told a reporter.

According to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election Moore received 145,125 votes or 52.74 percent to defeat Republican Joel Blankenship, 129,839 votes, or 47.19 in the race for Jefferson County Probate Court Place 2 seat and to become along with fellow lawyer and sorority sister, Yashiba Blanchard, one of the two first Black female judges elected to the Court in Jefferson County, Alabama.

Probate courts have jurisdiction over matters dealing with wills, estates, real property, mental illness, and adoption.

“I know this is history…. I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve,” said Moore, who added she was happy to be elected as the same time as Blanchard, a friend and sorority sister.

“I love the fact that this is an opportunity for us as women to serve and to show how that we are qualified, and that we are ready and that we are ready to go into the probate court and be that voice and listen to our constituents, listen to those who came before us, make rulings that are just, make sure that people get their cases heard timely,” Moore said.

Jameria Moore gathered Tuesday night with dozens of her closest family, friends, colleagues, and several community leaders at the Uptown Jazz Lounge. (Marika N. Johnson Photos, For The Birmingham Times)

With dozens of her closest family, friends, colleagues, and several community leaders at the Uptown the attorney said family was some of her keys to victory. “When you’re running for election, if your family is not 100 percent in, you are not going to make it. Having my family, my close friends, my colleagues in the legal profession endorsing me, making sure that I stayed focused on the task and just kept me in the game,” she said.

Jameria Moore, 56, is a partner with a Birmingham based law firm, Sperling & Moore, PC. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

Moore, 56, is a partner with a Birmingham based law firm, Sperling & Moore, PC. She has handled a wide array of cases from probate court to civil court. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar, the Birmingham Bar Association, the Alabama Lawyers Association, the Magic City Bar Association, and she is a registered mediator with the State of Alabama.

Moore is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and a graduate of West End High School. Her father, the late Willie Earl Johnson, was a coal-miner in the Jim Walter Mines and her mother, the late Betty Johnson, worked for Bruno’s as a bakery manager.

Moore studied civil engineering at Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama graduating cum laude in 1990. After graduation she worked for some of the most respected companies in the state of Alabama including James River Corporation (Pennington Alabama), BE&K Engineering (Birmingham)l Butler Manufacturing (Birmingham) and the Alabama Department of Transportation (Birmingham).

She currently serves as a municipal judge for the City of Birmingham and a Special District Court Judge in Family Court When she became a lawyer, Moore said she never dreamed about becoming a judge.

“I wanted to be, you know, like [iconic TV lawyer] Perry Mason and save everybody. However, as my career developed … and working with families and trying to keep families together when they go through a loss of a loved one, that really started to touch my heart and I recognized that the probate court is a court that can help keep families together.”

She added, “if we educate individuals on how to distribute their assets and what they need to do, I found that families stay together and when families stay together in the community, it makes our community stronger. It makes our city better, and it makes our county great.”

Each year, more than 600,000 people are served in some capacity by the Jefferson County Probate Court. Probate is considered by many as a family court to resolve or assist in matters such as settling the estate of a deceased loved one, legal name changes, adoptions, elections, marriage licenses, and the recording of land records.

Asked for advice she’d give aspiring lawyers, Moore said, “I’ll just say stay focused. Stay strong. Never let anyone turn you around or change what your goals are and find your mentor. Find someone that you can talk to find you someone that you can look up to. That’s one thing that I had.  Sometimes and I’ll say this, sometimes your mentor may not always be a female, but you can have more than one mentor. You can have mentors for all different areas of your life and all aspects that you go through. It can be a family member. It can be in just different areas … Keep your head up. Keep God first.”

The First Line of Defense Against Online Holiday Scams

By
Birmingham Times
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There’s an increased risk of falling victim to identity theft and fraud during the holiday season, especially as you work your way down your shopping list amid the frenzy of the season. According to 2022 findings by Norton, about one in three adults (34 percent) in the U.S. say they tend to take more risks with online shopping closer to the holidays.

Globally, that number was 32 percent. Black Friday is the most popular day for fraud attempts. So, as we continue our Holiday Safety Smarts series, the focus of protecting oneself from holiday online shopping scams will be the focus for this week’s safety article.

The first line of defense is your holiday online shopping payment method. AARP’s 2022 study found that the majority, (64 percent), of the U.S. adults surveyed knew that using a credit card rather than a debit card was a safer option when making online purchases. 72 percent of respondents said they planned to use a credit card to make purchases, up from 67 percent in 2021. 68 percent said they planned to use cash, while 67 percent planned to use a debit card which was down from 69 percent in 2021.

There’s an increased risk of falling victim to identity theft and fraud during the holiday season, especially as you work your way down your shopping list. (Adobe Stock)

Another safety measure is safeguarding your passwords. Take time to consider your account security before the holidays to help minimize risk. Use these best practices for keeping your accounts secure:

• Use a unique password for all your accounts. If that seems like too much effort, consider using password manager to help establish difficult, individual passwords for you.

• Turn on multifactor authentication. Wherever possible, and especially with financial accounts, turn on multifactor authentication. This security feature requires you to take an extra step to verify your identity before you can log on, and it could help keep your information safe if your account’s password is compromised.

Do not shop on Public Wi-Fi. Everyone is busy going in different directions so it can be tempting to cross a few items off your list while you are out and about, but public Wi-Fi networks might not be secure. Hackers may be able to take advantage of unsecured Wi-Fi to capture sensitive information that you transmit through the network. That is why it is wise to avoid taking care of holiday shopping, logging in to your bank account or doing anything that involves sensitive personal or payment information when connected to an unsecured network.

A virtual private network (VPN) might keep some of your information secure, but it is still best to avoid logging on to your accounts or making a purchase when using a public network.

The safety protections above can help you Keep an Eye on Safety as you finish your shopping and enjoy the holidays.

‘Coming from Birmingham City Schools … to Probate Court shows the sky is the limit. Anything above that we can get it as well.’

By
Birmingham Times
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YASHIBA “RED” BLANCHARD, ELECTED ON NOV. 5 ONE OF THE FIRST
TWO BLACK FEMALE JUDGES TO PROBATE COURT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY; BIRMINGHAMTIMES.COM, NOV. 6.

A Life’s Lesson

By
Birmingham Times
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I was up thinking this morning how drastically my personality has changed.

There was a time that, during any spirited discussion, i.e. argument, I would dig in and chime back, create a strong comeback statement (or have my “clapback” ready as the young folks call it) or simply debate just to make my point known.

Well, my 50s have taught me that either I will listen, or I’ll learn.

Now, keep in mind, I’m referencing those times that I know I’m right about something (or at least strongly believe I am).

During those times, I would tend to dig in real deep on my point (even if there was a possibility that I’m wrong); and sometimes, even at the expense of the relationship. And if you were honest, you’ve likely been there too.

Well, here’s the deal: It’s not up to you or me to make anyone else receive the wisdom that we have learned in our more mature years. That choice solely rests upon them. I remember a saying by a famous comedian. It went something like this, “You gone learn today.”

Life has a way of teaching us all, and if they don’t receive the wisdom from me or you, that test is coming back around again.

So, the next time you get into a debate a heated debate with someone about what you know, and they try to either discredit you, or choose to forge full steam ahead without listening to you, consider this. Resist any petty arguments or debates; rather, take a step back and recognize either they’ll listen, or they’ll learn. Life has a way of teaching all of us the lessons that we need.

It’s a needful step in the direction of maturity.  And there’s no need to try to convince. Pray that if they can’t hear it from you, that life – as gently as possible – will help them learn the lesson. Rest assured, they’ll either listen or learn.

I’m Keisa Sharpe, Coach K, and as always, know that I’m cheering for you.

Keisa Sharpe is a life coach, author and speaker. Her column appears each month online and in The Birmingham Times. You can contact Keisa at keisasharpe@yahoo.com and visit http://www.allsheanaturals.com for natural hair and body products.

PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS

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Birmingham Times
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Comedian Tip “T.I.” Harris to appear at the StarDome Comedy Club. (Provided)

By Gwen DeRu | The Birmingham Times

TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!.
**WALE – EVERY BLUE MOON TOUR at Iron City.
**CASEY ROCKET at Saturn.
**DAYMARES at the Nick Rocks.
**LATE NIGHT THURSDAYS with GREAT JANE at The Nick Rocks.
**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**EVERY THURSDAY- THAT’S MY JAM THURSDAYS, 7 p.m. at Platinum of Birmingham with DJ Slugga.
**ALABAMA BLAZIN BINGO, 6 p.m. at Overtime Grill and Bar.
**FILM at Sidewalk Film.
**KARAOKE, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

FRIDAY…

IT IS Friday…the weekend starts…
**WILDFLOWER WALK, 10-11:30 a.m. at the Kaul Wildflower Garden with KEITH TURNEY for an autumn walk among the wildflowers that celebrate the diverse flora of Alabama and demonstrates a variety of roles native plants can play in our gardens. Register.
**COMEDIAN TIP “T.I.” HARRIS featuring the HAHA MAFIA at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**ATLUS with JORDAN GRAY at The Nick Rocks.
**LATE NIGHT WITH DJ JACK BAMA at The Nick.
**POP PLANET: HYPERPOP RAVE at Saturn.
**CAVETOWN at Iron City.
**COIN- I’M NOT AFRAID OF TOUR ANYMORE with AIDAN BISSETT at Avondale Brewery.

SATURDAY…
**11TH ANNUAL BANKSTON BASH, 11 a.m. at the Good People Brewing Company with games and prizes!!
**WAYWARD WHIMSY at WILDFLOWERS CHILDRENS BOUTIQUE in Trussville, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
**KARAOKE SATURDAYS, 3 p.m. at 3605 Gray Avenue, Adamsville, with the ALL-EN ONE BBQ with Chef Randy ”Dee” Allen and The Lovely LaToria at the 7 Angels Coffee & Smoothie Café.
**COMEDIAN TIP “T.I.” HARRIS featuring the HAHA MAFIA at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**THE CANCELLATIONS WITH CAYLA & MILLENNIAL JONES at The Nick Rocks.
**LATE NIGHT with R.1.Y.T. at The Nick Rocks.
**ELLA SALTER & THE SUNDAY SINNERS WITH MEGAN LEA AND THE DIRTY MIRRORS at The Nick Rocks.
**CLUB XCX – CHARLI XCX & HYPERPOP DANCE PARTY, 8 p.m. at Iron City.

SUNDAY…
**SINGO BINGO EVERY SUNDAY, 1 p.m. at Cahaba Brewing Company.
**EASE BACK 4th SUNDAYS, 5 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**ASH GRAY AND THE BURNERS & STEELCITY JUGSLAMMERS at The Nick Rocks.
**EVERY 4TH SUNDAY TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH at The Nick Rocks.
**MUSIC OF THE BEATLES & MORE FOR KIDS at Saturn.
**RAMBLIN RICKY TATE at The Nick Rocks.

MONDAY…
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at the Nick.
**SWEET HOME SPIRITS NIGHT at Birmingham Bandstand (Open Mic) at the Nick.

TUESDAY…
**THYME TO READ BOOK CLUB, 4 p.m. book ‘Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods’ by Sara Lohman at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. FREE.
**FRESH BLACK FILMS (PAY WHAT YOU CAN), 7 – 8:30 p.m. at Sidewalk Film and the Luminal Theater.
**NATURE TRIVIA NIGHT, 7-9 p.m. in the Outdoor Classroom at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Register.
**SUPERSTAR KARAOKE TUESDAYS, 10 p.m. at The Nick Rocks.
**JOSE CARR EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT at True Story Brewing.
**BLOOD RAGE at Saturn.

WEDNESDAY…
**REAL FUNNY COMEDY WEDNESDAYS at True Story Brewing. Sign up at 7:30 p.m.
**FIGHT CLUB OPEN DECK with Host LEMON BELOVED! Every Wednesday at The Nick Rocks.
**SNAKE CHURCH, PUBLIC OPINION, DIM WIZARD with AMERICAN CULTURE, MIGHTY MENACE and MEADOW DUST at Saturn.
**LAUGHS, LAUGHS & MO LAUGHS with Bennie Mac featuring ELI SOUTHERN, LESTER MILLIGAN, LADY SHAMAR, JP LAFFSUM and Special Guest SHY’VIELLELL with Special Appearances by DREKA DAEYELASHDIVA and COACH WESLEY.
**HAYDEN PEDIGO – THE UPSTAIRS at Avondale Brewing Co.

NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!.
**GLADYS IMPROV at Saturn.
**LVVRS & BLUE CO at the Nick Rocks.
**LATE NIGHT THURSDAYS with GREAT JANE at The Nick Rocks.
**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**THE UPSTAIRS COMEDY SERIES with JOE ZIMMERMAN at Avondale Brewing Co.

NEXT FRIDAY…
**BACK TO NATURE: FALL TABLE ARRANGEMENTS, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. with ZACHARY WESTALL at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to learn how to select seasonal plant materials and experiment with composition using unexpected elements to create a stunning arrangement. Register.
**DRAG NIGHT at The Nick Rocks.
**LATE NIGHT WITH KIRKOS AND SECRET FORMULA at The Nick.
**HOT IN HERRE: 2000s DANCE PARTY at Saturn.
**OLIVE KLUG with CREEKBED CARTER HOGAN – at the Upstairs at Avondale Brewing Co.

HOMEWOOD FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!
**TODAY – ANNUAL DOWNTOWN HOMEWOOD HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, 5-8 p.m. featuring a Christmas Shopping Village where guests can shop unique gifts from local businesses as they enjoy a variety of seasonal foods and drink samples. Santa Claus will be there providing a chance to snap a photo and share in the holiday spirit. For more info: www.homewoodchamber.org.
**DECEMBER 7 – BREAKFAST WITH SANTA, 9 a.m. alongside Samford University with breakfast, activities and a complimentary photo with the jolly man himself.
**DECEMBER 10 – LIGHTING OF THE STAR AND CHRISTMAS PARADE, 6:30 p.m. at the top of 18th Street.

 AT MOUNTAIN BROOK…
**SUNDAY – BATTLE OF THE BANDS by Taco Mama and Otey’s Tavern.
**NOVEMBER 13 – STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS at Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m. with the Mountain Brook City Council and Mayor Stewart Welch.
**NOVEMBER 21 – MERRY AND BRIGHT IN MOUNTAIN BROOK at the Crestline Village Holiday Open House, 4-48 p.m.
**SILVER SPARTANS PROGRAM provides education and support for adults 65+ who are interested in staying up-to-date on safety issues such as scams and emergency resources in addition to technology education that can be used to help stay connected, independent and resourceful. Topics will vary throughout the year-November 15 -Using Your iPhone to Stay Independent by the MB Fire Dept. For more, go to: allinmountainbrook.org.

FOR MUSIC LOVERS…
**Q’S JOINT – A TRIBUTE TO THE GENIUS OF QUINCY JONES at Jazzi’s on 3rd, 7 p.m. featuring Byron Thomas, Abraham the Voice and Electric Soul. Quincy Jones produced music for Michael Jackson, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Tevin Campbell, Leslie Gore, James Ingram, Donna Summers, Patti Austin, George Benson and plenty more.

FOR YOUTH…
**AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM with Safe Haven Initiative, Monday – Wednesday, 3:30 – 7 p.m. providing reading initiative, chess club, homework help, creative writing and tutoring at Central Park, Ensley, Hawkins, Fountain Heights, ML King, Memorial with the Birmingham Park and Recreation Centers. For more, call 205-254-2391.
**GIRLS MENTORING for 8-12 grade young ladies every 2nd Saturday through May 2025, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. FREE. Participants will learn practical tools for positive personal development. Registration is required. To learn more: FRC@ywcabham.org or call 205-949-5550.
**STRIVE BIRMINGHAM Career is a Healthcare program. It is a 10 weeks, NO-COST Program that includes training, certifications and job placement assistance with ‘earn as you learn’ incentives for students and lifetime support services for graduates. For more info on enrollment: www.goodjobsbham.com.
**NAVIGATION2SUCCESS STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES is offering Tutoring for homework help enrichment mentorships. For more info, 205-683-5218 or www.navigation2success.com.

FOR ART LOVERS…
**SPACE ONE ELEVEN has a juried exhibition of works created by members of the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance through November 15 in the Anne Arrasmith Gallery at Space One Eleven on 2nd Avenue North. FREE. Artwork in this exhibition address racial justice, LGBTQIA + rights, gender equality, immigrant and refugee rights and income inequality as well as diverse artistic approaches to highlight pressing global issues.

AT THE BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS…
**NOVEMBER 21 – FALL BULBS, SPRING FLOWERS, 11 a.m. – NOON with BETHANY O’REAR sharing about spring-blooming bulbs including variety selection, soil preparation and more for garden beds and containers.
**NEW!!!  A NEW HOLIDAY DAY CAMP on NOVEMBER 25 – School Day Out at the Gardens. Herb Garden Chefs is what young explorers will enjoy as they take a scavenger hunt to uncover and identify a world of culinary herbs. The journey starts in the new Garden Lab where campers will harvest and prepare fresh ingredients to create a special treat and continues to the Bruno Vegetable Garden where they will dig into the wonders of cool-weather gardening. The camp is for K-5th Grade children that offers hands-on learning, culinary fun and outdoor exploration.

THINGS TO DO or know…in town, around the state…
**NOVEMBER 16 – FRENCH MATTING with Patty B. Driscoll, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Space One Eleven.
**NOVEMBER 19-24 – CHICAGO presented by Broadway in Birmingham at BJCC.
**NOVEMBER 21 – JELLY ROLL: BEAUTIFUL BROKEN TOUR, 7 p.m. at The BJCC.

FOR FILM LOVERS…
At Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema…
TODAY …
**A DIFFERENT MAN starring Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson and directed by Aaron Schimberg.
**GREEK MOVIE NIGHT: ZORBA THE GREEK with Kate Burney starring Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas and directed by Mihalls Kakogiannis.
**PARIS, TEXAS 40th ANNIVERSARY 4K RESTORATION starring Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell and directed by Wim Wenders.

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY
**BLITZ, starring Elliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson and directed by Sir Steven McQueen.
**ANORA, starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov and directed by Sean Baker.

SATURDAY…
PJ: CASTLE IN THE SKY, starring Keiko Yokozawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Minori Terad and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send your contact info with your events, your things of interest and more to: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.

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