Letters to the editor
By: Shakir Muhammad
Unfortunately the number #1 impediment to Birmingham competitiveness is the lack of a large multi-purpose dome stadium and the political will to get it built.  The city desperately needs a dome where it can play host to a wide range of cultural, sports and political activities year round.  These events generate plenty of jobs and revenue which is critically important to the city long term economic growth and development.  Since the idea has been banded around for decades now is the time for action.
However a project of this magnitude must be well planned, well-funded and conveniently located to maximize its accessibility and use.  It must also be strategically located to minimize environmental damage and traffic congestion as well.  This massive job producing project will set up well to anchor new development along the perimeter of future I-722 in North Birmingham.  This location will best ensure against the very real possibility of the facility becoming obsolete in five, ten or twenty years for lack of space and proper planning.  This under developed area would be an ideal site where the dome should be constructed and complemented with a large parking area and a brand new upscale shopping mall.  It would also provide enough real estate for an assortment of new hotels, condominiums, housing development and other amenities to embellish the site.
But more importantly the dome must be specifically designed with a minimum seating capacity of 80,000 to 100,000.  This would ensure the facility is well equipped with the capacity to accommodate high turnout at different kind of events from future NFL, MLB, NBA to soccer games.  In addition to big conventions, high end bowls including a future Iron Bowl, SEC Championship and National Championship games as well.  In fact with a multi-purpose complex of this size and dimensions none of these big prime time events would be out of the rim of possibility.  Metro-Birmingham rapidly expanding 1.100 million job hungry population is ready to work, play and be entertained.  They demand their leaders to unite, make the hard decisions, work out the details and act in a concerted effort to make it materialize.  People are losing jobs while the city is steady losing valuable time and revenue as a direct result of political infighting and ineptitude.
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Birmingham favorite daughter Condoleezza Rice definitely gets my vote to be the next commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.  Rice would fulfill two main criterions that should be critical factors in the selection process.  She would become the first female and Afro-American to lead a power 5 conference.  But more importantly she would infuse more diversity, new ideas and fight for the city vested interest.  The city top priority is to expand diversity on the bowl selection committee, increase the number of games and TV exposure for the city.
Birmingham is the SEC corporate headquarters where more high profile games should be played during bowl season.  She would start by making Birmingham the permanent site of the Iron Bowl or rotate it between Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile.  Certainly this new job producing initiative would create more in-state participation, increase revenue and provide avid fans in those locales a rare opportunity to come see the Tide and Tigers football teams clash in their hometown.  She would make it a top priority to relocate the SEC TV-network to Birmingham to enhance the city sports appeal.  She would also work hard to attract more sporting activities across the board to Alabama most populous city as well.
Economically this pro-growth business initiative translates into more jobs, more prime time sporting events and more TV coverage for the city moving forward.  This is what a growing number of Metro-Birmingham 1.100 million conscientious sport fans are fighting for.  But more importantly this is what the Afro-American Community is demanding from the next commissioner.  Afro-Americans makeup in excess of over 70% percent of Division 1 college’s football and basketball players but remain under represented in the decision making process.   These Afro-American student-athletes help produce the lion’s share of schools income and revenue and they must be more justly compensated for their sacrifice.
We know that Rice is more committed and qualified to execute this expansive pro-business agenda for change.  That would repatriate more jobs and money to the community and ensure that more Afro-Americans share in the explosive growth of big time college sports. If you want to show support for Rice as the next commissioner and help bring more jobs and revenue back to Birmingham.  Please contact the outgoing commissioner-Mike Slive, SEC, 2201 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd, Birmingham, AL  35203 or call his office at 205-458-3000 and encourage him to support her as his successor immediately.
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Mayor William Bell, Birmingham favorite daughter Condoleezza Rice and the Alabama Sports Authority must play the lead role to help transform the Magic City into a mecca for pro sports.  2015 is the appropriate time for them to collaborate and exercise their enormous clout and leadership to attain that objective.  By inviting Tiger Woods to establish a learning center, a golf course and a highly lucrative Professional Golf Association tour event in Alabama most populous city.  This pro-sports initiative is another way to raise the city national profile, capitalize on his monumental quest and help grow the game especially among Afro-Americans in the progressive City of Birmingham.
Certainly sport crave fans throughout Alabama are growing more receptive to pro sports including golf for the huge economic benefits it provide to communities.  Woods has been the most dominate force in golf over the last 15 years.  Ever since he made his historic pro debate in the late 90’s the game trajectory has been trending up, up and up especially among youths.  TV ratings, global interest and excitement will certainly escalate to new astronomical proportion as he attempt to chase down Jack Nicklaus record of 18 major victories.  His accomplishment of this Herculean fete would solidify him as the greatest golfer in the history of the game.
It will be in the city best interest to utilize Rice and her connections with Woods.  Who was a professor at his alma mater Stanford University to approach him with a highly attractive business deal?  Including a heavy incentive laden package structured with options for him to design and build a Tiger Woods Learning Center along with a major championship caliber 72 hold golf course in Birmingham.  The national publicity generated by this super lucrative enterprise would be off the chart.  It will certainly propel Birmingham to the top of the list among contenders of most favorable location for Fortune 500 Company.  This big pro- business development could potentially pave the way for a professional sports franchise in the future.
Locally this high profile project will raise mass excitement, put the PGA on the map in Birmingham and create a wide range of low and high tech jobs in this rapidly expanding industry.  It will also provide rabid Tiger fans and many inner city youths throughout Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa the tools to succeed and a rare opportunity to meet the world’s most famous player.  They would also have a chance to meet top ranked players, learn valuable tips and play on the course he designed year round.  Metro-Birmingham rapidly growing 1.100 million sports hungry population is ready for prime time sporting events.  They are gradually building the political will and infrastructure that is required to host these events.  Big things are in store for Birmingham and a PGA tour event featuring global icon Tiger Woods could turn out to be the biggest event of them all.  For more information on how you can help revitalize our community, empower our children and make Birmingham a national sports destination.  Please contact Mayor William Bell, City Hall, 710 20th ST North, Birmingham, AL  35203 or call his office at 205-254-2277 immediately.
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The Afro-American Grocery Association has conducted an in-depth investigation into the lack of access to low cost high quality retail food stores in Alabama.  The report has concluded that Alabama in general and Birmingham in particular desperately needs more grocery stores.  The state wide investigation also reveal some starling information that should not be overlooked.  The statistical breakdown of data on the bases of demographics alone should be more than enough to stimulate an immediate call to action.
For example more Alabamians lack access to fresh, healthy foods than in nearly every other state in the nation.  Alabama ranks near the bottom of the list among all states in term of the number of grocery stores per capita.  Currently more than one million families live in communities where there are no grocery stores or other healthy food retailers.  Unfortunately more than 250,000 of those who are been disproportionately affected by these deplorable poverty level conditions are children.  Statistically in East Alabama Lee County alone these horrific conditions directly impact more than 29% percent of our children.
The AAGA is in the forefront of a state wide efforts to increase access for more people to more healthy food retail stores in Birmingham and throughout Alabama.  We are targeting two major supermarket chains that have the capacity to reach the neglected inner city and remote rural areas where they are needed the most.  Kroger which have 11 stores in Alabama but none in Birmingham would supply more much needed competition, better food option and diversity to this underserved market.  Publix which have a larger footprint with a total of 58 stores throughout Alabama.  It also have 19 stores located in Metro-Birmingham with a rapidly growing 17.8% percent market share.
The AAGA is making a concerted effort to encourage Publix and Kroger to expand their footprint into Birmingham.  We are getting requests from an increasing number of small towns including Demopolis, Eutaw, Livingston, York, Greenville, Evergreen, Greensboro, Hamilton, Tuskegee, Linden and Selma.  In addition to big cities such as Huntsville, Montgomery, Mobile, Dothan, Cullman, Bessemer, Hueytown, Tuscaloosa and Florence for Kroger and Publix supermarkets. The Association is calling on Kroger and Publix to set up distribution centers in Birmingham.  Where they could more efficiently distribute supplies to their stores around the metro area and to small town markets throughout the state.
For more information on how you and the entire Afro-American Community can increase access to more fresh healthy food in Birmingham and throughout Alabama.  Please contact:  Ashley Cheek, Publix Super Markets, P O Box 407, Lakeland, FL  33802-0407 or call her at Ph.# 863-413-8182 and The Kroger Co, CEO, 1014 Vine ST, Cincinnati, OH  45202-1100 and send or fax them a copy of this article immediately.

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SERENA WILLIAMS YEAR IN REVIEW
By Shakir Muhammad
Serena Williams closed out her outstanding 2014 season in real grand style.  She did it by winning her spectacular 18th grand slam title at the U S Open Women’s Tennis Championship.  She was able to play at peak championship form throughout the tournament.  Her signature over powering performance has catapulted her into an elite company of former great players.  Imagine if she can stay healthy and focused she could retire as the greatest player of all times.
Now is appropriate time for Mayor William Bell in conjunction with Condoleezza Rice and the Alabama Sports Authority to invite the world’s #1 ranked player and her Sister Venus to Birmingham.  Where the parties could meet and formulate plans to construct a brand new multi-purpose tennis/learning academy in their honor modeled on the one in Washington DC.  Certainly this proactive joint initiative would do a lot to put tennis on the map in Alabama, expand their brand and help grow the game especially among Afro-American youths.  It would really be a slam if they agreed to stage an exhibition match with the Mayor and Rice, sign autographs and set up clinics for inner city youth in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Mobile.
Certainly this star driven statewide event would be a real shot in the arm for all inner city youths throughout Alabama especially young Afro-American girls.  Who definitely need the aid and support of a multi-purpose youth oriented sports facility like this in Birmingham?  Where they can go to learn, play and get specialize training that is required if they want to develop and transition onto the ATA tour.  This pro-sports initiative would be a very good investment for the city, good for tennis and good for inner city youths.  It would raise their expectation, boost their self-esteem and motivate them to be winners in both their academic and athletic career.  Incrementally this is the best way for the Mayor to reach out to the Williams sisters, honor their historic achievement and allow this legendary dynamic-duo to put their finger print on this great city moving forward.  If you want to help transform Birmingham into a global city for sports by bring the Williams Sisters in to build a tennis/learning center.  Please contact Mayor William Bell, City Hall, 710 20th ST North, Birmingham, AL  35203 or call his office at 205-254-2277 immediately.
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