NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK: LADY HORNETS POST BEST HBCU GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE; TEAM GREETED BY ALUMNI IN DOTHAN

March 23, 2015

NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK: LADY HORNETS POST BEST HBCU GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE; TEAM GREETED BY ALUMNI IN DOTHAN

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Alabama State women’s basketball team claimed its second championship of the season this week.

Days after winning the 2015 SWAC Tournament Championship, and the NCAA Tournament bid, the Lady Hornets posted the highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) among all HBCU women’s basketball teams.

According to a report on HBCUDigest.com, the Hornets posted a 91 percent GSR rate, three percent higher than last year’s GSR of 88 percent, in which Alabama State shared the best rate with Howard’s women’s basketball team. Alabama State was the only HBCU to meet or surpass the NCAA’s GSR average of 87 percent for women’s basketball teams.

The most recent GSR data reflect the graduation outcomes of student-athletes who started school in 2007 and if they completed degree requirements in six years. A team’s GSR does not include transfers from the program who were academically eligible when they transferred.

“Academics is one of the things I really stress to the ladies in our program,” Alabama State head women’s basketball coach Freda Freeman-Jackson said. “I make sure we give progress reports to our team, and that we are going to study hall on a regular basis. The administrators are doing a really good job having the things necessary to be successful in the classroom, as well as on the court.”

Players who had big games in last week’s tournament are among the best in the classroom as well. All-tournament performers Jasmine Peeples (3.5 GPA – pursuing Master’s Degree), Britney Wright (Tournament MVP – 3.6 GPA), Danielle Ewert (3.9 GPA), and Kayla Tucker (3.7 GPA) all boasts high marks academically.

“I am so happy and honored as a coach to see my team work hard, both in the classroom and on the court, and getting it done,” Freeman-Jackson said.

Team Greeted By Alums In Dothan: Following their final practice in Montgomery Thursday, the Lady Hornets departed for Tallahassee. On their way to the Sunshine State for Saturday’s NCAA Tournament game at #2 Florida State, Alabama State was met by more than a dozen Hornet Alumni in nearby Dothan.

The 15th-seeded Lady Hornets face #2-seed will Florida State Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game live on ESPN2 or online at ESPN3.com. Bamastatesports.com will have a live radio broadcast of the game, beginning with the pre-game show at Noon.

“I was really happy and elated to see the reception when we got off the bus,” said Freeman-Jackson. “We are happy the alumni took time out of their schedules to come and see us and give such warm greetings. We really appreciate them for all they do for the women’s basketball program and the entire Alabama State University.”

ASU Board Chairman Locy Baker was among the audience to congratulate the women’s basketball team on winning the Toyota SWAC Tournament and celebrate the upcoming NCAA Tournament appearance this Saturday.

“We are so proud of this team and we congratulate them on a job well done,” said Daisy Baxter, President of the Dothan Alabama State University Alumni Chapter. “We love our teams and our school, and we couldn’t be any prouder of these young ladies and coaches.”

#marchmadness#

Dirty Secrets in Alabama Part 8 by JOHN KATOPODIS

Birmingham Times

March 23, 2015

Here is what John wrote:
Dirty Secrets in Alabama Part 8 by JOHN KATOPODIS

“Jesse Lewis Jr.,(sic) spokesman for all Black people.”
It doesn’t seem right to attack Jesse Lewis, Jr. (sic) at his advanced age of 90, but apparently greed has no age limit and I want to provide my unique perspective on his role in Birmingham before he meets his Maker (or I do) and he does not have time to confront my allegations and hold me accountable for them. I have an informed opinion of him for several reasons.
I used to own a third of the stock in the Birmingham Times, which was a major source of embarrassment to Jesse Lewis, especially when I ran as a white man for Mayor. After it was clear that the company was his personal slush fund for fancy cars, women, and clothes, and would never pay a dividend, I sold the stock back to the company at the request of his son. It seemed like a good idea since Mr. Lewis was obviously never going to hold a stockholders’ meeting or issue any financial statements. The Times was an important asset for him as he used it very effectively, despite its low circulation and terrible quality, to convince white businessmen and politicians of every color and stripe that he had enormous and unchallenged influence with the Black community which he could direct at his whim. His life of extortion and influence peddling for personal gain began early, even prior to his working for George Wallace before the Governor’s “Saul” moment on the road to Damascus where he came out loving and respecting people of color.
Years ago, I was called by Arthur Shores and asked to support Dr. Lewis’ appointment as president of Lawson State. Despite his bogus title of ‘doctor’ and lack of experience in education, I regrettably agreed because of my close relationship with the Shores family. (Two of his grandchildren, the twins Damien and Danielle Larkin are my Godchildren). Before he was finished, he had led Lawson to the brink of bankruptcy and almost destroyed the school which has thankfully been renewed under the splendid leadership of Dr. Perry Ward. Jesse had taken all he could from the school, including its reputation, so it was really time to move on.
So for the decades since, he has used his ‘expertise’ as a self-described ‘black advertising genius’ to line his pockets at the public’s expense. From the Civic Center to the Transit Authority to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and most lucratively from The Birmingham Water Works Board, he has extorted lucrative contracts and produced absolutely nothing. Time and again, it has been shown that there is no work product from him, nor does he contribute to the economy or black employment, but folks continue to pay him, mostly out of fear of his wrath and alleged influence with the City Council and other political leaders. (He recently suggested that Hillary Clinton choose William Bell as her running mate). Currently, he collects $25,000 a month from the Water Board to promote a public utility that has no competition and will soon be using funds from overburdened rate payers to compete with private business in the bottled water business. The die is cast on this one.
But as lucrative as his consulting contracts have been, they are nothing compared to what he has extorted from politicians feeling they needed his endorsement in The Times. I am still disturbed and disappointed that the first $100,000 raised by the hardest for Larry Langford’s mayoral campaign was paid to this unctuous con man. Moreover, I defy anyone to find a single worthwhile thing in the community that bears his name or has had support from the millions he has made at the public’s expense. The Highland Avenue Golf Course, where he plays daily with his cronies, doesn’t count.” (END)

NOW. When someone called me, then sent me this information above and asked me to comment, my response was, in what prison facility should I contact him. The last time that I heard anything about John Katopodis was that he had been convicted on 97 COUNTS and was in the Federal Prison System.
Here is a little background information taken from the website. (For any additional information that you would like to have, go to the website and google his name.) – Former Birmingham city councilman and Jefferson County commissioner John Katopodis was convicted of fraud for spending money from a charity for children on gambling, trips, gifts to powerful friends and legal fees.
A jury of six men and six women found Katopodis guilty on all 97 counts of mail and wire fraud. Katopodis will be sentenced October. He faces up to 20 years on each of the 97 counts.
He was ordered arrested immediately by U.S. Marshals and held until sentencing.
Among those that were questioned were $5,000 to Marc Anthony Donais, a former porn star known as Ryan Idol. Also questioned: the payment of $8,000 for legal fees to Richard Branson, a Boston-based attorney, and $8,900 for Meridian, Miss., Mayor John Robert Smith, to attend a seminar at Harvard School of Government.
Prosecutors said that gifts Katopodis bought with the charity’s money included a guitar and a digital piano Katopodis and Scrushy bought for Langford in Mississippi in 2001. In a November 2001 letter, Katopodis wrote to Scrushy that Langford ‘was thrilled’ with the gifts.” (END)

HERE ARE THE FACTS:

FACT – When the Birmingham Times was founded over 50 years ago, only 10 percent of the stock was sold to help pay the printing bill.

FACT – I was only able to sell less than $4,000 in stock. How John Katapodis ended with this stock period is beyond my scope of imagination, but my son James E. Lewis, Sr. paid more than 10 times what the stock was worth.

FACT – Had I been running the Birmingham Times, I would not have given him a nickel or a nail.

FACT – The Birmingham Times has never, in the history of the Birmingham Times, endorsed any political candidates.

FACT – My education credentials speak for themselves. I finished my ED.S at Troy State University. My thesis was: “Segregation in Alabama’s Two-Year Post- Secondary Educational Institutions.”

FACT – I finished my doctoral program at Atlanta University and my dissertation, which is registered in the Library of Congress. is: “Selected Skills Perceived to Lead to Success in Higher Education Administration in Community/Junior Colleges in the State of Alabama.”

FACT – I started my doctoral Program at the University of Alabama where I was a straight A student. The reason that I transferred to Atlanta University was because the chairman of my dissertation committee, Dr. Merlin Duncan, passed and the committee at the University of Alabama wanted to add two additional courses which would have taken me an additional two and half years to finish.

FACT – At Lawson State Junior College, I made business decisions and as a result of this, Lawson State, today, is one of the top junior colleges in America.

FACT – He was right when he said that Larry Langford paid The Lewis Group $100,000, but what he did not say is from that $100,000, we paid political polling, poll watchers, radio, newspapers and TV advertising, etc.

Incidentally, if my memory serves me correctly, John Katopodis worked in Larry Langford’s campaign and he was paid.
Someone said he was paid $1,000 and my guess is he was over paid.
When I pass and go on to Heaven, I guarantee no one will say that I went to prison for stealing from children.

LEGENDARY SONGWRITER DIANE WARREN CREATES NEW SINGLE FOR OPRAH WINFREY TO BECOME OWN NETWORK ANTHEM

Birmingham Times

March 23, 2015

LEGENDARY SONGWRITER DIANE WARREN CREATES NEW SINGLE FOR OPRAH WINFREY TO BECOME OWN NETWORK ANTHEM

“You Will” Features Powerhouse Vocals By Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Nettles in Their First Ever Duet

Single Available for Purchase and Streaming Tuesday, March 24

(L-R) Jennifer Hudson, Diane Warren and Jennifer Nettles at the “You Will” recording session.

Courtesy of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

Los Angeles – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that legendary songwriter Diane Warren has written a new original song titled “You Will” for Oprah Winfrey and it will serve as the anthem for the network. The uplifting new single features a powerhouse performance by award-winning recording artists Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Nettles in their first duet together.

“You Will” will be released by RCA Records and available for purchase and streaming beginning Tuesday, March 24.

The “You Will” campaign will premiere on OWN Tuesday, March 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT during the season finale of the hit series “The Haves and the Have Nots” and will also be available to live stream on Oprah.com. The music video will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the song’s recording session.

“I was so touched when Diane Warren came to me and said she wrote a song with OWN in mind,” said Oprah Winfrey. “And then to have Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Nettles bring the song to life with their stunning collaboration…what a gift.”

“‘You Will’ is such a powerful song that I am so very proud to be a part of,” said Jennifer Hudson. “It is always incredible to work with the incomparable Diane Warren, who is consistently creating music that so many people can relate to. I was honored to come together with Jennifer Nettles and create something special for OWN, which stands for so many wonderful things.”

“I have known Oprah for years and love to see this wonderful woman at the OWN network making it so successful,” said Diane Warren. “The sentiment of my song, ‘You Will,’ which is Oprah and her network’s new theme song, is that you should never give up on your dreams, own every breath, own every minute, go live a life that’s got no limits. You can do anything. It’s as simple as never think you won’t, and you will. Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Nettles perform the song beautifully. I am very proud of this song and the message it sends.”

“I am hugely inspired by the message of ‘You Will,’” said Jennifer Nettles. “Like the OWN network, this song encourages us all to boldly dream. Yet again Diane Warren was able to capture, and orchestrate, this beautiful theme of believing in oneself, and to offer us a song as its anthem. I was honored to be invited to sing with such a powerful talent as Jennifer Hudson. I am thrilled to be able to give voice to this wonderful song with such a gifted duet partner as Jennifer, and to celebrate OWN through music.”

“You Will” was arranged by Grammy Award-winning producers The Underdogs and Peter Stengaard and produced by The Underdogs.

Acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren has written songs for artists across all musical genres including Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson, Cher, Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin and more. Her songs have been featured in more than 100 films, and she has won and been nominated for numerous awards, including Grammy Award (“Because You Loved Me”) and Golden Globe (“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me”) wins and is a seven-time Academy Award nominee. In 2001, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson made her film debut as Effie White in the 2006 film “Dreamgirls,” garnering her several awards that year, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has released three albums, all of which have debuted on the Billboard “Top 10,” appeared in several other films including “Sex and the City” and “The Secret Life of Bees,” and is set to make her Broadway debut this fall in a revival of “The Color Purple.” Grammy Award-winning country music artist Jennifer Nettles is known for her role as lead vocalist of the award-winning duo Sugarland and most recently made her Broadway debut playing the iconic role of Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning musical “Chicago.”

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts inform the brand – and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection. And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and www.press.discovery.com/us/own.

About RCA Records

RCA Records is a Division of Sony Music Entertainment. RCA includes a diverse roster of internationally renowned artists representing all genres of music including Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson, Usher, Van Morrison, Kings Of Leon, Pitbull, Hilary Duff, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews Band, Shakira, Kesha, R. Kelly, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, D’Angelo, Daughtry, Fantasia, Monica, Buddy Guy, Three Days Grace, Tool, Santana, Giorgio Moroder, Kirk Franklin, and Fred Hammond, among others; critically acclaimed and chart topping artists including Mark Ronson, Miguel, Ray LaMontagne, Bleachers, Prince Royce, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, Anthony Hamilton, Sia, Gavin DeGraw, WALK THE MOON, Elle Varner and Cage The Elephant; burgeoning artists, Betty Who, Mali Music, Brooke Candy, Kodaline, MØ, Kid Ink, Mikky Ekko, Tinashe, Tom Odell, Becky G, Elle King, Pentatonix, Luke Christopher, Wolf Alice, OverDoz., Peking Duk, and many more.

UN panel to consider US ‘failure’ to clear up racial murders of civil rights era

Birmingham Times

March 19, 2015

JUSTICE INITIATIVE

UN panel to consider US ‘failure’ to clear up
racial murders of civil rights era

The Guardian

A 2008 law ordered the Department of Justice to investigate pre-1970 unsolved cases but campaigners will tell the Human Rights Council it has not done enough

Funeral for Two Lynching Victims — 30 Jul 1946, Monroe, Georgia, USA — The funeral for two of the victims in a lynching in Walton County is held at Mount Perry Baptist church in Monroe, Georgia, on 30 July 1946. Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

Ed Pilkington in New York

@edpilkington

Thursday 19 March 2015 06.00 EDT

The US justice department will be accused in front of the United Nations on Thursday of failing to account for hundreds of African Americans who disappeared or were murdered by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan during the civil rights era.

The UN’s human rights council in Geneva will be told at a special meeting of its working group that the wave of racial violence that swept through the deep south in the 1940s, 50s and 60s has never been accounted for, despite a congressional law passed seven years ago that instructed the FBI to look again at the issue. The message will be delivered to the UN by a team of lawyers and civil rights experts from Syracuse University who have investigated scores of cold cases of race murders that have never been brought to justice.

They will tell the UN – as part of the world body’s review of the human rights record of the US that reaches a climax in May – that they have compiled a list of more than 300 suspicious killings that the FBI have not even recognized, let alone cleared up. By that calculation there have been hundreds, possibly thousands, of individual murderers who have killed in the name of white supremacy and enjoyed total impunity.

A small but unknown number of them are still alive and at large.

“The United States has never come to terms with accountability for the devastating loss of life during a time of domestic terrorism that continued in many forms after the legal end to slavery,” the Syracuse team, led by professors Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald of the Cold Case Justice Initiative, will tell the UN.

The UN spotlight falls at a time of rising concern about the unresolved nature of America’s sordid history of race killings. It follows the recent publication of a study by the Equal Justice Initiative that identified almost 4,000 lynchings in the country between 1877 and 1950 – vastly more than previously reported.

The issue has also been heightened by growing public concern about contemporary police shootings of unarmed black people such as Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York. The Syracuse experts will invite the UN to draw a parallel between the recent spate of police shootings and killings in the civil rights era, many of which occurred with the active co-operation or silence of local law enforcement agencies.

In 2008 Congress passed the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act – an attempt to kick-start the investigation of murders committed during the civil rights era. The legislation was named after the 14-year-old black boy who was tortured and drowned in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman. His murder shocked the nation and nobody has ever been convicted, even after the case was reopened in 2004.

The FBI has put together a list of 126 victims of suspected racial murders that occurred before 1970 in which no perpetrator has ever been prosecuted. In his report to Congress last year about the DoJ’s performance under the Emmett Till Act, the attorney general, Eric Holder, said the department had invested considerable resources into investigating these cases, including the involvement of more than 70 federal prosecutors.

The DoJ had “helped to bring closure to many family members of the victims”, he said.

But the cold case lawyers will tell the UN that there have been several basic failings in the way the DoJ has gone about meeting its obligations under the act. They will argue that the total of 126 victims identified by the FBI is a huge understatement of the scale of racial killings in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, pointing out that the list of names has barely changed since the new law was introduced.

“Only a handful of names have been added to the partial list that existed when the law was passed,” the Cold Case Justice Initiative states in its official submission to the human rights panel.

The DoJ has closed all but 11 of the cases involving the 126 victims. According to the Syracuse team, the FBI has deemed many investigations to be at an end, even before agents have interviewed all new potential witnesses or talked to all the victims’ family members.

Since the act was introduced there has been only one successful prosecution. In 2010 a former Alabama state trooper, James Bonard Fowler, pleaded guilty to the 1965 shooting of civil rights protester Jimmie Lee Jackson and received a six-month prison sentence.

Shortly before the act was put into effect James Ford Seale was prosecuted for the 1964 murders of two teenagers, Charles Moore and Henry Dee, in Mississippi. Seale was sentenced in 2007 to three life terms and died in prison four years later.

Stanley Nelson, a reporter with the Concordia Sentinel in Louisiana, has spent more than seven years investigating racial violence in Concordia parish and across the state lines in Natchez, Mississippi. This area of the deep south was the epicenter of the violent white backlash in the civil rights era and was the home of the Silver Dollar Group, a vicious offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan.

Nelson said he had been “personally frustrated by the way in which the DoJ and the FBI have handled the new look into these cold crimes”. Instead of setting up specialist teams of detectives and prosecutors that could focus their energies exclusively on trying to clear up unsolved murders, they left the investigations to regional FBI offices already busy with current criminal cases. As a result the attention given was patchy at best.

Nelson said it was a battle against the clock, as witnesses and suspects were steadily dying. “When I wrote about my first cold case in 2007 I started to keep an obituary file of individuals who had died – now it’s an inch thick,” he said.

He said that he sympathized with the difficulties faced by the FBI in tackling cases where witnesses had refused to speak for decades for fear of retribution, and where physical evidence was often non-existent. But he added: “We still have to find out everything we can, so that we can understand what happened in an era that is rapidly dwindling.”

As part of its case to the UN, the Cold Case Justice Initiative will call for the Emmett Till Act to be extended beyond 2017, when its term is due to run out, and for its remit to be extended to include modern police shootings of black teenagers. “There are potentially thousands of suspicious race killings at the hands of local police yet the federal and local governments refuse to investigate many of these deaths,” its submission says.

Holder said in his report to Congress that there were “certain difficulties inherent in all cold cases: subjects die; witnesses die or can no longer be located; memories become clouded; evidence is destroyed or cannot be located; original investigations lacked the technical and scientific advances relied upon today. Even with our best efforts investigations into historic cases are exceptionally difficult, and justice in few of these cases will ever be reached inside of a courtroom.”

Alabama Governor Wrong on the Facts & On the Wrong Side of History

Birmingham Times

March 19, 2015

Alabama Governor Wrong on the Facts & On the Wrong Side of History

Governor Robert Bentley’s claims that marriage equality harms children are a bald-face lie and are part of a tired trope that undermine serious conversation about freedoms

MONTGOMERY–Today, HRC Alabama strongly criticized the inaccurate, hurtful and harmful remarks of Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, who called same-sex marriage a ‘social experiment’. In a brief to the United States Supreme Court opposing marriage equality nationwide, Bentley claims that same-sex marriage destroys the “rights of children to be connected to their biological parents.” The court is expected to hear arguments on April 28 with a decision by late June.

The Governor’s dangerous claims lack any factual basis:

Marriage equality does in fact exist in the United States: 37 states, including Alabama and the District of Columbia have allowed same-sex couples to marry.

Decades of social science research has shown that the sexual orientation of a parent has no negative impact on children’s health or well-being. In fact, studies consistently demonstrate that children of same-sex parents are thriving just as well as, and sometimes better than, those being raised by different-sex parents.

The governor’s assertion that states continue to distinguish between straight and gay couples in marriage is not accurate. In fact, the vast majority of states that offer marriage equality – including Alabama – make no distinction. Marriage is simply marriage.

Marriage equality is no “social experiment.” Eleven years ago, Massachusetts adopted marriage equality. Opponents of civil rights and social justice issues have historically rolled out the tired old trope of calling change a “social experiment.” More than 60 years ago, integration of the U.S. armed forces was called a “social experiment” as well.

Sexual orientation is no more a choice than the Governor himself “choosing” to be straight.

“The Governor’s assertions are a bald-face lie and if he doesn’t know better, he should. His inflammatory remarks may appeal to his political base, but they do nothing to further understanding of LGBT Alabamians. He is needlessly dividing instead of uniting,” said HRC Alabama State Director R. Ashley Jackson. “The facts clearly contradict Governor Bentley’s comments.”

Below is an excerpt written by Bentley to the United States Supreme Court:

“Marriage equality does not exist in the United States. It cannot be made to exist in law without destroying the rights of children to be connected to their biological parents. No State can afford to do that. Even those States that have extended legal recognition to same-sex couples continue to distinguish between marriage and same-sex “marriage.” The reason is plain: Marriage is a natural reality that States must distinguish from all other forms of human sociability, including same-sex relationships, for the purpose of securing the rights and well-being of children.

By contrast to marriage, same-sex “marriage” is a social experiment, a recent product of positive law. Its purpose is to affirm the sexual desires and choices of adults. This experiment threatens to obscure the natural rights and duties of marriage and parentage by communicating the message that only bigots think that children should be connected to both their father and their mother. And it imposes other costs on States and their citizens, especially the loss of religious liberty and other freedoms to distinguish between marriage and non-marital relations.”

Despite U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade striking down Alabama’s unconstitutional ban on marriage in January, state leaders, including the Alabama Supreme Court, have repeatedly stood on the wrong side of history in their efforts to prevent marriage equality. The Governor’s statement is the latest effort by an anti-LGBT activist hoping to permanently halt same-sex marriage.

Earlier this month, HRC Alabama helped to deliver the organization’s historic “People’s Brief” – with 207,551 signatories calling for full nationwide marriage equality – to the U.S. Supreme Court. The People’s Brief has more signatories than any amicus brief ever submitted to the Supreme Court

HRC Alabama is working to advance equality for LGBT Alabamians who have no state or municipal level protections in housing, workplace, or public accommodations; legal state recognition for their relationships and families; and state protections from hate crimes. Through HRC Alabama, we are working toward a future of fairness every day—changing hearts, minds and laws toward achieving full equality.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Trump Launching Presidential Exploratory Committee

Birmingham Times

March 19, 2015

(Photo Source: AP)
Trump Launching Presidential Exploratory Committee

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to form a presidential exploratory committee.
“I am the only one who can make America truly great again,” the Republican businessman and reality television star declared in a statement announcing the move.
While a step short of a formal campaign launch, the formation of an exploratory allows him to begin raising money and hire staff as he weighs a White House bid. Trump said he’s already hired political aides in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, which host the first three contests on the presidential nominating calendar.
“I have a great love for our country, but it is a country that is in serious trouble,” Trump said in a wide-ranging statement that called for rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, improving border security, strengthening the military and improving the economy. “Americans deserve better than what they get from their politicians who are all talk and no action.”
The outspoken Republican has long hinted at presidential aspirations, but he appears more serious this time. He recently said he would not renew his contract with NBC for his reality show, “The Apprentice.”
Trump is scheduled to appear in New Hampshire later in the week.

Cyanide Filled Envelope Sent To White House

Birmingham Times

March 19, 2015

Cyanide Filled Envelope Sent To White House

By The Associated Press

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WASHINGTON (AP) — An envelope addressed to the White House has tentatively tested positive for cyanide after two rounds of analysis, the Secret Service said Tuesday. Additional testing will be necessary to confirm the finding.
The letter was received Monday at a facility that screens mail for the White House and is located away from the grounds of the executive mansion and its surrounding buildings in the heart of downtown Washington.
Initial biological testing came back negative, said agency spokesman Robert Hoback.
Additional testing conducted Tuesday returned a “presumptive positive” for cyanide.
The sample has been taken to another facility for further testing.
The Secret Service, which is responsible for the safety and security of President Barack Obama and his immediate family, said its investigation into the letter was continuing and it will have no additional comment on the matter.

Suspicious letters often are sent to some of the country’s leading politicians, including the president. Some test positive for hazardous substances while others include threats of death or other physical harm.
In June 2013, a West Virginia man was indicted on charges of threatening to kill Obama and his family in a letter that included profanity and racial slurs. A federal judge later dismissed the charges after forensic handwriting analysis conducted by the Secret Service showed that 20-year-old Ryan Kirker, of McMechen, West Virginia, didn’t write the letter.
Two months earlier, letters sent to Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Mississippi judge Sadie Holland tested positive for the poison ricin. The letters addressed to the president and to the senator were intercepted before delivery, but one letter reached Holland. She was unharmed.
James Everett Dutschke of Tupelo, Mississippi, pleaded guilty in January 2014 to sending the letters and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The Intercept website, which first reported on Monday’s letter to the White House, said it bore the return address of a man who has sent multiple packages to the executive mansion since 1995, including one that was covered in urine and feces and another that contained miniature bottles of alcohol.

Food As Fuel: Chia Supports Active Lifestyles

Birmingham Times

March 19, 2015

Food As Fuel: Chia Supports Active Lifestyles

(NAPSA)-Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the goal of Americans who want to stay in shape and avoid health challenges such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Eating a healthy, balanced diet that supports regular exercise is important, and that’s the reason many active people turn to chia as a natural source of energy.
Long used by the Tarahumara people in northwestern Mexico to support running over long distances, tiny chia seeds are believed to help with stamina and endurance.
Chia Considered A “Superfood”
The nutritional composition of chia seeds has earned them “superfood” status. They contain essential fatty acids that offer anti-inflammatory properties. Chia seeds also have fiber, antioxidants and important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.
Whether you’re running a marathon, playing soccer or just enjoying a weekend of hiking, biking or skiing, it’s important to maintain energy levels. Chia seeds can help: In addition to their fiber content, the seeds’ capacity to absorb many times their weight in water can slow digestion and reduce blood sugar crashes.
All chia seeds, however, are not the same. In terms of nutritional consistency, white Salba Chia is the only form of chia for which there are positive published health and medical studies.
A blend of the only two registered varieties of Salvia hispanica L.-Sahi Alba 911 & 912-Salba Chia is the richest whole food source of omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) in nature on a gram-for-gram basis. These essential polyunsaturated fats help to improve circulation and cell function.
Power Up
The best way to use chia seeds as fuel is to presoak them in liquid. When added to water or juice the seeds swell to create a gel. This can be enjoyed in place of sports drinks-just add a twist of lemon and a spoonful of honey to taste. They can also be added to almond milk or made into this delicious treat:
Raw Chocolate Chia Energy Bars
11⁄2   cups pitted dates
1⁄3   cup raw unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄3   cup whole Salba Chia seeds
1⁄2   tsp. vanilla extract, optional
1⁄4   tsp. almond extract, optional
1   cup raw slivered almonds or raw shelled pistachios
Oat flour for dusting, optional
Place dates in bowl of food processor; puree until thick paste forms. Add cocoa powder, chia seeds, and vanilla and almond extracts, if using. Pulse until all ingredients are combined. Add almonds; pulse until nuts are finely chopped and well distributed through date mixture. Spread large sheet of wax paper on work surface and dust with oat flour, if using. Transfer date mixture to wax paper and use paper to press mixture into 1⁄2-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap tightly and chill overnight. Unwrap block and cut into 8 bars. Dust edges and sides with oat flour, if using, to prevent sticking. Rewrap each bar in wax paper.
The mild, nutty flavor of chia seeds makes them easy to add to foods and beverages. They are most often sprinkled on cereal, sauces, vegetables, rice dishes or yogurt or mixed into drinks and baked goods.
For more information and to learn how to boost your nutrition with Salba, visit www.salbasmart.com. For recipes, visit www.chiachef.com.

Sweet and slightly nutty, Raw Chocolate Chia Energy Bars can be a delicious way to energize.

Sign On To Save Lives

Birmingham Times

March 19, 2015

Sign On To Save Lives
(NAPSM)—Every three minutes, someone in America is diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma. The good news: A bone marrow transplant may help save these patients’ lives. But a transplant requires a matching donor, and 70 percent of people don’t have a match in their families. So they depend on the generosity of others—maybe even you.
One Man’s Story
Consider the case of 20-year-old Sheldon Mba. While prepping for final exams, Mba began to feel ill. This optimistic young man from Durham, N.C., thought his lingering stomach ailments and prolonged fatigue would pass after his workload lessened and he got more sleep. But when he collapsed on his way to an end-of-year ceremony, he went to the hospital.
After several tests, doctors determined Mba was battling severe aplastic anemia and PNH, two rare marrow failure disorders. His only hope for a cure is a marrow transplant. Now, he and his doctors are searching for a matched donor.
He’s searching not only for himself but for others who also need matching marrow donors, particularly African Americans. Mba knows that patients are most likely to match someone who shares their ancestry and African American patients have the lowest odds of finding a match compared to all other populations. More African American donors are urgently needed to save more lives.
Mba is a huge advocate for Be The Match, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on saving lives through marrow and cord blood transplantation.
“There is a cure for these diseases and cancers. And the cure could be you,” he says, adding, “People are dying from things like sickle cell disease and leukemia because their match isn’t on the registry. You could be that match.”
There is a great need for young, diverse donors: Currently, the likelihood of having a matched, available donor on the Be The Match Registry is 97 percent for Caucasians but for African American and black patients, the likelihood can be as low as 66 percent.
How to Help
That’s where you can come in. You can register as a donor and then stay informed and committed, so that if you’re selected, you’re ready to move forward.
Learn More
For further information, including how to sign up as a donor or to contribute in other ways, go to BeTheMatch.org.

Classified

Birmingham Times

March 19, 2015

**Employment

*Personal Assistant
Lg phrma co. looking for Personal assistant. Must have comp. & typing skills. $17/hr. Pls fax resume to (970) 306-7525 or e-mail to kenpaige11@gmail.com.

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Press Shop/Tooling Manager wanted in Birmingham, Alabama to oversee, manage and direct production line engineering in Kamtek’s Press Shop on three shifts. Send resume to Charman Meador, Kamtek, Inc., 1595 Sterilite Drive, Birmingham, AL 35215
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*ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Appointment coordination, Event and meeting planning,
Make travel arrangements, Record monitor expenses,
send your resume and salary expectations to: *lo.ri@aol.com
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*Relief Security Dispatcher

BJCC seeks a PT relief security dispatcher to provide general dispatching and security services for the BJCC facilities to ensure the safety of employees, visitors, and the general public. Operates and monitors various video monitoring systems, two-way radio transmissions, etc. to ensure that misuse, damage or theft of BJCC property does not occur. Serves as customer service agent for internal and external guests. Must have one year related experience, valid AL Driver License, with ability to sit for prolonged periods of time and visually inspect and watch monitors. Must have ability to hear clearly with clear verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to fill-in on short notices and work flex hrs. Apply at *bjcc.org.
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*Security Guard/Dispatcher (Uptown at BJCC)

BJCC seeks a PT security guard/dispatcher to work on Sat & Sun from 7a – 3p, and on Thurs from 3p – 11p. Secures, monitors and operates video monitoring systems, two-way radio, etc., to ensure that misuse, damage, or theft of BJCC property does not occur at the Uptown and related properties. Guards property in a highly visible manner, provides customer service, looks for safety and security violations, maintains order and assists with crowd control during events. Minimum of 3 yrs expr in security or law enforcement req. Apply at * bjcc.org.
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**DRIVERS

Decatur, AL based trucking company is looking for Class A CDL drivers with 1year exp.We offer Excellent Health / Supplemental Benefits. Home every weekend, 2015 Equipment,Great Mileage,
Exp with Walking Floor Trailer a Plus but not Required Will Train. Dedicated run From Birmingham, AL to North Carolina. For more information call Recruiting at 256-432-3944.
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*Drivers CDL-A: Dream of Owning Your Own Truck?
Now You Can! White Oak Logistics
is Offering One of the Best Lease Purchase Programs
in the Business! Including 72% of Line-Haul!
Discount Parts & Maintenance! 100% FS Paid to the Truck! Don’tWait!
*Call: 256-432-3944
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*Drivers, CDL-A:
Home EVERY Weekend!
ALL Loaded/Empty Miles Paid! Dedicated Southeast!
Or Walk Away Lease, No Money Down.
*1-855-971-8522
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**CATERING SERVICE
*Rae Rae’s Catering
All Events – Weddings –
Family Reunions – Etc.
*205-266-0831or 205-587-7503
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**NOTICE

*PUBLIC HOUSING APPLICATIONS
*SUSPENDED

JEFFERSON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
4501 Little Drive
*BESSEMER, ALABAMA 35022
(205) 426-8948

Effective Wednesday, April 1, 2015, the Jefferson County Housing Authority Bessemer Office will no longer accept applications for the Brighton Gardens Apartments located at 4110 McClain Street, Brighton, Alabama until further notice.
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*REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Jefferson County through its Office of Community and Economic Development is amending qualification #4 to previous experience with road project not sidewalk projects associated with the Trafford Road Project. All other qualifications, terms and conditions are to remain the same.

For more information call Yolanda Caver or Alfonso Holt at (205) 325-5761.
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**LEGALS

INVITATION TO BID

CB&I Inc., an Equal Opportunity Employer, is actively seeking material and or subcontract quotations from all pre-qualified subcontractors and certified Small, Minority, and/or Women’s Business Enterprises and Certified Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for the 1000MG Composite Elevated Water Storage Tank located in the Bevill Industrial Park in Jasper, Alabama.

Funding is through EDA Project No. 04-01-06806. Be sure to note the “Buy American” and Davis-Bacon minimum wage rates.

Plans and Specifications may be viewed at the Water Works and Sewer Board in Jasper Alabama and at the office of Goodwyn Mills and Cawood, Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama.

Please contact the engineer, Russ Roberts with Goodwyn Mills and Cawood at 205 949 3941 for any questions you may have regarding this project.

Please direct your quotation to Don Nason with CB&I Inc. The following is his contact information:

CB&I Inc.
11560 Great Oaks Way, Suite 500
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Phone: 770 521 6542
Fax: 770 777 9545
Email: dnason@cbi.com

The project bids on Thursday, March 26, 2015. Therefore, we need to receive your quotation and scope no later than Tuesday 12:00 noon, March 24, 2015 to complete our proposal.
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Jefferson County Center for Workforce Development (JCCWD)

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Out-of School Youth Program
GED/High School Diploma Program or Occupational Skills Training Program

DEADLINE April 24, 2015; 4 p.m.

The Jefferson County Center for Workforce Development is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to provide a GED/High School Diploma Program or an Occupational Skills Training Program with job placement to eligible Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth participants ages 16-24. The youth training program is scheduled to begin July 1, 2015 and end June 30, 2016.

The RFP information packet will be available March 23, 2015 at the JCCWD office at 3420 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222 or it may be downloaded from Jefferson County’s website at http://jeffconline.jccal.org/comdev/.

Proposals must be returned and logged in by 4PM, April 24, 2015. No proposals will be accepted after this time.

A Bidder’s Conference will be held April 6, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the JCCWD; on the second floor at 3420 3rd Avenue, South; Birmingham, AL 35222.

***DOORS WILL BE CLOSED AT 10:00 a.m. AND NO OTHERS WILL BE ADMITTED***

For more information, please contact Pamela Mapp at (205)307-6701
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*INVITATION TO BID

Sealed proposals will be received by *Birmingham City Schools at the office of Mr. Edward McMullen, Purchasing Department, 2015 Park Place North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, until 2:00 p.m. CST April 8th, 2015 for Renovations for Norwood Elementary School at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read.

The project is the renovation of finishes, doors, kitchen equipment, plumbing, fire protection, HVAC and lighting systems at the existing Norwood Elementary School, 3136 Norwood Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35234.

A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to* Birmingham City Schools in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000, 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 a single contract for this work to a single 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 Contractors must submit a Contractor’s Qualification Certificate. Minimum Qualifications to be certified by prospective bidders include: 1) statutory licensor requirements, 2) bonding capacity in excess of $5,000,000 dollars, 3) minimum of ten (10) years successful history as an approved, authorized or licensed General Contractor, 4) minimum average annual volume of $12,000,000 dollars in construction value for the past three (3) years, and 5) successful current experience in construction of a scope similar to this Project. Joint venture arrangements must qualify solely on the strength of the principal firm’s qualifications. Notarized Contractor’s Qualification Certificates must be submitted to the Architect along with any request to obtain Bid Documents by a General Contractor by Thursday, March 19, 2015. The required Form of Certificate is AIA Document A305 Contractor’s Qualification Statement 1986 Edition and may be obtained from the Architect.

*All sub-contracts equal to or greater than $250,000 will be required to be bonded. The low bidder is required to provide a list of all sub-contractors and a copy of their bonds at the pre-construction conference.

Drawings and specifications may be obtained and/or examined at 1:00 pm. CST, Monday, March 16th at the offices of *TurnerBatson Architects, 1950 Stonegate Drive, Suite 200, Birmingham, Alabama 35242, *the office of Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA), and F.W. Dodge Birmingham (a.k.a. *McGraw Hill), Associated General Contractors, and Construction Market Data.

Bid Documents may be purchased from Alabama Graphics, 2801 5th Ave, South, Birmingham, AL 35233,  205.252.8505. Contractors must purchase sets at their own expense – no deposits or refunds will be allowed.

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect (Engineer) 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 (Engineer); 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.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at *Norwood Elementary School, 3136 Norwood Boulevard, *Birmingham, AL 35234 at 2:00pm, CST, March 23, 2015. *Attendance at Pre-Bid Conference by *General Contractor Bidders is Mandatory.

Awarding Authority:
Birmingham Board of Education
Dr. Spencer Horn, Superintendent
Architect:
Turner Batson Architects, PC

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*ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed proposals will be received by *BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS at the office of Mr. Edward McMullen, Purchasing Department, 2015 Park Place North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 until 2:00 p.m. CDST, April 7, 2015 for Hemphill Elementary School Property Abatement and Demolition, at which time they will be publicly opened and read. The project includes pre-demolition asbestos abatement and demolition of existing structures low-rise buildings.

The Owner intends to award a single contract for this work to single pre-qualified General Contractor. The Owner will accept proposals from firms which can demonstrate their experience and ability to perform the work required to complete this project. The required form of documentation is AIA Document A305 Contractor’s Qualification Statement 1986 Edition. Qualification Statements are due at the office of the Architect by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2015.

A Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. CDST at Hemphill Elementary School, the Attendance at the Pre-Bid Conference is *MANDATORY for all General Contractors intending to bid this project. A site visit to the site will immediately follow the pre-bid conference. Any bid submitted by a General Contractor that did not attend the pre-bid conference will not be accepted.

A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to Birmingham City 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, 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.

Bid Documents may be examined after 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 2015 at the office of the Architect, NHB Group, LLC, 1721 5th Avenue, Suite 101, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 and at the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA), Reed Construction Data, IsqFt, and McGraw Hill-FW Dodge.

Bid documents may be obtained from Alabama Graphics, 2801 5th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233, (205) 252-8505. Contractors must purchase documents at their own expense – no deposits or refunds will be allowed.

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof. All bidders 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.

Awarding Authority: Birmingham City Board of Education, Dr. Spencer Horn, Superintendent

Architect: NHB Group, LLC

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*INVITATION FOR BIDS

The Jefferson County Commission will receive bids for *CONCORD DRAINAGE *IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT CDBG-DR-13-03I-U03-CDI at Room 270 of the Jefferson County Courthouse until 10:00 a.m. local time on the 31st day of March, 2015, 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 Office of Community & Economic Development, at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. If for any reason such bid does not reach Room 270 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: “FELICIA SMITH”; (5) CONTRACTOR’S NAME AND ADDRESS
(6) ALABAMA LICENSE NUMBER; (7) CONTRACTOR’S DUNS NUMBER.

Bids are invited upon the work as follows:
A drainage project in the Community of Concord to relieve flooding as the result of the 2011 tornado. The project consist of: 1) Removing existing undersized or damaged drainage structures; 2) Clearing trees, debris & siltation from drainage paths; 3) Establishing ditches to the size and shape as designed in plans; 4) Installing drainage structures such as concrete fumes, culverts, slope paved headwalls, and retainage structures.

Bids must be accompanied by a certified check 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 *CONCORD DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT CDBG-*DR-13-03I-U03-CDI.
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 OFFICE OF COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203; the BIRMINGHAM CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AUTHORITY, 601 37th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222; Dodge Data & Analytics, www.construction.com; and ISqFt Plan Room, isqft.com.The bid package may be obtained by depositing $125.00 with *Sentell *Engineering, Inc., Tuscaloosa, Alabama, ph: 205-752-5564 for each set of documents so obtained. Such deposit will be refunded in full on the first set issued to each general contract bidder submitting a bonafide bid, upon return of documents in good condition within ten days of bid date. Other sets for general contractors, and sets for subcontractors and dealers, may be obtained with the same deposit, which will be refunded as above, less cost of printing, reproduction, handling and distribution of the contract documents. The contractor has an option to receive electronically the bid package with no deposit required.

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.”

All bidders must be licensed by the State of Alabama Licensing Board of General Contractors, as required by Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Code of Alabama 1975 as amended.

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.
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*ABANDONED VEHICLES
*In accordance with Section 32-13-1, Code of Alabama 1975, notice is hereby given to the owner, lienholders, and *other interested parties that the following described abandoned vehicle will be sold at public auction for cash to *the highest bidder at:
*(time) 1:00 pm
*(date) March 23,2015
*at AutoPlex
*(address)2325 4th Avenue North
*Birmingham, Alabama 35203_
*Description) 2002 Cadillac Deville
*(VIN #)1G6KF57952U291828

*(Description) 2005 Lincoln Town Car
*(VIN#)1LNHM82W05Y609438

*(Description) 1998 Jaguar XJ8L
*(VIN#)SAJHX6244WC839336

*(Description) 2003 GMC Envoy
*(VIN#) 1GKDS13S732124455

*(Description) 1999 Chysler Sebring
*(VIN#)3C3EL55H3XT609917

*(Description) 2005 Hyundai Sonata
*(VIN#)5NPEU46F36H002611

*(Description) 2000 Buick Century
*(VIN#)2G4WY55J6Y1185720

*(Description) 2006 Cadi SRX
*(VIN#)1GYEE637760139158

*(Description) 1991 Chevy Lumina
*(VIN#)2G1WL54T8M9228416

*(Description) 1992 Acura Vigor
*(VIN#)JH4CC2658NC009441

*(Description) 2006 BMW750LI
*(VIN#)WBAHN83546DT32418

*(Description) 2002 Mercedes ML320
*(VIN#)4JGAB54E32A328605

*(Description) 2006 Ford Expedition
*(VIN#)1FMFU17586LA76767

*(Description) 2003 Honda Element
*(VIN#)5J6YH28583L012692

*(Description) 2000 Ford Box Truck
*(VIN#)1FDWE2726YHA78723

*(Description) 2001 Olds Alero
*(VIN#)1G3GS64C414138537

*(Description) 2009 Scion XD
*(VIN#)JTKKU10469J048821

*Seller reserves the right to reject any bids and the right to bid.
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*REQUEST FOR BIDS HOUSING REHABILITATION BID ANNOUNCEMENT *BID #73-15:

Bids will be accepted by the Jefferson County Purchasing until *5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, *March 24, 2015, for proposed owner-occupied housing rehabilitation work at the following addresses:
401 1st Ave. SW, Bessemer, Al. 35022
313 58th St., Fairfield, Al. 35064
530 43rd St., Fairfield, Al. 35064
2804 4th Street N.W., Center Point, AL 35215
1230 Elizabeth Ave., Tarrant, AL 35217

Bids will be opened at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 in Room 830 of the Jefferson County Courthouse. Interested parties may get a copy of the bid package at Jefferson County Purchasing: 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Suite 830, Birmingham, AL 35203.
All interested contractors must meet the minimum contractor requirements for bidding on or before the date and time that bids are due. All questions must be written and faxed to (205) 214-4034 or e-mailed to Carmen Jones at jonesc@jccal.org.
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**INVITATION FOR BIDS

The Jefferson County Commission will receive bids for the NORTH SMITHFIELD MANOR COMMUNITY STORM SHELTER (CDBG-DR) at the Commission Chambers, Room 270 of the Jefferson County Courthouse until *9:00 a.m. *local time on the 31st day of March, 2015 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 Office of Community and Economic Development, at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. If for any reason such bid does not reach Room 270 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: “Yolanda B. Caver”; (5) CONTRACTOR’S NAME AND
ADDRESS; (6) ALABAMA LICENSE NUMBER; (7) CONTRACTOR’S DUNS #.

Bids are invited upon the work generally described as follows:

The work includes, but is not limited to providing all necessary materials, labor, equipment, tools, transportation and services to construct a dual purpose Community Center and FEMA 361 Storm Shelter including: HUD project sign, erosion control measures; clearing, grubbing, tree removal, small storm shelter structure demolition and disposal of all debris; approximately 545 C.Y. of earth grading and moving (cut and fill); grated trench drain, storm piping, rip-rap, grassed swale stormwater feature; water line, backflow preventer, 8” sanitary sewer main, sanitary manholes, sanitary lateral and stub out; an approximately 2,021 S.F. storm shelter facility meeting FEMA 361 requirements; roadway milling and asphalt overlay; concrete and paver sidewalks, concrete stairs with steel handrails; two (2) asphalt parking lots, painted striping; site restoration; and other minor miscellaneous site work in accordance with the plans and specifications.

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 NORTH SMITHFIELD MANOR COMMUNITY STORM SHELTER.

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 OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203; the BIRMINGHAM CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AUTHORITY, 3600 4th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222, and through ALABAMA AGC – ISQFT PLAN ROOM, 2801 5th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233.

The bid package may be obtained by depositing $150.00 with ENGINEERING SERVICE ASSOCIATES, INC., 5300 Cahaba River Road, Suite 250, Birmingham, AL 35243 (205-970-0772) for each set of documents so obtained. Such deposit will be refunded in full on the first set issued to each general contract bidder submitting a bonafide bid, upon return of documents in good condition within ten days of bid date. Other sets for general contractors, and sets for subcontractors and dealers, may be obtained with the same deposit, which will be refunded as above, less cost of printing, reproduction, handling and distribution of the contract documents.

All bidders must be properly licensed by the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, as required by Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Code of Alabama 1975 as amended. General Contractors with a classification of BC or BCU4 should be able to bid this project. If a Contractor has any questions regarding his classification or eligibility to bid this project, those questions should be directed to the State Licensing Board.
THE PROSPECTIVE BIDDER OR ITS SUBCONTRACTOR MUST BE PREQUALIFIED TO CONSTRUCT, AT A MINIMUM, CLASS “A” SEWER LINE PROJECTS. TO PREQUALIFY WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND TO CONSTRUCT CLASS “A” SEWER PROJECTS, EACH PROSPECTIVE BIDDER MUST FURNISH WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF COMPENTENCY AND EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COUNTY. ACCORDINGLY, THE COUNTY WILL NOT ACCEPT PREQUALIFICATION APPLICATIONS AFTER THE 20TH DAY OF MARCH, 2015.

CONTRACTORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT MR. DANIEL WHITE, (205) 325-5496, WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, 716 RICHARD ARRINGTON JR. BLVD., NORTH, SUITE A-300, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA 35203, IN ADVANCE OF THE DEADLINE TO DETERMINE IF THE CONTRACTOR IS PREQUALIFIED TO CONSTRUCT CLASS “A” SEWER PROJECTS.

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.
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*INVITATION FOR BIDS

The Jefferson County Commission will receive bids for the *Fairfield Sidewalk *Project at Room 270 of the Jefferson County Courthouse until 9:00 a.m. local time on the 14th day of April, 2015, 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 Office of Community and Economic Development, at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. If for any reason such bid does not reach Room 270 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: “YOLANDA CAVER”; (5) CONTRACTOR’S NAME AND ADDRESS
(6) ALABAMA LICENSE NUMBER.

Bids are invited upon the following work, but not limited to, as follows:
SITE PREPARATION, REMOVAL OF EXISTING APSHALT WALKWAY, AND INSTALLATION OF ADA COMPLIANT SIDEWALK

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 *Fairfield Sidewalk Project (CDBG13-03L-*M01-FSW).

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 OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, 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.

The bid package may be obtained by depositing *$100.00 with CE Associates 5229 Messer-Airport Highway Birmingham, AL 35212 *(205)-595-0401
for each set of documents so obtained. Such deposit will be refunded in full on the first set issued to each general contract bidder submitting a bonafide bid, upon return of documents in good condition within ten days of bid date.

Other sets for general contractors, and sets for subcontractors and dealers, may be obtained with the same deposit, which will be refunded as above, less cost of printing, reproduction, handling and distribution of the contract documents.

All bidders must be licensed by the State of Alabama Licensing Board of General Contractors, as required by Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Code of Alabama 1975 as amended.

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.
BT03/19/15
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