MONTGOMERY – The 18th ranked Alabama State University bowling team will travel to Smyrna, Tenn. to compete in the Columbia 300 Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University.
The Top 17 rated teams in the most recent National Ten Pin Coaches Association poll will be in action and 19 of the Top 20 will be in the classic. Only 19th ranked Norfolk State will be missing. Ranked teams that will be participating are Top Five teams Arkansas State, Nebraska, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Central Missouri.
In the bottom half of the Top Ten is Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Saint Francis University (Pa).
Eleventh ranked Kutztown, #12 Sacred Heart, #13 Saint Francis Brooklyn, #14 Long Island, #15 Valparaiso, #16 McKendree, #17 North Carolina A&T, and 20th ranked Adelphi will also compete in the classic.
Other teams that will be in the classic are Alabama A & M, Bethune Cookman, Delaware State, Howard, Jackson State, Louisiana Tech, Monmouth, Prairie View A&M, Tulane, and UAB.
Alabama State (53-30) clinched its first SWAC Regular Season Championship after going 6–3 during the SWAC East Round-Up and finishing the season 19-5 in the conference.
The team is led by Danielle Walker who was selected as the 2014 SWAC Bowling Player of The Year and named first team All-SWAC with a total pin fall of 5,637. Kaila Ryan was also selected as first team All-SWAC having a total pin fall of 5,427. Briana Wells was named second team All-SWAC with a 4,802 pin fall count. The team is ranked first in the conference with a pin fall count of 25,609 and an average of 914.6.
This will be the last contest the Lady Hornets will compete in before preparing for the SWAC Championship Tournament in Arlington, Texas, March 21-23.
Bowl.com with Lucas Wiseman will be on hand to stream matches live. In addition, some highlights will be posted on Vanderbilt Bowling’s Twitter and Facebook pages.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama Sports Foundation has announced that lower level bowl seating is now sold out for the 2014 SEC Gymnastics Championship taking place March 22nd at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. Prime seats are still available in the upper level, and fans can purchase them at www.gymnasticschamps.com. All Session Reserved Upper Level tickets start at only $12 for access to both sessions, along with a limited number of All Session Hospitality Passes remaining for only $35.
We are thrilled that the lower bowl is already sold out,” stated Gene Hallman, executive director of the Alabama Sports Foundation. “With LSU, Florida, Alabama and Georgia all currently ranked in the Top 10 nationally, and Auburn right behind at number 11, the SEC Gymnastics Championship is sure to be an exciting competition.”
The 2014 SEC Women’s Gymnastics Championship will consist of eight (8) Southeastern Conference teams competing for the title, including Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, LSU and Missouri.
For the past several years, the Universities of Alabama, Florida and Georgia have taken the SEC Gymnastics Championship titles.
For more information and to purchase tickets, fans should visit www.gymnasticschamps.com.
“Feed My sheep” are the words that Jesus proclaimed to Peter, before He left this earth. Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter revealed who he was throughout his walk with Jesus. He was a man of courage. Jesus knew His followers would need constant feeding of His Word in order to live the Christian life. The same words Jesus spoke to Peter, He is saying to those He has called to carry His Word today. Are you one who Jesus chosen to run with His’ Word? The time is crucial.
The Body of Christ is at a point whereby the Holy Spirit is not welcome. In far too many church services, there is no speaking of the Holy Spirit. “Church” – without the Holy Spirit – it is not the Church Jesus ordained to bring forth fruit. You cannot bring forth fruit apart from Jesus in the midst.
The seven candles represent Jesus in the midst of His church. He is the seventh candle that stands in the middle. That means He is in the midst of us, if you allow Him to stand. There is not any resilience in living for Jesus among far too many Christians. God’s Word has a bountiful saving power in it, and it will compel you to respond – to take action for Jesus as opposed to showing a lack of knowledge of how to live for Him. My people perish for lack of knowledge, says the Lord, [Hosea 4:6].
God holds a pastor responsible for teaching His people the Word of God. You cannot know the way unless you are taught what the Word of God says. God called the Five-Fold Ministry in place to build the Body of Christ. [Ephesians 4:11-13] Are you one who builds? www.thealmightyeyes.com
Kevin W. Moore, recently named director of the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board, became only the fifth director since the inception of the Park and Recreation Board in 1923. He has been employed with the City of Birmingham for 19 years. Prior to coming to the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board, Moore served as director of the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Moore is a 1992 graduate of Samford University where he earned a degree in Business Administration. He was also a member of the Samford Bulldogs basketball squad.
In his leisure time, Moore enjoys reading leadership books, jogging and working with youth. He has one daughter, Taylor.
“The development of quality parks and recreation programs is how we can have a direct and meaningful impact on the community and the lives of all of our citizens,” said Moore. “We are using play and leisure activities to transform lives.”
The Birmingham Park and Recreation Board is the city’s agency responsible for operating the more than 2,000 acres of city parks, which includes two golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, stocked lakes, recreation centers and parks for enjoying numerous outdoor activities. A five-member board is appointed by the Birmingham City Council. The current Park Board Commissioners are Larry D. Cockrell, Dr. Bernard Kincaid, Ronald D. Mitchell, William Parker and Theodore L. Smith.
The prior directors of the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board are: Roy S. Marshall, 1925 – 1943; King Sparks, Jr., 1946 – 1961; Frank A. Wagner, 1961 – 1987 and Melvin Miller, 1987 – 2012.
For more information about Birmingham Park and Recreation, please call 254-2391 or like us on Facebook at Birmingham Park and Recreation Board.
The GEICO Gecko®, which travels the country spreading good news about GEICO, was recently at Talladega Superspeedway with track Chairman Grant Lynch showing excitement and anticipation for the GEICO 500 at NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track on Sunday, October 19.
Officials from GEICO and Talladega announced the new race entitlement partnership last week. As part of the agreement, GEICO was also named the Official Auto, RV, Motorcycle and Powersport Insurance Provider of Talladega Superspeedway.
The track is not only the biggest and steepest facility (2.66-mile, 33-degree) in NASCAR, but also has the most acreage (3,000) for vehicle parking and camping, including the only FREE camping on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. NASCAR’s Talladega Superspeedway offers both reserved and unreserved campgrounds throughout the property, 13 of which have been sponsored by GEICO since 2011.
“We are thrilled with our expanded partnership with GEICO, a Fortune 500 company with a sterling reputation and a perfect fit with our passionate fan base,” said Lynch. “While GEICO has been our partner for years with their sponsorship of various campgrounds around the facility, having the entitlement of our October Sprint Cup Series race will allow the company to extend its reach to all Talladega and NASCAR fans. The wild card race at Talladega (sixth race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup Series Championship) has long been a tradition in the sport and we couldn’t be happier that it’s now the GEICO 500.”
NASCAR first returns to Talladega Superspeedway in 2014 with the Aaron’s Dream Weekend on May 2-4. The NASCAR Nationwide Series Aaron’s 312 will take to the track on Saturday, May 3 while NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series machines take the green flag on Sunday, May 4, in the Aaron’s 499. For ticket information, log onto www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.
The 3rd annual N.O. Musicians Celebrity Golf Classic & Awards Banquet on April 9, with guest host Norman Robinson, WDSU-TV news,and Celebrity Golfer: PGA champions Tour operations director and Former St.Augustine High & LSU Grad Keith ‘Fig’ Newton
NEW ORLEANS, La.– GOLF AND JAZZ!!!!!!!
History of this exciting event: In 2012 “Young Cats Swinging for Old Lions” was created by Global Golf Institute, LLC (GGI) to celebrate 19 living legends for over 50 years of service and commitment in the New Orleans music industry. At the 2013 event, GGI expanded the generational connections through music and golf with the theme, “Bridging Generations in Music and Making Connections in Golf.” A young generation of musicians-golfers (Young Cats) played a round of golf to honor the older generation of legends (Old Lions).Proceeds from the golf tournament and awards banquet funded the event and the 2013 NOMCGC “New Cubs” Award given to support a youth 501(c)3 organization, Kuumba Institute, the Youth Cultural Arts Program housed at ASHE’ Cultural Arts Center.
The Class of 2014 Golden Honorees: 18 of New Orleans Music Legends
Meet & Play Golf with Celebrity Golfer, New Orleans’ own, Keith ‘Fig ‘Newton
I. The 3rd Annual NOMCGC tournament: Wednesday, April 9
At Historic Joe M. Bartholomew Municipal Golf Course in beautiful Pontchartrain Park, 6514 Congress Dr., New Orleans, LA.
Registration Fees: golf & banquet-$125/player; golf only-$75/player.
Check-in: 8-9 a.m. – Tee Time: 9a.m. – Food! Trophies awarded at banquet.
II. The Evening Tribute and Awards Banquet immediately following tournament at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, 2301 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119
Immediately following the Golf Classic. Time: 3:30 – 7p.m.
Limited Space-Reservations required. Banquet Fee: $50/person –Great food, prizes!
Checks payable to Efforts of Grace, Inc,/ASHE’ Cultural Arts Center. Mail to Global Golf Institute, 2622 George Nick Connors Drive, New Orleans 70119.
Connect with Glennon Bazzle, GGI: 504-583-6842 or golfswing_2000@yahoo.com. Advance golf registration due by March 25, signage & other sponsorships available, donations welcome; also make your reservations for banquet by April 2 with Glennon.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has released the 2013-14 All-SWAC Teams and Alabama State’s Jamel Waters and Bobby Brown have been named to the Second Team as voted on by the league’s head coaches and basketball sports information contacts.
Waters was arguably the best point guard in the SWAC this season. He finished the regular season leading the Hornets in scoring (14.2) and was the SWAC’s sixth leading scorer. He finished sixth in the SWAC in free throw shooting at .784.
The sophomore from Birmingham was just not a scorer for ASU. He led the SWAC in assists by averaging 6.2 per game and his 179 total assists were 26 more than his nearest competitor. Waters was also ranked 12th among all NCAA Division I players in assists and his 2.85 assists-to-turnover ratio not only led the SWAC but was 21st nationally.
Waters also showed himself to be one of the top defensive guards in the conference as well. He had 54 steals this season which was the third most in the conference and his 1.9 steals per game was also third. He finished the season averaging 3.2 rebounds per game.
Brown may have been the best “sixth man” in the SWAC this season. He missed the final game of the season due to an injury, but finished the year averaging 9.5 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game, both numbers were among the top 25 players in the conference.
He made a living this season of hitting big three point field goals late in games and he finished the regular season with 36 of those while hitting over 33 percent of them.
Brown had a solid all-around sophomore campaign for ASU finishing the season with 26 assists, 13 blocks and 15 steals. He shot 42 percent from the field and knocked down 66 percent of his free throws.
It is amazing that Mazda doesn’t sell more cars because the metal the Japanese automaker puts on U.S. streets is near perfection.
Picking up the Mazda6 I Touring from the airport, there was some angst because the car would not start. Foot on the brake and press the ignition button and it still didn’t start. Then the light in the mind went on. The test car was a six-speed manual, thus, engage the clutch and a blue light embedded in the start button illuminated signaling the car was ready for ignition and you know the rest.
The point is that not many manufacturers have the nerve to put a manual gear box in a five passenger sedan. But Mazda pulled it off and the set up worked well. Shifts were precise, down shifts were better, and cross gate shifts were buttery. That’s saying something for a manual transmission.
It also says something about Mazda’s tendency to go its own way. No doubt, there aren’t that many takers for a manual transmission, especially one that is placed in a family sedan. No matter, Mazda offers one anyway.
The wintry weather was just ugly. It was real cold, the main streets were relatively dry but the side streets were still packed with snow, slush and there were sizable potholes everywhere. But the front-wheel-drive Mazda6 managed to get around without any problems.
Although the car had push button start and stop, it didn’t have push button lock and unlock. So it didn’t qualify as having a smart key. No doubt that saved on cost. And there were other areas where cost savings were evident.
The test car was not equipped with a navigation system, nor did it have satellite radio. But the audio system did have Bluetooth and that system could stream Pandora or whatever music that was stored on a paired smartphone through the car’s audio system.
The test car was without the company’s regenerative braking system and it didn’t have Mazda’s 2.2-liter diesel engine. But it was equipped with 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that made 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque. With a high compression ratio of 13:1, the engine generated eight percent more horsepower and 11 percent more torque than the 2.5-liter four-cylinder that it replaced.
Its EPA rating was 25 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. After a week’s test drive, the car averaged 26 mpg, traveled 227 miles at an average speed of 24 mph, had a range of 162 miles left and there was slightly less than half a tank of gas in the tank. That’s not bad by any measure.
Surprisingly, there was ample headroom in the rear seat. That was doubtful because of the Mazda6’s sloping roofline. There was also plenty of rear legroom. Though the car was billed as a five passenger sedan, like most cars in this category, it could carry four passengers comfortably.
Mazda has always had better than average fit and finish and the 2014 Mazda6 was no exception. The dash was uncluttered with a touch screen in the center. There were repetitive controls: the control surround on either side of the information screen, control buttons on the three-pronged sport steering wheel and a control mouse at the base of the center console.
That sounds like a lot but it was all done in an egalitarian manner. There just wasn’t a lot of clutter or confusion in the interior which was all black in the test car.
What’s more, the car looked good. It had a cab forward design, distinctive muscular fenders and sweeping lines. What Mazda called a five point chrome signature wing designed grille was framed by eagle eye shaped headlights. The front fascia housed fog lights; it also had a pronounced chin and large air ducts.
The dimensions of the 2014 Mazda6 were a 111.4-inch wheel base, it was 72.4-inches wide and it had an overall length of 191.5 inches and it was outfitted with 19-inch wheels.
Best of all was the price: $25,010 as tested.
Did you know apart from nature there is no “proof” beyond our faith that God exists? We usually do not pay real attention to God until we are in pain or really suffering. I mean really pay attention like our life depended on it, which is does. But just because we only cry out in a serious way in time of trouble does not mean we have lost our confidence in God. No matter the cause, belief in God requires a leap of faith.
There are two things we need to understand about our “leap of faith.” One, it is a leap of love and two our leap of faith requires a leap of trust. The Bible says, “About three o’clock (ninth hour) Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Elo-i, Elo-i, la-ma sa-bach-toha-ni? That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on the day of His Crucifixion. There are many interpretations of this passage. A few Bible scholars think Jesus became doubtful and was hoping for a miracle: that God would descend from Heaven and save Him and that miracle did not happen. He was put on the cross, and He uttered the expression, ‘Elo-i, Elo-I’ – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ – What wrong have I done that you have forsaken me? Why have you left me alone? Why are you not doing something to save me? This interpretation is wrong. Let’s understand it. If we believe at the last moment, because He was about to die, Jesus stop loving God or trusting Him, we might as well give up our belief in God. In Jesus’ passion, He was as human as you and me. He hurt like you and me. He was the Son of Man but not yet the Son of God in full glory. He was human but not yet totally divine. Much is pending on our understanding of this as it relates to this sentence and that understanding depends upon two things. First, it depends upon our understanding of unconditional love. Jesus’ message was very simple. Love over law. Anybody could have understood it, but nobody understood it. And people became so enraged that they killed Jesus over His love for us. He had not committed any sin or crime. He was not a criminal, but He was treated worse.
Three persons were to be killed that day: two thieves and Jesus. One man to be killed was named Barabbas. Pontius Pilate was hoping – because of tradition that he be allowed to free Jesus. But the Jews asked that Barabbas, a cold blooded criminal, be freed. They treated Jesus worse than a criminal. What was his crime? The criminal had broken a couple of major laws; Jesus was breaking all the laws according to the Jews. He was not a criminal. In fact, He had not done anything wrong, but He was dangerous. The criminal was not dangerous; at the most he was a thief and murderer – but Jesus was standing against everything the Jews had been teaching. The Jewish way of life was at stake. Yes, to follow Jesus is dangerous. He had not done anything wrong, but attempting to fulfill the laws of Moses. He was for unconditional love alongside law. For that great sin He suffered, oh ‘Elo-i, Elo-I’ – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’
When we love the way Jesus requires, we become dangerous. Our expressions of agony may not be the same because Jesus has paid the price for our sins, but our “leap of faith” will require an expression of unconditional love. Second, our understanding of Jesus’ words depends upon our trust in God through Jesus Christ. We can always trust God in Christ no matter the circumstance, situation, or condition. Even though we cry out to the Lord when faced with our dark night of the soul, we trust Him to see us through. Even though death may come at any moment, we do not feel forsaken. A second time Jesus cried, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ Why twice? First he cried; he must have hoped that there would be an answer, that there would be a response. Nothing happened. There was no answer. He cried once more – maybe He had not been heard? At that moment Jesus simply trembled and slipped away, with, according to Luke, our forgiveness on His lips. He was later resurrected and we now understand the answer. The answer is the resurrection. For Jesus and ourselves! We must die in Christ, and we too will be resurrected. This is God’s answer! God did not forsake Jesus nor will He forsake us! Christ is not dead! He is buried deep within us. God’s love never abandons us! As Christians we love unconditionally which enables our leap of faith. No matter the frustration, anguish, and pain, He has not brought us this far to leave us now. Jesus Christ will never depart our lives or leave us alone.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) will honor Women’s History Month with its popular program, “The Women Gather: An Evening of Poetry and Music” on Thursday, March 27, at 6 p.m. in Woods Community Meeting Room. The event is free and open to the public.
Local poets and singers featured in ‘The Women Gather,” include Shaunteka Latrese Curry, Evelyn Dilworth Williams, Wafiyyah El-Amin, Shirley Ferrill, Mimi Latoine, Lockhart Dance Company, LaQuita Middleton-Holmes, Sanovia Williams, Latirsha “Fee-Fee” Redmon, Laura Secord and Ama Shambuli. Priscilla Hancock Cooper, poet and BCRI Vice President of Institutional Programs, will perform and host the event. For more information, call 205-328-9696 x 233.
The public celebration of women’s history in the United State began in 1978 as “Women’s History Week” in Sonoma County, California. The week including March 8, International Women’s Day, was selected. In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) co-sponsored a joint Congressional resolution proclaiming a national Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month, and March was declared Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment.”
For the last 19 years, BCRI has proudly celebrated Women’s History Month with special programs, forums and conferences. BCRI is located at 520 Sixteenth Street North, Birmingham. Guests are asked to please use the main entrance at Sixteenth Street North for admittance to the program.
