Wade on September 2006
By Wade KwonA last look at the ’06 …
Then and now
City on the edge, part 1: The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report paints a picture we’ve feared all along. Updating preliminary stats from the summer, the report shows a 5.8 percent increase in violent crimes in 2005, while nationwide violent crime increased 2.3 percent.
And with 44 murders per 100,000 people, Birmingham ranked No. 3 nationally. It was 20th overall in crimes, with 14.7 crimes per 100,000 people.
We already know murders kept pace in 2006. God only knows what the FBI stats will show for this year.
City on the edge, part 2: While crime is up, school enrollment is down … again. Reported attendance for Birmingham schools fell below 30,000, continuing the “black flight” from the crumbling system. Compare that to 70,000 students in the early 1970s.
Soon, the only students left will be stuck with near empty classrooms, worst teachers, outdated everything and no hope of escape.
Moms on the move: Two more Birmingham residents found fame and fortune on reality television. Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk competed against 11 other teams on “The Amazing Race” for $1 million.
Underdogs at every turn, the best friends and single moms outlasted nine teams to reach the finish line in the race around the world. The pair finished third overall, the best record for an all-female team in the show’s 10 seasons. The biggest hurdle wasn’t in a foreign land but right here in town, as Harris’ house was burglarized a few days before the finale aired earlier this month.
Festivals maximus: Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival and Artwalk expanded their territories during their annual downtown events. Sidewalk venues stretched from the Birmingham Musuem of Art to the Alabama Theatre. Artwalk burst across the railroad divide onto First Avenue South.
Both festivals brought arts lovers to city streets, but only later was it revealed that Sidewalk came up short in revenues, leading to ongoing changes in the festival’s focus, administration and future.
Haiku flashback
why we might (Sept. 10)
Flirty banter draws
me to her with a sly wink
and a naughty nudge.
• • •
Archives: September
Special report: The ’06 … a last look
