A look back at all things and people and events 2009 …

Video: Mary Buckelew gets probation
instead of jail time: “Justice was served today.”

Nov. 2 | Our Vote 2009 resumed coverage as a special election for mayor of Birmingham was set. As each of the 14 candidates announced, as each forum and town hall emerged, we had the info. And still, the campaign continues …

Nov. 3 | Birmingham looks to Austin for a way to spur badly needed economic development. Can the city and the Birmingham Business Alliance match the Texas metropolis’ success?

Nov. 4 | Do Birmingham’s nonprofit organizations and their volunteers deserve awards? YP Roundtable thinks so, but we call it “selfishly egotistically uncharitable.”

Nov. 6 | A Wade on Birmingham exclusive: How Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival went from being in debt to $20,000 in the black. All it took was budget cuts, fast fund-raising and more ticket sales.

Nov. 6 | ABC’s “Supernanny” visits Hayden to help a family of five with discipline problems. One household down, many many more to go.

Nov. 12 | Speaking of discipline … Former Jefferson County Commission president Mary Buckelew escaped with a slap on the wrist, or 3 years probation and $20,000 fine for lying to a grand jury. She had faced 12 to 18 months in prison.

Nov. 18 | HealthSouth chief executive officer Jay Grinney says the way forward for the city and county is combined government, along with the Birmingham Business Alliance’s economic development plan. He was a keynote speaker at the Birmingham Economic Summit.

Nov. 18 | Birmingham took a big bite out of crime in 2009, with a 12 percent drop in the first three quarters. Despite the effort, the city still placed seventh nationally in city crime rankings.

Nov. 23 | Campaign oddity exhibit A: “Cooper Rap.” Exhibit B: Candidate arrested for disorderly conduct at a bar.

Nov. 24 | A council coup, of sorts. Roderick Royal becomes incoming city council’s new president and interim mayor, ending Carole Smitherman’s short tenure.

Nov. 30 | Two calendars, A Picture of Health and Brave Beauties, raise money for charity. Two weeks later, the cover model for “A Picture of Health” died from ovarian cancer.

See all of our November coverage.

• • •

Haiku flashback

the iron bowl in 17 syllables (Nov. 26)

Tradition, empty
malls, rivalry, crimson white,
orange blue, braggin’ rights.

• • •

365 days of Birmingham’s best and worst: Wade on 2009

The Birmingham Leadership Awards were handed out earlier this evening at the Summit Club downtown. YPNow, formerly the YP Roundtable, sponsored the program.

Up and Coming: This award is designated to honor a young professional who either recently has moved to the Birmingham region or joined the young professional scene in 4 years or less. This individual has made an impact in Birmingham for their short time being involved in the YP community.

Winners:

• Marcus Carson
• Anna Curry
• Patricia Craft
• Justin Weintraub

Rookie of the Year:

• Michelle Amaral

Overachiever: This award is designated to honor a young professional who has been a part of the young professional scene for more than 5 years. He/She is a leader in the community and is constantly striving to improve the Birmingham region.

Winners:

• Michael Bell
• Ed Fields
• V.J. Graffeo

Organizational Award: Three separate awards will be given to a young professional civic organization or junior board that has demonstrated leadership and community impact. The categories have been divided by the number of members each civic organization has enrolled.

Winners:

• Small (1-15 members): Holy Family Cristo Rey Junior Board
• Medium (16-50 members): Glenwood, Autism and Behaviorial Health Center Junior Board
• Large (51-up members): Rotaract Club of Birmingham

Also: “Undue recognition: Why the Birmingham Leadership Awards promote divisiveness”

The nonprofit groups came together at one point, back in 2006, to meet, to share, to collaborate. A new idea was taking hold: Birmingham-area volunteers and board members could find ways to help each other out. It was called the YP Roundtable.

In October, that same group decided it was time for a pat on the back. Several in fact. The group has partnered with the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce over the past three years. Now that the chamber is dead, the Birmingham Business Alliance has pushed for a new program, the Birmingham Leadership Awards.

Want to win the fawning praise for your formerly selfless good deeds? Let’s go through the process:

1. You nominate yourself. You fill out the form on behalf of yourself, in one of two categories: more than or less than 5 years “in the Young Professional scene.” Or you can nominate your own organization (the three categories divide entrants by size of group). You talk about yourself, your accomplishments and even provide two letters of recommendation.

2. Judges pick up to 10 individuals and three groups as winners. Who are the judges? They haven’t been revealed yet. What are their criteria? The form doesn’t say.

3. Bask in glory, noble humble winners. The awards ceremony takes place Dec. 1.

What was once a chance to collaborate has degenerated into unnecessary competition. What was once a chance for those working to help charities and causes through combined effort has become an exercise in self-importance.

When the winners are announced, take a hard look at each one of them. No one plucked them out of obscurity to hold them up as shining examples for a troubled city to admire, even emulate.

Each one of them chose to enter, as if to say, “Look at me. Reward me. Me me me.”

Good works deserve recognition. But did we have to make it so selfishly egotistically uncharitable?

What’s your take? How do we recognize community champions without creating another awards monster?

Birmingham Business Alliance to recognize nonprofit work

YPNow, formerly the YP Roundtable, wants to recognize leaders within the Birmingham-area nonprofit community with the recently announced Birmingham Leadership Awards. The new program will single out individuals younger than age 40 and nonprofit organizations based on self-nominations.

YPNow brings representatives of area nonprofit organizations together, in partnership with the Birmingham Business Alliance, to discuss and take action on issues related to young professionals and volunteerism.

Winners receive an award plaque, a mention in Birmingham Magazine and the Birmingham Business Alliance newsletter and the chance to participate in the awards’ process in 2010. The awards ceremony will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Summit Club downtown.

Applications must be postmarked by Nov. 20. It is free to apply and to attend the ceremony.

• Application [pdf]
• Awards ceremony registration
• More on the YP Roundtable

Nonprofit organizations look for new recruits at Birmingham Museum of Art

Tonight’s third annual YP Expo comes at a critical time. Nonprofit organizations need help with funding and volunteers more than ever while weathering the economic downturn.

This is where you come in.

It started with a YP Roundtable in October 2006, a meeting of young professionals active as volunteers in the Birmingham area. The idea: Network among groups, work together to make a difference.

The YP Expo gives these groups a chance to recruit new faces to their causes. The free event takes place from 5:30 to 9 tonight at the Birmingham Museum of Art [map | event details].

How can you make Birmingham a better place to live? Start here.

A tip: Register in advance, and bring your printed ticket with you to bypass the potentially long line at the door.

Volunteer slackers, you’re out of excuses. At 5:30 tonight, the first YP Expo (not as dirty as it sounds) kicks off at the Innovation Depot [map] downtown. Two dozen volunteer agencies will be on hand to offer you a chance to make Birmingham better. How? Get involved.

It all started with a Civic Organization Roundtable in November. After months of planning and work, Alison Howell at the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and André Natta at The Terminal have not only brought the players to the table, but also brought the table to you. Or something like that. [evite | details]

Is Birmingham too clique-ish? Not anymore. Visit, mingle, do. Tonight.
• Birmingham News: Chamber event designed to reach young professionals

• • •

More headlines | send us your news tips.

Call it offline networking, version 2.0.

Nearly 30 representatives from 18 area young professional groups met Monday night at a Homewood restaurant to drink, to discuss, to deliberate. This Civic Organization Roundtable has been in the works for some time, a way to unite and coordinate Birmingham’s bloc of up-and-comers.

It’s the first step of many in the improving upon the slow, steady progress for our hometown. Feel free to join in at any time.
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