The frying lingers
in oily pans and extra
pounds and pungent air.

• • •

Read more haiku.

Our pal Arik has helped put together a fund-raiser for the Prichard family, in the wake of Michael Prichard’s death in September. I worked with Chris, Michael’s wife, for many years — she shot the beautiful city skyline you see from time to time at the top of this page.

Stop by Rojo tonight to help out a small, but personal, cause.

Local filmmakers pay tribute to colleague, raise funds for family

The Birmingham filmmaking community will gather Thursday to pay tribute to a fallen comrade, Michael Prichard. In addition, the group is raising money to help Michael’s family pay for expenses that continue to mount.

Michael worked as a trusted grip, audio operator, and camera operator for over 10 years. He died at age 40 on Sept. 14 leaving behind his wife and two children.

To help raise money, Southside restaurant Rojo will host “Things That Mike P. Would Have Liked,” a photography exhibit with photos exclusively provided by members of the local filmmaking community. Art and prints may be donated up until the day of the show. All proceeds from the sale of these works will go to Michael’s family.

The tribute and show kickoff begins at 6 tonight, at Rojo, 2921 Highland Ave. S. [map]. Admission is free and open to the public. The show will remain on display until Nov. 9, available during restaurant hours.

For more information, please contact Arik Sokol at 324-3900 or ariks@vazda.com, or Ned Boggan at dembyfilms@hotmail.com.

Grief pursues her at
all hours, a flickering
presence without shame.

• • •

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Birmingham has a new mayor, and surprisingly, without a runoff.

Unofficial results show that Jefferson County commissioner Larry Langford beat nine other candidates, including incumbent Bernard Kincaid, to win today’s election outright by a hair. Langford earned 26,227 votes, for 50.33 percent — a 172 vote margin of victory. His closest competitor was attorney Patrick Cooper, who won 15,392 votes, for 29.54 percent of the vote.

Kincaid, who served for two terms, placed third with 4,234 votes, or 8.12 percent.

With 52,111 votes cast in the mayor’s race, the turnout was around 45 percent.

Cooper hasn’t conceded, saying during a TV interview that he would consider asking for a recount, given the very tight margin. Another factor to consider would be any uncounted absentee ballots.

Langford ran on the slogan “Let’s Do Something,” pitching a one-point plan to fight crime: putting criminals in jail. He claimed it would take a “crazy man” to lead Birmingham, and that he was just such a man. During a TV interview, he promised a whirlwind of activity in the first 100 days in office, mentioning that a domed stadium would show outsiders that the city could move forward on a major project.

This run marked his second try for the top office in Birmingham, after a failed run in 1979.

The day was marked by low voter turnout, somewhat hampered by confusion over polling places. City officials claimed mailed sample ballots provided correct locations, but up to 100 voters were turned away from one station due to confusion or miscommunication.

What should the new mayor tackle first? And should Cooper contest the results?

• • •

Complete Vote 2007 coverage.

You look up, you see
his butt. Down, you see the ground.
Out, you see it all.

• • •

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Polls are open: It’s time to pick a mayor in Birmingham.

Ten candidates are vying for the title, including the incumbent, Bernard Kincaid. Surprisingly, 10 is a far smaller field than past years: 1999 had 14 candidates, and 2003 had 18(!) memorable names, like That Guy, and That Other Guy.

The Birmingham News’ poll indicates that Larry Langford (right) and Patrick Cooper (left) are headed for the runoff, while the other eight candidates, including two-termer Kincaid, have no chance.

With 18 percent undecided and a 4.9 percentage point margin of error, should we trust the results?
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A real salad comes
straight from the ground, tasting of
sun and rain and earth.

• • •

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We’re no good at remembering anniversaries, even our own.

Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of this humble site, Wade on Birmingham.

At two years plus two days, this site has featured more than 1,200 posts, featuring our favorite city and state, all for our growing and loyal readership. A few highlights from the past 12 months:

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The stray comment tipped
my hand unwittingly, proof
that I care. Too much.

• • •

Read more haiku.

So much depends on
timing. Lack of rhythm is
gonna get you. See?
• • •

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The distance between
us grows so large as not to
be crossed without trust.

• • •

Read more haiku.

I taught and I learned
in the span of one day. I’m
a better person.

• • •

Read more haiku.

After months of speculation and rumor mongering, Hoover High football coach Rush Propst bared his soul to Fox 6 in a lengthy interview. You may remember him from an MTV reality show called “Two-a-Days” (so yesterday!).

Among the tidbits:

• When asked about the possibility of a second secret family in Alabama, he said he wouldn’t discuss, but did not deny the allegation outright.
• He denied any responsibility for changing athletes’ grades.
• “Two-a-Days” may have been good for high school football, but not for Hoover. (Unless you count untold profits in merchandising and recruiting.)
• And, he’s cussing less, so there’s that.

He’s been awfully chatty lately, complaining that “Two-a-Days” was manipulated and too focused on the negative aspects of the football program.

And he’s been awfully busy tending to legal matters, whether trying to quash a subpoena in fired principal Richard Bishop’s lawsuit against the school board or playing offense in the court of public opinion before tonight’s meeting at 6. What on the agenda? The school board finally takes up an attorney’s $78,949 report investigating the grade-fixing allegation. Sounds like it’d make a good reality series …

• Fox 6: Rush Propst Ends His Silence

• • •

More headlines | send us your news tips.

This football season
has given money’s worth of
thrills, if not triumphs.

• • •

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Another whirlwind weekend of music, movies and parties known as Sidewalk has zipped by. Remember: You can still win swag from the film fest by entering our haiku contest by noon today.

But before we wrap the ninth Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, a few more capsule reviews of hits and misses …

Update: “The Devil Came on Horseback” and “Darius Goes West” added.

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