UAB, Birmingham Society of Human Resource Management team up for Wednesday event

Workforce Survivor, a free daylong career event, takes place Wednesday on the UAB campus for those out of work, or fixin’ to be out of work.

Part one is the Job Search Skills Camp, a series of workshops to help with resumes, interviews (including how to dress) and more. Although it is not a job fair, Birmingham human resource personnel will be on hand to answer questions and network.

The camp takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at UAB Hill University Center Great Hall. [map]

Part two is old-fashioned networking, with hiring managers from area companies. Attendees are encouraged to bring resumes or business cards to the event, which will have food, cash bar and door prizes.

The networking event takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. in UAB Bartow Arena’s Green and Gold Room. [map]

The Birmingham Society of Human Resource Management and UAB Career Services are putting on both events.

Additional information:

• event site
• schedule
• flyer [pdf]
• registration

City of progress
or site of urban decay.
A mayor on trial.

• • •

Read more haiku.

Last week, Richard Scrushy returned to Birmingham to answer attorneys’ questions about his many, many assets. The HealthSouth founder and convicted executive owes some $2.87 billion as a result of a civil suit this year.

The Birmingham News has followed his deposition closely. A few highlights …

• Scrushy plans to return to the ministry and record Christian songs he’s writing in prison in Beaumont, Texas. Where he once earned millions annually, he now makes 18 cents an hour, teaching math, English, science and reading.

• He gave guns and his Corvette to associates, and set up a $24,000 trust each for seven of his children in 2007.

• “I can’t believe that HealthSouth would be doing this to me,” Scrushy said Wednesday. He said he was unable to recall where certain high-priced pieces of jewelry were, including a diamond choker and bracelet set ($16,000), a five-strand diamond bracelet ($25,000) and a pair of diamond earrings ($25,000).

• “My company that I built for 20 years has been reduced to chasing my dead father’s tractor?” Scrushy yelled. “You’re picking at my dad’s dead bones. We’re reaching a point where it’s ridiculous.”

• Scrushy referred questions about his millions of dollars in holdings to his accountant Phillip Powell. But upon examining a list of assets submitted by Powell, Scrushy said, “I think his accounting may be wrong, and I would like to discuss it with him.”

• His assets are entangled in corporations, real estate deals and loans, and Scrushy has been found of being in contempt for not cooperating with the asset search.

More Richard Scrushy stories from the Birmingham News.

Love endures, despite
aches and despair and baggage
and fear and hardship.

• • •

Read more haiku.

All eyes from the stands
and from living rooms were glued
to the final play.

• • •

Read more haiku.

We’re grateful to our readers and fans who voted in the Birmingham News’ “Birmingham’s Best 2009” reader survey. The results, announced earlier today, made this humble site a Runner-Up in the category, Best Local Web site.

Thank you, thank you, thank you from Wade on Birmingham!

And see our earlier post on our non-campaign.

When it comes to doors —
elevator, revolving —
he has leverage.

• • •

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Ongoing coverage of Birmingham mayor Larry Langford on trial in Tuscaloosa for bribery.

Highlights: Bill Blount concluded his testimony. He said Langford had great influence as Jefferson County Commission president as to which banks would be part of the bond deals.

Al LaPierre provided most of the day’s testimony. He explained that Langford came to him with money woes (past-due loan, large bills) in 2003 and 2004. LaPierre would in turn call Blount, who would pass money through LaPierre to Langford: $50,000, $69,000, $6,000. Blount also hired LaPierre to monitor the Jefferson County Commission for potential bank competitors in bond deals; LaPierre earned $201,000 total in 2003 and 2004 for his services.

LaPierre said Blount didn’t pay Langford directly because Blount knew it to be a violation of Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Under cross examination, LaPierre said he had no express agreement with Langford to trade cash for votes. He also admitted he never told Langford that Blount had provided the money. During redirect, LaPierre said he assumed Langford knew who the source was.

Following the start of the SEC inquiry, LaPierre said Blount had all three sign promissory notes to show the payments as loans, though almost none of the money was repaid. (One check from Langford in 2008 showed a payment to LaPierre of $5,000.) LaPierre said they were creating a false paper trail.

LaPierre also said he paid Langford’s $50,000 bill at Remon’s to avoid political embarrassment during Langford’s 2007 mayoral campaign and to keep Langford happy.

Quote of the day: Prosecution: “Were these loans?” LaPierre: “At that time, that was the story we were telling.”

Homework: See our full live Day 5 coverage below.

Next: The trial enters Week 2. Prosecution may finish on Monday.

• • •

Bonus coverage

Live tweets from the media, including Wade on Birmingham. Although you can’t comment in the chat window, please feel free to leave comments in the regular section at the bottom of the post.

• • •

Complete coverage: The trial of Larry Langford from Wade on Birmingham.

Follow @LLtrial on Twitter for continuous media updates.

Subscribe to the RSS feed for daily coverage of Larry Langford’s trial from Wade on Birmingham.

Ongoing coverage of Birmingham mayor Larry Langford on trial in Tuscaloosa for bribery.

Highlights: Langford friend and associate Bill Blount took the stand, testifying to bribing him with $236,000 in cash and gifts. The Montgomery investment banker, who has known Langford for 30 years, said he used the bribes to steer $7 million worth of bond business to his firm via Langford’s position as Jefferson County Commission president.

When Langford was short on cash, Blount said he sent checks to middleman Al LaPierre. Blount said under cross examination that he and Langford never expressed any explicit arrangement.

More details emerged on the gifts, including a $1,093 sweater from a New York store and $50,000 in suits, shirts and ties at Remon’s downtown and a flight to an Atlanta baseball game, all paid for by Blount for Langford.

Quote of the day: Prosecutor George Martin: “Who did you bribe?” Blount: “Mayor Larry Langford.”

Homework: “Tweets from the jury box: jurors using Twitter jeopardize trials” from the Christian Science Monitor:

As reporters in Tuscaloosa, Ala., try out their new micro-blogging accounts this week to cover the high-profile trial of Birmingham mayor Larry Langford … defense attorney Michael Rasmussen says he’s worried about jurors also taking to the Internet to research the case or send tweets to their friends.

Next: Blount continues testimony, plus LaPierre takes the stand Friday. We’ll be there in the courtroom.

• • •

Complete coverage: The trial of Larry Langford from Wade on Birmingham.

Follow @LLtrial on Twitter for continuous media updates.

Subscribe to the RSS feed for daily coverage of Larry Langford’s trial from Wade on Birmingham.

Among the bogs and
swamps, intrepid children looked
for minotaur eggs.

• • •

Read more haiku.

Shop, Save and Share starts today

Normally, we shy away from rampant consumerism. However, you gotta eat, and have clothes, and maybe an iPod or two.

Our friend Holly at the Lollar Group let us know about Shop, Save and Share, a program that saves you 20 percent off more than 500 retailers and restaurants, including Best Buy, Bromberg’s, Old Navy and Richard Joseph Salon Spa.

Donate $40 to receive the discount card, which is good today through Nov. 1. You can purchase the card online or through select retailers. (Note: Participating retail partners may limit or exclude specific items from the discount during the event.)

Donations support the Junior League’s 31 community projects in health, finances, safety and education.

For more information, visit the Shop, Save and Share page.

Ongoing coverage of Birmingham mayor Larry Langford on trial in Tuscaloosa for bribery.

Highlights: City finance director Steve Sayler completed his testimony, saying the original estimate for Jefferson County’s sewer repairs was $1 billion. The former county finance director discussed the bond swaps, but said he wasn’t aware Blount Parrish was receiving hundreds of thousands in fees. Langford’s friend, Bill Blount, runs the firm. Sayler also said that Blount Parrish had no expertise at the time in bond swaps.

Other witnesses testified that Blount bought thousands of dollars of clothing and shoes for Langford and fellow county commissioner Mary Buckelew, who lied to a grand jury about those gifts. Among the items bought for Langford during trips to New York: five pairs of shoes (three women’s pairs, two men’s) for $1,684, a leather jacket for $2,000 and a watch for $12,000.

One juror was nodding off in the afternoon after fighting off sleep this morning.

Quote of the day: “Blount said he had a very good relationship with the mayor and had control of three votes on the commission.” — James Lister, banker at Lehman Bros. in 2003, when Blount called about Jefferson County bond swaps and his relationship with Langford.

Homework: “Next Birmingham City Council president could be mayor for a while,” by Birmingham News editorial writer Joey Kennedy

Who do you think is the best choice of those remaining who are likely to be picked to lead the council? The battle for president supposedly will be between Steven Hoyt and Roderick Royal.

Next: Blount takes the stand Thursday.

• • •

Complete coverage: The trial of Larry Langford.

Subscribe to the RSS feed for daily coverage of Larry Langford’s trial from Wade on Birmingham.

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

Two hours forward,
90-minute delay. Flight
breaks late barrier.

• • •

Read more haiku.

While Birmingham mayor Larry Langford faces his big day in court, it appears another former public servant is facing his own legal trouble.

This week, Jefferson County officials issued arrest warrants for City Stages’ president George McMillan and executive director Denise Koch on bad check charges. McMillan — a former state senator, representative and lieutenant governor — started the annual downtown music festival in 1989.

The event filed for bankruptcy in June, days after its lackluster 21st performance and ending more than $1 million in debt.

The Jefferson County district attorney’s office has been investigating the pair for weeks, after vendors filed complaints. The vendors included a security company and performers, all who received only partial payment.

The misdemeanor charge could mean up to a year in prison or fines, but those served with warrants could make good on money owed.

McMillan released this statement through his attorneys:

Certain persons are attempting to use legal channels outside the federal bankruptcy process in an attempt to redress City Stages checks that were dishonored for insufficient funds. These and other debts of CIty Stages are being addressed in the pending bankruptcy proceedings involving the Birmingham Cultural & Heritage Foundation, Inc., the nonprofit foundation that issued the checks.

To the extent necessary, attorneys for those who signed checks on behalf of the Foundation will respond accordingly to any allegations that may be made outside of the bankruptcy proceedings regarding any dishonored City Stages checks.

Meanwhile, McMillan’s event planning company, McMillan Associates has continued business as usual, producing last weekend’s Fiesta in Linn Park, the 11th annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in September and this month’s Sloss Fright Furnace.

In fact, the company site still boasts: “To avoid the staleness that threatens every mature brand, we assist City Stages in continually re-inventing itself in terms of the patron’s experience.”