soulful turmoil

Today marks 10 years of reports, essays, photos, videos, haiku and hijinks for Wade on Birmingham. It’s also the final day of our 26-part special report, The Future of Birmingham.

You may have read the essays from me and our 20 contributors. You may have downloaded the free ebook.

“The Future of Birmingham” is available on Amazon as a paperback book and a Kindle edition. Grab a copy for your coffee table ($14.99) or your e-reader ($2.99).

Want to win an autographed copy of my new book? Just leave a review on the Amazon book page by 5 p.m. CDT Friday, Oct. 9. Praise it or pan it, but make sure to review it. (And use your real name, so I can contact you when you win.)

And if you haven’t looked at it yet, read all 26 parts on this site or download the free ebook.

Thank you to all of our friends, our readers, our fans, our commenters and our contributors over the years!

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First, second, third, fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth anniversary posts.

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The Future of Birmingham: Regaining our self-esteem

Tuesday, October 6th, 2015

Photo: Patrick Cain (CC)

Birmingham (click to enlarge)

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Get the full version of this essay in our free ebook.
Details at the end.

•

By James Spann

I have fond memories of Birmingham as a child.

In the 1960s, I lived in Greenville, but my mom’s folks were from St. Clair County. And when we visited them, a trip to Birmingham was almost always on the agenda. The city was truly magical. Listening to WSGN, the Big 610. Shopping for Christmas at the big stores downtown like Loveman’s. Hanging out at the brand new Eastwood Mall. Hopping on the rides at the Alabama State Fair at Five Points West. Watching Cousin Cliff on television.

Fast-forward to September 1979, when I started my Birmingham TV career at WAPI-13 (now WVTM). I was 23 and, somehow, Wendell Harris hired me to be their main weather guy at that incredibly young age.

A few months after I was hired, reporter Steve Sanders did a series called “Is the Magic Missing?” focusing on population loss, job market deterioration and a public education system that was faltering.

It seems like we have no self-esteem 36 years later, despite the wonderful things happening in this city.

I find it interesting that the same trolls who attack me during any winter forecast come out any time you say something positive about Birmingham. Ignore them; they aren’t worth my time, or yours.

People mocked Don Logan for moving the Birmingham Barons from Hoover back into the city a few years ago. It was a bold move, but it is paying rich dividends with record crowds.

When Trinity Medical Center moves this week to its incredible new Grandview Medical Center campus on U.S. 280, it is in the city limits. This is a huge positive for the city. [Editor’s note: James Spann has served as chair of Trinity’s board of trustees since 2005.]

Drive through downtown on a weekend, and it is buzzing with life. Loft living, new restaurants and stores, Railroad Park.

Is there crime? Of course. But crime exists in every Alabama municipality and county. Are there problems to solve? Yep. Biggest issues are fixing Birmingham schools and finding a good mass transit solution.

But the positives outweigh the negatives by far.

The future of Birmingham is:

People with a passion to make the city their home and a better place.
Focusing on the things that bring us together, not tear us apart.
Not being afraid of our past, but celebrating how far we have come.
The natural beauty in the foothills of the Appalachians.
Being the best place to raise a family.

And, most importantly, our future is regaining self-esteem.

I was honored to receive two major awards for a broadcast meteorologist. When I accepted the American Meteorological Society Award for Broadcast Meteorology at its 2013 meeting in Austin, I was proud to be associated with Birmingham at this international science gathering.

Same at the 2012 National Weather Association meeting when I accepted their Broadcaster of the Year award in Madison, Wisc. In fact, many asked me how they could break into our market and move here.

This is a special city with a bright future. I am proud to be from Birmingham and Alabama. You need to feel the same way. Let’s enjoy the ride back to being the Magic City.

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James Spann is chief meteorologist for Birmingham’s ABC 33/40, joining 1 month after the station signed on in 1996. In all, he has been a TV weather anchor for 36 years.

Website | Facebook | Twitter @spann | Instagram

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The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

All you need to do is fill out this simple form. We’ll email you a link to download the book. (And, at no extra charge, we’ll add you to the mailing list for the free Y’all Connect newsletter.)

• • •

Read more essays in our special 10th anniversary series, The Future of Birmingham.

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on turning 10 in blog years

Tuesday, October 6th, 2015

Welcome to my blog.
Today, it turns 10 years old.
Now where is the cake?

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Read more haiku.

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The Birmingham channel: A seasonal shift in song

Monday, October 5th, 2015

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Singer Luis Coronel performing in August at Rancho El Centenario in Mt. Olive. From Erika Garcia.

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Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring performs in September at Iron City on Southside. From Blair Scott.

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Rancho Viejo. From El ZurdoMquez Alegre.

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Katie Hardin competes in her first U.S. Figure Skating competition at the Freestyle 2 level in summer’s Magic City Ice Classic at the Pelham Civic Complex. From Saxena Video Productions.

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A trip through the Goo-Goo Express Wash on Southside. From Kim Sebastian.

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A look at the photo archives of the Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Press-Register in the Mobile office. From Robert Clay.

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Indiana prog rock band Umphrey’s McGee performs “Power of Soul” in September at Avondale Brewery. From psn abraxasnd.

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Singer-songwriter and former UAB football player Sam Hunt performs in September at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre. From Brandi H.

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A quick trip through downtown. From Preston Eaves.

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Pepper Place wins the Urban Land Institute Atlanta District Council 2013 Awards for Excellence. From uliatlantaawards.

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Florida metal band Bind performs in August at the High Note on Southside. From NCHC.

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L.A. rapper Earl Sweatshirt performs in September at Iron City on Southside (our vertical video of the week). From Carkles.

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Figure skaters Emily Sanders and Anna Blankenship have fun at the Pelham Civic Complex. From Aly Hathcock.

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Metal band Gwar performs in September at Iron City on Southside. From zombiegorehound.

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Atlanta rocker Tedo Stone visits LightRails downtown. From Ethan Payne.

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Buffalo Bills defensive tackle (and former Alabama player) Marcell Dareus talks to children at a city park after committing $100,000 over five years to the Birmingham Parks and Recreation. From ABC 33/40.

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A look at the Franklin Graham Festival of Hope in August at UAB’s Bartow Arena. From Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

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Birmingham rock band the Burning Peppermints performs “Ned Schneeblee” in September at Magnetic Audio in East Avondale. From Spectra Sonic Sound Sessions.

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“Motorcycles have been racing up and down First Avenue North all night. I stepped outside with my phone and heard them immediately. A police car was 100 feet behind them, did nothing.” From David Morrison.

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Driving from Southside to Inverness. From sultan sultan.

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Country singer Hunter Hayes performs in September at the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham. From Brandi H.

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September’s Tour de Hops bike ride through Avondale and Southside. From cheesellama.

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Van Halen performs “Jump” in September at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham. From gotcrush.

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Ride for Kids raised more than $50,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in its September motorcycle event. From Rory Luther.

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More from the Festival of Hope. From Luz Clemente.

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Teaser for Good Grit Magazine. From Jordan Mahy.

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Alex on the climbing wall (our other vertical video of the week). From thkufan.

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The new class makes its entrance for the Birmingham Kappa League. From Melvin Heath.

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Timelapse footage of construction at Kinetic Communications in 2014. From Paige Simpson.

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Spanish rock group Jarabe de Palo performs in April at the Nick on Southside (our other other vertical video of the week). From liliana.

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“Alabama TV” talks with FBI agent Roger Stanton. From Latino News LLC.

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A look at the Children’s Harbor Pig Iron BBQ Challenge fund-raiser, returning Oct. 16 to the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. From United for Life Foundation.

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A mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. From Richard Womack.

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Savannah jazz guitarist Walter Parks performs “Who Am I to Play the Blues” in September at Moonlight on the Mountain in Hoover. From Walter Parks and Swamp Cabbage.

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Send us links to your videos. | More videos on the Birmingham channel.

Posted in B'ham, Culture, Hoover | Permalink | 1 Yip »

mostly hands-free commute

Monday, October 5th, 2015

Self-driving cars will
give us the freedom to flip
off other riders.

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Read more haiku.

Subscribe via RSS to Wade’s Daily Haiku. Or have it delivered daily by e-mail.

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The Future of Birmingham: Strong leadership

Sunday, October 4th, 2015

Photo: Chris Denbow (CC)

Birmingham mayor Larry Langford once led a prayer rally to
fight crime, dressed in a sackcloth. The city’s prayers for
strong leadership have apparently gone unanswered.

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Get the full version of this essay in our free ebook.
Details at the end.

•

Leadership is tough.

A leader can do everything right and still fall off a cliff, taking everyone with him. I’ve dropped off that perch time and again, both as leader and follower.

The absence of strong leadership has left Birmingham listless, mired in potential and indecision. Few are willing to risk their own necks for the good of the city and the region.

Ironically, the influence of strong leadership has also damaged Birmingham. In politics, Larry Langford bullied his way through half-baked ideas and get-rich schemes as president of the Jefferson County Commission and mayor of Fairfield and Birmingham. In business, Richard Scrushy built national powerhouse HealthSouth and then let his greed nearly destroy the company.

Perhaps we shy away from such alpha types because we’ve been burned again and again. Perhaps we feel stuck with the limited choices before us.

The progress Birmingham has made has been in spite of, not because of, its leadership. We’ve made baby steps, but when compared to other Southern cities of similar size, we’re falling behind.

That lack of progress stems, in part, from Birmingham’s conservative nature. Not in the sense of big-blue-dot-in-a-red-state politics, but in the taking-chances-on-even-middle-of-the-road-ideas-is-scary sense. A determined leader would have at least a couple of options, either sell everyone on the idea or barrel through regardless of buy-in.

I’ve done both. I understand that great reward is almost always worth the tiny risk, though the perception may be that the risk is enormous and the reward is negligible. The real equation for me is that the fear of regret is much bigger than the fear of failure.

The leadership vacuum isn’t merely holding Birmingham back, but actively demolishing it from within. One of the city’s crown jewels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is in the middle of a crisis.

President Ray Watts has transformed from harmless nobody into Public Enemy No. 1. The governing bodies for the faculty, the undergrads and the grad students have voted no confidence in him. And yet, he still stands, a tolerable mess, it appears.

We not only tolerate awful leaders, we promote them. The corporate citizenry has made its priorities clear: As long as their egos and their bank accounts are well served, any lackey will do.

What distresses me most in dealing with Birmingham’s leaders is lack of humility, this overwhelming sense of entitlement to power and money. A little chutzpah is necessary in any accomplished person, but too much poisons the spirit.

An antidote does exist. I first heard about servant leadership from meteorologist James Spann during one of his talks. What stuck with me was not only the concept, but also how he embodies it. James will admit his weaknesses and mistakes, and then apologize for them. He’s trying, and he’s willing to fail.

That is impressive. That, sadly, is all too rare.

The best future for Birmingham is strong leadership. We must insist upon it, though our options are few. We must support it and hold it accountable.

And, at times, we must take it upon ourselves. Tough as it may be, we cannot wait forever.

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

All you need to do is fill out this simple form. We’ll email you a link to download the book. (And, at no extra charge, we’ll add you to the mailing list for the free Y’all Connect newsletter.)