She grabs a branch of
rosemary, if only to
keep the scent nearby.

• • •

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The kids on the hill
care little for the ballgame
as they romp freely.

• • •

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“There’s an old place where people go
To dance the night away …”

We’re talking about the famed Tuxedo Junction in Ensley. Function in the Junction, the annual celebration of the Ensley community and composer Erskine Hawkins, takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Erskine Hawkins Park [map]. This year marks the event’s 25th anniversary.

The free daylong celebration includes musical performances, a parade and food. Among the scheduled jazz, gospel and reggae acts are the Birmingham Heritage Band, Praise Dancers, Roots Posse, the Christian Heart Gospel Singers and Kalu.

In addition, Jubilee on Avenue E focuses on the business district. Also free, this event takes place tonight from 6 to 11 and includes music, art, fashion and a new historic marker.

For more information, see the press release.

Video: “Tuxedo Junction,” Glenn Miller Orchestra

They say it’ll go
to a hunnert, if’n we
don’t melt before then.

• • •

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The comic paces
2 feet left, then right. Boxing,
but with jokes and jabs.

• • •

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It’s not hatred. It’s
drama. With a capital
D. No one will win.

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The queen will take the
knight, so the rook must guard the
king. Thus, victory!

• • •

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Roy Wood Jr. continues in the comedy competition.

The judges are back, as three go home on tonight’s episode of “Last Comic Standing.”

But Birmingham native Roy Wood Jr. survived last week’s round, making it to the Top 7. After performing second tonight, he heard from the celebrity judges.

Natasha Leggero: “You’re so likable, you connect with the crowd.”

Greg Giraldo: “I thought you were a little too pro-Mexican, but very funny.”

Andy Kindler: “I love your voice; your manner is just fantastic onstage. I loved it.”

Voting by phone is open till 11 tonight; voting online continues till 4 a.m.

Video to be added.

Video: Roy Wood Jr. riffs on sports, student loans and civil rights.

“Last Comic Standing airs at 8 p.m. Monday on NBC 13.

Previous: Episode 6 — 10 to go
Next: One more comic with the lowest vote total is eliminated; the final six compete. [Episode 8 — Six to go]

Also:

• Birmingham News recap
• Roy Wood Jr. official site | Twitter @roywoodjr | Facebook page | YouTube | MySpace | MP3 downloads on Amazon.com [affiliate link]

How’s Wood doing? Let us know below.

This is the time when
we eat. Then we go, come back,
eat, sleep, then repeat.

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Hands together for
prayer. Knees down for reverence.
All rise for singing.

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Recently deceased
plants for love, and others for
recently deceased.

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Blueprint Birmingham, the regional plan for development, will be shown to the public on Sept. 23 at the new Railroad Park. So says our insider at the Birmingham Business Alliance for this Wade on Birmingham exclusive.

Originally set to be revealed in May, the plan from the Birmingham Business Alliance and Atlanta’s Market Street received so much public input that more time was needed to put it together, officials said.

Currently, the plan is in its final stages. Blueprint Birmingham is an economic development plan for the seven-county region. After input from the public, the plan will require funding and action during the next 5 years to succeed. No word yet on the price tag or other plan details.

Update: Dalton Smith, president and chief executive officer of the Birmingham Business Alliance, resigned today, just a little more than a year since the organization was formed. He plans on forming an ethics reform advocacy group.

Were vampires not
dandy enough before this
whole glitter effect?

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Plus more results from Tuesday’s state runoff election

In the absence of a designated successor, we often find ourselves heading toward chaos.

George W. Bush anointed no one as a possible Republican successor to the presidency. The mad scramble left an opening for the Democrats to exploit.

Gov. Riley had no preferred candidate in the GOP to follow in his footsteps. Well, at least not until Saturday, when he finally tossed a late endorsement to Bradley Byrne.

It has been chaos in the Republican camp in Alabama leading up to Tuesday’s runoff election. The two biggest names running for governor were Tim James, the son of a former two-term governor, and Roy Moore, former chief justice of the state supreme court — and they finished in third and fourth place.

The runoff featured front-runner Byrne, former chancellor of the state’s 2-year college system and scourge of the Alabama Education Association. It also had a dark horse, Robert Bentley, a doctor and state representative.

Tuesday night, Bentley, shown at right, pulled off the upset by soundly defeating Byrne 56 percent to 44 percent in unofficial results. He had trailed Byrne just 6 weeks ago in the primary election 25 percent to 28 percent.

City folk may have liked Byrne, but it was country folk who supported Bentley. Rural counties overwhelmingly went for the doctor over the lawyer.

• • •

Runoff winners and losers from Tuesday
around Alabama and metro Birmingham.

• • •

Bentley faces Democratic challenger Ron Sparks, shown at left, who pulled off an upset of his own in knocking out Artur Davis, the 7th district congressman.

As many of you may not know, Sparks has served two terms as the state’s agricultural commissioner. And even if you did know that, your Sparks knowledge probably ends there.

The two unknowns, Bentley and Sparks, are left to battle for the state’s top office. Who’da thunk it 2 months ago?

Headed toward chaos? No, just the orderly progression of moneyed interests.

In this year’s election, those two interests are the AEA and the gambling lobby.

The AEA and Byrne have been at odds over merit pay and tenure law for years. Naturally, the AEA bankrolled millions of dollars in anti-Byrne ads during the runoff campaign.

It has also be a big contributor to … Sparks. Both sides covered.

Note to AEA head Paul Hubbert: Next time, it’ll probably be cheaper just to run for the governor’s office yourself in 2014.

Make no mistake: A teacher’s union isn’t the same as an educational reform group. One is there to maintain benefits and protection for teachers, even as the state remains in the Bottom 2 in education decade after decade.

As for bingo, Sparks wants to legalize it and tax it, following a public referendum. His campaign has been funded in part by gambling political action committees.

No such funding appears to have come into Bentley’s largely self-funded campaign. While personally against it, Bentley says he’s OK with a state referendum on bingo, which, if approved, should be taxed.

Are Alabamians screaming for bingo, or for other forms of gambling from dog racing to lotteries to casinos? We may soon have our say at the ballot box.

The same ballot box where we’ll still be scratching our heads on Nov. 2 over the curious race between Robert Bentley and Ron Sparks.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

• • •

• U.S. House: On the Democratic side, Terri Sewell beat Shelia Smoot in the District 7 race to replace Artur Davis. On the Republican side, Don Chamberlain beat Chris Salter for the nomination.

The heavily gerrymandered district favors Democrats. Should Sewell win in November, she would be the first black female Representative in state history.

• Attorney general: James Anderson clinched the Democratic nomination, defeating Giles Perkins. Anderson faces GOP nominee Luther Strange.

• Jefferson County Commission: The members will be all new in the fall after the last standing incumbent went down Tuesday.

In District 1, George Bowman beat Johnathan Austin in the Democratic runoff. If this sounds familiar, he beat Austin a few weeks ago in the special election to fill the seat immediately. Bowman faces Republican Greg Stanley in the fall.

In District 2, Democrat Sandra Little Brown beat Gary Richardson, winning the seat with no Republican opposition.

In District 3, Jimmie Stephens defeated incumbent Bobby Humphryes Jr. on the Republican ticket. He’ll face Vivian Ford, who defeated fellow Democrat Ron Yarbrough.

In District 4, Republican Joe Knight beat Ronnie Dixon. Knight will face Democratic challenger Roy Wood.

• Jefferson County Sheriff: Willie Hill defeated Ron Blankenship to win the Democratic nomination. Hill battles Republican incumbent Mike Hale.

Election Day is Nov. 2.

• • •

Also:

• ABC 33/40: Election analysis from Second Front writer Kyle Whitmire
• Clarion Caller: Jenn Foster on Bentley’s victory
• Flashpoint: Post-runoff thoughts
• Doc’s Political Parlor: Who had a good night last night? A bad night?
• The World Around You: Hello Governor Sparks – The Upside Down World of Alabama Politics

• • •

Who will win the governor’s race in November, Bentley or Sparks? Who should win? Tell us in the comments.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Bumps and bruises mar
their skin, but inside, they’re still
full of nutrients.

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