Erik Jambor, co-founder and director of the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, resigned today, citing changes in adminstration made by the board of directors. Jambor’s departure comes a day after the festival parted ways with Kelly Marshall, the festival’s public relations director.

Jambor, 36, said that the board had been considering changes since summer, but after limited discussion with them, decided to leave rather than cede certain responsibilities. The Birmingham native plans to return to film production and editing, jokingly adding that he has no savings after working for a nonprofit organization for nine years. Jambor added that he remains open to working with the festival once the board finalizes plans and positions.

Updated with story link

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The Two Pack (formerly the Six Pack, formerly the Back Pack) is on its own against the junkie models, the beauty queens and crybabies. The Birmingham team, single moms Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk, have barely made it this far in “The Amazing Race,” finishing in the bottom half every leg.

As the four teams headed back to Africa, they raced horses and worked like mules. One of the two all-female teams will make “Race” history, but which one had enough girl power to survive the leg? Caution: (worthless) Yield ahead.
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City Stages is broke and broken — and has been for years. Can the downtown music festival be fixed?

In a new partnership, festival organizers have teamed with Catalyst, a grassroots Birmingham organization of young professionals, to raise $1 million by 2007. That amount would wipe out the more than $800,000 debt and restart a rainy day fund.

The effort, Sustain City Stages, faces a huge challenge: Erase a growing debt that the city’s biggest festival itself has been unable to overcome while developing a plan for growth, or as the name suggests, sustainability.

To that end, the two groups will hold a town hall from 5:30 to 7 tonight at the Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place.

We offer a few questions that deserve answers.

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Part 2 of the European leg brought our final five teams to Ukraine on “The Amazing Race.” Birmingham’s Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk wavered on their alliance with the Cho brothers as they continued to fall behind.

Teams drove tanks and broke ranks in the one leg that spans two continents and three countries. Would the two Six Pack teams follow each other to the bitter end?
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First, Conan O’Brien. Then, “The Amazing Race.” Is there any country hotter than Finland?

Five teams — including Lyn Turk and Karlyn Harris of Birmingham — fought their way through mud, mines and mistrust. Would the “Six” Pack finally Finnish in front?
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It’s make-or-break time for the hapless alliance known as the Six Pack on “The Amazing Race.” Birmingham’s Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk have survived bad finishes, but can they survive their compatriots Team Kentucky and the Cho brothers?

The island-hopping African safari continued as six teams headed to Madagascar (the island, not the animated movie) to further their alliances in unexpected ways. Would a Six Pack team run out of gas?
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Half the teams are gone, and half the remaining teams are in a shaky alliance. And all are stranded on a tiny island smaller than Birmingham’s Jefferson County.

Welcome to the second half of “The Amazing Race.” Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk, best friends from Birmingham, stuck it out (more or less) with two other teams as they headed for Africa. It’s sink or swim time for the 12 contestants as they snipe and snarl their way to the mat.

Plus, the controversial missing Roadblock.

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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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The “Back Pack” continued its alliance as contestants moved from the Far East to the Mideast in tonight’s installment of “The Amazing Race.” Team Birmingham — single moms Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk — stuck it out with the Team Kentucky and the Cho bros.

Racers flew to Kuwait City to brave heights, heat, hauls and humps. Would an old twist create a new leaderboard?
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After a state championship four-peat, Repete is on pause from football.

Dwarn Smith, better known as “Repete” on the MTV reality series “Two-a-Days,” played as a defensive lineman for the Hoover High football team. No. 91 moved to Hoover from nearby Birmingham to join the nationally ranked Bucs.

Smith earned a reputation on the show as a tough trash-talker, an intense athlete and a laid-back jokester. This fall, the 18-year-old Auburn freshman became the first member of his family to attend college.

In this exclusive interview with Wade on Birmingham, Smith talks about life without football, his girlfriend Megan, the most important life lesson from Coach Rush Propst and his outgoing dad.

• Were you satisfied with how much airtime you received? Why did the producers choose you among all the players?

I think they chose me because I was laid back, and the cameras really didn’t affect how I acted.

I wasn’t really satisfied with the airtime. I could have stood to see the screen a little more — and from the 1,000,000 e-mails I get a week, my fans think so, too.

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The trek across Asia continued in tonight’s episode of “The Amazing Race.” Seven teams flew to India to wrestle gators and take driving lessons.

Friends Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk of Birmingham have aligned with two other teams, but is the “Back Pack” keeping them from frontrunner status?

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In an MTV first, the last episode of “Two-a-Days” screened online Wednesday night before its Oct. 18 broadcast. And the post-post-season Hoover Bucs are looking forward to baseball and college ball.

Finally, some answers for fans’ burning questions: Who earns a football scholarship? Who ends up playing baseball? And which couples stay together? (Hint: not Alex and Goose.)

It’s zero-a-days for part two of the season finale. [recap of part one]
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The Hoover Bucs have made it to the state championship game. One more victory means a fourth consecutive title and ring.

OMG, who cares?!? What about Alex and Kristin? Are they like broken up or what? The final game, the final parting shots, the final ridiculous hairstyles, all on part one of the season finale of “Two-a-Days.” [recap of part two]

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I used to be a media whore, but now I’m a new media whore. Or a whore of new media, as it were.

Last week, I had two opportunities to talk about blogs, social networking and how they can help Birmingham’s communities and citizens. One audience was a mass media class, the other was the head of a city arts and culture center.

What I’ve learned came from hard work, trial and error and an unparalleled year toiling in new media.

The highlights of my presentation, in handy bullet-point format.

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A grueling leg proved challenging for eight teams racing in Vietnam in tonight’s episode of “The Amazing Race.” Team Birmingham, moms Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk, struggled against gravity, wind and exhaustion in picturesque Ha Long Bay.

Paddle power would either make or break competitors as they cried, laughed, whined and imploded on their way to the mat. Would a Detour choice save Karlyn and Lyn, or set them adrift?
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