Guest blogger, Regional collaboration

Hoover can be a bold leader or greedy neighbor

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John Lyda, Hoover City Councilor
John Lyda, Hoover City Councilor

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  Hoover City Councilor John Lyda.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Editor’s note:  This piece was originally published on October 23rd.  Three days later the proposal to move UAB Medical West to Hoover fell through and the hospital administration decided to build in McCalla on property it previously purchased.

The conversation of regional cooperation has been commonplace in the Birmingham metro area for decades, its roots traced back to the beginning of the urban sprawl that flourished in the 50’s, 60’s, and continuously since then.

Regrettably, the phrase “regional cooperation” has most often been rhetoric used in political campaigns, master planning processes, and feel good speeches.  Continue reading Hoover can be a bold leader or greedy neighbor →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Birmingham once headed for greatness–We can do it again!

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David Fleming,, President &CEO of REV Birmingham
David Fleming, President & CEO of REV Birmingham

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  David Fleming.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

If you were standing on the corner of 1st Avenue North and 20th Street in 1871, you would be standing in a forest.  A few miles to the west would be the small county seat town of Elyton.  You’d see a few pioneer homes scattered throughout the valley. Continue reading Birmingham once headed for greatness–We can do it again! →

David Sher posts, Government structure, Race relations

What I’ve learned about Birmingham, Mtn. Brook, & people

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Mountain Brook Village
Mountain Brook Village

It’s been a wild ride publishing ComebackTown.

I never dreamed publishing a weekly blog about how to create a more prosperous Birmingham could be so challenging—but so DARN interesting!

I’ve learned so much about human nature, Birmingham, and our suburban neighbors. Continue reading What I’ve learned about Birmingham, Mtn. Brook, & people →

Alabama, Guest blogger

Birmingham could be the Southern city that gets it right

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Natalie Pickett
Natalie Pickett

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  Natalie Pickett.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

I am a proud native of the Birmingham area. I grew up in Hoover until I moved out of state for college.

I live in North Carolina now, but I visit Birmingham frequently to see my parents and siblings. Continue reading Birmingham could be the Southern city that gets it right →

Guest blogger, Race relations, What's great about Birmingham

Director reckons with Art Museum’s ugly past

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Graham Boettcher, The R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art
Graham Boettcher, The R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Graham Boettcher.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is proud to serve the people of our city.

Through the generosity of our community, we’ve built an exceptional collection of more than 27,000 works of art, and last year, welcomed 123,000 visitors through our doors.

It wasn’t so long ago, however, when we failed many of our citizens, writing a shameful chapter in the Museum’s history that we are still striving to overcome. Continue reading Director reckons with Art Museum’s ugly past →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

What’s this black woman doing in the Junior League of Birmingham?

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Alexis Barton
Alexis Barton

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Alexis Barton.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

I know you’ve seen it:

The Help. That movie another Southern girl (Kathryn Stockett) wrote, that shook up the publishing world and shone a light on a group of women’s audacity to use the written word to create change. Continue reading What’s this black woman doing in the Junior League of Birmingham? →

Alabama, David Sher posts

Alabama named #1 in football and political corruption

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Iron Bowl 2017 Alabama vs. Auburn
Iron Bowl 2017 Alabama vs. Auburn

We in Alabama have made a name for ourselves.

We are known for our football and for our politics.

The prominence of Alabama football is obvious.

The Crimson Tide has won 17 national football titles and the Auburn Tigers have won five. Continue reading Alabama named #1 in football and political corruption →

Corporate community, David Sher posts, What's great about Birmingham

The Birmingham company that ate Atlanta

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Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Barons playing baseball at Regions Field

When I was growing up in the ‘50’s Birmingham and Atlanta were about the same size.

Birmingham was actually larger than Nashville, Charlotte, and Austin—but I digress.

My father took me to Rickwood Field to watch the Southern League Birmingham Barons play baseball against the Atlanta Crackers. Continue reading The Birmingham company that ate Atlanta →

To begin a conversation about a better Birmingham