Emily Branum, Symphony 30:“You Have to Ask Yourself, ‘If I Don’t Who Will?’”By Keysha DrexelJournal editorEmily Branum said growing up in Baton Rouge, La., gave her an appreciation for music, but it’s the Mountain Brook resident's love for her new hometown that motivates her to try to make the Birmingham metro area a better place to live.Branum, 36, a … [Read more...]
Levine Draws on Eastwood Memories to Write First Novel
By Ginny CooperJournal internMaury Levine, a lifelong Vestavia Hills resident, is a jack-of-all trades. A quality assurance manager by day and drummer by night, he recently penned his first novel, "Shopping Bagged.""Shopping Bagged" is a humorous mystery novel that follows the story of shopping center developer Beauregard Henry, who has a body buried under the … [Read more...]
Creature Feature: Homewood Festival Focuses on Salamanders
By Ginny CooperJournal staff writerAn annual festival in Homewood is making the humble salamander the star of the show.The Friends of Shades Creek will host the 10th annual Salamander Festival at the Homewood Senior Center from 3-5:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 to celebrate the little critter's unique characteristics.Michelle Blackwood, president of Friends of Shades … [Read more...]
Robert MacArthur: ‘We Need to Really Commit to Our Community’
By Keysha DrexelJournal editorBefore he moved from Boston to Birmingham almost three years ago, Robert MacArthur saw firsthand the difference one person can make in the life of a struggling child.And now that he is on the junior board at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the 26-year-old said he’s using that firsthand experience to try to give back to students in … [Read more...]
Jennifer White: ‘I Can’t Imagine Not Being Involved’
By Keysha DrexelJournal editorIn the last year she has served on the junior board of Horizons School, Jennifer White said she's learned that there's more to real philanthropy than writing a check.The 35-year-old Vestavia Hills woman said by volunteering at the school in Birmingham that aims to help young people with intellectual disabilities learn how to live … [Read more...]