By Kaitlin Candelaria Birmingham resident Franklin Biggs became a key player in Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead festival, while dealing with his own family death. The holiday, which traditionally is celebrated on Nov. 2 in the Mexican culture, focuses on honoring and remembering family and friends who have passed away. People do this by gathering their families, … [Read more...]
GBHS Maintains Animal Control Through End of Year
By Kaitlin Candelaria The Greater Birmingham Humane Society can breathe easy – for now. The Jefferson County Personnel Board voted unanimously at an Oct. 13 meeting to extend the organization's animal control contract, which has been in place since January. The issue will be reconsidered at the beginning of 2016. The issue of whether to extend the contract arose when … [Read more...]
World Class: Myers Helped Bring 2021 World Games to Birmingham
By Lee Davis For Scott Myers, the idea of bringing the International World Games to Birmingham was an accident. Myers, executive director of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and David Benck, a prominent local attorney, were invited to attend the 2013 World Games in Cali, Columbia. Their host was Ron Froelich, the honorary lifetime president of the International World Games … [Read more...]
Every Mile Counts: Camp SAM Goes to NYC Marathon
By Kaitlin Candelaria Five Birmingham runners are taking Camp Smile-a-Mile’s mission to New York City. Savannah Lanier, development director for Camp SAM, said this won’t be the first time the organization has been represented in the TCS New York City Marathon, but this year’s team is different. “We’ve had a marathon team in the past, but it wasn’t really a group that was … [Read more...]
Conducting with Culture: Izcaray Begins His First Season as ASO Music Director
By Emily Williams Carlos Izcaray didn’t set out to become a conductor. When he was 16 or so, he dreamed of being a hotelier in the Caribbean. Then he heard a recording of Yo-Yo Ma performing the “Elgar Concerto.” “There was something there that clicked,” he said. That’s when he knew he wanted not just to play music, but to create musical experiences by conducting full … [Read more...]