Western Tribune Column December 10, 2008

Education


There is little doubt that our country will move forward over the next few years, and I certainly hope that Bessemer does as well. One area that must continue to improve is education.

Education is the key to personal advancement in our society. Unfortunately, disparity in education in our state is commonplace, and educators in less advantaged situations have to be creative in their attempts to level the field.

U. S. News and World Report recently released their list of America’s best leaders, and topping the list was Freeman Hrabowski III, an African American from Birmingham who took part in the Children’s Crusade march for civil rights in 1963.

He was arrested, he was spat on by Bull Conner, he spent five nights in jail, but he learned from the experience that “the more we expect of children, the more they can do.”

Hrabowski went on to receive a Ph.D. in education and is now the president of the University of Maryland – Baltimore County.

One of the first issues he tackled was against the subculture in which those who make good grades in school are “selling out” or “acting white.” I have learned from school personnel in Bessemer that this attitude is present among some in their classes. They learn this in their homes, I am told.

Fortunately, not all young people are being influenced in this way. They realize that good grades are not “selling out”, rather they are “investing in” one’s future. Rather than “acting white” they are “acting smart,” because good grades get you into college, and a college education gets you a good job. And a good job gets you health insurance and secures your future.

Hrabrowski has turned UMBC in to a math and science pipeline by drawing on minority and low-income students who might otherwise be left behind. And he did this while holding those students to the same high standards as others. His students met and exceeded those standards.

In Bessemer we will have a new superintendent along with a new high school.

Our superintendent, and the educators in our system, should increase their efforts in inspiring young people, just as Hrabowski has done.

Bessemer education has made great strides over the last few years.

If you expect more, you get more, Hrabowski learned, so from our educators, we will expect more.

Bessemer Data and Christmas Prep

Data released by the U. S. Census Bureau reveals several things in Bessemer that need to change. Story from Birmingham News.

Percent of families with children that are headed by female with no husband. Bessemer 57%, highest in the county (Birmingham is 53%, next is Homewood with 22%). I think the research shows that children do better with 2 parents (regardless of gender). However, I think there are plenty of children from one parent households that are doing fine. It has to do more with the parenting skills than the number of parents involved.

Inadequate parenting may reflect in the next stat. Percent of those 25 or older with less than high school education. Again, Bessemer is the worst in the county, at 21.1%. (Birmingham 19.1, Alabaster 9.8) And percent with Bachelor's degree or greater, Bessemer 10.3% , again, lowest in the county.

Education in Bessemer is improving, although the school board might not believe that. After all they fired a successful Superintendent recently.

Anyway, tomorrow's column in The Western Tribune is about education in Bessemer, but you will have to wait to read it.

In the meantime, here is what is keeping me busy.



This is a Sugar and Spice Cake, and once it is frosted no one will notice that one of the layers is uneven. Lemon-Coconut Cake, Best Carrot Cake and Red Velvet Pound Cake are some of the others I am making this week.

Spending so much time in the kitchen, I had to put a Christmas tree in there.

Is this red and green enough?

Blue eyed Black Santa is watching over some of the Salt and Pepper shakers in our collection.

Christmas at the Castle

First, let me congratulate Alabama on their season. I know I am an Auburn fan, but Alabama deserves a little praise for going 12-0 before losing to Florida in the SEC championship game.

Florida is hard to beat. The last two times Auburn played Florida, oh wait, we beat them!!!! Twice!!!!

20-17 in 2007 and 27 - 17 in 2006. Maybe St. Nick should have watched the old tapes of Auburn and Florida to see how to stop Tim Tebow and the Gators. Oh well, that's history.

And I know, Bama will be going to the Sugar Bowl on New Years and Auburn's sitting at home watching. Maybe I can get a trip to New Orleans out of the deal.

Saturday night friends of "The Castle" in Bessemer were treated to a show, thanks to Jonathon and Kyle. Lavish decorations throughout the house and a stage over the pool added to the already grand atmosphere of the place. Several hundred people watched performers brave the cold and...perform... on the stage. No one fell in the water, no one got burned when fire ringed the pool (that was planned).

Here a a few pictures. The quality is poor, I was using my phone because I left the camera in the car and was not about to leave my place by one of the heaters around the pool.

Within a few days maybe there will be a video of the performers. If so, you know where to find it.

Thanks guys for hosting a great party.

Tuberville

If I had taken the time to go upstairs and plug in a few extension cords, the picture I posted of the house would have looked better. Like this.

The trees upstairs were there already. The candles in the window to the right were prompted by readers.

Lights on the eaves and gables was also suggested, but that would involve a tall ladder. It's not that I don't have a tall ladder, its that I don't do tall ladders. Hanging the 5 wreaths (there is one on the side as well) is about as high as I go.

Tuberville

I have purposely remained silent on the Tommy Tuberville situation and still we don't have all the answers. Sportscasters are saying it doesn't add up. But here is what I think.

Regardless of why Tommy left, and in spite of any bad feelings, Auburn will have a new coach soon. Fans and students will rally around the new guy, and next year will be an emotionally charged year.

Alabama better enjoy their 1 game winning streak against Auburn.

I understand about losing to Alabama. After all, I spent 9 years at Auburn and after my freshman year victory (Punt Bama Punt), my next 8 years saw losses to Alabama (part of Bama's 9 year win streak). So during my "formative" years I learned that the world does not end with a loss to Alabama.

But I also learned that a win (17-16) lives forever (thanks in part to YouTube).

Warrrrrr Eagle!!!

Christmas in Bessemer

Be sure to read my Western Tribune Column from this week, which follows this.

This is new. Bessemer officials must be trying to keep me happy. Christmas decorations on the light poles like you might see downtown, on Dartmouth Avenue! This "flake" is at our corner. Think they are trying to tell me something?


This candy cane is at the other end of our block.

Here are some pictures of our house at night, with garland and bows on the fence. Do you think we need lights on the chimney?

It would make a good spooky house, don't you think? We do have a ghost, and a ghost hunter type person brought an instrument here once to take some readings.

But if you start mixing ghosts and Christmas, you end up with a Nightmare Before Christmas setting, which is appropriate since my neighbor Glenn Shadix had a role in that movie. Visit his site and read Glenn's interview about The Nightmare Before Christmas 10th Anniversary.

December in Bessemer means grand parties, and Christmas here is always merry. Fabulously so.

Western Tribune Column December 3 2008

Here is this weeks column from The Western Tribune.



During the next few weeks we will all be deluged with requests for donations to charitable organizations that do much of their fundraising during the holiday season. Americans don’t mind giving as we always respond in big ways following national disasters and requests from big name groups with hopes that our dollars actually find their way to meet the needs of those in despair.

But there are needy people closer to home, and we don’t always have to depend on others to put our resources to good use. A pastor in Decatur, Alabama, who found that his church had taken in more money than they knew what to do with, distributed the money back to the members in envelopes with instruction to use it to bless someone else.

Some members pooled their money and many added to the amount in the envelope. One couple that lives in a neighborhood where people are struggling used their money to repair bicycles and buy safety helmets for neighborhood boys.

Many of us realize that doing for others results in rewards for the doer as well as the recipient. This “pay it forward” philosophy was promoted by Oprah Winfrey a couple of years ago when she gave audience members $1000 and a video camera with instructions to record how they helped make someone else’s life better.

Most of us don’t have $1000 to spare this season, but we do have neighbors or community members in need. We all know of people whose lives are affected because of circumstance, and giving to assist those in need is a holiday tradition.

On the other hand, many of us don’t even know our neighbors, so let’s start by making an effort to meet those who live nearby. If there is someone in need, talk to your more fortunate neighbors and see if you can come up with a way to assist.


You might not be able to afford to pay their utility bill, but you might be able to install weather stripping or insulate their pipes to reduce their utility costs. Or paint their porch, or rake their yard.

Most importantly, don’t confine this type of giving to the holiday season. Neighborly assistance can be a year round project. It will improve lives as well as neighborhoods.


It might even make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

People of the Year, Gay Edition

Various "end of year" lists and announcements of "people of the year" are being released. Here's a few.


The Out 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential GLBT people, names Cheyenne Jackson as its entertainer of the year. Wow.

I've recognized Cheyenne's, uh, talent, before, here. Xanadu is no longer running, but I hope Jackson is in something when we go to New York in 2009. Wow.

Most recently he starred in Broadway's hilarious surprise hit Xanadu, which closed in September after 513 performances ("That's 512 more than anyone thought we'd do," he says).

Wow. (I realize I am repeating myself, but...)

The Advocate included Thomas Beatie and Wanda Sykes among their persons of the year.

Wanda Sykes has long supported gays, and recently we learned that she is one. She let the world know after the passage of Prop 8 in California. Here she is at a rally in Las Vegas after Prop 8 passed (I knew we should have stayed longer), where she talks about her own same sex marriage and the importance of marriage rights across the country, not just in California. Thank you Wanda.

Thomas Beatie has had a baby and is now pregnant again. Reaction to the latest pregnancy was met with a yawn, of sorts, as people have begun to understand a little more about transgender people and the "shock" value of a pregnant man wanes.

Thomas was not the first or only transgender man to have a baby. Here Barbara Walters discusses the subject. This video is part 4 of a 5 part series. The other 4 can be found here .




In Part 5, the Beaties talk about family response to their pregnancy, and make an announcement.

Again, congratulations Thomas and Nancy.