BY GWEN DERU
TODAY…
**NETWORK AFTER WORK, TODAY, 2-4 p.m.
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Get all the latest news!
FRIDAY…
**COMEDIAN LAVELL CRAWFORD at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**MOVIE NIGHT: Check out some old, but good flicks/movies and show on a sheet in the backyard for the young and young at heart. Fun in the outdoors…any day!
SATURDAY…
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4-9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar
**COMEDIAN LAVELL CRAWFORD at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**FUN, GAMES, YARD AND HOUSE WORK including Uno, Monopoly, Solitaire. Weeding the pretty flowers in the beds, cutting the grass, cleaning the grill or just sitting outside if the weather permits. Things are changing soon.
SUNDAY…
**FAMILY TIME AND GOOD FOOD. Grilling in the backyard, movies in the backyard, and small family parties in the backyard.
**COMEDIAN LAVELL CRAWFORD at the StarDome Comedy Club.
MONDAY…
**MONEY, JOBS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, 9:30 p.m. at GirlSpring.
TUESDAY…
**READ A GOOD BOOK…,There are a few on the bookshelves, just lying around …or you can get an e-book.
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH PRAYER SERVICES – Join Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) and the Alabama Episcopal Church every Wednesday at Noon for Noonday Prayer at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**BIRMINGHAM’S COMEDIAN at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**WEATHER WATCHING FOR THE WEEK AND WEEKEND. Looking for the weekend and thinking of what to do that depends on good weather outdoors. Getting out of the house even if going nowhere…. Take a walk if the weather is good.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**COMEDIAN DARREN FLEET at the Star Dome Comedy Club.
NEXT FRIDAY…
**MOVIE NIGHT: Rent and Watch movies at Sidewalkfest.com. Check out Sidewalk Film Fest coming soon.
**COMEDIAN HENRY CHO at the StarDome Comedy Club.
FOR BUSINESS LOVERS…
**NETWORK AFTER WORK…Here are a few events scheduled for September…
*TODAY – VIRTUAL NETWORKING EVENT, 2 p.m. EDT. For more Nertworkafterwork.com.
*WEDNESDAY – DIGITAL MARKETING SUMMIT: PINTEREST. 1 p.m. EDT, How Pinterest works –
• What types of businesses Pinterest is ideal for
• How you can use it to create a pipeline of traffic for your business
• What you need in place to set yourself up for success with Pinterest
• Four common mistakes people make
• Best practices to leverage the Pinterest platform
• How to drive traffic to your website
• How to start marketing on Pinterest effectively using Canva for pin creation.
• Best practices for pin creation
• How to create your own pins using templates. FOR MORE/REGISTER: https://www.networkafterwork.com/network-after-work-digital-marketing-summit-pinterest
BLOB POST: MARKETING ON LINKEDIN
FOR GIRLS…
**BANKING FOR STUDENTS, 4 p.m., TODAY. GirlSpring is hosting a Next Step Seminar – Set Yourself Up for Success for girls in Grades 8-12. This FREE online workshop will teach students how to manage money, start saving, use credit wisely and avoid identity theft and fraud. Great for students in middle and high school; who are learning how to budget and allowance or getting an income from their first job. Parents are welcome to attend too.
Part 2 – October 1 – IMPORTANCE OF SAVINGS, Part 3 – November 5, IDENTITY THEFT and Part 4 – December 3, MANAGING YOUR MONEY. Register at : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/banking-for-students-presented-by-regions-tickets-118376668803
**MONEY, JOBS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, Monday, 9:30 p.m. Resume – what’s it all about?
Learn – what details to showcase in your Resume
Understand – the goal and overall purpose of a resume
Explore – how to present your exceptional skills
Master – the art of developing a distinctive resume, to get that job interview. For more,
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/holmesglen-rec-get-job-ready-build-your-perfect-resume-part-2-tickets-117934710895?aff=erelpanelorg
**BE MONEY SMART – LIFE SKILLS WORKSHOP, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Learn how to make informed decisions when choosing products like credit cards, savings accounts, and loans. Get tips for managing your debt and saving on fees – especially when you are no longer a student. Learn about the importance of budgeting and how to create great money habits now, to set yourself up for the best future possible. For more, https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/holmesglen-rec-be-money-smart-life-skills-workshop-tickets-117938151185?aff=erellivmlt
FOR FOOD LOVERS…
**NEW MICHAEL’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD RESTAURANT – Michael’s Steak and Seafood opened recently (during this time) with limited space. Sign up as an email subscriber to be in the know about wine dinners, bourbon tastings, pop-up concerts and much more. Check it out. *LUNCH/CARRY OUT/CURBSIDE PICKUP – 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., M-F (Place order online at www.michaelssteakandseafood.com. Call (205) 871-9525 upon arrival.) *SUNDAY BRUNCH – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Reservations ONLY! *ROOF TOP DINING – Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, 6- 9 p.m. Reservations ONLY! For more: www.michaelssteakandseafood.com.
FOR PRAYER SERVICES…
**INTERFAITH PRAYER SERVICES – Join Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) every Wednesday at Noon for Interfaith Prayer Service. People of faith and goodwill are invited to join GBM and the Alabama Episcopal Church for Noonday Prayer at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham. Clergy are invited to wear clericals. Masks and social distancing will be observed. For more, go to, www.gbm.org.
FOR MOTORSPORTS LOVERS…
**ERIK MOSES – FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT AT A NASCAR TRACK – Erik Moses, a veteran sports executive and seasoned venue management leader, has been named the first Black president of Nashville Superspeedway. Erik Moses joined the team at Dover Motorsports to lead the reopening of the Nashville Superspeedway. Moses previously served as the founding president of the DC Defenders for the XFL, the reboot of the short-lived football league. Prior to working in the XFL, Moses’ roles included serving as CEO of the DC Sports & Entertainment Commission, where he worked with local and national sports teams in organizing live events in the nation’s capital and as director of the D.C. Department of Small & Local Business Development. Moses will bring the excitement of Cup Series racing to Middle Tennessee.
**At BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK… Here is some of what you can do during September at Barber’s Motorsports Park: September 5-7 – Sportbike Track Time, September 12-13 – Chin Track Days, September 18-20 – MotorAmerica Championship of Alabama and September 21 – Sportbike Track Times.
FOR ANIMAL LOVERS…
**AT THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO – Coming Soon! Thursday, September 10 at 6:45 p.m., tune into www.youtube.com/BhamZoo for the first-ever VIRTUAL ZooRendezvous Luau! It’s FREE! Listen, learn, laugh, and love your Birmingham Zoo even more.
FOR OUTDOORS’ LOVERS…
…AT BOTANICAL GARDENS…AROUND THE GARDENS: STREAMS AND WATERFALLS…
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS!
**GET OUTSIDE ACTIVITY BOXES for ages 5-10. Designed to help children connect with nature. Learn more and purchase.
**LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES –Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
**FALL PLANT SALE 2020, SEPTEMBER 12, Saturday, 8 a.m. – Noon. Get more information at the website – bbgardens.org
**VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES for Bruno Vegetable Garden and Greenhouse Assistant. Email volunteer@bbgardens.org.
FOR THE COMMUNITY…
**COVID-19 TESTING SITES…Here is an update on the testing sites in Birmingham…
…ONGOING – *LEGION FIELD: MONDAY – FRIDAY 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL 205-92-COVID (205-922-6843) …*UAB Downtown Testing Site: TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL (205) 975-1881 (2117 University Blvd South, Birmingham, AL 35205) …*Cahaba Medical Care, West End Clinic: TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL (205) 679-6325 or visit cahabamedicalcare.com (1308 Tuscaloosa Avenue, Birmingham). www.gofundme.com/f/monumentalbhm.”
FOR TRAVELERS OF ALL KINDS…
**VIRTUAL TRIPS – Travel online – A virtual trip can be a great way to explore destinations you might consider for a future vacation, or it may be a chance to see remarkable sights around the world that you wouldn’t get to experience otherwise.
**BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDEN VIRTUAL TOUR – Explore the Japanese Gardens at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRC3m1AsMig&feature=youtu.be. For more, go to www.bbgardens.org.
FOR LOVERS OF ART
AT THE PAUL R. JONES MUSEUM…
**WHEN THEY SEE US, WHAT DO THEY SEE?: PERSPECTIVES ON BLACK ART, through September 24, at The Paul R. Jones Museum, 2308 Sixth Street, in Tuscaloosa. RODERICK VINES is artist of Let Me Explain. This exhibition is born out of cognition research that, in part, examines white people’s perceptions and responses to Black art. Curated by BARBARA-SHAE JACKSON, Doctoral Student in Cognitive Psychology. (205) 345-3038 for more.
**SOUTH ARTS EMERGING LEADERS OF COLOR PROGRAM – With the goal of fostering representative leadership, diversity, and equity in the arts, South Arts’ new Emerging Leaders of Color Development Professional Development Program has created a professional development opportunity for arts and culture professionals to establish networks that support their careers. Focused on the southeastern United States, this program aims to engage diverse emerging leaders and build a cohort of cultural torchbearers who are committed to the advancement of arts. Selected individuals will participate in a 3-day, 2-night executive-level professional development and team-building workshop at no cost to themselves. The deadline for application is September 15, 2020. Learn more at www.southarts.org/programs-conferences/emerging-leaders-color.
FOR LOVERS OF MUSEUMS…
**VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM…Vulcan Park and Museum has joined Museums for All, to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. This program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting Vulcan Park and Museum at no charge, for up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 500 museums across the country including McWane Science Center, Imagination Place Children’s Museum, Huntsville Botanical Gardens and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. More than 500 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing 48 states. For more information of participating museums visit museumsforall.org.
**McWANE SCIENCE CENTER CELEBRATES 22ND BIRTHDAY … ITTY BITTY MAGIC CITY REOPENED. Preschoolers are welcome. Bring Masks to explore the McWane Center. For more, mcwane.org/welcomeback.
THINGS TO DO…
…VACATIONS WITH BOOKS AND VIRTUAL TRIPS…. When you need to get away from ‘whatever’, the best way is with a good book. Well, maybe the next thing to being there in person. Many families are eager to get out of the house and hit the road for a summer trip. Make your summer travel plans safe and successful.
FOR BOOK LOVERS…
Here are a couple of books to read, after washing your hands, before the news reports, during your down time or just to keep boredom away (with so much going on). These books are about nature and science….
**BOOK: BLACK NATURE: FOUR CENTURIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN NATURE POETRY – This collection of 180 poems was the first anthology that focused on nature writing by Black poets edited by CAMILLE T. DUNGY. Writers included Yusef Komunyakaa, Gwendolyn Brooks, Natasha Trethewey and Major Jackson. The poems examine themes of nature and culture, spirituality and nature, survival in nature and more.
**BOOK: THE PLACE: MEMOIRS OF A COLORED MAN’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH NATURE – Author Dr. J. DREW LANHAM wrote the book about nature and birds as well as about finding one’s way, family, identity and place.
**BOOK: THE HOUR OF LAND: A PERSONAL TOPOGRAPHY OF AMERICA’s NATIONAL PARKS – Author TERRY TEMPEST takes the reader to a variety of National Parks, including Acadia, Canyonlands, Glacier and Gates of the Artic as she blends history with memoir and breathtaking nature writing.
**BOOK: WHITE HOT LIGHT: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE is written by FRANK HUYLER. He captures life, death, the decisions that change our lives, violence and grace – all at once.
FOR COMEDY LOVERS…
AT THE STARDOME COMEDY CLUB…
**TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY…
COMEDIAN LAVELL CRAWFORD…Lavell Maurice Crawford is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Huell Babineaux, the bodyguard, assistant, and pickpocket for Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. Lavell also played the role of Gus Patch in the Netflix original movie The Ridiculous 6.
**NEXT THURSDAY…COMEDIAN DARREN FLEET…Darren Fleet is an internet sensation and stand-up comedian, who has a following of over a million followers. Darren’s natural stage presence and storytelling will have you entertained from start to finish, Darren’s motto is “yeah I said it and I ain’t taking it back cause I meant it”. Darren has performed in over 50 cities and has worked with some of the funniest comics in the business today from Mike Epps, Ricky Smiley, Corey Holcomb, Deon Cole Mo’Nique, and more. Follow Darren on Instagram @lovedarrenfleet.
**NEXT FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…COMEDIAN HENRY CHO …
COMING SOON…
**SEPTEMBER 13 – AWAKENING LIVE WITH ALVIN GARRETT Online
**SEPTEMBER 16 – FALL BUTTERFLY GARDENING Virtual Class
**SEPTEMBER 17 – SOUTHERN EXPOSURE FILM PREMIERE Online
**SEPTEMBER 24 – SISTAH STRUT at Legion Field
**SEPTEMBER 24 – THIS IS ALABAMA’S TOP NURSES
**OCTOBER 9-11 – BARBER VINTAGE FESTIVAL at Barber Motorsports Park.
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.
