People, Places and Things

TODAY…

**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Get all the latest news

**COMEDIAN AARON WEBER at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**WATCH A MOVIE – THE NEST– at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema.

 FRIDAY…

**COMEDIAN DON DC CURRY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**MOVIE NIGHT: Still time to enjoy the outdoors!! Check out some old, new, but good flicks/movies and show on a sheet in the backyard for the young and young at heart. Fun in the outdoors (Light a little fire in your fire pit, if needed) while the weather is still good.!

**EPITOME BOUTIQUE, at 1676 Montclair Road. For all of the stylish fashions you better check it out. For more go to: www.shopepitomeboutique.com or call (205) 667-2477. Tell them Gwen sent you.

SATURDAY…

**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4-9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar.

**COMEDIAN DON DC CURRY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**FUN, GAMES, YARD AND HOUSE WORK including Uno, Monopoly, Solitaire. Raking Leaves. Times are changing soon.

SUNDAY…

**FAMILY TIME, GOOD FOOD AND MOVIES.

**COMEDIAN DON DC CURRY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

MONDAY…

**Head to the Fall Pumpkin Patch or farms …enjoy the weather and the fun.

**READ A GOOD BOOK…There are a few on the bookshelves, just lying around are some to read …or you can get an e-book. Read: ‘The Truth We Hold: An American Journey’ by KAMALA HARRIS.

**COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

TUESDAY…

**READ A REAL GOOD BOOK…You might like the book by President Barack Obama – A PROMISED LAND… book hits the stands next Tuesday! Check it out!

WEDNESDAY…

**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.

**FALL WEATHER, LEAVE WATCHING …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 ROCKY DALE DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.

NEXT FRIDAY…

**MOVIE NIGHT: Rent and Watch movies at Sidewalkfest.com. Don’t miss FREAKY …and other movies at Sidewalk Cinema.

**COMEDIAN ROCKY DALE DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.

FOR BUSINESS LOVERS… TODAY AND TOMORROW

**ALABAMA STATE BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONFERENCE, November 12-13. Join business owners for the Virtual 2020 Entrepreneurs & Innovators Conference as they get advice, proven strategies and necessary connections to grow a business. Insightful keynotes and educational breakouts will leave you inspired. Get key tips and best practices to take your business further than you ever imagined. Register and join us at the 2020 Entrepreneurs & Innovators Conference. The ASBCC will offer economic updates, timely panel discussions, “best practices” presentations, along with a guest comedian and giveaways. For more and to register –  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-virtual-entrepreneurs-innovators-conference-tickets-125414545281, contact Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce (ASBCC) www.ALBlackCC.org and (205) 895-1157.

**LUNCH & LEARN – JERRY MITCHELL, President of the Alabama Black Chamber of Commerce is Guest Speaker, November 17-Tuesday, 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. at Lunch and Learn presented by Alabama Tax Diva Mary Latimore. Call (205) 595-8156 for more.

FOR COMMUNITY LOVERS…

**VIRTUAL JOB FAIR – You are Invited to Virtual Job Fair 2020 on November 18 and 19 by Congresswoman Terri Sewell. It is FREE and OPEN to the Public. Registration is required via Eventbrite. Get more information at Sewell.house.gov.

FOR ART LOVERS…

**AT STEPHEN SMITH FINE ART…

HEALERS IN THE SKY, PENTACLE IN MY HEART is a solo exhibition by LANETTE BLANKENSHIP. The Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday 12-5 p.m. at the Stephen Smith Fine Art Gallery in Fairfield. This exhibition will coincide with the Grand Opening of GYPSY TREASURE, an antique emporium located within Stephen Smith Fine Art.

FOR GIRLS…

**GIRLSPRING SEMINARS FOR GIRLS – GirlSpring is hosting Next Step Seminar – Set Yourself Up for Success for girls in Grades 8-12. Part 4 – December 3, MANAGING YOUR MONEY. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/banking-for-students-presented-by-regions-tickets  – 118376668803.

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 MOVIE LOVERS

AT SIDEWALK FILM FEST CENTER + CINEMA…

…AT THE CINEMA…

TODAY’S SCREENING…

*THE NEST (2020) a narrative directed by Sean Durkin. Life for an entrepreneur and his American family begins to take a twisted turn after moving into an English country manor.

*KINDRED (2020) a narrative directed by Joe Marcantonio. When her boyfriend dies suddenly in an accident, psychologically fragile mother-to-be Charlotte is taken in by his family – but they seem increasingly obsessed with her every move. Her suspicions grow and panic builds – but just how far will they go in their desire to control her and her unborn baby?

FRIDAY – NOVEMBER 22 SCREENING…

*AMMONITE (2020) a narrative is directed by Frances Lee. 1840’s England, acclaimed, but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop  an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.

*FREAKY (2020) a narrative directed by Christopher Landon. After swapping bodies with a deranged serial killer, a young girl in high school discovers she has less than 24 hours before the change becomes permanent.

*SIDEWALK SALE ON BLACK FRIDAY – Sidewalk recently acquired a large movie collection and will be selling some of the Sidewalk merchandise (and some shirts never sold before), some posters, and more! Discounts that will be available at Sidewalk Sale are in-person only, so make sure you save the date – November 27 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

FOR FALL LOVERS…

IT’S FALL! GET OUTSIDE…ENJOY THE WEATHER!!

Happy Autumn! Days are shorter, temperatures are cooler, and some of you are taking road trips …or more. NOW…What about watching fall foliage, going to the farms, pumpkin patches or enjoying a fall festival? SO, Fall lovers, rejoice! Enjoy the crisp temperatures, changing leaves, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and all of the season. Enjoy the beautiful November weather!

**SATURDAY DAYHIKE – Meet 8:45 a.m. at Pinhoti Trail near Coleman Lake in Shoal Creek Ranger District, Talladega National Forest. Cleburne County, Alabama – DETAILS: A moderate six-mile hike in one of the interesting parts of the Talladega National Forest, mostly on the Pinhoti Trail. The route will combine a loop south of the trailhead around beautiful Coleman Lake with a visit to the “woodpecker farm” and then visit spectacular longleaf pine forest areas north of the trailhead on Forest Service Road 500. The Pinhoti Trail guide describes the woodpecker farm as follows: “The Woodpecker Farm is basically what 392,000  acres of the Southeast looked like before Europeans arrived. The area was formerly completely dominated by very mature longleaf pines up to 400 years old and old growth oak, hickory and tupelo as the canopy over a grass understory”. The area is one of several maintained by the U.S. Forest Service to help preserve the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. The route will go along the Coleman Lake trail, providing a different view as when returning to the trailhead. Walk across Forest Service Road 500 and hike through the longleaf forest in that area. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 7 and older welcome. This hike is relatively flat but rated moderate because of its length. Bring picnic lunch and water with you on the hike. Optional dinner after the hike. Meet at 8:45 a.m. in the Leeds Highway 78 gravel parking lot. Plan to depart at 9 a.m. Info. And Leader: Francis Rushton 205/290-5557 or ferushton@gmail.com

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.

THINGS TO DO…

…VIRTUAL THINGS TO DO…VISIT WITH BOOKS…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, even if virtual. Many families are eager to get out of the house and hit the road for a seasonal trip. Make your Fall Season a good one, regardless! Read a good book.

HERE are a few books by KAMALA HARRIS or about her that recently made Amazon’s Top 10 – KAMALA HARRIS made history as the first woman, first Black, first South Asian vice-president of the United States of America. (Some taken from Book Riot)

**BOOK: SUPERHEROES ARE EVERYWHERE is by KAMALA HARRIS, author.  This book was written for children. The book is a picture book with a message that Superheroes are all around us and if we try, we can all be heroes too.  The book speaks directly to kids as Kamala takes readers through her life and shows them that the power to make the world a better place is inside all of us. There is a guide to be a superhero at the end of the book.

**BOOK: THE TRUTHS WE HOLD: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY is by KAMALA HARRIS author and is her memoir. This is a book about the core truths that unite us, and the long struggle to discern what those truths are and how best to act upon them, in her own life and across the life of our country. By reckoning with the big challenges we face together, drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, Kamala Harris offers a master class in problem solving, in crisis management, and leadership in challenging times. Through the arc of her own life, on into the great work of our day, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values.

**BOOK: KAMALA AND MAYA’S BIG IDEA is authored by MEENA HARRIS, Kamala’s niece. This is a picture book about two sisters who work with their community to effect change, inspired by a true story from the childhood of her aunt, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, and her  mother, lawyer and policy expert Maya Harris. This is an inspiring picture book for young readers to help introduce vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The book starts when one day Kamala and Maya had an idea. A big idea: They would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground! This is an uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood.

**BOOK: KAMALA HARRIS: ROOTED IN JUSTICE is a children’s biography authored by NIKKI GRIMES. This is a story of a young daughter of immigrants who would grow up to be the first woman, first Black person, and first Indian American ever elected Vice President of the United States in this moving picture book biography of Kamala Harris. When Kamala Harris was young, she often accompanied her parents to civil rights marches—so many, in fact, that when her mother asked a frustrated Kamala what she wanted, the young girl responded with: “Freedom!” As Kamala grew from a small girl in Oakland to a senator running for president, it was this long-fostered belief in freedom and justice for all people that shaped her into the inspiring figure she is today. From fighting for the use of a soccer field in middle school to fighting for the people of her home state in Congress, Senator Harris used her voice to speak up for what she believed in and for those who were otherwise unheard. And now this dedication has led her all the way to being elected Vice President of the United States.

FOR COMEDY LOVERS…

AT THE STARDOME COMEDY CLUB…

**TODAY…COMEDIAN AARON WEBER… Aaron is a stand-up comic born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. After barely graduating from Notre Dame in 2014, Aaron moved to Nashville and started doing stand-up. Since then, he’s become a regular at Zanies Comedy Club and has performed in venues/clubs all over the Southeast. In 2018, Aaron competed in the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta and helped break the Guinness World Record for Longest stand-up comedy show.  He has performed comedy alongside John Crist, Nate Bargatze, Henry Cho, Jim Norton, Bert Kreischer, Bruce Bruce, Kathleen Madigan, Joey Diaz, Sinbad, Ali Siddiq, Jay Pharoah, John Witherspoon, Emo Phillips, Jake Johannsen, Luenell, Kevin Pollak, Pauly Shore, and Damon Wayans Jr.

**FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY… COMEDIAN DON DC CURRY… Widely known as the star of numerous stand-up comedy tours (including the highly lauded “Royal Comedy Tour,” of winter/spring 2010) playing huge theaters at home and abroad and headlining special engagements at the nation’s hottest comedy clubs, Don “D.C.” Curry’s talents are far more than meets the eye at a single glance. At second glance you’ll see him co-starring in major studio pictures or taking the duties of leading man in indie feature films. Look again and you’ll see him touring the country as the lead in a hit stage play or serving as the front man of his own R&B and Blues band. Take yet another glimpse (or listen) and you’ll hear him shining as a skilled voice-over artist on hit TV shows like Boondocks. Bottom line, DC Curry is a very versatile, and extremely funny man.

**MONDAY… COMEDIAN RICKY SMILEY at the Star Dome Comedy Club.

**NEXT THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…COMEDIAN ROCKY DALE DAVIS

**COMING SOON – COMEDIANS, ROCKY DALE DAVIS, MARVIN DIXON, MICHAEL BLACKSON, DADDAZZ & MELISSA, ROD MAN and more… DON’T MISS THEM!

FOR MOTORSPORTS LOVERS…

**ARCA MENARDS SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP GOES TO BRET HOLMES –

Championship celebrations are just around the corner – and that includes one for the 2020 ARCA Menards Series champion – our very own Munford, Ala. native Bret Holmes. Growing up just a few miles from the track, we are super proud of Bret for winning this national title in the ARCA Menards Series, a staple at Talladega Superspeedway since the track’s inception in 1969. What’s even more amazing is that Bret did it while working for the family construction business and completing his senior year at Auburn University. He is set to graduate next month with a degree in building science. He picked up a victory during the summer at Kansas Speedway, then finished the year off with a runner-up finish at Kansas to take the championship. CONGRATULATIONS BRET!

COMING 2021… For all of you motorsports lovers, here are a few ‘new’ things to look for soon…

**TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY 2021…

The Talladega Garage Experience, which debuted last fall is scheduled to return 2021. The Talladega Garage Experience gives fans the chance to be immersed into the sport of NASCAR like never before, up-close to the NASCAR’s top drivers and teams via a fan walkway under the same roof as the Cup Series garage car bays. In addition, there’s the unique 35,000 square foot “Big Bill’s,” covered Open-Air Social Club, complete with ample seating, a bar and a 41-foot diagonal video screen, the opportunity to be a part of Gatorade Victory Lane, and lots more. For information on the 2021 event weekends, fans can visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA (1-877-462-3342).

**NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series ‘21 seasons will be announced in the near future. Start times and television networks for Cup Series and Xfinity Series races will be also announced at a later date.

**NASCAR XFINITY SERIES…

2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series will visit Talladega Superspeedway for two exciting races – one in April and the other in October during the track’s NASCAR weekends. The NASCAR Xfinity Series, which has been a staple at the track since 1992, will be back for its traditional springtime event, on Saturday, April 24, 2021, the day before the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race. The Xfinity Series will return again next fall for the second race in the Round of 12 Playoffs on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. It will come the day prior to the Cup Series YellaWood 500, set for Sunday, Oct. 3.

**CHASE BRISCOE GOES TO NASCAR CUP SERIES…

Ford Performance development driver Chase Briscoe has been promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series and will drive the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang in the 2021 season. Briscoe was signed as the program’s first driver in 2017 and since then has won 13 races in the NASCAR Truck and NASCAR XFINITY Series combined. He will make his Cup Series debut on Feb. 14, 2021 in the Daytona 500.

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.