Worley’s foundation teaches autistic children how to skateboard. The organization sets up and run clinics nationwide. It is also currently working with the Lakeshore Foundation and Wounded Warriors as well as working with a UAB study to measure the neurological effects of skateboarding on autistic children.

Members of the neighborhood association and city officials have, as previously reported, had several meetings with Worley to discuss possible sites within the park. The current proposed plan would have the skatepark taking up about one third of the terrace land located between the dog park and the tennis courts. It would take up anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 square feet of space and would cost roughly $450,000 to construct.

Worley explained that the CEO of VANS, Inc., recently visited Birmingham and the company is interested in providing funds for the park (something they have done elsewhere). He also suggested the company is interested in considering the city as a future stop on the popular VANS Warped Tour.

Overall, attendees expressed their support for Worley, A-Skate, and for a skatepark at George Ward both throughout the meeting and afterwards. They did, however, want to ensure that plenty of green space remains in the park.

The biggest concern of the audience at the meeting was that the terrace section is one of the few sections remaining at George Ward that is not dedicated to a specific use. One questioner wondered why Bessie Estell Park, located just west of Epic Elementary School, was not considered. Reasons cited included a lack of parking and noise concerns from the nearby St. Elias Maronite Church.

Those residents present requested Worley return to a future meeting with designs that show what the skatepark’s footprint would look like in relation to the current park layout. They would also like to hear testimonials of other cities who have skateparks in their municipal parks.

Photo: Zero/DGK Tour. Faith Skate Supply/Flickr.

The current forecast is calling for showers to begin arriving about that time, but they’re hoping they’ll be able to get a large number of folks out in order to finish as quickly as possible. Organizers are asking that volunteers meet in the parking lot between the dog park and the ball field. They’re also asking they wear sturdy shoes or boots and to bring work gloves in addition to any pruners, clippers, etc. They’ll provide safety vests, garbage bags, the dumpster, and ‘picker-uppers.’

We’ll do our best to find out if the clean-up is postponed due to weather (and to notify you via this post in case it happens).

Photo: In the Park. Max Wolfe/Flickr.

There’s yet another opportunity for interested residents to learn about the proposed changes that ALDOT wants to make along I-20/59 through downtown Birmingham this week. A Facebook event has been created inviting folks to the Norwood Community Center on the city’s northside tomorrow (Thursday) evening, April 18, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The current preliminary plans for the I-20/59 bridge replacement project were unveiled during a public hearing held public involvement hearing on March 28 at Boutwell Auditorium. It is said to incorporate comments made during an earlier hearing held last summer. The proposed changes to the section of interstate running through Birmingham’s city center are also available for review via a PDF on ALDOT’s website.

NOTE: If you’re thinking of downloading the file, it’s just under 5 MB in size.

The plan includes removing all the entrance and exit ramps located between 17^th and 25^th Streets. That area is home to several city center destinations, including the BJCC, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Boutwell Auditorium, and the Jefferson County Jail. The existing roadway in this section would be replaced with one sitting higher off the ground and built using a method known as segmental concrete construction.

There are proposed modifications that  make 11^th Avenue North the main thoroughfare. Residents living in Norwood would lose access to the portion of 28^th St. N. currently running underneath I-20/59 and they would no longer be able to exit eastbound off the interstate at 31^st St. N.

The plan shows Fountain Heights would also see reduced access to the portions of the neighborhood closest to where 11^th Ave. N. provides access onto I-20/59 and I-65. There would be no access from 15^th or 16^th Sts. N., forcing most traffic onto 17^th St. N.

Motorists would see portions of 24^th St. N. ( between 11^th and 12^th Ave. N.) and 25^th St. N. (between Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr., Blvd. – formerly 8^th Ave., N. – and 12^th Ave., N.) be removed. They would also see vehicular access along 9^th Ave. N. disappear.

The front page of the project’s website states the period for public comment has been extended “10 days from 4/10/2013.” Its contact information page provides an email address and a phone number for you to use if you’re so inclined.

Those interested can also review the slides used for the March 28 presentation (or just head out over to Norwood on Thursday).

The station also recently released one of their morning show co-anchors, Brooke Smith Weaver. Weaver, known nationally for her appearance on the second season of The Bachelor and locally as one of the original hosts of Alabama’s 13′s Daytime Alabama, announced her departure via her Facebook profile back on March 29. She’d been with the station since 2011.

There will soon be at least one more departure from the station, though this one is voluntary (and it’s been known about in some circles since mid-March). Morning meteorologist Kalee Dionne will be leaving the station this month to join Kansas City, Missouri’s KSHB 41 Action News team. She’ll be the NBC affiliate’s weekend meteorologist.

We’ve learned recently that there’s still a supply of the beer available for your consumption at Rojo and The Fish Market on the city’s Southside.

According to a post on the organization’s fan page on Facebook, the “Beer Good Enough to Save a Fish” has been at both restaurants since April 10.

Incidentally, today we also received confirmation of something that’s been murmured around town for a little over a month; Good People is getting a new neighbor – and it’s another Alabama-based brewery.

Beer Engineers formally announced via its website earlier today it would be moving next door to the five year old brewery early next year. AL.com subsequently posted a piece this afternoon that included additional information about the building and the plans for the space.

Belafonte will be representing the Southern Christian Leadership Foundation (SCL) , a non-profit organization established in 1966 by Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier to “promote and impact sustainable and healthy communities through development and implementation of wellness, and educational initiatives.”

He and Vanzant will hand out several awards at the $80 per person awards ceremony. The recipients of the nine Power Belle Legacy Awards and the Power Belle Lifetime Achievement Award range in age from 75 to 102 according to the media advisory sent out earlier this week. The eight recipients of the Power Belle Bold Hat Awards, were selected due to their “ following the tradition of courageous and gallant action that improves the lives of others.”

Considering this description of the event shared by the SCL, it’s a powerful honor indeed.

The Barons won their home opener, defeating the Mississippi Braves 9-5 in front of a sell-out crowd at Regions Field last night. This scoreboard, located down the first base line, tells part of the story (and is one of two nods to Rickwood Field picked up by die hard baseball fans visiting the park last night); the Barons website tells the rest. Among the highlights was the go-ahead, tie-breaking two-run home run by Marcus Semien.

Yeah, it was ready for its close-up.