OCTOBER 2016
IRON CITY INK
27
IRONCITY.INK
NECK OF THE WOODS
EAST LAKE
Habitat’s Builder Blitz finishes 13 homes in a week By LEXI COON One week may not seem like enough time to complete construction on one brand-new house — let alone a baker’s dozen. But during the annual Birmingham Habitat Home Builders Blitz, companies and volunteers built 13 homes in East Lake. From Aug. 25 to Sept. 1, 12 construction companies, together with about 1,500 volunteers, worked to create a community on 19 acres on the site of what used to be Cascade Plunge. At the end of the week, applicants approved by Habitat for Humanity were handed the keys to their new homes. The applicants, who completed homeowner-education workshops and devoted 300 volunteer hours to Habitat, were able to purchase their homes with no interest.
FIVE POINTS
Vulcan AfterTunes wraps up Oct. 23 Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity.
“These builders and the event supporters have planned for weeks and months to make their participation in the Home Builders Blitz possible because they believe it will make a lasting impact for the families and the greater East Lake neighborhood,” said Charles Moore, president and CEO of the Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham. With each home costing about $81,000, this one-week project alone is an investment of more than $1 million in hard costs in the East Lake neighborhood in addition to thousands of volunteer hours. In the next three to five years, if the neighborhood is outfitted with up to 40 homes, Cascade Park will be a $6 million investment in the East Lake area. To help with future projects, go to habitatbirmingham.org/volunteer.
By JESSE CHAMBERS Great live music featuring local acts. Good local beer. A spectacular setting on Red Mountain overlooking the Birmingham skyline. Those are the elements that have made Vulcan AfterTunes, an annual music series at Vulcan Park & Museum, so popular. The events are a chance to “chill out in Birmingham’s backyard with your lawn chairs and blankets and bring the whole family out to enjoy some of the country’s best new entertainers,” said Morgan Berney, Vulcan’s director of marketing and public relations. Best of all, AfterTunes has two more concerts in October before the series ends: ► Oct. 9: Big Sam’s Funky Nation with Tragic City. The headliner, Funky Nation, has been playing a high-energy, New Orleans-influenced music called “Noladelic
PowerFunk” for a decade. Tragic City is from Birmingham. Tragic City begins at 2:30 p.m. Big Sam’s Funky Nation begins at 4 p.m. Avondale Brewing Company is the featured local brewer. ► Oct. 23: Amanda Shires with Jesse Payne. Shires, who has three solo albums, began her career as a teen playing fiddle with the Texas Playboys. She has toured and recorded with John Prine, Billy Joe Shaver, Justin Townes Earle, Shovels & Rope and her husband, Jason Isbell. Jesse Payne, a well-regarded Birmingham singer-songwriter, will play at 2:30 p.m. Shires begins at 4 p.m. Good People Brewing Company will provide the local beer. The AfterTunes series has been successful because it’s affordable and fun for the family, Berney said. “We work really hard to bring performers that appeal to a wide range of musical interests,” she said. For all shows, gates open at 1 p.m., and tickets and seating are first-come, firstserved. Light snacks, beer, wine and soft drinks will be available. General admission is $15. Admission for Vulcan Park members and children is $8. Children ages 4 and younger are free. For more information, call 933-1409 or go to visitvulcan.com.