Mayor's Minute
I hope that your Thanksgiving was an enjoyable occasion, and as I stated last month, we have so many things for which to be thankful. I trust this will be the beginning of a joyous holiday season for you and your family.
As we continue the holiday season, I would ask our citizens to think of others and help those that are less fortunate than we are.
Our city employees certainly understand what it means to give of their time and their money. I have been informed that our employees increased their contributions to the United Way by 35 percent over last year. They also volunteer with the Greater Birmingham Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization in hosting a workplace mentoring program for inner city youth. I am inspired by our city employees and encourage our citizens to follow their example.
I recently attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility that will house Unless U, an organization committed to serving adults with developmental disabilities and their families through continuing education, life skills and social skills. The groundbreaking was made possible due to the Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church and its willingness to partner with this organization in creating a facility that promotes independence for its participants. This is another example of the kindness and generosity that is so prevalent in our community.
As you may have heard, next year is the bicentennial year for the state of Alabama. During 2019, we will join many cities in celebrating our state’s history. We will also plan to have events to commemorate our city’s history. Already we have received recognition from the state of Alabama Bicentennial Commission for our bicentennial-related activities planned for next year.
Some of the preliminary plans include:
► OLLI: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) will offer a series of programs regarding Alabama’s history and stories of individuals and events that shaped the colorful history of Alabama politics.
► Beautification Board: Spring events to celebrate our city and our state.
► Historical Society: Planned luncheons for “lunch and learn” opportunities regarding our city’s history.
► Library in the Forest: An exhibit about our state’s history; also, the summer reading program will emphasize Alabama history.
► A birthday celebration to address the 69th birthday of Vestavia Hills.
There will be other events planned as we move into next year. I hope you will participate in the celebration of our state and our city.
In closing, I wish you all a very joyous holiday season and a happy New Year.