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Follow us on Twitter (205) 444-0008 1818 Data Drive • Hoover near the Riverchase Galleria One of 323 covers created by Norman Rockwell for the Saturday Evening Post, showing in the exhibition Norman Rockwell's America at the Birmingham Museum of Art beginning September 16. (See page 6.) Naked Birmingham . 4 At the Galleries . 6 In the affluent, leafy suburb of Debunking some cultural myths sur- Mountain Brook, the city is very seri- rounding Norman Rockwell’s work in ous about preserving its trees— advance of the major Birmingham 'SFTI %FMJDJPVT .BEF5P0SEFS unless a developer needs to remove Museum of Art exhibit. about 200 or so to build a strip mall. Beer Hopping . 18 -BSHF .BSHBSJUBT Personalities . 5 Big bottles and bold new breweries An interview with E.O. Wilson, ento- bring better brands. $)63$) 453&&5 $3&45-*/& 7*--"(& mologist, conservationist, and light- 5"$0."."0/-*/&$0. ning rod for evangelicals. Cover: “Wet Paint,” an oil painting by Norman Rockwell that was commissioned for the cover of the April 12, 1930, Saturday Evening Post. This work is featured in Norman Rockwell’s America, an exhibition that begins September 16 at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Executive Editor Alison Nichols REGULAR FEATURES Associate Editor David Pelfrey Events Calendar . 13 Concert Calendar . 18 Staff Writer Ed Reynolds Outdoor Calendar . 16 Live Music/Clubs . 19 Contributing Writers Bart Grooms Danner Kline Food & Drink Calendar 17 Strange Tales . 22 J.R. Taylor Calendar Editor Jane Longshore Editorial Assistant Lindsey McLain Art Director Cris Strickland Number 451 Interns Black & White (ISSN 1064-0134) is published every other Thursday, 26 issues a year, by Black & White, Inc. Business Offices: 2210 2nd Avenue North, Floor 2, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203. Catherine Farist (205) 933-0460. E-mail: [email protected]. Postmaster: Please send change of Alexandra Garvey address to Black & White, 2210 2nd Avenue North, Floor 2, Birmingham, AL, 35203. Contents © 2012 by Black & White, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written ——— approval of the Publisher is prohibited. The publication is free, limit two per reader. Removal of more than two papers, per person, from any distribution point constitutes theft. Violators Executive Staff: are subject to prosecution under city ordinances. Publisher All letters sent to Black & White will be treated as intended for publication unless Charles S. Geiss otherwise noted by author. Letters may be edited for space and content. Annual subscriptions (26 issues) are available for $50 for first class delivery. Send checks attention to “Subscriptions” General Manager at the address above. Publishing history: Black & White’s first monthly issue was published on Kerry Echols April 30, 1992; the first bi-weekly issue was published on October 2, 1997. 3 black & white • www.bwcitypaper.com • September 06, 2012 PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK ountain Brook, Alabama, is one of 3,400 am a certified arborist and live near that area, I drive M American communities affiliated with ‘Tree by there every day, and I’m saddened that in a few City USA,’ a program sponsored by the Arbor Day NAKED weeks all of these trees will be bulldozed to make way Foundation that provides assistance and national for a large new development. I’m wondering if this is recognition for urban and community forestry pro- a wise plan. I believe in Smart Growth and I’m not grams throughout the country. Most homes in this sure this is adhering to best practices,” she said. bedroom community sit on large lots crowded with Developers at Daniel Corporation articulate that trees. One city law could potentially punish any resi- the area is in a flood plain and, in order to mitigate dent for chopping down a tree in their front yard these issues, fill dirt will have to be brought in to raise without permission. Like many historic communities, the grade by as much as two to three feet. Under those one would think this is a city serious about its trees. conditions, the old trees would not survive. “We will be So it is ironic that the city is preparing to remove raising [the grade of the] site to meet the city’s require- some 200 legacy trees in Mountain Brook Village to ments and the trees will not live through that,” said make way for a new retail, office, and residential Patrick Henry of Daniel Corporation. “We’re working development called Lane Parke. Another several on a plan to save as many trees as possible, but I am dozen trees will be removed from the right of way not prepared to get into a public dialogue about that.” adjacent to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Rogers believes that more of an effort should be order for Lane Park Road to handle additional traffic made to save the trees, but she has met some resist- for the new development. While the project has ance. “There are well-intentioned people looking at already been debated and approved by the zoning this project but there are also facts to be considered,” committee and city council, some folks are not happy said Don Cafaro, a Tree Commissioner for the City of to now learn that these trees will soon be lost forever. Mountain Brook. “We’d like to save as many trees as On August 22, Katie Rogers brought attention to possible but the grade of the area is going to have to the issue on her blog, The Sparklit (thesparklit.blog- be raised and there are hundreds of questions that spot.com). She has since received a great deal of have to be answered. Bigger and older trees are least publicity from her posts. In a post titled “Man-Made BIRMINGHAM tolerant to disturbance and the damage that happens Tornado To Come Through Birmingham,” Rogers during construction. It feels good to talk about saving laments the city’s decision to remove a large canopy BY CHUCK GEISS trees, but this is a large and complex effort. There is a of foliage that has stood in that area for decades. “I replacement landscape plan that has been approved with the design and review committee. As far as how many trees are going back in, I do not know,” he said. “The vast majority of those trees will be cut down,” said Sam Gaston, Mountain Brook’s City Manager. “There are people that want to keep them there but in order to develop that property most of the trees will be lost.” According to Gaston, construc- tion is scheduled to begin sometime in October, but further investigation suggests that the schedule might not be set in stone. A major part of this project includes the relocation of several ten- ants in the Mountain Brook Shopping Center. Little Hardware and Western Supermarket intend to sign new leas- es with the Lane Parke development group, but nothing has been executed at this point. Other businesses, includ- ing Smith’s Variety and The Dande’ Lion, will close their doors. One prob- lem that remains is the long-term lease for the Rite Aid pharmacy; it’s is a sticking point in moving the new when the day is finally development forward. Without some agreement with Rite Aid, demolition of the current shopping center cannot begin, which makes one wonder whether bulldozing other areas of the over, Lane Parke property and proceeding with the removal of some 200 trees is join your friends for dinner and a good idea. Daniel Corporation will not discuss the matter. “I am reacting to the fact that one day people will drive down that road drinks. and all of those trees will be gone,” Rogers added. “I didn’t think a lot of people knew that was a part of the plan. We’re taking down trees to put up new buildings, buildings that sometimes end up empty after a few Join us for Ruth’s Hour Monday–Thursday in our lounge | 4:30–6:30pm short years.” Featuring select half-priced appetizers from our bar menu It appears nothing can stop the Lane Parke project from eventually start- ing construction if all the leases are exe- cuted to everyone’s satisfaction. I’m not particularly pleased that those beautiful old trees will be lost, but perhaps devel- opers and the city can come up with a plan to save some of them. In any case, we can thank Rogers for bringing the matter to our attention. As one Little | | Hardware employee told me while 2300 Woodcrest Place (at the Embassy Suites) 205.879.9995 ruthschris.com standing on their back dock, pointing to a massive oak, “I hope they don’t cut down that one, she’s a real beauty.” & 4 September 06, 2012 • www.bwcitypaper.com • black & white PERSONALITIES of water on Mars and getting to amateur.” He’s a science writer, he’s Europa, a moon of Jupiter where not a statured scientist.