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Council District three
Crestwood South, East Avondale, Five Points South, Forest Park/South Avondale, Glen Iris, Highland Park, Redmont Park
District Three Councilor
Valerie A. Abbott
Birmingham City Councilor Valerie A. Abbott is Chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee, and a member of the Budget and Finance and Community Development Committees.
Contact Me
Biography
With the future of the City of Birmingham at the forefront, Councilor Abbott has been a champion of The Comprehensive Plan. The plan will set out a 20-year policy and strategic framework for the City of Birmingham.
Her seemingly endless schedule of neighborhood meetings and community events is her way of learning about the needs and concerns of citizens throughout Birmingham and ensures that she is knowledgeable when issues affecting various neighborhoods come before the City Council.
Councilor Abbott serves on the boards of the Birmingham Planning Commission, Birmingham Tree Commission, Birmingham Historical Society, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham.
She has collaborated with her fellow councilors and city staff to revise ordinances regulating noise, smoking, and fences. An avid gardener and nature enthusiast, her pursuit of neighborhood health and revitalization has resulted in two community gardens, including a national award-winning project in East Avondale. She is a proponent of all things green, including Birmingham’s recycling program, which is experiencing a rebirth.
Her credentials include a Bachelor’s Degree from the School of Architecture and Fine Arts at Auburn University and a Masters Degree in Public and Private Management from Birmingham Southern College. As an employee of AT&T Services, Inc. for the past 44 years, Councilor Abbott has deep roots in the community’s business sector as well as within its neighborhoods. The recipient of numerous volunteer awards from groups ranging from the Civitan Club to the Birmingham Tree Commission, Councilor Abbott was named Birmingham’s “Unsung Hero” in 1993.
District Contact Info
For District Schools
MARY BOEHM, BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 3
SCHOOLS:
Avondale Elementary
Glen Iris Elementary
WebsiteCommittee Links
District Related Events
Current Month
Birmingham 365 Events
stuck; lingering: New Works by Miriam Calleja
06-06-2025
08-23-2025
Presented by Birmingham Public Library at The Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 9:00 am
Mon, Jul 07 @ 9:00 am
Tue, Jul 08 @ 9:00 am
Wed, Jul 09 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 10 @ 9:00 am Fri, Jul 11 @ 9:00 am Sat, Jul 12 @ 9:00 am Mon, Jul 14 @ 9:00 am Tue, Jul 15 @ 9:00 am Wed, Jul 16 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 17 @ 9:00 am Fri, Jul 18 @ 9:00 am Sat, Jul 19 @ 9:00 am Mon, Jul 21 @ 9:00 am Tue, Jul 22 @ 9:00 am Wed, Jul 23 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 24 @ 9:00 am Fri, Jul 25 @ 9:00 am Sat, Jul 26 @ 9:00 am Mon, Jul 28 @ 9:00 am Tue, Jul 29 @ 9:00 am Wed, Jul 30 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 31 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 01 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 02 @ 9:00 am Mon, Aug 04 @ 9:00 am Tue, Aug 05 @ 9:00 am Wed, Aug 06 @ 9:00 am Thu, Aug 07 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 08 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 09 @ 9:00 am Mon, Aug 11 @ 9:00 am Tue, Aug 12 @ 9:00 am Wed, Aug 13 @ 9:00 am Thu, Aug 14 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 15 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 16 @ 9:00 am Mon, Aug 18 @ 9:00 am Tue, Aug 19 @ 9:00 am Wed, Aug 20 @ 9:00 am Thu, Aug 21 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 22 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 23 @ 9:00 am - less dates and times
Using techniques such as collage, embroidery, and image transfer, artist Miriam Calleja works with acrylic paint, ink, watercolor, pencil, and found materials to incorporate her original verse into handmade books, assemblages, and mixed-media...
[more+]Using techniques such as collage, embroidery, and image transfer, artist Miriam Calleja works with acrylic paint, ink, watercolor, pencil, and found materials to incorporate her original verse into handmade books, assemblages, and mixed-media pieces. Each of Calleja’s pieces contains a line or an entire poem from her repertoire, including some new unpublished work. The exhibition name is inspired by her poem “A choreography of almost." Poems featured in stuck; lingering are on display alongside Calleja’s artwork so that viewers can explore the correspondence between it and her poetry.
Calleja is an internationally published poet, artist, translator, and writer. A native of Malta, she has lived in Birmingham for the past three years. Her poetry collections include Pomegranate Heart (EDE Books, 2015) and Inside (EDE Books, 2016). Among her poetry chapbooks are Remember (Stamparija Reljic, 2020), Stranger Intimacy (Stamparija Reljic, 2020), and Come Closer, I Don’t Mind the Silence (BottleCap Press, 2023). Calleja’s upcoming book Variations on Silence (PoetryWala, 2025) is translated from Maltese. Learn more about Calleja at miriamcalleja.com.
This exhibition is made possible by a grant awarded to the Friends Foundation of BPL by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
[less-]Tags: Books + Film, Libraries, Literature, Multicultural, Places, Visual Arts, Art + Stage
SENIOR FIT WEEKENDs
07-05-2025
07-26-2025
Presented by Railroad Park at Railroad Park, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 10:00 am
Sat, Jul 12 @ 10:00 am
Sat, Jul 19 @ 10:00 am
Sat, Jul 26 @ 10:00 am - less dates and times
This weekly class focuses on strength, flexibility, endurance and balance. The group exercise setting provides a wonderful opportunity to stay healthy and meet new people while having fun.
This weekly class focuses on strength, flexibility, endurance and balance. The group exercise setting provides a wonderful opportunity to stay healthy and meet new people while having fun.
[less-]Tags: Outdoor Recreation, Health + Wellness
The Life of Chuck
07-04-2025
07-17-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 10:30 am
Sat, Jul 05 @ 1:00 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 3:30 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 6:00 pm Sat, Jul 05 @ 8:30 pm Sun, Jul 06 @ 10:30 am Sun, Jul 06 @ 1:00 pm Sun, Jul 06 @ 3:30 pm Sun, Jul 06 @ 6:15 pm Thu, Jul 10 @ 2:00 pm Thu, Jul 10 @ 4:30 pm Thu, Jul 10 @ 7:00 pm Fri, Jul 11 @ 2:30 pm Fri, Jul 11 @ 5:00 pm Fri, Jul 11 @ 7:30 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 12:00 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 2:30 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 5:00 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 8:00 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 12:00 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 2:30 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 5:00 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 7:30 pm Thu, Jul 17 @ 3:15 pm Thu, Jul 17 @ 6:00 pm Thu, Jul 17 @ 8:30 pm - less dates and times
Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck is a life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, told in reverse order. Shot in Baldwin and Mobile counties.
Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck is a life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, told in reverse order. Shot in Baldwin and Mobile counties.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
Stand by Me (1986)
07-04-2025
07-06-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 10:45 am
Sat, Jul 05 @ 3:45 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 8:45 pm
Sun, Jul 06 @ 10:45 am Sun, Jul 06 @ 3:45 pm - less dates and times
In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends — sensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant Teddy (Corey Feldman), and scaredy-cat Vern (Jerry O'Connell) — are in search of a missing teenager's body....
[more+]In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends — sensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant Teddy (Corey Feldman), and scaredy-cat Vern (Jerry O'Connell) — are in search of a missing teenager's body. Wanting to be heroes in each other's and their hometown's eyes, they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into an odyssey of self-discovery. Based on the novella by Stephen King.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
PILATES
07-05-2025
07-26-2025
Presented by Railroad Park at Railroad Park, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 11:00 am
Sat, Jul 12 @ 11:00 am
Sat, Jul 19 @ 11:00 am
Sat, Jul 26 @ 11:00 am - less dates and times
This is a unique experience that brings your low impact, strength, flexibility and core exercises outdoors. Perfect for participants at all levels.
This is a unique experience that brings your low impact, strength, flexibility and core exercises outdoors. Perfect for participants at all levels.
[less-]Tags: Outdoor Recreation, Health + Wellness
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
07-04-2025
07-10-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 12:45 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 5:45 pm
Sun, Jul 06 @ 12:45 pm
Thu, Jul 10 @ 2:30 pm - less dates and times
Based on Stephen King's novella, this critically acclaimed film follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man wrongfully convicted of murder, as he forms an unlikely bond with fellow inmate Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) in Shawshank State...
[more+]Based on Stephen King's novella, this critically acclaimed film follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man wrongfully convicted of murder, as he forms an unlikely bond with fellow inmate Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) in Shawshank State Penitentiary. Over the years, Andy's resilience and unbreakable spirit inspire those around him, challenging the notion of freedom, justice, and the human will to endure.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
La Strada (1954)
07-06-2025
07-06-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sun, Jul 06 @ 6:00 pm
As part of Sidewalk's partnership with the Italian American Heritage Society, this event will begin with a brief lecture about the director Federico Fellini, hosted by film scholar Kate Burney.
With this breakthrough film, Federico Fellini...
[more+]As part of Sidewalk's partnership with the Italian American Heritage Society, this event will begin with a brief lecture about the director Federico Fellini, hosted by film scholar Kate Burney.
With this breakthrough film, Federico Fellini launched both himself and his wife and collaborator Giulietta Masina to international stardom, breaking with the neorealism of his early career in favor of a personal, poetic vision of life as a bittersweet carnival. The infinitely expressive Masina registers both childlike wonder and heartbreaking despair as Gelsomina, loyal companion to the traveling strongman Zampanò (Anthony Quinn, in a toweringly physical performance), whose callousness and brutality gradually wear down her gentle spirit. Winner of the very first Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film, La strada possesses the purity and timeless resonance of a fable and remains one of cinema’s most exquisitely moving visions of humanity struggling to survive in the face of life’s cruelties.
Stick around for a talk-back after the film, hosted by Kate.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
Lone Quail + Kaydee Mulvehill
07-06-2025
07-06-2025
Presented by Dobber's 5 Points Pub at Dobber's 5 Points Pub, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sun, Jul 06 @ 7:00 pm
Lone Quail
Lonequail.com
https://www.instagram.com/lonequail/
https://open.spotify.com/album/3FAyugaREv1ZhGjwFBkRC1
Kaydee Mulvehill
Lone Quail
Lonequail.com
https://www.instagram.com/lonequail/
https://open.spotify.com/album/3FAyugaREv1ZhGjwFBkRC1
Kaydee Mulvehill
https://www.instagram.com/kaydeemulvehill/
https://kaydeemulvehill.bandcamp.com/
[less-]Tags: Music, Pop / Rock / Country, Acoustic / Folk / World
stuck; lingering: New Works by Miriam Calleja
06-06-2025
08-23-2025
Presented by Birmingham Public Library at The Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 9:00 am
Mon, Jul 07 @ 9:00 am
Tue, Jul 08 @ 9:00 am
Wed, Jul 09 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 10 @ 9:00 am Fri, Jul 11 @ 9:00 am Sat, Jul 12 @ 9:00 am Mon, Jul 14 @ 9:00 am Tue, Jul 15 @ 9:00 am Wed, Jul 16 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 17 @ 9:00 am Fri, Jul 18 @ 9:00 am Sat, Jul 19 @ 9:00 am Mon, Jul 21 @ 9:00 am Tue, Jul 22 @ 9:00 am Wed, Jul 23 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 24 @ 9:00 am Fri, Jul 25 @ 9:00 am Sat, Jul 26 @ 9:00 am Mon, Jul 28 @ 9:00 am Tue, Jul 29 @ 9:00 am Wed, Jul 30 @ 9:00 am Thu, Jul 31 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 01 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 02 @ 9:00 am Mon, Aug 04 @ 9:00 am Tue, Aug 05 @ 9:00 am Wed, Aug 06 @ 9:00 am Thu, Aug 07 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 08 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 09 @ 9:00 am Mon, Aug 11 @ 9:00 am Tue, Aug 12 @ 9:00 am Wed, Aug 13 @ 9:00 am Thu, Aug 14 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 15 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 16 @ 9:00 am Mon, Aug 18 @ 9:00 am Tue, Aug 19 @ 9:00 am Wed, Aug 20 @ 9:00 am Thu, Aug 21 @ 9:00 am Fri, Aug 22 @ 9:00 am Sat, Aug 23 @ 9:00 am - less dates and times
Using techniques such as collage, embroidery, and image transfer, artist Miriam Calleja works with acrylic paint, ink, watercolor, pencil, and found materials to incorporate her original verse into handmade books, assemblages, and mixed-media...
[more+]Using techniques such as collage, embroidery, and image transfer, artist Miriam Calleja works with acrylic paint, ink, watercolor, pencil, and found materials to incorporate her original verse into handmade books, assemblages, and mixed-media pieces. Each of Calleja’s pieces contains a line or an entire poem from her repertoire, including some new unpublished work. The exhibition name is inspired by her poem “A choreography of almost." Poems featured in stuck; lingering are on display alongside Calleja’s artwork so that viewers can explore the correspondence between it and her poetry.
Calleja is an internationally published poet, artist, translator, and writer. A native of Malta, she has lived in Birmingham for the past three years. Her poetry collections include Pomegranate Heart (EDE Books, 2015) and Inside (EDE Books, 2016). Among her poetry chapbooks are Remember (Stamparija Reljic, 2020), Stranger Intimacy (Stamparija Reljic, 2020), and Come Closer, I Don’t Mind the Silence (BottleCap Press, 2023). Calleja’s upcoming book Variations on Silence (PoetryWala, 2025) is translated from Maltese. Learn more about Calleja at miriamcalleja.com.
This exhibition is made possible by a grant awarded to the Friends Foundation of BPL by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
[less-]Tags: Books + Film, Libraries, Literature, Multicultural, Places, Visual Arts, Art + Stage
SENIOR FIT WEEKENDs
07-05-2025
07-26-2025
Presented by Railroad Park at Railroad Park, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 10:00 am
Sat, Jul 12 @ 10:00 am
Sat, Jul 19 @ 10:00 am
Sat, Jul 26 @ 10:00 am - less dates and times
This weekly class focuses on strength, flexibility, endurance and balance. The group exercise setting provides a wonderful opportunity to stay healthy and meet new people while having fun.
This weekly class focuses on strength, flexibility, endurance and balance. The group exercise setting provides a wonderful opportunity to stay healthy and meet new people while having fun.
[less-]Tags: Outdoor Recreation, Health + Wellness
The Life of Chuck
07-04-2025
07-17-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 10:30 am
Sat, Jul 05 @ 1:00 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 3:30 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 6:00 pm Sat, Jul 05 @ 8:30 pm Sun, Jul 06 @ 10:30 am Sun, Jul 06 @ 1:00 pm Sun, Jul 06 @ 3:30 pm Sun, Jul 06 @ 6:15 pm Thu, Jul 10 @ 2:00 pm Thu, Jul 10 @ 4:30 pm Thu, Jul 10 @ 7:00 pm Fri, Jul 11 @ 2:30 pm Fri, Jul 11 @ 5:00 pm Fri, Jul 11 @ 7:30 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 12:00 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 2:30 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 5:00 pm Sat, Jul 12 @ 8:00 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 12:00 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 2:30 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 5:00 pm Sun, Jul 13 @ 7:30 pm Thu, Jul 17 @ 3:15 pm Thu, Jul 17 @ 6:00 pm Thu, Jul 17 @ 8:30 pm - less dates and times
Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck is a life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, told in reverse order. Shot in Baldwin and Mobile counties.
Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck is a life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, told in reverse order. Shot in Baldwin and Mobile counties.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
Stand by Me (1986)
07-04-2025
07-06-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 10:45 am
Sat, Jul 05 @ 3:45 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 8:45 pm
Sun, Jul 06 @ 10:45 am Sun, Jul 06 @ 3:45 pm - less dates and times
In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends — sensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant Teddy (Corey Feldman), and scaredy-cat Vern (Jerry O'Connell) — are in search of a missing teenager's body....
[more+]In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends — sensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant Teddy (Corey Feldman), and scaredy-cat Vern (Jerry O'Connell) — are in search of a missing teenager's body. Wanting to be heroes in each other's and their hometown's eyes, they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into an odyssey of self-discovery. Based on the novella by Stephen King.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
PILATES
07-05-2025
07-26-2025
Presented by Railroad Park at Railroad Park, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 11:00 am
Sat, Jul 12 @ 11:00 am
Sat, Jul 19 @ 11:00 am
Sat, Jul 26 @ 11:00 am - less dates and times
This is a unique experience that brings your low impact, strength, flexibility and core exercises outdoors. Perfect for participants at all levels.
This is a unique experience that brings your low impact, strength, flexibility and core exercises outdoors. Perfect for participants at all levels.
[less-]Tags: Outdoor Recreation, Health + Wellness
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
07-04-2025
07-10-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sat, Jul 05 @ 12:45 pm
Sat, Jul 05 @ 5:45 pm
Sun, Jul 06 @ 12:45 pm
Thu, Jul 10 @ 2:30 pm - less dates and times
Based on Stephen King's novella, this critically acclaimed film follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man wrongfully convicted of murder, as he forms an unlikely bond with fellow inmate Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) in Shawshank State...
[more+]Based on Stephen King's novella, this critically acclaimed film follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man wrongfully convicted of murder, as he forms an unlikely bond with fellow inmate Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) in Shawshank State Penitentiary. Over the years, Andy's resilience and unbreakable spirit inspire those around him, challenging the notion of freedom, justice, and the human will to endure.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
La Strada (1954)
07-06-2025
07-06-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sun, Jul 06 @ 6:00 pm
As part of Sidewalk's partnership with the Italian American Heritage Society, this event will begin with a brief lecture about the director Federico Fellini, hosted by film scholar Kate Burney.
With this breakthrough film, Federico Fellini...
[more+]As part of Sidewalk's partnership with the Italian American Heritage Society, this event will begin with a brief lecture about the director Federico Fellini, hosted by film scholar Kate Burney.
With this breakthrough film, Federico Fellini launched both himself and his wife and collaborator Giulietta Masina to international stardom, breaking with the neorealism of his early career in favor of a personal, poetic vision of life as a bittersweet carnival. The infinitely expressive Masina registers both childlike wonder and heartbreaking despair as Gelsomina, loyal companion to the traveling strongman Zampanò (Anthony Quinn, in a toweringly physical performance), whose callousness and brutality gradually wear down her gentle spirit. Winner of the very first Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film, La strada possesses the purity and timeless resonance of a fable and remains one of cinema’s most exquisitely moving visions of humanity struggling to survive in the face of life’s cruelties.
Stick around for a talk-back after the film, hosted by Kate.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
Lone Quail + Kaydee Mulvehill
07-06-2025
07-06-2025
Presented by Dobber's 5 Points Pub at Dobber's 5 Points Pub, Birmingham
Upcoming Dates:
Sun, Jul 06 @ 7:00 pm
Lone Quail
Lonequail.com
https://www.instagram.com/lonequail/
https://open.spotify.com/album/3FAyugaREv1ZhGjwFBkRC1
Kaydee Mulvehill
Lone Quail
Lonequail.com
https://www.instagram.com/lonequail/
https://open.spotify.com/album/3FAyugaREv1ZhGjwFBkRC1
Kaydee Mulvehill
https://www.instagram.com/kaydeemulvehill/
https://kaydeemulvehill.bandcamp.com/
[less-]