Birmingham City Council President Maxine Parker Dies

Andrew Yeager | November 12, 2013

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2013/11/MaxineParker.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1280;s:6:"height";i:720;s:4:"file";s:24:"2013/11/MaxineParker.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"MaxineParker-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"MaxineParker-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:237487;s:14:"optimized_size";i:151030;s:7:"percent";d:36.399999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:52:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:52813;s:14:"optimized_size";i:30432;s:7:"percent";d:42.380000000000003;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:60:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker-336x189.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:14447;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10398;s:7:"percent";d:28.030000000000001;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:60:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker-771x434.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:52163;s:14:"optimized_size";i:31399;s:7:"percent";d:39.810000000000002;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:58:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3279;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3203;s:7:"percent";d:2.3199999999999998;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:60:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:35703;s:14:"optimized_size";i:22819;s:7:"percent";d:36.090000000000003;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:60:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:23064;s:14:"optimized_size";i:16834;s:7:"percent";d:27.010000000000002;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:60:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker-553x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:31396;s:14:"optimized_size";i:20027;s:7:"percent";d:36.210000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:60:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/11/MaxineParker-470x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:24622;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15918;s:7:"percent";d:35.350000000000001;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1621141246 
1384214400

Birmingham City Council President Maxine Parker has died. She was 69. No word yet on the cause of death. The three-term councilwoman spent more than four decades working at Talladega College. She also served as president of the Collegeville Neighborhood Association in Birmingham. Vivian Starks succeeded Parker in that position. Starks tells WBHM’s Andrew Yeager like many she was shocked to hear the news of Maxine Parker’s death.

Birmingham Mayor William Bell issued the following statement:

“Councilor Maxine Herring Parker will be remembered as a strong advocate for her district. She worked tirelessly and faithfully for the people of District 4. I was with her family at the time of her passing and I want them to know that the City of Birmingham is with them as they grieve the loss of such an outstanding mother, Councilor and friend. This is a sad day for our city.”

The mayor has also ordered city flags be flown at half-staff in her memory. President pro-temp Jay Roberson will lead meetings until a new president is elected. The council will appoint a replacement for her seat, but no timeline for that decision has been announced.

~ Andrew Yeager, November 12, 2013