McNolia’s in Five Points South Closes After 32 Years

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:975;s:6:"height";i:650;s:4:"file";s:34:"2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-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:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-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:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-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:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;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:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-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:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-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:34:"earl_capellen_mcnolias-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:372594;s:14:"optimized_size";i:245976;s:7:"percent";d:33.979999999999997;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:62:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:112679;s:14:"optimized_size";i:58320;s:7:"percent";d:48.240000000000002;}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:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias-771x514.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:92628;s:14:"optimized_size";i:62743;s:7:"percent";d:32.259999999999998;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:68:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3656;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3609;s:7:"percent";d:1.29;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:56173;s:14:"optimized_size";i:41770;s:7:"percent";d:25.640000000000001;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29469;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21727;s:7:"percent";d:26.27;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias-467x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:43824;s:14:"optimized_size";i:32483;s:7:"percent";d:25.879999999999999;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/earl_capellen_mcnolias-398x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:34165;s:14:"optimized_size";i:25324;s:7:"percent";d:25.879999999999999;}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
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Greg Bass
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

)
1654544500 
1472627635

A Birmingham landmark is closing. McNolia’s in Five Points South will be remembered for its edgy, funny greeting cards and outrageous novelty items. Earl Capellen, who opened the store in 1984, explains why now is the time to walk away.

“It’s time to retire. It’s time to retire — it’s come full circle. It’ll be 32 years old when we finish up. My work here is done.”

When the word got out that McNolia’s was closing, Capellen started hearing from former clients in California and New York and everywhere in between.

“All this is bittersweet,” he says, adding, “The people were always the fun part of it. I mean that and some nonsensical piece of merchandise and the party’s going.”

Nonsensical merchandise like an electric spaghetti fork or solar-powered kissing cuties. Speaking of which, John McGill of Birmingham stopped by to pick up “butt-faced towels, and bombs-away shot glasses. And I think the clown shoes are awesome. You tie them on to your shoes and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Lisa Alexander has been a McNolia’s customer from the very beginning.

“I mean they have things in here — it’s just fun to come and shop. Even when you don’t have something going on, even if it’s not a birthday. You can walk around and see things you don’t see anywhere else. And get a smile.”

Capellen, 62, says loyal customers are one reason he stayed in business so long. He doesn’t know what his next act will be, so he plans to take a long vacation and think about that. But he knows he takes with him fond memories of the fun he’s created at McNolia’s.

“I still look back on some of the things we’ve sold over the years and chuckle. That’s really funny. We’ve always laughed with people, and not at people. Don’t do things that are disparaging, do things that are genuinely funny. Genuinely funny. But you know, there’s a lid for every pot.”

 

DHS memo details how National Guard troops will be used for immigration enforcement

The memo obtained by NPR says troops would be used in activities, including in "night operations and rural interdiction," as well as "guard duty and riot control" inside detention facilities.

Court fees can pile up. An effort to make a more effective system stalls after Trump administration cuts

Court fines and fees are meant to hold people accountable. But for many, they lead to debt, arrest, and a cycle that’s hard to break. A project that started in Birmingham explored aimed to make the system better. But recently, the Trump Administration cancelled an effort to expand the research.

On Japanese Breakfast’s melancholic record, Michelle Zauner might be ‘the happiest’ she’s ever been

Zauner joins us to talk about some of the themes behind For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women).

South Korean maestro Chung will be the first Asian to head Italy’s famed La Scala

Myung-Whun Chung will be one of the first non-Italians to take the post of music director at Milan's famous opera house.

‘The Life of Chuck’ might leave you brushing away tears — or scratching your head

Mike Flanagan's new film, a maudlin mystery about a man dying of cancer, feels hobbled by its extreme faithfulness to the Stephen King novella on which its based.

RFK Jr. is shrinking the agency that works on mental illness and addiction

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration has seen its staff cut by more than a third, and it's facing deep budget cuts. Progress on overdose deaths could be lost, experts warn.

More Arts and Culture Coverage