candgnews.com
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APRIL 16, 2025 Vol. 23, No. 8
BEHIND THE WHEEL 20A Birmingham City Commission approves design for Willits and Bates Project BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgnews.com
BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgnews.com
TOP: While at the Judson Center’s Lahser Children’s Respite Home, kids have access to toys and will have the opportunity to partake in fun activities. ABOVE: Kids at the Judson Center’s Lahser Children’s Respite Home have a chance to relax and socialize with other kids.
BEVERLY HILLS — Judson Center’s Lahser Children’s Respite Home, located at 31111 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills, cares for children between the ages of 6-17 with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Respite care offers caregivers relief from their responsibilities, while still providing the peace of mind that their care recipient is being taken care of in a safe environment. Judson Center’s Lahser Children’s Respite Home has been open since 1985. According to a statistic on their website, last year, the respite home served 73 children.
Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
See HOME on page 12A
WEED CONTROL | FERTILIZATION 0177-2512
See DESIGN on page 26A
Respite home offers ‘home away from home’ for children
0138-2516
BIRMINGHAM — At the Birmingham City Commission meeting April 7, the commission unanimously voted in favor of a resolution that approved the proposed Willits and Bates Project design. Several changes to the intersection will be made, including the reduction of Bates Street from Maple Road to Willits Street down to two lanes; the removal of the current island at the intersection of Willits and Chester Street; the installation of bumpouts at the intersection of Willits and Bates Street; the review to determine if extending pedestrian crossing time is possible; and the installation of a bumpout with a mountable curb at the southeast corner of the Willits and Bates intersection. All of these recommendations are under the same resolution, which reads, “Resolution to approve the proposed design for the Willits and Bates Project by converting Bates Street from Maple to Willits down to 2 lanes (Conceptual