July 2021 | Volume 14 | Issue 11
280LIVING.COM
THE 280 CORRIDOR’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE
PROJECT IN THE MAKING Following a decade of efforts, Slingshot trail opens at OMSP By INGRID SCHNADER
A
labama’s largest state park recently received a new addition to its trail system. Oak Mountain State Park hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in May for a new trail called Slingshot. The 3-mile intermediate trail is open to both hikers and bikers. With entrances on both Camp Road and Seven Bridges trail, no matter which direction a person takes, there are steep uphill and downhill sections. “This has been a project in the making, and it’s been on the master list since about 2010,” Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers
A mountain biker travels along the Slingshot trail at Oak Mountain State Park. Photo by Erin Nelson.
See TRAIL | page A30
Chelsea splash pad to open July 1
INSIDE Sponsors........... A4 280 News...........A6 Business........... A12 Chamber.......... A19 Community..... A22 Events...............A27
Faith.................... Ax Sports.................B4 Schoolhouse.... B10 Faith.................. B16 Real Estate...... B18 Calendar........... B19
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
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A Helping Hand Longtime occupational therapist Rorie Scroggins committed to assisting Shelby County students.
See page B10
With summer in full swing, Chelsea now has a new place to beat the heat. The Splash Pad at Melrose Park recently is scheduled to open July 1. It’s next to the playground behind the Chelsea Community Center. Construction on the project began in the fall of 2020 and was initially planned to be completed by Memorial Day, but the timeline had to be extended due to The Splash Pad at Melrose Park, seen June 16 as it nears weather events and construction delays. “Obviously we are very excited about completion, is set to open July 1. Photo by Erin Nelson. it,” Mayor Tony Picklesimer said. “It’s a new adventure, and our city hasn’t had Each guest will be charged a $2 admission fee anything like this.” and receive a colored band. Bands are good for the The splash pad will feature a zero-entry wade pool entire day, allowing guests to come and go and only along with other water features. It will also have pay once. One ticket window will be for getting a Chelsea clock tower and other items to make it special to the city. See SPLASH PAD | page A31
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A4 • July 2021
280 Living
About Us Editor’s Note By Leah Ingram Eagle Is it just me, or is 2021 going by a lot faster than 2020 did? We’ve already made it to July. Things are seemingly getting back to normal — somewhat. People are taking summer vacations, time off from work and school and enjoying time outdoors. Both of this month’s cover stories feature new local outdoor spots. Ingrid Schnader, the editor of our sister paper, The Homewood Star, is an avid mountain biker (and much more of an outdoor enthusiast than I am), so when she wanted to write a piece on Oak Mountain State Park’s new addition to its trail system, I was all for it. She will introduce you to the Slingshot, a 3-mile intermediate trail open to both hikers and bikers, that opened at OMSP in
May. The project that has been in the works for over 10 years is finally complete. In Shelby County, we are so fortunate to be home to the largest state park, and I hope you’ll make a visit there this summer to enjoy all the things it has to offer. Also, the city of Chelsea is
nearing completion on a new splash pad. With nothing like it nearby, it will offer residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy some fun in the sun while staying cool. It’s the latest project located behind the Chelsea Community Center — next up will be an amphitheater. This issue also features several new businesses in the area, and a few features on some interesting people. As always, I hope you enjoy this month’s issue. Happy reading!
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Selah Betz, 7, Rachel Betz, Ava Betz, 4, and Renee Betz pet Woolie, a 3-month-old sheep, after her first sheering May 27 at Teshua Farms in Westover. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Publisher: Dan Starnes Managing Editor: Nick Patterson Community Editors: Leah Ingram Eagle Jon Anderson Jesse Chambers Neal Embry Ingrid Schnader Sports Editor: Kyle Parmley Design Editor: Melanie Viering Photo Editor: Erin Nelson Page Designers: Kristin Williams Ted Perry Contributing Writer: Kari Kampakis Account Manager: Ted Perry Content Marketing Manager: Erica Brock Graphic Designer: Emily VanderMey Senior Business Development Exec.: Michelle Salem Haynes Business Development Exec.: Don Harris Jarrett Tyus Client Success Specialist: Anna Bain Marketing Consultants: Warren Caldwell Kentevious Forehand Stacie Hatcher Hazen Hoagland Business Administrator: Anna Jackson
For advertising contact: dan@starnesmedia.com Contact Information: 280 Living P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com
Please submit all articles, information and photos to: leagle@starnesmedia.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253
Published by: Starnes Publishing LLC Legals: 280 Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. 280 Living is designed to inform the 280 community of area school, family and community events. Information in 280 Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of 280 Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.
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Please Support Our Community Partners Alarmed South/OCD Club (B9) Altadena Eye Care (A10) Assisted Living Locators (B5) Bedzzz Express (A5, B1) Bellini’s Ristorante (A10) Benton Nissan of Hoover (A21) Bromberg’s & Company Inc. (B11) Brookwood Baptist Health (A27) Brookwood Diagnostic Center (A16) Budget Blinds (B2) Bug Cowboy’s Pest Solutions (B8) Cabinetry Refinishing & Restoration (A1) Cahaba Glass (A15) Cardinal Roofing (A17) Carpet Warehouse Galleria (A11) Chiropractic Today (B2) Clean Surface LLC (A13) Clearview Strategy Partners (B7) Cremation Center of Birmingham (A18) ENT Associates of Alabama (A23) Executive Saltwater Charters (A28) Fancy Fur - Paws and Claws (B13) French Drains Pro (A24) Gardner Landscaping (A6) Grandview Medical Group (A3) Hearing Solutions (B17) Hilliard Irrigation (A23) Insurance Place Birmingham (A30) Inverness Country Club (A18) Iron Tribe Fitness (A7) Kete Cannon, ARC Realty (A15) Luckie’s Pinestraw (A1) Max Transit (A30) Mr. Handyman of Birmingham (A24) Nature One Landscape Design (B16)
Oak Highland Design/ Decorating Den (B8) One Man and a Toolbox (A14) Pak Mail (B13) Patti Henderson, Flat Fee Real Estate (B17) Peck Barham, RE/MAX Southern Homes (A16) Piggly Wiggly (A25) Red Mountain Associates Thrivent Financial (A31) Renew Dermatology (A2) Rockett’s Bug Juice Gardens (B15) Royal Automotive (B20) Sewing Machine Mart (B9) Shelby County Chamber of Commerce (A21) Sikes Children’s Shoes (A6) Southeastern Jewelers and Engravers (B15) Southern Air - Skeltons (A14) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (A31) SouthState Bank (B1) Space Cadets (A12) SpyGrass (B11) Stacy O’Shields, Goosehead Insurance (A23) Starling Concrete Resurfacing - Garage Experts (A28) The Bluffs at Greystone A Phoenix Senior Living Community (B3) The Harbor at Lay Lake (B18) The Joint Chiropractic (B5) TherapySouth Greystone (A32) TrueCoders (B3) TrustCare Urgent Care (A8) Urban Home Market (A29) Village Dermatology (A9) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (B16) Window World of Central Alabama (A19)
Find Us Pick up the latest issue of 280 Living at the following locations: ► Alabama Outdoors ► Cahaba Ridge ► Chiropractic Today ► Chelsea High School ► Chelsea Library ► Cowboy’s ► Danberry ► Edgar’s Bakery ► Edward’s Chevrolet ► Ground Up Coffee & Smoothies/ Snider’s Pharmacy ► Lloyd’s Restaurant ► Mt Laurel Library
► North Shelby Library ► Oak Mountain High School ► Spain Park High School ► St. Vincent’s 119 ► Somerby at St. Vincent’s ► Winn-Dixie Chelsea ► Winn-Dixie Inverness Want to join this list or get 280 Living mailed to your home? Contact Anna Jackson at ajackson@ starnesmedia.com.
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A6 • July 2021
280 Living
280 News Feasibility study approved for a potential city school system The crowd in attendance at the June 15 Chelsea City Council meeting filled the council chambers and overflowed into the lobby. Photo courtesy of Donna Bowles.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Chelsea City Council chambers were at full capacity during the June 15 meeting, with the crowd overflowing into the lobby. During the hour-and-a-half meeting, the majority of time was spent hearing public comment from Highland Lakes residents who were upset about a possible annexation due to the potential for a new school system for the five Chelsea schools. Four members of the council approved the resolution for Criterion K-12 Consulting to conduct a feasibility study to start a city school system in the city of Chelsea. The fifth member, councilman Cody Sumners, read a prepared statement for his response on why he voted against the study. He said Chelsea is still a young city and has a long way to go in providing more city services to its residents. “As a city, we need to be looking at ways to securely fund public safety and provide basic city services into the future, not forming a city school system,” Sumners said. “We are currently a part of one of the most desirable school systems in the state. The only complaint that anyone has about our current schools is that they are overcrowded and not as pretty as new schools. We can address these issues by asking for additions or sports facilities by working together with the Shelby County Board of Education to address these shortcomings without taking on the exorbitant costs of a city school system.” Phil Hammonds, who represents the Criterion Group, told the crowd that their responsibility would be to provide accurate and needed data that will enable the city leaders to make an informed and sound decision regarding the future of a possible new system. He said their work is not to make a
recommendation one way or another, but to provide data and information needed to make such a critical and important decision. Hammonds said the study is to be completed in 90-120 days, which would be Oct. 15 at the latest. “This is not a process that should be rushed through but one for us to be deliberate and be diligent in collecting and analyzing data that will make up the feasibility study,” Hammonds said. Their scope of work will include, among other steps, identifying revenue and expenses, calculating student enrollment projections over the next five years, conducting a bus route analysis, forecasting transportation costs, determining startup cost and development of a first-year operations budget. A resolution was also approved in a 4-1 vote for Goodwin, Mills & Caywood to perform an assessment of Chelsea High Schools’ facilities and potential capital improvements. Goodwin’s Cole Williams, a Chelsea resident, said the K-12 education market is a big part of what
they do as part of their business, and they were involved with the Pelham evaluation and design with the Alabaster schools. “The scope of our services is to evaluate the existing high school and work with Criterion to establish a scope that needs to be performed on the existing school and the potential of a new school to meet the needs of the students,” Williams said. Many Highland Lakes residents addressed the mayor and council during the public comment portion of the meeting. Most were upset that they didn’t receive much advance notice about the annexation possibility for their neighborhood. Other complaints included lack of information provided before the meeting, requesting help from Shelby County to improve the schools and fix the problems instead of creating a new school system, property tax increases and the need for parents to pay for needed upgrades. Council member Tiffany Bittner said Superintendent Lewis Brooks has said the Shelby County Board of Education does not have the
funds to build a new school for Chelsea or fund any extracurricular facilities. “I’ve got four kids in Chelsea schools, and if you compare them to other schools we have to compete against, it’s actually embarrassing. We feel like it’s time for us to look better for our community. The kids deserve better facilities, and it’s time for us to take bull by the horns.” Jay Hairston, a Chelsea resident and a father of four children in Chelsea schools, said he is passionate about the overall community and added that Chelsea is a city not defined exclusively by borders. “You should be thrilled to be part of Chelsea and thrilled at this opportunity to keep these kids together forming lifelong bonds,” he said. Scott Griffin of Highland Lakes had the sole positive comment from anyone from there, saying that if the people of Highland Lakes don’t want the annexation to happen, it won’t happen. “All I ask is that if you want to give your opinion, make sure it’s accurate. Simply let the process work and state what you know to be true,” he said. Mayor Tony Picklesimer ended with a statement that he will be retiring at the end of his term in October 2025. “I have got four-and-a-half years left to serve,” he said. “It would have been a whole lot easier for me to sit in my office and ride this thing out. I’m never going to apologize for wanting the best for my children. Tonight was our starting point. We had the option to allow the Criterion Group to work for our city attorney and kept the feasibility study a private document, but that ain’t the way we roll. We are doing it as a public document. As soon as it’s available to us, it will be available to you. We are on step one and this is a marathon not a sprint.” The next council meeting will be July 6 at Chelsea City Hall.
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A8 • July 2021
280 Living
Council discusses splash pad, road construction progress By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE During the June 1 Chelsea City Council meeting, Mayor Tony Picklesimer said a promise was made that the new splash pad at Melrose Park would be ready by Memorial Day, but that it missed the mark. “We are running behind with contractors and weather issues, but I’ll take responsibility for that,” Picklesimer said. “The city engineer told me I was being very ambitious when I said Memorial Day. Give us a little grace on running a little late, and it will certainly be worth it.” Also during the mayor's report, Picklesimer reviewed the road construction going on around City Hall. That is the project to straighten and enhance the intersection of Shelby County 39 and Shelby County 47 that should be completed by October. “There are going to be some detours; that’s inevitable,” he said. “Please be patient as we work through this.” Resolutions were approved for the following items: ► To accept charitable gifts of property for the new road in front of Buffalo Wild Wings and Arby’s, given by owners of Atchison Parkway. ► Appoint Personnel Board members Jay German, Billy Sanders and David Agee and alternate members Daniel Dempsey and Ryan Schwoebel. These are volunteer positions, and the terms will last four years until June 1, 2025. ► Approval of city of Chelsea bills to be paid. During the community forum, Emily Sims from the Chelsea Public Library said they have already seen more than 100 people register for the summer reading program and have also started a library podcast called “Checked Out.” According to Jenny Mumpower from the Chelsea Historical Society, programs will start back in person July 25 at 2 p.m. and will be scheduled quarterly. New items at the museum include a Weldon display, a new history book
“
The Chelsea mayor and City Council discuss agenda items during its June 1 meeting. Screenshot by Leah Ingram Eagle.
”
There are going to be some detours; that’s inevitable. Please be patient as we work through this.
MAYOR TONY PICKLESIMER
collection and a scavenger hunt for kids to get a free craft. The museum is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and membership is $20 per year. Jane Ann Mueller from the Chelsea Community Center said in her update that room rentals are exploding and they are seeing a lot more people now that school is out. Volleyball camps were scheduled for July 20-21 for first through
ninth grades. Cost is $55, and registration can be completed at chelsea.recdesk.com. Lastly, fire Chief Joe Lee announced the return of CPR Saturdays for people in the community. Those interested should call Station 31 at 205-678-6060 to be added to the list and a class will be formed when enough people sign up.
Dates to Remember ► July 3: Big Kaboom and ChelseaFest, 5-9 p.m. ► July 5: City Hall closed in observance of Independence Day ► July 6: Council meeting at City Hall, 6 p.m. ► July 13: Coffee with the mayor at Chelsea Community Center, 8 a.m. ► July 16-18: Back-to-school sales tax holiday ► July 20: Council meeting at City Hall, 6 p.m.
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280Living.com
July 2021 • A9
Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins listens as residents raise concerns during a 2020 Shelby County Commission meeting in Columbiana. Scroggins said during the commission’s June 14 meeting that he’s received numerous calls about false information about annexation circulating on social media. Photo by Erin Nelson
Photo courtesy of Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office launches app By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
County manager addresses social media posts about Chelsea annexation plans By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE During the June 14 Shelby County Commission meeting, County Manager Chad Scroggins said during his report that his office has received numerous calls about false information circulating on social media about annexation plans for the city of Chelsea. “People think that I have the ability or approval power for annexation in Chelsea, and that is not true,” Scroggins said. “They want to see if these areas will petition a vote of the people for annexation that has been recommended by the mayor and City Council. We can only advise about services provided by unincorporated Shelby County that they currently have.” Scroggins also gave an update on the
280 County Services building on U.S. 280 at Shelby County 41 that it is scheduled to open Sept. 1. The FY 2022 budget is currently in process, and projected revenues expenses are being determined. Also, the consumer price index up 5% over last year. Five resolutions were passed for water services that included: ► Ortho/polyphosphate blend to the Carus Corporation; ► No responsive bids were received for calcium hypochlorite tablets as outlined by state of Alabama bid laws; ► A bid for hydrated lime was awarded to Lhoist North America of Alabama; ► A bid for fire hydrant meters was awarded to Central Pipe Supply; ► A bid for chlorine tablets was
awarded to Allied Universal Corporation. The Highway Department had one bid for concrete pickup, and delivery was awarded to Foley Products Company, the only responsive bidder. No bids were received for a Tacoma truck for the IT Department, so purchases will be made as outlined by state of Alabama bid laws. Final figures for the 2020 tax year were presented in Tax Assessor Don Armstrong’s report: ► Insolvents: $12,854.79 ► Errors in Assessment: $79,633.19 ► Litigations: $332.02 The commission also appointed Glynn Durrett Jr. to the Little Waxi Water Authority for a three-year term, replacing Cliff Myers.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office recently released an app to help residents stay more connected to the office and access and share information from the palm of their hand. The app is now available for download by searching “Shelby County Sheriff AL” application for smartphones. Developed by thesheriffapp.com, it offers quick access to items of public interest and features: ► Submitting a tip ► Divisions ► Contact ► Jail/inmate information ► Mapping sex offenders ► Push notifications ► Breaking news and alerts ► Shelby County’s most wanted ► Social media For the push alerts, users can opt in and sign up for them to be notified in the event of major traffic events, public safety concerns and more. Sheriff John Samaniego said he is excited about the availability of the app, and said it will serve as a new way for the sheriff’s office to connect with Shelby County residents and visitors. “It will provide information quickly and efficiently to anyone with a smartphone and offer our agency another way to alert, inform and better serve our citizens,” he said. An informational video can be viewed on the department’s YouTube channel at youtube/BWVZS8S8Cfg.
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A10 • July 2021
280 Living
Sewer rates to rise for Riverchase, Inverness, Southlake By JON ANDERSON The Hoover City Council voted 5-1 to raise sewer rates for people who use the city’s sewer system, despite objections from some residents. Hoover’s sewer system serves about 4,500 residential and 200 commercial customers in the Riverchase, Inverness and Southlake communities. The action taken by the council June 7 will raise sewer rates by 71% for the average residential customer and 15% for the average commercial customer to make up revenue shortfalls over the next three years, according to information provided by city officials. The decision to implement the rate increase over time is so that sewer customers won’t be hit with the full increase at one time. The result is that the monthly sewer bill for the average residential customer will rise from $36.64 to $45.39 in the first year, $54.07 in the second year and $62.82 for the third year, according to numbers provided by the city. The monthly bill for the average commercial customer will rise from $904.23 to $949.24 the first year, $995.93 the second year and $1,040,94 the third year. The problem is that the sewer system is not taking in enough revenue to cover its costs, which include regular operation and maintenance costs, debt service and capital projects needed to keep the system operational and meet newer water quality regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Hoover City Administrator Allan Rice said. The city hasn’t raised its sewer rates since 2004 — 17 years ago, but the cost of running the system has increased, especially with significantly more stringent environmental regulations being enacted, said Jim Marshall, a consultant with the Jackson Thornton consulting firm. As a result, the city is only taking in enough money to cover 60% of the costs for serving residential customers, who make up 96% of
Sewage makes it way through the city of Hoover’s wastewater treatment plant in Inverness. Photo by Jon Anderson.
the customer base and account for at least half the volume of the sewer system, and 86% of the cost for serving commercial customers, Marshall said. That results in a $1.8 million shortfall, of which $1.45 million comes from the residential side of the service and $355,000 of which comes from the commercial side, he said. As of right now, the shortfall for fiscal year 2021 is $2.2 million, Chief Financial and Information Officer Tina Bolt said. The total increase needed to make up a $1.8 million annual shortfall is $26.12 a month for the average residential customer and $137.54
a month for the average commercial customer, Marshall said. He recommended spreading that increase over three years to ease the burden on customers. Marshall also recommended the city change its rate structure to start charging a base fee to cover fixed costs and a usage fee that varies depending on the customer’s usage. Most sewer systems charge a base fee, he said. Rice said the city doesn’t relish the idea of increasing sewer fees and this is not intended to make a profit or support any other part of city government. Not everything in government pays for itself, but certainly things like utility
services should charge enough in fees to cover their costs, he said. “We’re no longer bringing in the money on our rates that it costs to operate the system, and thus we have zero retained earnings to repair and maintain the system,” he said. The Hoover sewer system has a looming list of capital projects that are expected to cost $9.6 million, and “at this point in time, we don’t have any way to pay for that,” Rice said. Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said residents and businesses that use the Hoover sewer system expect it to be maintained in a first-class way. If rates aren’t raised, that money would
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280Living.com
July 2021 • A11
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The city of Hoover’s sewer system serves only the Inverness, Riverchase and Southlake communities. This map shows the part served by the Inverness sewer plant (in blue). Map courtesy of city of Hoover.
have to come out of the general fund, taking money away from the city’s ability to provide fire, police and other municipal services, Brocato said. Councilman Casey Middlebrooks said he doesn’t think anyone wants to raise rates, but if the system is to remain sustainable, rates must be raised. Brocato brought the matter to the public’s attention in community meetings in 2018, but no action to raise rates or approve an alternate means to fund the system has taken place until now. Several residents at the June 7 meeting asked the council to delay action on this matter a little longer to give residents more time to consider the rate increases and provide input. Most residents didn’t hear anything about the proposal until the weekend before, and some of them didn’t find out until mid-day June 7, they said. Lynn Phillips, a retired environmental engineer who is president of the Southlake Residential Association, said there are a lot of professionals who live in these communities who would like more time to review the information further and provide input. Jackie Dillard, another Southlake resident, said the mayor promised residents in 2018 they would have an opportunity to see any proposed rate increases before the council took action, and she said this wasn’t enough time. Lydia White, who moved to Riverchase nine months ago from Atlanta, said she’s already paying three times what she paid in Georgia and said this new increase is ridiculous. Riverchase resident David Bradley, a former Hoover councilman, said the sewer system was never intended to be self-supporting. The city of Hoover is the one that wanted to expand the
two sewer plants in Riverchase and Inverness, with the understanding that increased sales tax revenues would help pay for the system, he said. Larry Densmore, another Riverchase resident, said the city’s general fund should help support the system. Councilman Derrick Murphy was the only councilman who voted against the sewer rate increases. He asked the council to consider tabling the matter to give residents more time to review the information and provide input, but the rest of the council members present voted to move ahead with the increases. Council President John Lyda said people have known long before 2018 that the Hoover sewer system was not taking in enough revenue to be self-sufficient. “It’s really no surprise to the city that we’ve come to the point where we have to make some changes to keep it self-sufficient,” Lyda said. “We had a public hearing tonight where people expressed their opinions, and the council listened to those and made a decision that was best for the city.” Phillips said he was surprised the council would ignore the request of residents for more time to review the matter. “These council members have no interest in the eastern part of Hoover,” Phillips said. “We’re expendable.” Councilman Steve McClinton said about 90% of Hoover residents are not on the Hoover sewer system and don’t think the city’s general fund should subsidize a sewer system that hasn’t raised its rates in 17 years. “We got elected for a reason — to be good stewards of the city,” McClinton said. “We’re trying to fix the problem. … Someone has to make a tough decision, and we just made it. It may not be popular, but it’s right.”
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A12 • July 2021
280 Living
Business Happenings NOW OPEN
a design boutique featuring high-end quality merchandise, recently opened. Instagram @howarth_haddock_design
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS Body Logic School of Cosmetology and Esthetics, 5510 U.S. 280, Suite 204, is now offering cosmetology classes. 205-991-8083, bodylogicschool.com Capstone Building Corp., 1200 Corporate Drive, Suite 350, in Meadow Brook Corporate Park, recently completed construction of the Herndon Square Senior center in Atlanta. It's a 97-unit, 101,069-square-foot apartment complex for people ages 62 and older. Capstone Building Corp. was serving as the general contractor for Hunt Companies & Oakwood Development Group. 205-803-5226, capstonebuilding.com
Chicken Fry'd is now open at 16064 U.S. 280 in the former Whataburger space in Chelsea. Jeff Webster, owner of Station 31 Kitchen, opened this fast-casual, chicken-only restaurant in late May. 205-677-2143, facebook.com/chickenfryd BioPure Services and Products, 531 Highland Park Circle, is now open and offers eco-friendly sanitization services to residential and commercial properties throughout the Birmingham metro area. 205-850-4965, biopureservice.com/bham EcoWorx Services and Cleaning is now open and combines years of experience and professional expertise to provide the best residential, commercial and mechanical cleaning services. It offers flexible scheduling and services to meet any cleaning need. 205-533-0350, ecoworxservices.com Fabletics, an athletic leisure retailer based in California, recently opened its new store at 200 Summit Blvd, Suite 110 at The Summit, according to al.com. The store measures about 1,400 square feet and is located near Anthropologie. 205-238-7616, fabletics.com Howarth-Haddock Design, 56 Manning Place in Mt Laurel,
Maximum Effort Supplement Shop, 100 Chelsea Corners, is now open. Opened by Larry Johnson, the vitamin supplement shop aims to provide excellent customer service while properly educating and encouraging the members of our community to reach their health goals. 205-677-4191, Facebook @maximumeffort supplementshop
COMING SOON Tractor Supply Co., 119 Atchison Drive, plans to open a new garden center in mid-July along with a drivethrough feed barn. 205-678-4196, tractorsupply.com
RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS Body Logic Wellness Center, 5510 U.S. 280 E., plans to expand its spa and move to a larger location a few doors down in July. Plus, it will be expanding its offered services. 205-991-8083, bodylogicwellness.net
Bayer Properties recently announced it will install a new shopping platform for The Summit, 214 Summit Blvd., Suite 150, from technology firm Adeptmind. The platform allows customers to browse available inventory at a retail center prior to visiting and to make their purchases either in-store or via curbside pickup if available. 205-967-0111, thesummitbirmingham.com Owner Tammy Rogers and Beaumont Pharmacy, 264 Inverness Center Drive, are offering the Pfizer, Moderna
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280Living.com
July 2021 • A13
and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines by appointment only. 205-991-7171, beaumontpharmacy.com
PERSONNEL MOVES Bo Dawson, PT, DPT, is now treating patients at TherapySouth in Greystone, 2823 Greystone Commercial Blvd. Dawson previously worked at TherapySouth’s Chelsea location. 205-408-1713, therapysouth.com MD Wellness and Aesthetics, 650 Inverness Corners, is pleased to introduce its new aesthetician and registered nurse, Hailee Bowling. She is trained in dermaplaning, hydrafacials, microneedling and Quantashape body contouring services, and she is currently offering monthly specials. 205-582-9216, mdwellnessandaesthetics.com YMCA of Greater Birmingham welcomes Jude Dooley as its new chief operating officer. Dooley is a 20-year veteran of the Y and comes from the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, where he served as group vice president. He will oversee eight YMCA membership branches, including the Greystone YMCA, 5414 U.S. 280. 205-981-0144, ymcabham.org
Road, Suite 200, is pleased to announce that 49 people were promoted in the company's Birmingham office. Among the changes: Andrea Johnson was promoted to principal and serves as chief compliance officer for Warren Averett Asset Management; Shannon Brasher was promoted to principal in the Consulting Division; Ashley Dutton was promoted to principal in the Audit Department; Barbara Blackerby was promoted to principal in the Tax Department; Tonya Brown was promoted to principal in the Tax Department; Stacy Watts was promoted to senior manager in the Tax Department; Jimmy Musso was promoted to senior manager in the Audit Department; Michael Nix was promoted to senior manager in the Audit Department; Ryan Grauel was promoted to senior manager in the Audit Department; Edie Sullivan was promoted to senior manager and serves as director of administration; Jess Brawner was promoted to senior manager and serves as director of operations; Drew Gearhart was promoted to senior manager and serves as a senior client consultant for Warren Averett Asset Management; Gavin Gillison was promoted to senior manager and serves as the director of financial planning and a senior client consultant for Warren Averett Asset Management; Jonathan Osborne was promoted to senior manager and serves as the daily 401(k) operations manager for Warren Averett Asset Management; Spencer Powell was promoted to senior manager and serves as the director of software development for the Information Technology Division; Monica Fischer was promoted to senior manager and serves as general counsel; Annie McCarter was promoted to senior manager and serves as the director of payroll. 205-979-4100, warrenaverett.com
flavor but not the calories and want to have something pre-workout or post-workout. 205-677-2060, 4thandinchesnutrition.com Wingstop, 830 Inverness Corners, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Inverness location. 205-848-2221, wingstop.com
Inverness Country Club, 1 Country Club, is celebrating its 48th anniversary. 205-991-8608, iccalabama.com Owner Thomas Cox and Table & Thyme, 3660 Grandview Parkway, are celebrating their second anniversary in business. Cox and his team specialize in creating an elevated catering experience for weddings, corporate and personal events. Cox is also the founder of MealFit. 931-267-0928, tableandthyme.co
ANNIVERSARIES
Aimee George has joined the Keller Williams Vestavia office, 3595 Grandview Parkway, Suite 250. She currently is doing residential real estate but plans to work in commercial real estate as well. 205-253-9118, aimeegeorge.kw.com
Elite Dentistry & Implant Center, 100 Chelsea Corners, Suite 113, is celebrating its 21st anniversary. 205-678-2525, elitedentistryal.com Station 31 Kitchen, 104 Chesser Drive, is celebrating its second anniversary. 205-677-2158, Facebook @Station 31 Kitchen 4th and Inches Nutrition, 48 Chesser Crane Road, recently celebrated the first anniversary of its Chelsea location. Owner Danny Jones and his team create healthy shakes and loaded teas for customers who want the
Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors, 2500 Acton
La Paz, 3 Mt Laurel Ave., recently celebrated its fourth anniversary at the Mt Laurel location. 205-803-6262, eatatlapaz.com
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A14 • July 2021
280 Living
Business Southern Blood Services works to save lives through donation
Martina Sentell, director of Southern Blood Services’ Birmingham location, describes the blood plasma separation process achieved using a blood plasma machine as Marlene Newman donates plasma June 3. Plasma donated by women at Southern Blood Services is used to extract the Rh factor that is used for Rh immune globulin and is administered to pregnant women who have an Rh incompatibility with their baby. Photo by Erin Nelson.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE A local specialty plasma center is helping to create life-saving therapies, especially for pregnant women. Southern Blood Services was founded in 1999 and has three plasma collection facilities in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Nashville. At each location, high-quality enriched plasma is collected from donors and then processed into plasma-based therapies. Unlike a traditional plasma donation site, the primary focus is to collect antibodies from those who have developed them from pregnancy, blood transfusions or from vaccines and use them to help pregnant women. The plasma is used to manufacture life-saving drugs such as Rho(D) Immune Globulin that is used to save the lives of babies whose blood types are incompatible with their mothers — also known as Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn. Martina Sentell is the director of the Birmingham location at 3800 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 200, where she works with three other employees. She has been in the industry since 1989 and started this career after working for a bank. “There’s not a degree or anything to teach you how to do this,” she said. “After a certain number of years there, I knew everything about
it and started running the center in Birmingham in 2002.” Sentell explained that when a mother has a negative blood type and her baby has a positive blood type, there is a risk that the mother’s antibodies will attack the baby’s blood, which can cause the baby to become sick or die. Rho(D) immune globulin is a medicine that is used to immunize women with a negative blood type (Rh negative) during pregnancy and after childbirth to prevent their bodies from producing these antibodies. With the success of this medicine, the number of women with naturally existing antibodies (Anti-D) is dramatically reduced. This program is open to women who are no longer able to have children (i.e., surgically sterile or post-menopausal) and may also
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include men who are Rh negative. Women who have a negative blood type, have had two or more pregnancies or a blood transfusion, or have been told they have an antibody can qualify to be donors. Through a safe and highly tested procedure, small amounts of red blood cells from donors who match the recipient are introduced into the participant’s blood. The risks of the program are minimal, and all of the immunization donors are healthy individuals who undergo a physical, along with extensive screening and testing to assure the safety of the blood. Those who are accepted into the program can safely donate plasma twice a week, and each donation takes about 45 minutes. Each donation produces 36 shots of Rho(D) immune globulin, which is enough to safeguard 18 babies.
Sentell said they have a lot of older donors in the program, including one donor who just turned 80 in June and has been donating for many years. She said there is no way to know how many babies she has saved throughout her life. “I probably have 50 donors here, and the offices in Nashville and Tuscaloosa have around 35 to 40,” she said. “The same people continue to come in and donate.” The favorite part of Sentell’s job is the people. She said the women who are donating are helping so many. “These are women who realize how much they are helping other women have children,” she said. “They donate so this vaccine can be made ... people are amazing.” For more information, call 205-967-8189 or visit southernbloodservices.com.
280Living.com
July 2021 • A15 Michelle Hawkins, owner of Indian Springs Custom Gifts, stands beside an assortment of homemade soy candles at her home. Hawkins works with essential oils as well as designer fragrance oils. Her candles have top notes, middle notes and base notes, so the smell changes as the candle burns further down. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hawkins starts Indian Springs Custom Gifts as next chapter in business By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE During quarantine, Michelle Hawkins found herself with something she rarely had as the editor and publisher of Alabama Weddings Magazine for the past 20 years: free time. After Hawkins sold her business in December 2020, it wasn’t long until she figured out what she wanted to do next. She began making hand-poured soy candles. To add a special, unique touch, she customizes each one with gemstones and dried flowers on top and a charm bracelet wrapped around the lid that can be removed and worn. A resident of Indian Springs and the wife of an airline pilot, Hawkins came up with the name Indian Springs Custom Gifts to make her products local to the area. “We travel a lot, and it’s nice to have something local from the areas we visit,” she said.
Instead of putting candles in the name, she decided to make it gifts, as she has future plans to add products to her collection. “I wanted to do something I personally love and enjoy,” Hawkins said. “After doing some research, I started [candle-making] from scratch. It was pretty easy, but the main thing is keeping up with measurements and not going overboard on scents.” Hawkins works with essential oils as well as designer fragrance oils. Her candles have top notes, middle notes and base notes, so the smell changes as the candle burns further down. Her summer fragrances include lemongrass mojito, volcanic honey, Mayan sand, jasmine musk, bohemian spa, Southern caramel, Caribbean teak, lavender and chamomile, prosecco jubilee, ocean bliss and Moku Pua paradise. Others to come include mulberry
sorbet and goodbye bugs. Along with gemstones, she uses dried flowers, often from her own backyards, to give each candle a distinct look. “I go around to stores like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and JOANN and shop for jewelry and charms, glass beads, stones and shells,” she said. “I hand-string them to personalize each one. I enjoy it. I put love into it. I want people to enjoy them.” Hawkins plans to add soaps, body products like bath bombs and lip balms, and even a cookbook to her collection. “I have been thinking about the cookbook for a while,” she said. “Being in the wedding industry, I have found that a lot of couples start a home together, and cooking is the furthest thing from their mind, but eating out is very expensive and not the healthiest. Being home together and eating at home is a special
bonding time. I want to pass down the traditions of cooking.” The cookbook will include Southern comfort foods, like casseroles and slow cooker meals. Hawkins said people who don’t enjoy going to the grocery stores can get overwhelmed with having so many ingredients for a recipe. Many of her recipes will come from her travels, including her gumbo recipe from New Orleans and beef stroganoff from Germany. As a bonus mom of four boys, Hawkins knows how much they love her home-cooked meals, and she wants to share them with others. Items from Indian Springs Custom Gifts are available for purchase at Bloom and Petal on U.S. 280 in Greystone and at Misc. Lu Gifts and Apparel on Valleydale Road. For more information, visit Indian Springs Custom Gifts on Instagram @indian_springs_gifts.
A16 • July 2021
280 Living
Howarth-Haddock Design opens new studio in Mt Laurel Carol Haddock Smeraglia and Stephanie Howarth Lansden, owners of HowarthHaddock Design, inside their newly open interior design boutique in Mt Laurel. Photo by Erin Nelson.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Stephanie Howarth Lansden and Carol Haddock Smeraglia are former coworkers who decided to create a house staging business together. But that never materialized. Every time they would have inventory, it sold before they could do anything with it. “I decided to leave my job, and six months later, she left her job and we were both doing the same thing,” Lansden said. “We went to North Carolina and bought furniture, but before we ever staged a house, we had sold it all to clients.” She said this went on for six months, and they were ordering so much furniture, they outgrew their rental unit. They were able to use a friend’s warehouse free of charge for one year. They decided since they had all that room, they might as well order more furniture. “That kind of evolved,” Lansden said. “We would never be where we are now without that space.” When the lease was up, they found another space nearby and created their warehouse/ showroom at 3568 Lorna Ridge Drive in Hoover. After working out of the Hoover location for about a year and a half, Lansden, who lives in Riverchase and Smeraglia, a Greystone resident, were approached by two developers and a homeowner in Mt Laurel within two weeks. “Retail was the last thing in the world we ever wanted to open,” Lansden said. “But we finally stopped and said ‘God is taking us elsewhere, and it’s not in the staging business.’ It all dropped in our lap, and we decided to take the bull by the horns and roll with it.” Their new space, Howarth-Haddock Design, is located at 56 Manning Place and opened in mid-May. The space is around 1,100 square feet of space and features middle and higher end furniture lines. “Everything in our upholstery is custom; we design it,” she said. “There’s nothing on that
floor right now that you could find anywhere else. We put our favorites in there, and everything in there is something that we love.” But the design studio isn’t just a space to pick out furniture and accessories. They do customization from the ground up, including assisting with brick colors and roof options. Sue Selby has been in the design business for over 40 years and works at the Mt Laurel location. “If you’re building a house and need help, we do it all,” she said. “Someone can come in with plans, and we will look over the plans and start from the very beginning — paint color, flooring, tile, light fixtures. We can order the furniture so when the house is done, the furniture is already there.”
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Lansden said their client is someone who is willing to step outside their box and try something new. Lansden and Smeraglia’s differences make
them a great team. Lansden favors a neutral palette, while Smeraglia enjoys more color, but they fit well together. Without even advertising their business, the duo has done projects from Salt Lake City to 30A. The Hoover location continues to operate as more of a furniture design boutique, where customers can come in and have anything customized and ordered from the factory. Now, they have a space for customers on the 280 corridor. “We are trying to keep everything fresh and new and are always rotating furniture in and out,” Landsden said. “It’s a balancing act with very little sleep and working 80 hours a week. All we do is work, but I love it, so I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life. I feel like I get to play all day. I love what I do.”
280Living.com
July 2021 • A17
Pair pour ‘maximum effort’ into new supplement shop By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Larry Johnson remembers making trips to the Zone 1 Game Store in the Winn-Dixie shopping center when he was in middle school and high school. He has now come full circle and recently opened his own business in the same location. Johnson, a National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer, and his wife Kyla, a math teacher at Vincent Middle High School, recently opened Maximum Effort Supplement Shop in the former Zone 1 space. “We looked at different spaces in Chelsea, but there wasn’t much available,” Johnson said. “We got a call back from this property and just jumped on board with it.” Three short months later, Johnson’s dream became a reality, and the couple, both Chelsea High School graduates, fulfilled their wish to open a store in the Chelsea community. Johnson has committed his work life to coaching and encouraging people to live a healthy and purposeful life. He worked three jobs to put himself through college at University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he chose to obtain a communications degree because he has always been a natural salesman and great with people. In 2019, Johnson was named Alabama’s Strongest Man. Weighing 240 pounds, he also advanced to nationals and placed 23rd in the country despite having a torn hamstring. The first from his family to graduate from college, Johnson chose to do an internship in management and worked at a GNC supplement shop for almost six years. “I fell in love with that industry, with health and wellness and working out,” he said. “I knew I wanted to do something professional with it. I managed GNC for a while and kept telling my owners that Chelsea was booming and let’s get a store down there, but they did not express an interest.” He said GNC was great to him and he is not trying to compete with them but instead aims to pursue his own opportunity. In March, he
Maximum Effort Supplement Shop • WHERE: 100 Chelsea Corners (in the Winn-Dixie Shopping Center) • HOURS: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays; closed Sundays • CALL: 205-677-4191 • WEB: Facebook @maximumeffort supplementshop
Larry Johnson, who owns Maximum Effort Supplement Shop with his wife Kyla, at the newly open store at Chelsea Crossings. Photo by Erin Nelson.
and Kyla began building spreadsheets and budgets, and they decided to go for it. Johnson said any kind of job he’s ever had was always built on education and encouraging people, and the retail supplement world is his area of expertise. “We were talking about how Chelsea is growing, [and] we need to be growing with it,” he said. “This would be a perfect place to be. I think it’s something unique that’s not been here before, and it can save people a trip over the mountain.” Johnson said Danny Jones, owner of 4th and
Inches Nutrition Studio, paved the way for him, and after he saw how well Jones’ business was doing, he was encouraged to see that people in the area are excited about the concept. Inside Johnson’s store, there is a section for those looking for performance products including protein powders and pre-workout fat burners. There are also a variety of shaker bottles to blend drinks. The wellness section is for everyone and includes proteins, energy drinks, vitamins and more. “We have items for hydration, vitamins for
energy including B-12, amino acids for muscle recovery and other items for heart support, joint support, digestive support, probiotics and an immunity section.” Also available are ready-to-eat snacks including protein bars, protein cookies, electrolyte waffles, protein peanut butter cups, protein brownies, protein chips and ostrich beef sticks. Johnson said he seeks feedback from his customers and will offer supplementary inquiry cards for them to fill out and give suggestions of other items they would like to see in the store. Maximum Effort Supplement Shop will offer a 10% discount for first responders and military, and customers who leave a review will also get a one-time discount. The store will feature its first major sale around the July Fourth holiday. The grand opening for Maximum Effort was May 22, followed by a ribbon-cutting May 24. “Our mission statement is that we are spending our maximum effort to educate and encourage, and what I want to do is to spend my maximum effort to help the community in any way I can,” Johnson said. “If someone walks in my door just wanting a supplement, answers to questions, workout advice, life advice or if they need me to pray for them, I’m here for anything to meet their need. Our function is health and wellness and longevity and to see people transform their lives physically, but also mentally and spiritually, and I want to be a part of that.”
Early Spring Roofing Tips: 1. General Leaks - Check for water stains on your ceilings and in your attic. Pay close attention to places where vents penetrate your roof and where two roofing slopes form a valley. 2. Damaged Shingles - After violent winds, look for missing, lifted, warped or curled shingles. Also check for branches on your roof and shingle fragments in your yard. Shingles have a 12-15 year life and should be inspected frequently after year 10. 3. Gutter Issues - Clogged or damaged gutters redirect the natural flow of water. Both the weight of the gutters and the water flow can cause major roofing issues if left unaddressed. 4. Chimney Issues - Whether you used your fireplace over the winter or not, the winter season is hard on your chimney. Deteriorating chimneys are notorious for causing leaks and should be checked regularly. 5. Critters - Animals become more active in the spring. Hearing critters in your attic could indicate a hole or other damage to your roof.
Cardinal Roofing owner, Adam Winger, with his wife, Casey, and their three children.
A18 • July 2021
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280 Living
Superintendent speaks at CBA luncheon Shelby County Schools Superintendent Lewis Brooks was the guest speaker at the June 9 Chelsea Business Alliance luncheon at the Chelsea Community Center. Brooks addressed the audience about the challenges of the past school year, as it pertained to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even though changes were implemented and there was some fear in the beginning, Shelby County Schools were able to remain open, unlike many other school districts in the state and country,” Brooks said. He credited the faculty and staff at each school for playing a major role in the overall success of the students. He specifically pointed out that despite the challenges, the students proved to be resilient and worked hard to achieve their goals. Because many students needed additional time at the end of the school year to complete the necessary assignments due to being absent for quarantine and illness, a special summer school program was implemented at many schools across the county to ensure all students were able to get caught up. Brooks noted that in-person and remote learning options were available to students throughout the year; however, the transition to in-person learning is the ultimate goal. As more people are vaccinated, this is thought to be a viable option for all students in the near future, he said. Brooks also reported on some upgrades to two of Chelsea schools. Chelsea High School is expanding parking, and Chelsea Park Elementary will be adding some classrooms. He said that during the past 10 years, Shelby County has contributed to the growing population of Chelsea by investing over $27 million. He applauded the city of Chelsea for its support of each school in Chelsea. He also stressed the importance of involvement at the business level, as Chelsea’s students are the future leaders. Of Chelsea’s graduating class, 84% will be attending college, and this year’s class received almost $6 million in scholarships.
Chelsea Business Alliance President Donna Bowles with Shelby County Schools Superintendent Lewis Brooks during the June 9 CBA luncheon at the Chelsea Community Center. Photo courtesy of Donna Bowles.
Brooks said he remains optimistic about the future of Shelby County Schools. Even with the obstacles of the past 15 months, the ultimate goal is to keep moving forward and to continue educating the students in the best possible way. CBA President Donna Bowles said Shelby County is fortunate to have many wonderful leaders in education, and Brooks is no exception. “Not only does he care about each school but [also] each student. As an educator and administrator for over 30 years, he understands the importance of community and city involvement for all the students in Shelby County and strives to continue making decisions that help our schools be the best in Alabama,” Bowles said. “We were so grateful that he was able to come share with us, and we look forward to watching as the students of Shelby County become leaders in their own communities.” Six Chelsea businesses that were nominated for Small Business of the Year by the Shelby County Chamber were also recognized during
Upcoming Events ► July 3: ChelseaFest and The Big KaBoom. 5-9 p.m. ► July 13: Coffee with the Mayor Tony Picklesimer at the Chelsea Community Center. 8 a.m. ► July 14: Chelsea Business Alliance luncheon.
the meeting. Bowles and Shelby County Chamber President Kirk Mancer presented the businesses a framed certificate. The recipients were 4th and Inches Nutrition, Alfa Insurance, Cajun Boys & Our Poboys, Ground Up Coffee and Smoothies, Pitts Media, Tyler Rutledge State Farm and Therachem. – Submitted by Donna Bowles.
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July 2021 • A19
Chamber
Shelby County Chamber hosts Legislative Wrap-up Luncheon Sen. Jabo Waggoner addresses the crowd at the Shelby County Chamber Legislative Wrap-up Luncheon on May 26 at the Pelham Civic Complex. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Following 14 months of virtual meetings, the Shelby County Chamber was able to have its first in-person event May 26 when it hosted the 2021 Legislative Wrap-up Luncheon at the Pelham Civic Complex. The event is normally held as a preview before the Alabama Legislature goes into session, but this event was a wrap-up of the session that ended May 17. Chamber Chair Chris Grace opened the event by stating that despite the challenges of 2020, the chamber still had a productive year. Kathy Copeland served as the 2020 chair and said it was a blessing and honor to serve in that role even through the circumstances. “So many blessings came from this,” Copeland said. “This organization is resilient, flexible and has a very strong future.” Doug Adair, who serves as vice chair of the chamber’s governmental affairs work group, introduced the speakers of the Shelby County legislative delegation, who shared their thoughts on the recently concluded session. Sen. Dan Roberts of District 15, which represents Shelby, Jefferson and Talladega counties, shared that roughly 1,047 bills were introduced — 684 in the House and 405 in the Senate — and 449 resolutions were passed. “There were a lot of moving parts,” he said. “As of last Friday, 472 measures were enacted into law.” Roberts said some of the highlights were the passing of the vaccine passport bill, moving runoff elections to four weeks instead of six, a ban on curbside voting, the passing of the $2.48 billion state general fund, the passing of the medical marijuana bill, the Business Liability Act for COVID-19 and the Alabama Business Competitiveness Act.
“The general fund is up 3.4%, and the educational trust fund is up 3.1%,” Roberts said. “I’m proud of the way budgets are. Teachers were given a 2% raise, as were state employees. Five million dollars was approved for more work to be done in Alabama’s state parks, along with a $427 million restaurant revitalization.” Rep. Arnold Mooney, who represents Shelby County in District 43, said Alabama is the fifth most fiscally-abled state in the nation to handle a crisis like COVID-19. The general fund budget was up $78.5 million more than the previous year, calling it a healthy situation in our state.
Mooney also discussed the passing of other bills, including the born alive bill, which states that a baby born alive may not be aborted, criminal justice bills and the state park bonds issue. “We are blessed to live in a county that people in the state both envy and hate, and I say that in a positive way,” Mooney said. “The top of the health, education and power markets ... Shelby County is there.” Sen. Jabo Waggoner of District 16, which covers Shelby and Jefferson counties, said the 2020-21 legislative session was different than any other in the history of the state. “We went into session in February 2020, and
21 legislative days later, we were sent home,” he said. “We passed both budgets last year and not really anything else of any significance passed.” Waggoner said close to 400 bills were passed during this legislative session and even more introduced. He is optimistic things will be back to normal by next legislative session, which will begin in January 2022. “I’m ready for the pandemic to be in the rearview mirror,” he said. Rep. Jim Carnes of District 48 and Sen. Jim McClendon of District 11 also spoke during the event.
A20 • July 2021
280 Living
Chamber honors 5 small businesses for impact By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Five small businesses in Shelby County were recipients of The Shelby County Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year awards. A luncheon was held June 3 at The Grande Hall at Old Mill Square in Columbiana to celebrate the positive economic impact small business has on Shelby County. Traci Fox, owner of T. Fox Salon Spa and the 2019 recipient of the award, was the featured speaker. She told her story of how she got to be where she is and the hardships she faced along the way. “My grandmother always said that everyone matters and everything matters,” Fox said. With a passion to serve the community, Fox opened her first salon, Tangles, in Sumiton in 2000. In 2009, she opened T. Fox Salon in Shelby County on Valleydale Road. Despite an eight-week shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her staff made more than 2,500 phone calls to elderly, offering free prescription pickup and delivery and also hand-wrote hundreds of encouraging cards to shut-ins. Despite COVID-19, Fox said the salon finished with a record year. They also made the 2020 Salon Today top 200 salons in the country. “If you discover your purpose, you can make a difference,” she said. The nominees for the 2021 Shelby County Chamber Small Business of the Year awards were: ► 4th and Inches Nutrition (Chelsea) ► 24e Fitness (Pelham) ► Adventurers Coffee Co. (Calera) ► Alfa Insurance (Chelsea) ► Brownstone Marketing Solutions (Pelham) ► Bob Butterworth State Farm (Montevallo) ► Cajun Boys & Our Poboys (Chelsea) ► Charles Dixon Industries (Pelham) ► CPC Office Technologies (Pelham) ► Creations Galore & Moore (Calera) ► Exit Prime Realty (Alabaster) ► Fusion One Marketing (Eagle Point) ► Gifted (Pelham) ► Ground Up Coffee and Smoothies (Chelsea) ► Jones and Associates LLC (Calera)
Above left: Traci Fox, owner of T. Fox Salon Spa, was the speaker at The Shelby County Chamber Small Business of the Year awards presentation June 3. Fox was a 2019 award recipient. Above right: Kyle Mims of Edward Jones, left, assists chamber President Kirk Mancer in announcing the recipients of the Small Business of the Year awards. Photos by Leah Ingram Eagle.
► Pelham Dental Care (Pelham) ► Pitts Media (Chelsea) ► Plant Gifts & Decor (Calera) ► R.O.E. Hobby (Calera) ► Tyler Rutledge, State Farm Insurance (Chelsea) ► Sawyer Solutions LLC (Pelham) ► Shunnarah Family Dentistry (Montevallo) ► Southern Realty Specialists (Helena) ► Temperature Pro (Pelham) ► Therachem Research Medilab (Chelsea) ► Vinehouse Nursery (Alabaster) ► Vineyard Family Services (Pelham) Nominees were judged by five categories and were reviewed by an independent panel of judges. They were
evaluated on the following criteria: staying power, growth in numbers of employees, increase in sales, response to adversity and evidence of contribution to the community. The 2021 winners were: ► Category 1 (one to five employees): CPC Office Technology ► Category 2 (six to 10 employees): Sawyer Solutions LLC ► Category 3 (11 to 20 employees): Shunnarah Family Dentistry ► Category 4 (More than 21 employees): Charles Dixon Industries ► Category 5 (Open less than one year and less than 25 employees): Creations Galore & Moore
“” If you discover your purpose, you can make a difference.
TRACI FOX
Foundation announces new Career Corps program to connect industry to education The Shelby County Greater Community Foundation, in partnership with 58 INC., recently announced a new summer program called Shelby County “Career Corps.” It is designed to provide paid internships for educators who wish to learn more about the variety of career pathways that exist for their students and how to make subject matter relevant in the classroom. Career Corps will focus on Alabama’s top demand occupations in target industry sectors such as advanced manufacturing health care, information technology, professional services, construction and transportation/distribution/ logistics. Through the Career Corps program, educators will interact directly with industry and business leaders to learn about job requirements and how particular subjects and skills are utilized in day-to-day tasks. Educators will also learn about industry trends and be exposed to ideas and work-related examples that will enhance classroom instruction, student learning and career readiness. Upon acceptance into the program, educators were carefully and deliberately matched with a company based on grade taught, subject matter and location. Companies throughout Shelby County will host an educator this summer, showcasing their operation, departments, opportunities and challenges, while learning more about the trials educators face in the classroom and provide a mechanism to brainstorm mutually beneficial solutions for students that will ultimately become potential employees. “Connecting our Shelby County educators to industry is incredibly beneficial for our educators and our companies. Each will connect, brainstorm and revive the career pathways our students will soon be following,” said Pari
58 INC. Director of Development Melody Whitten speaks during an orientation session of Career Corps, a new program founded in partnership between the Shelby County Greater Community Foundation and 58 INC. that connects educators with industry leaders to understand trends, required skills and career readiness. Photo courtesy of Shelby County Chamber.
Barzegari, community and career development director with the Shelby County Chamber. Funding for the Career Corps program was made possible through a grant from Cawaco RC&D Inc., which makes it possible to offer each educator a stipend for days worked. “This project is very unique as it provides direct job training to teachers and gives them insight into career opportunities available in
Shelby County so they can create lesson plans pertaining to those specific occupations,” said Patti Pennington, programs manager for Cawaco RC&D Inc. “In this way, it trains both teacher and student.” 58 INC. Director of Development Melody Whitten said that in an effort to continually address workforce needs in Shelby County, they are deeply engaged in workforce development
initiatives and programming. “When this grant opportunity became available, we were excited to offer an avenue for educators to interact with business and industry so that they may experience the wide variety of career pathways that exist for their students and the skill sets needed to be successful in their future career,” Whitten said. – Submitted by Pari Barzegari.
280Living.com
July 2021 • A21
Chamber’s Minute
By The Shelby County Chamber
Getting back together On June 3, The Shelby County Chamber and its collaborative partners at Calera Main Street, Chelsea Business Alliance, Montevallo Chamber of Commerce and Montevallo Main Street celebrated the positive impact that small business has on our county and our respective communities. That celebration culminated in the 2021 edition of the Shelby County Small Business Awards Luncheon. It was not lost on any of the co-hosts — or the attendees — how this year’s event was so very different from last year’s program. The most significant aspect of the 2021 program? We were able to gather safely in person to celebrate 27 amazing small businesses throughout our county. While the 2020 program saluted equally deserving nominees, the opportunity to be with all of the nominees, to recognize them and to
acknowledge their success was an extremely positive one. During most of 2020, businesses throughout Shelby County learned how to work in significantly different ways. And, while many of those new ways of working will be available — and in some cases here to stay — we can’t help but realize that being able to work together, safely, in person is extremely rewarding and productive. At The Shelby County Chamber, we look forward to continuing our efforts in getting back together in all of our programming. For more information on the organization and its programming, please feel free to visit our website, shelbychamber.org, or give us a call at 205-663-4542 to learn how you and your organization can benefit. – Kirk Mancer, president and CEO of The Shelby County Chamber.
How My Chamber Membership Works for Me When I became a business owner in Shelby County, I decided to join The Shelby County Chamber to meet and get to know other business people. While that has certainly been the case, I didn’t realize how active our Chamber is in a number of other important areas that impact our quality of life in our communities and throughout the County, including education. I’ve taken the opportunity to participate in numerous school events, and while it doesn’t present me with immediate “selling” opportunities, it does allow me the chance to meet and motivate students – whom in the future could be potential future employees or other business owners. There are a variety of other events which our Chamber holds that will work for any type of business. Participating in these has helped me gain such positive exposure – and business – that my annual investment is more than covered. As long as I own a business, I will be an investor with The Shelby County Chamber!
Brittani Morris, Owner Brittani Morris State Farm Insurance Agency 205-988-4526 | brittanimorrisinsurance.com For more information on how your business can benefit by being a member of the The Shelby County Chamber, contact Chris Williams at
chris@shelbychamber.org – 205-663-4542 ext. 103 1301 County Services Drive Pelham, AL 35124
205-663-4542
shelbychamber.org
A22 • July 2021
280 Living
Community Have a community announcement? Email Leah Ingram Eagle at leagle@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
SHARING SUCCESS Through social gatherings, mentoring, workshops and now virtual space, GirlSpring continues work to empower young women By NICK PATTERSON Oak Mountain High School senior Camilla Augustus loves to write. So when she heard of GirlSpring, she saw an opportunity. As it turns out, writing for the nonprofit group’s girl-focused website was only one of many benefits to joining GirlSpring, said Camilla, who lives in Brook Highland. “GirlSpring has been a great ... community, I would call it,” Camilla said. “Getting to know different people has been the highlight for me. I’ve met a lot of people and can say, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve made new friends from this program.’ Also, being able to write for GirlSpring has been cool as well. Working on my writing skills has also helped me as a student, so that’s been fun.” Camilla is considering two possible career paths: television production and medicine. Her work with GirlSpring has given her the chance to explore her future. “This was at the beginning of the school year, but I wrote a piece about COVID[-19] and going back to school,” she said. “I’m really interested in medicine and stuff, so this was right up my alley.” Throughout the pandemic, GirlSpring’s events committee also gave Camilla and her friends the chance to plan gatherings that take place over Zoom. “Recently, we planned, I believe it was a ‘Jeopardy’ game, and it was virtual, because of COVID[-19],” Camilla said. “But we had each member of the event committee host a small group of some sort, and we got different people who were outside of the GirlSpring community to come and play to introduce them to GirlSpring and hopefully get interested. “I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, being virtual, but it turned out really, really well. And I believe everyone really enjoyed themselves.” Thousands of girls across the metro area have made connections — in person and virtually — through GirlSpring since it was founded in 2010, Executive Director Kristen Greenwood said. The nonprofit organization is focused on empowering young women in ways they might not otherwise experience. Greenwood “We know that girls don’t necessarily get all the skills they need to succeed in the classroom, not because they don’t have great teachers, but because they are focused on academics, which is very important,” Greenwood said. “But girls and women face challenges in life that they need to know how to navigate. Whether it is career or family, or both, there are things that girls need to know that aren’t taught in school.” Greenwood talked to 280 Living about how GirlSpring got started and why it’s so important. Q: What does GirlSpring do and why? A: Our mission is to empower girls 9-18 with the tools they need to succeed in life: accurate information, inspiring events, and positive female role models. Q: What does that look like in practice? A: In terms of programming, there is an online magazine and mobile app created and managed by a group of teen girls called the Springboarders. There are also monthly
Clockwise, from above: GirlSpring gives young women the opportunity to learn from accomplished professions in events such as their STEM Fair. Oak Mountain High School senior Camilla Augustus. Using YouTube to reach girls with empowering messages and recaps of events, GirlSpring connects girls from across the metro area. Photos courtesy of GirlSpring.
talks led by female community leaders called Wonder Women that focus on topics ranging from how to succeed in careers — particularly male-dominated fields. Other things range from cybersecurity and financial literacy to nutrition and wellness, career and STEM fairs, film screenings, mother-daughter events and an annual summer camp. Q: Give us an example. A: Our largest ongoing program is the Springboarders teen program, which consists of 60 girls, [ages] 13-18, who are tasked with managing GirlSpring’s website, girlspring.com, which reaches 15,000 visitors per month in Birmingham and beyond. The girls have varying roles of responsibility. At a minimum, each girl contributes some type of content to the site, such as an article on a topic relevant to their peers, a poem or artwork, or works with other team members to create a podcast or video interview with a female role model from the community. There are also leadership roles such as chairs for the various committees (podcast, YouTube, etc.), and executive level (president,
vice president and secretary). The girls work together to develop a monthly topic for their website submissions, create online events for their peers, such as trivia nights and peer-topeer college prep advice panels, and periodically get together to have volunteer days. Girls are drawn from all different schools and backgrounds, so through this program they get exposure to girls from different walks of life, they learn how to work together as a team, develop leadership skills and get to meet lots of inspiring women from our community that they might not otherwise meet.
helping another girl, just by having published something that might speak to her and knowing she’s not the only person dealing with that particular issue. During COVID[-19] especially, we heard so many girls tell us what a great resource the website had been for them. People often want to hear about our events, which are wonderful, but the website, which is driven by this group of teen girls, is really at the heart of everything. There are resources written by professionals on certain topics, but 90% of the content is created by teen girls.
Q: This seems to provide them with a lot of real-world skills. A: In terms of volunteer opportunities, people often don’t realize how great this looks on a college application, but consistently the graduating seniors tell me that when they go for their college interviews or put this on scholarship applications, that it really stands out because it is a unique and different type of service. Even the girls who are participating at the minimum level and writing an article on a peer relevant topic are
Q: How did GirlSpring get started? A: GirlSpring was started by Jane Comer. She saw a lack of women in leadership positions and a need for more. She believed that by empowering girls, we build better communities, better businesses, better relationships and ultimately a better world. So, she started gathering input from women in Birmingham who felt similarly and founded GirlSpring as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2010. Q: Tell us more about Jane Comer.
280Living.com
July 2021 • A23 we work with directly was that we also were a great source of structure when the rest of their world fell apart. Plus, reading articles written by peers going through the same thing made them feel they weren’t alone. Also, all of our in-person programs are now completely offered online.
Learning from and interacting with peers from different schools is a major benefit of the programs GirlSpring offers.
A: Jane has two passions: empowering girls and the arts. She is a native of Birmingham, and besides GirlSpring, she also started Artplay, which holds art, dance and music classes for children and adults and is Comer housed in a restored 19th century house in Southside. She’s a lot of fun and also one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Q: How did you come to GirlSpring? A: I worked at the Birmingham Museum of Art for many years and knew who Jane was but didn’t really know her. One of my colleagues knew her well and knew about GirlSpring and introduced us. I fell in love with the mission immediately. Q: How many girls does GirlSpring serve? A: It’s a hard question to answer, especially on grant applications. Through our in-person programs, where we actually see girls directly,
about 1,000 per year from Birmingham and surrounding areas. Our biggest platform, however, is our website, which has, on average 15,000 visitors per month. Our website visitors could be from Birmingham, or from anywhere across the globe. Q: How do girls sign up? A: Springboarders must apply via an online application, be interviewed by a small peer group, commit to monthly meetings and commit to submitting something to our website each month (an article, artwork, poetry, podcast, video). Q: Did the pandemic change what you do in any way? If so, how? A: Yes, when schools shut down and girls had more time at home, we saw a dramatic increase in traffic to our website — 30% within weeks. We went from 8,000 average visitors to 13,000 in several weeks. That’s continued to grow since then. We had the largest Springboarder class since we started, and the pandemic actually was a huge booster for our growth. Girls were looking for resources online, and luckily they found us. The feedback we got from the girls
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Q: As the pandemic eases, what do you want to see change? A: Getting people to recognize what a great resource our website and the virtual world can be when circumstances make it impossible for people to be together physically. For so many girls, having virtual programs has been wonderful because for a small town, we are pretty big. Depending on where you live, it can take an hour to get from one part of town to another, plus, with virtual programs, you eliminate barriers like lack of transportation that many households have to deal with. Q: What’s been the best thing about working with GirlSpring? A: Seeing all these young women from different backgrounds and schools come together to work toward a common goal. They all believe in empowering each other, in using their voices to help other girls. They are also all really nice girls — no cliques — it’s very inclusive. They want to see each other succeed. Q: If there was one thing you’d want people to know about GirlSpring, what would it be? A: I think there is a perception that it is a website where girls publish their writing, artwork and poetry. That is only one component of what it is. Although that is important and valued, I think what the girls get out of it is so much more. It’s the behind the scenes camaraderie of working together to decide on the theme for the month, it’s the women they get to meet as guest speakers at their meetings and the women they interview for podcasts and video interviews, the in-person events like the Wonder Women talks and the STEM fair and Career fair and the summer camp. I hope that people will visit our website, Instagram and Facebook and check us out.
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A24 • July 2021
280 Living
2 rare plant species discovered at Oak Mountain Alabama sandstone oak acorns collected at Oak Mountain State Park may be used to grow more trees in an effort to conserve the species, found in only a few Alabama counties. Photo courtesy of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
By KENNY JOHNSON ALABAMA NEWS CENTER When Noah Yawn headed out for Oak Mountain State Park in October, he was planning to take part in a survey for a tree found only in Alabama. What he didn’t expect was to also stumble upon a sizable population of another rare plant species: the Georgia aster. The survey was part of an ongoing effort of the Alabama Plant Conservation Alliance to better understand the range and natural history of the Alabama sandstone oak, a tree found only in six north-central Alabama counties. Yawn, an undergraduate student assistant in conservation and botany studies at Auburn University, was looking for the rare oak when he first spotted the asters through what he calls “drive-by botany.” “Driving through the park at 25 miles per hour with my windows down is how I unintentionally discovered the park’s roadside populations of the aster,” Yawn said. “I estimate there are approximately 500 to 1,000 individual flowering stems at the documented roadside sites. These sites are scattered over 1 to 2 miles along Terrace Drive.” Often considered the Southeast’s largest, prettiest and most purple aster species, this distinctive plant can grow to more than 3 feet tall and features a large flower head encircled with deep purple to lavender petals. Once found in woodlands and Piedmont prairies throughout the Southeast, the Georgia aster is currently found only in a few counties in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. In recent years, a multistate/multiorganization agreement was developed to provide a framework for the conservation and management of Georgia aster throughout its range. The goal of the agreement is to conserve and improve current populations and keep the aster from being federally listed as an endangered species. “Even the smallest preserved natural areas, including roadsides, can protect extremely
valuable and imperiled species,” Yawn said. “The Georgia aster at Oak Mountain State Park represents some of the only populations in Alabama that are protected on state lands, making this all the more exciting.” Oak Mountain is Alabama’s largest state park at 9,940 acres. The park size and the varied nature of its ridge and valley habitat are partly responsible for the high level of biodiversity found there. Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said these discoveries highlight the importance of public lands, including state parks, to the conservation of rare plant and animal species. “Alabama’s State Parks, Forever Wild tracts, Wildlife Management Areas and other state lands play a vital role in conserving important habitat for some plants and animals found
nowhere else in the world,” Blankenship said. “These locations ensure the public can continue to enjoy the rich diversity of Alabama’s landscape for generations to come.” While finding the Georgia aster at Oak Mountain was a pleasant surprise, the main focus of the survey was to document the Alabama sandstone oak within the park. Like the Georgia aster, this oak is vulnerable because of its small population numbers and narrow habitat preference. The Alabama sandstone oak is a long-lived, slow-growing plant. The trees at Oak Mountain State Park could be older than the nearby city of Birmingham. Core samples taken at the Forever Wild Hinds Road Outcrop in Etowah County indicated an average age of less than 100 years for the aboveground tree stems. As the Alabama sandstone oak grows, its below-ground stems creep along, spreading
under the surface of the soil, creating clones of its above ground stems. Because the root system is the oldest part of the tree, age estimates of the above ground stems may not accurately reflect the actual age of the individual trees. The Georgia aster, now found in only a few counties in four states, was once much more plentiful in the Southeast, according to the ADCNR. In addition to documenting the existence of the rare oaks in the state park, the survey team found a 90-by-60-foot collection of stems that appears to be a single clonal individual tree. Clonal growth usually occurs at a rate of about an inch or two per year for this species. If this collection of trees is a single individual, it could have taken centuries for it to grow to this enormous size in a low-nutrient environment like the rocky ridges of Oak Mountain.
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July 2021 • A25
April Stone begins coordinator role at Alabama Cooperative Extension System By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE After spending nearly two decades working at three different chambers of commerce, April Stone was ready for a change. She resigned from her position as executive director of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce in September and began her new role as the county extension coordinator for Shelby County Alabama Cooperative Extension System on April 1. “2020 was the year that stopped us all in our tracks,” Stone said. “It gave me some time to think, and I realized I was ready for a new challenge and new directions.” After stepping down from her role with the Hoover chamber, Stone took some time to be with her family and then began researching her next move. “I found the extension program position and started researching that,” she said. “I like the idea that their mission is making lifelong learners and has an extension office in every county in the state. Each office works to be attuned to the residents of their county, so it’s different from city to city.” Stone said she was excited about the idea of bringing that science-based research to people, especially because people now more than ever are interested in knowing where their food comes from. With the popularity of farmers markets increasing in recent years, Stone said people like to be able to say they got their tomatoes from a certain farmer in the county in which they live. “It creates a connection and an economic
April Stone, the county extension coordinator for Shelby County for the Shelby County Extension Office. Photo by Erin Nelson.
opportunity, as well,” she said. “Keeping your money and resources in the local economy is always a good thing.” Stone said she has enjoyed learning about farming in Shelby County, including farmers’ challenges and celebrations. She is also a part of the Shelby County Farmers Federation Group that meets to discuss the future of farming. “It’s been eye-opening and a lot of fun to do,” she said. Now, instead of networking and events, Stone is focusing on marketing the extension program and providing seminars and classes for residents. One of those is the master gardeners program, which allows residents to talk to an expert about things near to them, and that person will have that information at their fingertips. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is the primary outreach organization for the land-grant mission of Alabama A&M
University and Auburn University. It delivers research-based educational programs that enable people to improve their quality of life and economic well being. Stone said it’s about finding that balance of research-based science to make sure they are in tune with the needs of Shelby County residents. She has been spending time learning all of the programs and seminars the extension service offers, as well as handling marketing and managing the office. “I’m making my way around the county and introducing myself as April Stone, not with the chamber, but with extension services.” The Shelby County extension office has 19 employees, 13 or 14 of which are regional agents covering Shelby and several other counties. She said she has a list of people who are specialist experts in their respective fields to whom she can turn for anything including commercial landscaping to food service and cottage
food law. Stone herself is even learning about fermentation and how to make things like kombucha and sauerkraut. “I immediately saw that entrepreneur business development is part of a larger conversation about people working from home,” she said. “Some people do it for a side job, and others that’s what they do for their living. These things are sold locally, but it’s part of the whole local economy. That’s the biggest connection I’ve seen with the things we teach here — they impact every aspect of life, homes, businesses and even your community at large.” On July 22, the extension office will host a program on fermentation via Zoom. Stone said she hopes by the third or fourth quarter of the year, they can return to in-person events. “Our regional agents are anxious to get back in person but want to be safe and mindful of everyone,” she said. “So much of this, you’ve got to see and touch it and feel it.” The extension has a 4-H program that works with fourth graders throughout the county and also a program that develops leadership development skills, resume building and scholarship opportunities for high school students. Because it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, almost all of its programming for children and adults is free, although some classes have a small materials fee. Stone encourages those who have never heard of the extension service, or those who are interested in their programs to visit their website. Her short-term goal is to expand the social media presence and to tell their story. “We want to make sure that there’s an opportunity to be able to offer classes and training in every community,” she said. “I want to be all over the county, so when people take classes, that lends itself to the larger conversation about the quality of life and economic development in Shelby County. We want to make lifelong learners, and you’re never too old to learn something new.” Its website has current information about 4-H, farming, fish and water, food safety, forestry and wildlife, home and family, lawn and garden, and urban extension. It also has online courses, mobile apps, interactive video conferences, and webinars. Visit aces.edu/counties/ shelby for more information.
A26 • July 2021
280 Living
POWER TO CHANGE Brook Hills staff member says God ‘restored’ her after struggles, incarceration By GRACE THORNTON
K
athy Woods never really thought of herself as a big drug dealer. She’d grown up in a family that had everything they needed. She went to church. She’d gotten a brand-new car as a teenager and gone to college after she graduated from high school. So just a few years later, when narcotics task forces in three counties were exhausting a lot of manpower trying to catch her and put her behind bars, it was hard for her to see herself the way they did. “At the time, I looked at it as ‘I’m just doing what I’ve got to do to survive,’” Woods said. “But the police did not see it that way.” Neither does she, now that she’s nearly two decades down the road, married with children and serving in a ministry role at a church. She sees a young woman who had been through some hard times but who also made some bad decisions that snowballed. And she sees someone on a crash course to run straight into Jesus — someone who one day would know the power of God’s redemption and restoration. It all started when Woods was 16. “Life was good. My dad owned his own business, and things were going well,” she said. But spiritually their family had some fault lines. Her mom was very involved with her church’s children’s ministry, but her dad didn’t go except for Christmas and Easter, and he didn’t believe God was real. Then when Woods was 16, she found out her dad had been having an affair. “It was this blow to our world,” she said. Immediately, her mom said they would get a divorce, but over the next two years it was a roller coaster of trying to work it out and deciding they couldn’t — over and over again. Woods also went through a breakup with her high school sweetheart. She started going to parties, experimenting occasionally with drugs. During that time, her dad was also diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. He began to deteriorate rapidly. The divorce was final when Woods was 18. Then at 19, she found out she had an early form of cervical cancer, and after a procedure to remove it, doctors told her she might never have children. “For a kid who had had no bumps in the road, it was a lot,” she said. “Then I started dating a guy who was 10 years older than me.” She said she didn’t really love him; he was just someone to spend time with in a season where everything was really hard. But things escalated quickly. “We were eating dinner with my dad one night, and my dad said, ‘I sure do hope you guys get married because I want to walk you down the aisle before I can’t,’” Woods said. “So the guy I was dating said, ‘Oh, we’re going to get married aren’t we? We should just go ahead and do it.’” Woods knew she didn’t want to marry him. “But my dad was crying and saying, ‘Oh, I can’t wait,’ and it just snowballed out of control for me,” she said. “So the next thing I know, I’m 21 and getting married to a man I cared about but in no way did I love him the way I loved that high school sweetheart.” She dropped out of college, planned a wedding and got married — and her new husband physically assaulted her when they came home from the wedding. She was stunned. The abuse escalated until one day Woods finally asked him what had changed. “I said, ‘You’re not the same person,’ and he said it was because he was using drugs,” she said. “He told me I was always wanting him to do things, and all he wanted to do was get high and have a good time and that everything would be better if I would just do that with him.” Woods couldn’t bear the thought of going back and telling her recently divorced mom that she was being abused and her marriage was
“
Kathy Woods with her family. “I love sharing hope and the truth that you are being pursued by your Creator,” she said. “He is willing to restore. It may take time, and there are consequences to our actions, but he does restore.” Photo courtesy of Shutter and Light Photography.
I was like ‘I’m a disappointment; I’ve come back, but I’m screwing it up so badly.’ But through the journey, people I really thought would say ‘Yeah, you’ve got too much going on’ really stood in the gap for me and championed for me.
failing. She also couldn’t bear the “I told you so” comments she thought she might get from friends who had thought the relationship was a bad idea. She felt trapped. So she tried crystal meth. “Pretty much immediately I was hooked,” Woods said. It alleviated the abuse at first, but then it got way worse. Eventually when her dad needed full-time care, she used that as an excuse to leave her husband. But her dad didn’t have enough money to pay for full-time care and support her and her addiction.
MOVING DRUGS
So when a friend offered Woods a chance to make money selling drugs, she took it. And once again, it escalated. “Within three months, I was moving a good bit of drugs,” she said. Over time, officers in Jefferson, St. Clair and Shelby counties were chasing her, trying to get enough evidence to arrest the young woman who was one of the main people moving drugs into and out of the area. They eventually arrested her in Shelby County, and when they did, the narcotics officer “was so kind,” Woods said. He asked her if she wanted to go back inside and get her shoes. “I told him no, I really want to go in and get my Bible,” Woods said. “The whole time I’d
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KATHY WOODS
been using, I really was not in a good place with the Lord. I was leaning toward my dad’s view on God. But when I was hurting, I would go to my Bible, and randomly in that moment, I told him I’d rather have my Bible than my shoes.” He told her he would let her get both. And as she got into his car, God was starting something new, she said. “They transferred me to St. Clair County, and my mama would not come get me,” Woods said. “She said, ‘I know you’re safe, I know you’re sober, and I know you’re not hurting anybody else.’ She also told me that she had stepped in to take care of my dad. She said, ‘I’m leaving you there, but I’m praying for you.’” So now, stuck in jail, Woods started seeking solace where she could. She started going to a chapel service run by women from a local church. “The only reason I would go is because you could color while they had chapel,” she said. “So week after week after week, I went and colored while they talked. And finally at some point, the Holy Spirit started to move again and relit my heart.” Woods said God reminded her that she had never been alone and that he had protected her. “There have been a lot of dangerous, dangerous situations I was in that looking back now, I’m lucky I’m not dead,” she said. “And the Spirit just reminded me of that and said, ‘God has sought you, he’s called you, he’s shown you favor — just come home.’”
It was her 89th night in jail, and she went back to her cell and wept. “I told the Lord, ‘I want to share the gospel, but I know I’m going to prison.’ I knew I was looking at 25 years because of the charges. That was going to be my minimum,” Woods said. “I said, ‘God, I’m going to do what you called me to do. I’m going to share the gospel, and I realize it’s going to be in prison.’” The next day, the mother of the friend who had gotten her started selling drugs came and posted her bail bond. Woods’ mom let her move home, and she stayed sober and got involved in church. It was about a year before she finally went to court for her sentencing. “I was so convinced I was going to prison, I had my bag of stuff to take with me,” Woods said. But the judge called her into his chambers and asked a question that surprised her — he asked her about her relationship with God. So she told him.
‘2ND CHANCE’
And he told her something even more surprising. “He said, ‘I just really feel like the Lord is leading me to give you a second chance,’” Woods said. “He said, ‘I’m struggling with it because you’re a pretty big deal to catch and have charges on, and I can’t imagine what I’m going to get from the other judges and the cops if I let you walk out of here. But I just can’t shake that the Lord is telling me to let you go.’” He turned to the officers in the room and asked if it would be OK with them if he gave her time served for one charge of distribution and dropped the other charges against her. “I’m sitting there thinking, ‘I know they’re going to say no, why would they say yes?’ And they both said ‘Sure,’” Woods said. “If you could understand the amount of manpower they spent trying to get me arrested and catch me, for them to turn around and say, ‘Sure, let her walk away’ — it’s mind boggling, and there is only one explanation
280Living.com for it.” That explanation was God, Woods said. She began the journey of finding out what it looked like to live as a Christian adult with a bag full of trauma and struggles. “Those first couple of years were hard. I don’t want anybody to think my story is ‘The Lord intervened, and I did everything I was supposed to do,’” she said. People began to invest in her along the way, and she started volunteering in youth ministry at a local church. She never touched drugs again, but she also hadn’t learned what it looked like to live a life fully surrendered to Christ. During that time, she became pregnant with her son. “I was like ‘I’m a disappointment; I’ve come back, but I’m screwing it up so badly,’” Wood said. “But through the journey, people I really thought would say ‘Yeah, you’ve got too much going on’ really stood in the gap for me and championed for me.” One of those was Tim Faulk, a minister who discipled her during that time and helped her get on her feet in ministry. Another was Chris Crain and Russ Donaho, at the time pastor and worship minister respectively of North Valley Church, Odenville. “Both just poured into me, loved on me and understood my passion for ministry and missions and wanting to help people who are struggling and lost,” Woods said. They told her they saw a lot of skill and talent for ministry in her, but they wanted to equip her with more depth of Bible understanding.
EDUCATION AND MINISTRY
“Chris actually paid for my first seminary class,” she said. From there, she went on to Leavell College at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and after graduation served in student ministry at Deerfoot Baptist Church, Trussville, then at Serving You Ministries in Birmingham. She now serves as administrative assistant for city ministries at the Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham. God has done a lot of restoration work in her life, she said. She’s married now and has a stepdaughter in addition to her son. She spent five years in student ministry, pouring into
July 2021 • A27 students and helping them see the life God has for them. She prays both they and her children will know God but get to live “normal” stories and not walk the same road she did. And she recognizes the role that her mother’s constant prayers played in her journey.
‘LIVING EXAMPLE’
Over the years, Woods has been on missions trips across the U.S. and around the world. She’s mentored students in job training programs and worked with families in a part of inner-city Birmingham that faces a lot of brokenness. And prison ministry is dear to her heart. She encourages people all the time to get involved and not get discouraged if it seems like everyone involved is coloring and not listening. God is at work, Woods said, and she’s a testimony to that. “I love sharing hope and the truth that you are being pursued by your Creator,” she said. “He is willing to restore. It may take time, and there are consequences to our actions, but he does restore.” Crain said Woods’ story is “a living example of the gospel’s power to change.” When she was at North Valley, “her love for Jesus was magnetic,” said Crain, who now serves as executive director of Birmingham Metro Baptist Association. “I was amazed at Kathy’s ability to bring others along when she began to live on mission for Jesus. Kathy seems to operate by the philosophy that Jesus can redeem anyone and use them to impact the world. She lives that out like few I have ever observed.” Keith Stanley, City Ministries pastor at Brook Hills, said, “Kathy is a huge blessing to Brook Hills and our City Ministries as God uses her story and life experiences to provide guidance and wisdom to our overall strategies and to provide encouragement and hope to many struggling with the effects of brokenness in our city.” – This story first appeared in The Alabama Baptist and is being reprinted with permission.
Events Sarah Howard of Chelsea shops at the Kohl’s in Inverness Corners in Hoover with her daughter, Stella, and son, Sawyer. The back-toschool sales tax holiday will be July 16-18. Photo by Jon Anderson.
Back-to-school sales tax holiday returns this month By JON ANDERSON This year’s back-to-school sales tax holiday is scheduled for the weekend of July 16-18. Between 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 16, and midnight Sunday, July 18, shoppers will not have to pay state sales and use taxes and some local sales and use taxes on select items. The three-day sales and use tax holiday was first created by the Legislature in 2006 to give people a break from taxes as they shop for items needed for their children to return to school. The state gives counties and municipalities the option of whether to waive their own sales and use taxes for the same period. Items exempt include clothing with a sales price of $100 or less per item (excluding certain accessories and protective and sports equipment); computer equipment and supplies with a sales price of $750 or less per item or computer package; and noncommercial purchases of school supplies, school art supplies or school instructional materials up to $50 per item.
Clothing items eligible for the waiver include: belts, boots, caps, coats, diapers, dresses, gloves, gym suits, hats, hosiery, jackets, jeans, neckties, pajamas, pants, raincoats, robes, sandals, scarves, school uniforms, shirts, shoes, shorts, socks, sneakers and underwear. School supplies eligible for the waiver include binders, blackboard chalk, book bags, calculators, cellophane tape, compasses, composition books, crayons, erasers, folders, glue and paste, highlighters, index cards, index card boxes, legal pads, lunch boxes, markers, notebooks, paper, pencil boxes and other school supply boxes, pencil sharpeners, pencils, pens, protractors, rulers, scissors, writing tablets, clay and glazes, paints, art paint brushes, sketch and drawing pads, watercolors, reference maps and globes, required textbooks priced between $30 and $50 and books priced at $30 or less. For a complete list of tax-exempt and taxable items, go to revenue.alabama.gov/ sales-use/sales-tax-holidays.
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27th annual
BUMP-N-GRIND RACE Mountain bikers race the 27th annual BUMP-N-GRIND race May 30 at Oak Mountain State Park. Photos by Ingrid Schnader.
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Mountain bikers travel along the Slingshot trail at Oak Mountain State Park. Photos by Erin Nelson.
TRAIL
CONTINUED from page A1 President Jeff Rozycki said at the ribbon-cutting. “Enjoy this wonderful ridgeline we have here. This is an untouched ridgeline, and we previously haven’t been up on these ridges. It’s a beautiful area this trail goes through.” When the ribbon on the new trail was cut during the XTERRA race weekend May 8-10, more than 100 cyclists took off from Camp Road to begin the trail. From this direction, the trail begins with a steep climb and is followed by a fast section. There are extra features along the way, such as a tree that was turned into a “skinny,” which is a narrow bridge that forces bikers to put balance skills to the test. There were opportunities for experienced riders to catch air and opportunities for less-experienced riders to take it easy. There were a few hiccups the day of the trail’s grand reveal, park Superintendent Kelly Ezell said. The Birmingham area had historic levels of rain May 4 — just two days before the trail’s grand opening — that
caused power outages and evacuations across the metro area. At Oak Mountain, the heavy rainfall washed out two bridges, including bridges that were essential for the weekend’s XTERRA races and for riding to the Slingshot trailheads. “But teamwork makes the dream work, and we had a great team today who pulled together and built a bridge,” Ezell said. “They didn’t just do repairs. They actually had to build one, and they did a great job.” With the help of volunteers, the bridges were replaced the next morning.
1ST NEW TRAIL IN 4 YEARS
This is the first new trail at Oak Mountain since Thunder, which is a downhill trail for intermediate riders that was completed in 2017. The park now has 52 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. “We want to maintain what we’ve got as always, but having something new and different for people to enjoy is important as well,” Ezell said. “Every few years, it’s important to offer something new, fresh and different.” It’s not just important to those who use the
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Upcoming Events ► July 3: Fire on the Water. 5-9 p.m. ► July 10: Pro Wakeboarding Tour Competition. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ► July 17: Hotter ‘n Hell Trail Race. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. ► Aug. 20-22: Mayhem on the Mountain. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ► Aug. 21: Ridge to Blazing Ridge Trail Race. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
trail. The economic impact of the park on the surrounding area is “major,” County Manager Chad Scroggins said. With things spreading so quickly on social media, visitors could be coming from far out of town to check out Slingshot. “You’ve got so much retail and sales tax generation that’s coming from the park,” he said. “You go to the South Trailhead, and look at all the car tags that are not from our
area. When they opened the new trail and XTERRA was here, I even saw a car from Hawaii, which is pretty hard to do.”
WHAT’S NEXT
The park is always planning for the next thing, Ezell said. Some plans have been put on hold since a tornado hit the park in March, and the park had to shift focus to reopen those damaged sections. A road project is currently in the works on the south side of the park. From the ranger’s station to Alabama 119, visitors will be able to enjoy new pavement with lanes for cyclists and walkers. At the intersection of Oak Mountain Road and John Findlay Drive, a roundabout will replace the current four-way stop. Through the park’s partnership with BUMP, the park will also continue to make improvements to its current trails. “We’ve got a lot going on,” Ezell said. “There are a lot of good things happening.” Oak Mountain State Park is at 200 Terrace Drive in Pelham. Visit alapark.com for more information.
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July 2021 • A31
SPLASH PAD
CONTINUED from page A1 wristbands, while another window will be for concessions. “The wristbands will be for those ages 1 and up,” said Jane Anne Mueller, activities director at the Chelsea Community Center. “It’s for all day, so if a rain shower comes and we have to close, people could leave and come back.” Mueller has been assisting Parks and Recreation Director Bart Pettus in taking care of behind-the-scenes work that he doesn’t have time to do. “That’s kind of my forte, having a big task and getting it done,” she said. Although the wade pool is only about 18 inches deep, all of the personnel working at the splash pad will be CPR trained and lifeguard certified. All of the staff will have matching shirts that have “staff” printed on the back so they can be easily identified.
CLOSE AND CONVENIENT
The closest splash pads are in Hoover, Moody and Pell City, so this will be a great addition to Chelsea, while also attracting guests from all over nearby areas. Picklesimer and several council members went and looked at the ones in Moody and Pell City to get an idea of how they wanted the Chelsea one to look. Its main feature is a clock tower in the middle and has a Chelsea theme throughout. There will be a large deck area for parents to sit while their children play. A large restroom facility that will also serve as a storm shelter will be available. “I expect it to be crazy for a little while after it opens,” Mueller said. “Having the splash pad in combination with the playground, we feel like people will go back and forth between the two.” Guests can bring their own drinks and snacks and enjoy them at the areas outside of the splash pad. Drinks and light snacks will be available for purchase, and in the future, more snack options will be available, along with pavilions that can be rented for birthday parties. To keep guests safe, the water will undergo
The Splash Pad at Melrose Park will feature a clock tower in the middle and display a Chelsea theme throughout. There will also be a large deck area for parents to sit while their children play. Photos by Erin Nelson.
regular testing like pools do to make sure it meets the required levels.
RULES AND HOURS
The splash pad rules are: ► Swimsuits and appropriate attire must be worn. ► Children younger than 14 must be accompanied by an adult. ► Infants and toddlers must wear a swim diaper. ► Tobacco, drugs or alcohol will not be allowed. ► Outside food and drink must remain in designated areas at all times. ► Chairs and umbrellas will not be allowed in the splash pad area. ► Pets are prohibited. ► No horseplay or running. ► Swim toys or athletic equipment will not be allowed. ► No raincheck for inclement weather. ► The city can remove participants for violating any of the above rules. The splash pad will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays
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from 1 to 6 p.m. and has a maximum capacity of 300 guests. The splash pad season will run from May 1 to Oct. 1. Mueller said because all the lifeguards are students, the splash pad may only be opened on weekends once school begins in the fall. “We may not have everything worked out from day one, but in having a new venture, we
will figure it out,” Mueller said. Now that the playground and splash pad are complete, the next project at Melrose Park is an amphitheater. Mueller said she is already forming ideas of events to hold when it’s completed, including family movie nights and live music. “There are a lot of things in the pipeline for people to be excited about,” she said.
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MAKING HAPPY CAMPERS 4th of July
Teshua Farms owner launches RV rental, consignment business
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Mike Betz was already running two businesses: Teshua Farms and The Marketplace at Lee Branch. However, as both began to suffer the effects of the pandemic in 2020, he knew he had to come up with something to supplement the income he would lose. “We weren’t able to do the pumpkin patch and began looking for other things to do for the farm,” Betz said. “COVID-19 literally wiped out everything we did at the farm; agribusiness, goat yoga, the pumpkin patch and birthday pastries all vanished.” The marketplace was able to reopen but with online ordering and pick-up service only. When Betz’s wife Renee suggested he purchase a camper to rent out, he did, and Teshua Farms RV Rentals was born. “We were advertising it on Airbnb and started getting a lot of requests,” he said. “I thought, ‘What if we got another one?’ So, we did, and it got booked. Then we got another one, and it got booked. Pretty soon we had a fleet of campers.” As people were eager to get outdoors while Mike Betz opens the door of an RV as chickens walk out from under the camper as he gives a tour of Teshua Farms RV Rentals, geared toward families to use for road trips, camping trips or other getaways. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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July 2021 • B3
Far Left: Students work on resumes during career services workshop On right: Students use C# to build a mobile game in class
Local Startup Trains and Places New Programmers Without College Degree “Right now, there are more positions than there are people, and the kinds of folks coming out of fouryear colleges are without the right skill sets,” said Chase Morrow, Co-founder of GoodJob, a Birmingham-based online employment agency. Computer programming using C#, JavaScript, and SQL are all in high demand in the United States, and Hooverbased TrueCoders is working to train people to fill these jobs. Seaborn Patterson, from Mountain Brook, went through TrueCoders training after losing his job in insurance due to COVID-19. He was impressed with the TrueCoders course and how they not only taught him coding but also provided help with job search and interviewing skills. In April, he was hired by Google as a Software Developer in Chicago. He went on to say, “My life has changed drastically. From being unemployed for so long to now, I’ve got a new job in Chicago at Google paying money I
never thought I could make.” TrueCoders offers an online 9-week course that meets Monday - Friday from 9AM to 3PM, as well as an online self-paced FLEX schedule option. The average TrueCoders graduate starts off making around $50,000 per year in their new job, and some are making upwards of $70,000 at entry level. By taking a holistic approach to the problem, TrueCoders attributes its success to inspiring bright minds in a community and then mentoring them all the way through their job search. “Putting in place a barrier of a test and leaving it to the students to break it down is not what we aspire to be”, says Doyle. He continued, “When students decide they are ready to learn and better themselves is where we see the best results, and we just endeavor to create an environment where that is most likely to occur.”
TrueCoders helps the student build their resumes, expand their network, set up interviews, and much more. By working with each graduate every day until they’ve been placed in a developer position, we give each of our graduates the highest chance to succeed. “We’re proving to be a value rich alternative or add-on to the college choice.” Doyle said. Starting at $3,150 (with financing options available), it’s hard to ignore this exciting new education option. Is coding in your future? Give TrueCoders a call at 205-843-7103, or visit them online at truecoders.io
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B4 • July 2021
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Sports
All-South Metro Baseball Oak Mountain’s Gillespie named Hitter of the Year By KYLE PARMLEY The second annual Starnes Media All-South Metro baseball team has been released, recognizing the many standout performers throughout the high school season. Two teams and an honorable mention list were assembled from the 12 schools Starnes Media covers. Hoover coach Adam Moseley earns Coach of the Year honors after leading the Buccaneers to an impressive turnaround. Hoover was 3-9 and 12-17 at points during the season, but made it to the Class 7A state championship series. Lucas Steele, Hoover’s catcher, earns Player of the Year honors after leading the Bucs in a few offensive categories and playing arguably the most important position on the field. Hewitt-Trussville’s Riley Quick posted an 0.99 earned run average to earn Pitcher of the Year honors. Oak Mountain’s Davis Gillespie paced the area with 40 runs batted in to earn Hitter of the Year. ► Player of the Year: Lucas Steele, Hoover ► Hitter of the Year: Davis Gillespie, Oak Mountain ► Pitcher of the Year: Riley Quick, Hewitt-Trussville ► Coach of the Year: Adam Moseley, Hoover
Oak Mountain’s Davis Gillespie (18) swings at a pitch during a game against Lincoln County (Tennessee) during the Hoover Bucs Classic spring break tournament in March at the Hoover Met Plex. Photos by Erin Nelson.
1ST TEAM
► Pitcher: Riley Quick, Hewitt-Trussville; led the Huskies in most categories, posting a 9-2 record with a microscopic 0.99 ERA. ► Pitcher: Skyler Jones, Hewitt-Trussville; formed a dynamic 1-2 punch with Quick, going 8-2 with a 1.59 ERA and 101 strikeouts. ► Pitcher: Brock Hill, Chelsea; posted seven wins with a 1.62 ERA for the Hornets. ► Pitcher: Matthew Hawsey, Hoover; led a balanced Bucs team with a 7-2 record and 1.70 ERA in 57 2/3 innings. ► Catcher: Lucas Steele, Hoover; reached base nearly half of his at-bats, blasted eight home runs and drove in 32 runs for a strong Bucs team. ► First base: Maddox Macrory, Oak Mountain; hit at a .376 clip and drove in 30 runs for the Eagles. ► Second base: RJ Hamilton, Hoover; the dual-sport star helped lead the Bucs turnaround as one of the top middle infielders in the state. ► Third base: Davis Gillespie, Oak Mountain; led the area with 40 RBIs and hit .346 on the season. ► Shortstop: John Hall, Homewood; dubbed the captain by his team, hit .436 with a .500 on-base percentage, swiping 23 bases as well. ► Infield: JT Weisberg, John Carroll; the Birmingham-Southern signee hit .414 and drove in 21 runs to help the Cavaliers to their first playoff appearance in nine years. ► Infield: Braxton Wetzler, Mountain Brook; led the Spartans in a variety of ways, playing multiple positions, driving in 23 runs and posting four wins on the mound. ► Outfield: Sean Agsalud, Hoover; had a tremendous season,
Above left: Chelsea’s Connor Ball (21) pitches in a game against Hueytown during the Hoover Bucs Classic spring break tournament. Above right: Oak Mountain’s Andrew Hunt (29) fields the ball as he makes the throw to first base for an out during the Eagles game against Lincoln County.
with an on-base percentage of .511, hitting five homers and driving in 33 runs. ► Outfield: Gabe Young, Mountain Brook; drove in 30 runs for the Spartans and finished with a .345 average. ► Outfield: Joseph Sullivan, Vestavia Hills; electric center fielder for the Rebels hit .402 and stole 22 bases, while driving in 30 runs as well. ► Utility: Matt Miller, Hewitt-Trussville; managed a .526 on-base percentage, driving in 28 runs. ► Utility: Jackson Webster, Chelsea; hit .315 with an on-base percentage of .464, swiping 12 bases and driving in 26.
2ND TEAM
► Pitcher: Eli Copenhaver, Spain Park; notched 11 saves and finished with 1.26 ERA for the Jags. ► Pitcher: Carter Tyus, Vestavia Hills; led a deep Rebels pitching staff with six wins and a 1.37 ERA.
► Pitcher: Connor Adams, Oak Mountain; posted a 1.46 ERA for the Eagles to lead their rotation. ► Pitcher: Connor Ball, Chelsea; pitched over 80 innings and struck out 128 batters while posting six wins. ► Catcher: Trent Thompson, Spain Park; knocked in 23 runs and finished with an OBP of .402. ► First base: Jackson Holland, Hewitt-Trussville; hit .305, stole 25 bases and knocked in 21 runs. ► Second base: Andrew Hunt, Oak Mountain; finished with an impressive OBP of .469 as part of an impressive Eagles infield. ► Third base: Eli Steadman, Briarwood; hit .391 and finished with an OBP of .543 for the Lions. ► Shortstop: Braxton Russell, Clay-Chalkville; managed a .408 average, .500 OBP and 10 doubles on the year. ► Infield: Cade Carr, Hoover;
knocked in 17 runs and got on base at a .419 clip for the Bucs. ► Infield: Kobe Lewis, ClayChalkville; put together an impressive year for the Cougars, hitting .362 and driving in 25 runs. ► Outfield: Luke Harris, John Carroll; hit .392 and drove in 23 runs for the upstart Cavs. ► Outfield: Trey Burrell, Hewitt-Trussville; swiped 20 bases and got on base at a .519 clip. ► Outfield: Pierce Hanna, Vestavia Hills; hit .338 and drove in 17 runs for the Rebels. ► Utility: Seth Seidenfaden, John Carroll; drove in 21 runs and finished with an OBP of .481. ► Utility: Trent Wright, Mountain Brook; one of the most dangerous Spartans hitters, he posted an OBP of .537.
HONORABLE MENTION
► Pitcher: Brewer Smith,
Hoover; Harrison Holcomb, Spain Park; Stephen Moraski, Oak Mountain; Campbell McCluney, Chelsea; Will Tarpley, Pinson Valley; Baker Green, Hewitt-Trussville; Will Heisler, Homewood; Jacob Newman, Vestavia Hills; William Gignilliat, John Carroll; Brode Susce, Homewood; Parker Szush, Chelsea; Reid Gongwer, Chelsea ► Catcher: Hudson Walburn, Vestavia Hills ► First base: Carter Short, Hoover; Cole Edwards, Spain Park; Trent Wright, Mountain Brook; Jack Freind, Clay-Chalkville; Jackson Harris, Vestavia Hills ► Second base: Devin Kelly, Pinson Valley ► Shortstop: Conner Eberhardt, Spain Park; Mitchell Pierce, Oak Mountain ► Outfield: Ethan Duhon, Hewitt-Trussville; Chris Calma, Pinson Valley
280Living.com
July 2021 • B5
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B6 • July 2021
280 Living
All-South Metro Softball Spain Park’s Widra named Player of Year By KYLE PARMLEY The 2021 high school softball season was a showcase for several of the area’s top teams and players. Many of those players were known commodities, such as Spain Park’s Annabelle Widra and Hewitt-Trussville’s Crystal Maze. They have played and excelled on the varsity level since their middle school days. But other players burst onto the scene for the first time and hope to become mainstays on the Starnes Media All-South Metro softball team over the next few years. On this year’s team, Widra earns both Player and Pitcher of the Year honors, while Hewitt-Trussville’s Anyce Harvey is Hitter of the Year after a spectacular year for the state champion Huskies. Lissa Walker of Vestavia Hills is Coach of the Year after taking the Rebels all the way to the state tournament. ► Player of the Year: Annabelle Widra, Spain Park ► Hitter of the Year: Anyce Harvey, Hewitt-Trussville ► Pitcher of the Year: Annabelle Widra, Spain Park ► Coach of the Year: Lissa Walker, Vestavia Hills
Spain Park’s Annabelle Widra (66) hits a home run during a Jag Classic game in March at Spain Park High School. Photos by Kyle Parmley.
1ST TEAM
► Pitcher: Macey Ogle, John Carroll; led the Cavaliers at the plate and in the circle. She finished the year with a .523 batting average, 63 runs batted in and posted an 18-8 pitching record with a 2.54 earned run average. ► Pitcher: Annabelle Widra, Spain Park; capped off an incredible career by posting a 20-5 record with a 1.20 ERA. She also hit a career high 15 home runs and drove in 47 runs while hitting .490. ► Pitcher: Brookelyn Cannon, Hoover; led the Buccaneers to the state tournament, going 21-8 with a 2.48 ERA in the circle and driving in 43 runs at the dish. ► Catcher: Campbell Hecklinski, Hoover; led the Bucs with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs and produced many clutch hits. ► First base: Crystal Maze, Hewitt-Trussville; hit .445 with eight homers and 38 RBIs while battling injury all season, finishing off her Huskies career with a state title. ► Second base: Hannah Dorsett, Hewitt-Trussville; hit second for the dominant Huskies offense, hitting .435, driving in 38 runs and stealing 33 bases. ► Third base: Kenleigh Cahalan, Hewitt-Trussville; posted a monster season at the plate, hitting .523 with 17 home runs and 86 RBIs. ► Shortstop: Jenna Lord, Hewitt-Trussville; the Alabama signee racked up an area-high 87 RBIs, finishing the year with a .475 average and 13 homers as well. ► Infield: Lydia Coleman, Spain Park; a stellar all-around player for the Jags, Coleman hit .523 with nine homers and 34 RBIs on the year. She also stole 33 bases. ► Infield: Sarah Katona, Oak Mountain; eclipsed the .400 mark at the plate and finished with six homers and 39 RBIs on the year. ► Outfield: Dawn Autry, Oak Mountain; set the table for the Eagles offense all year, hitting .444 with
Above left: Widra (66) after hitting a home run. Above right: Widra (66) pitches during a game between Hewitt-Trussville. Below: Oak Mountain’s Sarah Katona (17) during a game against Spain Park.
eight homers. ► Outfield: Anyce Harvey, Hewitt-Trussville; put together an outstanding year at the plate, posting a .566 average and .610 on-base percentage. She also hit 11 homers, drove in 70 runs and scored 85 runs, primarily from the leadoff spot. ► Outfield: Jakaria Byrd, Homewood; hit .505 for the Patriots and stole 31 bases. ► Utility: Charlotte Phillips, John Carroll; had a big year for the Cavs behind the plate, hitting .491 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs. ► Utility: Gwynnie Hornibrook, Vestavia Hills; hit six homers and drove in 34 runs for the Rebels. ► Utility: Charity Bibbs, Vestavia Hills; capped off her career by leading the Rebels at the plate and in the circle. She hit seven homers and drove in 33 runs, while posting a 3.53 ERA. ► Utility: Tyler Erwin, Chelsea; had a 2.40 ERA and hit eight home runs for the Hornets.
2ND TEAM
► Pitcher: Lacy Marty, Oak Mountain; pitched a whopping 188 innings, striking out 233 batters and posting a 19-14 mark. ► Pitcher: Sara Phillips, Hewitt-Trussville; went unbeaten as a freshman, going 16-0 with a 1.93
► Utility: Abi Allarde, John Carroll; got on base at a .510 clip and drove in 42 runs for the Cavs in her senior campaign. ► Utility: Chloe Brittain, Spain Park; drove in 38 runs for the Jags. ► Utility: Madi Mitchell, Hewitt-Trussville; hit five homers and knocked in 29 runs. ► Utility: Edith Kaplan, Mountain Brook; led the Spartans with 34 RBIs.
HONORABLE MENTION
ERA for the state champs. ► Pitcher: Sarah Hindman, Hewitt-Trussville; went 15-1 with a 2.58 ERA in 89 2/3 innings. ► Catcher: Maggie Daniel, Spain Park; hit .386 and drove in 34 runs as a freshman. ► First base: Riley Tyree, Hewitt-Trussville; hit .420 and drove in 53 runs while splitting time between first and catcher. ► Second base: Olivia Bergert, Chelsea; capped off a strong career with five home runs and a .381 average. ► Third base: Katie Flannery, Spain Park; drove in 36 runs from the middle of the Jags lineup. ► Shortstop: Bella Foran,
Hoover; hit .382, drove in 32 runs and stole 28 bases as a freshman. ► Infield: Gracie Mills, John Carroll; got on base over half the time and hit .433 for the Cavs. ► Infield: Kayla Franklin, Vestavia Hills; hit .388 and knocked in 20 runs for the Rebels. ► Outfield: Mallory Ogle, John Carroll; put together an impressive freshman season, hitting .510 and stealing 34 bases. ► Outfield: Gracie Hillman, Hoover; while battling injury, the sophomore hit .446 and stole 27 bases without being caught. ► Outfield: Hannah Christian, Hoover; hit .406 as a freshman, driving in 25 runs and stealing 30 bases.
► Pitcher: Ellie Pitts, Mountain Brook; Cameron Fountain, Briarwood; Ella Reed, Spain Park; Tait Davidson, Vestavia Hills; Tori Hyde, Hewitt-Trussville. ► Catcher: Maggie Reaves, Mountain Brook; Hannah Marler, Chelsea. ► First base: Susanna Sheehan, Homewood. ► Second base: Chloe Hontzas, Mountain Brook. ► Shortstop: Ella Walker, Homewood; Ryleigh Merritt, Briarwood. ► Third base: Hunter Dunn, Homewood; Natalie Romager, Chelsea. ► Outfield: Emma Hawkins, Spain Park; Zoe Couch, Homewood; Blakley Watts, Spain Park; Lucy Spisto, Spain Park; Jadyn Buff, Chelsea; Katelyn Murphy, Hewitt-Trussville; Bailee Tramell, Hoover.
280Living.com
July 2021 • B7
B8 • July 2021
280 Living
Left: Justin Brown played the last three years at South Florida. Photo courtesy of Stephen Galvin/USF. Right: Jamal Johnson spent the last two years at Auburn. Photo courtesy of Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics. Brown and Johnson played together at Spain Park High School and have both transferred back home to play at UAB.
Jamal Johnson, Justin Brown back home after UAB transfer By KYLE PARMLEY Jamal Johnson and Justin Brown are going to run it back. They were teammates at Spain Park High School, and they are set to be on the same roster once again this winter after transferring into the UAB basketball program. The pair played a season together at Spain Park as the Jaguars advanced to the Class 7A final four in 2016 in a remarkable season. They both view the move to UAB as a homecoming of sorts. Plenty of family and friends will be in the Bartow Arena stands each and every game. “It’s going to be good,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be fun to play in front of the home crowd.” Both players have been at two postsecondary schools previously and have every intention of finishing their college basketball careers
in Birmingham. Johnson played a year at Memphis and spent the last two seasons at Auburn. He made much of his impact at Auburn from behind the 3-point stripe, averaging 9.4 points and 2.4 3-pointers per game last year. “We are excited to be able to bring Jamal back home to Birmingham to complete his collegiate career,” UAB head coach Andy Kennedy said. “He has displayed the ability to impact the game by knocking down perimeter shots, as well as creating scoring opportunities for his teammates with his size and court vision. Our team last season struggled from behind the 3-point line, so Jamal’s proven shooting prowess is a huge addition to our backcourt.” Johnson has played for two legendary coaches in Tubby Smith and Bruce Pearl and believes his experience in the Southeastern Conference can only help. “I learned a lot, and it helped me a lot to
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expand my game defensively and offensively,” he said. “I can bring that and put it all together.” Brown spent his final year of high school ball at Spain Park after growing up in the Briarwood Christian School program. He has already played four years of college hoops — one year at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia and the last three at South Florida — but he has one more year of eligibility with the NCAA’s response to COVID-19. Like Johnson, Brown was a top-notch 3-point shooter at his previous school. He ranks fourth all-time in USF history with 192 3-pointers made and his 123 games played is third all-time. Brown recorded 39 double figure games and has 951 career points. He also believes he will have the chance to show off some of his other skills as well. “Justin is a big, strong, versatile wing capable of impacting the game in a variety of ways,” Kennedy said. “He has made over 35% of his
3-pointers over his [three] years at USF, and at 6-[foot]-6 that strength will bolster our perimeter attack.” Kennedy returned to coach at his alma mater last season, and the arrivals of Johnson and Brown are part of a significant roster overhaul for UAB. There could be as many as six new players on the roster this season, but both players say the team is already jelling together. “Even before we got on campus, we all knew each other in some way,” Brown said. “We’ve all got that team chemistry right there.” Johnson and Brown say they know the rich history of the UAB basketball program and are excited to help add another successful chapter to it. “I’m very prideful in what UAB has done in the past years,” Brown said. “We’ve got to keep that going and get better, and we’re taking the proper steps to win games in the [NCAA] Tournament.”
280Living.com
July 2021 • B9
Sports Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley
Moving state softball tournament a huge success A Hoover high school administrator made eye contact with me shortly after walking into the Choccolocco Park softball park in Oxford. “Wow!” she exclaimed, her face as bright as the sun that day. “This place is incredible!” Even after losing in the state championship game, a player from Pisgah High discussed the occasion with her coach, who also happens to be her father. “The state tournament should never go back [to Montgomery], and I know he agrees with me,” she said, pointing right at me. I had many more interactions just like that at the high school state softball tournament in late May. It was a banner week for the sport’s progress in this state, with the tournament being played at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, one of the premier complexes in the state. The Alabama High School Athletic Association made the decision to move the state tournament from Lagoon Park in Montgomery, where it had been held every year since its inception in 1986. Lagoon Park was built in the 1970s and served as a suitable home for the state tournament for many years. But the truth of the matter is hardly any upgrades have been made to the facility, and softball’s explosion in popularity in recent years led to a need for a more robust championship experience at the high school level.
Left: The atmosphere during the Class 7A state championship game between Hewitt-Trussville and Fairhope on May 21 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford. Right: Third base at Choccolocco Park’s Signature Field following the conclusion of the state tournament. Photos by Kyle Parmley.
Anyone that knows me knows I strongly agreed with the move to Choccolocco Park. Not only is it a top-notch facility to begin with, but one of its defining features is a Signature Field stadium designed specifically for softball. Each of the championship games played on that field felt like a big-time game, because it was. “This venue, this place, is just incredible,” Hewitt-Trussville head coach Taylor Burt said after leading her Huskies to the Class 7A championship on that Signature Field. Burt’s Huskies won the 2019 title in Montgomery and took home
another blue map this spring. She definitely noticed the energy in the stadium as Hewitt rallied to win the decisive game for the title. “Our fans and that atmosphere, you can’t beat that,” she said. “To understand how big that game is and to do it here at such a nice facility, you can’t put it into words.” In recent years, talk (and tweets) at the state tournament revolved around negative things such as temporary fencing and a lack of atmosphere for the championship games. This year, aside from commendation of the facility, the conversation centered around the quality of
softball being played and the buzz in the stadium at the championship games. That’s how it should always be. “It was a desire to provide our member school players, coaches and fans a championship environment, a lifetime experience and something they’ve never had before in Alabama for high school softball,” said Kim Vickers, AHSAA Associate Executive Director and director of softball. It’s safe to say they pulled that off. You have to look no further than the Women’s College World Series
to see that softball is booming. The USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium recently added an upper deck to increase the seating capacity to 13,000 and the popularity of the college postseason tournament is at an all-time high. The AHSAA recognized that as well and made a big move for the sport here in Alabama. Sure, there are still improvements to be made. But this spring was a big step in the right direction. – Kyle Parmley is the sports editor for Starnes Media. Email him at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.
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B10 • July 2021
280 Living
Schoolhouse Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Leah Ingram Eagle at leagle@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
LENDING A HELPING HAND R
Longtime occupational therapist Rorie Scroggins committed to assisting Shelby County students Left: Rorie Scroggins has been an occupational therapist for the Shelby County School System since 2002. She is part of a bigger team of other teachers, aides and parents who collaborate ways to best assist each child. Below: Scroggins with Sandy Dollar, author of the children’s book “The Gumball Lottery.” Scroggins, who created the illustrations for the book, said she enjoys spending time creating art and hosting art camps during the summer. Photos courtesy of Rorie Scroggins.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
orie Scroggins has a job with Shelby County Schools that many people may not even know about. Scroggins is an occupational therapist, one of eight in the school system. She said that as a child she was always creative, and her mother, who was a speech pathologist, mentioned the career to her, thinking it might be a good fit. “I knew that I loved kids and loved people and was leaning toward the medical profession,” Scroggins said. “I knew I could use my creativity and artistic ability to help kids.” After attending Samford University followed by graduate school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she was part of the first masters’ degree class in 1999. She completed an internship at the Civitan-Sparks Center at UAB and spent time working at The Bell Center in Homewood. Scroggins was also part of a new program at UAB called Constraint-Induced Movement therapy, which consists of a family of treatments that teach the brain to “rewire” itself following an injury to the brain. “I was working with students who came from all over the world,” she said. “We were the only people doing this. If someone had lost function in one side of their body, we would cast the side of the arm they could use and make them use the other side to create neural pathways.” Scroggins would work with a student for six hours a day for three weeks. After being at that job for 18 months, she came across a job listing in the Shelby County School System. She applied, was hired and has been there since 2002. Alabama law states that if a child ages out of early intervention and they continue to need services for which they qualify, they then can receive those services from the school system. Scroggins said that some stay in the system until they are 21 years old, depending on their needs. “I go into homes and day cares and some kids come to the school. It depends on what works best for them and is their least restrictive environment,” she said. With occupational therapy, the goal is for each child to be as independent as possible and as successful as possible within the schools, she said. “Their occupation as a student, whether a preschooler, elementary or high schooler, changes as they get older. With preschoolers, we help them develop the things a preschooler needs to do, like being able to put on a coat, washing their hands, stringing beads, stacking blocks, drawing pictures and writing letters,” Scroggins said. Occupational therapists have an expertise in task analysis and are able to assess each child and break down the work they need to do. “I want to make it fun and disguise it as if they are just playing,” she said. “When it comes to the classroom, we help them build skills and also go into the classroom and work on things they're already working on.” She comes alongside the bigger team of other teachers, aides and parents to collaborate ways to best assist each child. Scroggins serves three elementary schools in Shelby County: Elvin Hill, Wilsonville and Chelsea Park. She is at a different school every day according to how many students she is scheduled to see, while also juggling her home and day care visits. Although she has been at her job almost 20 years, she still enjoys it and said she has the unique opportunity to see her students grow
over years, and that feels rewarding to her. “Because I am part of the preschool team, so often those students end up at my elementary schools,” Scroggins said. “I did a
3-year-old evaluation on a student when I was pregnant with my daughter, who is about to be 13. Then one day, I walked into the National Honor Society induction and that
student was in it.” Scroggins enjoys walking alongside students and their families and getting to be a part of their lives. She said she is there at the beginning when parents receive their child’s diagnosis and can tell them success stories of other children similar to theirs. “When they get in the right hands of teachers and therapists, I can be encouraging and to let them know sometimes the road is hard and challenging, but I get to say we’re going to see some good progress.” When she’s not working, Scroggins said she always has her hands in something. In 2019, she created the illustrations for her friend Sally Dollar’s book, “The Gumball Lottery” and is currently illustrating a children’s book for a teacher at UAB. She enjoys spending time creating art and hosting art camps during the summer. Scroggins lives in Mt Laurel with her husband, Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins. The couple are celebrating their 20th anniversary this summer, and they have two children, Max, 16, and Evie, 13, who both attend Chelsea schools.
280Living.com
July 2021 • B11
Chelsea Middle School gains familiar leader Cynthia Cruce was named the new principal of Chelsea Middle School by the Shelby County Board of Education on June 10. Cruce, who has a total of 29 years experience in education, said she’s excited to get back to Chelsea after spending the last nine years as an assistant principal at Oak Mountain Middle School. Photo by Jon Anderson.
By JON ANDERSON When students return to Chelsea Middle School in August, they’ll find a new principal waiting to greet them. But Cynthia Cruce, the new principal appointed by the Shelby County Board of Education in June, is no stranger to the halls of Chelsea Middle School. She has been there before, from 2006 to 2012 as an assistant principal. Cruce, who has a total of 29 years experience in education, said she’s excited to get back to Chelsea after spending the last nine years as an assistant principal at Oak Mountain Middle School. She said she hated to leave Chelsea Middle School when she did because she loves the school but had wanted to make the move to Oak Mountain Middle to be with her children. At the time, three of her four children were attending Oak Mountain Middle. Now, they’re all in their 20s, and Cruce said she’s looking forward to a homecoming of sorts at Chelsea Middle School. “I feel like I’m going home,” she said. “I love the people. I love the community. It’s like a family, and that school is like a family. … The community has grown so much, and the school has just flourished throughout the years, and I’m excited I can be a part of that and just continue the high standards and achievement that the Chelsea community has accomplished.” One of the great things about returning to Chelsea is that a lot of the teachers are the same teachers who were there when she worked there before, and the departing principal, Caroline Obert, is a great friend with whom she worked at Oak Mountain Middle. Obert moved to Huntsville after her husband got a new job there, and Cruce said she feels sure Obert will support her as she transitions into Obert’s old job. Also, the two assistant principals at Chelsea Middle — Ken Thornbrough and Christopher Self — are fabulous, Cruce said. She previously worked with Thornbrough at Chelsea, and he
knows the community very well, and Self is a master in leading and guiding in the special education arena, she said. “I feel like they’ll be very supportive of my leadership, but we’ll be a team,” she said. “I feel like we’ll have a very strong leadership team for that school, along with the faculty and staff.” Cruce said she has always been “a good second” on administrative teams, but she feels other leaders in the Shelby County school system have helped prepare her for the principal role. She has always been big on building relationships with both the staff and students, and that will be a focus again at Chelsea Middle School, she said. “I like to know the kids and be with the kids and support the teachers and what I need to do
to help them,” she said. She has had great examples in other administrators, such as Superintendent Lewis Brooks, she said. When her house in Eagle Point was among many struck by a tornado in March, Brooks was one of the first people who checked on her, and he was among a group that brought supplies to help her family, she said. Cruce said she is eager to get reacquainted with Chelsea Middle. “I can’t go in there and think I know everything about that school,” she said. “I know the school has grown, and the people have changed.” One of the biggest challenges she and the staff will have for the coming year is tracking the students’ academic growth, figuring out where there are gaps in learning and doing
what is needed to make sure kids are successful, she said. This is especially true because of the in-person instruction time missed by students over the past 16 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. There were times when everyone was learning virtually, and there were times when individual students went virtual due to quarantines. Cruce has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Alabama. She started as an English teacher at McAdory High School in 1992, then moved to Oak Mountain Middle School in 1999 before being named an assistant principal at Chelsea Middle in 2006. When she’s not working, she enjoys reading (especially mysteries) and is an avid Alabama football fan.
B12 • July 2021
280 Living
Hoover schools’ child nutrition director wins Southeast award The national nonprofit School Nutrition Association has named Melinda Bonner, the director of food and nutrition services for Hoover City Schools, as the group’s Southeast regional Director of the Year. Photo by Jon Anderson.
By JON ANDERSON The national nonprofit School Nutrition Association has named Melinda Bonner, who is the director of food and nutrition services for Hoover City Schools, as the group’s Southeast regional Director of the Year. It’s the first time a child nutrition director from Alabama has won the award. Bonner has 35 years of food and nutrition service experience and has been working in schools for 15 years. She previously worked in hospitals and nursing homes, and she took over as director of the food and nutrition program for Hoover City Schools eight years ago. The Director of the Year award recognizes extraordinary contributions of school nutrition directors who manage effective school meal programs that provide healthy, appetizing meals to students. As winner of the Southeast regional award, Bonner was chosen among nominees from nine Southeastern states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. “Melinda Bonner puts her whole heart into her job, dedicating her time to ensure each child in her district has access to healthy, balanced and appetizing school meal options,” School Nutrition Association President Reginald Ross said. She oversees 109 child nutrition staff in the schools and two others in the central office. Since taking the lead role for Hoover City Schools, Bonner has worked to increase efficiency and productivity of the cafeterias. She streamlined elementary school serving lines and added high school coffee shops offering grab-n-go “smart snacks” and refrigerated vending machines at various locations, as well as implemented a healthy classroom snack program. Students can use their child nutrition program accounts at any of the alternate serving options, which greatly increased school meal access. Bonner also led an effort to convert a
retired school bus to a school meal food truck called “Meals In Motion,” feeding kids at alternate locations during the summer, such as the Hoover Public Library and apartment complexes. When schools were shut down due to COVID-19 in the spring of last year, Hoover’s child nutrition staff continued working, providing about 36,000 meals to children with curbside service between March and the end of May, Bonner said. Then, during the summer of 2020, school nutrition workers served about 60,000 more meals, Bonner said. Because of the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed schools to expand their summer feeding program to include areas outside of lower-income
school zones. This summer, meals will be served from summer schools at Hoover and Spain Park high schools and a literacy camp at Gwin Elementary School, as well as curbside service from Berry and Bumpus middle schools and the Hoover Public Library, Bonner said. In an effort to attract students and make the cafeteria more fun, Bonner has encouraged managers to decorate, dress up in costume and offer activities during National School Lunch and Breakfast Weeks and to offer food-themed days. Decorations, bulletin board supplies and resources are provided to the school cafeteria managers in conjunction with the special menus to increase student engagement. Bonner also looks for ways to educate her
staff and give them new training opportunities, coordinating guest speakers and connecting members with experts to teach them new skills. During National School Lunch Week, Bonner invites the mayor, City Council, school board and superintendent to serve meals in school cafeterias, providing an opportunity to share a firsthand look at federal requirements and national meal program mandates. She spent six years on the Alabama School Nutrition Board and served as the School Nutrition Foundation’s ambassador for the 2019-20 school year. She also encourages other staff to attend School Nutrition Association training and conferences. The School Nutrition Association has about 50,000 members across the country.
Hoover chamber gives out $17K in scholarships to 4 students By JON ANDERSON The Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce recently awarded four students with college scholarships totaling $17,000. The chamber gave out a $5,000 scholarship to Spain Park High School senior Jada Williams in honor of Bill and Gail Powell. Bill Powell was the chamber’s executive director for 22 years before retiring at the end of 2017, and he and his wife contribute $1,000 toward this scholarship each year. The chamber also gave out three $4,000 scholarships to Hoover High’s Chloe Bishop and Augusta Jones and Briarwood Christian High School’s Tyler Waugh. Scholarship applications were open to employees of chamber members or employees of the city of Hoover, or their children. The winners were chosen based on academic achievement, financial need and contributions to the community, and they were honored at the chamber’s May luncheon at the Hoover Country Club. Here’s a bit more about each of the recipients, according to information provided by the chamber:
JADA WILLIAMS
Williams attends both Spain Park High School and the Riverchase Career Connection Center. She maintained a 4.0 GPA and plans to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the fall as a pre-med major. She has volunteered with several organizations and
Winners of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 scholarships were, from left, Chloe Bishop and Augusta Jones of Hoover High School, Tyler Waugh of Briarwood Christian High School and Jada Williams of Spain Park High School. Photo by Jon Anderson.
activities, including YouthServe, a vacation Bible school and at an adult day care facility. At Spain Park, Williams participated in the Health Science Academy, Health Occupations Students of America and Key Club. She also was the editor for the school newspaper club and captain of the varsity dance team.
CHLOE BISHOP
Bishop has maintained a GPA over 4.0 at Hoover High and plans to attend the University of Alabama to study marketing and nonprofits. She has volunteered with numerous organizations, including Hoover Helps, Hoover City Schools Foundation, Hoover Belles, Hoover High School Wellness Committee and Hope for Autumn Foundation, which assists families
battling childhood cancer. Bishop also was a Birmingham Heart Guild Sweetheart, a community service position affiliated with the American Heart Association.
AUGUSTA JONES
Jones maintained a 4.0 GPA at Hoover High and plans to attend Auburn University and study business administration. She founded Ravenous Pixie Pickles in her kitchen with her father and used a portion of the proceeds to benefit Camp Smile-A-Mile. She has volunteered with the Hoover City Schools Foundation, Hoover Juniorettes, Hope for Autumn Foundation board, Exceptional Foundation and Aldridge Gardens’ children’s summer camp. Jones also served as president of the Hoover
High Student Government Association.
TYLER WAUGH
Waugh maintained a 4.5 GPA at Briarwood Christian High School and plans to be part of the pre-med program within the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Honors Program and play on the UAB baseball team. Waugh has volunteered with the Miracle League, Alabama Teen Court, Alabama Leadership Forum, Night to Shine Tim Tebow Foundation and Lincoln Village Homeless Foundation in Huntsville. He is a member of the National Honor Society and was the 2020 male winner of the Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship for Alabama based on accomplishments in sports, his school and community.
280Living.com
July 2021 • B13
CARES/CRRSAA funds given to Jefferson State students The financial burden of paying for college was made easier for many Jefferson State Community College students who attended during the 2021 spring semester. In the spring, the CARES/CRRSAA Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund provided $1,000 to Jefferson State students who already received PELL Grants and $500 to students who did not receive a grant. “The pandemic caused many difficulties for our students’ families, so the additional funding was a great help to offset financial burdens,” Jefferson State President Keith Brown said. “Jefferson State takes pride in removing the barriers to education, and the
distribution of CARES Act money has been a valuable part of helping students continue their education.” Jefferson State is hoping to provide the same amount of funding for students during the 2021 summer term. The funds are in addition to other types of financial aid. The CARES/CRRSAA funding provides economic relief for students who were enrolled in one or more courses and are intended to help students with expenses such as tuition, food, housing, course materials and other expenses. For more information, call 205-856-7704 or email finaid@jeffersonstate.edu. – Submitted by Stephen Dawkins.
Jefferson State Community College is hoping to provide the same amount of funding for students during the 2021 summer term. Photo courtesy of Stephen Dawkins.
University of Montevallo fishing team wins national championship The University of Montevallo’s bass fishing team topped more than 200 collegiate fishing programs throughout the nation during the 2020-21 season to earn the distinction of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Photo courtesy of Neal Wagner.
DHL
The University of Montevallo’s bass fishing team topped more than 200 collegiate fishing programs throughout the nation during the 2020-21 season to earn the distinction of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Throughout the year, the UM fishing team competed in many tournaments against some of the largest universities in the nation and earned points based on its performance. Following the final tournament of the season at Lake Murray in South Carolina on May 27, UM had amassed the most cumulative points of any team in the nation, taking home the team’s first School of the Year honor. During a dominant season, the UM team, which is a part of the UM President’s Outdoor Scholars Program, took over the top ranking in
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the national standings in November 2020 and never relinquished its lead. Montevallo, which finished second in last season’s School of the Year rankings, knocked off twotime defending national champion McKendree University of Lebanon, Illinois, and topped large universities such as the University of Tennessee, Auburn University and East Carolina University en route to this year’s national crown. “I am extremely proud of what this team has accomplished. These guys have been so focused since the season started,” Outdoor Scholars Program Director and bass team campus advisor William Crawford said. “We had the goal at the beginning of the year to be the number one team in the country, and since November they have done just that.” – Submitted by Neal Wagner.
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280 Living
CLASS OF 2021 GRADUATION OAK MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL
Oak Mountain High School held its commencement ceremony for the Class of 2021 on May 26 at Heardmont Stadium. Almost 400 students received their diplomas. Photos by Leah Ingram Eagle.
CHELSEA HIGH SCHOOL
Members of the Class of 2021 of Chelsea High School receive their diploma May 25. A total of 326 seniors graduated from Chelsea High this spring. Photos by Neal Embry.
280Living.com
July 2021 • B15
SPAIN PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Above left: A graduate catches his graduation cap as the wind picks up during Spain Park High School’s commencement ceremony for the Class of 2021 on May 26 at Jaguar Stadium. Spain Park awarded 371 diplomas. Above right: Graduates wave to family members in the stands. Photos by Erin Nelson.
Above: A graduate pulls up the radar on her phone as rain begins to fall. Left: Graduates file into their seats at the start of the ceremony. Uzma Issa gives one of the valedictorian speeches.
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B16 • July 2021
280 Living
Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis
5 things to tell children before they go back to school As adults, we largely get to choose our environments. We can spend our time with people we like, people who help us thrive. Our children, on the other hand, don’t have that luxury. Instead, they spend the majority of their days in a pressure cooker, locked into closeness with an array of personalities that can bring out the best and worst of humanity. Instead of thriving, many are just surviving. They go to school with their heads down or their guards up because their peers are so quick to judge, criticize or verbally attack. No one student can solve the problem, but every student can do their part. Here are five things to tell your child to remind them to show heart for their classmates and create environments of warmth and connection. 1. Many of your classmates are hurting. Many face problems that you’d never guess based on their appearance. Students today face adult-sized heartaches. And what amplifies their heartaches — and stress — is not having strong support systems in place or being in environments where people act dismissive and rude. It is likely that over the summer, someone in your class lost a parent, a sibling or a beloved grandparent. Someone found out their parents are getting divorced. Someone got betrayed by their best friend or kicked out of a friend group. Someone had an
injury or surgery, and now they’re out of their favorite sport for the season. Someone is depressed and struggling with dark thoughts. Someone got a scary diagnosis, and they’re not sure yet if their greatest fear will come true. You never know what your classmates are going through, and it shouldn’t take knowing their problems to treat them kinder. Assume upfront that everyone has struggles, and if you knew their full story, there’s no way you couldn’t love them. You’d be mortified to know that you were the one making their bad situation feel worse. 2. You (and everyone you know) are just one decision away from falling off a cliff. It’s tempting to judge your classmate when they make a bad choice or get caught in a mistake, but the truth is, that could be you. We are all sinners who stumble, and feeling morally superior to anyone leads to the worst sin of all: pride. Remembering this keeps you humble and compassionate. It creates an environment where you and your classmates can love each other through ups and downs. 3. Some people start rumors. Some people lie. Some people get their facts mixed up or tell half-truths. Some people enjoy drama and stir the pot. Think for yourself, and don’t believe everything you hear. Even as an adult, I sometimes hear rumors that I know aren’t true. Experience has taught me to consider the source (Are
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they trustworthy or prone to gossip?) and give people the benefit of the doubt until the evidence shows otherwise. Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Rumors in a school can be vicious, and typically, they are off-base, embellished or inaccurate. They serve no good and only cause hurt. Rather than join the rumor bandwagon, ask people to stop sharing it. Be kind to the classmate the whole school is talking about, because chances are, even their good friends have distanced themselves for fear of association. 4. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but you can — and should — be kind. Nobody clicks with every person they meet, and that is OK. That is life. But you can be kind to those classmates who aren’t your best friends now. People change, mature and grow up, and some people who you barely know may later become good friends as you go to the same college or get hired into the same company and watch your kids fall in love at preschool. Again and again, classmates will come back into your life. You never know how God will weave two stories together in the future, so look for the good in people, keep a friendly rapport when possible and don’t burn bridges. 5. Your classmates will remember you with either a smile on their face or a pit
in their stomach 20 years from now. They will share stories about the people who shaped their most formative years with their children and grandchildren. Your classmates will never forget the way you treat them, so stay mindful of your words and actions. Know that you have the power — every day — to help or hurt your classmates, to notice them or to ignore them, to love them as they are or make them feel like a mistake. Many students grow up and regret being mean, but you will never, ever, regret being kind. The beauty of a new school year is how it presents a clean slate. Help your child see the opportunities in front of them and understand the many ways they can positively impact their classmates’ lives. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham-area mom of four girls, author, speaker and blogger. Her new book for moms, “Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter,” is now available on Amazon, Audible and everywhere books are sold. Kari’s two books for teen and tween girls — “Liked” and “10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know” — have been used widely across the country for small group studies. Join Kari on Facebook and Instagram, visit her blog at karikampakis.com or find her on the “Girl Mom” podcast.
280Living.com
July 2021 • B17
CAMPERS
CONTINUED from page B1 also remaining socially distant, the RV rental business quickly became a hot commodity. Teshua Farms now features six RV campers available through its rental program. Guests are welcome to camp on the farm, but Betz can also deliver and set up the campers in state parks, sports complexes, lakes and other venues across the state. The rentals can be delivered within a 120-mile radius of Chelsea, where Teshua Farms is located. Betz said about 40% of renters stay at the farm, where they can enjoy acres of land and visit with the farm animals. The others, he delivers to their place of choice. In May, he delivered a camper to the Hoover Metropolitan Complex for guests to stay in during the SEC baseball tournament. In June, he had a wedding party come stay at the farm, with 12 bridesmaids staying in the campers. Other popular areas Betz delivers to include Wind Creek Casino, Oak Mountain State Park, Barber Motorsports Park and Talladega Superspeedway. “We deliver to a lot of sporting events and for family vacations,” Betz said. “We are really hitting our stride [in] our busy season between now and when school starts back this fall and keeping busy.” Betz said the RV rentals have definitely filled the gaps and provided another source of income.
MEETING THE DEMAND
Still surprised at the surge of reservations, Betz said that research shows demand for RVs has increased drastically, along with park usage in Alabama state parks, which was up 400% last year. “This gives people an outlet while still giving them their own space,” he said. “A family can have their own space and enjoy the outdoors. Our motto is we make happy campers.” Betz said these set-up rentals are convenient for people who are traveling and already towing something like a utility terrain vehicle, horse trailer or car and don’t have the ability to pull things, or don’t have a towing vehicle
Caleb Betz, 9, demonstrates how the propane stove in the camper can be used for cooking or as additional counter space as he and Mike Betz give a tour of Teshua Farms RV Rentals. Photo by Erin Nelson.
to pull it themselves. “Also, for people who don’t want to buy a camper but enjoy it a few times a year, this is cost efficient,” Betz said. “This is a lot cheaper than owning one and making a payment every month. Fifty percent of our renters are probably first-time campers or people who are thinking about buying one and want to try it before taking the plunge.” Teshua Farms RV Rentals also offers an RV consignment program that offers a rental management program for approved RVs and provides free storage, free marketing, scheduling, delivery and maintenance of campers.
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A PREMIUM EXPERIENCE The campers are popular for family outings and sleep from four to eight people. They feature bunkhouses and configurations of bunk beds with a separate area for parents and children. Rentals require a three-night minimum, and everything is set up for guests upon arrival. The camper is picked up after the reservation ends. “We want it to be a premium camping experience,” he said. “It’s more like glamping ... there are sheets, towels, a coffee maker, microwave, utensils — everything you need to go camping
and have a great experience at a reasonable price that families can afford.” Nightly rental rates range from $100 to $120. Weekly rates are $750. A cleaning fee, minimum delivery charge and security deposit are also added. For more information, to see the camper options and to book, visit teshuafarmsrvs.com. Betz recommends calling to check availability and booking several months in advance. “We are trying to put a year under our belt and get a feel for long-term viability,” Betz said. “It’s been fun, and we will see where it takes us.”
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B18 • July 2021
280 Living
280
Real Estate Listings MLS #
Zip
1287567
35242
1288957
Address
Status
Price
126 Calumet Drive
New
$315,500
35242
312 Woodward Court
New
$879,900
1288909
35242
3 Bellerive Knolls
New
$1,385,000
1288908
35242
3024 Brookhill Drive
New
$549,900
1288821
35242
324 Highland View Drive
New
$975,000
1288784
35242
6103 Mill Creek Drive
New
$290,000
1288473
35242
840 Heatherwood Place
New
$639,900
1288623
35242
3513 Shandwick Place
New
$1,175,000
1288393
35242
4387 Boulder Lake Circle
New
$674,900
1288199
35242
371 Greystone Glen Circle
New
$580,000
1287387
35242
2285 Brock Circle
New
$819,000
1288179
35242
505 Meadow Ridge Circle
New
$299,000
1288055
35043
1004 Willow Branch Trail
New
$449,900
1287771
35043
335 Oak Tree Drive
New
$285,000
1286559
35043
1051 Kingston Road
New
$462,500
1286496
35043
178 Polo Field Way
New
$322,000
1285231
35043
273 Lime Creek Lane
New
$499,900
1283810
35043
1265 Tara Drive
New
$874,900
1282961
35043
333 Normandy Lane
New
$725,000
1279335
35043
478 County Road 338
New
$179,900
126 Calumet Drive
1004 Willow Branch Trail
Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on June 17. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.
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280Living.com
July 2021 • B19
Calendar 280 Area Events July 3: Big KaBoom/ChelseaFest. 5-9 p.m. Food trucks, vendors, live music and fireworks. Field behind the Dairy Queen in Chelsea. Visit cityofchelsea.com for information. July 4: Fire on the Water. 5-9 p.m. Oak Mountain State Park. Food vendors, swimming, activities, music and fireworks. Gates close at 7 p.m. Visit alapark.com for more information. July 9-10 and 15-17: “Little Women.” Produced by SAFE’s Southern Dance and Performing Arts Company as a dinner theatre event. Harvey’s on Noble, 280 N. Anniston Ave., Sylacauga. Dinner buffet at 6 p.m. with the show beginning around 7 p.m. Tickets $45 each. Visit sdpac.net.
Mt Laurel Library
North Shelby Library
TWEENS July 1, 8, 15: Choose Your Own Adventure Book Club. 2 p.m. Registration required. July 14: Leadership Council presents The Artist’s Workshop – Shading. Join on Zoom to learn this technique. Registration required.
July 8: Nailed It. Replicate desserts with supplies you’ve been given. 6 p.m. Registration required.
July 2 and 16: Digital Family Breakout. 5-11 p.m. Work to solve the clues to unlock the breakout box.
July 1, 8 and 15: Choose Your Own Adventure Book Club. 2 p.m. Registration required.
July 14: Family Painting – Shark Attack! 10 a.m. Pick up a to-go kit and watch the library’s YouTube channel for an overview. Registration required.
July 6, 13, 20 and 27: Minecrafternoon. 4 p.m. Register to get an invitation link.
July 12: Teen Brushes & Slushes. 6 p.m. Pick up your supplies between June 30-July 12 to paint along with Ms. Kaitlyn over Zoom. Registration required.
July 7: Star Wars Writing Workshop with Emma Fox. 2 p.m. Registration required.
July 15: Online gaming. 6 p.m. Gaming via Zoom: Jackbox and Among Us.
CHILDREN July 1, 8 and 15: Zoom storytime. 10:30 a.m. Registration required. July 6, 13: Weekly STEM Kits To-Go. Featuring Jan the Science Lady. Register for a kit and follow along on a YouTube video.
July 12-17: Cardboard cat castle kits. Registration required. July 14: Leadership Council presents The Artist’s Workshop – Shading. Join on Zoom to learn this technique. Registration required. TEENS
July 6 and 13: Weekly Craft Kits To-Go. Register for a kit and follow along on a YouTube video.
July 1: Learn to Draw with Josh. 6 p.m.
July 12: Read to a cat at Gatos and Beans Cafe. 10 a.m. to noon. Registration required.
July 6: Weekly Craft. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pick up a DIY keychain kit.
ADULTS July 12: Reading on the Mountain. Virtual painting kit to-go. 10 a.m. Registration required. July 13: Language Club. 6 p.m. For those wanting to learn a new language. Registration required. July 15: NSL Book Club. 10:30 a.m. Library Conference room. Discussing “The Legend of Colgan Toomey” by Dargan Ware. Via Zoom.
Chelsea Public Library
CHILDREN July 1, 8, 15: Zoom storytime. 10:30 a.m. Registration required.
TWEENS (AGES 8-12)
FAMILY
July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29: Tot Time. 10:30 a.m.
Sale. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Community Center.
July 3: Friends of the Library members meeting. 10 a.m.
July 12: Medicare and Retirement Consultant. 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
July 20: “Kung Fu Panda” movie. 1 p.m. Chelsea Community Center.
July 6: “Tom and Jerry – The Movie.” 1 p.m. Chelsea Community Center.
July 12: Teen Book Club. 5 p.m. Dinner provided.
July 21: Make Your Own Slime. 2 p.m.
July 7: Starshine Faces. 2 p.m. Chelsea Community Center.
July 13: “Rio” movie. 1 p.m. Chelsea Community Center.
July 8: Adult Book Club. 10 a.m. July 10: Lego Saturday. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
July 13: Music and Books Club. 5:506:30 p.m.
July 10: Friends of the Library Book
July 14: Gobbies Craft. 2 p.m. Chelsea
July 24: KZT Hands on Steam. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 27: “Monsters, Inc.” movie. 1 p.m. Chelsea Community Center. July 28: Harry Potter Birthday Party. 2 p.m. Chelsea Community Center.
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