November 2023 | Volume 17 | Issue 1
THE 280 CORRIDOR’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE 280LIVING.COM | STARNESMEDIA.COM
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Twists and turns
Chelsea resident Eddie Burchfield shares about his life as a soldier, musician and evangelist
Emmi Claire Willoughby, a student athletic trainer at Briarwood Christian School, hands a can of oxygen to Briarwood football player Luke Reynolds (8) as he comes off the field in a game at Helena High School on Oct. 6. Photo by Erin Nelson.
E
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE ddie Burchfield is recognized by many drivers passing through Chelsea as he stands on the side of U.S. 280 holding a “God Loves You” sign and flies an American flag on his truck. Until the age of 12, Burchfield’s goal was to be a soilder. Both of his parents served during World War II. His father was in the 12th Cavalry Regiment that fought in the Pacific conflict. His mother was in the Women’s Army Corps, where she worked as a parachute packer. But when Burchfield started playing guitar at age 12, he decided he wanted to pursue music and was no longer interested in the military. Born and raised in Bessemer, Burchfield graduated from Bessemer High School in 1968. Knowing he would get drafted if he didn’t go to college, he enrolled at Bessemer Tech, where he took machine, tool and die classes. Once those were complete, he had no fallback plan. After five prior draft letters, Burchfield answered the call at age 21. “I got the letter and had to show up for a physical in Montgomery in November 1971,” Burchfield said. “I went to Fort Polk, Louisiana [now Fort Johnson], and it was a good place for Vietnam training.” He was sent to San Diego in March 1972 and was in the transfer portal to be sent to Vietnam, but as he was awaiting transfer, the Red Cross stepped in because his father had cancer. Three months later, Burchfield was moved to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Burchfield’s first role was in the U.S. Army National Guard, as a clerk typist
One of one Briarwood senior forges unique, necessary path By KYLE PARMLEY
Eddie Burchfield, a retired U.S. Army veteran, sits in a rocking chair at the Chelsea Historical Museum. Photo by Erin Nelson.
in the educational facility. However, he was later fired from that job after he lost interest and stopped showing up. One day, while he was cutting grass and painting barracks, he heard the 55th Army
INSIDE
Sponsors .............. A4 City ........................ A6
Band practicing. Being a music lover, he decided to audition.
Emmi Claire Willoughby can be seen walking down the hallway at Briarwood Christian School, balancing two stacks of red paper cups. She spots two people she knows, flashes her typical big grin and continues heading toward the football office, where she will restock the cabinets with those coffee cups. They will be used by coaches and other personnel with little to no thought as to how they got there in the first place. Willoughby refers to herself as a “catch-all” person at Briarwood, eager to do anything and everything to help out, particularly within the athletics programs. But that is quite an oversimplification of the senior’s impact over her four years at the school. Willoughby has been a standout student, a quick learner, a helping hand and many other things during her high school years.
See BURCHFIELD | page A25
Business ..............A10 Chamber .............A14
Community .........A16 Schoolhouse ...... A22
Events.................. A24 Sports.................... B4
See WILLOUGHBY | page A26 Real Estate.......... B12 Opinion................. B14 facebook.com/280living
Park Upgrades
Flying High
Oak Mountain State Park gets campsite facelift and new access road off U.S. 280.
Lauren Buchanan carving out impressive legacy for the Hornets.
See page A16
See page B1
A2 • November 2023
280 Living
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280 Living
About Us Editor’s Note By Leah Ingram Eagle Each November, we like to feature a veteran’s story. On our cover, you’ll meet Eddie Burchfield. While he did serve our country in Vietnam and Korea, he has a much bigger story to share beyond his time in the military. If you drive on U.S. 280 in Chelsea, you may see Eddie parked along the side of the road as part of his “sign language” ministry. To those who served and are currently serving, I want to say a big thank you. We owe our freedom to you. Also in this month’s issue, we
another entrance off U.S. 280), and a new initiative for mental health that’s recently launched in the Chelsea area. This is my favorite month and I’m looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday, spending time with family and having a few days off. I’m thankful for your continued support of 280 Living!
say goodbye to the iconic Lloyd’s Restaurant, share some upgrades at Oak Mountain State Park (including
PHOTO OF THE MONTH Oak Mountain cheerleaders during a game between Hoover High School and Oak Mountain High School on Oct. 6 at the Hoover Met. Photo by Julia Freeman.
Correction
In the article titled “Helping behind the scenes: Meet the PTO presidents for the 2023-24 school year” in the October issue of 280
Living, we used a photo of Misty Phillips in place of a photo of Marci Hackbarth. We regret the error.
Publisher: Dan Starnes
Published by:
For advertising, contact:
Starnes Publishing LLC P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com
dan@starnesmedia.com Please submit all articles, information and photos to:
Community Editors: Leah Ingram Eagle Jon Anderson Sports Editor: Kyle Parmley Design Editor: Melanie Viering Photo Editor: Erin Nelson Page Designer: Ted Perry Production Assistant: Simeon Delante Operations Specialist: Sarah Villar Graphic Designer: Emily VanderMey
Please Support Our Community Partners Alabama Craft Guild (A10) Bedzzz Express (B1, B16) Bellini’s Ristorante (B11) Birmingham Orthodontics (A1) Birmingham Zoo (A16) Bromberg’s (A21) Budget Blinds (A27) Cardinal Roofing (B5) Children’s of Alabama (B13) Chiropractic Today (B2) Christian Brothers Automotive/ Tattersall Park (A8) Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (B2) Community Grief Support Service (A13) Compact 2020 (A22) Cremation Center of Birmingham (A20) Danberry at Inverness (B12) Element Wellness (B4) Etc. (A3) French Drains Pro (A22) Gardner Astroturf (A6) Gardner Landscaping (A7) Greystone Marketplace (B1) Healthy Smiles of Birmingham (A9) Hearing Solutions (A23) Image Hive (A24) Junior League of Birmingham (A14) Luckie’s Pinestraw (A1) M&M Jewelers (A23) Magnetic Hope (A21) Medicare Advisors of Alabama (A19) Moss Rock Festival (A23, B15) Mr. Handyman of Birmingham (B12)
Contributing Writers: Sam Chandler Sean Dietrich Gary Lloyd Alana Smith Grace Thornton Intern: Harper Harwell Client Success Specialist: Warren Caldwell Business Development Exec: Don Harris Business Development Rep: Madison Gaines
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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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OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (A18) One Man & A Toolbox (A15) Outdoor Living Areas (A27) Pak Mail (A15) Parrot Structural Services LLC (A25) Piggly Wiggly (A2) Prime Smile Dental (A6) Proveer at Grande View (A17) Renew Dermatology (B3) Rockett’s Bug Juice Gardens (B13) Royal Automotive (A11) Shelby County Chamber of Commerce (B14) Signature Homes (A12) Sikes Children’s Shoes (B10) Southeastern Jewelers and Engraving (B14) Southern Blood Services (A13) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (B15) SouthState Bank (A20) Space Cadets (A19) Spiffy Design (A10) The Neighborhood Plumber (B11) TherapySouth Corporate (A28) TrustMark Bank (B7) United Way of Central Alabama (B10) Vapor Ministries/Thrift Store (B9) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (B4) We’ll Do It (A5) Wee Peat Boutique/LuLu’s (A16) Western Sales and Service (A15) Window World of Central Alabama (B9)
Find Us 280 Living is distributed through direct mail to 280 corridor residents. You can also find copies at a variety of locations throughout the community. For a list of pick up locations, scan the QR code below or go to 280living.com/about-us.
280Living.com
November 2023 • A5
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A6 • November 2023
280 Living
City Fisher selected for open council seat By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
Arthur Fisher was approved for Place #4 on the Chelsea City Council on Oct. 3. Photo courtesy of Arthur Fisher.
Tired of your grass not growing?
Arthur Fisher Jr. was approved as the newest member of the Chelsea City Council during the council meeting on Oct. 3. Fisher was chosen to fill Place #4, recently vacated by Tiffany Bittner. Fisher was unable to attend the meeting after testing positive for Covid, but the resolution for his approval was unanimous from the city council and he was formally inducted at the Oct. 17 meeting, the deadline of the 60-day process to fill the position. “I’m honored that the mayor and councilmen selected me to serve in this seat of Place 4,” Fisher said via a text to 280 Living. “My wife and I love Chelsea, the people, the events and local businesses. I look forward to working with the council to ensure Chelsea continues to flourish.” Mayor Tony Picklesimer congratulated Fisher and said he and the council are honored to have him serve alongside them. He added that when selecting from the 17 candidates, the deciding factor was that Fisher had already been serving the city on a volunteer basis for some time. “He has been attending city council meetings faithfully for years and has familiarized himself with the business of council and has served on the planning commission,” Picklesimer said. “He’s put in the work to try to learn how everything works around here.” The mayor also thanked all of those who filled out applications and questionnaires to apply for the open council seat and said it was refreshing to see that many people offer themselves up for public service. “Most of the interviewees suggested in their interview they would be willing to serve the city in another capacity, if not selected for the council seat,” he said. “It’s heartwarming for that many people to want to serve our city.”
“
My wife and I love Chelsea, the people, the events and local businesses. I look forward to working with the council to ensure Chelsea continues to flourish.
”
ARTHUR FISHER JR.
In other business, the council approved for the city to enter into an agreement with ALDOT on a project to widen and create an additional lane on County Road 47 from U.S. 280 to Chelsea Corners Way. The project will be split three ways between the city of Chelsea, the Shelby County Highway Department and ALDOT, with each entity paying $200,000 plus any overages. Picklesimer recommended the council pay for the project using Rebuild Alabama funds. State Rep. Susan DuBose was in attendance at the meeting and awarded her first official grant check, in the amount of $10,000, to the Chelsea Public Library. The funding is given to representatives by the state for education, to enable them to give back to district schools and libraries. “I’m honored to produce this $10,000 grant to the Chelsea Public Library,” DuBose said. “I have always loved libraries and want to support good healthy libraries in my district.” Chelsea’s public information officer, Wayne Morris, also shared that the city’s website has a new, updated look at cityofchelsea.com.
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280Living.com
November 2023 • A7
Hoover to reduce sales tax on groceries in October 2024 By JON ANDERSON The Hoover City Council in October voted 6-0 to lower the city’s sales tax on groceries from 3.5% to 3%, effective a year from now. The tax reduction, which goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024, is designed to give people some relief from inflation, said Hoover Councilman Casey Middlebrooks, who introduced the measure. It follows a similar move by the state Legislature, which in June voted to reduce the state portion of sales taxes on groceries from 4% to 3% — a change that took effect Sept. 1. The state will drop its sales tax rate further to 2% on Sept. 1, 2024, as long as revenues for the state Education Trust Fund grow by 3.5% this fiscal year. The Legislature authorized municipalities to reduce their sales taxes on groceries in 25% increments in any year when their local revenue exceeds 2% over the previous year. However, any change must be approved at least 60 days before the beginning of a new fiscal year on Oct. 1. The Hoover City Council missed that opportunity, so its sales tax reduction won’t take effect for another year. The reduction in Hoover sales taxes on groceries would amount to an average savings of $17.65 per Hoover resident per year. “It doesn’t sound like much, but when you combined them all [state and municipal reductions], every little bit adds up,” Middlebrooks said. “For some families, every dollar is counted.” The city of Hoover could have reduced its sales tax rate by .875% this year, which would have cost the city about $2.6 million in revenue, according to a study by a retired economics professor from Auburn University at Montgomery. However, the Hoover City Council chose instead to cut its rate by .5%, which is expected to cost the city about $1.6 million the first year it takes effect. Curt Posey, the Hoover council president pro tempore and chairman of the council’s Finance
Customers check out at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Lorna Road. Photo by Jon Anderson.
Committee, said it’s possible Hoover could make further cuts, but city officials want to see what kind of an impact this first cut has on the city’s finances. “This is a first step,” Posey said. “I think we’ll get there.” The study by consultant Keivan Deravi predicts that spending on groceries in Hoover should reach $334 million in 2025, or $3,531 per resident, assuming a 4% inflation rate. Under the current city sales tax rate of 3.5%, that would generate about $11.7 million in tax revenue for the city in 2025, but a 3% tax rate would generate about $10 million. It's likely that people would spend some of their tax savings buying more groceries or other retail items, so the negative impact on tax
revenues could be less than $1.7 million. The last change in the Hoover sales tax rate occurred in October 2018, after the City Council raised the rate from 3% to 3.5%. That put the overall sales and use tax rate at 8.5% in the Shelby County part of Hoover and 9.5% in the Jefferson County part of Hoover. Following the Sept. 1 change at the state level, the current overall sales and use tax rate on groceries is 7.5% in the Shelby County part of Hoover and 8.5% in the Jefferson County part of Hoover. However, sales taxes on items other than groceries have not been impacted. Total sales taxes on other items in Hoover remain at 8.5% in the Shelby County part of Hoover and 9.5% in the Jefferson County part of Hoover.
The state legislation that passed this year and the new Hoover ordinance that passed in October follow the same definition for groceries as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. SNAP foods include fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages and the seeds and plants that produce food. The amount of revenue Hoover receives from sales and use taxes (of all kinds) has increased from $60.5 million in fiscal 2012 to $106 million in fiscal 2022, records show. City officials fully expect to exceed that dollar amount in fiscal 2023, which ended Sept. 30. Posey noted that it’s unusual to see governments lower tax rates.
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A8 • November 2023
280 Living
New voting precinct in Chelsea; park and rec grants return By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Registered voters in the following Shelby County precincts have a new voting location beginning with the March 5, 2024, primary election: ► Precinct 3: Beulah Baptist Church, 49484-AL25, Sterrett ► Precinct 24: Kingwood Church, 100 Harvest Way, Alabaster ► Precinct 30: McChesney Student Activity Center, 1100 College Drive ► Precinct 34: Calera Baptist, 600 Whippoorwill Lane ► Precinct 38: Double Oak Church Chelsea, 101 Chelsea Park Drive, Chelsea The New Life Church will remain Precinct 6. The new location at Precinct 38 will include residents of Chelsea Park and other nearby areas. All registered voters who have changes made to their precinct will be notified by a mailed postcard.
PARK AND RECREATION GRANTS
The fiscal year 2024 Shelby County Park and Recreation Grant Application cycle opened in mid-September. The grant program provides funding to assist with developing and/or improving parks and recreational opportunities in the county, especially in supporting the vision and goals of the Shelby County Comprehensive Plan. The program is designed to coordinate funding from the Shelby County Commission, local municipalities, Shelby County Schools, the Shelby County Parks and Recreation Authority and various private associations and organizations. In the FY24 budget, the grant program funds were raised from $350,000 to $500,000. The grants have a $100,000 maximum and the county provides a 25% match. Requests for funding have continued to increase
A map of the new voting precincts in Shelby County. Map courtesy of Shelby County.
over the years. The application deadline is Oct. 31 at noon, and information can be found at shelbyal.com.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
Earlier this year, Shelby County was notified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that it is eligible as an Urban County in the Community Development
Block Grant Program. County Manager Chad Scroggins said at the Sept. 25 County Commission meeting that all of the municipalities in the county have signed on to be part of the cooperation agreements. The program provides support for community renewal and lower-income housing assistance activities in accordance with requirements of HUD. This will encompass FY24 through FY26
and projects may be awarded after Oct. 1, 2024. “This program gives us about $1 million per year, and that will give us, our municipalities, the ability not to compete against everyone in the state, but projects will all be done within Shelby County,” Scroggins said. Scroggins added that a committee will be put together with representation from each of the municipalities to begin planning out expenditures and projects for the future.
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November 2023 • A9
Turn lanes onto Shelby County 47 approved By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Shelby County Commission gave their approval in October for the widening and creation of an additional turn lane from U.S. 280 onto Shelby County 47. The project is a partnership with ALDOT and the city of Chelsea, and each partner will contribute $200,000. “ALDOT has been working to do access improvements and resurfacing, and one of the biggest operational changes is adding a dual left turn from U.S. 280 westbound left onto County Road 47 southbound,” said County Engineer David Willingham. “This project will add a second lane southbound on County Road 47 for about 900 feet so that it can receive two lanes off of U.S. 280.” Willingham said the project will hopefully shorten the left turn cycle length and give more through time to help with traffic congestion.
SRO CONTRACTS
The commission has done a review of the county’s school resource officer contracts with the school systems and how the contracts are being paid. County Manager Chad Scroggins said that in the past, all the partners would pay an entity and it would come back to the commission, who would then cut checks, but a less complicated process is put into place. “We’ve cleaned that up to make it simplified, so we’re getting those out this week with additional funding going into that as we balance it out,” Scroggins said.
CHELSEA REDUCES NUMBER OF DEPUTIES
Scroggins also said that the city of Chelsea made the decision to reduce its services from 16 to 13 Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies. He also addressed some incorrect information that had been shared. “I want to take the opportunity to say that the
This map shows where the new access road will be off US 280 to Oak Mountain State Park. Map courtesy of Shelby County highway department.
Commission and Sheriff's Office have both been supportive of municipalities utilizing the professional services of our sheriff’s office,” Scroggins said. “It's been said in some public meetings that I personally am against municipalities using the Sheriff’s Office, and that is incorrect. The people that state that are not stating that accurately.” Scroggins added that he and Sheriff John Samaniego have talked about this issue many times, and they both try to support them in every way possible.
“It provides the benefit of continuity of services as they go in and out of a municipal boundary,” Scroggins said. In other commission news: ► County Engineer David Willingham reported that the railroad agreement for the County Road 55 bridge in Vandiver-Sterrett has been finalized, and he hopes the project goes to bid this spring, if not before. ► A bridge dedication was approved for former Shelby County Highway Department
chief engineer Thomas C. Grimes, who passed away Sept. 31, 2021. Grimes served 26 years with the county, and the County Road 52 / Cahaba River bridge will be renamed after him. ► Park and recreation grant applications are due Oct. 31. These are grants from the commission for municipalities, school systems or park and rec boards to assist with needed projects. The grants, which will be awarded in November, have a maximum amount of $100,000 each and $500,000 total for all of the selected projects.
Dr. Paige Lester and her team at Healthy Smiles of Birmingham Family and Cosmetic Dentistry welcome Dr. Bradley Kirkpatrick Dr. Lester is pleased to announce that Dr. Bradley Kirkpatrick will be joining our practice in November 2023 to help expand the services and hours offered to our patients. Dr. Kirkpatrick will be able to provide patient care in oral surgery, implant-supported teeth replacement, and general restorative dentistry while Dr. Lester will continue to focus on cosmetic dentistry, comprehensive full-mouth health, same-day crowns, and treatment for sleep apnea patients. Our practice will also be able to provide adult oral conscious sedation for patient comfort during treatment.
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A10 • November 2023
280 Living
Business
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TravisMathew, 205 Summit Boulevard, Suite 500, features men’s and women’s designs that deliver ultimate versatility infused with iconic Southern California style for an easy-to-wear lifestyle look. travismathew.com
Williams Sonoma has returned to The Summit at 217 Summit Blvd., Suite F1. Williams Sonoma offers professional quality cookware, bakeware and gourmet food as well as technique and cooking classes. 205-986-0578, williams-sonoma.com
RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS The Jim ’N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q location at 2831 Greystone Commercial Boulevard has reopened after being closed for an extensive remodeling that includes an improved to-go station at the front of the restaurant, a renovated bar/waiting area and additional curbside parking spots. 205-991-1306, jimnnicks.com
Rest and Digest Wellness has recently opened a 3,000-square-foot event center at 4524 Southlake Parkway, Suite 27, that can hold up to 85 people comfortably. Ideal for workshops, reunions, parties, speakers and more. 205-602-8898, restanddigestwellness.net Jawanda’s Sweet Potato Pies reopened Oct. 6 at 5291 Valleydale Road, after being closed since July while the owner recovered from surgery. 205-874-9880, jawandasweetpotatopie.com
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS Grandview Medical Center has been named a Lung Cancer Center of Excellence by GO2 for Lung Cancer. Grandview achieved this designation as a result of its ongoing commitment to providing the community with patientcentered, evidence-based lung cancer care. 205-971-1000, grandviewhealth.com
The sixth Sanpeggio’s Pizza location in the Birmingham area opened Sept. 22 at The Village at Lee Branch. 205-709-8585, sanpeggiopizza.com
Scenthound is adding a fourth location in the Birmingham market. Following locations in Lee Branch, Mountain Brook and Hoover, the next location will be opening in Trussville in late December or early January. Scenthound focuses on the five core areas of maintenance that all dogs need: skin, coat, ears, nails and teeth. The Lee Branch store is located at 1401 Doug Baker Boulevard, Suite 110. scenthound.com
Yogurt Mountain is open at The Colonnade, 3419 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 500. 205-238-5385, yogurtmountain.com
COMING SOON Highlands College, 3660 Grandview Parkway, recently purchased the Extended Stay America property and accompanying land on U.S. 280 for $17.7 million. The 45,000-square-foot property on 4.07 acres will undergo renovations and will be converted into the second on-campus residence hall, with 140 dormitory rooms that will house 280 students. 205-963-6900, highlandscollege.edu
Alabama Power launched a new mobile app to residential customers in October. With the new app, customers can enjoy the convenience and efficiency of managing their accounts on-the-go with multiple new and updated features. 800-245-2244, alabamapower.com
PERSONNEL MOVES Marcus Shaw has joined as a new real estate agent at the RealtySouth office in Chelsea at 331 Chelsea Corners Way, and Nikki McCullens, Cintya Garcie, Morgan Garcia and Deborah Wilson have joined RealtySouth’s Inverness office at 109 Inverness Plaza, Suite 4800. Inverness: 205-991-6565, Chelsea: 205-325-4585; realtysouth.com
ANNIVERSARIES Taco Mama is celebrating its 12th anniversary this month. Its first location opened in November 2011 in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village. The restaurant chain has since expanded to 10 locations in Alabama, including a location at The Summit. tacomamaonline.com
Business News to Share? Do you have news to share with the community about a business in Chelsea or the greater Birmingham area? Let us know at starnesmedia.com/ business-happenings
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280Living.com
November 2023 • A11
Students from the Shelby County Career Technical Educational Center Automotive Technicians Course
The Next Generation of Problem Solvers It’s easy to take for granted that there will always be dedicated experts at the ready with all the right tools to fix our cars’ issues fast. For our Service Director Chris Deller and the team at Royal, it was our privilege to host the students from the Shelby County Career Technical Educational Center Automotive Technicians course for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what goes on here at the corner of I-65 and Highway 31. For every chance we get to step up and serve our community schools, Royal will be there.
For every ride there’s Royal. Royal Automotive (205) 778-3721 RoyalAutomotive.net
At the Corner of I-65 and Highway 31 | 3010 Columbiana Road, Vestavia Hills
A12 • November 2023
280 Living
Lloyd’s Restaurant says goodbye to 280 location, continues serving in Sylacauga By GRACE THORNTON Bogue Stevens said the only way to describe the way he feels right now is overwhelmed. After he announced on Sept. 25 that he would close the U.S. 280 location of Lloyd’s Restaurant on Oct. 15, the restaurant was flooded with people who have long-held ties to the place. “Our customers have created a lot of great family memories in this building,” Stevens said. “People get very emotional about us closing and tell stories about how they came with their grandfather when they would go hunting together, or their mother after they would go horseback riding, or for birthday parties, anniversaries, you name it.” He said he didn’t realize just how connected so many people were to the place. “It’s overwhelming; it’s humbling, very humbling,” Stevens said. “It’s more than just cooking food; it’s creating sacred times for a family at a table.” In 1971, Stevens’s father, Eli, bought Lloyd’s Restaurant from the founder, Lloyd Chesser, who opened it in 1937. At that time, it was located in Chelsea. The Stevens family opened the 280 location in 1978. “I worked with my dad for a long time,” Stevens said. “My sisters, my brother, we all worked through junior high and high school.” After college, he worked there full-time, then after 10 years began splitting his time between Lloyd’s and another business that his father owned. In 2020, when his dad passed away, he became the majority owner, with his brother and older sister as minority owners. “We decided to carry on the tradition,” Stevens said. But the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard, as did the economy. Stevens’s goal as president
Guests wait for a table outside Lloyd’s Restaurant on U.S. 280 on Oct. 5. The restaurant’s last day of business was Oct. 15 after more than 80 years of business. Photo by Erin Nelson.
was to keep the 280 location open as long as he could, but when a company offered to buy the property, it “helped fix a lot of things that we were addressing as a family,” he said. Stevens said he intends to keep the Sylacauga location of Lloyd’s open, and he’s also still considering opening another 280 location one day, if he can find the right property. “That may come in the future — you never can tell, something may happen,” he said. “I would still be looking to do that because it has
such a good following here.” Lloyd’s has long been known for its hamburger steak, as well as its fried chicken, barbecue plate and chocolate and lemon pies. But Stevens said recent weeks have highlighted for him over and over that it’s not about the food — it’s about the people. Stevens said people have been emotional about the restaurant closing, but “it’s more that they’re disappointed,” he said. “They have their own family memories here.”
Stevens said some of his father’s high school buddies came in with pictures to show him. Another couple from Gadsden told him they’ve been coming to eat there for 30 years, every time they come into town to go to a doctor’s appointment. “I’m overwhelmed,” Stevens said. “It’s just been sweet; it’s been really touching.” For more information about Lloyd’s, visit lloyds280.com or the “Lloyd’s Sylacauga” page on Facebook.
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November 2023 • A13
Lit Cards and More offers chance for families to collect together By GRACE THORNTON Brian Snider says baseball has been in his family’s blood for a long time — particularly the Chicago Cubs and card collecting. “I’ve been a collector ever since I was a young kid,” he said. “My great-uncle played first base for the Chicago Cubs.” His great-uncle, Phil Cavarretta, was the National League MVP in 1945. “My mom lived three blocks from Wrigley Field,” Snider said. “She was always collecting things of his. Then when I was eight or nine, in the late ’80s and early ’90s, my mom was really big on making sure I learned how to take care of my own collection.” Now, thanks to his mom’s encouragement, he has original boxes of Michael Jordan Wheaties, still unopened. Those Wheaties are on the shelves, along with cards and other collectibles, at his family’s new shop, Lit Cards and More, located in the shopping strip on the U.S. 280 side of Tattersall Park, at 5413 U.S. 280, Suite 101. Lit Cards and More offers everything from hobby boxes to grab bags, which include a graded card and a pack of cards to open. Their collection primarily includes baseball, basketball and football, but they also have Pokémon cards and are expanding to include soccer, hockey and anything else customers are interested in, Snider said. “If they’re asking for it, we’re going to try to get it for them.” Lit Cards and More offers sports collectibles like autographed balls, helmets, framed jerseys and bats. The “more” also includes gameday shirts for Auburn, Alabama, the Atlanta Braves and local high schools as well as band shirts from Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones. Snider said he will buy, sell and trade and help customers get their own cards graded if they are interested. “We want to be that type of full store where we can provide every service,” he said. “We’ve
Lit Cards & More, located in Tattersall Park, sells sports collector items like signed jerseys, balls and helmets, in addition to clothing and gaming cards like Pokémon. Photo by Erin Nelson.
had some repeat customers who are trying to get their son into it and get caught up back to speed, and it’s fun to watch them to experience it.” It was his own son’s interest in cards that inspired Snider to start Lit Cards and More. Joe, who’s 12 years old, “really started showing more signs of getting into sports collecting,” he said. Around Joe’s birthday in March, Snider decided he also wanted to start teaching him some entrepreneurial skills, so they opened an
eBay account to start selling cards. Then over the summer, they decided to expand it to their brick-and-mortar store. “We’re still having a ball doing it, and I’m still teaching my son to do it, just at a much bigger level now,” said Snider, who lives with his wife, Lauren, and two children in Mt Laurel. He said opening the store has been a labor of love for the family to do together, as Lauren fought and won a battle with breast cancer this year.
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“We’re blessed that everything has gone very well there,” he said. The Sniders’ collecting legacy continues through what he says is a store for the whole family. “My mom had me text her when we sold our first Michael Jordan Wheaties box,” Snider said. “It’s in our blood, and we want to pass that on.” For more information, visit litcardsandmore. com or follow them on Facebook or Instagram @litcardsandmore.
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280 Living
Chamber
Award receipients from left: Cahaba Valley Fire Department; Chelsea Fire and Rescue; Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Photos by Leah Ingram Eagle.
First responders recognized by chamber By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Public safety officials from throughout Shelby County were honored for their service to their respective departments at the Annual Safety Awards Community Luncheon presented by The Shelby County Chamber. Individuals were recognized based on the outstanding excellence in public safety they have demonstrated and presented with a plaque. “This program is an opportunity for us to personally give thanks to the fire, police and sheriff personnel, and honor them for the outstanding service and sacrifices they make each day in keeping our respective communities a safe place to live, work, and play,” said chamber president Kirk Mancer.
CAHABA VALLEY FIRE AND EMR DISTRICT
Four members of the Cahaba Valley Fire Department were recognized for their heroic
efforts when responding to a residential structure fire call in the early morning hours of June 21. The crew of Fire/Medic Andrew Dunlap, Fire/Medic Michael Foshee, Firefighter Robert Baylis and Lt. Nick Burch arrived on the scene and assisted in locating, removing and performing resuscitation efforts on a victim. Chief Buddy Wilkes said that although the outcome wasn’t what they wanted, it didn’t change the efforts that the men put in.
CHELSEA FIRE AND RESCUE
Cpt. Josh Rossetti received this award for his assistance and response during the Lifesaver helicopter crash incident on April 2. He responded initially to the patient complaining of chest pain. Rossetti and his team traveled on a path a mile from the roadway into the woods carrying their equipment on foot to reach them. The patient was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. They performed lifesaving measures and the patient regained a heartbeat
but not consciousness so Rossetti requested the assistance of a Lifesaver helicopter. The crew loaded the patient into the transport unit to meet up with the helicopter when the patient went back into cardiac arrest. He ordered the transport unit to proceed to the ER and canceled the Lifesaver request. They drove up on the downed helicopter in the roadway. Rossetti worked as a flight medic as his second job and had personally flown with this flight crew and knew each of them. After the helicopter was unable to land safely, he powered down the helicopter, shut down the fuel supply and extinguished the flames. Chief Joe Lee said Rossetti went “above and beyond his call to duty and it took a strong nerve and a cool head to perform under such stressful conditions and that’s exactly what Captain Rossetti did.” “He represents the kind of attitude and dedication of training and knowledge that we look for in our department.”
SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The Chelsea Fire Department let Sheriff John Samaniego know about something Sgt. Jayme Moore was recognized for a call he assisted with in the city of Chelsea of someone who was in a mental health crisis in one of the businesses. He used his deescalation skills to calm the person and noticed she had a set of keys and with his experience and intuition, he took the keys and went to check the car where he found an infant in a locked car in a carseat in the hot car, saving their life. “That’s one of the many things Jamey does,” said Sheriff John Samaniego. “On that day he demonstrated compassion for the adult patient, then he displayed courage and calm to deescalate the situation. He has a steadfast devotion to duty and experience is what saved that infant’s life. Most people at 25 years of service taper off, but he doesn’t. He’s still in go.”
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280Living.com
November 2023 • A15
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Members of the Shelby County Commission, along with County Manager Chad Scroggins, accept their award for Tourism Advocate of the Year. Photo courtesy of The Shelby County Chamber.
winners recognized by chamber By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Shelby County Chamber held its fourth annual Tourism & Recreation All-Star Awards luncheon on Oct. 5 at Columbiana's Grande Hall in Old Mill Square. Six business groups, including Calera Main Street, Chelsea Business Alliance, Columbiana Main Street, Discover Shelby, Montevallo Chamber of Commerce and The Shelby County Chamber, recognized tourism and recreation businesses who make the area a more attractive destination for tourists and visitors. The 30 nominees were divided into five categories: Lodging, Event/Festival, Restaurant, Recreation/Attractions and Advocate. The winners were: ► Attraction of the Year: Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum (Calera) ► Event of the Year: Liberty Day Festival (Columbiana) ► Lodging Facility of the Year: Fairfield Inn & Suites – Pelham (Pelham) ► Restaurant of the Year: Oak House (Mt Laurel / 280 corridor) ► Tourism Advocate of the Year: Shelby County Commission Matthew Capps, deputy parks director for the Alabama State Parks Department, talked about the positive impact and vital role that state parks play in tourism and recreation throughout the state and communities. The 2023 award nominees included: ► Adventurer’s Coffee & Café
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280 Living
Community Have a community announcement? Email Leah Ingram Eagle at leagle@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Oak Mountain State Park gets campsite facelift, new access road off US 280 By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The campground at Oak Mountain State Park is getting a makeover thanks to the support of the citizens of Alabama. Last year, the state park system was awarded a bond issue, and part of it is going towards a complete renovation of the campgrounds. “The campground closed for renovation at the end of August to begin the construction phase and hopes to open in summer 2024,” said Scottie Jackson, central district superintendent for Alabama State Parks. The size of the campground and campsites will remain roughly the same, according to Jackson. “There is still going to be a lot of nice good space in between campsites to have plenty of room to spread out,” she said. “The idea behind the renovation wasn't to pack in more sites, and the area just has a lot of upgrades to the sites. The entire campground is getting a total facelift.” All three of the bathhouses are being completely redone, along with the addition of a new pavilion, a new camp store with groceries and souvenir items available for purchase, a small dog park and a new playground area with stateof-the-art equipment. The electrical capacity will also be increased to 50 amp, but it will still include the 30 amp and standard wall plug on each post. Jackson said the cabins are not part of the renovation and guests can continue to book any of their 10 lakeside cabins. The equestrian
and she’s really pleased with the work that has been completed so far. “The big takeaway is that there are a lot of wonderful things coming to Oak Mountain State Park in the future and I'm really excited,” she said. “Our guests are so wonderful and loyal to OMSP, and everyone's very excited and anxiously awaiting this new renovation and grand reopening. Our goal is to provide the most wonderful, first-class experience for our guests.”
BELCHER ROAD ACCESS
A photo of the construction at Oak Mountain State Parks campsite. Photo courtesy of Oak Mountain State Park.
campground remains open too. For those looking for a campsite to use while the renovations are underway, Jackson recommends visiting any of Alabama’s 21 state parks. “One of the closer and larger campgrounds is Cheaha State Park, less than two hours away,”
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Jackson said. “Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin is an hour away and DeSoto State Park in Guntersville is about two hours away, so there are several around the central Alabama area.” Crews are working daily, and Jackson said everything has been on or ahead of schedule
A new access road into Oak Mountain State Park is being constructed off U.S. 280 at Belcher Road near North Shelby Baptist Church. Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins said it will take several months to fully develop, but word has gotten out that it’s happening, and people are already trying to use the access. “We want to warn people to give us some space and time before it’s actually open,” Scroggins said. The parking lot won't take long, but the gate itself is being installed by the Department of Conservation and could be months. We are also putting [in] a restroom and pavilion. If you're at King's Chair, you’re only about 50 to 100 yards from the road where that parking lot will access.” There will be a footpath/road bike trail that connects the North Lakes Connector Trail, which is between the North Trailhead and the back lakes, in the Forever Wild addition, Scroggins said.
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280Living.com
November 2023 • A17
Providing support, tools for mental health Cole Anderson, an Eagle Scout and Chelsea High School student, made benches for Double Oak Park as part of his Eagle Scout project. The benches contain suicide hotline information. Photo courtesy of Cody Sumners.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE After four Chelsea High School students committed suicide in a span of just 15 months in 2022 and 2023, the community got a wake up call. Lt. Cody Sumners, who serves as assistant commander for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office patrol division and is also a member of the Chelsea City Council, said he was contacted by concerned citizens in the city who wanted to do something. “I said I’ll put a meeting together, but I have no clue what we can do, but we can at least talk about it,” Sumners said. The day after receiving those phone calls, Sumners held a meeting at the SCSO substation at the 280 County Services building. “We had a meeting of about 10 to 12 people, … parents, teachers and coaches, and we started spitballing, ‘What can we do?’ Because this is unacceptable,” he said. “We came up with a three-prong approach: We need to focus on getting the word out in the community, in churches and in schools.” That meeting developed into the Chelsea Mental Health Action Committee, which wants to make mental health and suicide resources more widely available in the community. Sumners began serving on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter in Shelby County in January 2022 and is working to create a NAMI Shelby presence on the north side of the county, with hopes to offer support groups in the future. He said the meetings were hosted at Shelby Baptist in Alabaster and have now been moved to Central Alabama Wellness in Calera. “We could offer classes like NAMI basics, family-to-family and peer to peer,” he said. “We are trying to grow NAMI Shelby and start getting mental health resources available in the community, so we can end the stigma and put those resources out for anyone taking advantage and [who] may need help and doesn't know where to turn.”
Meetings have already been held with local pastors and a group of churches about doing Youth Mental Health First Aid, where the pastor and anyone who works with children or youth can be trained first and then offer the class to teens. Several churches have already offered to be a host site for the training, Sumners said. Sumners also hopes to get the NAMI programs into the schools to start teaching the kids what to look for when someone is in a mental health crisis, through the Teen Mental Health First Aid program. Making that program a reality will require finding instructors and funding. “We’re missing the boat by training all the adults,” he said. “We need to train friends to
look out for their peers and find a way to get kids the training they need to help them identify when someone is having an issue, how to approach them, how to offer them resources and, most importantly, who to notify.” Sumners said Cole Anderson, a Chelsea High School student, built benches at Double Oak Park for his Eagle Scout project and included a plaque with a QR code for NAMI Shelby and the 988 crisis lifeline. The Chelsea Mental Health Action Committee already has over 30 members and recently participated in several events around the city, including the Community Pep Rally and the Suicide Prevention Seminar at Morningstar
United Methodist Church in September and National Night Out and the Chelsea Fall Craft Festival in October. Sumners said he wants this initiative to include community members, local churches, NAMI Shelby, the city of Chelsea, the Shelby County Commission, the Shelby County Board of Education, COMPACT, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Central Alabama Wellness. “I see this mental health initiative as being a partnership between many groups, all dedicated to saving lives, educating and ending the stigma associated with mental illness,” he said. For more information, visit namishelby.org.
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A18 • November 2023
280 Living
3 Shelby County residents recipients of disability awards The Alabama Disability Awards were presented at the 2023 Alabama disAbility Conference in Montgomery in September. The awards are given to recognize individuals who have helped make a difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This year’s recipients include three individuals from Shelby County.
COLBY SPANGLER: SELF-ADVOCATE OF DISTINCTION
Colby Spangler was honored for his leadership and promotion of self-determination. He has worked tirelessly for years in legislative advocacy surrounding guardianship reform. Spangler helped to create a recent bill that was signed into law titled,“The Colby Act.” This bill works to provide an alternative to guardianship and conservatorship by using a team of “supportive decision makers” and enables the person using those supports to speak for themselves and make their own decisions. Alongside his part-time job and volunteer activities with legislative advocacy, Colby serves as the lead chair on the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program’s Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities advisory council. In college, he helped start a new club titled “Journey” at the University of Alabama, which unites students both with and without disabilities in civic engagement. Spangler contributes to his local church and civic groups, including his Beta Upsilon Chi fraternity alumni events as well as his hometown public schools and colleges. He also presents information on how to help
create community inclusion and belonging for transition-aged youth.
KEVIN WHITE: EXEMPLARY EDUCATOR, SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS
Kevin White was honored for excellence in educating students with developmental and other disabilities. White works in the self-contained behavior unit at Oak Mountain Middle School, where he guides students from 6th through 8th grades. A constant advocate within the classroom and the school, he continually pushes his students to achieve their goals through real life scenarios. White believes in the power of a growth mindset and models the “I can do it” attitude he wants students to learn from. He encourages both typical students as well as students with disabilities to participate in all school and community-wide events such as band, choir, cross-country teams and more. White is always looking for new ways to teach and motivate school staff about the value and contributions his students bring to the classroom. He often attends weeknight or weekend activities and conferences to learn more, network and advocate for his students, and he is always sharing valuable information with their families.
CHRIS STEWART: NATIONAL AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Chris Stewart became the president and chief executive officer at The ARC of Central Alabama (formerly Jefferson County) in
ARC of Alabama board member Jack Knight with Alabama Disability Award recipients Colby Spangler and Chris Stewart. Photo courtesy of Kim Spangler.
April 2013. He has grown the organization’s relationships with federal and statewide entities, as well as monetary supporters like the United Way of Central Alabama and other philanthropic organizations. Stewart has frequently been asked to weigh in on legislation concerning the intellectual and developmental disabilities community by
the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate committees when they are considering various bills that affect our community. He also recently completed his term as president of The ARC’s National Council of Executives and continues to serve in several leadership capacities for The ARC of the United States. – Submitted by Kim Spangler.
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280Living.com
November 2023 • A19
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280 Living
Citizen’s Sheriff Academy By Leah Ingram Eagle
3 classes and a deputy ride-along Since last month’s column, I’ve completed half of my Citizen’s Sheriff’s Academy course. My fellow classmates and I have already learned a lot. Here’s a recap of my first three classes, plus a fun outside-of-class experience we got to participate in.
CLASS 1: INTRODUCTIONS AND OFFICE ORGANIZATION
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I was so excited about my first class and wound up taking seven pages of notes! After discussing our eight-week course, we heard from the top two commanders in the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff John Samaniego and Chief Deputy Clay Hammac. Since this is a column, not an article, I can say that as part of my job for 280 Living, I’ve gotten to know both of these men over the years, and they’re both outstanding and always responsive whenever I reach out. Hammac is currently responsible for the operational command and oversight of criminal investigations, drug enforcement, uniform patrol, tactical response, media relations. He also oversees budget, personnel and risk management. We learned about each of the divisions of the sheriff’s office in our first class: ► Administrative (Commanded by Capt. Mark Bishop) ► Jail (Led by Capt. Russell Bedsole) ► Patrol (Led by Assistant Patrol Division Commander Cody Sumners) ► Criminal Investigations (Commanded by Capt. Jason Myrick) ► Drug Task Force/Compact (Led by Capt. Joseph McGee)
CLASS 2: PATROL DIVISION
Sumners, the patrol division commander, led our second class and explained all about this division, which has 82 deputies (when fully staffed) working 12-hour shifts. There are four K9s throughout the department that can assist in
Eagle
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. Staff photo.
explosives, narcotics, patrol purposes and school searches. Field training officers with no law enforcement experience have to complete 16 weeks of training, which includes hands-on observation and shadowing. Those with prior experience have to train for eight weeks. Several cities in the county that don’t have a police department contract with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office to pay for deputies to patrol their areas. School resource officers are also located at county schools.
Jones told us about public expectations, agency expectations and law enforcement officer expectations. He spoke about the six steps in a situation and how officers can be one step ahead of the perpetrator. They are: ► Officer presence ► Verbal commands ► Soft-hand restraint ► Hard-hand restraints/strikes ► Intermediate weapons ► Deadly force
CLASS 3: FORCE CONTINUUM LAWS AND THE COURT SYSTEM
I spent over six hours on a patrol ride-along on Oct. 11. I had a feeling I would enjoy it, and I was right. While it wasn’t a super active day, we did respond to a four-car accident on U.S. 280, with minor injuries, and made one traffic stop. The patrolman I was with made multiple stops at several requested patrol areas around North Shelby County. I asked a lot of questions and learned a lot that day. The one time he flipped the lights and siren on was probably my favorite part of the day. I’m looking forward to the second half of the class and I’ll share about that in another column next month.
Shelby County District Attorney Matt Casey, Chief Deputy District Attorney Ben Fuller and Sgt. Stu Jones spoke during this session. This class taught us about the different types of offenses and how things progress once a person is in the court system, along with expectations and escalation procedures. Casey works with the county for the state and handles every felony in the county. Misdemeanors are handled by the city courts. Shelby County has approximately 5,000 felonies per year and over 13,000 misdemeanors (including traffic violations). We also learned about capital murder, felony sentencing and how youthful offender status is handled.
A DAY ON PATROL
Leah Ingram Eagle is a community editor with Starnes Media.
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November 2023 • A21
Celebrations
Edwards – Herring Mr. and Mrs. Ric T. Edwards of Birmingham are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Meredith Anne, to Tyler “Drew” Andrew Herring. Drew is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Derry Wade Herring of Birmingham. Meredith and Drew are both graduates of Oak Mountain High School and Auburn University. Meredith graduated from Auburn in 2021 with a nursing degree and Drew graduated in 2021 with a dual degree in accounting and information systems. Both Meredith and Drew are employed in Birmingham. They were engaged on the Edwards family farm in Sylacauga on Sept. 23. Their upcoming wedding is planned for Spring 2025.
Have an engagement, wedding or anniversary announcement? Email leagle@starnesmedia.com to have it included in an upcoming issue.
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A22 • November 2023
280 Living
Schoolhouse Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Leah Ingram Eagle at leagle@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Shelby County Schools announce new strategic plan The Shelby County Schools strategic plan was released the end of September. Photo courtesy of Shelby County Schools.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Shelby County Schools recently launched a new strategic plan to guide the district’s efforts to carry out its vision for the next several years. “Empowering and Inspiring Excellence … The Path Forward” is the result of a couple years of research, planning and gathering input from various community partners. The plan was formally approved by the Shelby County Board of Education on Sept. 28. This is a culmination of things the district had already been instituting, said Superintendent Lewis Brooks. He added that the strategic plan was drafted after gathering data and input from community members who share the same hopes for the school district that he does. “We’ve had meetings with parents, students and teachers through our V.O.I.C.E [Vision, Openness, Insight, Communication and Engagement] meetings,” Brooks said. “We’ve had district leadership team meetings, cabinet meetings, all of our stakeholders investing in putting together what we feel like will help propel our kids to the next level in their educational journey.” The plan itself derives its name from its new mission statement: To empower and inspire our students to achieve academic excellence and make a positive contribution to the world. “The two words in this document that we feel like will be used a great deal moving forward are ‘empowering’ and ‘inspiring,’” Brooks said. “We feel like those two words will really help us with the things we’re planning to do with our district.” The Strategic Plan commitments will focus on the following areas: innovation, leadership
development, recruitment and retention, community partnerships and organizational commitment. Included within those five areas are communication, continuous improvement, professional learning and fiscal responsibility, which will be applied in all areas. Brooks said the vision of the district has always been to be a model of excellence in
education, and he believes that the new strategic plan will move the district forward. He said there are a number of examples of things going on in Shelby County Schools that are innovative, including using virtual reality goggles in the middle schools and several career tech programs that have been launched this year and in previous years.
“We are constantly, through our team, discussing ways to improve the educational opportunities for our students,” Brooks said. “We really feel good about this document and feel good about the input we’ve received to help us launch this.” For more information on the strategic plan, visit shelbyed.k12.al.us/page/vision.
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280Living.com
November 2023 • A23
Meet Mt Laurel Elementary School’s PTO leaders By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Both Tracy Smith and Blair Stratton have served on the PTO since their oldest children were in kindergarten. This is their second year as co-presidents at Mt Laurel Elementary. ► Email: MLES.PTO2@ gmail.com ► Children: Smith: Luke (4th grade); Stratton: Delaney (1st grade), Kennedy (3rd grade) and Emersyn (4th grade) ► Experience: Smith said she’s mostly chaired/led the corporate sponsorship committee for the last three years. “This is where I love being Blair Stratton, left, and Tracy Smith. involved because of my sales backPhoto courtesy of Tracy Smith. ground,” she said. “Being able to fulfill the school’s needs with their generosity is what brings me great joy. We appreciate our sponsors so much and could not do everything we do for our students and faculty without their support.” Both women said they feel like their strengths balance each other very well, which makes them work so well together. Both said they love to do as much as possible for the school’s needs, while making sure to thank all involved who help. The icing on the cake, the pair said, is that they’ve become such great friends doing this because they spend a lot of time together, so they feel like they’ve developed a friendship that will last a lifetime. They have had fun planning ‘extra’ events to show their appreciation to the PTO members and hope that this tradition continues after they leave. ► Plans for this school year: We are extremely proud to announce that we were able to provide Mt Laurel Elementary with their very first digital sign, archery equipment and new front office furniture with funds from our Spring Boosterthon Fundraiser. This year, our plans are to do a much-needed overhaul on our front playground. This is a huge cost and will take a combination of funds raised from our Charleston Wrap Fundraiser, which just ended, in addition to our Renaissance Faire, Silent Auction as well as our Boosterthon in the spring. We headed up our very first Daddy/Daughter Dance and Santa with Paws last year and plan to have both of those again this year, along with our very first mother/son outing.
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A24 • November 2023
280 Living
Events
280 Corridor events guide who have lost loved ones to suicide as well as education programs, advocacy and scientific research that will help us learn more about how to save lives from this leading cause of death. afsp.org/birmingham.
U.S. will have unique gifts, clothing, ornaments, decorations and food. Tickets are only available at the door and are $8 for adults and $3 for children. Save $1 off the ticket price by donating a canned food item that will be given to Oak Mountain Mission Ministries. rotarysouthernchristmas.com.
Nov. 11: Friends of the Library Book Sale. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chelsea Public Library, 16623 U.S. 280. The Friends of the Chelsea Library hold a book sale on the patio on the second Saturday of every month. Most books, audiobooks, DVDs and CDs sell for 50 cents each. cityofchelsea.com/234/Friends-ofChelsea-Library.
Nov. 4: Mt Laurel Fall Festival. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate fall in the Town of Mt Laurel and enjoy a day shopping with lots of vendors, live music, food trucks, a children’s area and more. mtlaurel.com.
Nov. 11: Act of Congress. 7:30 p.m. at the Shelby County Arts Council, 105 W. College St., Columbiana. The popular band is back by popular demand, kicking off their Christmas concert season. Tickets are $30. shelbycounty artscouncil.com/ events.
Nov. 4: Puppy Palooza. Cat-n-Bird Winery, 11661 Old U.S. 280, Chelsea. A fun day celebrating your pups with photo ops, vendors and adoptions with Loveless Dog Rescue. Food with The Lil Bougie Foodie starting at 1 p.m. and music with Marshall Mikesell from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. cat-n-bird.com/events.
Nov. 18: Death by 5K. 8 a.m. Oak Mountain State Park. Death by 5K requires participants to run ten 5Ks, starting at 8 a.m. with each 5K spaced 2.5 hours apart. This challenge is designed to test participants mentally and physically with physical fatigue, sleep deprivation and running in the dark. ultrasignup.com.
Nov. 5: Out of the Darkness Walk. 1-5 p.m. Veterans Park, Hoover. Join the movement to fight suicide. Funds raised will provide care and support for those
Nov. 18: A Southern Christmas Bazaar. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pelham Civic Complex. Featuring craftsmen, artisans and merchants from across the southeastern
Nov. 3: Mt Laurel Renaissance Faire. 5-8 p.m. Mt Laurel Elementary School. Mt Laurel Elementary School’s biggest fundraiser features a silent auction, rides, food, games, inflatables, DJ, vendors, freebies and more. Fun for the whole family and open to all surrounding communities. Tickets at the door are $15 for children age 5 and up. Adults and children 4 and younger are free. facebook.com/MLESKnightLife.
Nov. 18: Fall Shop Local Market. Noon to 6 p.m. Catn-Bird Winery, 11661 Old U.S. 280, Chelsea. This event will feature locally crafted decor, jewelry, art and more. Food from HawgTide BBQ starting at noon and music with Eric Watters from 1 to 4 p.m. cat-n-bird.com/ events. Nov. 30: Christmas on the Mountain. 5:30-9 p.m. Heardmont Park. Celebrate the holidays at Heardmont Park at the second annual Christmas on the Mountain event. Featuring vendors, food trucks, inflatables, a tinsel trail, tree lighting and performances from all of the Oak Mountain community schools. Local churches will decorate Christmas trees that will be around the playground all season. Search “Christmas on the Mountain” on Facebook.
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280Living.com
November 2023 • A25
Snapshots of Eddie Burchfield in Korea in 1986, during his time as an army chaplain. Photos courtesy of Eddie Burchfield.
BURCHFIELD
CONTINUED from page A1 “I couldn’t read music, but they had the chord notes and I just jazz-bassed it all the way through,” Burchfield said. “They said, ‘That ain’t the way it goes, but it sounds good,’ and I was hired on as a bass player in the army band. We played graduations, malls and places to recruit.” However, old habits die hard, and after he was arrested by the city of Huntsville for selling drugs to the band in 1973, Burchfield received an honorable discharge from the military in November of that year. He got involved with another band and sold and used drugs until he turned his life around in 1975. Burchfield said that he rarely went to church growing up and he loved the rock-and-roll scene. He wasn’t looking for anything else to fulfill him in life, but after getting married and having a child,
it made him think. Not long after his wife became a Christian, she gave Burchfield an ultimatum to either go to church with her or go somewhere else. He agreed to go to a Sunday night service with her on June 8, 1975, but said if anyone said anything about the way he looked or smelled, he would leave. He was high when he arrived, but the visit didn’t go as expected. Everyone was friendly to him, and during the testimony service, he became convicted and was saved that night. He still gets emotional telling his story 48 years later. “God immediately delivered me and I’ve never wanted drugs or alcohol since,” he said. Three months after that church service, Burchfield enrolled at Jefferson State Junior College and studied agribusiness. After obtaining a degree in horticulture and landscaping, he got a job in Mobile with the Soil Conservation Service, where he lived for 15 years.
Burchfield felt the call to preach and attended a bible training institute. He became a licensed evangelist in 1985 and also joined the Army National Guard, where he was hired with the 711 signal battalion in Mobile as a multi-channel radio operator. The army sent him to attend chaplain school in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and upon his return home, he was hired to fill the role of army chaplain for five years, until 1992. He was also able to spread the gospel in Korea during this time. Burchfield retired from his civilian career with the Alabama Department of Transportation in 2015, after a 32-year career as a surveyor. After moving to Chelsea in 2020, during Covid, Burchfield began a roadside ministry called Sign Language, where he would park his truck along U.S. 280 in the Chelsea area and put up his American flag and signs letting people know Jesus loves them. Many people honk as they pass by, and
others stop to speak and pray with him. Burchfield said he has continued this ministry out of obedience and said he doesn’t feel there’s an end to it. Through his nonprofit ministry, Fresh Fire Evangelism, Burchfield shares his message on three radio stations. He also serves as head chaplain for Chelsea Fire department (since 2012), as a chaplain for Shelby Baptist Health System and on the Church of God Chaplains Commission. “God has always made a way, and people have been very kind and helped me stay in the field,” he said. Now 73 years old, Burchfield said he has a lot of irons in the fire but has no plans of slowing down. He said he can look back and see the cause and effect of God's miracle in his life. “I’ve been a chaplain, an evangelist and ordained minister. I've been serving the Lord for 48 years and I'm excited as ever was,” he said. “I love loving Jesus and he loves loving me, and I’m a happy man.”
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A26 • November 2023
280 Living Left: Emmi Claire Willoughby, a student athletic trainer at Briarwood Christian School, stands on the field at Lions Pride Stadium at Briarwood Christian School.
WILLOUGHBY
CONTINUED from page A1
NOT JUST A WATER GIRL
Willoughby can be found on the sidelines each Friday night during the fall, assisting Briarwood athletic trainers Kyle Southall and Bailey Fawcett before, during and after the Lions football games. Sure, Willoughby fills up water bottles throughout the night and uses them as she roams the sidelines during the action and navigates team huddles in timeouts. She ensures hydration needs are met on practice days as well, making sure water containers are filled and placed appropriately. But don’t call her a “water girl.” It’s certainly an important part of what she does, but she’s far more than that. She considers herself a “right-hand woman” for Southall and Fawcett on Friday nights. She can also often be found in the athletic training room during the week after school, answering questions or even taping the wrists of a couple volleyball players with floor burns. “It is a big deal, because the boys have to be hydrated,” she said. “I also help with first aid. I can do some of the basic stuff.” Southall is the director of sports science and performance at Briarwood and has seen Willoughby’s skill set grow over the years. Basic taping, first aid, logistics, the list goes on. He calls her one of the best when it comes to field setup for football practices. “She can do it as good, if not better, than I do,” he said. “She can look at a practice script that coach [Matthew] Forester makes out and go, ‘We’re getting ready to change drills, so I need to move the water.’ It never holds up things and is smooth and seamless.”
Below: Willoughby comforts an injured player in a game at Helena High School on Oct. 6. Photos by Erin Nelson.
FINDING A NEW PATH
Willoughby and her family moved to Alabama from Georgia ahead of her freshman year. She started her high school journey intent on being a successful athlete in volleyball, basketball and track and field. However, hip problems kept her from playing any sports during ninth grade. She tried to make a comeback following months of rehabilitation, but basketball tryouts were the final straw for her. “I went out for tryouts and was just in excruciating pain,” she recalled. “This is obviously not for me.” That’s how she initially met Southall, when she was the athlete needing help with her hip during basketball tryouts. Not long after that, though, an email sent out to the student body opened the door for a new path. Briarwood head football coach Matthew Forester was asking anyone with interest in being involved in the football program to reach out to him. Willoughby mentioned the email to Jay Mathews, who is the school’s athletics director, the football team’s quarterbacks coach and also her health teacher at the time. She was interested in helping out on the athletic training side of things, a side of athletics she had become quite familiar with during her injury rehab. Although there was no student training program at Briarwood, Forester and Southall brought Willoughby into the football program. She began learning the ropes and has yet to look back. “They took a chance on me,” she said. “That’s how it all kind of started.”
LEADING BY SERVING
The summer following her freshman year, Willoughby woke up at 5:15 every morning to get to football practice. She admits that wasn’t always the easiest thing to do, but the last thing she wanted to do was not follow through on her commitment. “I was blown away,” Forester said. “At the end of the summer, she was still showing up at 6 [a.m.], I think every morning, helping being a part of it. And then she was here all fall camp. She really did a good job taking care of the athletes, doing her role, figuring out what that was.” Her servant mentality and consistency are traits that Forester can point to as an example for his players. They have certainly noticed it, and Willoughby feels as much a part of the football program as any player or coach. “They’ve taken me under their wing,” she said. “They’re all very protective of me. And, you know, I get to be out here every day. So, I feel part of this team.” There was also the time that she rushed to the aid of a baseball umpire in the midst of a
“
There’s always guys that can fill positions [on the football team]. But we’ve really only had one of her. We’re looking at next year thinking, ‘What in the world are we going to do without her?’
cardiac event during her sophomore year. Her understanding of the automated external defibrillator on hand allowed her to initiate care for the umpire immediately until Southall arrived on the scene. “It’s neat to see her growth and maturity and all those things,” Forester said.
NO SLOWING DOWN
Willoughby was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a form of
”
MATTHEW FORESTER
dysautonomia, two years ago. POTS causes a person’s heart rate to increase abnormally upon standing, leading to fainting episodes in Willoughby’s case. Cases of POTS in America have doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dysautonomia International. For Willoughby, she has learned to understand and manage the signs and symptoms with the help of doctors and medication. She knows of one other classmate who deals with POTS as well.
One thing POTS has not done is slowed her down. Even in the immediate aftermath of her diagnosis, she kept showing up at football practices. She wasn’t going to use fatigue as an excuse. “I want to honor the Lord, and the Lord calls us to be diligent in our work,” she said. “I take a lot of pride in what the coaches think of me and I want to set a good example for the boys.” The current plan for Willoughby is to head to Auburn University next year, although she’s not 100% set on a path just yet. After all, she knows how quickly things can change. “I’m not quite sure where the Lord wants me yet, but definitely something in the medical field,” she said. At Briarwood, though, the true scope of things she takes care of, big and small, will likely not be fully realized until next school year. “There’s always guys that can fill positions [on the football team],” Forester said. “But we’ve really only had one of her. “We’re looking at next year thinking, ‘What in the world are we going to do without her?’”
280Living.com
November 2023 • A27
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Buchanan carving out impressive legacy for Hornets By KYLE PARMLEY Lauren Buchanan may still be applying Chapstick following her trip to Lubbock, Texas. She wasn’t used to the dry air there, but that’s seemingly the only drawback from the Chelsea High School junior’s visit to Texas Tech University. Buchanan, one of the top high school volleyball players in Alabama, committed to play for the Red Raiders in mid-September. “When I went on my visit, getting off the airplane, I immediately fell in love,” Buchanan said. Buchanan went on to list all the things she loves about Texas Tech: the fact that it plays in the Big 12 conference, the coaching staff, the facilities, all the support provided to the student-athletes. The list went on and on. Her current high school coach, Jamie Gill, remembers the early days of Buchanan’s volleyball career. She wasn’t always the elite outside hitter that strikes fear into Chelsea’s opponents. Before Gill returned to Chelsea three years ago, she was Buchanan’s club coach when she was 11 years old. “She was our outside hitter on the [14 and under] team, but she didn’t know how to approach and had very little understanding as to what was going on,” Gill said. “As you can tell now, all that’s changed. We knew she had a lot of potential from the very beginning.” Buchanan made her first varsity appearance at Chelsea as an eighth grader and has been one of the Hornets’ mainstays for the last three years. She has blossomed into one of the team leaders and most imposing players anywhere across the state. “It’s fun to coach somebody with so much potential and so much talent and someone who is a great teammate and has great work ethic,”
Left: Chelsea’s Lauren Buchanan (7) hits the ball at the net in a match against Homewood at Homewood High School on Aug. 29. Photo by Erin Nelson. Right: Buchanan during a photoshoot in September at Texas Tech after committing to play volleyball for the Red Raiders. Photo courtesy of Lauren Buchanan.
Gill said. “All of that has been a blessing.” Emma Pohlmann was one of the first high school teammates to realize Buchanan’s vast potential and struck up a great friendship. “We got very close and still to this day we are the best of friends,” Pohlmann said. “She gave me this sort of feeling of trust and someone I knew I could count on. Playing with Lauren was a blessing. I wish I could do it all over again.” Pohlmann is a freshman at the University of North Florida, and she believes Buchanan possesses the potential to do big things at the college level as well. “She has one of the best work ethics I’ve ever seen out of a high school player,” Pohlmann said. “She’s determined and she’s committed, and
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that’s going to take her so far. I’m really excited to see how she continues to grow and succeed.” Buchanan sees a similar dynamic developing between herself and freshman Lexi Rudolph. Rudolph is young, but the vast potential and talent is obvious. “Being the youngest on varsity, I was nervous but I knew I was on the team for a reason,” Buchanan said. “With Lexi being really young — I was in her shoes once — I want to help her.” Buchanan’s list of accomplishments for her varsity career is already vast, having notched more than 1,000 kills and 500 digs through her junior season. Buchanan points back to her seventh grade year, working out with her dad in the basement of their home, as the driving force
behind her desire to be great. “She has really great support from her family,” Gill said. “They’ve given her all the resources she needs to be successful. Training, lessons, the best club — they’ve made some really great decisions along the way.” Chelsea’s season came to an end Oct. 19 in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament, as the Hornets fell to Spain Park. Ahead of the area tournament, Buchanan spoke of her desire to finish strong for seniors MK Dojonovic and Mara Paulk. “These seniors have worked really hard over the last couple years. We don’t want to let them down. We want to have a really good season, make it out of area, live up to our expectations,” Buchanan said.
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B2 • November 2023
280 Living
Embracing 2024 As we usher in a new year, many of us reflect on our lives, seeking ways to improve our overall well-being. One profound resolution worth considering is the commitment to live without unnecessary pain. Yes, a pain-free life is attainable, or at minimum, a lesser-degree of pain can be. Think about it, living in pain can hinder one’s pursuit of happiness, fulfillment and engagement with others. Obviously, it negatively impacts quality of life. Therefore, consider some of the following suggestions so, a higher quality of life and or, a pain-free life can become a reality for 2024. To begin, start with personal self-reflection about where your current state of health is at and what a pain free life would look like? What’s it worth to you from a life enhancement point of view to improve this? How can embarking on this journey be a positive for you and your loved one? Next, be realistic in setting goals in the areas you realized needs to be addressed, because the path to a pain-free life isn’t devoid of challenges. Living pain-free often involves adopting healthier habits such as potentially regular exercise, icing to reduce swelling, stretching routine, a healthier diet filled with quality dense foods, and adding sufficient sleep to name a few. These habits can help alleviate physical pain and improve your health.
Also, one may want to consider utilizing professional resources to move towards longevity and vitality such as the chiropractic wellness lifestyle. This can be a great resource to achieve a life without pain because chiropractic is the epitome of a natural and holistic approach to health and well-being. The chiropractic profession centers around the care and maintenance of the spine and nervous system. It recognizes that a healthy spine is essential for overall health and wellness, as it influences the body’s ability to function optimally, internally and externally. The chiropractic wellness lifestyle guides individuals towards a healthier and pain-free life through gentle, manual adjustments of the spine to correct misalignments (subluxations), restore nerve signals, improve stiffness and range of motion. Ultimately, addressing the root cause of many health issues rather than merely alleviating symptoms. Many think chiropractic care is just for pain relief however, it’s also used as a preventative measure. Regular chiropractic “tune-up” adjustments can identify and address potential issues before they become major problems, like arthritis and other degenerative issues. For the 50+ age group who want to age youthfully, prevention is key. Yes, 50+ age group is a milestone that often prompts reflection on health, vitality, and
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longevity. Many, in this demographic seek ways to maintain and enhance their well-being as they age. The chiropractic wellness lifestyle is your strategic vehicle in this pursuit by enhancing vitality, longevity and quality of life. With this 50+ group, chiropractic care is tailored to the unique needs of individuals. It’s a holistic approach to health that goes beyond pain relief by recognizing the spine plays a pivotal role in one’s overall well-being and the aging process. As we age, maintaining spinal health becomes increasingly critical. Chiropractors specialize in addressing age-related issues, improving mobility, enhancing vitality, and promoting longevity. There are many benefits of chiropractic wellness care for the 50+ group. Initially, it may start as pain management for chronic pain, such as arthritis or degenerative joint conditions. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can alleviate pain by restoring proper spinal alignment and reducing inflammation, allowing for a more active lifestyle. Ultimately, chiro care improves nervous system function, one’s mobility by restoring flexibility and improving range of motion. This is essential as we age. Therefore, chiropractic care, combined with targeted exercises, helps to regain and retain mobility, making daily activities easier.
Other factors involved as we approach this age group, are the unique stressors such as retirement, taking care of elders and or our own health concerns. Considering chiropractic care can help manage stress through the chiropractic adjustments, educate on relaxation techniques, and provide lifestyle guidance. Remember, like regular dental cleaning appointments, regular adjustments help maintain spinal health and optimize nervous system function. As we embark on a new year, make a commitment to live a quality life without unnecessary pain. It is a journey that requires self-reflection, setting realistic goals, seeking professional help when needed, and adopting healthy habits. Consider nurturing your spinal health and well-being through a holistic, patient-centered, and preventative care such as the chiropractic wellness lifestyle. By embracing these principles, you can enhance your quality of life, reduce the risk of spinal issues, and experience the benefits of optimal nervous system function. A qualified wellness chiropractor is a valuable partner in this journey, offering guidance and personalized care to help you achieve and maintain a pain-free, healthy life. Start planning to embrace a healthier you for 2024. Our office is here to help.
280Living.com
November 2023 • B3
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B4 • November 2023
280 Living
Sports Briarwood wins 400th game in program history By GARY LLOYD Briarwood Christian School Athletic Director Jay Mathews stood around the 30-yard line at Lions Pride Stadium, some 10 minutes after the Lions shut out Oak Mountain 21-0 on Sept. 29. He was staring at his phone, posting a graphic to Facebook that featured the number 400 with photos of former players filling out the digits. It took Briarwood just 589 games to reach 400 wins, a 68% winning percentage since the program began in 1973. The most successful of the program’s seven coaches is Fred Yancey, who led the Lions to a 278-95 record from 1990 to 2018. He was on hand for the 400th win, though he was unaware of the milestone. “But I like it,” Yancey said. Briarwood reached the state playoffs every year from 1993 to 2021, though the streak snapped a season ago. The win to reach No. 400 was done in typical Briarwood fashion. “That’s what Coach Yancey put the emphasis on years ago, back in ’96 when he had a conversation with Don Woods, who was up at Hartselle,” said Lions head coach Matthew Forester. “He told him the formula and Coach Yancey stuck with that formula, and I’m not going to fix it if it ain’t broken. Good defense, ball-control offense, be physical.” There have been stars to come through Lions Pride Stadium over the years. Tim Castille, Simeon Castille, Joe Craddock, Barrett Trotter, Michael Hiers, J.R. Tran-Reno, Tyler Waugh and Christopher Vizzina stand out. There are certainly many more. “I’m very proud to be a Briarwood Lion, and I am blessed to have played for such a historic program,” Vizzina said. “The best part about Briarwood football is winning with your best friends, and it’s really cool to check back in and,
Briarwood Christian head coach Matthew Forester speaks to his team after a game against the Pelham High Panthers on Sept. 15 at Lions Pride Stadium. Photo by David Leong.
as expected, we are still winning.” Vizzina, now a freshman quarterback at Clemson University, follows the Lions closely. He texts for updates about games on Friday nights. He remembers watching games as an elementary student from the “shelf” atop Lions Pride Stadium and learning about the program in middle school, and then just a couple years later he was wearing a gold helmet, building a legacy. “That’s where it all starts,” Vizzina said. Mathews has been a part of more than 245 wins over a 25-year span. “[I] can attest that the hard work and effort
of everyone involved has been a treasure to witness,” he said. “Each win was special because few people understand how difficult it is to win even one game in the state of Alabama. I’m thankful to be a Lion.” Yancey, sitting on a blue chair at halftime, said his favorite part of being on hand for the 400th win was seeing former players he coached with their children. “That encourages me that they want for their children the experience they had when they were at Briarwood,” Yancey said. “That’s probably the best. The second thing is that I like watching the players on our team. They’re
really into the idea that they’re still fighting hard and alive and can bounce back from a couple losses early. They’ve shown a lot of guts and courage.” Forester became the second-winningest head coach in Briarwood history this season, although he’s still nearly 240 wins behind Yancey. But there’s time. Legacies aren’t built quickly or easily. “In a lot of ways, you’re just living off the work of giants before us,” Forester said. “I’m grateful to have learned so much from him, to be able to have this chance to carry on this tradition.”
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November 2023 • B5
Sports Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley
Such a good time of year It’s amazing the power that that turned those day trips into music has to bring back vivid lasting memories. memories, isn’t it? As we enter November, there One day recently, I was are just so many good things driving into work and a song going on. High school football is entering the playoffs. came on that took me back to The college football season my childhood days of attending a few Auburn University is getting better by the week. football games each year. Basketball at all levels is about Those were great times and to begin. The holidays are right undoubtedly played a huge around the corner. role in where I’m at today, The list goes on and on. in terms of my interests and I can’t wait to see how it Parmley passions. all unfolds. Will one of our Hearing just a small portion local high school football of a song takes me back to sitting in the stands teams reach the state championship, like at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2004, watching Mountain Brook last fall? Which teams will the Auburn University Marching Band take make the College Football Playoffs? For the field pregame. Getting to be a part of the Alabama and Auburn football fans who may energy in that stadium and recognize the pag- be saddened by the reality if their team doesn’t eantry involved is something that, to this day, make the playoffs, well, basketball season is a gives me chills. point of pride now. It also brings back highlights (and some It’s going to be a fun ride. I don’t know lowlights) of quite a few games over the how we always manage to keep up with everyyears. That 2004 undefeated team. The 2006 thing going on, but just remember, some of the win over Florida. The 2013 Iron Bowl (yes, music you listen to this season may be what that one). A short snippet of a song took me you stumble upon 10 years from now. on a long trip down memory lane. And it will bring you back to these moments. I wish I could get back to Jordan-Hare a Hopefully they will be positive memories. little more often than I do. The on-field product has been a little lackluster over the last Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at Starnes few years, but that is far from the only thing Media.
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Nov. 16: @ Thompson. 7 p.m.
BRIARWOOD
Nov. 20: Girls vs. Tuscaloosa County. 4 p.m. Northridge High School.
Nov. 9: Boys vs. Hartselle. 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11: Girls vs. Columbia. 11:30 a.m. Huntsville High School. Nov. 14: vs. Homewood. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16: @ Gadsden City. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30: @ Bessemer City. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 28: @ Homewood. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m. SPAIN PARK Nov. 7: Girls @ Gardendale. 5 p.m. Nov. 9: Boys vs. Stanhope Elmore. 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11: Girls @ Huntsville. 1 p.m. Nov. 14: vs. Vestavia Hills. 7:30 p.m.
CHELSEA
Nov. 17: vs. Helena. 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2: vs. Homewood. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.
Nov. 18, 20-21: Boys at Spartan Turkey Jam. Mountain Brook High School.
Nov. 7: @ Mountain Brook. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 20: Girls vs. Tuscaloosa County. 10 a.m. Northridge High School.
Nov. 9: @ Vestavia Hills. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.
Nov. 28: @ Clay-Chalkville. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 14: vs. Pelham. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.
CROSS-COUNTRY
Nov. 16: vs. Calera. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m. Nov. 20: Girls vs. Paul Bryant. 1 p.m. Northridge High School.
Nov. 2: Section meet. Veterans Park. Nov. 11: State meet. Oakville Indian Mounds Park.
FOOTBALL
OAK MOUNTAIN
BRIARWOOD
Nov. 7: @ Northridge. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 3: @ Fairhope. 7 p.m.
Nov. 9: Girls vs. Oxford. 5:30 p.m. Nov. 11: Boys vs. Austin. 1:30 p.m. Wallace State Community College. Nov. 13: Girls @ Cullman. 6 p.m.
Nov. 10: Playoffs begin. TBD. SPAIN PARK Nov. 2: vs. Pelham. 7 p.m. Nov. 10: Playoffs begin. TBD.
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B6 • November 2023
280 Living
Chelsea’s Kenny Wesley (12): Returned blocked field goal for TD vs. Oak Mountain.
Chelsea’s Nick Sulenski (13): Caught 9 passes for 151 yards vs. Vestavia Hills.
UNDER THE LIGHTS Briarwood’s Cooper Higgins (13): Ran 15 times for 90 yards and a TD vs. Oak Mountain.
By KYLE PARMLEY The high school football regular season is winding down, with the state playoffs set to begin the second Friday of November. Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park all missed out on the postseason last fall, but among those four, Briarwood stands the best chance of getting back to that stage in 2023. Here are some highlights from the middle portion of the season. Photos by GARY COSBY JR., TODD LESTER, DAVID LEONG, ERIN NELSON and JAMES NICHOLAS
Briarwood’s Josh Thompson (7): Completed 17of-21 passes for 200 yards and 2 TDs vs. Pelham.
Oak Mountain’s Will O’Dell (18): Combined for over 300 total yards and 3 TDs vs. Tuscaloosa County.
See UNDER THE LIGHTS | page B8
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November 2023 • B7
B8 • November 2023
280 Living
UNDER THE LIGHTS CONTINUED from page B6
Briarwood’s Sawyer Click (11): Caught 9 passes for 98 yards and a TD vs. Pelham.
Chelsea’s Emerson Russell (1): Rushed for 146 yards and 2 TDs vs. Oak Mountain.
Briarwood’s Ben McNulty (10): Caught two long passes vs. Helena, totaling 111 yards and a TD.
Oak Mountain’s Sawyer Smith (2): Caught 4 passes for 106 yards and 2 TDs vs. Tuscaloosa County.
Spain Park’s Derick Shanks (6): Led Jags with 78 rushing yards vs. Tuscaloosa County.
Briarwood’s Garrett Heinemann (99): Kicked key field goals vs. Pelham and Helena.
280Living.com
November 2023 • B9
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B10 • November 2023
280 Living
FROM THE ARCHIVES: DEC. 1, 2017
Lions engineer comeback advance to state title game Let’s take a trip down memory lane this month. In 2017, Briarwood Christian School made a run to the Class 5A state championship game, winning its first 14 contests of the season. One of the most memorable games of that stretch was a comeback win over St. Clair County in the semifinals. Here is the original story from 280 Living.
By SAM CHANDLER During pregame warmups, Briarwood Christian School head coach Fred Yancey stood in the end zone with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slightly slouched. He barely moved an inch as the Lions ran through their various offensive formations at Lions Pride Stadium. Yancey’s body language communicated coolness and composure. It transferred to his players. Down 17 points to St. Clair County at halftime of the Class 5A state semifinals, Briarwood engineered what Yancey called one of the greatest comebacks in school history. The Lions reached the end zone on four of their final five possessions, including for the go-ahead score with less than 30 seconds to play, to squeak out a 37-33 victory and advance to their first state final since 2010. “We were down and out and just had to come back,” Yancey said. “It took a lot of guts, courage on the part of both these teams, and our boys sure did come through in the third and fourth quarter." St. Clair County sliced through the Lions’ typically stingy defense in the first half, scoring
Briarwood celebrates their win after an AHSAA Class 5A semifina l game.
on three of its four drives. After a pair of rushing touchdowns, Saints quarterback Michael Fisher executed a run-pass option to perfection. He waited patiently in the pocket before delivering a pass across the middle to Ja’Varrius Johnson, who sprinted to the end zone untouched for an 89-yard score.
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St. Clair County’s defense also stepped up initially. The Saints pressured Briarwood quarterback Michael Hiers and shut down the rushing game. In the second quarter, they stripped Hiers on third down in the red zone, and Skyler Mizzell returned the fumble more than 75 yards for a touchdown.
The Lions trailed 27-10 at the half. “This is the first time all year we’ve been pressed like this,” said Yancey, whose team had outscored its first three playoff opponents 12814. “Give them a lot of credit.” Then, direct the credit to Briarwood for its play over the final two quarters. After punting
280Living.com
November 2023 • B11 J.R. Tran-Reno (9) prepares for a catch.
Michael Hiers (7) trots into the end zone.
on its first possession after the intermission, the Lions flipped a switch. Carson Eddy, who led the Briarwood receiving corps with 14 receptions for 134 yards, scored on a 3-yard pitch to pull his team within 10, 27-17. The 10-play, 70-yard scoring drive featured a 20-yard completion from Hiers to Hudson Hartsfield on third-and-17. Hiers capped the next drive by dumping the ball off to Luke Prewett, who dashed down the right sideline for a 26-yard touchdown. Prewett scored on a similar play in the first half that went for 65 yards. Andrew Sherrod’s interception on a deep
ball initiated the eight-play, 89-yard scoring drive, which made it 27-24 at the end of the third quarter. “We weren’t quitting,” he said. “We were going to come back.” Both teams traded punts to begin the final frame, before Briarwood took its first lead of the game with six minutes remaining. Hiers connected with JR Tran-Reno on a 43-yard pass that cut through the dense fog engulfing the stadium, moving the ball to St. Clair’s 25-yard line. Hiers kept it himself on the next play and scurried into the end zone. Noah Nall’s extra point made it 31-27 Briarwood.
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In addition to his 47 yards rushing, Hiers completed 32-of-43 passes for more than 390 yards. “We trained all year for it, all four quarters, even though we hadn’t had to play four quarters like this,” said Hiers, who was told by teammates after the game that he has ice in his veins and should consider a career in the NFL. “We trained for this, so we were ready. All of us players are fighters.” But St. Clair County and its first-year coach, Matt Glover, didn’t wilt. Fisher threw a screen to Johnson, the wide receiver, who outraced the Briarwood defense for a 60-yard touchdown.
St. Clair led 33-31 with a little more than two minutes remaining. Like its coach, Briarwood kept its cool. Hiers delivered a spot-on 34-yard pass to Eddy on the game-winning drive to push the ball to the Saints’ 17. Four plays later, Tran-Reno plunged into the end zone from 1 yard out with only 23 ticks left on the clock. The Lions failed to convert a two-point attempt, but it didn’t matter. Tran-Reno intercepted Fisher on St. Clair County’s first — and last — play of its final drive. Said Yancey: “It doesn’t take experience to want to win bad.”
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B12 • November 2023
280 Living
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November 2023 • B13
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B14 • November 2023
280 Living
Opinion Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Yeah, I know most folks would choose Christmas as their favorite, but not me. Namely because I was a chubby kid, and we chubby kids preferred our holidays to center around cholesterol. In my family, the ladies would start preparing many days in advance for the big calorie party. You’d see women dusting countertops with flour, working tirelessly on butcher blocks, wielding surgically sharp cutlery and threatening to neuter any man who came within 14 feet of her range oven. The house would be a symphony of chopping sounds, cabinets slamming and the roar of Briggs & Stratton 12-horsepower hand-mixers. Christmas simply could not compare. At Thanksgiving, the food spread was sinful enough to qualify for an R rating. We had heaps of refined carbohydrates, wads of saturated fat, volcanoes of gluten and fruit pies that were completely obscured by Reddi Whip. Whereas at Christmas, all I got was khakis. Our childhood home would also be inundated with loud family members. Sometimes there were people loitering in our house who I’d never even met. “Come say hello to your cousin Hilda,” my mother would say, matting my hair with her own spit. Cousin Hilda was 94 years old, a complete stranger to me, and she talked at length about the disruptive nature of kidney stones to anyone within earshot. All day, the walls of our little house would throb with the sounds of human voices. And
even though our family was secretive about? Did they actudecidedly dysfunctional, it was ally think we boys cared what pretty fun. they were discussing? Give me a break. We didn’t care. My uncle would sit on a sofa, reading the newspaper, sipping We had way more important Pabst, yelling at his kids. He did things to worry about. So we this even though his kids were, eavesdropped. for example, in their late forties. Then it was time to eat. Other uncles and male cousWe’d all gather around the ins would hang out in the drivetable, and in that moment, way, trying to look masculine. you’d realize how messed up This is a typical male activity your family was. Sometimes at Thanksgiving — driveway you’d look at your kinfolk, all Dietrich standing. gathered in one place, and you’d Driveway standing is not a marvel at how you — the only difficult sport to engage in. It goes like this: normal person at the table — managed to spring While one guy does something important, such from this malfunctioning group of walnuts. as staring beneath the hood of his ‘77 Ford “Look at these people,” you’d think to yourPinto, other men stand at a distance with hands self. “They’re crazy.” on hips, offering manly suggestions, and occaOne of your uncles defined himself as a “serial monogamist.” One of your aunts kept sionally spitting. This is 97% of being a man. Unless you’re a teenage man. In which case, adjusting the household thermostat to “meat locker” until everyone could see their breath Thanksgiving Day is all about bottle rockets. One year, my cousin Ed Lee brought a vapor. One cousin had spent half the day on gym bag full of barely legal fireworks to our the phone with her boyfriend having a heated family celebration. I will never forget when he tele-argument. attempted to launch a bottle rocket from the But before food came the big prayer. The waistband of his pants. My cousin had to eat great equalizer. We all bowed our heads while dinner standing up that year. the elder of our family folded his hands and The young female cousins were different tucked his knuckles beneath his nose. animals altogether. They would clump together, First, we would engage in that incrediapparently discussing matters of national secu- bly corny family tradition wherein everyone rity among themselves. takes turns naming things they’re thankful for. Girls were always so private. Which made us Nobody was very original during this little boys wonder: What the heck were they being so Joyce Brothers exercise.
Usually, everyone thanked God for the usual. Things like “good food,” and “family.” But then some people actually surprised you and offered heartfelt thanks.”I’m thankful for my mom,” said one. “I’m grateful my daughter is out of the ICU,” said another. Then, the patriarch would pray aloud. And it would move you. Because until today you had never seen your cuckoo family as real people before. So, while the head of the family would utter prayers for all, including the souls who left us and those who were sick among us, the air in the room would change. Aunts would sniffle, uncles cleared throats, mothers blew noses loudly and some of us dabbed our eyes. Because at this moment you somehow felt connected to something bigger than yourself. It was more than just a holiday and it was about something much deeper than food. Today was about understanding that even though you belonged to this messed-up group of humans, these were your messed-up humans. And when everything goes wrong in life, sometimes these humans are the only ones you will have left. By the time everyone said amen, you knew without a doubt that Christmas had nothing on Thanksgiving. Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. He has authored nine books and is the creator of the “Sean of the South” blog and podcast.
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280Living.com
November 2023 • B15
Holy Moly Motherhood By Alana Smith
Thankful It’s November, y’all. and lights and clean water One of my most favorite to drink. For family and times of year. safety and jobs. For the The leaves are changing Thanksgiving meal that and the humidity is almost awaits. For second chances gone. The air is cool and and old friends and Starthe coffee is hot. bucks. Don’t forget College football is in Starbucks! full swing, and it’s finally When we are thankful appropriate to eat soup and for the big stuff — family, build a fire. The anticipahealth, food — then it’s tion that Christmas is right easier to see all the small around the corner — but things as blessings as Smith not so close that you feel well, and not take them for frantic and feel the need to granted. I am less bothered shop and wrap everything in a hurry. by daily annoyances when I remind myself November is just a tad easier. Adulting of how blessed I truly am (I have to work is hard and I feel like there is so much at this every day). pressure all the time, in every month. And in return, I am more hopeful for But November seems to give us a small the future. I recently read that gratitude reprieve — like it somehow knows that the is an “affirmation of goodness,” meaning next month will be a real doozy for us all. that life isn’t perfect but finding the good In November there is a little less yard and being thankful for it shows gratitude. work. Less pressure to exercise and diet. And I think that gratitude leads to happiLess trips to plan and places to go. More ness. I’m no expert, but I bet it does. I am time for movies and baking pies. (If you grateful. bake pies, which I do not.) A month to preI hope your November is full of happare, really. And to be thankful. piness, rest and all the carbs. Oh, and This year, I want to focus on being more Starbucks. Happy Thanksgiving! thankful. Intentionally thankful. It can be a challenge when the nightly news is frustrating and sad. And when everything is Alana is a nurse anesthetist, writer so dang expensive. And when my kids are and boy mom (ages 8 and 3), who lives driving me totally bonkers. And when my in north Shelby County with her husmarriage is in a slump or payday is just too band, kids and Boxer, Sam. When she’s many days away. Or when family gather- not writing or chasing little humans, ings loom, and I know the air will be tense. she can usually be found in the aisles of This year, I’m choosing thankfulness Target. She shares her writings at Holy despite all of that. I will be thankful. Moly Motherhood (on Facebook and For the breath in my lungs. For the Instagram), where she takes on all things health of my two boys. For a warm bed motherhood and marriage.
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