280 Living
November 2015 | Volume 9 | Issue 3
neighborly news & entertainment
Gone to the Dawgs
Stitching hope Students bring warmth to warriors through handmade quilts
Catch up with Jake Ganus as he takes the field for the Georgia Bulldogs.
See page C1
Creative clay
Oak Mountain Middle School teacher Melinda Gargiulo shows her students how a finished quilt will look. The students are making the quilts as part of Covered With Love, a project to donate quilts to local veterans. Photo by Sydney Cromwell. Inside: New pottery business helping some residents of King’s Home learn new job skills.
See page B20
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By SYDNEY CROMWELL At Oak Mountain Middle School, students in Melinda Gargiulo’s class are learning to make quilts one fabric square at a time. If the stitches are a little crooked, the veterans who will receive the finished quilts probably won’t mind. Gargiulo, who teaches family and consumer science, said she was looking for a service
project to involve her sixth, seventh and eighth grade classes. A friend told her about Three Hots and a Cot, which provides basic necessities and other services to veterans who are dealing with homelessness, addiction and other challenges adjusting to civilian life. From there, “it just clicked.” “We can’t fix all that but we can at least show a little love,” Gargiulo said. “This just seemed
like a bigger and better idea and would involve all my students, not just a select few.” Her project is called Covered With Love. Gargiulo’s students – about 225 in total – will work throughout the year to create 10 to 15 twin-sized quilts. Each is responsible for creating at least one quilt square, made up of four smaller pieces
See HOPE | page A30
No more delays for Community Center By ERICA TECHO The Chelsea Community Center is set to open its doors to the public this fall. Its original opening was planned for the summer, but setbacks delayed that by several months. The $4 million project includes a senior center, warming kitchen, workout room, gymnasium, walking track, activity room and meeting rooms.
Mayor Earl Niven said he is proud of how far the project has come, and he hopes the community enjoys using the center. The center is set to open to the public in November, and the official grand opening will be in December. While the gym is finished and the exercise equipment has moved in, Niven said the opening is contingent on a working emergency
See CHELSEA | page A31
The Chelsea Community Center is expected to open to the public in November. Photo by Erica Techo.
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November 2015 • A3
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A4 • November 2015
About Us Photo of the month
Gabriel Hughes and Jane Carter pet Hero, the Dalmatian mascot of the Chelsea Fire Department, at Shelby County’s National Night Out on Oct. 6. See more photos from National Night Out inside. Photo by Frank Couch.
Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell Normally, I write this note each month focused on the content inside the pages you’re about to read. However, this month I’m preoccupied with thoughts of my own family. I have a wonderful grandfather. Aside from sharing a name – Sidney and Sydney – some of the best memories of my childhood include him. He was always encouraging me to be adventurous and inquisitive, while also being someone I could look up to. He served in the Air Force, traveled the world, bicycled across states and always looked cool on his motorcycle. Now in his 80s, my grandfather’s health recently took a downward turn, so I returned to Tennessee to visit him and my grandmother for a weekend. His face lit up the way it does every time he sees me. We could have talked about how he was feeling or the things he’s now unable to do, but we didn’t. We sat out in the driveway with my father and talked about the places he’s gone and the
marathons he’s run. He offered to train me if I wanted to run one, too. When he got tired, we went inside and watched TV together. I know that when my grandfather is gone, that’s going to be one of the memories I come back to – sitting in the sun, just enjoying each other’s company. Everyone’s been told before to treasure time with their loved ones and hold on to the memories. You and I already know that. But I could have chosen to let my busy life take precedence and stayed here in Birmingham – I almost gave into the thought ‘There’s always another weekend.’ If I had, I would have missed out on that visit with my grandfather. I’m so glad I didn’t.
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280Living.com
November 2015 • A5
280 Living
A6 • November 2015
280 News
Commission approves FY 2016 budget By ERICA TECHO The Shelby County Commission approved the budget for fiscal year 2016 at its Sept. 28 meeting. The budget includes a total of more than $97 million in expenses, including $60 million in expenditures for the general fund and over $13 million for the highway department. Commissioners Rick Shepherd and Dr. Robbie Hayes were not present at the meeting, but County Manager Alex Dudchock said both commissioners supported the budget. “They both say to communicate to y’all that they 100 percent support the budget,” Dudchock said. All other commissioners who were present at the meeting approved and passed the budget. During the building and finance review, Dudchock informed the commission of state cuts to funding for the Shelby County Juvenile Detention center. Debra Rulaine,
manager of the juvenile detention center, was present at the meeting. “Debra and our staff there continue to do a phenomenal job for us,” Dudchock said. “The other thing I wanted to tell you is, as always, we have to be prepared when our state legislature and state government cuts us again.” The funding was cut by $32,348, Dudchock said, which leaves funding around 50 percent of the funding that was provided when the center opened 18 years ago. Chad Scroggins, county development services manager, also informed the commission that the county’s MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit) will be issued Wednesday, Sept. 30, and effective Thursday, Oct. 1. “It’s the first time a permit has been issued to us since 2001,” Scroggins said. The permit is for water drainage in the Cahaba River Basin and includes new responsibilities.
Commissioners wore purple to the Oct. 12 Shelby County Commission meeting in honor of domestic violence awareness. The commission approved a proclamation declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness month at the meeting. Photo courtesy of Valencia Albright-Moss/ SafeHouse of Shelby County.
In other news, the commission: • Heard the concern of a resident who lives off of Wild Timber Parkway. The citizen said he was concerned with the number of 18-wheelers that travel on Highway 11 near his property. Commissioner Lindsey Allison said she would make sure Hayes got his letter and contacted him. • Approved the holiday calendar for fiscal year 2016. • Approved a resolution authorizing local matching funds for public transportation.
• Approved a property easement vacation in Deerwood Lake. The builder built a garage over a storm sewer line, said County Engineer Randy Cole, and the easement meant the county would vacate the line under the garage foundation. The builder will also relocate the line around the foundation. • Reappointed Jim Latham to the Shelby County Board of Equalization. • Appointed Christopher Lewis to the Law Enforcement Personnel Board.
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November 2015 • A7
Brookwood FED to open at end of November
The emergency department lobby (shown under construction here) will have 12 private rooms for emergency patients to receive treatments. There is also a pharmacy and diagnostic radiology wing in the FED. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
By SYDNEY CROMWELL The finishing touches are being put on the 24-hour Brookwood freestanding emergency department (FED) set to open at the corner of Highway 119 and U.S. 280. The building, made distinctive by the two Brookwood blue canopies that mark the ER and radiology department entrances, will have 12 private rooms for emergency patients and a full suite of diagnostic radiology tools. There will also be a trauma room, pharmacy and behavioral outfit rooms. Patients will be brought immediately into one of the emergency rooms and treatment tools will be brought to them. “I’m impressed with it because I was with it from the very beginning when it was just moving dirt,” Administrative Director Conrad Brown said. “I’m very happy with it and pleased with the way we’re headed, and it’s
going to be state of the art.” Despite a rain delay early on, Medical Director Jim McLester said the site is “progressing nicely” toward completion. Brookwood has already hired around 50 people to staff the FED, who are currently going through orientation and preparing for move-in day. A widening project on 119 is underway to provide more lanes for the additional traffic, and the FED will have entrances from both highways. There will be an ambulance at the facility around the clock and a helipad for patient transport. “The level of care that we can provide with doctors here, present, 24/7 … is far above and beyond what anybody offers before you get to Grandview,” McLester said. As the only emergency department in north Shelby County, Brown said he is excited about “providing a service to the community that was not here at all before us.”
Sheriff’s Office holds substation grand opening
Sheriff John Samaniego cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office north substation. Photo by Erica Techo.
By ERICA TECHO The Sheriff’s Office north substation is officially open, and Sheriff John Samaniego said the goal is to improve services for Shelby County citizens. Several people attended the Oct. 19 grand opening, including Hoover police officers, county commissioners and members of the Greater and South Shelby Chambers of Commerce. Attendance, Samaniego said, showed the importance of the new substation’s location. “It think it probably shows that it was definitely needed,” he said. “It’s not that we didn’t have a north station – it’s just the north station was located in Heardmont Park, and we weren’t able to deliver the services that we can here.” In Heardmont Park, the substation served as a hub for deputies but didn’t allow citizens to file reports or renew permits. The north substation will have one full-time employee who can answer citizens’ questions. People will also be able to file incident and accident reports, get copies of reports, renew their pistol permit and speak with deputies. “There’s space for you to sit down if you need to have a private conversation with a deputy,” said Deputy Debbie Sumrall. Before opening the substation, people living on the north side of the county would
have to drive 30 minutes to Columbiana. With its location at Greystone Park, the substation has 60,000 people within a 5-mile radius, Samaniego said. “Just being on the 280 corridor is right in the heart of the people we serve on this side of the county,” Samaniego said. Shelby County Commission Chairman Rick Shepherd said he is excited to have the new substation open. The location lines up with where a large chunk of the population and some of the largest neighborhoods are and helps improve services to the citizens. “For the Shelby County Commission and Sheriff’s Office, our primary concern is quality of service for the citizens,” Shepherd said. Samaniego had his eyes on opening a north substation when he was campaigning for Sheriff. The building and substation was completed in June, but technical difficulties with setting up telecommunications delayed the opening. Samaniego thanked everyone who helped during the process, including the county commission and those who helped furnish the office. “It was kind of a group effort within the Sheriff’s Office, and it turned out very well,” he said. “The number one thing that is being done is the services are getting delivered to the citizens.”
280 Living
A8 • November 2015
Chelsea FY2016 budget includes land purchase for fire department By ERICA TECHO
Chelsea High School’s Out of the Blue mixed choir performed at the Oct. 6 Chelsea City Council meeting. Photo by Erica Techo.
Also at the meeting: • The council approved the purchase of fitness and exercise equipment for the Chelsea Com-
munity Center. The equipment includes three treadmills, three ellipticals and three different exercise bikes. This equipment costs $24,165. • The council approved for the city’s bills to be paid.
The Chelsea City Council unanimously approved the capital and general budgets for fiscal year 2016 at its Oct. 6 meeting. Within the $2,594,808 capital budget, Mayor Earl Niven included $50,000 toward a land purchase for a new fire department. The city will also fund the purchase of a new storage building and a new transport vehicle for Chelsea Fire & Rescue. During pre-council, Niven discussed the possibility of tearing down the old fire station and the adjacent tire store to construct a building for training purposes. Council member Tony Picklesimer mentioned renovating the building for historical and nostalgic purposes. Fixing the building and making it fully operational would cost around $150,000, Niven said. Niven also said Chelsea Fire & Rescue Chief Wayne Shirley is looking into what space he would need for a training facility as well as what would be necessary to get the old fire station fixed up. Other capital projects included road improvements and a land purchase near the current ballpark development off of Highway 47. The purchase includes 26 acres of land and costs $172,000. Several parks and recreation projects were also included in the capital budget. Phase one of the new Chelsea Sports Complex, comprised of three baseball fields, was noted in the budget. The bid of $1.14 million for the fields, parking lot, batting cages and walking trail was accepted at the Sept. 16 meeting. A bid for the electricity and lighting
at the fields, priced at $348,150, was accepted at the same meeting. A few final costs for the Chelsea Community Center, set to open before December, was also included in the budget. “Most of these projects have already started, and it’s just a matter of funding them to where we can draw a conclusion to them,” Niven said. The general budget came to $7,642,750. Of that amount, $2.45 million goes toward the fire department and paying the five deputies who work within Chelsea. There are also $126,500 in donations included in the city’s expenses. Around $125,000 of that goes toward Chelsea’s five schools. Niven said this year’s budget, his 20th for the city, was more complicated than past budgets. The complication came from having more to spend on a growing city and the projects which come with it. “As a city grows, you have expenses to keep up with the projects that you have going,” Niven said. “And this is something that we’re very proud of our city and what we have so far, and this will keep us moving in that positive direction.” Chelsea High School’s mixed show choir, Out of the Blue, also performed at the city council meeting. The 32-member group performed four songs from Peter Pan. The songs were a segment of its upcoming performance, said director and choral music teacher Kay Dick. Out of the Blue will perform on Oct. 15 alongside the high school’s men’s and women’s choirs.
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280Living.com
November 2015 • A9
New fire department evaluation could lower insurance premiums By ERICA TECHO Chelsea residents may see a difference in their insurance premiums starting Dec. 1. City of Chelsea Fire & Rescue was reevaluated according to the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) grading system, improving from a 5 to a 3/3x rating. The last evaluation was done in the 1980s, and the new grade reflects several changes in the community. “Everybody’s worked hard to do the best they can with what they had, and the ISO rating reflected that even then, 30 years ago,” said Chelsea Fire Chief Wayne Shirley. “So now, we’re an incorporated, fully functioning city, and our fire department has done a good job and brought its rating into a grade 3.” At the time of its last evaluation, the department was a volunteer service, utilized tankers and dunk tanks for water supply and had fewer than 20 fire hydrants. Shirley said the department’s 5 rating was good for a volunteer service, but several changes made a reevaluation necessary. “It kind of migrated to, ‘Well, Chelsea’s telling us they’ve changed a lot, so we need to get them reevaluated,” Shirley said. While it took around 30 years for this reevaluation, Shirley said ISO’s new system means the city should be evaluated every five years. The new grade goes into effect on Dec. 1, and Shirley said residents should contact their insurance provider to see if it will affect their policy. ISO grades are based on three main categories—emergency communication, the fire department and water supply. A 3 reflects a high-quality fire station, Shirley said, and the 3x denotes there are some properties more than 1,000 feet from a
The Insurance Services Organization gives ratings based on three main categoriesemergency communication, the fire department and water supply. Photo by Erica Techo.
fire hydrant. “They’re saying that while your department is a very good department, in the case that they have one obstacle to deal with at your house because you’re outside of 1,000 feet from a hydrant, so that’s the difference between a 3 and 3x,” Shirley said. While the grade places Chelsea Fire & Rescue in the top 8 percent of the 48,855 departments evaluated by ISO, Shirley said there is still room for improvement. Those improvements, however, will take some time and somewhat depend on Chelsea’s growth.
Some grades are also out of the department’s hands, Shirley said. For example, Chelsea Fire & Rescue uses the Shelby County 911 Center for communication. While they received a good grade in that category, Shirley said it is not up to the department to make changes that might further improve that grade. The department also cannot control the factors of a water systems grade, other than hydrant testing. The fire department evaluation is where Shirley said he has the most control. Within that category, the department received high grades on training, testing and internal policies.
“The area where we have control is in this fire department section,” Shirley said. “All of the areas that I as fire chief can do something about, such as having policies in place, training our people, making sure we’re testing … we’ve done everything we can do to give ourselves the best grade possible.” The department received its lowest score on ladder service, deploy analysis and company personnel. Ladder service is based on when the ladder truck is staffed and goes on calls. While Chelsea Fire & Rescue has a ladder truck, it is only sent to commercial fires. Shirley said in time, they hope to be able to buy and staff a ladder company. “That takes time and growth and continued community support to make a difference there,” Shirley said. The deploy analysis has an ideal score of 10, which departments receive for having stations within 2.5 miles of populated addresses. With two staffed stations, however, Chelsea Fire & Rescue does not qualify for that. Shirley said a higher score would require building and staffing more fire departments, which cannot be done on a whim. The addition of new fire stations and more staff will come as Chelsea grows, officer and media specialist Paul Williams said, and he hopes for continued support from the community and local government. “There’s definitely incentive as a resident to know that your fire department is well-maintained, well-structures and always moving, progressing forward to always strive for that higher ISO rating,” Williams said.
280 Living
A10 • November 2015
Mayor presents BP funds to schools
Mt Laurel chosen as Southern Living Inspired Community
Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey presents a check for $345,881 to the Hoover school system during a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015. Receiving the check were Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy and school board members Derrick Murphy, Earl Cooper and Craig Kelley. Photo by Jon Anderson.
By JON ANDERSON Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey recently presented the Hoover school system a check for nearly $346,000 – money the city received from a lawsuit settlement with BP Corporation over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The city actually received $408,095 from BP, but $61,214 was used to cover attorney fees and expenses, according to a settlement statement provided by the city. BP set aside $1 billion for municipalities out of an $18.7 billion settlement agreement with the U.S. government and five states affected by the oil spill. Hoover attorney Charlie Waldrep said more than 400 cities took part in the settlement, with each city’s allocation determined by a formula established by an appointed three-person panel. Birmingham’s portion was about $1 million, while Jefferson County received about $500,000, Waldrep said. Ivey said city officials decided to give the money to the Hoover school system because the city had not budgeted to receive it and the school system is having some budget problems. “This was kind of a windfall for us,” Ivey said. The Hoover school board in September passed a 2016 budget with expenditures exceeding revenues by $10.4
million – the latest in a string of budget deficits. Even though $346,000 is a small portion of the school system’s budget woes, “every nickel counts when you’re talking about education,” school board President Derrick Murphy said. “Any time our city leaders and mayor give money from the city, thinking about the school system, it’s a wonderful thing.” Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy, who began as superintendent in June, said she felt very uncomfortable presenting a $10.4 million budget deficit to the school board for approval and will be working diligently to find ways to cut expenses and increase revenues. “We very clearly understand you can’t continue to dig into your reserves over an extended period of time,” Murphy said. “You just can’t run a $10 million deficit for almost every year over 10 years without a huge impact.” Murphy said she met with all of the school system’s top central office staff and challenged them to come up with ideas to cut costs and increase revenues and looks forward to hearing their thoughts and ideas. Grants are a potential source of new revenue, but grants typically are for the short term, Murphy said. The school system needs ideas to help stabilize the budget for the long term, she said. “It’s not going to be a quick fix,” she said.
Cabinet Cures
Inspired Communities are chosen based on their environmental and architectural beauty, Southern spirit and places for community gatherings. Staff photo.
By SYDNEY CROMWELL The Mt Laurel community is one of only 14 in the Southeast chosen for Southern Living’s 2015 list of Inspired Communities, according to a press release from EBSCO Development. Southern Living chooses its inspired communities based on their environmental and architectural beauty, Southern spirit and places for community gatherings. Mt Laurel was the only Birmingham-area residential development selected for the honor. “Mt Laurel cultivates a strong sense of community that makes the essence of living in the South truly great. Mt Laurel has a unique identity defined by its broad sidewalks, front porch friendliness, green spaces, and a vibrant town center that meets the daily needs of our residents, all that is within walking distance of their home,” said Ray Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing for Mt Laurel, in the press release. To learn more about the 2015 Inspired Communities, visit southernlivinginspiredcommunities.com.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A11
Chelsea Fire Department starts safety video campaign
Officer Paul Williams works on a safety video about bicycle helmets. Photo by Erica Techo.
By ERICA TECHO The Chelsea Fire & Rescue Department recently launched its new safety video campaign. Creating this video was the result of nearly a year’s worth of planning, said firefighter and media specialist Paul Williams. It took some time to wrap up the first video, Williams said, because they had to figure out the best equipment and juggle their roles as firefighters and paramedics. “Once we crossed all of the hurdles of the right operating system, software and that stuff, and kind of got where we wanted it, then it comes down to a time issue because if this was my only task — to produce videos — then we’d probably have 10 of them right now,” Williams said. While the department has previously provided health and safety information, Williams said the videos are a step up from former distribution methods. “We were just using print format in the form of pamphlets,” Williams said. “In order for someone to get their hands on information, they’d either have to come to the station to get that information or at some kind of event we might be at. That kind of limits your target audience and who has access to it.” Topics for the videos will vary, Williams said,
and he will sometimes take cues from the season for ideas. Videos will also cover health topics, such as the importance of exercise and healthy eating. Williams said the department regularly goes on calls regarding health and disease, and they want to focus videos on topics that affect the Chelsea community. The idea of their first video, bike safety, came from Chief Wayne Shirley. “That’s one he [Shirley] wanted to see done because we see so many kids in Chelsea riding around without bike helmets,” Williams said. He hopes to eventually post one video a month. Time is always a factor, however, and he said video production always depends on the time he has away from fire and rescue calls. “Realistically, it’s probably going to be one every two months, but if next year we could get up to 10 or 12 in the year, I’d be happy,” he said. Williams posted the first video in late August. He said there is no way to track how many people have watched the video, but he hopes it piques a few people’s interest and encourages them to be safer. “We may not be changing anyone’s lives, but you’re at least putting information out there that might spark some prevention or health,” Williams said. Citizens can view the video at cityofchelsea. com/fire-department.
Planning commission approves resurvey for senior living facility By ERICA TECHO The Shelby County Planning Commission approved a resurvey for the planned Phoenix Senior Living off of Farley Lane. A rezoning request for the 132-room senior living facility was formerly approved at the commission’s July 20 meeting. The request for resurvey was necessary to combine the two lots, forming a 9.52-acre lot. Commission staff advised that the resurvey and rezoning were a two-part process and could not have been completed at the same time. The commission unanimously approved the resurvey on the condition that guidelines from the commission staff and the Shelby County Highway Department were met. A resubdivision request for a property at Shoal Creek was granted a continuance until the commission’s Nov. 2 meeting. The resubdivision is part of a master plan update for Shoal Creek and would allow for the development of the Hamlets at Shoal Creek. It
was formerly continued from the Aug. 3 commission meeting. The former continuance was granted to allow the property owner, Caroline T. Little, to address engineering concerns for the property. There were five exceptions requested for the plan, said principal planner Kristine Goddard. Three of the exceptions were approved by the county engineer and the county manager of development services. “The two remaining items were not approved and needed to be addressed by the applicant’s engineer,” Goddard said. “We did not receive a resubmittal in time to get a full review done prior to this meeting.” Because there was not time to review the resubmitted changes, Goddard said staff recommended a continuance for the request. The commission unanimously approved the continuance, and the request will be addressed at the Nov. 2 meeting. As the second continuance for the request, it is also the last continuance before the applicant will need to start the process over.
280 Living
A12 • November 2015
Hilltop Montessori breaks ground for new addition
By ERICA TECHO Hilltop Montessori School celebrated its new addition with a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Sept. 18. Around 100 people attended the event, and several students participated by singing for the crowd. “Today marks a new future for Hilltop,” said Head of School Michele Wilensky. “The groundbreaking for our $3.4 million expansion will allow us to offer a state-of-the-art, improved campus to serve our students and the community around us.” The expansion will be built on land recently gifted from EBSCO Industries and will include
a community center, gymnasium, science laboratory, classroom space, multimedia center, art and music areas and a teaching kitchen. It will be two stories and the same size as the school’s existing building. Wilensky said the expansion will be used as an after-hours resource and offer more programming opportunities for students. The expansion will be built with “green” principles, maintaining the school’s LEED certification with the U.S. Green Building Council. Hilltop received a $5.3 million loan, which was approved by the Shelby County Commission in July, to construct the expansion. The loan will also be used to refinance the school’s current investment.
LEFT: Children sing for the assembled crowd at a groundbreaking ceremony for Hilltop Montessori School in the Town of Mt Laurel on Friday, September 18, 2015. ABOVE: A groundbreaking ceremony for Hilltop Montessori School was held in the Town of Mt Laurel on Friday, September 18, 2015. Photos by Frank Couch.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A13
Grandview Hospital officially open
Hospital staff unload patients at Grandview Medical Center Oct. 10. Photo by Emily Featherston.
By EMILY FEATHERSTON Grandview Medical Center is officially open for business. At 5:50 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, Grandview treated its first emergency room patient. Shortly after, at around 7 a.m., the first of the 98 patients transferred from Trinity Medical Center arrived. Chief Administrative Officer Paul Graham said the move went as well as planned, if not better, thanks to 14 months of planning and an attentive staff.
One of those staff members, Neonatal ICU nurse Barbara Lee, was in the first group of ambulances to make the move. Lee helped transport the four infants in the Trinity NICU to the state-of-the-art facilities at Grandview. “I’ve been a nurse for 19 years, and I’ve been a NICU nurse for 17, and this is by far the craziest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Lee said. Dr. Jeremy Rogers, who was present at Grandview when the first patient arrived Saturday morning, said
everything went very smoothly for the first day. “I think it’s been a testament of the hard work everybody’s put in over the past year,” Rogers said, “There have been no major hiccups in our plan.” For the labor and delivery team at Grandview Medical Center, the first baby born in the new facility was also a new addition to the family. Meghan Elizabeth was born at 12:34 a.m. Sunday to Grandview labor and delivery nurse Tracy and her husband Joseph. Tracy was helping make
Meghan was the first baby born at Grandview, to one of the hospital’s labor and delivery nurses. Photo by Emily Featherston.
the move from Trinity Medical Center. As she was unpacking at Grandview, her contractions started to pick up. She said her fellow nurses noticed, and after putting her on a labor monitor decided to call her doctor and her husband. “We knew she would probably come early, just because, but we didn’t think it would be yesterday. My goal was to get through the move,” she said. Meghan wasn’t due until November. Even though it was earlier than planned, Tracy said that having her
friends as the ones taking care of her was comforting. Dr. Margaret Miklic, Tracy’s OBGYN, said it was “exciting and ironic” that the unit’s own charge nurse that had a role in moving patients all day Saturday was the first patient to have a baby at Grandview. “She had a beautiful delivery and it was a beautiful experience,” Miklic said. She said that “everything fell into place” in the new facility, and that she was honored to be a part of the hospital’s first birth.
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280Living.com
November 2015 • A15
Now Open The Allstate Bowlin-Smith Agency is now open at 160 Inverness Corners. The agency offers a full line of insurance through Allstate. 672-8570, agents.allstate.com/ kelly-bowlin-birmingham-al.html
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Willow & Wine Distinctive Gift Baskets, a boutique wine and gift basket shop, is now located inside Simply Infused of Mt Laurel at 11 Olmsted St. They will have regular tasting events every Friday from 6-8 p.m. and other tastings and classes periodically. 408-4231
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Trader Joe’s, 209 Summit Boulevard, is now open. This is the chain’s first location in Birmingham. 969-7801, traderjoes.com
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Grandview Medical Center, 3690 Grandview Parkway, is now open. The hospital transferred patients from the Trinity Medical Center campus on Saturday, October 10, and officially opened that same day. 971-1000, grandviewhealth.com
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Relocations and Renovations Alabama Cardiovascular Group, currently located at St. Vincent’s Birmingham, will relocate to the new Grandview Medical Center’s Physicians Plaza, 3690 Grandview Parkway. 939-0139, alcardio.com
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Therapy by Julie Moss has 6 Skin moved from Mt Laurel to Greystone Centre, 5510 Highway 280, Suite 204. 568-5677, skintherapyspa.net
New Ownership Oasis Nail Spa, 408 Cahaba Park Circle, is under new ownership. Jenny Lee is the new owner of the full service nail spa. In addition to nail services, they offer facials, waxing, lash extensions and are certified in SNS nails. 991-2737
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News and Accomplishments Expedia CruiseShipCenter, 270 Doug Baker Boulevard, Suite 500, has been named as a finalist for the Birmingham Business Alliance’s Small Business of the Year award. 437-3354, cruiseshipcenters.com/en-US/ GreystoneAL/home
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Anniversaries
“When it rains, we drain!”
Swoozie’s at The Summit celebrated its 10th year of business in Birmingham with Toast to Ten, an event showcasing local artists and designers. The store, 305A Summit Blvd., also donated 10 percent of the day’s sales to The Exceptional Foundation. 968-3458, swoozies.com
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The Cuckoo’s Nest, a gift boutique at 4222 Old Highway 280, Westover, is celebrating its third anniversary in November. 678-7220, facebook.com/nestofthecuckoo
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Sur la Table, 115 Summit Blvd., is celebrating its third anniversary in November. 968-7664, surlatable.com
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Willpower Fitness Gym, 16233 Highway 280, Suite A, Chelsea, is celebrating its second anniversary in November. 903-8591, facebook.com/WillpowerFitnessGym
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Greystone Shell gas station and convenience store, 5408 Highway 280, is celebrating its second anniversary in November. 802-7500
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Hirings and Promotions Bryan Cates has joined the team at Bellini’s Ristorante & Bar, 6801 Cahaba Valley Road, as the executive chef. 981-5380, ourbellinis.com
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Business news
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244-1114 Heavy Runoff ? Standing Water? Erosion Problems? Storm Drainage Clogged? WaterDrainageSolutions.com
280 Living
A16 • November 2015
Children’s clothes with European flair By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Friends Regina Newsome and Corrine Prosser met four years ago when their older children were in a music and play class together. “We connected almost immediately and became fast friends,” Prosser said. Both women, who live in northern Shelby County, had a desire to create and decided start a business together. They began discussing starting a clothing line last year, and in the spring of 2015, Gentille Alouette was born. The name, which means “gentle lark,” is drawn from a popular French children’s nursery song. “We were looking for something European,” Newsome said. “We are inspired by so many different things, but our main inspiration is vintage, classic European style. We also pull from art, nature, storybooks and current fashion trends.” Prosser, who has two daughters ages 4 and 1, was having a tough time finding dresses that she loved for them. Newsome had the same experience after the birth of her daughter in 2013. “We both love fashion, and found that there was a gap in the market for high quality, vintage inspired children’s clothing,” Prosser said. “It seemed there was an opportunity for us to create some truly special dresses for our girls, as well as others.” Prosser is a CPA and handles the finances, while Newsome is responsible for negotiations with
Regina Newsome (left) and Corrine Prosser with samples from their clothing line, Gentille Alouette. Photo by Jennifer Jones, Heart Smile Photography.
manufacturers. The company has already developed a diverse client base from around the country, and about 60 percent of sales are shipping out of state. “We’ve found that some customers are already loyal, purchasing
often and are constantly asking for new styles,” Newsome said. “What makes us so happy is receiving notes, emails, pictures, and calls from happy clients and their kids.” Since Gentille Alouette’s most recent dress, the Savannah, sold out
on the website within two weeks, plans are in the works to develop two separate lines. One will be available online only and produced in very limited quantities. The second line, which will be available both in boutiques and online, will have a separate label and
be more focused on modern styles with structured lines and details. The duo plans in the future to include a boy’s clothing line, and they have already begun sampling styles. Newsome’s three sons will be the main inspiration for the line, which they plan to debut in 2016. Another project in the works includes a women’s clothing line. “We have only been on the market since March, and in that time we’ve accomplished so much,” Newsome said. Newsome and Prosser say the company has received an amazing response from the community. The first collection is available at Favorite Laundry in Mt Laurel, and they have received interest from several other stores. The business has changed both women’s lives dramatically, as both went from stay-at-home moms to business owners. They have weekly meetings on Monday nights and are emailing, texting and calling each other every day in between. “It has been stressful, but we are both so lucky to have incredibly supportive and loving husbands and families,” Prosser said. “We are learning to balance our lives as wives, moms and business owners. We’ve met so many great people, clients and vendors and learned so many lessons and have had so much fun doing it all together.” For more information, visit gentilleallouette.com.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A17
Business The Boot to expand to 280
Bellini’s owner plans new Lee Branch restaurant
By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE Food fanciers will soon have a new option along the U. S. 280 Corridor. The Boot at Brook Highland is locating at 5291 Highway 280, near Sprouts Farmers Market in the Brook Highland Plaza The free-standing building is under renovation but no opening date has been announced by owners Dr. and Mrs. Michael Burch of Hoover. The new U.S. 280 restaurant is an expansion of the concept of The Boot at Preserve Village, which takes its name from a pub referred to in Charles Dickens’ “Barnaby Rudge,” said that eatery’s owner, Mike McCowan. McCowan and his wife, Leanne, opened the original restaurant five years ago. “We’re really excited to see the concept expanded and reach even more people,” he said. “Here, most of our customers are locals and we have lots of families, but on 280 it will be a broader market that includes from three high schools to corporate.” A fast-casual restaurant, The Boot does not offer full table service but features high quality food in a relaxed atmosphere. The Boot at Brook Highland will offer a menu very similar to the Preserve restaurant’s, McCowan said. “We have organic produce whenever possible and all our flavors are made here,”
The Village at Lee Branch shopping center will be the site of Revolve Kitchen & Brew, a restaurant concept by the owner of Bellini’s Ristorante and Bar. Photo by Frank Couch. The Boot at Brook Highland will be similar to the current location at the Preserve in Hoover. Courtesy of Mike McCowan.
McCowan said. “There’s nothing frozen at The Boot except the French fries and the ice.” In its five years, The Boot at Preserve Village has been recognized by numerous publications and has received several Best of Birmingham awards. “The 280 location is the big brother of the little sister at the Preserve and I think people will enjoy it just as much,” McCowan said.
By SYDNEY CROMWELL Doug Hovanec, the owner of Bellini’s Ristorante and Grill, signed a lease on October for a new restaurant in the Village at Lee Branch. The restaurant, which Hovanec said will be called Revolve Kitchen and Brew, will take the place of the former Bella Cucina restaurant on Doug Baker Boulevard. He described it as a “chef-driven American style tavern and beer garden.” Revolve will occupy a 2,500-square-foot space with an industrial design inside, multiple TVs and outdoor communal tables. Hovanec
said they will feature around 120 beers, with at least 16 brews on tap, and a portion of the menu will change each month to reflect the chef’s choices and seasonal dishes. Hovanec said the restaurant will be open six days a week for lunch and dinner, as well as Sundays for a limited time, and food prices will average $10-12 per person. With the lease signed, Hovanec said initial drawings of the Revolve restaurant should be available within weeks. Visit 280living.com for updates on the restaurant or contact info@ revolvekb.com for more details.
280 Living
A18 • November 2015
Serve and support Doulas offer a unique role during childbirth By MADOLINE MARKHAM Heather Sachs keeps a bag packed and ready to go to the hospital at all times. She has given birth six times, but her hospital bag now serves a different purpose. Sachs, who lives on Highway 119, is a doula, a Greek word for “a woman who serves.” The term now refers to a trained and experienced professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and after birth. “You already feel so vulnerable [when you are giving birth],” Sachs said. “We do everything we can to make moms feel safe and secure.” Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, and that babies are healthier and breastfeed more easily, according to DONA International. Sachs and fellow members of Gentle Childbirth Services, a group of
doulas, emphasize that they work with the doctors in a purely supportive, never a clinical, role. A doctor will be there, but he or she might or might not be the mom’s usual OB/GYN. And the nurse will be a new face and one who isn’t able to be there at every moment. A doula, by contrast, stays by a mother’s side through the whole labor process and is trained in techniques to comfort her through it. It’s different from having a mom, sister or husband there, although it’s good for them to be there too, Sachs said. A doula’s job begins during pregnancy. She meets with the mother to establish a relationship so she will later know the mom well enough to read her and know what she needs. The doula helps her write a birth plan that might include elements as simple as what to wear and who you want to be in the room. Sachs calls it the “golden ticket” and always brings an extra copy to the hospital in case the mom forgets. Starting at 38 weeks into pregnancy,
the doula commits to be in town and on call for the birth. The doula is also available to answer a mom’s questions during that time. “Especially if you have had a previous traumatic birth, a doula can be invaluable those last few weeks,” said Aimee Davis, another doula in the group who lives in Meadow Brook. “We help keep you calm. Sometimes you just need to hear, ‘This is normal.’ A lot of people aren’t sure what the natural birth process looks like.” During labor, doulas are trained in how to help moms emotionally. All women communicate differently but go through the same emotional milestones, Sachs and Davis said. “No one can prepare you for labor until you go through it,” said Fredia Nelms, who was a founding member of Gentle Childbirth Services. “It helps to have a woman at your side.” Toward the end, a doula knows when to tell the mother that not much time remains. “It’s amazing what the words, ‘You
Heather Sachs holds a newborn baby that she helped bring into the world as a doula. Photo courtesy of Heather Sachs.
are about to meet your baby,’ can do,” Davis said. After the baby comes, the doula remains by the mom’s side. The doulas interviewed said often the husband is with the baby at that point, and they can still be with the mom to give her someone to talk to. They also help her when she breastfeeds for the first time and offer additional resources over the next few weeks. “It’s beautiful at the end, but it’s messy,” Sachs said. “You want
someone you trust.” At the end, Davis said their goal is to help moms write a birth story they are happy to tell for years to come. “Birth is a key life event you remember forever,” Sachs said. In addition to doula services, Gentle Childbirth Services offers birth classes and placenta encapsulation. They attend natural, epidural and high-risks births. For more information, visit gentlechildbirth.org.
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280Living.com
November 2015 • A19
New bakery opening in Chelsea
Theresa and Eddie Herrod are opening their own bakery in Chelsea later this month. Photo by Marienne Thomas Ogle.
By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE Folks in Chelsea with a craving for fresh baked goods will soon have a solution for their taste buds. Tee’s Cakes and Pastries is soon to open in Benson Plaza, 100 Chelsea Corner Way. Co-owner Eddie Herrod said they are “pushing hard” for an early November opening. “Tee” is Eddie Herrod’s nickname for his wife, Theresa, whose 30 years of baking experience will be the focal point of the couple’s shop, a longtime dream. “This is what we really want, there is a need for it here and I want to show people what I can do,” Theresa said. “I know my work is good, so why not work for myself?” Residents of Chelsea for 10 years, the Herrods are originally from the Birmingham area and have four grown daughters and eight grandchildren. “We all just love Chelsea and we wanted to work closer to home, so it worked out really well,” she said. Unlike many accomplished culinary professionals, Theresa didn’t learn the baking basics as a youngster in her mother’s kitchen. “I started out at Vincent’s Market, getting my experience from a pastry chef from Switzerland, and then I went on to several bakeries including Bruno’s, Walmart and Publix,” she said. “I always loved creating and baking at home for my kids and husband to test. And, as it turned out, everything I make is good.” Patrons of Tee’s will have a wide variety of those “good” baked goods to chose from,
including cakes, pies, cookies and wedding, birthday and anniversary cakes, she said. “My lemon cake is really good, and we’ll have several flavors of cakes and cupcakes,” Theresa said. “Everything will be baked on-site, plus we’ll also offer sandwiches and salads for carry out or dining in.” Eddie Herrod said that while he won’t be whipping up petit fours, he will stay busy with the couple’s new venture, providing a delivery service for surrounding areas, including 280. Eddie, who recently retired from his position as facility manager for Gateway to partner with his wife, said the business has been a longtime goal. “I wanted us to own our own business, too, and provide a one-stop shop for baked goods,” Eddie said. “I don’t bake myself, but everybody has a role, and mine is to assist Tee.” His favorite Tee creation? “The pecan pies that will come in small, medium and large sizes,” he said. “The recipe’s my mother’s, and Tee took it and ran with it. It’s really good.” Eddie, who attended Lawson State Community and Bessemer State Technical Colleges, majoring in fashion design, will also supply the shop with ascot and bow tie sets for grooms and groomsmen, he said. Asked if the couple is able to take any time out of their hectic schedules for hobbies, Eddie said they are very active in their church. “And we both love to shop, to shop together and to dress well,” he said. “After all, you want to look really nice when you go to church.”
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280 Living
A20 • November 2015
Entrepreneur at 18 Former Oak Mountain student running digital marketing company By ERICA TECHO MacMedia was born when McKinnon Maddox responded to a Craigslist ad. The ad was to create a video for a local artist, and rather than use his real name Maddox applied as “Mac.” After the video received local attention, Maddox’s digital marketing company took off. “Mac” was getting job referrals, and MacMedia became a full-time job for the now 18-year-old. “That name grew before I could put a halt to it,” Maddox said. Maddox’s interest in digital marketing and videos started during his career as a professional gamer. While working in Major League Gaming as a teenager, Maddox saw partnerships develop between advertising companies and teams as well as a boom in social media. “It turned into a big business, and I got more interested in the business of competing rather than competition,” Maddox said. Maddox created an e-commerce website when he was 14, inviting gamers to buy, sell and trade their gaming equipment. After leaving the professional gaming circuit, he decided to take what he saw in the video game industry and apply it to companies in the Birmingham area. When he was 16 years old and MacMedia started gaining steam, Maddox decided to leave Oak Mountain High School. He was a sophomore at the time and chose to enroll in a home-schooling program, allowing
McKinnon Maddox founded Mac Media, a digital marketing company. Photo by Frank Couch. more time to focus on the company. He got his degree the next year and started taking college classes but eventually decided to refrain from pursuing a college degree. “It’s such a unique situation to be in,” Maddox said. “It was difficult to make the decision [to leave school], but since we did, it’s just been all looking forward. It’s been no looking back at all.” The decision to put off college developed from a variety of sources,
Maddox said. He was spending more and more time working on MacMedia and said clients would ask why he was going to school when he would inevitably graduate and jump back into his current job. “They all said, ‘What’s the point? You’re going to get out and do this,’” Maddox said. The near constant changes in computing and programming also made the idea of taking classes less appealing, Maddox said. He said he
preferred to learn from the industry or videos on YouTube, which keep up with fluctuations and don’t run the risk of becoming obsolete after a semester. “Being in the industry and getting the experience is most important because you are able to shift based on what’s working and what’s not working for the client,” he said. “It’s always a case-by-case scenario — there’s no one size fits all for everyone.” Since his shift from student to entrepreneur, Maddox said the
digital marketing world has grown even more. Many businesses put digital marketing as a high priority, shifting marketing budgets to cover social media and online markets. One appeal, Maddox said, is the cost-toreward ratio. “For a small business, cost effectiveness is vital,” Maddox said. “When you say to a business, you could put $250 in a marketing budget for Facebook and bring in 2,500 new people a month, it’s going to bring results.” Maddox describes MacMedia as a hybrid digital marketing company, meaning it integrates several forms of digital marketing into one product. The “hybrid” title also expands to the company model, which employs team members on a contract basis and includes no home office. “Being a hybrid company allows us to be very versatile, and it allows us to customize for our customers,” Maddox said. Maddox’s goal is to help his customers get their message out to customers. While a lot of that comes through establishing a social media presence, Maddox said the next step is converting Facebook likes or Twitter followers to in-person customers. “It’s about profit,” Maddox said. “It’s about increasing what’s coming in the door and solving the issue of we have somebody on our Facebook page, how do we get them in the front door? And that’s what we do.” For more information about MacMedia, visit macmediamarketing.com.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A21
A chat with
bankruptcy lawyer Brad Botes By ROY L. WILLIAMS Brook Highland resident Brad Botes has a message for folks who stereotype bankruptcy filers as mostly poor, minority or those with bad spending habits who just want to get out of debt. Botes, who has been practicing with the Bond & Botes bankruptcy practice just off Lakeshore Drive for over 25 years, said bankruptcy doesn’t discriminate based on race or economics: It can strike anyone. Botes, whose firm has offices in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, said his clients have included business owners and doctors with million dollar homes, downsized workers on the verge of losing their homes, and middle-income individuals trapped by high medical bills. In an interview, Botes talked about some of his past cases and shared information on a new Alabama law allowing bankruptcy filers to protect more of their assets. Botes has a bankruptcy blog on his law firm’s website, bondnbotes.com.
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What are some of the biggest misconceptions and myths about bankruptcy? Certainly everybody has in their mind who the stereotypical bankruptcy filer is until they get into money problems of their own. Most folks think that I represent deadbeats, they often make racial associations or associations based upon income. I’m here to tell you there is no stereotypical debtor. The people that come to me for help are members of my church, parents of my kid’s friends and typical people from our community. Nobody is immune from financial problems. I’ve represented surgeons, attorneys and many people involved in the real estate and home building industry over the last seven to eight years in the Birmingham area. People who months before were living in
half-million to million-dollar homes and making six-figure incomes have come to me for help. Too many people in our society today live from paycheck to paycheck, even those people making a significant amount of money. They don’t have a rainy day fund, and it takes just a little bit to push somebody over the edge into bankruptcy.
Q A
I understand bankruptcy filers in Alabama today have seen a major development. Tell me about it. Significantly, the state of Alabama in June 2015 for the first time in over 30 years increased the amount of property you can keep when you file bankruptcy. It was $3,000 worth of personal property; it is now $7,500. It was $5,000 in equity in a homestead; it is now $15,000. That’s $30,000 of equity in a homestead for a married couple or $15,000 of personal property for a married couple. If someone’s been having money problems, with this change in exemptions in the state of Alabama, this is big and a good time to talk to a lawyer and see if money problems can be addressed. Things have gotten significantly better for people who have money problems in Alabama. If you are having financial problems and have been putting off talking to an attorney, now is the time to do so.
Q A
What are some of the most common reasons for bankruptcies? Medical bills, loss of employment and divorce are the leading causes of bankruptcy. Medical debt is the biggest reason people file personal bankruptcy. If you get sick or injured and don’t have good medical insurance, you can be overwhelmed with debt very quickly. One of the most humbling experiences I had as a bankruptcy attorney was when a particular client came into my office for help. He was
Brad Botes. Photo by Roy L. Williams.
in his 50s, had worked hard, done everything right. Worked at a factory his entire adult life, provided for his wife and had a pension guaranteed by that employer. And then the factory shut down and the pension went away. This gentleman had to take a job at a gas station just to support his wife. One day on the job he fell over and had a heart attack. He was rushed to a local hospital and thank God he survived. But his health insurance had gone away and the hospital that had treated him sued him for over $100,000. The man, a proud man in his late 50s, broke down in my office because he had to seek bankruptcy protection. Thank God he survived and thank God we were able to get that debt out from under him so that he could go on with his life.
Q
It has been 10 years since the Bankruptcy Reform Act was passed. It was designed to make it more difficult to file bankruptcy. How has it impacted the bankruptcy industry We have seen a recent reduction in filings, but this has nothing to do with the change in the law. It has more to do with the fact that people are without work. If you don’t have a job, often there is no reason to file bankruptcy. If a creditor cannot garnish your wages, you don’t have much of a reason to file bankruptcy. Now as the economy is ramping back up and people are going back to work and beginning to amass assets again, it’s important to make sure that you deal with debt that may have accumulated in the past.
A
280 Living
A22 • November 2015
Chamber Greater Shelby Chamber presents 2015 Safety Awards By ERICA TECHO The Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce presented several community members with 2015 Safety Awards. Public safety officials throughout Shelby County, including firemen, police officers and volunteers, were recognized at the Sept. 30 luncheon. “All of us in this room who live in Shelby County know what a tremendous quality of life we are fortunate to have,” said Chamber President Kirk Mancer. “A significant aspect of that quality of life is a safe environment that’s created by the outstanding men and women that serve in the law enforcement and firefighters.” Deputy Chris Blevins received the Officer of the Year award from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s a hard thing for the Sheriff of this county because we have so many incredible employees,” Sheriff John Samaniego said. “To single out someone is very difficult.” Samaniego said Blevins has put in tremendous effort in his more than 16 years with the Sheriff’s Office, receiving 22 commendations. “His body of work since he has been at the Sheriff’s Department has been exemplary, so I chose him to honor today,” Samaniego said. Chelsea Fire & Rescue Chief Wayne Shirley recognized Officer Paul Williams at the luncheon. “Paul has been here for a while now, and he has served not only as a firefighter and does a great job at that,” Shirley said. “He’s also a very skilled and talented medic.” Williams has helped bring community communications to the next level through social media and his new safety videos, Shirley said. “Like most departments, we’ve been spending money for a while, printing brochures every
Preview of Greater Shelby County
Luncheon
Lisa McMahon, Deputy Chris Blevins and Sheriff John Samaniego. Photo by Erica Techo.
year and getting the message out to people that way,” Shirley said. “…Well, Paul wanted to bring us into the modern way of doing things and using some video and technology to help and get the message out. So he brought some great plans and has instituted a good number of them already.” Eddie Huggins, a Citizens Observer Patrol (COP) volunteer, also represented Chelsea. Mayor Earl Nivens presented Huggins with the award, commending him on his dedication to the community. “Eddie is a member who has been very active,” Nivens said. Huggins has logged more than 2,500 volunteer hours and did not miss any COP meetings from 2006-2014. Nivens also thanked the COP for all of their efforts in Chelsea. “[COP] is 15 and a half years old. It is a
volunteer group,” Nivens said. “How many organizations do you have in your cities that are volunteer and has lasted 15 and a half years? That says something about the citizens that have participated in this program.” Representing the North Shelby Fire District, Chief Eugene “Buddy” Tyler presented Chaplain Donny Acton with Firefighter of the Year. Tyler said Acton helps carry the fire department and officers through the stress of the job and helps them through one-on-one counseling, post traumatic stress briefing, Thanksgiving lunch for on-duty firefighters and other services. “Donny truly has a servant’s heart,” Tyler said. “If there is something bad going on in the North Shelby area, Donny will more than likely be there assisting and showing the love of God to those in need.”
The Greater Shelby Chamber will hold its Annual Prayer Breakfast for members to come together to fellowship, celebrate and give thanks. The breakfast will be held Tuesday, Nov. 24 from 7:30AM until 9:00 AM at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena. Reservations are requested by noon, Friday, November 20. Greater Shelby Chamber members $20, “Future” members $30. Register online at www.shelbychamber.org or call the Chamber office at 6634542.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A23
St. Vincent’s One Nineteen discusses healthcare changes By ERICA TECHO Healthcare is changing – that’s the message Brian Massey shared at the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Oct. 1. Massey, administrative director of business development at St. Vincent’s Health System, started his presentation by discussing the growth in healthcare, including several new buildings going up in the South Shelby County area. “We see all this going on and I wonder if we ever step back and ask why,” Massey said. “Obviously Shelby County is growing, and it’s a great place to live, but I think it’s something deeper going on when it comes to all these new healthcare offerings.” Aside from new buildings, Massey said healthcare is changing to include wellness or fitness programs, some online interaction with physicians and other technological changes. Change hasn’t all been positive, however. Massey said in some ways, healthcare costs have increased and created a fragmented system. “More than likely, you’re
paying more out of pocket when it comes to healthcare, either through higher copays or premiums,” Massey said. “More than likely, your deductibles are rising every year by hundreds of dollars.” A large issue, Massey said, is runaway spending and other monetary factors. He said that 5 percent of the population is contributing to 50 percent of healthcare spending. That, as well as the role of reimbursement in healthcare decisions, contributes to high healthcare costs. One way to combat this spending, Massey said, is to create a clinically integrated system of care. “Are your caregivers talking to one another? Are they connecting? If I put a patient into your system, will they be passed off to each care site seamlessly, or are they going to have to give their information again?” Massey asked. This clinical integration is an appealing quality to the purchasers and payers in healthcare, Massey said. He added that while
Brian Massey discusses changes in healthcare at the Oct. 1 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Photo by Erica Techo.
it streamlines the process, it also lowers costs. A system that includes primary care, diagnostics, surgeons, rehabilitation and most other healthcare needs is what St. Vincent’s Health System is working toward. “When we look at One Nineteen and the expansion, that’s what we’re doing is building out those nodes of care,” Massey said.
The goal isn’t far off, Massey said, and said he hopes that One Nineteen’s expansion, which will open before the end of the year, helps employees and healthcare consumers navigate the world of healthcare. “They’re finally being coached and navigated through the healthcare system,” he said. “That’s where we’re going.”
Preview of South Shelby County
Luncheon
Tony Cooper from the Jimmie Hale Mission will speak at the November luncheon for the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce. Cooper is the executive director of the mission, which provides housing, food, counseling, education and other services for homeless and at-risk men, women and children. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. at Columbiana United Methodist Church. Joe’s Italian is catering and the spotlight this month will be on businesses of Columbiana. No RSVP is required, but the cost to attend is $12 payable by cash, check or credit card.
280 Living
A24 • November 2015
Two saddles now empty at Cowboys By JON ANDERSON and SYDNEY CROMWELL The model horse and wagon in front of the Cowboys convenience store on U.S. 280 near the Village at Lee Branch help make the store distinctive, but the faces inside have been just as recognizable to regular customers. And two of those faces are now gone. The station owner, Alan Kidd, died on Oct. 13 – the day after he was in a motorcycle wreck with his wife, Michelle. And the store manager who had worked there for nine years, Cheryl Plattner, died of a heart attack just a month before. News of their deaths stunned many frequent customers and vendors, said Cheryl’s daughter, Kristie Plattner, who also works at the store. “So many people coming in are just in total disbelief,” Kristie said. “Everybody’s sad. It’s a total shock.” Kidd and Cheryl Plattner knew a lot of people, and many didn’t know they had passed until they got to the store and heard it from employees, Kristie said. “We’ve had people break down and cry over it,” she said. “You never really know how many people care about somebody until something like this happens.” “A lot of people have said it’s too odd to have so much tragedy in one place … To lose both of them in a month’s time, it’s really tough on everybody,” Kristie added. The Plattners and Kidds have worked together so long that they’re kind of like family, Kristie said. Alan Kidd stayed with Kristie in the hospital when Cheryl was there and came back to the house with her and her stepfather after Cheryl died, she said.
“Alan was really a great guy,” she said. “He knew everybody.” And even if he didn’t know someone, he wouldn’t hesitate to strike up a conversation. His employees described him as outgoing, kindhearted and very good to everyone who worked for him. Autumn Smith, who worked for him the past two years at Cowboys, said he was a cut-up and always making goofy faces. However, his good nature didn’t stop him from taking care of business, she said. “If there was something wrong, there wasn’t no waiting on it; he was on top of it,” Smith said. Andrea May, manager of the Jack Rabbit Texaco that Kidd owned at 2614 18th Place South in Homewood said he was always enthusiastic about the things he loved: his daughter Chloe, motorcycles and his farm in Harpersville. Kidd enjoyed taking his daughter to horse shows and rodeos, and raced motorcycles and was a Porsche driving instructor at Barber Motorsports Park. He also loved taking motorcycle trips with friends, and sport fishing and hunting with his brothers and friends. He was an inventor and held the patent to the “trash can caddy,” a device that people can hook up to a vehicle trailer hitch to haul trash cans to the road. He also dabbled in honey farming but it didn’t turn out too well, Kristie said. “He said they were always stinging him.” Cheryl Plattner was very close to her daughter. In addition to both working at Cowboys, they vacationed and spent much of their free time together. “She was an amazing person. She was strong. She was giving, kind,” her daughter said. “I can honestly say I’ve got to be one of the luckiest women in the world to have had a mother and a role model such as
When Autumn Smith started working at Cowboys convenience store, she said manager Cheryl Plattner (left) made her feel like she was joining a family. Cheryl passed away in September. Photo courtesy of Autumn Smith.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A25
The sign in front of the Cowboys convenience store and gas station at 5492 U.S. 280 expresses condolences to the family of Alan Kidd, the owner of the store who died on Oct. 13 after a motorcycle wreck. Photo by Jon Anderson.
herself. She taught me what it was like to be a good mother.” Smith said when she came to Cowboys, Cheryl had always treated her like part of the family. Cheryl loved animals and being outside. She
and her husband, Mark Mosteller, cared for three dogs, a rabbit and a number of stray cats. But the joy of her life was her grandkids, 8-year-old Ryan and 2-year-old Chyanne. Cheryl would leave after a full workday at Cowboys and spend her evenings with the kids until Kristie got home
from her own shift at the convenience store. Cheryl also for three years participated in the Muscular Dystrophy Association lockup, in which she was “arrested” by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The Cowboys store had to raise money for her “bail,” with the money going toward muscular
dystrophy research. One year, she raised $2,500 from Cowboys customers in a week. “She cared about everybody and everything,” Kristie said. “I mean, it didn’t matter if it was animal or human, if anything was in need … she was there.”
280 Living
A26 • November 2015
Patrolling the night with Shelby County Sheriff’s Office By ERICA TECHO When Deputy Stewart Hartley gets ready for work, he prepares for a long night. Hartley works the midnight shift with Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, hitting the road at 6 p.m. and continuing until 6 a.m. He joined the Sheriff’s Office five years ago and said he hasn’t worked a day since. “I’ve enjoyed it, and the Sheriff’s Office is a great place to work, and there’s good people here,” Hartley said. Hartley’s patrol area includes Chelsea, where he and his wife live. Keeping this area safe hits close to home, and Hartley said it serves as an even greater motivator.
6:02 p.m. A traffic complaint comes in over the radio. There is a car going 100 mph on U.S. 280, and deputies are advised to keep an eye out for it. The car is not located.
“When you cover where you live, you want to do a good job,” Hartley said. Staying up all night is an adjustment, Hartley said, but it’s the shift he enjoys working. While some nights are slower, Hartley said those nights allow for proactive steps. Deputies can keep an eye out for narcotic activity in the area or work to combat car break-ins. He said the midnight shift follow a general pattern, with more car accidents during rush hour, an increase in calls during the late night and a lower call volume and more chance for proactive policing in the early morning hours. 280 Living joined Harley on a Friday for five hours of his 12-hour shift, starting at 6 p.m.
6:19 p.m.
6:37 p.m. Hartley stops at the Chevron to fill up his vehicle. He is 30 minutes into a 12-hour shift, which he said is sometimes easier to stay awake through than other times. “Sometimes we’re busy and it really doesn’t seem that hard,” Hartley said.
8:30 p.m. Hartley gets in touch with a man who has contacted the Sheriff’s Office. The man reports he has found and trapped two dogs in his barn. Hartley advises him to drop the dogs off at the Shelby Humane Society in Columbiana, which has overnight holding pens. The pens have food and water for the animals and are checked every morning, when any animals are then transferred to the Humane Society facilities.
8:46 p.m. A suspicious vehicle is spotted outside a convenience store and gas station. Hartley patrols the area and then identifies the driver of the vehicle, who is cleaning the inside of the convenience store.
10:32 p.m.
Hartley assists Deputy Burke with a traffic stop. Hartley talks with the driver while Burke searches his vehicle. No arrest is made.
7:22 p.m. Hartley pulls over a female driver for speeding. “I just wrote her a warning citation,” Hartley said. “But that’s what traffic is all about, preventing accidents.” Hartley said by providing a warning citation, the driver will hopefully be more cautious and follow the speed limit.
8:00 p.m. Hartley pulls over a driver because his taillight was out. Burke assisted in the traffic stop, talking with the driver and passenger while the car is searched. Hartley issues a warning and tells the driver to stay safe.
8:50 p.m. Hartley sees a potential suspect vehicle. The vehicle appears to match the description of a vehicle involved in a robbery earlier that day. After Hartley pulls into the road, the vehicle pulls into a driveway. Hartley advises Burke to patrol the area, and both deputies wait to confirm the vehicle’s color, but the vehicle does not leave the driveway. Both deputies leave the area to continue patrols.
10:00 p.m.
A domestic call comes over the radio, and Hartley heads in the direction of the call. The location of the incident is a few minutes away. With the Sheriff’s Office, Hartley said he has a large area to patrol. If an incident occurs on the opposite side of his patrol area, he needs to travel a large distance in a shorter amount of time. “This way, you can see, it’s a lot of ground to cover,” Hartley said. An update over the radio reports the domestic incident has been cleared. Hartley returns to patrolling his current location.
Hartley and Burke meet to discuss warrants in the area, and a citizen approaches their vehicles. The citizen talks with the deputies about people he knows in the area who might be involved with drugs and other criminal activity. After the citizen leaves, Hartley said those tips and that information helps the Sheriff’s Office stay updated in the area. “That really is they way you get a lot of things done,” Hartley said. “They know this area better than we ever could … We rely on that information.”
11:00 p.m. Hartley returns to the Sheriff’s Office substation at Chelsea City Hall to drop me off. He has to leave immediately, “running code” – flashing lights and all – toward an on-going residential burglary.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A27
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM
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The Lochamy Brothers Sean Heninger Bromberg’s Tonya Jones Salon Rare Transportation City Paper Cathead Vodka Avo & Dram The Fresh Market Lilly Pulitzer Sister Schubert Evans Meat United-Johnson Brothers Heidi’s Heavenly Cookies Royal Cup Good People Brewing Co.
280 Living
A28 • November 2015
Opinion
Sweet home 280 By Madoline Markham
My South By Rick Watson
Fridge My grandmother used to tell me of life in the South before electricity and modern conveniences. They kept some of their food in a well in summer to keep it cold. We could have used a well this week. As always, there’s a story behind it. I like my coffee, lawsuit hot…so hot that it removes a layer of enamel from my teeth and takes the hide off my tongue. Jilda, on the other hand, likes her java much cooler. Monday morning when the coffee finished dripping, I opened the bedroom door and called to my sleeping bride in soft, soothing tones, “Are you ready for coffee?” She mumbles when she first wakes up. No one of this world can understand what she’s saying. It sounds almost as if she’s speaking in tongues, but she gets out of bed. She doesn’t really stumble into the living room, it’s more like she careens off houseplants, the chifforobe and cedar chest. Once in the living room, she sat silently for a while with unfocused eyes. When she reached for her cup, it was still too hot, so she wobbled into the kitchen. Reaching into the freezer side of the fridge for a couple of cooling cubes, she stopped cold. It took her a second to realize the
icemaker wasn’t working and that she was standing in a puddle of water. Suddenly, I understood exactly what she was saying. “Our fridge is dead!” I went in the kitchen hoping it was something simple, but when I rolled it from against the wall, there was a small puddle of what looked like oil. It didn’t take a rocket surgeon to know that baby was dead. Soon we were flipping through Consumer Reports, and searching the web for a new fridge. We hoped we could find one that didn’t require us to mortgage the house. A call to the local big-box store and we found exactly the unit we wanted. I was about to give them my credit card until I heard them say we can have it here in seven days. I explained that I would be killed and my body dumped in a local strip pit if it took seven days to get a fridge. Then we drove to Sides TV and Appliances and found the unit in the color we wanted. As it turns out, a mortgage wasn’t required. A few minutes later, the new fridge was following us home like a puppy. We’d gotten about halfway home when a troubling thought crossed my mind. I looked over to Jilda and asked, “Did you measure the old fridge?” “I
thought you did.” I hadn’t. When we got home and rolled the old unit out of its nesting place between a wall and our kitchen cabinets, and rolled the new one in place, it was about an inch too wide. Our hearts sank. Our nephew Haven, whom I ALWAYS call to help me with stuff like this, stood there in silence for a long time. I was trying to figure out how to break the news to George Sides Jr. that they were going to have to bring us another fridge and pick up the one they’d just delivered. Fret, fret, fret. Just then Haven said, “I think I can make this baby fit.” He got his hammer along with a screwdriver and a special saw. Soon there was sawdust, chips and pieces of molding all over the kitchen floor. After about an hour, we pushed the fridge into its cubbyhole and it fit like a latex glove. A while later, we heard ice cubes clattering in the icemaker, and the sound was like music to our ears. Rick Watson is a columnist and author. His latest book, Life Changes, is available on Amazon.com. You can contact him via email at rick@homefolkmedia.com.
In February of 2010, I was perplexed. My childhood neighborhood finally had a recycling pickup service, but as the number of yellow-topped plastic bins I saw (or rather didn’t see) as I walked my parents’ dog around it indicated, hardly anyone seemed to be taking advantage of the opportunity. Then I remembered a newspaper I had seen, one that had impressed me with how it united an area called “280” that had no defined limits but longed for identity, and I realized it could help. I had left Sweet Home [“280 area”] Alabama to attend journalism school at the University of Missouri, a place seemingly no one here had heard of until it later entered the SEC. There I learned that no one knew the future of journalism, but what we did know was community and niche publications were thriving. 280 Living was doing just that. So I pitched the publisher on the recycling story, took note of where I had seen yellow-topped cans and enlisted the aid of the neighborhood directory on my parents’ shelf. Before long, the story hit mailboxes, and I had a job. That’s how I found myself back in the land of 280 traffic and views of Double Oak Mountain foliage, back walking the halls where I had discovered a love of words through Latin classes and yearbooks, and back driving past the field where I had marched for four years (go Eagles! and go band!). This time I had a new purpose — a writer and editor capturing the
stories of these places and beyond. And what a journey it has been! The paper has grown exponentially, and the team I work with is now reporting with greater breadth on city and county government while also continuing to write about my favorites — the touching stories of people making a
difference. Over the past two or so years, I haven’t been on 280 as much, as our family of now five papers has grown and we hired more staff. I certainly didn’t miss the traffic, but I have been able to still tell some stories that have especially resonated with me out here. It was a pure bonus for me when I got to do so with former teachers, parents of classmates, church friends and others I knew from growing up here. Now, an opportunity has called again, and I will be leaving the paper that has become so much of who I am the past several years. The call this time could have come from any part of town, but again, it’s drawing me out 280. Part of me finds it ironic, as I have been trying to create a life closer to downtown like many people my age, but most of me feels the comfort of coming home. There might be more traffic, but there’s also a new hospital, tons of new restaurants and, my personal favorite, a Trader Joe’s. And more importantly, there are pastoral views of mountains and farms once you get off the highway, and beyond them, a tapestry of community I have known for 23 years.
280Living.com
November 2015 • A29
Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis
Parenting in an age of social media By KARI KAMPAKIS As a writer, I love social media. I appreciate the benefits because it’s opened up doors for writers like me by offering a quick, easy and free way to connect with readers. As a parent, however, I have mixed feelings toward social media. I hear stories about kids who have misused it, been hurt by it or made a terrible mistake that went viral, and I panic because I’m raising daughters in a generation that’s still figuring out how to be smart with a smartphone. It’s a complex challenge, to say the least. Parents often say they wish they could do away with social media for kids because the problems outweigh the benefits. While I understand this, we all know it’s not going anywhere. With new apps constantly being introduced, and teens growing increasingly reliant on online communities, we parents are forced to deal with this reality and develop a game plan. Following are five guiding principles we can share with our kids to foster positive habits online. The purpose is to help them develop a filter for what is/isn’t appropriate and discern for themselves how to engage virtually in a way that’s productive and healthy. #5: Remember your reputation is at stake. Every choice you make reveals your character. In this day and age, people get rejected from jobs, colleges, sororities and even athletic teams because of poor judgment online. All it takes is
a 5-second mistake to ruin your chances down the road. Imagine having your heart set on med school but getting turned down because a Google search of your name pulls up posts that show a lack of character. Imagine being passed over for your dream job because when you were 13, you shared questionable pictures on Instagram. What goes on the Internet stays on the Internet. Even Snapchat posts don’t “disappear” into oblivion. To build a good track record online — one that opens doors instead slamming them in your face — show integrity. Never write anything you wouldn’t say in a microphone at a school assembly. Never share a picture (even through Snapchat) that you’d be mortified to see on the front page of your local paper. #4: Consider three questions before you post: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? The key word here is “necessary.” While it may be true that your friend’s back-handspring is off-center, is it necessary to point that out when she posts a video? Do you want to be an encourager or a critic, the leader who lifts people up or the gossip who stirs the pot? #3: Seek to be kind, not popular. We live in a cruel world, and sadly, you can build a cult following online by creating a snarky persona. As long as you’re funny and make people laugh, you can get away with insults, digs and cutting people down. Being snarky may draw attention, but it won’t make you feel good about yourself. And when
you’re mean and snarky online, guess what kind of followers you attract? Mean and snarky people! When that’s your cult following, it’s only a matter of time before they turn on you. Believe it or not, being kind online can attract a following, too. Our world is hungry for inspiring messages, so use your voice for good. Remember that many people use social media as an escape from a hard day, a hard life or a lonely heart, and even a few uplifting words may offer much-needed hope. #2: If you aren’t feeling the love, stay off social media. We all get in bad moods, fly off the handle and overact at times. But giving your emotional monster access to a keypad is never a good idea because inevitably you’ll post things you later regret. The Internet isn’t a dumping ground. It isn’t a place to vent, air dirty laundry or call your best friend out for a lie she told. So before you get online, get your head and heart in the right place. Cool off from any anger, jealousy or frustration you feel and try to act intentionally, not impulsively. #1: Social media should supplement your relationships, not replace them. Recently I heard of a 15 year old who got tons of text messages and Instagram posts on her birthday, but only one phone call. The call came from an outof-town friend and meant a lot to her because of the personal touch and extra effort it required. Technology makes it convenient to connect with friends, but it can also make you lazy. You
may think you’re maintaining your friendships through digital contact, but without real-life engagement, your relationships will feel shallow and empty. Your friends need to hear your voice singing happy birthday to them, see your face lighting up at the sight of them and feel your arms embracing them. Through personal contact, relationships gain depth. So consider social media a “bonus” in your friendships. Use it to keep up, but not as your primary means of communication. As for us parents, let’s keep our conversation about social media ongoing. Besides monitoring our children’s accounts, let’s also be their ally, letting them know we’re on their team and committed to helping them make wise choices online. We’re all learning as we go. We’re all figuring it out together as technology evolves and new challenges arise. By getting involved early and staying involved while we have the chance to influence our children, we can plant important seeds and hopefully set them up to reap benefits from social media in a world that desperately needs more people using it for good. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham mom of four girls, columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Her first book, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com.
280 Living
A30 • November 2015 Watch Gargiulo explain Covered with Love
280living.com/topics/video
280living.com/topics/video/
Eighth grade students sew quilt squares as part of the Covered with Love service project in Melinda Gargiulo’s family and consumer sciences classes. Photo by Sydney Cromwell. Melinda Gargiulo helps one of her students sew a quilt square as part of Covered with Love, a project to provide quilts for local veterans. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
HOPE
CONTINUED from page 1 of fabric. The sixth graders are hand-sewing their squares while the older students use sewing machines, and one class of eighth graders will put the pieces together at the end. “It’s a lost art in my opinion. You know, so many people don’t do this anymore. Most people don’t even sew anymore,” Gargiulo. JD Simpson, the president of Three Hots and a Cot, said community involvement is a large part of how his organization has successfully served about 700 Alabama veterans so far. Besides Gargiulo’s students, he said he is humbled to see churches, clubs and individuals who regularly knit hats by the dozen or bring truckloads of canned food and toiletries for these servicemen and women.
“I love the idea and the veterans love it for a few reasons,” Simpson said. “It’s a mental health thing. A lot of these guys have been through a lot.” In addition to the community service and practical skills they gain, Gargiulo’s students are also learning about geometry and the history of quilting as they create their squares. All the fabric is patriotic, so the finished quilts will be red, white and blue. Some was donated and the rest was bought with the help of a $1,000 grant from the Shelby County Schools Foundation. The grant paid for most of the materials, though Gargiulo said they will likely host a fundraiser to help pay for any remaining costs. The Birmingham Quilters Guild, Gargiulo said, offered to cut the fabric into hundreds of identical squares. The students then take the squares and learn how to pin, iron and sew them into quilt squares. Each student will also
embroider his or her initials into the square. So far, Gargiulo said every class has “really been enthusiastic” about the project and have shared their own stories of grandmothers or other family members quilting. “I like that we all have to work together to make one thing and it comes together,” said eighth grader Emiline Philpott. “I just like the thought that we’re helping people,” eighth grader Emma Hice said. “I think that’s so cool and I’m so excited about it.” Emiline and Emma are both part of the school chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), which will do the final work on the quilts. Gargiulo said they will enter the Covered with Love project in the annual Alabama FCCLA STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) competition in March. They’re more excited, however, to present
the finished quilts to Three Hots and a Cot at Christmas and at the end of the year. Gargiulo and Simpson are hoping to have some of the veterans on hand to accept the quilts. Simpson said he has seen many veterans cry at the thought that a stranger put so much effort into making something nice just for them. “The tears you see in their eyes when they’re presented these quilts… they treasure these things,” Simpson said. “I think that will be great for the students to see who’s getting what they worked on,” Gargiulo said. For veterans struggling to rebuild their lives, Simpson said the quilts can provide a warmth that isn’t just physical. “We do it because of these kids making quilts,” Simpson said. “Is it going to solve all their [veterans’] problems? No, but it’s part of the puzzle.”
280Living.com
November 2015 • A31
2 1 1: The Chelsea Community Center includes a gym with six basketball goals and anchors for a volleyball
net. 2: The workout room at the Chelsea Community Center has treadmills, ellipticals and other workout equipment for community members. 3: The Chelsea Community Center has a warming kitchen to use for parties and banquets as well as concessions. Photos by Erica Techo.
CHELSEA
CONTINUED from page 1 phone line. “We can’t open the building until we have an active telephone line in the elevator,” he said. In the gymnasium, which includes six basketball goals, 300-seat bleachers and anchors for a volleyball net, Niven said he hopes to see community activities such as 3-on-3 tournaments, adult sporting events and other events. “I think the track and the gym will be heavily used,” Niven said.
The community center will be open for 12 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Niven said those times may be adjusted based on community use. There will also be two people working at the community center at all times. The community center employees will be there to help with check-in and to provide instructions on equipment use. The city started accepting applications for the positions in September, and Niven said he has received interest from several people. A large room is set aside as the senior center, where seniors can play cards or participate in arts and craft activities. This area can seat around
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100 people for a meal and includes four dividers to separate the space for different events. Niven said they also plan to rent out the room for birthday parties, receptions or team banquets. Commissioner Robbie Hayes, who represents Chelsea on the Shelby County Commission, said he is looking forward to when the doors open and community members can use the center. “I’m very excited,” Hayes said. “I believe it’s going to be a wonderful asset for the community.” Hayes said the commission has been pleased with what the city has done and that they have been able to help by providing $25,000 for the
3 senior center portion of the building. A meeting room is also available for rent, and Niven said that area can be used to fit whoever requests the space. A room in the front of the building, formerly designated as a nursery, will now be used for vending machines and possibly a pool table, which was donated to the city. Niven is in his last year as mayor, and he said he is glad to see the community center completed. “I have always tried to do what’s best for Chelsea,” Niven said, “Not what’s best for Earl Niven.”
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280 Living neighborly news & entertainment
SECTION
B
Events B7 Football Recaps B14 Sports B18
NOVEMBER 2015
Losing herself in the
dance
By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE Like many little girls, around the age of 7, Priya Shah balked at attending her weekly dance lessons. She quit “once and for all” on three different occasions. Prompted by her mother’s encouragement, Shah said she “finally stuck with it,” beginning the physical and spiritual journey of Indian classical dance (Bharatanatyam) that culminated in her graduation performance in August. “It’s a religiously-based art that centers on Hinduism and has helped me connect with my culture,” Shah said. “I love it because it has two sides—the dance and movement side, but then there’s the emotional side that is the religious storytelling.” While a student at Oak Mountain Middle School, the now 18-year-old Meadowbrook resident was also connecting with her culture through classes at Hindi Pathshala of
Birmingham, learning to read, write and speak the Hindi language. Studying at the nonprofit school for four years, she was eventually asked to teach kindergarteners, tutoring them for two years in the Hindi alphabet and basic sentence structure. “It was weird at first because I was only in the ninth grade and had just finished my Hindi classes myself,” she said. “But the kids were really goofy and sweet because they were so young, and I really enjoyed it.” In addition to her Indian dance lessons, Shah had taken up ballet and, with the talent and interest she exhibited, her parents decided to enroll her in the Alabama School of Fine Arts dance program for the seventh grade. But after two years of studying ballet, pointe and modern dance, Shah said she realized she didn’t want to be a professional dancer. She switched to the
See DANCE | Page B22
This dance leap was part of the Thillana, the last segment of Priya Shah’s dance performance that contained intricate footwork, rhythmic patterns and sculpture-like poses. Photo courtesy of Samata Shah.
B2 • November 2015
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November 2015 • B3
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B4 • November 2015
Best case scenario
Local writer Allen Mercer is pursuing his passion, drawing from his surroundings
By SYDNEY CROMWELL Some authors spend years writing a single book. Allen Mercer has published six since January 2014. The Eagle Point resident works full time as a global sales manager for an industrial company, as well as going on mission trips and being a husband and father of two. In every spare moment, though, he’s writing. Mercer said he has been writing his whole life, and he published his first book in 2003. It was based on history stories he told his son, Justin, who now studies history at Auburn. For a while, it seemed that writing would remain just a hobby. Three years ago, however, a religious retreat made Mercer realize that he wanted to commit to his passion. Three months of consistent writing produced Underlying Grace, a work of Christian fiction that he published in February 2014. Mercer said it can be difficult to write in that genre because of its narrow focus. One of his test readers commented that he wrote good action scenes, and Mercer decided to take the challenge of writing an action novel. The result was Worst Case Scenario, a series about a Birmingham family surviving in a postapocalyptic U.S. Mercer said the books are “pure action all the way through.” He released the first three books on Amazon in March, and they began to get popular in the dystopian fiction genre. The fourth book came out in June and is what Mercer said put him on the map.
Eagle Point resident Allen Mercer is the author of several books, many of which draw inspiration from his son Justin, daughter Audrey and wife Christine. Photo courtesy of Allen Mercer.
“It just jammed up the charts and I had a top 100 on Amazon, which is significant, and the rest of the series has picked up,” Mercer said. The fifth book came out in September and outsold the other four, and Mercer said he’s finishing a sixth now. It’s hard to maintain that pace, he said, but he gets messages from fans wanting to know what happens next. He writes at night between conference calls and on his frequent plane trips for work.
“When you’re moving so fast— your readers want it, you can tell,” Mercer said. Part of what has made Worst Case Scenario so popular, Mercer thinks, is that he portrays the apocalypse with a streak of humanity and goodness running through it. The end of the world doesn’t make characters forget the importance of family, community or their personal problems. In that way, the series bears some similarities to
his Christian fiction. “They may seem like they’re opposite ends of the spectrum, but somebody said to me the other day, ‘There is a lot of goodness in the books, even though there’s a lot of bad things that happen,’” Mercer said. Each book is short, and Mercer said he imagines them as episodes in a TV show when he writes. Birmingham residents would also recognize the setting of most of the series. At one
point, Mercer said one of his characters is hiking along U.S. 280 toward Chelsea. “In my mind I can see the stop light over the mountain where she is,” Mercer said. He draws ideas and character traits from the people he meets while traveling, as well as his family. Mercer’s wife, Christine, coordinates mission work in Central America for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and he has his son Justin and daughter Audrey, who is a sophomore at Briarwood Christian School. With the number of people he meets, Mercer always has a bank of interesting characters to draw from. He said one of his favorite parts of writing is developing a character and deepening their backstory as the series goes on. In addition to the sixth book in Worst Case Scenario, which will be out before the end of the year, Mercer also finished a sequel to Underlying Grace called Mighty to Save. That was released in October, and he’s already creating a three-part spinoff of Worst Case Scenario called Collapsing World. In the future, he’d also like to try his hand at military fiction. Like every author, Mercer is hoping he can one day pick up his pen full time and support his family through his books. “If I could pull that off, though, I would every day of the week. If anybody can go do their passion, I don’t care how old you are, go do it. That’s why I stay up late, because it’s my passion,” Mercer said.
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280Living.com
November 2015 • B5
National Night Out focuses on crime prevention, safety
Three area fire departments joined the county sheriff’s office in bringing their vehicles and emergency equipment to National Night Out. Photos by Frank Couch.
For a video of the National Night out, see:
280living.com/topics/video
http://280living.com/news/ chelsea-s-national-night-out/
Will, Luke and Jack Palladino are given stickers from deputy Billy Yazel inside a Tactical Response Unit vehicle.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office helicopter with people looking in and around it. National Night Out was held in the Chelsea Walmart parking lot with the sheriff’s office and several fire departments including Chelsea, Westover and Cahaba Valley.
Families came to the Chelsea Walmart parking lot for the annual National Night Out on Oct. 6.
B6 • November 2015
280 Living
Runners don rucks for National Veteran’s Day 10K The Blue Star Salute had a memorial wall at the Ruck Challenge of Alabama service members who have died. Photo by Erica Techo.
Runners had the option to wear rucks, or weighted backpacks, during their runs at the annual 10K Ruck Challenge at Veterans Park. Photo by Erica Techo.
By ERICA TECHO As part of the Third Annual 10K Ruck Challenge hosted by National Veterans Day, runners had the option to carry a weighted ruck with them on Saturday, Oct. 10. Men carried 40 pound rucks, and women carried 25 pound rucks. While not all runners opted to tote the extra weight, around 100 runners chose to participate in a 5K or 10K run. Proceeds from the event benefitted veteran charities in the area. Mark Ryan, president of National Veterans Day of Birmingham, said he was happy to see how many people
came to the event and he hopes to continue to grow the event each year. “This is just the third year putting it on, so we’re still growing,” Ryan said. Several volunteers were also at the event, including Melvin Shinholster with Blue Star Salute of Alabama. He stood by a sign memorializing the 208 Alabama service members who have died since Sept. 11, 2001. Their pictures are the faces of the fight for freedom, Shinholster said. “Our job is to make sure we educate the community,” Shinholster said.
Service members, including four-legged ones, took part in the race to support veterans’ services. Photo by Erica Techo. Watch video from the 10K Ruck Challenge
280living.com/topics/video
http://280living.com/news/runnersdon-rucks-for-national-veteran-s-day10k101/
280Living.com
November 2015 • B7
Events
Market Noel celebrates 25th year
By ERICA TECHO
The Junior League of Birmingham is bringing together more than 100 vendors for the 25th Annual Market Noel. There will be food vendors as well as booths for women’s, children’s and men’s clothing and other goods. “It’s a one stop shop,” said Market Noel Chair Paige Drew. “There’s so many things for everybody to be able to knock out their entire Christmas list. …But it also kind of makes you feel good because every dollar spent on tickets, that money goes directly back to the community.” There are several ticket options, including general admission for $12, Preview Noel for $48, tickets for groups of 10 or more people for $10 each and a three-day pass for $24. Drew said about 8,000 people will shop Market Noel over the weekend, and the goal is to constantly grow the event. The Junior League of Birmingham uses the money from ticket sales to support its projects, which are geared toward helping women, children and education throughout the community. “We are definitely trying to grow it and make it the biggest, baddest shopping event in town,” Drew said. “The bigger it gets, the
more money that comes back into the people and the community.” In addition to the vendor sales, there will be Rock the Runway and Man Cave events at Market Noel. An announcer from the SEC Network and Jox Radio will be at the Man Cave, which takes place during Preview Noel on Wednesday, Nov. 18. There are also bourbon tastings and other activities at that time. “We’ve got some fun games and things like that planned to keep the men interested,” Drew said. This is also the second year for Market Bliss, which is a sort of girl’s night out at the event. Market Bliss is the night of Friday, Nov. 20 from 6-8 p.m. For anyone looking to get a taste of fashion, the Rock the Runway event is Saturday, Nov. 21 from 9:30-11 a.m. During the fashion show, models will wear Lily Pulitzer fashions as well as items from vendors at the market. Children from some of the Junior League of Birmingham’s community partners will also participate. “My favorite part of that event is that some of the models that are going to be coming down the model are some of the community partners,” Drew said. While the market doesn’t offer any specific discounts, Drew said most vendors do not have
Craig Skowronek of Lula Woodworks, a Hoover resident of nearly 20 years, is excited to bring his custom-hand crafted furniture and gifts to Market Noel in November. Photo courtesy of the Lollar Group.
brick and mortar stores and are therefore able to keep their prices down. Drew said the gathering of so many vendors as well as the market’s contributions to the community help draw in shoppers. “I think it’s the spirit of the holidays,” Drew said. “You give and you shall receive. Our theme this year is Be Bold, Be Bright, and I think that could relate back to so many things.” For more information about the event, visit jlbonline.com.
Market Noel 2015 Preview Noel & Man Cave: Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 7-10 p.m. Market Bliss: Friday, Nov. 20 from 6-8 p.m. Rock the Runway: Saturday, Nov. 21 from 9:30-11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
280 Living
B8 • November 2015
Capture fall on camera
The Oak Mountain State Park Seasonal Photography Walk is set for Nov. 14. Photos courtesy of Emily Cook.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The arrival of fall is a great time for outdoor photography. For those who want to capture photos of beautiful the season change, Oak Mountain State Park will be hosting a Seasonal Photography Walk on November 14. Emily Cook, the park’s naturalist, will lead a hike similar to the ones in the spring and summer. Meeting at the park office at 9 a.m., where Cook will take participants on a one to two hour walk through the park. The exact location will be
determined that morning, but participants are sure to get some great shots. Oak Mountain is Alabama’s largest park, sitting on 9,940 acres in Shelby County. There is so much to see and do just a short drive away. Nature walks can be a chance to refresh the mind and spirit, learn about wildlife and avoid distractions. They’re also a great form of exercise. “The walk is for anyone who wants to come, and will be family friendly,” Cook said. “Bring a camera with a fully charged battery and dress
for the weather.” Although she can’t predict what will be seen on the hike, it could be anything from small mushrooms to deer. It will also depend on which trail is chosen, the weather and the noise level. “The walk will be on a gently rolling trail and accessible for strollers,” Cook said. Park admission is $4 for ages 12 and over, $1 for children 6 to 11 and seniors (62+) and free for ages five and under. Admission is good for the day, and the park is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Seasonal Photography Walk Date: Saturday, November 14 at 9 a.m. Location: Oak Mountain State Park, 200 Terrace Drive (Meet the Naturalist at the Park Office on Terrace Drive) Email: oakmountain.naturalist@dcnr. alabama.gov Call: 205-620-2520
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November 2015 • B9
280 Living
B10 • November 2015
From garden to lunchroom
ABOVE: Hilltop Montessori has 18 gardens for students to learn about growing and harvesting healthy foods. Photo courtesy of Hilltop Montessori. LEFT: Teacher Ona Adams and students Winston Clifford, Addison Basquill, Arya Calhoun and London Heard show off a bowl of muscadine grapes the children harvested. Photo courtesy of Hilltop Montessori.
By GRACE THORNTON Hilltop Montessori School in Mt Laurel would like to be the “only school we know of to harvest and serve organic lunches.” That’s what Head of School Michele Wilensky says, and they’re well on their way to being just that. Every day, students get their snacks from the 18 gardens the school tends on its grounds. “That’s part of who we are,” she said.
With a new $3.4 million expansion to the school — to be completed with help from their annual farm-to-table dinner this November — the vision for students to grow, harvest and even help cook what they eat will finally see fulfillment. “It’s quite expensive to have a commercial kitchen, so the proceeds from the dinner will go toward purchasing those appliances,” Wilensky said.
The Nov. 12 event, Hilltop on the Green, will allow dinner guests to experience the Montessori eating tradition for themselves by eating from the school’s gardens that night. Organic, locally grown foods will be on the menu. “We will harvest whatever is available and bring it to the dinner for the chefs to cook,” said Cindi Stehr, who founded the school and heads up the preschool and gardens. That will mean cool-weather plants like
broccoli, Swiss chard, mustard greens, sweet peas and radishes, as well as microgreens, Stehr said. “Our bees will also provide about a half gallon of honey to be used in the dessert,” she said. The dinner, which will be held at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, will include a live auction and a silent auction featuring items like beach vacations, artwork, gift certificates and other services.
280Living.com
November 2015 • B11
The 18 gardens at Hilltop Montessori are tended by staff and students to produce fruits and vegetables. Photo courtesy of Hilltop Montessori.
“Last year the event raised $70,000,” Wilensky said. “This year we’re hoping for $100,000.” The kitchen it provides will be “empowering” for the children, Stehr said. “Already the children are able to see where their food comes from, and if they get a bell pepper out of the garden, wash it off and slice it, they are more likely to eat it,” she said. In her classrooms, young children happily and willingly make smoothies with spinach and drink them, she said. “With the kitchen, which will be geared toward the children, we will really be able to do some cooking,” Stehr said. The children love working in the gardens
already, she said, so they are excited about getting to interact even more with their food. “They water the gardens, weed them and keep them going. They use math to map out the gardens. And they harvest the crop and eat it themselves. It impacts their lives,” Stehr said. The new building will benefit the community, too, Wilensky said. The facilities will be available to Mt Laurel after hours for use as a community center that offers activities geared toward healthy living, such as exercise classes and cooking demonstrations. Tickets for Hilltop on the Green went on sale in October. For more information, visit hilltopmontessori.com.
Student Jax Arnett harvests from one of the Hilltop Montessori gardens. Photo courtesy of Hilltop Montessori.
280 Living
B12 • November 2015
Birmingham area holding several walks and runs this month By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
Central Alabama Hydrocephalus Association Walk The 2015 Central Alabama Hydrocephalus Association Walk will be held Sunday, Nov. 1, at Oak Mountain State Park. The Hydrocephalus Association’s mission is to promote a cure for hydrocephalus and improve the lives of those affected by the condition. The most common treatment for the condition is surgically implanting a shunt in the brain, but it is not a cure. Walk co-chair Nalini Patel is a mother to a 17-year-old who was born with hydrocephalus and has endured over 100 brain surgeries. She does this in hopes that another mom won’t have to go through this difficult journey down the road. Money raised goes to the national office but ends up at Children’s of Alabama, which is one of five HCRN (hydrocephalus community
research networks) in the country. Patel said their first walk had around 15 to 25 walkers, and this year, they are expecting 500 people. “It’s continued growing and we are so excited. We are gaining force slowly but surely. It’s a fantastic family-oriented event.” Registration begins at 11 a.m., the walk is at 1 p.m., and lunch will be provided, along with popcorn, snow cones, DJ, games and arts and crafts. The entire event is free, but donations are accepted and fundraising is encouraged. Participants who raise $75 or more qualify for a HA Walk T-shirt. Those who raise over $250 qualify for other incentive prizes. Visit facebook.com/Birmingham.Alabama. Hydrocephalus.Association.WALK for more information.
Participants in the Central Alabama Hydrocephalus Association Walk raise money for treatment of hydrocephalus. Photo courtesy of Bill LaRiviere.
280Living.com
November 2015 • B13
Runners compete in the XTERRA Trail Run at Oak Mountain State Park. Photo courtesy of Tim Schroer.
Run Away From Domestic Violence The King’s Home is hosting Run Away From Domestic Violence on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 221 Kings Home Drive. The event will feature a competitive 5K race and a 1-mile fun run. Registration fees are $35 for all 5K participants, $25 for 1-mile participants 13 and older and $10 for participants 12 and under.
The race starts at 9 a.m. for the 5K and 9:15 for the fun run. There is also a sleep-in option for $10, allowing those who wish to spend their morning cozied up in bed to donate and receive an event T-shirt. King’s Home serves at-risk women and children. Register at runsignup.com.
Light The Night Walk The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk will take place Thursday, Nov. 5, at 5:30 p.m. The event is a fundraising campaign benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and their funding of research to find blood cancer cures. In addition to the funds raised for treatments, LLS is making cures happen by providing patient support services, advocacy for
lifesaving treatments and the most promising cancer research anywhere. Teams work together to achieve a collective fundraising goal. Join an existing team, create a new one with friends and family, or raise money on your own. This year’s goal is to raise $375,000. Register online at registration.lightthenight. org.
XTERRA Trail Run The XTERRA Trail Run will take place Sunday, Nov. 8 at Oak Mountain State Park. This event will feature three length options, which include 5K, 10K and 21K. This is a single and double track off-road running experience. The race will start on a street but will soon lead into the woods. The terrain is made up of rolling hills, climbs, single track, double track, roots, along with some technical sections. Race Director Tim Schroer said this race
always receives great support from the community. “Oak Mountain State Park is a great venue,” Schroer said. “It has a little bit of everything for runners, whether they are beginner, intermediate, well versed or an expert in trail running. It offers something for everyone and is for all ages.” The races start back-to-back, with the longest run at 8:25 a.m., the 10K at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K at 8:35 a.m. Registration fees are $25-$35. Online registration is available at active.com.
Tranquility Lake 50K and 25K The final race of the 2015 Mountain High Outfitters Southeastern Trail Series takes place Nov. 21 at Oak Mountain State Park. The Tranquility Lake 50K and 25K begin at 7 a.m. A 9.5-hour cutoff will be in place to ensure that everyone is off the trails before dark for park regulations.
The 50K race will be a two-lap course circling the park. Registration is $40 for the 25K and $70 for the 50K. Price increases $10 after Nov. 7. Online registration is available at ultrasignup. com.
280 Living
B14 • November 2015
Sports
Chelsea Hornets football recap By DAVID KNOX Game 4, 9/18 Chelsea 44, Chilton County 21 AJ Jones scored three times keying Chelsea to a Class 6A, Region 3 win over host Chilton County. The Hornets put together five consecutive scoring drives in the second half to come back from a 14-10 halftime deficit. Jones scored on runs of 6 and 59 yards and caught a 22-yard pass from Matthew Marquet for another score. Marquet also scored on a short run. Tyler Thomas booted a 40-yard field goal for Chelsea (4-0, 2-0). Zalon Reynolds and Austin Stallworth scored fourth-quarter touchdowns. Game 5, 9/25 Chelsea 40, Helena 20 Chelsea built a 21-0 lead and held off Helena for a happy homecoming for the Hornets. Chelsea (5-0) was led by the running of Zalon Reynolds and AJ Jones. Reynolds rushed for 119 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown and Jones added 79 yards on 22 carries and two scores. Matthew Marquet finished 11-of-16 passing for 139 yards and two TDs. Luke Ganus intercepted a Helena pass and returned it 60 yards for a score. Helena dropped to 3-2. Game 6, 10/2 Opelika 40, Chelsea 25 At Chelsea, the Class 6A third-ranked Opelika Bulldogs handed the Hornets their first loss of the season, but not without a fight. Chelsea took a 17-13 lead into halftime, but the
Bulldogs ripped off 27 second-half points and held the Hornets to just one touchdown. Zalon Reynolds ran for a 1-yard touchdown, Matthew Marquet scored on a 2-yard run and Tyler Thomas kicked a field goal to build the Hornets’ first-half lead. In the second half, Marquet tried to rally his team, scoring on a 60-yard run and adding a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 33-25, but that’s as close as the Hornets (4-1, 2-1) could get. Marquet was 7-of-21 passing for 114 yards and led the Hornets in rushing yards with 81 on 11 attempts. AJ Jones picked up 68 yards on 21 carries. Reynolds had 49 yards on 16 attempts. Linebacker David Hardenbaugh led the defense with 11 tackles. Game 7, 10/8 Benjamin Russell 42, Chelsea 24 Chelsea faced another Top 10 team for the second week in a row and suffered the same result, dropping a 42-24 decision to Benjamin Russell in Alexander City. The Wildcats jumped out to a 21-0 lead after a quarter and led 35-3 at the half. Chelsea (5-2, 2-2 Class 6A, Region 3) scored on a 25-yard field goal by Tyler Thomas and runs by AJ Jones, Zalon Reynolds and Austin Stallworth. Matthew Marquet hooked up with Joshua Gregg for a two-point conversion. Game 8, 10/16 Chelsea 17, Pell City 16 Tyler Thomas’ 38-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the game gave the Chelsea Hornets a 17-16 win over Pell City and lock up a Class 6A, Region 3 playoff spot. If Chelsea (6-2, 3-2 in region) beat Oxford (3-5, 2-3) on Oct. 23, the Hornets would lock up the third spot.
Chelsea running back Zalon Reynolds (1) takes off for a big play against Benjamin Russell. Photo by Cari Dean.
280Living.com
November 2015 • B15
Spain Park football recap
Happy Spain Park students take down part of the Hoover Met goalposts after the Jaguars’ 17-0 win over Hoover. Photo by Ted Melton. By SAM CHANDLER AND DAVID KNOX Game 5, 9/18 Spain Park 31, Hewitt-Trussville 28 (OT) Crosby Gray’s 27-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Spain Park Jaguars (4-1, 3-1) to a 31-28 overtime victory over Hewitt-Trussville at Husky Stadium in a pivotal early-season Class 7A, Region 3 game. “It’s just all the work we put in and stuff after losing this game last year,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said of that 64-63, four-overtime loss. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling. I’m so proud of these kids and just how they keep fighting.” Although the Huskies (3-2, 2-1) took the field first in overtime, their drive ended before it even started. Quarterback Zac Thomas was intercepted by Jags linebacker Houston Hollis on the first play from scrimmage, dashing the Huskies’ scoring opportunity. With the Jags taking over possession on the 10-yard line, Raney immediately chose to send his sure-footed kicker out on the field. “We’ve got one of the best kickers in the state. I wasn’t going to risk anything,” Raney said. “I just told him I knew he’d make it. I’ve got total faith in him.” Gray, as he’s done throughout the season, came through. “It’s the most amazing feeling just being able to fight hard with my guys,” Gray said, “over the summer, over the offseason, everything, just to help them win.” Game 6, 10/1 Spain Park 17, Hoover 0 The Jags did it. On a brisk, fall Thursday evening at the Hoover Met in a game designated as a Great American Rivalry, Spain Park broke the streak. After 13 straight losses to their crosstown rival, save a forfeit victory in 2007, Spain Park (5-1, 4-0) defeated Hoover High (5-1, 4-1) for the first time in school history, toppling the Bucs 17-0 and earning a critical 7A, Region 3 victory. “It’s unbelievable to do something that’s been tried so many times before,” said Spain Park coach Shawn Raney, a former Hoover assistant. “Hoover’s got a special place in my heart, and I love those coaches, but to get this done for the program, what we’ve been trying to do for the past three years, it’s just unreal.” Prior to the shutout loss, Hoover had won 43 straight in-state games, falling last in the 2011 state championship when they lost to Prattville 35-34. But even more impressively, at least for the Spain Park defense, is the amount of time that’s passed since Hoover was last shut out. To find that, you have to go back to Sept. 27, 1991, when the Bucs were blanked 13-0 by
Hewitt-Trussville. “To win in it that fashion, and to win it, it’s unbelievable,” Raney said. “Our kids just stepped up when they had to.” Game 7, 10/9 Spain Park 21, Vestavia Hills 0 If the Spain Park Jaguars seemed a little flat early in their game with Vestavia Hills at Jaguar Field, who could blame them? It’s not every week the Jags are ranked No. 2 in Class 7A. It’s not every week they’re coming down from the high of whipping their archrivals. In fact, it’s the first time they’ve been in that position of basking in the glow of bashing the Hoover Bucs. So with the Rebels taking the opening kickoff and driving down the field 72 yards, it looked like the Jags needed a wake-up call. They got it from senior linebacker Perry Young. Young blocked Curry Howard’s 25-yard field goal attempt and teammate Chase Young picked it up and the chase was on. Eighty-five yards later, the Jaguars had a touchdown and they were wide-awake. The Jaguars built on the momentum to build a 21-0 halftime lead and made it stand up as Spain Park (6-1, 5-0) grabbed complete control of the Class 7A, Region 3 race. Game 8, 10/16 Spain Park 20, Oak Mountain 10 Anchored by a bruising defense characterized by constant hustle, Spain Park (7-1, 6-0) fought its way to a gritty 20-10 victory over Oak Mountain (3-5, 2-4), clinching the Class 7A, Region 3 title and securing home-field advantage in the first round of the state playoffs. “It’s huge, especially the way we’ve played at home,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said. “We’ve done a really good job at home, so I’m glad to get teams coming down there.” Although the Jags surrendered 10 first-half points to Oak Mountain, the defense buckled down after the halftime break. Spain Park set the tone early in the third quarter when linebacker Perry Young intercepted a lateral from Oak Mountain quarterback Warren Shader. As Shader scampered down the field after choosing to keep an option, Young chased after him in hot pursuit. “It was just all about hustle,” Young said. “I was chasing him for at least 30 yards, and I guess he thought I was his pitch man, and I was just right there in a good spot to make a great play.” Young returned the ball nearly 30 yards to the Oak Mountain 22-yard line, setting up a 40-yard field goal by Crosby Gray and a 17-10 lead with 6:30 to play in third quarter.
280 Living
B16 • November 2015
Oak Mountain football recap By DAVID KNOX AND RUBIN GRANT Game 4, 9/18 Oak Mountain 15, Tuscaloosa County 7 At Northport, Mitchell Jones picked off a pass in the final two minutes to preserve the Oak Mountain Eagles’ 15-7 win over Tuscaloosa County. Warren Shader capped a 94-yard drive with a 4-yard run and Payton Youngblood completed a two-point pass to Zach Pierce to give the Eagles (1-3, 1-2 Class 7A, Region 3) an 8-0 lead. Daniel Salchert added a touchdown run for a 15-0 lead. The Wildcats (0-4, 0-3) scored to cut the margin to 15-7 at the half, but the Jones interception dashed the Wildcats’ last hope and sealed the Eagles’ win. Game 5, 9/25 Oak Mountain 35, Briarwood Christian 0 Warren Shader rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns and the Oak Mountain defense picked off six passes as the Eagles knocked off Briarwood in a non-region game. Shader, a senior quarterback, scored on runs of 40 and 3 yards. Meanwhile, Hall Morton picked off two passes and Mitchell Jones returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown. Defensive back Thomas Pechman and nose tackle Armond Lloyd also intercepted passes. Daniel Salchert opened the scoring with a 7-yard TD run and Ethan Duncan closed the scoring with a 6-yard run. Nick Carney booted five extra points for the Eagles (2-3). Game 6, 10/2 Hewitt-Trussville 38, Oak Mountain 31 The Oak Mountain Eagles (2-4, 1-3) couldn’t put away the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies (4-2, 3-1) in a Class 7A, Region 3 game, even though Warren Shader rushed for 146 yards and passed for 109 yards, accounting for three touchdowns. Jarrion Street scored the game-winning TD for the Huskies with 4:04 left. The Eagles had rallied from a 30-17 deficit to take a 31-30 lead with 7:40 to go but the Huskies droved down the field for the deciding score.
Warren Shader is off on a touchdown run for Oak Mountain against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Barry Clemmons.
Oak Mountain had one last chance as Shader scrambled for a 26-yard gain on fourth-and-20 to the Hewitt 39. But on fourth-and-11, Shader’s pass to Daniel Salchert picked up only 6 yards. Game 7, 10/9 Oak Mountain 21, Mountain Brook 14 Oak Mountain coach Cris Bell wasn’t sure what to expect from junior quarterback Wyatt Legas in the Eagles’ crucial Class 7A, Region 3 road game at Mountain Brook. Legas started in place of senior starter Warren Shader, who sustained a concussion the previous week against Hewitt-Trussville and sat out the game. Bell didn’t have anything to be concerned about. Legas turned in an efficient performance, passing for one touchdown and running for
another as the Eagles pulled out a 21-14 victory. Oak Mountain improved to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the region, keeping its playoff hopes alive with two region games remaining. “We’ve just got to play hard each week we come out and try to finish strong,” Bell said. Legas made sure the Eagles remained in the contention with his steady play. He completed 11-of-16 passes for 130 yards and rushed 12 times for 58 yards. “For us not having our starting quarterback, Wyatt did a heck of a job of running our offense,” Bell said. “And our kids did a great job of rallying around him. We needed this win big time.” Legas scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter, giving the Eagles a 21-14 lead.
Game 8, 10/16 Spain Park 20, Oak Mountain 10 Oak Mountain (3-5, 2-4 Class 7A, Region 3) won’t be returning to the playoffs. The Eagles’ fate was sealed when No. 2 Spain Park knocked off the hosts 20-10. The Jaguars (7-1, 6-0) locked up the region championship. Trailing 7-0, Warren Shader, back from a concussion suffered two weeks previous, found Reid Golson for a touchdown on a fourth-down play. After a Spain Park touchdown, Oak Mountain answered with a Nick Carney 29-yard field goal as the half ended with the Eagles trailing 14-10. In the second half, defense dominated. Spain Park managed a pair of Crosby Gray field goals for the final margin.
280Living.com
November 2015 • B17
Briarwood Christian football recap
The Briarwood defense fights to push back Oak Mountain quarterback Warren Shader (3). Briarwood’s Champ Stewart (29), RJ Jennings and Carson Donnelly (28) are among the defenders for the Lions. Photo by Barry Clemmons.
By DAVID KNOX Game 4, 9/18 Briarwood Christian 13, Hueytown 10 Sam Sherrod blocked Hueytown kicker Blair Hagood’s 27-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play to preserve Briarwood Christian’s 13-10 win over the Golden Gophers, the Lions’ first win of the season. The win snapped Briarwood’s five-game losing streak dating back to last season and avoided the program’s first 0-4 start since 1992. The Lions (1-3, 1-2 Class 6A, Region 5) rallied from a 10-0 deficit. Quarterback William Gray ran for a score and connected with Luke Dyson for an 80-yard TD pass. Gray finished the game 16-of-24 passing for 171 yards passing. Hueytown dropped to 1-4, 1-2. Game 5, 9/25 Oak Mountain 35, Briarwood Christian 0 The Class 7A Eagles proved to be too much for the Class 6A Lions in the game at Briarwood. Oak Mountain (2-3) intercepted six passes and used its potent ground attack to stymie the Lions (1-4). Briarwood quarterback William Gray was 18-of-33 passing for 148 yards. The Lions’ best scoring chance came when they drove to the Eagles’ 3 late in the third quarter, but a bad snap and a sack pushed Briarwood all the way out to the 42. Game 6, 10/2 Briarwood Christian 15, Walker 7 The Lions stunned previously unbeaten Walker at Briarwood. Briarwood Christian kicker Josh Browder booted field goals of 25 and 39 yards and the Lions defense held Walker to 28 yards rushing, intercepted three passes and forced a safety in the big Class 6A, Region 5 win. Two of the picks occurred in the end zone to thwart Viking scoring drives. The safety came when the Lions forced Vikings quarterback Jack Holladay to intentionally ground the ball in the end zone. Briarwood’s Ashton Dominique connected with David Lowry for a 13-yard touchdown. William Gray was 6-of-10 passing for 68 yards and added 32 yards on the ground.
“We needed this team desperately, and our kids played like it,” Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey said. “The key was our kids felt like a year ago we were so close and so disappointed to lose. We felt we are better this year than a year ago, and our kids hoped we could play with them. We knew it would be terrific.” Walker (5-1, 3-1) entered the game as the front-runner along with Homewood in Class 6A, Region 5, while Briarwood (2-4, 2-2) was looking to bounce back from its shutout to Oak Mountain. “Our kids knew if we could beat an undefeated Walker team then that would be able to set us on a course to give us a lot of hope to play great ball,” Yancey said. Game 7, 10/9 Briarwood Christian 14, Pelham 0 At Pelham, Briarwood Christian continued its resurgence with a 14-0 shutout of winless Pelham in a Class 6A, Region 5 game. The Lions (3-4, 3-2) scored both touchdowns in the first half. Sam Sherrod scored on a 3-yard run and Kolby Kwarcinski passed to Champ Stewart on a fake field goal for the other touchdown, set up by a Jake Morris interception. David Lowry passed to Luke Miskelly for a two-point conversion for the game’s final points. The Panthers fell to 0-7, 0-5. Game 8, 10/16 Minor 26, Briarwood Christian 14 Briarwood Christian jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter but could not hold on as Minor took a 26-14 Class 6A, Region 5 win. Bennett Miles scored on a fumble return and William Gray passed to Carter Bankston for a 2-yard score to build the first quarter lead. But Gray threw five interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown. Briarwood still had a shot at the playoffs heading into Week 9. The Lions needed to beat winless John Carroll Catholic and have Homewood beat Jackson-Olin for the Lions to get in. The Lions have a streak of 22 straight playoff appearances on the line. Minor improved to 4-4, 4-2 in the region, and locked up the third playoff spot in the region.
280 Living
B18 • November 2015
Spain Park’s Wiley happy to be joining Auburn family By DAVID KNOX When your mom is former Auburn great Vickie Orr and your dad is former Auburn basketball standout Aubrey Wiley, it’s a done deal you’re going to play your college basketball at Auburn University, right? “I told them my choice two weeks before I announced it,” said Spain Park five-star prospect Austin Wiley. “They both thought I was going to Duke.” The 6-foot-10, 250-pound junior power forward gave his verbal commitment to Auburn and coach Bruce Pearl in late September. Wiley averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds a game as a sophomore for the Spain Park Jaguars. Besides Auburn and Duke, his eight finalist schools included Alabama, UAB, LSU, Mississippi State, Florida and Kansas. But Auburn won his heart. “Everything was just perfect,” he said. “The facilities, the coaches, they just have all the resources to be good. I can’t fail unless I just mess up. For the program to be successful, for me to be successful to get better as a player, it was just perfect.” Although Auburn was the predictable choice, he said his parents let him decide. “When I started getting recruited in the eighth grade, they said they’d like for me to go to Auburn but that it was my decision,” he said. “And they were pretty fair with all the coaches. There were a lot of rumors out there I was going to Auburn anyway. So when the coaches would ask, they would say, ‘No that’s not true, there’s no guarantee. Recruit my son hard, it’s his decision.’ “Coach Pearl is a great coach. When I first met him, it was last year at the Elite camp. So
he had just gotten hired. What he told me was Auburn was trying to rebuild the program and he was trying to rebuild his image, in a way, because he had just messed up at Tennessee. Auburn’s helping him and he’s helping Auburn. That’s pretty much what I took away. He got real emotional, because pretty much his life, coaching basketball, had been taken away from him for a couple of years because he’d made a mistake and he wanted to fix that. “And I think he’s on a good path,” Wiley added. Wiley said he’s glad to have the recruitment process behind him. He’s ready to focus on leading the Jags to a state title or two, concentrate on his schoolwork, get himself better prepared for the SEC, and recruit a few other top-flight players to his Auburn class. “I got to,” he said. “They used Jared [Harper, an Atlanta point guard who is a 2016 commitment] to recruit me a little bit, so I’ve got to do some for my class.” Wiley said the first order of business as practice begins is to work on his conditioning. “I’ve got to get a little bit stronger. I’ve got to work on my post moves. I’ve got to get a perimeter shot.” Spain Park coach Donnie Quinn agrees that Wiley should improve his outside shot, but said, “He’s ready for the next level now, I believe. He’s still learning. He’s got the body and the physicality right now to play at any level. Right now, it’s a matter of extending his outside game and giving him other options besides just sitting under the goal. And defensively, he’s very good.” Wiley is one of 57 players invited to try out for the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team.
Spain Park’s Austin Wiley stuffs the basketball in a game last season. Wiley, one of the most highly regarded rising juniors in the country, has committed to Auburn University. Photo by Ted Melton.
280Living.com
November 2015 • B19
Jaguars’ Joey Beatty finds confidence in consistency By SAM CHANDLER Spain Park senior quarterback Joey Beatty constructed a stunning debut in his first start at the varsity level. In the Jags’ season opener at Austin High School on Aug. 21, the 5-foot-10 gunslinger threw for over 250 yards and two touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to make quick decisions and find the open receiver. “He’s not going to make many mistakes, and he’ll come up with some plays for us,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said after the game. “I think he’ll continue to get better because he’s a good worker and a good kid.” Although the Jags would go on to lose their opener in heartbreaking fashion, falling to Austin 38-35 in triple overtime, Raney’s initial postgame assessment has proven to be incredibly accurate. Over the course of the season, Beatty has emerged as a reliable game manager who makes few mistakes, showcasing his ability to limit turnovers while sparking big offensive plays. Like the time when Beatty hit tight end Will Greene in stride down the right sideline on a precise 40-yard touchdown pass in the second half against Hoover High on Oct. 1. The clutch TD gave the Jags a 17-0 advantage and essentially knocked the wind out of the Bucs’ sails, helping the Jags solidify the first victory in school history over their archrival. Or, there was the time when Beatty, under intense duress from the Hewitt-Trussville defense, adroitly rolled out of a collapsing pocket, bounced off of a Husky defender to avoid
Spain Park quarterback Joey Beatty runs for yardage against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Ted Melton.
being sacked and then delivered a 21-yard dart to trusted wide receiver Bridge Suber in the corner of the end zone. “I think I’ve done well,” Beatty said. “I mean not totally amazing, I have great players around me to help me, so I think I’ve done OK.” The results suggest that’s a modest understatement. Since suffering the stinging defeat on opening night, the Jags have been on a tear. With Beatty
under center, Spain Park (6-1, 5-0) has clicked off an impressive winning streak, going undefeated in region play and ascending to the No. 2 ranking in Class 7A. “After the first game, after that loss, we didn’t ever hang our heads, we just kept working,” Suber said. “I think we found ourselves in that game, found out who we needed to be on offense and who we needed to be on defense. Now the sky’s the limit.”
It certainly appears so. To supplement Beatty’s chemistry with his receiving corps, Spain Park also boasts one of the most dynamic and punishing backfields in the state. Behind a powerful offensive line, running backs Larry Wooden and Wade Streeter are capable of breaking loose on any given play. “It helps me a lot because it can take the pressure off of me when I’m throwing the ball with play action because they’re all sucked in to the run, and I have wide open receivers I can easily deliver the ball to,” Beatty said. On the defense, the Jags are just as stout. Led by linebacker Perry Young, the Spain Park defense has held opponents to 80 points all season, tallying four shutout performances. “I thought we were capable of big things, I really did,” Beatty said. “I’m comfortable with all the offensive players, and I knew our defense was going to be really, really good this year, so I was really hoping that we would have a good season.” Thanks to consistent, disciplined play across the board, especially from their quarterback, those initial hopes have come to fruition for the Jags. And, as November rolls around, they appear poised to make a deep run in postseason play. Led by Beatty, whose progressive growth in confidence mirrors that of his entire team, there’s reason to believe that Spain Park is a legitimate state title contender. “I’m shooting for it, I know that, and I hope everyone around me is, too,” Beatty said. “That’s what we’re really pushing for.”
280 Living
B20 • November 2015
Molded by hand King’s Home Pottery Studio now open in Chelsea
Prodigal Pottery staff member Donna Reiber cuts pieces from a slab of clay on which she has rolled lace. Photo by Madoline Markham.
By MADOLINE MARKHAM Donna Reiber rolls out a slab of clay and presses a piece of lace into it. Next to her, Denese Red molds the gray clay into a human figure. At the end of the line, Tosha Lyles shapes a head and puts it on top of what will become Mary in a Nativity set. They are working to complete 750 of them before the holiday season. For Reiber, this is her “happy place.” For Red, it’s a “stress reliever.” Lyles would do it seven days a week if she could. All three ladies are full-time employees of Prodigal Pottery, a pottery studio at King’s
Home, a home for women who are homeless and/or victims of domestic abuse. The studio operates in the basement of a house on the edge of the King’s Home property in Chelsea and has recently opened a showroom on its main floor. In it you can find the Nativity sets as well as platters, bowls, ornaments and herb markers, all made by hand. Prodigal Pottery was born of two recent donations to King’s Home. The house that now serves as a studio was given to the organization around the same time that the family of Marion Pribbenow donated a pottery kiln worth $25,000 and a collection of pottery. It had long been the
dream of some board members to create longterm jobs within a safe environment for women at the home, and these two donations gave them the idea to begin a pottery ministry to fulfill that dream. At the end of last summer, Jamie Ankenbrandt came on staff to begin Prodigal Pottery and teach art therapy classes to the children ages 10-18 who live in King’s Home group homes. Her vision was first of all to create a safe, therapeutic environment, but also to employ women and eventually generate profit to give back to King’s Home’s ministries. The response from sales last holiday season, she said, was “amazing.”
Before long, they were able to hire eight women from King’s Home, who earn money based on hourly work as well as 10 percent commission from sales, and started to earn a profit. “Never in my wildest dreams did we think it would happen in less than a year,” Ankenbrandt said. The program also recently promoted Lyles to assist Ankenbrandt with the program and hired Amelie Thomas as assistant to the youth program. Women at King’s Home typically stay six months to two years, saving 75 percent of what they earn to work their way toward living
280Living.com
November 2015 • B21
Prodigal Pottery staff members Donna Reiber, Tosha Lyles, Jamie Ankenbrandt, Denese Red and Amelie Thomas hold pieces of their work in their new showroom in Chelsea.
Where to find Prodigal Pottery
Prodigal Pottery is currently making 750 Nativity sets like this one for the holiday season. The sets sell for $40. Photos by Madoline Markham.
independently. The Prodigal Pottery employees, who also include four part-time workers, will be able to remain on staff even after they leave the home. Ankenbrandt, who studied pottery as a fine arts major at Auburn, develops most of the designs for the studio and then teaches the women how to make them. She selected her employees based
on whether they enjoyed making pottery as well as their hard work. Since they have started, Ankenbrandt said she has seen the women, many who are working on their GEDs, grow in their basic job skills. As they have learned how to roll clay, “love” any imperfections, paint, tag and inventory pottery, they are also creatively solving problems and
developing relationships in the workplace. The bonds that have formed within the Prodigal Pottery studio go deeper than just professional relationships, too. Reiber, Red and Lyles said that they sometimes cry together with Ankenbrandt. “You can tell her anything and it won’t go anywhere,” Red said. Ankenbrandt said the ladies have opened up to her about trauma in their past. “They feel safe within this place to talk about things that are really hard,” she said. “Some days they are not OK and need to sit and cry and talk things through. They feel the freedom to do that, and then they get to work.” Prodigal Pottery’s showroom is open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the house at intersection of King’s Home Drive and County Road 337 in Chelsea. For more information or to order pottery, visit prodigalpottery.etsy.com or facebook.com/kingshomepottery.
Prodigal Pottery Christmas Show Pepper Place Nov. 11-12 Market Noel Cahaba Grand Conference Center Nov. 19-21 Pepper Place Christmas Market 2801 2nd Ave. Nov. 28 Prodigal Pottery Showroom 35 King’s Home Drive, Chelsea Alabama Goods 2933 18th St. S., Homewood Etsy prodigalpottery.etsy.com
280 Living
B22 • November 2015
The Varnam was the central portion of the Priya Shah’s Bharatanatyam, or Indian classical dance graduation performance that told stories about Krishna and tested Shah’s ability to demonstrate both facial expressions and complex body movements. Photo courtesy of Samata Shah.
DANCE
CONTINUED from page B1 math and science program in search of a “stronger academic path.” Her mother, Samata Shah, said it was the right thing to do. “Though talented in dance, Priya realized it was not the career for her, and she was always very good in math and science,” she said. “I
was a bit worried about her changing over, but it worked out very well.” Despite changes in her academic life, Shah’s pursuit of Bharatanatyam remained on track as she continued her training off-campus with Birmingham instructor Suma Vitta. “In the early years we focus on dance and movement, but in our early teens we begin telling the stories through facial expressions and dance,” she said. “It’s a lot more difficult because the dancer is responsible for telling the story,
and that’s when I fell in love with it—when we began more complex movements and different choreography.” According to Shah, the storytelling can include tales about a Hindi god named Krishna and his childhood, when he was playful and mischievous, and then his later years when he had to kill an evil uncle or tame a giant demon snake. “There is a big range in drama and when you start, it’s incredibly hard,” she said. “And part of the experience is that you are supposed to
lose yourself and forget who you are. That was extremely challenging.” Shah had not yet achieved that goal as she approached her graduation performance on Aug. 15. She had begun preparing a year in advance for the three-hour solo event and intensified her training through the summer with daily practice and multiple individual classes. According to Shah, the performance was broken into different pieces of different lengths with pauses in between. And while it was
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280Living.com
November 2015 • B23
About the dance: Bharatanatyam is one of the most ancient and most practiced classical dance forms of Southern India. This art form is outlined in the Natyashastra, an ancient manuscript written by Sage Bharatha around 500 B.C. The name refers to three significant elements of the dance: bhava (expression), raga (melody) and tala (rhythm). The dance originates from the art of temple dancers. These dancers performed in Hindu temples and were known as the servants of God. Bharatanatyam is not just an art form, but an act of devotion called natya yoga in which the dancer portrays spiritual uplifting to the audience. This art form is composed of rhythmical, repetitive elements and dramatic gestures, poses and mime. These are combined in the arangetram, the formal dance debut of a student after completing an intense training. This performance is not just a dance performance, but a representation of the student’s steps towards spiritual uplifting. strenuous, she said it wasn’t as difficult as she thought. “At a certain point, I didn’t really feel it and forgot I was dancing for people because I actually did lose myself,” she said. “It was during a devotional dance about beliefs and faith in God. And while it won’t happen in every performance, it truly was an eye-opening experience.” Samata Shah said she and her husband, Shailesh, are very proud of their daughter. “I came here from India 28 years ago and realized when we had our daughters how important culture is,” Samata Shah said. “This is a 5,000-year-old dance form that tells about our history. And not only has Priya learned it, she is now qualified to teach others.” Shah said she won’t be teaching anyone for a while, as she’s taking a vacation from dance to concentrate on her freshman year at UAB, where she’s majoring in biomedical engineering. While a senior at ASFA, she was required to take part in a regional science fair and, in search of a subject, contacted Joel Berry, associate professor of UAB’s department of biomedical engineering. According to Shah, Berry talked to her about an idea he had but hadn’t worked on — the creation of a model of atherosclerosis, a disease of the kidney that causes plaque in the arteries. Shah’s work earned her first place in the engineering category in the UAB regional science fair and qualified her to go to the state science fair hosted by the University of Alabama at Huntsville. There, she took first place in the
biomedical and materials engineering category and was chosen one of four best in show winners, which took her to an international science fair in Pittsburgh. “Well, there were 78 countries represented and that was the end of my science fair journey,” she said. “It was a week of great activities, and I got to present my research. A wonderful experience.” Shah is continuing her research as part of the UAB science and technology honors program and will present a thesis based on her work at the end of the year, much to the delight of Berry. “Priya continues to exceed all expectations that I have for her, and I would rank her as among the top three freshman undergraduate students that I have encountered in my career,” Berry said. “If she continues on her current trajectory, she will undoubtedly succeed in graduate school and rise to the challenge of becoming an independent academic biomedical engineer and certainly make a contribution to the field.” And though she vowed to take a break from dancing, Shah said she and a friend have recently organized an Indian fusion dance team that mixes hip-hop, Bollywood, a north Indian folk dance and Bharatanatyam. Asked how she’s balancing such a busy schedule, Shah admits “it’s been a bit hard to get into the groove.” “So far there’s enough time in the day, and I’ve been able to figure everything out,” she said. “So far it’s manageable and it’s great fun.”
Priya Shah’s biomedical engineering research on the creation of a model of a kidney disease was awarded first place in both state (at UAB) and regional (at UAH) science fairs and earned her entry into an international fair in Pittsburg earlier this year. Photo courtesy of Samata Shah.
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NOVEMBER 2015
Ganus making new memories as Georgia Bulldog By STEVE IRVINE
Jake Ganus (51) has settled into the Georgia Bulldogs team after transferring from UAB. Photo courtesy of University of Georgia Athletics.
The moments of reflection don’t come often for Jake Ganus. His schedule is a bit too demanding. As a senior linebacker at the University of Georgia, the 6-foot-2, 233-pound senior has football games to prepare for during the week. He’s also working his way toward a degree in business management and preparing for a wedding ceremony, even though his contribution to the latter is largely nodding his head and answering “Yes, dear.” Occasionally, though, he gets the chance to think about a journey that carried him from his childhood home in Georgia to Chelsea High School. He can reminisce about the high school football glory days, when he was often the best player on the field while playing quarterback and safety. He can recall arriving at UAB at 175 pounds, growing into one of the top defenders in Conference USA and landing firmly on his feet when his college football world was turned upside down less than a week after the Blazers reached bowl eligibility with a win at Southern
Miss. “It’s been a whirlwind,” Ganus said. “I don’t think anybody would have believed you if you would have said I’d be where I’m at now. I couldn’t be happier to be here because it’s such a great opportunity.” Questioning Ganus’ college football ability didn’t make much sense after his first three seasons at UAB. He played immediately — skipping a redshirt — and participated in all 36 games with 32 starts. He entered this season with 226 career tackles, including team highs of 93 tackles as a sophomore and 70 tackles as a junior. Ganus was an All-Conference USA selection last season after finishing second in the conference in tackles for loss with 16.5. What nobody knew, including Ganus, was how he fit into the SEC. He had success in non-conference games against SEC teams, including notching a season high 11 tackles at Arkansas, but facing the week-after-week SEC is a different challenge. “I think so,” Ganus said when asked if there
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C4 • November 2015
Community Rotary club participates in banner exchange
Picture the Cure participants. Courtesy of Cassandra Callens.
Photo competition helping raise money for breast cancer research By ERICA TECHO
Rotary Club of North Shelby Inverness President Michelle Boykins (right) participates in a club banner exchange with Rotary Club of Southwest Las Vegas President Mitchell Horst in Las Vegas in July. The exchange of banners is a significant tradition of Rotary and serves as tangible symbol of local, regional and international fellowship. Photo courtesy of Michelle Boykins.
Kyra Callens is working to help Shelby County picture a cure for breast cancer. As Miss Shelby County’s Outstanding Teen 2016, Callens selected breast cancer awareness, research and treatment as her platform. To raise money for breast cancer research, the junior at Oak Mountain High School created the Picture a Cure photogenic contest. “I came up with the idea of a photogenic contest because I love taking photos, and what girl doesn’t love being pampered,” Callens said. “I thought this would be a great way to uplift breast cancer patients and survivors to be able to let their unique personalities shine through." Callens’ grandmother, great aunts and cousins have been affected by breast cancer, which has fueled her desire to support efforts toward
a cure. In the Picture a Cure contest, breast cancer patients and survivors were treated to hair and make-up makeovers. Callens has also established a partnership with the Susan G. Komen Organization, allowing local cosmetologist Crystal G. Dorion to provide $2,500 a year in complimentary custom-made wig services, hair extensions and hair services to breast cancer patients and survivors. Community members are invited to vote for their favorite photo online, with each vote costing $5. There is no limit to the number of votes an individual can cast. Voting will close on Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m. All proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. For more information, visit picturethecure. yolasite.com.
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November 2015 • C5
Rep. Palmer speaks to Hoover chamber By JON ANDERSON A leadership transition has made the U.S. House of Representatives look like “absolute chaos,” but Washington is “not as messed up as you might think,” U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce at its Oct. luncheon. Palmer, a resident of Hoover, was speaking to about 190 people at a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Wynfrey Hotel. As Republicans grappled over who would become the next Speaker of the House following the resignation of John Boehner, R-Ohio, the debate was not been about personalities or even policy, Palmer said. It was about process. A group of conservatives called the Freedom Caucus has been pushing for the House to decentralize power from the hands of a few to the rank-and-file members. That involves having bills originate with House members in committees and work their way up to the main floor, where the full House can debate the merits of bills and offer amendments on the floor. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, but “that’s not what’s been happening,” Palmer said. Instead, special interest groups are writing bills, and the House has been voting to limit debate and provide no opportunity for amendments on the House floor, he said. With limited debate, Congressmen aren’t able to fully understand the implications of bills and are in
some cases voting on bills they have not been able to read, he said. “We’ve got to stop this.” Despite what some people may say, “there are some incredibly bright people that people around the country have sent to Washington,” Palmer said. They’re working on key issues, including balancing the budget, opening up foreign markets to U.S. oil and reducing government regulation, he said. This year, for the first time in six to eight years, Congress passed a budget that would bring the budget in balance in nine years and provide for a surplus in the 10th year, said Palmer, who serves on the House budget committee. The budget is the most critical issue that Congress faces right now, he said. If the federal government continues on the same path, it would be paying more than $850 billion in interest in 10 years, Palmer said. “We’re setting ourselves on a path to get our fiscal path in order and secure the future of this country,” he said. Palmer also spoke on the need to repeal a 40-yearold ban on exporting crude oil and reform regulations, which he said cost the country more than $2 trillion last year. “The single biggest reason people are not expanding businesses or starting businesses is the regulatory environment,” he said. If the federal government could reduce regulatory costs by 20 percent, that would put more than $400 million a year back into the economy, Palmer said.
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, speaks to the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham -- The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. Photo by Jon Anderson.
Greystone doctor named to Best Doctors in America list By ERICA TECHO Dr. W. Peyton Shirley of ENT for Kids Alabama was named to the Best Doctors in America list for the third year. The list is assembled by Best Doctors Inc., a
company that provides information and recommendations on medical specialists. After Best Doctors Inc. assembles the list, it is certified by Gallup polling results. Physicians are reviewed by their peers, and only doctors in the top 5 percent of their
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specialty make the list. Shirley is a pediatric otolaryngologist, meaning he specializes in treating illnesses or problems affecting the ear, nose or throat. “It is incredibly rewarding to know so many of my respected peers recognized me as an expert
in the field of Pediatric Otolaryngology,” Shirley said. ENT for Kids Alabama is located at 2807 Greystone Commercial Boulevard. For more information, call 874-9436.
280 Living
C6 • November 2015
Your Health Today What’s Up with Oils? By Dr. Irma Leon Palmer
Y
ou have probably heard about Essential Oils somewhere, somehow, as they have become very popular over the past few years. With so much hype and information swirling around, it is hard to gain a good grasp of what they really are, do, and how they can fit into your life. Hopefully we can help to give you a clear view of the benefits of these amazing therapeutic aids. Firstly, we believe that essential oils compliment an already healthy lifestyle and are not intended to be a replacement of medication right off the bat. Essential oils work together with proper nutrition, exercise, rest, spinal hygiene through chiropractic care etc. They can have powerful affects when paired with an active trajectory towards total wellness. Secondly, for legal purposes, we are not advising you to go against medical guidance or your current medical protocol. Oils play a supporting role in your health and should be used with this mindset. For starters, essential oils are plant extracts derived through steam distillation and separated from the condensed steam. Be aware, not all essential oils are
created equal. You may see ‘aromatherapy oils’ in health stores or online at discounted prices, but be wary, quality matters. Most of these have been made from second or third distillation of a plant, which produces less oil and must then be combined with synthetic fillers to create bulk for bottling. You want to only use the purest therapeutic grade of oil, with nothing added or taken away, especially if putting these oils on your skin, in your body, or diffusing into the air. The reason why quality matter so much is because oils are 50-70 times more concentrated than herbs, so you only need to use one or two drops. Because of this high concentration, oils should always be used according to the directions and specifications. Each oil comes with instructions on whether it can be taken internally or if it should only be used topically and aromatically. Hence, there are three different ways oils can be used. When using oils topically, your oil manual will indicate whether it can use be used “neat”, all by itself, or if it needs a carrier oil like coconut, grapeseed, or avocado oil to dilute it before putting it on the skin. Generally,
oils are applied closest to the problematic area. If you have digestive distress, oil could be applied directly to your stomach. For headaches, peppermint oil can be rubbed into your temples, at the base of the neck or behind each ear. If someone, especially children or men do not like the smell of an oil, it can be applied to the bottom on the feet, where nerve endings link to body systems, similar to acupuncture points in Chinese medicine. The use of oils internally must be done with proper precaution. Ingesting oils in food can be done by adding a few drops of lemon or lime oil to water for a refreshing and detoxifying drink. Oregano, thyme, or tarragon oils can be used in cooking or put into vegetable capsules with a little carrier oil and taken like a pill for their healing properties. There are oils specifically for digestion, allergies, stomach bugs, flu symptoms, and so much more, all of which can be taken internally. The last way to use oils is aromatically. This is done through direct inhalation from the bottle or through diffusing into the air. Easily one can purchase diffusers from major essential oils companies
or find them online. Fill the diffuser with water and add 4-6 drops of desired oil. Shortly, the diffuser will fill the room with a pleasant scent. Diffusers act as an air purifier for sickness, unpleasant odors or mold. Additionally, it can be a great aid in sleep, stress, or concentration. Lastly, oils have hundreds of usages such as: deodorants, linen fresheners, allergy pills, acne solutions, sleep aids, focus blends, burn salves, itch creams, weight loss, PMS relief, joint pain, snoring, cleaning products, and more! Therapeutic oils can also be used for pets, children and pregnant women as long as you follow the appropriate application instructions. There are books, websites, blogs and educational aids online and in book stores for those ready to learn more! On November 16th at 6:15pm, we will host an Essential Oils ‘Make and Take’ Workshop, perfect for DIY Christmas presents. We will learn how to make sugar scrubs, bath salts, seasonal air fresheners, hand sanitizers, and so much more! The cost will be $20 and check our website for more information!
280Living.com
November 2015 • C7
Shelby County seniors take the dance floor By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Every Thursday afternoon, Faye Smitherman teaches a dance class at the Chelsea Senior Center. The group, which began in January, has already gained a regular following. This is a volunteer job for her, but she loves it and says she doesn’t mind doing it for free. The two-hour meetings include different forms of line dancing as well as contemporary music, including Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull and Jason Derulo. “We use a variety of music,” Smitherman said. “People think line dancing is only done to country music, but my playlists includes waltz, cha-cha, rumba, tango and funky. I will ask people their favorite song and I’ll find a dance that goes to it.” At a recent meeting in July, the class almost filled the building, with 13 participants and two teachers. Smitherman’s twin sister, Kaye, was on hand to help teach the class. The participants, who must be residents of Shelby County and over age 55, were mostly regular attendees, along with two newcomers. The class is designed for people who have been dancing for a while, know the terminology and have progressed from beginner to high beginner. The Smitherman sisters spend about five minutes teaching the moves before turning on the music
Faye Smitherman teaches a dance class at the Chelsea Senior Citizens Lodge. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
and starting the dance. It’s fine for the participants to take a break or stop when they get tired. “Some can’t dance for two hours,” Smitherman said. “We start off with easier dances, and after the ones that are tired leave, we pick back up and do harder ones.” Abby Westbrook has been dancing for a year, and enjoys attending
Smitherman’s Thursday class. “Not long after I retired, my friend Barbara and I started going to a class in Pelham and Faye was in that class with us, then she started a class here and got it moving up to the next level,” Westbrook said. “It’s both exercise and fun. It’s addictive, and the people are great.” Smitherman said the class is great
both for social interaction and health. “Dance is exercise in disguise,” she said. “You’re getting exercise, but you’re having so much fun, you don’t think of it as exercise. It keeps us up and mobile and it’s good for your memory have to remember steps coming next.” Norm Wilson, who attends the class with Nina, his wife of 52 years, started
dancing about four years ago for his heart and type 2 diabetes. “It makes me feel good,” Wilson said. “My health and memory have both improved. We go to four or five classes a week and dance Saturday nights at Camp Branch Community Center for two hours. I’m down to 164 pounds. I haven’t been down that low in years.” Shelby County residents can go to any of the senior centers for dance classes. The participants have other opportunities to dance on weekends, at events like Music on Main in Columbiana on Friday nights during the summer, as well as Camp Branch at the Saginaw Civic Center on Saturdays. Smitherman said she is looking forward to the opening of the new Chelsea Community Center. Since there will be a larger meeting space, she hopes to be able to offer an easy beginner class, in addition to the one she is currently teaching. “It’s going to be nice to have room to expand and have more people,” Smitherman said. “I haven’t publicized it as much because we didn’t have space now more people can come, but my hope for the future is to start an easy beginner class for people who have never danced and want to learn.” For information on the opening of the community center and dance classes, contact Chelsea City Hall at 678-8455.
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C8 • November 2015
Oak Mountain Homecoming Week
Allie Golson and Katie Sherman wait for their table at the traditional Cracker Barrel breakfast on Senior Senior Day. Photo courtesy of Melissa Dixon.
At the annual junior-senior powderpuff football game, junior O’Neil Roberson strong arms senior Maddie Scharbert for yardage. Photo by Rachel Hazelwood.
Clair Kicklighter is crowned homecoming queen. Photo by Barry Clemmons.
Football coaches Rusty Frisch, Stuart Morrison, head coach Cris Bell and Steward Carlisle participate in a staff skit at a pep rally. Photo by Tom Neal.
Amanda Bittinger, elected Teacher of the Year by the staff, waves to the crowd during the Friday afternoon pep rally. Photo by Lauren Jackson.
November 30, 2015.
November 30 , 2015.
With his team providing coverage, junior Joseph Hartsfield prepares to take someone out during the dodgeball competition. Photo by Kate Harris.
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November 2015 • C9
Chelsea Homecoming Week
Seniors smile for one last picture at Class Olympics. Photo by Kessler Phillips.
Hayley Boteler participates in Class Olympics. Photo by Kessler Phillips.
Marleigh Shoemaker is crowned homecoming queen. Photo by Cari Dean.
Chloe Cox and the color guard perform at the homecoming game. Photo by Kessler Phillips.
Students participate in “Superhero Day.” Photo by Kessler Phillips.
Joseph Wipperman is crowned homecoming king. Photo by Cari Dean.
280 Living
C10 • November 2015
Briarwood Homecoming Week
English teacher Babs Whaley and seniors Haylee Dorill, Matilyn Talley and Ivey O’Brien participate in a dress-up day.
Katie Arrington, Hayden Dooley (HC Queen), and Jud Tarence. Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Shults.
The band marches in the homecoming parade.
The lions roared over Walker High School at the homecoming football game.
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November 2015 • C11
Spain Park Homecoming Week Sept. 7-11
Freshmen and sophomore girls compete in a powderpuff football game as part of the homecoming week. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Freshmen cheer on their teammates in a powderpuff football game. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Senior Jordan DeSantis was crowned the 2015 homecoming queen. Photo by Ted Melton.
Spain Park student Joe Mote during one of the school’s dress-up days. Photo by Jahina Somo.
The Spain Park band and cheerleaders perform during the homecoming bonfire. Photo by Erica Techo.
Homecoming festivities were capped off with a bonfire. Photo by Erica Techo.
280 Living
C12 • November 2015
Blue White Color Dash
Humans weren’t the only ones who got color dashed. One dog got in on the paint party as well. Photos by Erica Techo.
Mayor Earl Niven (center) stands with the first place girl runner, Ryan Johnson, and the first place boy runner, Carter Burleson.
Students throw bags of colored powder during the paint party after the Blue White Color Dash.
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Community members and students participated in the Third Annual Blue White Color Dash at Chelsea Middle School.
Runners dance after the Blue White Color Dash Run.
C13 • November 2015
Chelsea residents support high school band
280 Living
A silent auction held inside of the City Council chambers was one of a few dry places for visitors at I Love Chelsea Day. Auction items included themed gift baskets, gift certificates and experiences such as being a firefighter or veterinarian for a day. Photo by Frank Couch.
Tsuki Larkin and Hana Larkin hold a rose haired tarantula that was one of several exotic animals that visitors could hold. Photo by Frank Couch.
It was a dreary, rainy day on Oct. 3, but Chelsea residents came out to support their high school band at I Love Chelsea Day. Armed with raincoats and umbrellas, visitors shopped with craft and food vendors and bid on silent auction items inside city hall. Kids also had the chance to play on inflatables on the city hall lawn. The weather washed out the Chelsea High School band’s plans to play music throughout the event. However, the money they raised will go toward uniforms and new equipment for the 186 students that perform in the band, color guard, dance team and majorettes. The Marching Hornet band was rained out at I Love Chelsea Day this year, but people still came out to shop. Proceeds from sales will support the band. Photo by Frank Couch.
280 Living
C14 • November 2015
Greystone Elementary adds video game fitness program By SYDNEY CROMWELL The sound of pop music in Greystone Elementary’s gym is just a sign that its students are getting fit – and having fun doing it. In September, Greystone debuted its “exergaming” physical education program, which uses a Nintendo Wii and a dance video game to help students stay active. The program is part of a statewide Wee Can Fight Obesity initiative by the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation (ASFF). “I really liked that we danced today. It was a lot of fun,” second grade student Ella Brie said after her P.E. class on Sept. 25. Anthony Terling, the vice president of the ASFF, said the initiative started about six years ago as a way to combat childhood obesity. They focus on elementary and middle school children to teach exercise habits and connect fitness with fun. “If you can get them young learning how to be physically fit and make fit choices… then obviously it’ll create that habit,” Terling said. “The kids are having fun but at the same time they’re burning calories.” There are currently 256 schools participating in Wee Can Fight Obesity, and Terling said the goal is to get the program into every public school in the state. Aside from the fun, Terling said the Wii program is beneficial for large P.E. classes and can also help special needs students to develop fine motor skills. The ASFF gives participating schools around $2,000 worth of equipment, including a Wii and controllers, child-appropriate dance or Zumba games, a projector and a rolling cart. This is funded by a grant through the department of education, and Terling said participating schools
Students follow the virtual dancer on the Wii to stay active during P.E. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
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November 2015 • C15
The Wee Can Fight Obesity equipment includes a Wii, fitness video games, a projector and rolling cart.
Greystone second graders dance using new equipment provided by the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation to help fight childhood obesity. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.
are seeing results in their students’ health and activity levels. The ASFF focuses on schools with higher at-risk populations or with fewer resources. However, once a year they give away a set of the equipment to a P.E. teacher who attends their annual state conference. This year, Greystone’s P.E. teacher Rand Payton was the lucky winner. “We do lots of different activities. This is
just an added bonus,” Payton said. “I’ve always wanted to win it and it’s crazy, I don’t ever win anything. So when they drew my name, I was like, ‘This is awesome!’” From the cheers and laughter that accompanied a demonstration of the program on Sept. 25, the school’s students are loving the program so far. Greystone Principal Kathleen Wheaton said the school felt fortunate to be included in the
program. “As you see, it adds one more dimension to the basic skills of P.E. and it works for every grade level, whether it’s kindergartners or fifth graders, they enjoy it,” she said. “This is just one more thing they can use to involve and motivate our kids to be physically fit.” For more information on the program, visit weecanfightobesity.us.
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C16 • November 2015
Spain Park High adds new IT, Finance academies By ROY L. WILLIAMS This fall, students at Spain Park High School have a new opportunity to gain exposure to what it’s like to work in the information technology (IT) and finance fields. Spain Park has added a Finance Academy and IT Academy option for its 1,650 students. These options join career academies already available for the 2015-16 school year, such as law, engineering and health science. “It’s another opportunity for our students to be engaged in a passion that they like and become leaders in our school,” Principal Larry Giangrosso said. “All students need to learn how to manage their finances more effectively. Through the Finance Academy, they will learn there are so many career pathways they can take. With IT, we’ve got students here who are way far ahead of the curve on technology.” IT Academy instructor Jane Bruce spent the past four years as an instructor at Hoover High School’s award-winning IT Academy. Finance Academy instructor Jill Bertella spent the previous two years as a Spain Park co-op and career prep teacher. “Both of these teachers are the best in their field and we are happy to have them,” Giangrosso said. “They are not only great teachers, but wonderful people.” Bruce has created a website link for Spain Park’s new IT and Finance academies, sphsbiz.com, that provides information to ensure both programs
Amanda Bruce teaches students in Spain Park’s brand new IT Academy. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
are successful. She encouraged businesses and individuals interested in supporting the new academies to go to the website for information on how to help. They currently need volunteers for guest speakers, Future Business Leaders of America competition preparation and job shadowing opportunities. Bertella said in researching for the Finance Academy, she discovered 22 percent of students at the University of Alabama major in business. At
Auburn University, 19 percent of students major in business. “So there is a huge need at Spain Park for this academy as we prepare these students for future careers,” she said. “The curriculum will give our students a leg up when they go to college.” It also can be personally helpful to students. “Through our Finance Academy, we are creating knowledgeable consumers, giving students information
they need to make wise decisions daily with their money. We dabbled in financial literacy in our Career Development course in ninth grade and it was really eye-opening how little children know about the basics of saving and how to manage your money,” Bertella said. The IT Academy will give Spain Park students who participate a competitive advantage, no matter what career they choose, Bruce said. “If you can be that employee who
knows how to troubleshoot your own computer problems, it sets you apart,” she said. “You can be more productive in your workday because you don’t have barriers to understanding and troubleshooting technology as others do. You can fix your own problems.” The IT Academy will offer courses in basic computer skills, graphic design and web design, networking, programming and database management, Bruce said. Students will have the opportunity to earn skill certification in various programs. Bruce anticipates between 100 and 120 students in the academy. The IT Academy will incorporate hands-on learning and field trips. Students will visit places such as the National Computer Forensic Institute in Hoover, tech business incubator Innovation Depot, web-design company Kinetic and Teklinks, a managed IT and cloud services company. The Finance Academy will start off with 40 students this year and include courses in business and personal finance, accounting and entrepreneurship. The goal is for senior members of the Finance Academy to get internships to prepare them for future careers. Bruce said the academies, like others available at Spain Park, offer many benefits to students. “The academies help build confidence, earn certifications, develop leadership skills, attain work experience, network with in-field professionals and provide community service,” Bruce said.
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November 2015 • C17
School House Oak Mountain HS holds open house By ERICA TECHO Oak Mountain High School held an open house on Sept. 24 to showcase after-school activities and to inform parents about classes. The open house kicked off with a dinner hour, where attendees were able to watch a sneak peek of this year’s talent show. Several students sang, and one student danced. Students who are members of the Oak Mountain Masters helped host the event, passing out maps and answering questions. Junior Caleb Van Geffen said students can benefit from attending open houses by connecting
with the school. “The best thing is to build relationships with your teachers and faculty,” Van Geffen said. “This open house especially, we have so much going on. You get a taste of the whole school.” The open house also served as a way for each of the grade levels to obtain points for homecoming week, which started on Sept. 28. At the open house, extracurricular activities and clubs had booths in the commons to allow parents and students to ask and answer questions. There were also various sessions in the classrooms, which covered academic classes.
The jazz band prepares to perform at the OMHS open house on Sept. 24. Photo by Erica Techo.
Oak Mountain Middle School competes in BEST Robotics Challenge
The OMMS Robotics Team competed against other area schools in October. Photo courtesy of Trista Nabors.
Oak Mountain Middle School (OMMS) Robotics Team competed in the regional BEST (“Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology”) Robotics challenge at UAB on Oct. 9 and 10. The competition has a mission to inspire students to pursue science and technology careers through participation in a sports-like robotics competition. Robot performance is only a portion of the overall competition rank. Teams are also evaluated on the project engineering notebook, marketing presentation, team exhibit and interview, as well as spirit and sportsmanship. Sherri Whitehead, Robotics Instructor at OMMS said, “Our team is diligently working on our robot, but more importantly we are developing a host of practical skills that will translate to real-world applications.”
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This year will mark the second year Oak Mountain Middle School students compete in the UAB BEST Competition. OMMS ranked 11th overall in the 2014 challenge, which includes high schools as well as middle school teams. The team is made up of students from all grades and named the Oak Mountain Mining Company, which includes a design/programming team, marketing team, and a spirit and sportsmanship team. In this year’s competition, BEST recently purchased a new mine, but it is too dangerous for human workers. Students must design and build a robot to repair and use an underground mine during a three-minute match. Robots score points by repairing and removing ores from the mine. -Submitted by Trista Nabors
280 Living
C18 • November 2015
Third grade class produces winning scarecrow Inverness Elementary has a yearly scarecrow display, and this year’s winners were from Michelle Price’s third grade class. The class created a scarecrow inspired by the main character in The Night I Followed the Dog by Nina Laden.
The scarecrow installation is in the process of moving from Inverness Elementary to the Birmingham Zoo, where it will be displayed until the end of October. -Submitted by Karly Field
Michelle Price’s third grad class won Inverness Elementary’s scarecrow competition. Photo courtesy of Karly Field.
Social studies teacher samples South Korea Spain Park High School Social Studies teacher Richard Stamper says he began this school year with new approaches to his profession after a “life-altering experience” this past summer in South Korea. Stamper, who teaches advanced placement courses in human geography and United States history, applied and was accepted to attend the 6th International Conference on Geographic Naming and Geographic Education. The allexpenses-paid trip was sponsored by the Northeast Asian History Foundation; to be considered, Stamper had to be recommended by the Alabama Geographic Alliance, based at the University of North Alabama. He was part of 15 teachers from the United States, Canada and Mexico, all of whom teach Advanced Placement Human Geography. The group conducted field study in South
Korea, which included observations at the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea; visits to agricultural and industrial sites; additionally, this team of international teachers met with their South Korean counterparts to gain insight in Korean people, culture and teaching practices. “My specific responsibility was to present a paper on the connection between the Asian concept of ‘harmony’ and whether its relative absence from Western society was apparent and what impact its absence has on the society at large,” Stamper said. “Furthermore, does Advanced Placement Human Geography help to bridge this divide and bring more of an Eastern thinking to Western society and help students keep life events in perspective as it relates to living a more harmonious existence?” Stamper says his paper wasn’t particularly
easy to write simply because so little research exists on that topic; however, he came to some simple conclusions through his own research. “Ultimately, Western societies, like the United States, can learn a great deal about how to live a more fulfilling and happier existence from our friends in the Eastern hemisphere,” Stamper said. Beyond the pedagogical aspects of his South Korean visit, Stamper took full advantage of his time through cultural immersion. Cuisine certainly comprised part of the culture component, as Stamper sampled local delicacies including jellyfish, eel, and seahorse. However, his most memorable experience comes from a visit to a Buddhist monastery, where he discovered firsthand how they carry out their duties. “Perhaps the most shocking aspect was the physicality of the experience. Maintaining posture during meditation for hours and doing
hundreds of prayers had me in a full body sweat as we went from a child’s pose on our knees to standing over and over. At the end of each prayer, we were instructed to slap our hands with bamboo to the point of pain. The goal was to humble us to the pain so we appreciated what we had and could emphasize the simple pleasures of life. It was a life altering experience for me.” Stamper’s South Korean experience will yield the most fruit, he hopes, for his own students. “My goal is to bring some of what I learned back to my students. I’m confident they will now walk out of my room a little wiser and more open minded than before, realizing that even though someone leads a rather simple and traditional lifestyle, we can take away some real life lessons that will make them happier in the end as human beings.” —Submitted by Jason Gaston
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November 2015 • C19
After a win against South Carolina, UGA football player and Chelsea native Jake Ganus proposed to his high school sweetheart, Peyton Thomas. Photo courtesy of University of Georgia Athletics.
GANUS
CONTINUED from page C1 was a twinge of self-doubt. “But I always believe in myself. I always believe that if you work hard enough, you can do anything you want. I knew it was going to be a little bit tougher, I was going to have to work a little bit harder, but I was willing to do that to have success.” Obviously, that’s happened. Ganus looked comfortable in spring practice, moving to the top of the depth chart at linebacker, and solidified his starting role with a strong fall camp. “He’s a very smart football player,” teammate Davin Bellamy, a sophomore linebacker,
said after a season-opening 51-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe. “He knows the playbook like the back of his hand, and that just shows his preparation. I think the coaches take notice of that, too. He’s also a great football player, very instinctive. It’s good to have him on the team.” For Ganus, that was a special game, especially with the large crowd on his team’s side instead of rooting against them, like it was when UAB ventured into SEC stadiums. “I wasn’t overwhelmed or anything,” Ganus said. “It was just awesome getting them all involved, just seeing how loud it gets, looking at the quarterback where he can’t even hear his alignment. It’s a fun experience and something
I’ll definitely cherish.” The season has already included many more special times. He had his first SEC interception in a win at Vanderbilt and led the team with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery in a miserable afternoon against Alabama. But nothing topped the moments following a win over South Carolina when Ganus led Peyton Thomas, who he’s been dating since high school, to midfield at Sanford Stadium. He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. It was a plan hatched during fall camp, with permission from head coach Mark Richt, and it took plenty of help from friends, family and teammates. “It ended up being pretty perfect,” Ganus said.
Ganus now is seeking a perfect ending to a college football career that took an unexpected twist. He does his best to keep up with his former UAB teammates, but that’s proven to be difficult at times. “I don’t get to watch them much,” Ganus said. “On Saturdays, I’m worried about my game. I try to keep up with them and see how they did afterward. I talk to them as often as I can.” One thing he knows for certain, though, is he’s in no hurry to line up opposite bruising former teammate Jordan Howard, now a star running back at Indiana, in a bowl. “I’ve faced him enough,” Ganus said. “I’m done tackling him, I don’t want to tackle him anymore.”
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10/13/15 9:57 AM
280 Living
C20 • November 2015
280
Real Estate Listings MLS #
Zip
Address
Status
Price
731500
35242
2201 Emmet Cove #88
New
$520,000
731796
35242
134 Lenox Drive
New
$219,900
731791
35242
1524 Greystone Parc Circle
New
$350,000
731786
35242
2033 Knollwood Place
New
$364,900
731772
35242
5025 Stone Bridge Lane
New
$299,900
731765
35242
3641 Wyngate Lane
New
$629,000
731763
35242
2316 Woodland Circle
New
$265,000
731762
35242
1001 Saddle Creek Parkway
New
$149,900
731742
35242
4009 Meadowood Drive
New
$274,900
731735
35242
5260 Greystone Way
New
$999,000
731720
35242
116 Cambrian Way #116
New
$134,900
731691
35242
4329 Kings Mountain Ridge
New
$1,199,500
731711
35242
2965 Brook Highland Drive
New
$359,000
731698
35242
2018 Blue Heron Circle
New
$459,000
731645
35242
795 Reach Crest
New
$164,500
731642
35242
25121 Portobello Road #121
New
$219,900
731636
35242
5241 Meadow Brook Road
New
$299,000
731554
35043
7236 Highfield Lane
New
$489,900
731549
35043
171 Sheffield Lane
New
$439,900
731521
35043
5287 Birdsong Road
New
$259,000
2201 Emmet Cove #88
4329 Kings Mountain Ridge
Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on October 19. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.
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November 2015 • C21
Calendar 280 Community Events Nov. 1: 10th Annual Out of the Darkness Walk. Check-in/ Registration (1 p.m.), Walk (2:30 p.m.), Heardmont Park. Participants are asked to raise money for suicide prevention prior to the race and until Dec. 31. Visit afsp.donordrive.com/ event/Birmingham. Nov. 3: Corporate Golf Day. 10:30 a.m. Greystone Country Club Founder’s Course. Golf clinic, golf shotgun, lunch and prizes. $195 per player, $695 per person. Register at greystonecc. com/corporategolfday. Nov. 4: Greater Shelby Chamber Ambassadors Meeting. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office, 1301 Co, Services Drive, Pelham. Visit business.shelbychamber.org. Nov. 4: Greater Shelby Chamber Small Business Work Group. 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office, 1301 Co. Services Drive, Pelham. Visit business.shelbychamber.org. Nov. 5: Light the Night Walk. 5:30 p.m. Railroad Park. Presented by The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Visit lightthenight.org/al/. Nov. 5: South Shelby Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. Columbiana First United Methodist Church, 200 Main Street, Columbiana. Featured speaker Jimmie Hale Mission Executive Director: Tony Cooper. Visit southshelbychamber.com. Nov. 5 & 19: Intro to Business Golf For Men. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Innovation Depot. 90 minute workshop for those beginning to learn the basic fundamentals of golf. Visit sistergolf.com. Nov. 6: Blues with Feeling featuring Debbie Bonds. 7:30 p.m. Shelby County Arts Council. Opening performance by Alabama Blues Project Advanced Band. $20. Visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com. Nov. 10: Greater Shelby Chamber Entrepreneur & Small Business Mentorship Program. 8 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office, 1301 Co, Services Drive, Pelham. Visit business.shelbychamber.org. Nov. 10: Greater Shelby Chamber Education Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Shelby County Instructional Services Center. Visit business. shelbychamber.org. Nov. 11: Greater Shelby Chamber Existing Business & Industry Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner
& Canon, 3535 Grandview Pkwy. Visit business. shelbychamber.org. Nov. 12: Greater Shelby Chamber 6th Annual Sporting Clay Shoot. 9 a.m. Selwood Farm, Alpine. Visit business.shelbychamber. org. Nov. 12 & 26: Drinks on the Links. 5:30 p.m. Highland Park Golf Course. $35-$40. Visit sistergolf.com. Nov. 13: Greater Shelby Chamber Health Services Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office, 1301 Co, Services Drive, Pelham. Visit business.shelbychamber.org. Nov. 14: Run Away From Domestic Violence Race. 7:30 a.m. (Registration), 9 a.m. (5k), 9:15 a.m. (One Mile Fun Run). 221 Kings Home Drive, Chelsea. 5k race and a one mile fun run. Registration fees $25-$35. $10 for 12 and under. Visit runsignup.com. Nov. 15: Easybridge Classes. 1 p.m. Beginning bridge lessons. Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club, 144 Business Center Drive. $8. Visit bridgewebs.com/birmingham. Nov. 17: Greater Shelby Chamber Entrepreneur Roundtable I. 8 a.m. Location varies. Visit business.shelbychamber.org. Nov. 18- 21: Market Noel. 280-corridor area businesses will be participating in this annual holiday market and three-day shopping extravaganza that benefits the programs of the Junior League of Birmingham. Visit marketnoel.net. Nov. 19-21 Gigi New York Trunk Show. Monkee’s of Mountain Brook. Representative Betsey List-Ryder will be there to answer questions and monogramming. Visit monkeesofmountainbrook. com. Nov. 26: Greater Shelby Chamber Governmental Affairs Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Sain Associates, Two Perimeter Park South, Suite 500. Visit business.shelbychamber.org. Thursdays nights through Dec. 10: GriefShare. 7-8:45 p.m. Faith Presbyterian Church (Room A103), 4601 Valleydale Road. Trained facilitators who have experienced grief just like you will guide you through one of life’s most difficult experiences and provide you with the tools to move forward. $20 registration fee. Visit griefshare.org/ groups/58606.
North Shelby Library Kids
org.
Mondays- Toddler Tales. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs, finger plays and crafts make up a lively 30 minute program. Ages 19-36 months. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.
Nov. 7: Lego Club. 10-11:30 a.m. Creations will go on display in the Children’s Department. All ages welcome. No registration required.
Tuesdays- Baby Tales. 9:30 a.m. Stories and music provide interaction for the babies and time for caregivers to talk and share with each other. Birth to 18 months. Visit northshelbylibrary.com. Wednesdays- Family Story Time with Mr. Mac. 10:45 a.m. Visit northshelbylibrary.com Thursdays- PJ Storytime. 6:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Wear pajamas, enjoy milk and cookies and bedtime stories. Visit northshelbylibrary.org. Fridays-Open Gaming. 3:30 p.m. Teen Department. Participants must have a parent permission slip on file to attend. Visit northshelbylibrary.
Nov. 10: Picture Book Club featuring Olivia the Pig. 4 p.m. Stories, games, crafts and snacks. All ages welcome. Registration required. Nov. 11: Newberry Pie Book Club. 1 p.m. Discussing Newberry books and eating pie. All ages welcome. Registration required. Nov. 18: Homeschool Hangout: Growing Three Sisters’ Garden. 1 p.m. A program about Native American gardening practices. Registration is required. Ages 7-13 welcome.
Teens Nov. 6, 13 and 20: Gaming. 3-5:45 p.m.
280 Living
C22 • November 2015
Mt Laurel Library
North Shelby Library Cont. Board games, card games, Wii, XBOX One and Minecraft. Teens need a parent permission slip on file to attent. Call 439-5512 or email nsyouth@ shelbycounty-al.org for more information. Nov. 9: Anime Night. 6 p.m. Treats will be served, and costumes are welcome. Call 439-5512 or email nsyouth@shelbycounty-al.org for more information.
Adults Nov. 19: What the Titanic Was Really Like. 6-7 p.m. One-woman show by Julie Hedgepeth Williams. Williams will sign copies of “A Rare Titanic Family.” Free. Visit northshelbylibrary. org or call 439-5510 to register. Nov. 5: Medicare Education Seminar. 10:30 a.m. Medicare seminar lead by an adviser from Physicians Mutual. Free. No registration required.
Kids
Nov. 14: Friends of the North Shelby Library Holiday Bazaar and Book Sale. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. A $25 donation reserves a vendor space. Setup starts at 7:30 a.m., sale opens at 9 a.m. Call 915-2930 or email friendsofthenorthshelbylibrary@gmail.com. Nov. 10: Introduction to the Internet. 10-11:30 a.m. Learn the basics of navigating the Internet. Space limited. Registration required. $5 deposit payable at the Reference Desk. The deposit will be refunded upon class attendance or cancelation at least 24 hours in advance. Nov. 17: Email for Beginners. 10-11:30 a.m. Introduction to computers. Space limited. Registration required. $5 deposit payable at the Reference Desk. The deposit will be refunded upon class attendance or cancellation at least 24 hours in advance.
Nov. 6 and 20: Toddler Tales. 10 a.m. Stories, songs, finger plays and crafts make up a lively 30-minute program. Ages 36 months and younger. Visit mtlaurellibrary.org to register.
Creations will be displayed in the library. Call 9911660 or email mtlaurellibrary@gmail.com for more information.
Adults
Nov. 6 and 20: Storytime with Ms. Kristy. 11 a.m. Stories, music and more. All ages. No registration required.
Nov. 5: Mt Laurel Book Club. 7 p.m. The current book is Circling the Sun by Paula McClain. Call 991-1660 or email mtlaurellibrary@gmail.com for more information.
Nov. 14: Crafty Saturday. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Drop in to make a craft. All ages with parent help. Registration not required, but supplies are limited. Call 991-1660.
Nov. 13: Legacy Writing Workshop Readings. 6:30 p.m. Participants will be reading the results of their eight-week journey. Refreshments will be served.
Nov. 17: Picture Book Club: Olivia the Pig. 4 p.m. Stories, games, crafts and snacks. All ages welcome. Registration required. Visit mtlaurellibrary.org or call 991-1660 to register.
Nov. 16: Surviving the Titanic. 6 p.m. One-woman show by Julie Hedgepeth Williams. Williams will sign copies of her Book A Rare Titanic Family. Call 991-1660 or email mtlaurellibrary@ gmail.com for more information.
Nov. 21: Lego Club. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Christmas Village An Alabama Tradition OVER 700 BOOTHS!
Chelsea Library
arts, crafts, & gifts show
November 4, 2015
VIP/No Stroller Day [Sold Out] Wednesdays- The Tot Spot. 10:30 a.m. A 30-minute story time for Preschoolers. We read, sing, dance and sometimes craft. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com. Fridays- BYOC- Bring your own crochet (craft). Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. 10 a.m. Audio/Reading room. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com.
November 5-8, 2015
Oct. 10: Lego Club. 9:30 a.m. For ages 5 and up. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com.
Public Shopping
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
Oct. 21: Lego Free Play. 2 p.m. Kid’s space. Drop in and build with Legos. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com.
205-836-7173 Call for Ticket Info or visit www.christmasvillagefestival.com
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November 2015 • C23
St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Mondays: Next Chapter Book Club/ Greystone Chapter. 4:30-5:30 p.m. The current book is Divergent by Veronica Roth. Wednesdays: Baby Café. 10 a.m.-noon. Lactation support group meeting. Free.
Nov. 12: Jewelry Trunk Show with Wine and Alabama Sheep Cheese. 5-7 p.m. Handmade jewelry by Kate Morris, handcrafted cheeses and caramels by Dayspring Dairy. Cheese and wine will be sampled and available for purchase. Free event.
Nov. 7: Lupus Support Group. 10 a.m.noon. This month’s topic is “Managing Holiday Stress” by Tonya MacNicol. Call 1-877-865-8787.
Nov. 16: Cooking with Diabetes. 11 a.m.1 p.m. Demo/luncheon for those with diabetes. $20. Call 408-6550 to register.
Nov. 7: Sjogren’s Support Group. 1-3 p.m. Meeting for Sjogrens patients and their families. Free.
Nov. 18: Safety Tips and Self Defense. 8-9 a.m. Officer Brandon Harris of the Hoover Police Department will teach the See, Alert, Formulate, Execute (S.A.F.E.) method of self defense followed by a brief demonstration by Justin Scarsella with Master Scarsella’s World Class Tae Kwon. Light breakfast. Free. Call 408-6550 for reservations.
Nov. 12: Wellness Screenings. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, BMI and waist circumference screenings by appointment. $20. Call 408-6550 to register.
Nov. 18: Viva Medicare Me. 10 a.m.-noon. Informational session on Medicare Advantage plan. Call 1-800-633-1542 to register.
Mass Index Screening. 8-11:30 a.m. Screening for blood pressure and BMI in the front entrance. Free.
Nov. 19: Medicare Educational Meeting. 10 a.m.-noon. Blue Cross/Blue Shielf informational meeting. Free. Call 1-888-346-1946.
Nov. 23-Jan. 6: Holiday Challenge. A holiday challenge with nutrition and fitness tips to stay healthy. Weigh in Nov. 23-25 and weight out Jan. 4-6 during normal operating hours. If no weight is gained during the challenge period, you qualify for one of four $50 One Nineteen gift certificates. Challenge is free.
Nov. 30: Medicare Educational Meeting. 1-3 p.m. Blue Cross/Blue Shield informational meeting. Free. Call 1-888-346-1946. Nov. 19: Individual Insurance Products. 1-3 p.m. Blue Cross/Blue Shield meeting to discuss individual products for those under 65 years of age. Free. Call 1-855-764-1333 to register. Nov. 23 and 24: Blood Pressure/Body
Dec. 11: Comprehensive Diabetes Education. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A seminar for those with diabetes and those at risk. Physician’s referral required, pre-assessments given preceding the class date. Call 939-7248 to register.
Area Events Nov. 2: Chris Thile, mandolinist. 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $33.50-$54.50. Visit http:// www.alysstephens.org/chris-thile. Nov. 2: Hoover Community Blood Drive. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hoover Recreation Center. All blood donated goes to Childrenís of Alabama and UAB Hospital. Lunch, snacks and drinks provided. Nov. 3: Corporate Golf Day. 10:30 a.m. Greystone Country Club Founder’s Course. Golf clinic, golf shotgun, lunch and prizes. $195 per player, $695 per person. Register at greystonecc.com/corporategolfday. Nov. 4: Fred Gray, civil rights attorney. Highlands United Methodist Church, 1045 20th St. South. Free and open to the public. www.highlandsumc.net/faj. Nov. 6: South Highland Presbyterian
Holiday Market. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Visit southhighland.org.
one and are dreading the upcoming holiday season. For reservations, call 870-8667.
Nov. 6: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Alys Stephens Center. 8 p.m. $35-$80. Call 9752787.
Nov. 7-8: Moss Rock Festival. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. The Preserve, Hoover. Explore Nature, Eco-ideas, Art + Design at Alabama’s premier eco-creative festival now in its 10th year. Free admission. Parking and shuttle will take place at the Hoover Met. Visit MossRockFestival.com.
Nov. 6: Ben Rector with Judah & The Lion. 8 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Call 252-2262. Nov. 6: The Greatest Holiday Lighting on Earth. Riverchase Galleria. 6 p.m. Visit www. riverchasegalleria.com/events. Nov. 6: Executive Leadership Series Event. Westin, Downtown. Registration $79 until October 23. Visit alabamaleadership.org. Nov. 7: Hope for the Holidays. Shelby Baptist Medical Center. 9 a.m.-noon. Free program for people who have experienced the death of a loved
Nov. 9-11: Birmingham Zoo. Free admission for all active and retired military personnel and their dependents with military identification card. Birmingham Zoo. Visit http://www.birminghamzoo.com/ Nov. 11-21: “SFB.” Alys Stephens Center. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11-14 and 18-21. Play. $15. Call 975-2787. Nov. 13: George Benson. 8 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $64.50-$89.50. Call 975-2787.
Nov. 13: A Salute to the Armed Forces. 8 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $22.50-$57.50. Call 975-2787. Nov. 14: Hope for the Holidays. Trinity United Methodist Church. Free program for people who have experienced the death of a loved one and are dreading the upcoming holiday season. For reservations, call 870-8667. Nov. 20: Coffee Concert: Handel’s Water Music. 11 a.m. Alys Stephens Center. $19-$34. Call 975-2787. Nov. 21-22: United Way Food Drive. Birmingham Zoo. Bring any canned or non-perishable food item and receive half-price admission. Visit http://www.birminghamzoo.com/.