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May 2022 | Volume 15 | Issue 9
CABINETRY REFINISHING
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Unlimited Colors Refinishing/Refacing Additions/Modifications Granite & Quartz Countertops Tile & Stone
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THE 280 CORRIDOR’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE
CHANGES FOR THE BETTER Shelby Humane working to best serve animals of Shelby County
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
T
he Shelby Humane is a nonprofit organization founded in 1977 with the mission of rescuing and rehoming the neglected and homeless pets of Shelby County. It now provides care to more than 5,000 dogs and cats each year. Recently, the nonprofit received a no-kill shelter status. Its live release rate for 2021 was 97%. The shelter did this by finding forever homes for 2,024 animals, increasing housing space by expanding its foster program, and creating a team-oriented, board-supported lab release program.
“All this has not been easy,” Director of Operations Bill Rowley said. “Saving more animals takes more space, more time or staff and more vet care. Obtaining no-kill status was not easy and required a fundamental change.” To qualify as a no-kill shelter, 90% of the animals are live released, all adoptable animals are saved, and only unadoptable or untreatable animals are euthanized. That scenario only happens to animals that are critically ill or have a terminal illness and no chance of improvement of their quality of life.
See HUMANE | page A28
Bill Rowley, the operations director at Shelby Humane, sits on a bench as Westie, one of the shelter’s adoptable dogs, plays during a newly implemented play group with other dogs. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Shelby County Schools offers career and technical education for students
INSIDE Sponsors .......... A4 News ..................A6 Chamber.......... A10 Business .......... A14 Community...... A16
Sports.................B4 Schoolhouse.... B10 Events ............. B20 Opinion.............B22 Calendar............B31
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
facebook.com/280living
School System Vote A proposal on establishing a Chelsea City Schools system will be decided in a special municipal election in July.
See page A6
For students in the seven Shelby County high schools, the Career Technical Education Center in Columbiana provides opportunities for them to learn skills and get hands-on experience in a variety of programs. CTEC works to equip and develop students with tools that prepare them for opportunities in post-secondary school and in the workforce. Students can choose from 11 programs: automotive technology; biomedical science; building construction; collision repair; cosmetology; culinary arts; healthcare science; plumbing and pipefitting; public service
See CTEC | page A30
Mya King, a junior at Oak Mountain High School, styles hair on a mannequin in Stacy Garrett’s firstyear cosmetology class at the Career Technical Education Center in Columbiana. Photo by Erin Nelson.
A2 • May 2022
280 Living
ELECT JONATHAN A.
SPANN SHELBY COUNTY CIRCUIT JUDGE COMMITMENT to honesty and fairness
PROFESSIONALISM to uphold the rule of law
EXPERIENCE to achieve justice
As an active and engaged citizen with 19 years of experience working and living here, I have a vested interest in the future of our community and would be honored to serve the citizens of Shelby County. I humbly ask for your vote on May 24th. For more information, please visit
spannforjudge.com @spannforjudge
VOTE MAY 24TH PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT JONATHAN A. SPANN | P.O. BOX 380804 | BIRMINGHAM, AL 35238
280Living.com
May 2022 • A3
Chest Pain? Severe Abdominal Pain? High Fever?
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Symptoms of a medical emergency need quick treatment. And in some cases, fast care can be life saving. So don’t delay or be afraid to get help if you need it. With limited entry points, screening for everyone, frequent deep cleaning and social distancing, we are taking extra precautions to keep you safe.
There’s a good reason to get to a hospital fast in an emergency – your life could depend on it.
GrandviewHealthER.com If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.
A4 • May 2022
280 Living
About Us Editor’s Note By Leah Ingram Eagle I’m blown away by the fact that we are already in the month of May. This year is going by faster than any other I can remember. The school year is wrapping up, and it’s time to enjoy summer! Our family had a great trip to Disney World and Universal back in March. It will wear you out, though. I’ve heard people talk about “Disney-tired” and needing a vacation from your vacation, and that was 100% true for this trip. We averaged walking around 8 miles each day, and we returned on daylight saving time weekend, so tired was an understatement. As for our summer plans, we’ll be traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina, for our nephew’s graduation in June AND will spend some time with my in-laws near Hilton Head, South Carolina. It’s always about finding a balance working while the kids are home. I got a lot of practice on that
during the pandemic! I’m so grateful that after more than two years, things are finally getting back to where they were. In this month’s issue, we take a look at the efforts Shelby Humane has made to become a certified no-kill shelter and chat with its new director about the programs and volunteer opportunities it has
to offer. Also, even though school is out later this month, the secondary cover story is on CTEC. Unless you are a parent of a high school student, you may not even know about the career and technical school for Shelby County high school juniors and seniors in Columbiana. Here, they can learn skills and become certified in some courses before they graduate high school. As always, check out our sports coverage by Kyle Parmley, upcoming events and our columns by Sean Dietrich and Alana Smith.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Sebastian and his owner take off from the start line at the inaugural Circle of Love 5K, sponsored by Lake Homes Realty, Real Source Realty and Founders Advisors at Veterans Park on March 19. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Publisher: Dan Starnes Managing Editor: Nick Patterson Community Editors: Leah Ingram Eagle Jon Anderson Jesse Chambers Neal Embry Sports Editor: Kyle Parmley Community Reporter: Eric Taunton Design Editor: Melanie Viering Photo Editor: Erin Nelson Page Designers: Kristin Williams Ted Perry Contributing Writers: Alana Smith Sean Dietrich Client Success Specialists: Anna Bain Warren Caldwell Graphic Designer: Emily VanderMey Advertising: Michelle Salem Haynes Don Harris Jarrett Tyus Bob Willard Administrator: Anna Jackson
Please Support Our Community Partners Altadena Eye Care (B20) Andrews Sports Medicine (A11) Ascension St. Vincent’s Health Systems (B17) Bank of England Mortgage (B8) Barber Motorsports (A26) Bedzzz Express (A32, B1) Bellini’s Ristorante (B11) Birmingham Braces (B29) Brian Christine for State Senate (A14) Briarwood Soccer Club (B3) Bridgeworth (A21) Bromberg’s & Company (B27) Brookwood Baptist Health (B25) Brookwood Diagnostic Centers (A19) Budget Blinds (B19) Cabinetry Refinishing & Restoration (A1) Cahaba Glass (B14) Campaign for Erin Welborn for Shelby County District Court Judge (A6) Cardinal Roofing (B15) Carpet Warehouse Galleria (A9) Cash World Pawn (A15) Children’s of Alabama (B12) Chiropractic Today (B2) Compact 2020 (B30) Dan Roberts for State Senate (A17) ENT Associates of Alabama (B10) Etc. (A28, B13) Everyday Pet Styles (A27) Eyes on Chelsea (B15) Family Medical Supply (A20) Fancy Fur- Paws and Claws (B11) Flix Inc Backyard Movies (A19) Gardner Landscaping (A12) Grandview Medical Group (A3) Guin Service (B21) Hilliard Irrigation (B24) Inverness Country Club (A29) John Samaniego for Shelby County Sheriff (A5) Jonathan Spann for Judge (A2) Kete Cannon, ARC Realty (A13) Lindy Blanchard for Governor (A8) Luckie’s Pinestraw (A1) Matt Casey for District Attorney (A7) Max Transit (B22)
Medicare Advisors of Alabama (B10) Mold & Mildew Solutions (B29) Momentum Motorworks (B23) NAI Chase Commercial (B7) Nature One Landscape Design (B30) Oak Highland Design/ Decorating Den (B8) Oak Mountain Schools (B2) One Man and a Toolbox (A20) Pak Mail (B18) Parrot Structural Services (B4) Piggly Wiggly (B9) Proveer at Grande View (B1) Ray & Poynor (B19) RealtySouth (A23) Red Mountain Associates Thrivent Financial (B23) Rockett’s Bug Juice Gardens (A29) Royal Automotive (B32) Senior Placement Services (B24) Senior Placement Services, Susan Melvin (B28) Shelby County Chamber of Commerce (B14) Shelby County Commission (B5, B27) Sikes Children’s Shoes (B28) Simply Infused Olive Oil (A15) Southeastern Jewelers and Engravers (B5) Southern Blood Services (B12) Southern Coin & Collectibles (A13) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (B20) Space Cadets (A27) Studio Abear (B23) Susan Dubose Candidate (A24) Terry Marlowe, RE/MAX Southern Homes 280 (B9) The Church at Brook Hills (A12) The Tanner Foundation (A25) TherapySouth Greystone (A31) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (B22) White Oak Family Dentistry (A10) Window World of Central Alabama (B25) Wooley Institute for Spoken Language Education (A17)
For advertising contact: dan@starnesmedia.com Contact Information: 280 Living P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com
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Published by: Starnes Publishing LLC Legals: 280 Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of
editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. 280 Living is designed to inform the 280 community of area school, family and community events. Information in 280 Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of 280 Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.
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Find Us Pick up the latest issue of 280 Living at the following locations: ► Alabama Outdoors ► Cahaba Ridge ► Chiropractic Today ► Chelsea High School ► Chelsea Library ► Cowboy’s ► Danberry ► Edgar’s Bakery ► Edward’s Chevrolet ► Ground Up Coffee & Smoothies/ Snider’s Pharmacy ► Lloyd’s Restaurant ► Mt Laurel Library
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280Living.com
May 2022 • A5
RE-ELECT
• First Sheriff’s Office in Alabama to become CALEA accredited • First Sheriff’s Office in Alabama to receive accreditation from National Institute for Jail Operations • First Sheriff’s Office to be recognized as “Dementia Friendly” by M4A • Implemented a Mental Health training curriculum for area law enforcement • Aided in the inception of the county-wide COMPACT 2020 to combat drug abuse and addition • Initiated a Community Outreach program to give citizens greater ownership and involvement in the Sheriff’s Office • Partnered with federal agencies to increase investigative efforts in violent crimes and fugitive recovery
• 40+ years law enforcement experience • Lifelong resident of Alabama In the race for Shelby County Sheriff, experience matters. Your vote is appreciated! facebook.com/john.samaniego.for. shelbycountysheriff @john_samaniego
Paid political advertising by John Samaniego for Sheriff Committee, P.O. Box 589, Columbiana, AL 35051
A6 • May 2022
280 Living
280 News Special election called for potential Chelsea school system By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The proposal on forming a Chelsea City Schools system will be voted on in July. During the April 19 Chelsea City Council meeting, City Attorney Mark Boardman gave a first reading of an ordinance calling a special municipal election in the city of Chelsea on July 12 at City Hall. The vote will be for the city to levy and collect an additional annual ad valorem tax for the purpose of providing funds for public school purposes. In order to provide funds for public school purposes in the city, including the provision of school buildings and related facilities and the payment of debt incurred for them, the tax would be levied at the rate of 12.5 mills (1.25%). “I promised you that it would be imposed only by a vote of the people,” Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer said. “Even though our council has the right by state law to impose 5 mills of property tax without a vote, I have kept that promise as well. If this council allows this vote to happen, and it fails, I will never bring another school initiative before the council for a vote in the remaining three years of my term.” Each member of the council was allowed to make a statement. Cody Sumners said that while he has no doubt each person on the council wants to do what they think is best for the city and citizens, they may have a different opinion on what the best decision is. “The proposal tonight is only one option,” Sumners said. “Another option can address facility upgrades that do not require any additional taxes. The city could leverage our current 1-cent tax in the bond market and use this for needed improvements for the schools in the Chelsea city limits. Before we make a decision,
During the April 19 Chelsea City Council meeting, City Attorney Mark Boardman gave a first reading of an ordinance calling a special municipal election in the city of Chelsea on July 12 at City Hall. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
we should investigate all possible options, not just raising property tax.” Scott Weygand is in support of the tax and said he wouldn’t support this if it was going to put the city or new school system in any sort of bind. “We are looking at projected revenues with the 12.5-mill tax that would be a little over $28 million, with expected expenses to be just over $24 million. That gap is what funds our schools’ future, what will repair the schools, and what will push the city and school system into the growth of the future.” He gave examples of how much residents
PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT ERIN WELBORN 4000 EAGLE POINT CORPORATE DR BHAM, AL 35242
would be affected by the yearly property tax: ► $100,000 homes would pay $125 per year; ► $200,000 homes would pay $250 per year; ► $300,000 homes would pay $375 per year. Chris Grace said three council members are highly in favor of the tax, two are against it, and he falls in the middle. “Three members believe the option before you is the first and best solution, and I happen to agree it is a feasible solution,” he said. “To that end, I will support putting it before citizens to discuss and decide. I plan to support
Upcoming Dates ► May 1: Splash Pad at Melrose Park opens ► May 3: City Council meeting, 6 p.m. ► May 17: City Council meeting, 6 p.m.
the ordinance.” Tiffany Bittner said now is the time to do something, and there is opportunity to do something great, and she believes this would be the best decision for the city for years to come. “This could be a game changer for our city on so many levels. We need to try to make the best plan for the future,” she said. “If we don’t do anything now, we are missing a huge opportunity. This is not only going to affect us in the next 5 to 10 years, but 20 years down the road.” Casey Morris said he was highly in favor of the idea when the discussion began, but after reading the feasibility study results, he interpreted it differently than the other council members. “I also would like for us to strongly consider other options,” he said. “The county is willing to work with us, and we’re shutting the door. I differ [with other’s opinions] that this could be the best thing for our community. We need to strongly consider other options as opposed to the 12.5-mill property tax,” he said. The ordinance will be voted on by the council at the May 3 meeting. After the election takes place, the City Council will then meet seven days later (July 19) to declare the results. Should the vote pass, the municipal taxes would be due on Oct. 1, 2023, and continue each tax year thereafter.
280Living.com
May 2022 • A7
2nd class of Chelsea Hall of Fame inductees announced By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The inductees of the second class of the Chelsea Hall of Fame were announced during the April 5 Chelsea City Council meeting. Ryan Adams, Student Government Association sponsor at Chelsea High School, and current SGA President Kate Peterson announced the seven inductees who will make up the 2022 class. Adams described the Chelsea High School SGA as a student-run organization with a goal of connecting the high school to the Chelsea community. “One way we try to carry out this goal was the establishment of the Chelsea High School Hall of Fame in April 2021, when we honored six inductees into the inaugural class,” he said. “We recognized the collaboration of current student leaders with those who played an integral part in shaping our school and its lasting culture.” Adams announced the second class to be inducted into the Chelsea High School Hall of Fame: ► Tapper Wood, 1999 state champion golfer ► Ryan Flamerich, 2009 valedictorian ► Pastor Aaron Knight ► Gary Black, former middle school teacher ► Mary Anne Moore, former English teacher ► Earl and June Niven, former Chelsea mayor and first lady Peterson said in addition to establishing the hall of fame, the SGA’s scope has drastically expanded in the past two years. “We have established the back to school adult softball tournament, revitalized the community bonfire during homecoming week and organized multiple awareness campaigns,” Peterson said. “Ambitiously, we want to do more, so if anyone is interested in sponsoring the SGA, you can find more info on Facebook and Instagram. Sponsorship packets will be available for pickup at Chelsea City Hall.” The Hall of Fame induction event was scheduled for April 27.
Chelsea High School Student Government Association President Kate Peterson and SGA sponsor Ryan Hall announced the inductees for the 2022 Chelsea High School Hall of Fame during the April 5 Chelsea City Council meeting. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Two candidates running for judgeships in the May 24 primary election addressed the council and attendees. Phillip Bahakel, who is running for Shelby County District Court judge and Jonathan Spann, who is running for Shelby County Circuit judge, both spoke about their campaigns. Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer spoke about the March 30 EF1 tornado that passed through the Chelsea area. He said that not only were Chelsea residents adversely affected, but also neighbors in unincorporated Shelby
County. “We want to offer our heartfelt sympathies to those who had property damage,” he said. “Fortunately, I’m not here naming people who were injured because we didn't have any serious injuries [in Chelsea], which we feel very fortunate about. This was an opportunity for our Chelsea Fire and Rescue to do what they normally do and that’s to shine and be heroes.” Chelsea Fire and Rescue Chief Joe Lee said that after the tornado, the department immediately went to work assessing damage. He said
about 30 properties sustained damage, and 17 of those included home damage. Lee reported that the department had had an eventful couple of weeks. It responded multiple times to assist the Cahaba Valley Fire Department in the March 26-27 brush fire in Dunnavant Valley that burned more than 700 acres. It has also recently responded to multiple brush fires in Chelsea. “Outside burning should not take place during windy days, during a dry time of the year, and they should never be left unattended,” Lee said. “Not following these rules can often lead to situations like what took place in Dunnavant Valley last week. While there were no injuries or loss of homes from this fire, had the fire departments not worked so diligently to prevent those things, the outcome could have been much worse.” In other business, the council approved: ► Amending the city’s personnel policy manual to include Good Friday as a paid holiday; ► Declaring city property as surplus and authorizing its sale; ► Authorization for the mayor to execute a lease agreement with the Alabama Alcohol Beverage Control Board; ► Approval for the mayor to secure a loan at Cadence Bank; ► Amending the zoning ordinance to include a definition of Short-Term Residential Rental and only allow STR in B-2 (General Business District) zoning; ► Annexation request from Ruch Investments LLC for a portion of their property located at 261 Cross Road Drive consisting of +/- 2 acres; ► Annexation request from Calvin and Katrina Lemley for property located at 612 Dorough Road consisting of +/- 3.2 acres; ► Annexation request from Billy and Cheryl Naugher for property located at 124, 285 and 351 Crest Farm Drive consisting of a total of +/-15.62 acres; ► Approval to pay the city’s bills.
Shelby County needS RepubliCan Matt CaSey • Graduated from Law School in 2006 • 14 years in the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office (2008 - Present) • Lead prosecutor on thousands of violent felony cases including Capital Murder, Sexual Assault, Child Abuse and Domestic Violence cases • Member of Alabama and Birmingham Bar Associations • Member of the Indian Springs Kiwanis Club • Graduate of Project Corporate Leadership in Birmingham • Volunteer softball coach at Heardmont Park • Volunteer basketball coach at Oak Mountain • Member, Shelby County Republican Party Executive Committee • Lives in Indian Springs with his wife, Dr. Emily Bell Casey • 2 daughters attend Oak Mountain Schools
V ote M att C aSey
on
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PAID FOR BY CASEY FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, ,P.O. BOX 382971, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35238
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4/13/2022 4:37:41 PM
A8 • May 2022
280 Living
Computer forensics facility expands space at Hoover center By JON ANDERSON The National Computer Forensics Institute is expanding its space at the Hoover Public Safety Center in order to train more law enforcement officers from across the country. The facility will also provide training for prosecutors and judges on cyber crime trends and investigative methods. For many years, it has operated with five classrooms but recently added a sixth one and now is in the process of adding a seventh classroom, said Beau Brown, deputy director of the institute. When the facility opened in 2008, and for many years later, it operated on a budget of about $4 million, which enabled it to train about 100 people a year, said Ben Bass, the U.S. Secret Service special agent in charge who leads the institute. Due to the program’s success, Congress has boosted the budget significantly, raising it to $34.3 million last year and $42.9 million this year, Bass said. With the increased budget, the institute was able to train 3,718 state and local officials last year, plus another 410 federal agents and members of the National Guard, Bass said. The institute’s staff also has increased from six people to 26, he said. The new classroom and office space currently being added will enable the facility to train about 5,500 people a year, Brown said. Before this institute was created, local and state officers usually had to send cyber crime evidence to the Secret Service for examination, which created long delays, Bass said.
The National Computer Forensics Institute is at the Hoover Public Safety Center and in 2021 trained 3,718 law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges about cyber crimes, as well as 410 federal agents and members of the National Guard. Photo by Jon Anderson.
The FBI reported there were 791,790 complaints of suspected internet crime in 2020 — an increase of more than 300,000 from 2019 — and reported losses exceeding $4.2 billion.
This institute, a partnership between the Secret Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Alabama Office of Prosecution Services, Alabama District Attorneys Association and city of Hoover, provides training and equipment for officers across the country so they can examine the evidence themselves and speed up investigations, he said. Since 2008, more than 18,000 people have been trained, 68% of them within the past five years, Bass said. The number of digital evidence exams conducted by officers trained at the facility has risen from 40,000 in 2017 to 121,000 last year, he said. About 24% of last year’s exams involved crimes against children, while 21% were for violent crimes, 16% were related to deaths and
14% were for drug investigations, Bass said. “We’re making a difference. We’re getting more equipment and training out on the front lines in all kinds of cases,” Bass said. “This formula is working. It is working significantly,” he said. “If we had the ability to do more, it would have an even bigger impact.” His goal is to keep growing the budget so more people can be trained on how to use digital technology to solve crimes, he said. “It needs to be $420 million at least,” he said, but his shorter-term goal is to get a $100 million budget. Hoover and Shelby County have been great partners in making this expansion possible, Bass and Brown said. Shelby County has provided $250,000 toward the expansion, and Hoover is helping by reshuffling some of its personnel to make room for the expansion and helping with the remodeling, Brown said. The Secret Service also is providing funding for some of the technology
upgrades, he said. The goal is to get the new classroom and office space ready by June and hold the first classes there in July, said Greg Knighton, the city of Hoover’s economic developer. The city and county benefit from the millions of dollars being poured into hotel stays, restaurants and other spending while people are in town. The classes range from five days to five weeks, Bass said. Alabama as a whole is gaining significantly from the training. From 2017-21, 532 officers, prosecutors and judges from Alabama have been trained at the institute, which is third most in the country by number but by far first in the country when considered on a per capita basis, Bass said. Law enforcement agencies in Alabama also have received more than $4.4 million in equipment and software from the institute and were able to complete at least 18,197 forensic exams with that equipment, he said.
280Living.com
May 2022 • A9
CARPET WAREHOUSE S 25 YEAR STRONG!
The Shelby County Commission discusses agenda items during the March 30 meeting. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Commission denies approval for improvement district By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Shelby County Commission unanimously voted against approving an improvement district in the Mt Laurel community. During the April 11 meeting, Attorney Heyward Hosch addressed the commission to explain the petition from Clayton Properties group (d/b/a Harris Doyle Homes) and EBSCO Industries, Inc. Hosch said this was not a statute that is designed necessarily to benefit the public body, the city, or the commission. “It's not always a benefit to the governing body that's asked to help,” he said. The Hillsong at Mt Laurel has been under construction since last fall, and the improvement district funds would be used to pay for things including water, piping and asphalt, which are normally paid for by the developers. The petition would actually save the developer approximately $2 million, deferring the infrastructure cost of $800 per year for 20 years
onto the home buyers. County Manager Chad Scroggins said this did not come before the planning commission, although they initially approved the development, which includes 170 lots. “This was brought up in January originally, but there were no details, so we asked for details,” Scroggins said. “95% of developers do not use the improvement district to pay for it.” Commissioner Robbie Hayes said that he has served on the commission for 17 years and doesn’t remember ever doing this. “I'm confused as to why the county should get involved in this,” he said. “Other developers are dealing with this without putting it on the county. I don't see why the county needs to get involved and I don't see the benefit of us getting involved.” The commission approved a bid for a mobile health clinic trailer for $129,999, which will be purchased with ADECA funding and also approved Major Jay Fondren to be appointed to the Community Health Foundation Board.
Plans for new traffic signal in Chelsea move forward
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By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE As a project to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Shelby County 36 and Shelby County 11 moves forward, the Shelby County Commission at its March 28 meeting approved an agreement with CSX railroad. The agreement between the two entities is to provide a preemption connection between the traffic signal and train signals operated by CSX TransMembers of the Shelby County Commission discuss portation. This will include agenda items during its March 28 meeting. Photo by Leah modifications of the railroad signaling, warning lights and Ingram Eagle. gates. The commission will pay CSX an additional $117,000 for this part Scroggins publicly thanked dozens of others of the project. who came to assist with the blaze, stating it was Also approved was the county’s Hazard Mit- a joint effort from many. igation Plan, which has to be regularly updated Harvey estimated that more than 550 acres and approved by the state and the Federal were burned. Emergency Management Agency. “I’m humbled and honored to get to work for Shelby County Emergency Management a county like Shelby,” Harvey said. “We come Agency Director Hub Harvey said this plan together and help each other and do whatever opens the door for reimbursement funds in the it takes.” event of incidents like tornadoes or flooding or In other business, the commission approved: a pandemic. ► A bid for copper tubing to Southern Pipe County Manager Chad Scroggins reported and Supply for $51,363; on a wildfire that started March 26 when a res► A bid for work on the Property Tax Comident in Stone Gate Farms off Shelby County missioners building to Wayne Davis construc41 was burning brush that spread out of control. tion for $274,500; Due to strong wind gusts, the fire pushed up the ► A bid for work to C&C Construction for mountain and spread at a rapid pace. work at the Cahaba River Park for $31,000 Thanks to a quick response from many to build a pavilion as part of the Recreational departments and volunteers, it was 80% con- Trails Program; tained by the next night. Scroggins said without ► A bid for the county’s repaving and resurthe help of the sheriff’s department helicopter, facing to Wiregrass Construction Company for it would have been doomed. $5,932,450; “They were so precise; they were with us and ► A restaurant retail liquor license for Grand did an excellent job,” he said. Ticino restaurant.
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A10 • May 2022
280 Living
Chamber Samaniego addresses chamber Luncheon offers OMSP overview, update about campaign for 3rd term By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego said he planned to be a career cop and never intended to run for office. Now in his second term since being elected in 2014, he is running for sheriff once again. “I’ve really enjoyed my tenure for the last two terms, and I hope to serve you one more time at least,” Samaniego said at the April 7 Shelby County Chamber luncheon. He gave credit to the Shelby County Commission for considering the needs of the sheriff’s office and providing the proper funding to deliver services to the citizens. Samaniego shared numbers from 2021: The department answered 283,000 calls for service; took 132 illegal weapons off the streets and seized more than 500 pounds of illegal narcotics; served more than 2,000 arrest warrants for the court system; and maintained an average of 491 jail inmates. “We have doubled the amount of mandated continuing education for all deputies, including jail deputies,” he said. “I’m a believer in training and preparation, and that separates us from a lot of other agencies.” Samaniego said he gives a lot of credit to the families of the deputies, saying the support they give those deputies is something they can’t live without. A wellness program was instituted in January that focuses not only on employees’ physical wellness, but also their emotional, financial and spiritual wellness. Dieticians, financial planners, psychologists and chiropractors will also be available. “To say I’m very proud of the men and women at the sheriff’s office is an understatement,” Samaniego said. “They’re so dedicated to this
Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego speaks to attendees at The Shelby County Chamber’s April 7 luncheon. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
county and to each other and to delivering the services to the citizens. Our challenge is great, but I think we have the proper amount of people who have the right attitude and right training to deliver those services.” Although Shelby County is considered one of the best departments in the state, it has still faced challenges recruiting employees. The department is currently six patrol deputies down and four jail deputies down, some of which are due to retirements. Samaniego said he opposed legislation that was recently passed allowing handguns to be carried without a permit, which he said will lead to guns getting in the hands of people who have not been vetted with the department. “It eliminated a tool for law enforcement to deal with citizens,” he said. “We polled the sheriffs during the legislative session, and out of 34 answered surveys regarding how many permits were turned down, it was over 6,000, and the majority of the reason they were turned down was mental health issues. But, it’s the law now, and we will deal with it the best we can.”
The Shelby County Chamber hosted “An Update on Oak Mountain State Park” with district naturalist Scottie Jackson and park naturalist Lauren Massey. During the March 30 program at the Pelham Civic Complex, Massey gave a brief history of the park, which began with a 940acre plot of land in 1927 near the Peavine Falls area and spread to what is now Lake Tranquility. In the early 1930s, the Civilian Scottie Jackson shows Acer the owl to the Conservation Corps Company crowd during The Shelby County Chamber’s 487 began working on the park March 30 luncheon. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle. project, but were later called away to build Yosemite National Park. OMSP was originally intended to be natural resources, as we are so incredibly a national park, but much of the funding biodiverse.” Located 17 miles from downtown Birwas diverted following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Works Progress Administra- mingham, OMSP offers a plethora of activtion later came in to assist with the com- ities, including fishing, camping, horseback riding, beaches, an archery park, a demonpletion of the park. In 1943, the National Park Service stration farm, boating, hiking, golf course, deeded 8,000 acres to what is now OMSP, geocaching, mountain biking, birding and which now totals 11,584 acres, making it more. Annual events include Fire on the the largest park in the state. With the expan- Water, a harvest festival in the fall and an sion of 1,644 acres at the end of 2021, Easter egg hunt in the spring. OMSP is also home to the Interpretive Massey said they are now able to protect more than 1,000 acres of important endan- Center and the Alabama Wildlife Center. Educational opportunities at the park gered species and beautiful habitat. “OMSP has amazing natural resources, include field trips, animal encounters and and our biodiversity is phenomenal,” educational workshops. During The World Games 2022 in July, Massey said. “Alabama ranks No. 4 in biodiversity in the U.S. and No. 1 east of OMSP will host canoeing, orienteering and the Mississippi. We have so much life in waterskiing For more information or to donate to one given area — we are actually considered America’s Amazon. We have scientists the Alabama State Parks Foundation, visit from all over come to Alabama to study our asparksfoundation.org.
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A12 • May 2022
280 Living
Rep. Palmer to chambers: Russia can’t win in Ukraine By JON ANDERSON Russia can’t win its war against Ukraine, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Alabama, told a group of chambers of commerce at a meeting in Hoover recently. “They can destroy the country. They can destroy the infrastructure, but they can’t take the country,” Palmer said in an April 11 luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Wynfrey Hotel. “It’ll be another Afghanistan for them where they may stay there for 10 years, but eventually they’ll have to leave.” The congressman was speaking to a group that included members of the Hoover, Shelby County, Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills chambers of commerce and the Chelsea Business Alliance. He believes Russia already realizes this and is trying to consolidate its gains made in the eastern region of Ukraine. On the other hand, if the United States and NATO allies provide Ukraine with resources, Ukraine can win the war, Palmer said. “He’s not talking about U.S. troops; he means providing tanks, missiles and ground-to-air defense systems at the level Ukraine needs,” he said. He added that the United States also should continue to work to degrade Russia’s ability to carry out the war. While he touched on the Russia-Ukraine war, Palmer also spoke at length about the impact of the Biden administration’s decisions concerning U.S. energy resources. As soon as Biden came into office, he signed an executive order stopping construction of the $8 billion Keystone XL oil pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to the American Gulf Coast. That stopped what would have been the delivery of 830,000 barrels of Canadian oil per day, and instead the U.S. is now importing almost 600,000 barrels of Russian oil per day, Palmer said. Biden also suspended any additional leases on federal lands for oil production, which immediately led to a spike in energy prices, Palmer said. The Interior Department announced April
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Alabama, talks with people after giving a “Washington Update” to several Birmingham area chambers of commerce at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Wynfrey Hotel on April 11. Photo by Jon Anderson.
15 it would restart oil and gas leases. The rise in energy prices has compounded inflationary pressures because everything has an energy cost, from water to food, clothes and transportation, he said. Northern states already have felt the harsh effects due to heating costs this past winter, and people in the South will begin to feel it more as summer arrives. He added that the U.S. Census Bureau already reported that one in four U.S. households reduced their spending on food to keep their homes heated in the winter. The “mad push” to renewable energy sources has consequences, he said. When the United Kingdom tried to go to 100% renewable energy sources, the country had 17,000 people die of “excess winter deaths” as people began reducing the temperatures in their homes due to cost,
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Palmer said. Some New England states refuse to buy American natural gas just across their state line and instead are buying natural gas from Russia, and Russian gas has 41% more emissions than American gas, Palmer said. “I don’t know how you define crazy, but it sounds like this is crazy,” he said. Even as Biden shut down the Keystone XL oil pipeline in the United States, he gave Russia a waiver to complete construction of another pipeline, which is making Europe more dependent on Russian natural gas, Palmer said. The energy purchases from Russia are providing the revenue Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to pay for the war against Ukraine and said the United States needs to re-engage its energy production. There is an oil formation out West that has 3
trillion barrels of recoverable oil, which is three times the amount of oil used by the entire world in the last 100 years, Palmer said. “That could very well be the superweapon in the arsenal of democracy if we were willing to use it,” he said. Palmer also talked about the importance of unity in the United States, saying he couldn’t remember a time in his lifetime when the country has been more divided. “We’re divided over politics. We’re divided over race, gender, income. We’re inventing new ways to divide ourselves in a most destructive way,” Palmer said. “We’ve got to come to the simple realization that at the end of the day, we all live on this one piece of dirt, and the future depends on whether or not we can figure out a way to live on it together.”
280Living.com
May 2022 • A13
Shelby chamber adds Julie Gardner to staff Alabama’s #1 Source for Gold and Silver
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Shelby County Chamber recently added a new member to its staff. Julie Gardner, who for the past two-and-ahalf years has served as executive director with the Greater Irondale Chamber of Commerce, joined Shelby’s team March 21. Originally from Orlando, Gardner moved to Birmingham in 2002. She received her undergraduate degree in special education from Carson-Newman University and her master’s in mental health counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary. Her professional background includes sales, business and life coaching. She found her Birmingham business success by connecting and networking through area chambers. During her time at the Greater Irondale Chamber, Gardner increased that organization’s membership by 160% and developed several new programs and opportunities for that business community. “Our chamber staff team has had the opportunity to interact with Julie at several statewide chamber functions, and we look forward to the enthusiasm and energy she will bring to our team,” chamber President and CEO Kirk Mancer said. In her new role with TSCC, Gardner will become familiarized with all of the organization’s programming before identifying her specific areas of responsibility. “With the broad knowledge and skill set Julie has developed as the executive director at the Greater Irondale Chamber, it makes
Julie Gardner joins The Shelby County Chamber following her role as executive director of the Greater Irondale Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of Julie Gardner.
sense for her to take these first few weeks to familiarize herself with our expanded program of work, and then determine the best areas in which she can bring the most assistance to our work groups, our programs and our events,” Mancer said.
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Celebrating the positive impact of small businesses in Shelby County Each year during the month of May, several business organizations in Shelby County co-host our annual “Small Business Celebration.” This May, six organizations in Shelby County — Calera Main Street, Chelsea Business Alliance, Columbiana Main Street, Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, Montevallo Main Street and The Shelby County Chamber — are collaborating on the 2022 Shelby County Small Business of the Year program. Why is it important we celebrate small business here in Shelby County? The answer is pretty simple: Small business is the foundation of Shelby County’s — and each of our municipalities’ — economy. Here are just a few facts regarding the impact that small business has nationally, statewide and locally here in Shelby County: ► Employs half of all private sector employees throughout the U.S.; ► Generates roughly 70% of new jobs annually; ► Pays 44% of the U.S. private payroll; ► Accounts for one of every 13 U.S.
workers; ► Each year, entrepreneurs across the U.S. start or expand some 650,000 small businesses; ► Accounts for 99.4% of all businesses in Alabama; ► Employs 47% of the state’s private-sector workforce; ► Locally, 70% of our combined 1,400plus investors (members) are companies that employ 15 or fewer people. So, you can see why small business is so vitally important to our economy, our community and our organizations … and why we celebrate small businesses every year. If you’d like to join us May 18 for the annual “Shelby County Small Business Awards Luncheon” where we will recognize all of our nominees in five categories (based upon number of employees) or find out more about our business development and support programming at The Shelby County Chamber, please feel free to give us a call at 205-663-4542 or visit our website, shelbychamber.org. – Submitted by The Shelby County Chamber.
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A14 • May 2022
280 Living
Business Las Mesas set to open in Chelsea this month By ERIC TAUNTON A new Las Mesas Mexican Grill location is set to open in Chelsea this month near the Publix shopping center just off U.S. 280 West. What makes the new location special for Ann Gancayco and her husband, who are also owners of Las Mesas and Habaneros in Chelsea, is that they will now be owners of a building they’ve dreamed of after 20 years in the restaurant industry. “It will be the first freestanding building we’ve owned since our first Mexican restaurant inception,” she said. “It’s been a dream, a goal of ours to one day build our own restaurant. It’s like living in rental houses in your younger years, but ultimately you’ll want to own your own house. It’s kind of like that for us. While some may be content to just rent their space for business, we have always wanted to build our own. It was a goal of ours, so we are very proud to have achieved that.” The building is still under construction, she said, and they are planning for a grand opening in the middle of May. The Chelsea Habaneros location will remain open once Las Mesas opens, she said. One of the two work crews currently employed at Habaneros in Chelsea will be sent to work at the new Las Mesas location once it opens. “We do have a plan B if Habaneros cannot sustain itself, but we’ll explore that option when that time comes,” she said. Gancayco said she looks forward to providing the same service and dishes as well as seeing “a full house of happy customers.” “I know our customers love our ‘on top of everything’ service,” Gancayco said. “We always hear praises about how we never let the drinking glass go below half way. We are very fortunate to have servers who have been with us
Las Mesas Mexican Cantina is located in Chelsea next to the Publix shopping center. The owners also own the Chelsea Habaneros location. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
for years and know our customers well. Nothing beats the familiarity when you walk into our restaurant and everybody knows you and your family, and what you are going to drink and eat.” Gancayco said her husband recommends the taco al carbon, and she loves the chicken soup.
New menu items being added include the la papa loca, a Mexican version of a loaded potato and street tacos. In addition to the two Las Mesas locations, the couple own Habaneros locations in Chelsea, Trussville, and McCalla, Frontera Mexican Grill in Hoover, and Barrio Fiesta
Mexican Grill in Alabaster. They opened their first restaurant on Huffman Road in 1998. “In a way, we have grown together with the city,” she said. “We are just excited that we can continue to grow and prosper with the city of Chelsea.”
280Living.com
May 2022 • A15
Business Happenings NOW OPEN Hamburger restaurant chain Five Guys opened its location at 5413 U.S. 280, Suite 105, in the Cahaba Market shopping center April 13. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with delivery ending at 9:30 p.m. 205-407-4301, fiveguys.com
COMING SOON Buffalo Wild Wings is scheduled to open in May on Atchison Parkway next to the new Arby's in front of Tractor Supply. The restaurant is owned by Southern Wings Inc. buffalowildwings.com Las Mesas Mexican Grill is scheduled to open this month near the Publix shopping center off U.S. 280 West. It is owned by Ann Gancayco and her husband, who are also owners of Habaneros in Chelsea. myfood2u.com
NEW OWNERSHIP Birmingham’s WA Asset Management, 600 University Park Place, Suite 501, has acquired Clark Financial Advisors, as it looks to expand its reach in the region. The deal adds $270 million in assets under management and enhances services for the collective firms’ clients. Based in Birmingham, CFA was founded by M. Brooks Clark, CFP, and provides fee-only investment management and financial planning services to its high-net-worth clients. The entire CFA team will join WAAM. 205-871-3334, waassett.com
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Hoover City Council recently appointed
seven people — Damian Gilbert, Regis Ramos, Robin Gregory, Bryan Pate, James Robinson, Kristi Driver and Ken Cox Jr. — to the newly created Hoover Downtown Redevelopment Authority, five people — Robert Holman, Heather Harvill, Jeff Pomeroy, Scott Underwood and Beth Kornegay — to the newly created Hoover Commercial Development Authority and two people — Wendy Boyen and Don Irwin — to the Hoover Industrial Development Board.
ANNIVERSARIES DSLD AquaScapes, 5485 U.S. 280, recently celebrated its third anniversary. The AquaScapes division of DSLD Land Management is a water garden retail center offering pool supplies, and pond and fountain resources. 205-437-1012, dsldland.com/water-gardens The Joint Chiropractic, 270 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 400, recently celebrated its first anniversary at the Lee Branch location. Working in family chiropractic and spine health, doctors offer relief from lower back pain, sciatica pain, and migraines. 205-827-4892, thejoint.com/alabama/ birmingham/lee-branch-22010 Haven Space Salon, 5291 Valleydale Road, Unit 125, is celebrating its first anniversary. Owner Haley Hays and her stylists believe the hair industry is about so much more than hair and that they can make a difference in the lives of their guests. 205-582-2600, havenspacesalon.com The Anvil Pub & Grill, 611 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 103, in The Village at Lee Branch shopping center, is celebrating its second anniversary. 205-637-7100, theanvilpub.com
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A16 • May 2022
280 Living
Community Have a community announcement? Email Leah Ingram Eagle at leagle@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Larry Beaury returns the ball as he and Tony Pace play a game of pickleball against Gail Furtner and Greg Hart at the Chelsea Community Center on March 30. Plans for more pickleball courts are in the works at the center. Outdoor courts will be added, and even more courts will be available when the second gym is constructed. Photos by Erin Nelson.
County takes steps to meet pickleball demand By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE and JON ANDERSON When the doors open at 8 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Chelsea Community Center, there are usually people waiting to get inside the gym. What they are there for may come as a surprise: They head to the pickleball courts to play America’s fastest growing indoor sport. Described as a blend of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball has grown so much that Shelby County officials are adding more space to play the game, both indoors and outdoors. The Chelsea Community Center has three pickleball courts, which are set up in the gymnasium, where three teams of four will play five times each week. Courts typically are 20 feet wide and 44 feet long — about one-fourth the size of a tennis court. According to the USA Pickleball Association, the governing and rule-setting body for the sport in this country, 4.2 million Americans were playing pickleball in 2020, an increase of 21.3% from 2019. Participation in tournaments is growing, new leagues are forming, and communities, country clubs and fitness centers across the country are converting hard-court surfaces for pickleball use and building new courts dedicated to the sport.
A GAME FOR ALL AGES
Jane Ann Mueller said many of the players who come to Chelsea are retirees, but a good number of them are parents and still working.
are trying to meet the demand of our residents and provide recreation opportunities for all ages. Meanwhile at Chelsea Community Center, plans for more courts are in the works there. Outdoor courts will be added, and even more courts will be available when the second gym is constructed.
WHERE TO PLAY
Greg Hart returns the ball as he and Gail Furtner play a game of pickleball against Larry Beaury and Tony Pace.
She said some build their day around it. While it has some similarities to tennis, there are some differences. Just as the court is smaller, the paddles are smaller than tennis rackets (more like large ping-pong paddles), and the ball is plastic with holes in it like a wiffle ball and therefore doesn’t bounce as much. People from all age groups come to play at Chelsea Community Center. They have a variety of skill levels, and game times for advanced players and beginners/novice players
are separate. Each game typically takes about 25 minutes, and the courts stay pretty full from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, along with Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
MEETING DEMAND
The demand for pickleball has grown so much that Shelby County has plans to add more courts at Veterans Park in Hoover. Planning has already begun to add the outdoor courts at Veterans
Park. The project is a joint 50-50 project between the city of Hoover and Shelby County. The budget is $600,000, but may not cost that much according to County Manager Chad Scroggins. While the exact location hasn’t been decided, the idea is to put it close to the parking area without interfering with other activities that take place at the park, such as cross-country meets. “There is pretty substantial interest in the sport for sure,” Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins said. “We
Mueller said most of the participants are residents of Chelsea and surrounding areas in Shelby County. Some players do drive to Chelsea on days they are offering play, and on the days Chelsea doesn’t offer pickleball (Sundays and Fridays), players will find somewhere they can play, following the pickleball cycle. “People know about it now and they’re hungry to know more,” she said. “The ones who love the sport will search it out.” Mueller added that the pickleball players are a great group and said she loves having them at the community center. In Shelby County, you can find pickleball courts at places including Heardmont Park, the Greystone YMCA, Joe Tucker Park in Helena, Pelham Recreation Center, Valleydale Church and Brook Highland Racquet Club. Other spots around the area include Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, Lifetime Fitness in Vestavia Hills, Homewood Community Center, Levite Jewish Community Center, Mountain Brook YMCA and Trussville mall. To learn more about pickleball, visit usapickleball.org.
280Living.com
May 2022 • A17
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A18 • May 2022
280 Living
Cahaba Valley Fire receives drone for response use
Left: Cahaba Valley Fire Department and EMR District Chief Buddy Wilks, left, and Eric Rigdon, gas operations manager for Spire, pose with the fire department’s donated drone. Below: The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) thermal drone will assist the department in their response to calls. Photos courtesy of Cahaba Valley Fire Department.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE After applying to the National Public Safety Drone Donation Program in November 2020, the Cahaba Valley Fire Department and EMR district received a drone April 4. In its application, the department explained why the drone would help protect the communities it serves and stated, “CVFD provides fire suppression and emergency medical services including transport to approximately 25,000 customers, as well as thousands of drivers traveling the U.S. 280 corridor each day. Responding from four stations, CVFD answers around 3,500 calls for assistance each year.” Spire’s donation of the unmanned aerial vehicle thermal drone will assist the department in its response to calls. It also provides thermal capabilities and modeling reality software and will help the department quickly scan and respond to emergencies. “A UAV drone allows a commander to quickly scan an incident scene to determine hazards and potential victim locations associated with structural and wild-land firefighting, hazardous materials, water rescue and wide area woodland searches,” CVFD Capt. Taylor Gunnels said. “This drone will also benefit neighboring agencies in automatic aid responses, including law enforcement.” Mark Langley, executive director and CEO of The National Public Safety Drone Donation
Program said his agency “is proud to support this donation and help generate awareness around opportunities for public safety departments, nationally, to apply for a UAV/drone or other hardware and software at no cost.” Influential Drones works with NPS-DDP to help secure and facilitate donations and SkyeBrowse is donating a six-month license of accident reconstruction software to be used with the drone. “I am very happy that Spire has chosen to give back to their own community,” said Dave Krause, co-founder of Influential Drones and volunteer FAA Safety Team industry member.
“The donated drone has high-quality thermal imagery that will help the fire department keep their firefighters safe and respond to calls with advanced technology.” Spire’s gas operations manager Eric Rigdon said they are always looking for ways to contribute to the communities they serve. “We work closely with first responders and are very grateful for the important services they provide,” Rigdon said. “We are happy to be able to make this donation to the Cahaba Valley Fire Department to assist them in keeping our communities safe.”
The new community/activities room at Mt Laurel Library will add 500 square feet of space and provide a dedicated space for programs and events. Photos by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Mt Laurel Library making room for growth By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Mt Laurel library has recently undergone construction to make space to better accommodate their patrons. The project, which totals approximately 500 square feet, was financed by North Shelby Library, of which Mt Laurel is a branch. The Mt Laurel construction is part of a broader renovation project by North Shelby Library that includes renovation and expansion of the children’s area at that location. “There just was not enough space for the
growing community [in the former community room],’ said Kate Etheredge, the director of Library Services at North Shelby Library and Mt Laurel Library. “Dunnavant Valley is exploding. The more people who live out there, the more people come into the library.” Set to be ready by late spring or early summer, a large community/activities room will be open to host children’s and summer reading activities, community meetings and more. Part of the new construction also includes a restroom, staff break area, storage room along
with a tornado safe space. A second large television screen and audio/video access were also installed. “Before the pandemic, we had a lot of people attending programs,” Ethredge said. “During summer reading, Double Oak Community Church was gracious and let us use their facilities because the number of kids coming in for our programs was more than our tiny room could handle.” From inside the library, the new room may be accessed through a door from the reading room. An additional exterior door was
installed at the top of a handicap accessible ramp. Community members and businesses will be able to rent the room for private events. Civic groups will be able to meet in the room at a reduced rate or for free, depending on the type of meeting. Friends of the Mt Laurel Library book sale selections, along with community interest items will be moved from the former community room into the new one. “A lot of community groups need space to meet, and the library will be happy to host them,” Ethredge said.
280Living.com
May 2022 • A19
Candidates gearing up for May 24 primary elections By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
presents
Later this month, voters will be going to the polls to cast their ballots for several state and local offices. Here is a list of the Shelby County candidates and the positions for which they are running. Where only one name is listed, the candidate is running unopposed.
STATE
► Governor: Lew Burdette, Greystone resident will be running against nine Republicans and six Democrats ► United States RepresenThe primary election day is set for May 24 to determine tative, District 6: Gary Palmer the finalists for each party. Staff photo. ► State Senator (District 15): Dan Roberts, Brian Christine ► Place 4: Lara Alvis ► State House Representative (District ► District Court Judge (Place 1): Ashley 45): Dickie Drake, Susan DuBose N. Bell (D), Phillip Bahakel, Bill Dunn, Carlos
SHELBY COUNTY
► Shelby County Superintendent of Education: Dr. Lewis Brooks (incumbent) ► Shelby County Board of Education: Amber Polk is running against incumbent Jane Hampton (District 1) and Brian Boatman is running against incumbent Aubrey Miller (District 2) ► Shelby County Coroner: Linda Evans ► Shelby County Sheriff: Ken Bailey (R) is running against incumbent Sheriff John Samaniego
CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE
► Place 1: Donna Beaulieu, Jeff Brumlow, Edward Merrell, Jonathan Spann ► Place 3: Bill Bostick
Gonzalez, Jody Brasher Tallie, Erin Bell Wellborn ► District Attorney (Circuit 18): Matt Casey, Cameron Elkins ► State Executive Committee (Place 5): Mike Vest, Jennifer Prier The primary election day is set for May 24 to determine the finalists for each party. If a runoff is needed, it will take place June 21. Absentee votes must be mailed by May 24 or hand delivered by May 23. Applications for mail delivery must be completed by May 17 and for hand delivery by May 19. The general election date to determine each seat is set for Nov. 8. Voting will begin Sept. 14 with applications opening for mail delivery Nov. 1 and hand delivery Nov. 3. Absentee voting ballots must be returned by Nov. 7 for hand delivery and Nov. 8 for mail delivery.
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A20 • May 2022
280 Living
2022 PRIMARIES
Wentowski challenges Carns in House District 48 By NEAL EMBRY
ON THE ISSUES
Longtime state Rep. Jim Carns will face challenger William Wentowski in the May 24 Republican primary in Alabama House District 48, which includes parts of Greystone, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and north Shelby County. This marks the second consecutive election in which Wentowski and Carns have squared off in the primary.
WILLIAM WENTOWSKI supports term limits and an education lottery, wants to eliminate the state grocery tax and said mental health reform is a top issue.
WILLIAM WENTOWSKI
Wentowski, a Vestavia Hills resident, first challenged Carns in 2018 and garnered 23% of the vote. A marketing and sales manager in the corporate information technology world, Wentowski said he has always believed in public service but does not believe it was ever meant to be a career. A believer in term limits, Wentowski said he would place a “hard cap” on his legislative career at three terms, though the last term he said he would only serve if he’s unable to pass campaign finance reform in two terms. Public servants who make a career out of politics become “disconnected” from their constituents, Wentowski said. Mental health reform is a top issue for Wentowski, one that is personal as much as it is political, as Wentowski has an uncle he said suffers with mental illness. Mental health issues are not uncommon, even to more affluent areas like House District 48, Wentowski said. He said about a third of the people to whom he has talked in door-todoor campaigning said they have a loved one struggling with mental health. Wentowski said he believes in providing outpatient services and halfway homes, as well as helping find answers for people who won’t take medicine. “You’re never going to fix everything,” he said. “But if we can put a dent in it, if we can put a measurable dent into it, we will have done great things.” Wentowski also supports an education lottery
William Wentowski, left, is challenging longtime state Rep. Jim Carns for Alabama House District 48, which includes parts of Greystone, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and north Shelby County. Photos courtesy of William Wentowski and Jim Carns.
and eliminating the state grocery tax, leaving that decision to municipalities. “I think it’s immoral the state charges you for something you have to do to live,” he said. Another area of emphasis for Wentowski is reining in corruption. Toward that end, he is refusing to take corporate donations. With Gov. Kay Ivey set to invest in broadband, Wentowski said his private-sector experience can help the state as it plans to roll out more broadband services. Wentowski said he plans to bring a strong work ethic and honesty to Montgomery if elected. Despite going up against a longtime legislator, Wentowski said he was pleased with his previous effort and is optimistic about this year’s run. “Most people who run don’t succeed for the first two or three times,” he said. For more information, visit wentowski.com.
JIM CARNS
Carns, also a Vestavia Hills resident, is no stranger to Alabama politics and has served as
a leader in Jefferson County for much of his career. Carns was first elected to the state House in 1990 and served four terms before joining the Jefferson County Commission, where he served from 2006 to 2010. Carns was part of the commission which dealt with Jefferson County filing for bankruptcy. After then-state Rep. Greg Canfield transitioned to Alabama secretary of commerce, Carns won election to his House seat again and has served since 2012. “I’ve been a public official for quite a while, and I think I’ve done a good job,” Carns said. He said he is looking forward to another four years and is proud of his work to pass welfare reform, abstinence bills and voter ID laws. Carns said he is strongly against vaccine mandates and hopes to continue that fight. Part of his 2022 work is to help decide how to spend record amounts of money coming from the federal government to counter the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. The Legislature spent time discussing how to
JIM CARNS said he is against vaccine mandates, supports using federal COVID-19 relief funds to expand broadband services and touts his work to pass welfare reform, abstinence bills and voter ID laws.
spend that money in late January, and Carns said more money is coming in June. On broadband, Carns said it would be a “blessing” from Washington to be able to use federal relief funds to expand that service. Access to broadband will help businesses across the state, he said. Carns said he also was interested in an “antiriot” bill sponsored by fellow state Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris. Carns served as minority leader from 2002 to 2006 and currently serves as chairman of the Commerce Committee, as well as chairman of the Jefferson County delegation. He also serves on the Children’s Affairs Committee.
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May 2022 • A21
2022 PRIMARIES
Roberts faces Christine for state Senate District 15 By NEAL EMBRY
ON THE ISSUES
This year’s Republican primary for state Senate District 15 pits incumbent Dan Roberts, a real estate developer, against challenger Brian Christine, a urologist with Urology Centers of Alabama in Homewood. The district includes parts of eastern Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Chelsea, Trussville, Leeds, Talladega and Childersburg. The winner will take the seat because there is no one from another party seeking it.
BRIAN CHRISTINE said he is fiscally responsible; focused on smaller, limited government; opposes a single-payer health care system; supports school choice; and favors allowing voters to have their say on an education lottery.
BRIAN CHRISTINE
Christine, a Mountain Brook resident, said he feels Roberts lacks a close connection with constituents. Also, while he and Roberts are both conservative, he wants to bring more of a “fighting spirit” to Montgomery, he said. He takes pride in being a political outsider but is willing to work with Democrats. Christine said there is a “real problem” with legislators serving for decades. The tendency for people is to be corrupted by money and power, he said. While there need to be term limits, he said it’s also important to allow legislators to be in Montgomery long enough to be effective. Christine also noted that Roberts has received money from PACs such as the Forestry PAC, Mainstream PAC (a pro-business and industry PAC), Wholesale PAC and PACs representing pharmacies, poultry, retailers and construction companies. Christine has put $100,000 of his own money in the race and, as of press time, received no other contributions. Roberts said he was proud to be supported by the industries donating to his campaign, including the Medical Association of Alabama. “I have been working hard the last four years to provide conservative solutions to improve the business environment of our state,” he said. Christine said he is fiscally responsible, focused on smaller, limited government and believes education is a huge problem. He
Left: Dr. Brian Christine, a urologist with Urology Centers of Alabama in Homewood. Photo courtesy of Brian Christine. Right: State Sen. Dan Roberts speaks during a 2019 Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Photo by Erin Nelson.
supports school choice, which he called “parent choice.” Parents should be able to send their kids where they want, he said. As a surgeon, he would oppose a single-payer health care system and push for affordable and accessible health care. It should be like shopping for a car, he said. Christine said he favors allowing Alabama voters to have their say on an education lottery, but is not a fan of wholesale gambling. However, if the funding goes to the right places, it could be helpful, he said.
DAN ROBERTS
Roberts, who also lives in Mountain Brook, touted a recent law he sponsored that will keep Alabamians from paying state taxes on the federal child tax credit, the dependent care credit and the earned income tax credit that were increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tax issues have been the focus of his tenure in the state Senate, he said, including one of the first bills signed by Gov. Kay Ivey that changed the way the state taxes businesses, helping them be
more competitive. He continues to serve on Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth’s workforce development committee. His term began in 2018, following a career in real estate development, private equity and international trade. Roberts said he wants to help provide jobs and opportunities for high school graduates, and noted the Smuckers plant that will bring 300 or more jobs to Jefferson County as part of a $1.2 billion investment. Roberts said he is working across party lines to improve the state and wants to move the state forward on its strengths. The most important issue facing the state is education, he said. “You look at testing scores, and we’re so far down,” Roberts said. “If we don’t fix this, we are so badly hurt.” Roberts also supports parental choice and says there is “merit” in that idea. “Parents have the ultimate say on their child’s education,” he said. “We have to do something different.” Roberts said the problem with an education lottery is the question of where the money goes.
DAN ROBERTS has focused on tax issues during his tenure; called education the state’s most pressing issue; supports parental choice; and said the problem with an education lottery is the question of where the money goes. He sees the benefits of term limits but said it takes two terms for the average legislator to get up to speed and know how to do things. Taking out bright people too quickly could be a problem, he said. Roberts said he has met with all of the mayors in his district and has spent a “tremendous amount of time” getting to know people, working 70 to 80 hours a week. He said it has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of District 15, and he hopes to continue to do so.
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Below are some common questions she answers for her clients as they work through a divorce: What is a QDRO, and do I need one? A qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) is a document used to split assets in a qualified retirement plan, meeting the requirements of (ERISA). Examples are assets like 401(k)s or 403(b)s. Ensuring that the QDRO has been established is critical because the retirement plan administrator can NOT automatically split your spouse’s funds without one in place. Did you know that assets distributed from a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) are exempt from a 10% early withdrawal penalty on any funds withdrawn if the person is under the age of 59½? This means that you could use these QDRO funds for a down payment on a home or to cover any fees incurred during the divorce, paying only income taxes. Would you want your ex-spouse to use all the credit card miles earned during the marriage to take a vacation once the divorce is finalized? These reward points are often overlooked, but they have value and should be considered marital property.
Visit bridgeworthllc.com for more information. Are pension benefits part of marital assets? Yes. Under the law, a pension earned by one spouse is usually considered a joint asset in most states. How do you determine where to take your portion of assets if your spouse managed your finances throughout the marriage? In certain situations, it is more advantageous to take your part from cash accounts rather than from your spouse’s retirement accounts. Cash accounts are funded with after-tax dollars, so the taxes have been paid, and most retirement accounts are funded with pretax dollars, so taxes have not been paid yet. Are inherited assets part of the marital property division in divorce? No, inherited assets like an IRA, a home, or other gifts are considered separate property. However, if these assets are mixed (or “commingled”) with marital property, they can become part of the property division in the divorce.
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A22 • May 2022
280 Living
Above: Members of the Chelsea Fire & Rescue Department hand out fire hats and other items to children. Right: A member of the Rib Life team plates barbecue.
Fire at the Foothills BBQ and Dessert Cook-Off By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The annual Fire at the Foothills BBQ and Dessert Cook-Off competition was April 2 at the Chelsea Community Center. Vendors’ tents lined the parking lot on the side and back of the community center, each with teams serving up samples of barbecue pork and chicken. Here is a list of the winners: ► Desert Winner: RibLife ► Chicken Winner: RibLife ► People’s Choice Winner: Team Spirit ► Pork Ribs Winner: DogPatch "Q" ► Pork Butt Winner: Dixie Pigs & Chicks ► Reserve Grand Champion: 2 Swine Crew ► Grand Champion: Rib Life
Photos by Todd Eagle and courtesy of Wayne Morris.
Barbecue chicken and pork is prepared for sampling.
Clockwise, from above left: Rib Life won three categories — chicken, dessert and grand champion — and poses with City Councilman Scott Weygand, left, and Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer. Team Spirit, the People’s Choice Winner. Tents line the roadways by the Chelsea Community Center. The Pork Butt Winner, Dixie Pigs & Chicks, with Picklesimer.
280Living.com
May 2022 • A23
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A24 • May 2022
280 Living
Inverness man inducted into regional whitewater hall of fame By JON ANDERSON
Inverness resident Bob Sehlinger stands along a walking trail at the Cahaba River Trail and Canoe Drop in Irondale. Sehlinger was inducted into the Whitewater Rafting Hall of Fame in late 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.
It has been several decades since Bob Sehlinger was involved in the river outfitting industry, so the Inverness resident was pretty surprised when he found out recently he was being inducted into the Southern Appalachian Whitewater Hall of Fame. Sehlinger, now 76, was one of 62 individuals inducted into the inaugural class of the hall of fame in Asheville, North Carolina, in November. “It felt great,” he said. “It’s really strange to be singled out for something you did in a previous life. It totally came out of the blue.” The Southern Appalachian Whitewater Hall of Fame honors people who have been innovators, leaders and pioneers in the paddling sports in that region. Sehlinger made a name for himself in the 1970s when he formed SAGE, a wilderness arts and expedition company that produced courses in kayaking, climbing, surviving and backpacking for high schools and universities in a seven-state area, as well as some courses for the general public. Thousands of people went through those courses from 1974 to 1983. During that time, he was living in Kentucky and started river outfitter companies such as Cumberland Outdoor Adventures in Kentucky and Tennessee and Eastern River Outfitters in Maine. He also served as the third president of the Eastern Professional River Outfitters Association. Sehlinger also was drafted to write guidebooks on canoeing and kayaking in Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee by Thomas Press in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Thomas Press hired him to sign other authors for new types of books for five to six years, but he moved to
“
It’s really strange to be singled out for something you did in a previous life. It totally came out of the blue.
the Birmingham area (Inverness) in 1983 and formed his own company called Menasha Ridge Press, specializing in books about the outdoors and travel. His company now is known as AdventureKeen and includes Menasha Ridge Press, Wilderness Press, The Unofficial Guides, Clerisy Press and Adventure Publications. One of his bestsellers is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, which has sold 4 million copies over 37 years and gets updated annually, he said. Sehlinger said he has always loved the outdoors, from the time he was a little kid finding salamanders under rocks to being a Scout and serving in the U.S. Army. When he was in the river outfitting business, he would be on the rivers three to four days a week. He said he doesn’t really have a favorite river, but he is very familiar with Elkhorn Creek in Frankfort, Kentucky, the Hiwassee River in southern Kentucky and Nantahala River in western North Carolina, he said. “I know those like the back of my hand.” After moving to Alabama, he spent less
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280Living.com
May 2022 • A25
Above: Inverness resident Bob Sehlinger, shown here as a river outfitter and educator, was inducted into the Southern Appalachian Whitewater Hall of Fame in Asheville, North Carolina, in November. Right: Sehlinger runs a rapid on the North Fork of the Cumberland River in Kentucky while his aqua class watches from the surrounding rocks in the late 1970s. Photos courtesy of Bob Sehlinger.
time on the rivers but still would canoe and kayak every year and periodically go rafting with friends, he said. But in the past couple of years, his time on the river has been more infrequent, he said. “I can still paddle very well, but I have difficulty getting in and out of the boat,” he said. He remains an avid runner and mountain biker. Sehlinger also has been more focused on the publishing business in recent decades. He has authored 27 books himself and is a past president of the Publishers Association of the South and has served at the invitation of the U.S. State
Department and the U.S. Information Service on educational missions for publishers in Hungary, Romania and Russia. He loves the publishing industry, he said. “It’s a fun, creative field.” He likes initiating ideas and coming up with concepts to serve people who need specific types of information, whether that be in business, the outdoors or sports, he said. In all, his companies have published an estimated 1,400 titles, about 1,000 of which are still being printed, he said. They are distributed throughout North America, other English-speaking countries and in some countries that speak other
languages (primarily in Europe), he said. He was honored to be selected for the Southern Appalachian Whitewater Hall of Fame, he said. Others inducted into the hall of fame included Olympic paddlers, instructors, guidebook authors, river outfitter leaders, canoeing and paddling club leaders, watershed protectors and innovators in the design and manufacturing of watercraft and paddling gear. The inaugural class included two wellknown politicians: President Jimmy Carter, who as governor of Georgia championed the designation of 57 miles of the Chattooga River
as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, protecting it from development; and former U.S. Senator and Education Secretary Lamar Alexander, who as governor of Tennessee championed protection of the Ocoee River and expanded the state’s protection of rivers and as a U.S. senator was the driving force behind the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020, which provided billions of dollars to conserve and maintain public lands and water. Sehlinger said the recent induction ceremony allowed him to reconnect with old and very close friends he hadn’t seen in 15 to 20 years and he was grateful for the opportunity.
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A26 • May 2022
280 Living
Chris Sykes takes helm of Alabama Wildlife Center By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE After the unexpected passing of former Alabama Wildlife Center Executive Director Doug Adair in November, Chris Sykes was chosen to take over the role in early March. Sykes is a Tennessee native who moved to Birmingham in 2015 after serving five years in the United States Marine Corps. He has two master’s degrees — an MPA and MA — from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has worked with several Birmingham nonprofit organizations prior to joining the AWC. “When I got out in January 2015, one day I was in military camo and the next, I was a civilian at UAB,” he said. His first day in his new position was March 7, but Sykes is no stranger to the nonprofit sector. He spent the past two years serving as the development director for Jimmie Hale Mission, where he was part of the $10 million capital campaign for the organization. When he heard the news of Adair’s passing, he said he was hopeful he’d get a chance to be his successor. “It was a challenging leap, but this is where my heart is and passion is,” Sykes said. Prior to that position, he worked for another nonprofit, the Norma Livingston Ovarian Foundation, for two years. Sykes also previously worked with the Alabama Audubon based in downtown Birmingham while he was in graduate school. He said it was while working there that his passion started for birds and conservation began to develop, and that worked hand in hand with his love of nature. “I wanted to know more about the nonprofit world and how to lead an organization, which led me to the next two positions gaining experience and knowledge,” he said. “My passion has always
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been conservation and birds. This is where my heart lies, and I hope to take all my experience and diversity from the different nonprofits and bring it here and lead the next chapter of the wildlife center.” Sykes will be working with the AWC’s five staff members along with a group of about 50 volunteers. As a nonprofit, AWC does not get funding from Oak Mountain State Park, where it has been located since the 1980s. “To keep this organization running seven days a week, we need all the hands we can get,” Sykes said. “It’s critical because as we move into the busy season over the next few months, we are hoping to expand into internships. The birds need to eat around the clock, and it requires a lot of hours and dedication of staff, volunteers and interns.” Sykes said the overall state of the AWC is strong, and he is excited about the future. He has plans to expand the center’s capabilities and wants to make its clinic more state of the art. He also plans to launch a capital campaign to allow the AWC to update some of the bird enclosures and offer more programs and services. “I think, overall, the organization has such a bright future, and I’m just thankful to be here and be surrounded by an incredible network of people who are passionate and will help me take things to the next level,” Sykes said. Upcoming events include a baby bird shower May 7, which will celebrate the lives of the AWC’s newest members. The public is invited to bring in items from a wishlist from the AWC’s website. Other events slated to return include Chirps and Chips in late summer/early fall and the Wild About Chocolate fundraiser next February. For more information on the AWC or to make a donation, visit alabamawildlife center.org.
Chris Sykes, the new director of the Alabama Wildlife Center, holds a Great Horned Owl on April 8 at Oak Mountain State Park. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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A28 • May 2022
280 Living
HUMANE
CONTINUED from page A1 “Those are not counted against the shelter because we did everything we could,” Rowley said.
NEW LEADER, NEW CHANGES
Rowley took over as director of operations at Shelby Humane in November. He and his wife, Rebecca, own Ingadi Flower Farm in Chelsea and oversee a university they started in Brazil. While Rowley doesn’t have an animal welfare background, he has experience in nonprofits and management. He has spent time visiting other humane societies around the country to learn best practices for a roadmap to make Shelby Humane a better organization. “There were a lot of things that needed to be done as far as immediate changes,” Rowley said. “Probably the biggest change within the organization was work on improving communication and having weekly staff meetings. We have made some key hires, including an experienced medical manager,” he said. Alabama is the only state in the country that does not allow a veterinarian to be hired in the shelter. That presents some challenges, including not being able to administer rabies vaccinations, offering onsite spay and neutering or any emergency surgeries that come in from animal control. Shelby Humane partners with veterinarians for those tasks. The medical manager oversees daily medications, checks on the overall health of the animals and works with the local vet partners. One of the things Rowley said Shelby Humane has recently accomplished is being able to get all animals in its care fully vaccinated, spayed and neutered within a maximum of two weeks. “About once a week, we have a vet onsite doing vaccinations,” Rowley said. “For spay and neuters, we work with nonprofit Alabama Spay and Neuter in Irondale. We do a phenomenal amount of spay and neutering of animals every month, usually around 200 a month.”
Shelby Humane currently has 43 employees, but Rowley said that number changes regularly. “We definitely could use more employees, but as a nonprofit, sometimes the constraint for us is not the availability in the job market,” he said. Contracted with Shelby County, Shelby Humane provides animal shelter service for its animal control offices. That money accounts for about one-third of the budget. The remaining amount for operations comes from individual donors, some foundations and grants. “They are a contractor for us for animal control and to take strays in for residents of the county,” Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins said. “We provide them with some financial assistance via the contract, and they are housed in a county-owned building. We have been working with them in partnership for years, and the live release rates and spay/ neuter program have provided a significant amount of improvement of numbers in our county.”
SPECIFIC PROGRAMS
► Spay and Neuter: Shelby Humane offers spay and neuter services for privately owned pets. Pick up is available at Shelby Humane in Columbiana every Monday and Wednesday and from Winn-Dixie in Chelsea and Old Town Pottery in Pelham every other Thursday. Male dogs are $75, female dogs $60, and all cats are $45. ► SafePet: Since 2018, Shelby Humane has offered SafePet, a no-cost program that provides pet lodging and veterinary care for pets of domestic violence survivors who are fleeing their situations. It is the only shelter in the state that offers this program and provides the services to seven counties in Alabama. In these situations, Shelby Humane works with different counties to bring dogs or cats into their program. They are then kept in a kennel or with a foster family to ensure they are safe. In addition to housing, SafePet can also provide veterinary care for pets with injuries and other health conditions due to abuse, forensic vet examinations to document abuse, preventative care as needed for boarding and supplies including pet food, crates,
Bill Rowley, operations director at Shelby Humane, holds a 6-week-old kitten at the shelter on March 30. Photos by Erin Nelson.
leashes and cat litter. SafePet can also assist with payment of pet deposits when the pet is reunited with the family. Rowley said, statistically, if a domestic violence victim is reunited with the family pet, they have a much higher percentage of recovery rate and falling victim again. ► Assisted living outreach: During the pandemic, employees and volunteers at Shelby Humane started this outreach initiative to give much-needed care and comfort to residents or to Shelby County assisted living homes. These included Premier Assisted Living in Columbia and Maplewood Lane Assisted Living in Helena. “It’s a win-win,” Rowley said. “The animals get to get out of their cages and be able to have some enrichment, and the residents can walk them and love on them. We have regulars who look forward to the animals coming and are excited about it. For an hour or two, they can entertain and play with the dogs and cats and enrich their lives without responsibility for caring for them long term.
Some also post about the dogs on social media to help get them adopted.
WAYS TO HELP
► Adoption Ambassador program (fostering): The Adoption Ambassador program is a portion of the foster program that encourages foster families to house adoptable animals and help them find forever homes. Rowley said the shelter has about 310 spots for animals, and it is typically running well over 100% in animal care because of their foster care program. In February, the program had more than 80 foster pets living with families until they get a permanent home. Different types of fostering include neonate (take care of puppies and kittens until they are old enough for adoption); medical foster (short-term medical care when an animal is recovering from surgery); behavior fosters (assist in modifying dog behaviors so they can become adoptable). In 2021, the foster program placed 1,419 animals in temporary private homes.
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Rowley talks with Shelby Humane staff at the shelter during a weekly staff meeting. Shelby Humane currently has 43 employees, but Rowley said that number changes regularly.
► Transport Program: One of the reasons Shelby Humane was able to achieve no-kill status was because it is able to transport animals to northern states for adoption. Several states have strict spay and neuter laws, so there are no adoptable animals. This program helps reduce the number of animals in care, while also helping them find a forever home. Shelby Humane’s transport program found forever homes for 400 pets last year. Most of them were adopted by local families, but many were transported to shelter partners in the Northeast. Partners include Animal Humane Societies in Wisconsin and Animal Welfare Societies in New Jersey and Maryland. Rowley said the shelter is currently looking to expand to other states. Driver volunteers are also needed for this program, as three to four trips are made each month with travel expenses covered. ► Best Friends of Shelby Humane: This group of volunteers works to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets in Shelby County by providing financial
support through the planning and execution of special events and fundraisers. It is a sister organization to the Animal Rescue League of Birmingham. ► Donations: Rowley said the shelter goes through a large amount of dog treats, cleaning supplies and dish soap. There is an Amazon wishlist of items on the Shelby Humane website, along with an updated list of items that donors can purchase and drop off at the shelter. ► Events: Several events have already taken place this year with more to come. On March 6, Shelby Humane had a Crawfish Boil & Adoption event at Pub 261. There was a Pelham Paws in the Park Adoption vaccine clinic on March 20. In April, it hosted pet photos with the Easter bunny. Designer Bag Bingo at The Club is scheduled for May 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about Shelby Humane and ways to help, visit shelbyhumane.org. Donations can be made by texting SHELBY to 26989.
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CONTINUED from page A1 academy; robotics and automated manufacturing; and welding. The program is primarily for juniors and seniors, but sophomores can apply if they have completed all their core credits. In order to take CTEC classes, students give up two electives at their high school. All of CTEC’s programs are two-year programs, and students will have completed four courses by the time they graduate. They complete a class per semester and have the opportunity to gain industry recognized credentials. Some will continue on to college, while some get the rest of their credentials to go into the workforce. “We have at least one signature program at all of our high schools, but the programs [at CTEC] are not duplicates for what we already have. They are all different,” said Julie Godfrey, supervisor of career tech education for Shelby County Schools. “All of the high schools in Shelby County have business and marketing, and other classes at individual schools include engineering, surgical tech, carpentry, JROTC, broadcasting and cosmetology.”
Above: Sam Junkin, left, and Drew Pray, juniors at Chelsea High School, work to modify the conveyor system to tighten a belt during James Hill’s first year robotics class at the Career Technical Education Center in Columbiana on March 25. Left: Cole Penton, a junior at Oak Mountain High, works on resurfacing the front end of a truck in order to paint the interior during the first year automotive technology class. Photos by Erin Nelson.
UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP
Principal Daniel Richards is nearing completion of his first year as principal at CTEC. He has more than 17 years of experience in public education and spent the past six years as the assistant principal at Shelby County High School. He said when the CTEC opportunity arose, he had to jump at it. “I had an interest in these types of programs,” he said. “My dad was a welder, my uncle was a carpenter, my older brother is a physical therapist and my father-in-law works on classic cars as a hobby, so a lot of things we have here really hit home to me.” He describes his new role as a learning process. Because the faculty and staff came from industry into teaching, he wants to help them grow as teachers and educators at the same time. “They’re experts in their field, and they’re helping me with what the industry wants and needs,” he said. “One thing I’ve had to learn being here at CTEC is all the things my teachers have to do. It’s been a big chance for me and a learning curve. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and it’s been a blessing.”
RECRUITING STUDENTS
CTEC began the 2021-22 school year with around 350 students, and Richards hopes to see those numbers continue to grow. “Not all students know about our campus and the things we offer, so we get them out there and tell them what we do and show them what we do,” he said. He said his counselor and career coaches do a wonderful job visiting schools and recruiting students. Richards said the number of slots in each program varies. When students apply for courses, they list their first-, second- and thirdchoice programs. They also have to write a submission about why they want to attend CTEC. For many of the programs, students can continue on to community college to further their education, but some also immediately go into the workforce after graduation and CTEC can provide assistance connecting them with employers. “For example, the plumbing instructor is connected to other plumbers and gets students a job opportunity right out of the gate,” Richards said. “About every other week we get calls looking to hire kids who are graduating.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Here is a look at each of CTEC’s 11 programs: ► Automotive technology: Robert Irwin, who has 27 years experience in this industry, teaches this program, offering a simulated work experience for students interested in the auto tech industry. Students learn maintenance and light repair, tires, brakes, steering, electrical suspension and engine performance. They also have work-based learning opportunities at local repair shops, dealerships and parts stores and participate in state and national leadership conferences through SkillsUSA. Irwin said when students come visit this program and see it’s set up as a real shop, they get excited. The students even wear uniforms from Ernest McCarty Ford thanks to a donation from the dealership, along with one from NAPA
Auto Parts. Irwin teaches his students not only how to work on cars, but motorcycles, lawn mowers and weed eaters as well. “My number 1 goal every year is to get a student hired in the industry. But I also teach them a good work ethic, how to sell parts, write a resume and handle finances — basically anything I’d do for my own child except I teach them a trade as well,” he said. The program is competitive and only accepts 12 students per class for each of the three daily classes. It utilizes a nine-week evaluation form to determine which students will return for the following year. Some of the students go on to Lawson State Community College for their Ford ASSET program, some stay in the industry and work at a shop, and some go on to other careers but have the benefit of the knowledge to work on their own cars. Earlier this year, the auto tech program received a 2022 Mercedes that students use as a learning tool, with all of its advanced technology. “This car is far more advanced than anything we have, and we will use it for years to come,” Irwin said. The CTEC auto tech program recently presented at the inaugural Governor’s Work-Based Learning Seal of Excellence Awards after being named as one of the top programs in the state. Irwin’s program has also won awards for having the highest job placements in the state. He won in 2017-18 and 2018-19, but the awards have been on hold since the pandemic. ► Biomedical science: Students in this program have the opportunity to further their knowledge and skills by participating in state and national leadership conferences through HOSA – Future Health Professionals. They are eligible to obtain nationally recognized industry credentials by completing standardized tests successfully. Classes in this program include forensic science and crime scene investigations; human body structures and functions; introduction to biotechnology; and bio-med senior career pathway. They can also earn a Certified Medical Assistant credential. ► Building construction: Taught by Blake Ray, this program is designed to introduce students to each stage of the construction process, including site layout, foundations, flooring, wall systems, roofing, electrical and plumbing. Courses offered include NCCER architecture; construction and manufacturing; construction and framing; construction site preparation and foundations; and construction finishing and interior systems. Credentials offered include
NCCER Core, NCCER Carpentry Level One, Carpentry Level Two, Construction Technology and OSHA 10. ► Collision repair: Mark McCary teaches this course and has 15 years in industry in both an independent shop and a dealership. Students learn paint and refinishing and damage repair, and several I-CAR credentials are offered. Both the auto tech and collision programs were recently recognized and presented for the Governor's Seal of Excellence for Apprenticeship Programs. CTEC was the only secondary school featured in the region. ► Cosmetology: In this program, taught by Stacy Garrett, students are able to work in a salon environment that provides real-world experiences to gain knowledge while providing customer service including technical skills and consultations. They develop business and management skills to become successful salon and spa professionals. They earn hours that will transfer to cosmetology school, putting them a step forward in their careers. ► Construction technology: Blake Ray teaches students in this program about each stage of the construction process: site layout, foundations, flooring, wall systems, roofing, electrical and plumbing. They learn to read blueprints, use power tools and are exposed to many areas of construction. They participate in state and national leadership conferences through SkillsUSA. Some will work as laborers while others may go on to study building and architecture. Their courses will transfer to Jefferson State Community College and Wallace State Community College, putting them several classes ahead. Courses include NCCER architecture; construction and manufacturing; construction and framing; construction site preparation and foundations; and construction finishing and interior systems. Offered credentials include NCCER Core, NCCER Carpentry Levels 1 and 2, Construction Technology and OSHA 10. ► Culinary arts: Taught by Brandi Eades Tyrrell, students learn and work as a separate chef, sous chef, hostess and in sanitation. It begins with fundamentals and principles of the art of cooking; management and production skills; and techniques. In this course, students can pursue a national sanitation certification, industry certification, articulation credit and scholarships. Courses offered involve a commercial laboratory-based instructional setting, internship hours and include hospitality and tourism; culinary arts 1 and 2; and baking and pastry arts. Students may be able to receive articulated credits to Jefferson State
Community College. Only 12 students are accepted into the class. After completing this course, they will obtain ServSafe credentials. ► Health care science: This course is taught by Marcy Campbell, a registered nurse with 10 years experience at Shelby Baptist Medical Center, Women’s Center and PACU. In this program, students discover what they want to do in healthcare while earning industry credentials. Offered courses include foundations of health science; human body structures and functions; and therapeutic services. Health science internship credentials that are offered include Certified EKG Technician, Certified Patient Care Technician, First Aid and CPR. “It has been a tradition for our second year students to do rotations at the Shelby Medical Center during their last semester,” Godfrey said. “This has served as an invaluable experience for our students.” ► Plumbing and pipefitting: Taught by Rex Horton, this program is one of only three in the state. It utilizes NCCER’s four-level curriculum that covers topics such as plumbing tools, types of valves, and potable water treatment. Courses include NCCER architecture, construction and manufacturing. Students have the opportunity to further their knowledge and skills by participating in state and national leadership conferences through SkillsUSA. Courses include plumbing 1, 2 and 3; NCCER architecture; construction; and manufacturing. Credentials offered are NCCER Core, NCCER Plumbing Level One, OSHA 10 and Apprentice Card. Students can do apprenticeships in the first year and become journeymen. Graduating with a journeyman card is advantageous to prospective employers. ► Public safety academy: Gary Griffith brings 30 years of law enforcement experience to this class in which students rotate between firefighting and law enforcement. The program features a force simulator that gives students training for real life incidents.They also participate in crime scene investigation and fire drills. Students have the opportunity to further their education by attending the Alabama Fire College or become a police officer by attending the Police Academy. Some also seek an opportunity to serve in the military branches. Classes include: introduction to public safety; firefighting 1, advanced law enforcement; and CTE lab in law, public safety, corrections and security. Credentials offered are first aid, AED and CPR. ► Robotics and automated manufacturing: These courses are taught by James Hill, who has 22 years of experience in industrial maintenance and engineering. Their learning environment utilizes a variety of physical spaces to stimulate development of effective cognitive and psychomotor skills and includes five 3-D printers. Students experience a wide range of hands-on activities based on authentic representations of expectations found in the workplace. Courses include: introduction to robotics, robotic applications, robotics automation and computer integrated automation. Credentials offered include MSSC Safety; Quality, Maintenance and Manufacturing; Processes and Production; and OSHA 10. Students compete in the SkillsUSA competition and were state champions in 2018 and 2019. The competitions were not held the following two years due to the pandemic but will take place this year. ► Welding: Taught by Lynn Miller, who has 30 years welding and fabricating experience, this course gives students the opportunity for hands-on experience. This program utilizes NCCER’s four-level curriculum covering topics such as oxy fuel cutting, welding symbols and stainless-steel groove welds. NCCER’s curriculum also correlates to the AWS standards and guidelines for an entry welder. Many will attend a junior college to complete a welding program, while utilizing the classes that they have already taken. Credentials offered include NCCER Core, NCCER Core Welding 1, AWS Certifications and OSHA 10. Richards said the top three programs are auto tech, cosmetology and health science, and it’s hard to be able to get kids into those programs because they have so many applications. Godfrey said that no matter what a student is planning to do career-wise, they will need training to do it, and CTEC can help with that component. “I do think it helps to prepare you, and it still gives you an introduction into something, and you can decide what serves you best,” she said. “There are a lot of options, but CTEC gives training and certifications to help with future opportunities whatever your career goals are or however far you want to take it.”
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Standout Lions QB Christopher Vizzina chooses Clemson By KYLE PARMLEY He kept wanting to go back. Throughout all of his travels across the country, visiting college campuses near and far and hearing recruiting pitches from the top college football programs in the nation, Briarwood Christian School quarterback Christopher Vizzina could never quite shake the impression Clemson University left on his heart. That’s why the standout quarterback and highly touted prospect is going to play college football at Clemson, a decision he revealed to 280 Living and announced in front of a crowd of his closest friends, family and countless other supporters in the Briarwood auditorium April 12. “There’s nothing like it. There’s no other culture and place with the same values as me and that competes for a national championship every year,” Vizzina said. Vizzina’s list of offers reads like a Who’s Who of the top programs, with the likes of Auburn, Notre Dame, Georgia and a host of others seeking the consensus four-star prospect. “It’s been a long, but very memorable journey,” he said. “It’s tested all sides of me — my faith, values and athletic abilities. With all the attention, you figure out how you’re going to be with it.” Vizzina originally had his sights set on being a top-flight wide receiver. He loved running routes and catching passes, but when Brady Waugh suffered an injury toward the end of their eighth grade season, Vizzina stepped in to be the team’s quarterback. He’s been there ever since. Following his eighth grade year, a strong performance at a 7-on-7 camp at UAB culminated in his first offer from the Blazers. Vizzina took over the starting role for the
Briarwood quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) throws a pass in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs against Fort Payne on Nov. 5. Vizzina announced April 12 that he had chosen to play college football at Clemson University. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Briarwood varsity team during his freshman year, leading the Lions to a 12-2 mark and an appearance in the Class 5A semifinals. Briarwood has advanced to the second round of the 6A playoffs in each of the last two years. The offers started pouring in ahead of his junior season, a time in which Vizzina said he “had to grow up fast.” He began fielding phone calls from coaches all across the country and had to really start considering where his future was. In an age where student-athletes jump from
school to school in search of better exposure or playing time, Vizzina is a Briarwood guy through and through. He has gone to the school since kindergarten and would not have it any other way. “It’s indescribable,” he said. “They’ve brought me up in my faith in Christ and they’ve also developed me as a football player, and even as a basketball player. The people at Briarwood truly know my story. I would never want to leave all those people.”
Before long, Vizzina will be donning a Clemson uniform, but he’s got one more fall to finish out his time at Briarwood. He said he wants to help Briarwood capture its first state title since 2003 and is focused on developing even further as a quarterback. “It’s pretty crazy it’s coming to an end,” Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester said. “Let’s have another special season, let’s make some memories that will last a lifetime and be the best Briarwood team we can be.”
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B4 • May 2022
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Sports Defending champs Lady Eagles excel despite injuries By ERIC TAUNTON The Oak Mountain High School girls soccer team has dominated this season, only suffering one loss in the regular season, despite facing many setbacks. The team didn’t start the season in an ideal circumstance. Before the season started, the Lady Eagles suffered a number of injuries to key players, including one of their captains, head coach Chris Blight said. “We’ve had to have a lot of younger girls step up in different roles when we’ve been missing people, and they’ve excelled; they’ve done great,” Blight said. “We’ve kind of rallied around the people who have been hurt and the people that have been missing, and they’ve still been really good for us. It’s hard work, but the girls are putting it in to get where we are today.” The team’s strength so far this season has been its mentality, Blight said. He said the team culture, never getting comfortable with how they are performing together, has served the group well this season. “We know that being No. 1 and being last year’s state champions, everyone has a little bit more of an edge to try to beat you,” Blight said. “We feel like everyone is bringing their A-game when they’re playing us, and we’ve had to step up to that. I think the mentality of never settling for where we’re at and always trying to get better every day has been really important.” The Lady Eagles won the Class 7A state championship last year, knocking off Enterprise 5-0 in the final. That team finished the 2021 season with a record of 22-3-1. The state title was the fourth in program history for Oak Mountain, which won three in four years from 2012-15. With the playoffs looming as of press time, Blight said he’s been working with the team on
Oak Mountain’s Lane Hope (22) takes a shot at the goal as the Lady Eagles face Tuscaloosa County High in a match April 11 at Oak Mountain High School. Photo by Erin Nelson.
changing the defensive and offensive formations, as well as retrieving the ball and deciding what to do with it once in possession. “We’ve really just been working on our whole game,” he said. Even as the playoffs approach for the Lady
Eagles, the team stays in the present, taking the season “game by game,” Blight said. “Our first goal right now is to win area. That’s obviously the most important thing we’re going to do over the next couple of weeks, but as finals come, it’s game by game,”
he said. “I’ve always found that when people start to look ahead, that’s where you can slip up and lose. In 7A, there is no easy game. If we win area, we’ll be rewarded with a game against Vestavia or Spain Park, two of the best teams in the state.”
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May 2022 • B5
Spain Park looks to defend girls golf state crown By KYLE PARMLEY The Spain Park High School girls golf team is on a mission to do something quite difficult: successfully defend a state championship. Spain Park won its third state title last spring, winning a rain-shortened event in Mobile to claim the Class 7A title. That team had no seniors and lost no one to graduation, so hopes are high once again for the Jaguars. “We’ve got a healthy competition going on among the team, and that keeps everybody working and trying to improve,” said Spain Park coach Kelly Holland, who has overseen each of the previous state championships (2009, 2017 and 2021). Taylor Trible is the unquestioned leader of the team, from performance and leadership standpoints. She has signed to play at the University of Southern Miss, continuing a trend of recent Spain Park players going on to play in college. As of this spring, Mary Kate Horton (Samford University), Caroline Waldrop and Marilyn Steed (both at UAB) were still playing at the college level. “She embraces that spot and that position,” Holland said of Trible. “She’s helping everybody, talking to everybody, encouraging them. She’s the perfect leader for this team, being so young.” Outside of Trible and fellow senior Haley Lockhart, the other four players are underclassmen. Courtney Johnson, who tied for individual low medalist honors at state last year, is just a sophomore. Emma Fortier is in 10th grade as well, and Polly Kate McCrackin and Carmen Britt are freshmen. “It’s been interesting,” Holland said. “Everybody’s getting their turn, and somebody is going to step up and own their position. Hopefully we’ll keep improving.” Holland said she has been shuffling the lineup each tournament because of the team’s depth, something not many high school teams have the luxury of doing. In tournament play, four golfers are inserted into the team lineup, with
Spain Park’s Taylor Trible putts on the green of Hole 1 during the Spain Park girls golf invitational at Greystone Golf and Country Club’s Legacy Course on March 17. Photo by Erin Nelson.
the top three scores counting to the team total. Spain Park battled the elements and tough competition during the regular season, but won a couple tournaments. The Jags won the season-opening Auburn Invitational, with Trible finishing runner-up with a round of 71. McCrackin led the way to a second-place finish in Dothan, then Trible won low medalist honors at the Hoover March Madness tournament,
leading Spain Park to victory. The Jags hosted the Spain Park Invitational in mid-March, finishing second, and beat Hoover 6-0 in a matchplay event in April. “It’s unbelievable to have six players who at any time can enter your lineup,” Holland said. “That’s a great problem to have.” Holland was hopeful the team would continue to improve throughout the spring and play
its best golf down the stretch. The Jags’ postseason run began in late April, with the section tournament at Highland Park. In May, Spain Park is hopeful to advance to the sub-state tournament at Timberline Golf Club in Calera. If the Jags are able to advance beyond that, the state tournament is at Hampton Cove, a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course in Huntsville.
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B6 • May 2022
280 Living
2022 Regions Tradition golf back to pre-COVID format By JON ANDERSON The Regions Tradition, the first of five major championships on the PGA Tour Champions schedule for the best golfers age 50 and older, is coming back full steam in 2022 at the Greystone Golf and Country Club. This year’s championship event is set for May 11-15 and will have no limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, said George Shaw, the tournament director for the Bruno Event Team. The pandemic led to the tournament’s cancellation in 2020, and last year, crowds were limited, and numerous aspects of the tournament were modified. The corporate skyboxes and tents were eliminated, and players were kept in “bubbles” to limit contact with spectators. There also was a “no autographs” policy in place. But this year, all of that is gone, and the tournament will be back in pre-COVID-19 fashion, Shaw said. There will be no masks required and no social distancing restrictions, he said. Getting accurate attendance for the tournament is tricky because there are so many homes along the golf course, but organizers estimated last year’s crowd was probably in the 50,000+ range for the week, compared to a normal crowd of 80,000 to 85,000, Shaw said. Most of that was due to COVID-19, he said. Some people still weren’t getting out and about yet, and a lot of companies still were not entertaining clients at events, he said. Last year’s attendance also could have been hampered by the conclusion of the tournament being on Mother’s Day weekend, he said. This year, the tournament is the week after Mother’s Day. There will be four rounds of championship play on Thursday through Sunday, with the gates opening at 8 a.m. each day and play beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Sunday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. Seventy-eight golfers are scheduled to participate, including Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, Kenny Perry, Miguel Angel Jimenez, David Toms,
PGA pro golfer Ernie Els teesoff at Hole 1 during the NCR Celebrity Pro-Am at the 2021 Regions Tradition tournament at Greystone Golf and Country Club’s Founders Course in Hoover on May 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Mike Weir and Tom Lehman. Celebrities scheduled to participate in the pro-am Wednesday include: Alabama football coach Nick Saban; Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin; Georgia football coach Kirby Smart; Auburn, NFL and Major League Baseball star Bo Jackson; Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats; Auburn and NBA star Charles Barkley; R.E.M. band member Mike Mills; chef Chris Hastings; former pro baseball players George Brett and Dale Murphy; Widespread Panic lead singer John Bell; country singer Riley Green; SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey; TV and radio personality Paul Finebaum; Birmingham Stallions coach Skip Holtz; and journalist and radio show host Clay Travis.
2022 Regions Tradition • WHERE: Greystone Golf & Country Club • WHEN: May 11-15 • TICKETS: $25/day; children 18 and younger free with ticketed adult • WEB: regionstradition.com
The total purse for this year’s tournament is $2.5 million, with $375,000 going to the winner, Shaw said.
Over the past 30 years, the Regions Tradition has raised more than $20 million for charities, including about $1.3 million last year, Shaw said. The primary charity beneficiary is Children’s of Alabama hospital. Country and folk rock singer Corey Smith is scheduled to play a concert at the 10th hole green after play ends on Saturday, which is expected to be about 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 per day, and children age 18 and younger get in free with a ticketed adult. Free parking and shuttle service is available in Meadow Brook Corporate Park at 300 Corporate Parkway Wednesday through Friday and at 2600 Corporate Drive Saturday and Sunday.
Eagles baseball celebrates opening of new press box By KYLE PARMLEY The baseball field at Oak Mountain High School has long had a unique feature to it, or lack thereof. The field had only bleachers surrounding the fence behind home plate, but never a press box like most fields at the high school level and higher have. Until now. On Thursday, March 24, the Oak Mountain baseball program had a ceremony after the varsity game to honor those past and present who helped make the field’s new press box a reality. When Derek Irons took the head coaching job for the Oak Mountain baseball program seven years ago, he admits he didn’t realize how big of a deal that was going to be. But a few years ago, a group of parents in the baseball program set out to change that and organized a group called GoomFI: Goom for the rallying cry “Go Oak Mountain” and FI for facility improvements. “Over the last three years, our parents and the community raised over $300,000, and we’ve invested all of that into facility improvements,” Irons said. The baseball field got a new padded backstop and installed a warning track along the outfield fence a couple years ago, but this project was the one that people have been talking about for years, essentially since the school opened in 1999. “This was a tremendous effort over several years by hundreds of people: parents in our program, people within our school and community,” Irons said. Following Oak Mountain’s 10-6 win over Gadsden City on March 24, Oak Mountain recognized several people on the field, including program sponsors and donors, along with the GoomFI members. “This was a tremendous fundraising effort,” Irons said. “It was a night to celebrate all that
Members of GoomFI (Goom for the rallying cry “Go Oak Mountain” and FI for facility improvements) and donors are recognized during the March 24 dedication ceremony for the new press box at the Oak Mountain High School baseball field following the Eagles 10-5 victory over Gadsden City. Photo by Erin Nelson.
effort and work and time that’s gone into it.” The press box was built off site, with construction beginning in September. Once it was completed, it was delivered and installed on campus. It was fully functional for the first time when Oak Mountain played Vestavia Hills on March 14. Other than simply catching up when it comes to facilities and amenities, the new press box allowed the baseball program to upgrade its sound equipment. Without a press box, temporary sound equipment had to be set up and
taken down before and after every event. With a press box comes the ability to permanently install high quality equipment. There is also a room in the press box dedicated to Oak Mountain Media, a production program at the high school. There are plans to broadcast many of the baseball games and use that time and space as an extension of the program’s teaching. Oak Mountain was able to utilize its new press box for a little more than a month, before
finishing the season with a 21-14 record. The Eagles missed the playoffs by a single game in Class 7A, Area 5. The Eagles dropped their first four games of the season but quickly picked it up, playing good baseball led by a strong pitching staff. Seniors Davis Gillespie and Maddox Macrory have been the steadying force, with the likes of Matthew Heiberger, Kevin Jasinski, Nick McCord and a host of others holding the opposition down.
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Oak Mountain head coach Chris Love talks with the Eagles during a timeout in the second half of the Class 7A boys Northwest Regional final at Traditions Bank Arena at Jacksonville State Community College on Feb. 22. After 37 years in coaching, Oak Mountain High School boys basketball coach Chris Love announced his retirement March 21. Photos by Erin Nelson.
Chris Love retires as Eagles basketball coach By KYLE PARMLEY Following 37 years in coaching, Oak Mountain High School boys basketball coach Chris Love announced his retirement March 21. Love said that over the past few years, he has reevaluated during each offseason whether he felt he was still the right person for the job. “I’ve been in the mold of seeing where I stand and seeing if I can still do a good job and have the energy and enthusiasm to do right by the kids and by the program,” he said. “It’s nothing bad, it’s just time.” Love has been at Oak Mountain since the inception of the basketball program in 1999, serving as an assistant for 10 years before leading the program as head coach over the past 13 years. “It’s just time to step away and let somebody younger come in with more energy and enthusiasm and give us a new spark and lead us onto bigger and better things,” Love said. Love led the Oak Mountain basketball program to unprecedented heights, taking the Eagles to the state final four twice and winning the Class 7A state championship in 2021. “I’m thankful to be a part of a very special program at Oak Mountain for the last 23 years. I’m so honored and thankful to all the coaches and players I’ve had the opportunity to work with. I don’t know if they’re better for being around me, but I know for a fact I’m better for being around them,” he said. Love spent his first six years in coaching at Huffman High School, where he was an assistant coach for the football and basketball teams. He was at Chelsea for four years after
that, serving as the head boys coach two of those seasons. In 1999, he moved over to Oak Mountain and coached under Jerry North, who led the program from day one before handing it off to Love 13 years ago. Love also spent time as an assistant football coach at Oak Mountain for 10 years and was the offensive coordinator on the Eagles’ 2005 team that reached the state semifinals. “Jerry North was my mentor; he’s the reason that whatever knowledge I had about the game of basketball and whatever I bring to coaching, is because of him,” Love said. As a head coach, Love compiled an overall record of 230-187, taking Oak Mountain to at least the regional final in four of the past seven seasons. He gave praise to his staff of Donald McMahon, Kevin McMahon and Kent Jackson, who have all been with him for the past 10 years. “I’m so grateful for them and everything they have done for me and our program,” Love said. Love said he felt his program was “very respected” throughout the state and he took pride in that. “We’ve always been very competitive year in and year out. Even when we didn’t win as much as we liked, our teams always were tough and played hard and were disciplined,” he said. As for the future, Love said he plans to continue teaching at Oak Mountain for at least one more year and being “dad from the stands” as his youngest son Eli completes his senior year on the Oak Mountain basketball team. After that, who knows? “Anything is an option,” Love said.
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Love, right, calls a play during a Class 7A state semifinal game between Oak Mountain and Lee-Montgomery in 2020 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center.
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B8 • May 2022
280 Living
Spain Park senior races to Vanderbilt University By ERIC TAUNTON After years of success in basketball, track and field and cross-country, Spain Park High School senior Mackenzie Culpepper is racing to college on a track and field scholarship to Vanderbilt University. “I am blessed to announce that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at Vanderbilt University,” Culpepper said in a Twitter post. “I am so thankful for my family, coaches and friends for their continuous support over the years. I hope my younger self is proud! Anyways… anchor down!” Culpepper said she has found success in sports since she started running when she was 5 years old and found a love of basketball soon after. Her coach recommended track to her after she won a “cheetah charge” racing event at her elementary school, she said. She then saw her brother play basketball at a summer camp, which spurred her love for the game, Culpepper said. Years later, she became a well-known dual sport high school athlete that’s been recognized at the state and national level. “It became hard for her to choose during the summer time because you could either travel for track or basketball,” said Shonteria Culpepper, Mackenzie’s mother. “She started choosing basketball over track because if you didn’t continue doing AAU basketball, you didn’t get any better. I think a lot of her training for track came from just running the basketball up and down the court.” Spain Park High School track and field and cross-country coach Michael Zelwak has been Culpepper’s coach since seventh grade. When she was in middle school, she was spotted by both Zelwak and Spain Park’s girls basketball coach Mike Chase and both suggested she join their respective teams. “Without a doubt, she’s one of the most driven athletes I’ve coached,” Zelwak said.
Spain Park’s Mackenzie Culpepper competes in the girls Class 7A, Section 3, 1,600-meter run during the Hewitt-Trussville Sectionals at Hewitt-Trussville stadium in Trussville on April 23, 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.
“She doesn’t need to be told when or how to practice. She’s responsible and she works hard. She has that drive to do well and pursue excellence that a lot of students her age just don’t have and she’s consistently worked toward that over the years. It’s helped her improve and reach the success that she’s had.” Zelwak said he has high hopes for Culpepper at Vanderbilt because she will be given
the opportunity to specialize in track and field as opposed to maintaining her skills for two sports. “I think she’s got a great setup at Vanderbilt,” Zelwak said. “I think the coaching staff there understands Mackenzie and I know she’s going to be tight with coach Althea Thomas up there. I think that they’re really going to bring out her strengths and allow her to focus on all of the things that we wish she could have focused
on all through high school. Mackenzie was a dual sports athlete, so we kind of had to share her with basketball and we’d have to go back and forth. I don’t want to say they took away from her ability, but she was just a true dual sport athlete. “She could excel in both and I think allowing her the specialized attention that she’s going to get at Vanderbilt, I think she’s going to go really far.”
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B10 • May 2022
280 Living
Schoolhouse Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Leah Ingram Eagle at leagle@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Shelby students recognized for artwork By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Students throughout Shelby County Schools had their works displayed for the Superintendent’s Art Show on April 21 at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center. The event took place before the regularly scheduled Shelby County Board of Education meeting. Fine Arts and Library Media Supervisor Michelle Hall spoke during the meeting and recognized the students and art teachers for the amazing job that they do. “This past month was ‘Arts in Our Schools’ month, and we’ve been celebrating all kinds of things,” Hall said. “We had our elementary honor choir, and over 600 people came out to the Shelby County Arts Council’s Grande Hall to celebrate music with our students. This year, every one of our high school and middle school bands participated in state music performance assessment, and every school received a superior rating. We are super proud of our band programs and our theater programs the same way.” For the Superintendent’s Art Show, each school could submit four pieces of art, and a top three plus honorable mention were chosen. From those, 20 pieces are chosen to go to the state competition. There, winners are picked from every school in the state. This year, Shelby County had three students place in the state level, including Oak Mountain Elementary’s Bentley Lumpkin, who received second place. “I want to thank our board members,” Hall said.” Over 70% of the elementary schools in the state have cut art and music from their elementary programs, but this board finds value in what the fine arts bring into the school and to
The top three winners in the Superintendent’s Art Show are shown on display at the April 21 event. The rooster drawing was done by Oak Mountain Elementary student Bentley Lumpkin. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
the children. We are so thankful that not only do they give us art and music teachers, but allow us to do things like this.” During his superintendent’s report, Dr. Lewis Brooks spoke about a group he is part of called the Alabama Transformational Leadership Academy. Made up of superintendents from across the state, they come together and talk about ways to make education better and some of the great things happening in their districts. Brooks had all of the district leaders stand and be recognized. “One of the things we talked about in our last meeting was the role of the superintendent and the role of his colleagues and how
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Items approved by the board included: ► Request for out of state field trips; ► Renewal of cyber insurance policy; ► Bid for vision impaired equipment; ► Contract renewal CNP pizza delivery for six months; ► Personnel actions; ► Bid for portable classroom leasing; ► Bid for electrical and lighting supplies; ► Bid for architect job for a new teachers’ workroom at Helena Elementary. The next meeting of the Shelby County Board of Education will be May 5 at 5 p.m. at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center in Alabaster.
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May 2022 • B11
Robbins eager to serve entire school district as chief learning officer By JON ANDERSON Chris Robbins has been on the Hoover Bucs side of town and on the Spain Park Jags side of town, and now he has an opportunity to serve the entire city of Hoover as an educator. Robbins, who for the past 8½ years has served as principal of Berry Middle School, in January began his new role as the Hoover City Schools chief learning officer. It’s a new title but very similar to the role that Ron Dodson has played as an assistant superintendent over curriculum and instruction. Dodson is retiring this summer and helping Robbins transition into his new job. Dodson had planned to retire at the end of 2021, but some technical issues pushed his retirement to July. While that was an unplanned extension for Dodson, Robbins said it has been a blessing for him because it has given him more time to work closely with Dodson. “He and I are good friends. I’ve known him for many years. He’s always been a mentor,” Robbins said. Robbins has been in education more than 23 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in middle school and secondary education from Samford University in 1998 and went to work as a science teacher at Berry Middle School. He went back to school and earned his master’s and educational specialist degrees from UAB in 2003 and 2005 and became assistant principal at Bumpus Middle School in 2005. He then earned his doctorate in educational leadership from UAB in 2011 and became an assistant principal at Brock’s Gap Intermediate School the same year. He was transferred to an associate principal role at Berry Middle School in 2012 and took over as principal there in August 2013. Samford University in 2015 recognized Robbins as one of the top 100 graduates from the O.B.B. School of Education with the “Learning for Life” award, and in 2017, the Alabama Educational Theater Association recognized him
Berry Middle School Principal Chris Robbins was appointed as the Hoover school district’s new chief learning officer in December. Photo by Jon Anderson.
as the Alabama Administrator of the Year for his consistent support and promotion of theater arts programs. In 2019, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Education awarded Robbins its Outstanding Alumni Award, and in 2020, he earned Level 1 Google Educator certification. He also is a graduate of the 2020-21 Alabama Superintendent’s Academy through the University of Alabama. In his new role as chief learning officer, Robbins will oversee curriculum and instruction, federal programs, special education and instructional support. Robbins said his time at Berry has been the highlight of his educational career. He formed many meaningful relationships and strong friendships and has had fantastic teachers, wonderful faculty and staff and a wonderful community of students and families, he said.
His new job will allow him to use some of the same skills he has enjoyed implementing as a principal, he said. He can use strategic thinking, work with data and school and district improvement goals, outline steps for improvement and align the school district’s vision, mission and goals with available resources, he said. The difference is that he gets to serve the entire district, he said. “To be able to serve in a district role to me is just a neat opportunity to do the best I can to have a really strong impact on all the kids in Hoover,” he said. The most immediate need is to help students recover from learning losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly time missed in the classroom due to sickness, quarantine time or mandated virtual learning, he said. “Our students have been through quite an
ordeal over the last couple of years,” he said. His goal is to do everything possible to keep kids having face-to-face interaction with teachers so they can keep moving forward, he said. The school district has invested heavily in hiring 41 new interventionists to work directly with students who have struggled due to COVID-19. For the longer term, Robbins said his goal is to find ways to get all Hoover schools working together toward a common vision for improvement, getting everyone on the same page about the most effective teaching methods. The district’s academic coaches will play a big role in that, he said. Robbins temporarily is splitting his time between the new job and the principal role at Berry until a new principal is named, though he has delegated many of his responsibilities to the leadership team there.
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B12 • May 2022
280 Living
Teacher makes Imagination Lab a reality at CPES By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
Chelsea Park Elementary School first grade teacher Sarah Cooley and her class site outside the new Imagination Lab before the ribbon cutting. Photo courtesy of Sarah Cooley.
Every time first grade teacher Sarah Cooley walked by the sunroom at Chelsea Park Elementary School, she knew the space had the potential to be something else. “A few summers ago, I had a little journal and just sketched out a plan for that room,” Cooley said. “It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for years. I was really nervous when I took it to [Vice Principal Jessi] Adams, but I wanted to get approval before I wrote a grant. It was a quick yes from her.” Adams said that as soon as she and Cooley began discussing her vision, she knew this space would be perfect for the students. “Sarah Cooley is the type of teacher who parents hope their children will have and the teacher who students aspire to be,” Adams said. “She is always bringing new ideas to the classroom and the school that are student-centered, engaging and creative.” As an educator, Cooley said play-based learning means a lot to her and is so important to a student’s development. She knew while studying at Samford University that she wanted her classroom to be different for creative play to be part of the daily routine. Although Cooley had never seen a concept like hers before, she knew she wanted something STEM-based without a technology aspect, but instead, centered around play and make-believe. She said she was excited to create a space that would be used beyond her classroom and allow kids to do what they do best. “The inspiration was the playhouse that I saw … from Imagine THAT! Playhouses based in Georgia,” Cooley said. “I found it first, and it inspired what was happening. The rest of the room I wanted to be whimsical and magical like going on a field trip [without leaving the school].” Knowing the playhouse would be expensive, Cooley began budgeting and itemizing every item she would need for the space. She spent
280Living.com
May 2022 • B13
Left: Tanner Bankston drops marbles into a contraption he built with Cayden Simmons in the small building area of the Imagination Lab. Photo by Erin Nelson. Right: One side of the Imagination Lab features a playhouse with a cafe, kitchen and dress up clothes, which encourage students to use their imaginations. Photo courtesy of Sarah Cooley.
time browsing different websites to price the items she wanted to get and was able to come up with a final estimate. She received a Nick Grant from the city of Chelsea and also funds that the school received from state Sen. Dan Roberts and state Rep. Corley Ellis. Cooley began bringing items into the former sunroom in August. She and her husband spent many hours building furniture and transforming the room into a reality. Although it could have opened earlier, Cooley said that as a perfectionist, she wanted to have everything just right before students began to visit. The lab is geared for students in kindergarten through second grade and has four main areas:
a LEGO wall; an art and creativity station; a cafe and playhouse; and a block building station. Students can paint on easels and create items using a variety of art materials, they can pretend in the cafe and playhouse area, which has dress-up clothes, and they can also build creations using blocks and Legos. Cooley describes The Imagination Lab as a space where play fosters creativity, innovation, perseverance, curiosity and wonder. “Hopefully it will inspire students to dream big, imagine possibilities, and allow them to discover their own gifts,” she said. “I hope it is a magical place our students will always remember from their time in elementary school.” Cooley said both students and teachers were
excited when the Imagination Lab opened in March, and she has received many compliments and words of encouragement. “Seeing the kids walk in and see the playhouse … they were screaming and so excited and shocked that the space was for them,” she said. The Imagination Lab is a magical space that is colorful and fun, Adams said. She is excited to see the students use the lab for years to come. “It really does make you want to explore your own creative ideas,” she said. “It is exciting to visit when the kids are there. They make the whole room come to life. Einstein said, ‘Creativity is intelligence having fun,’ and that’s the vision of the Imagination Lab.
Great things are happening at our school, and Sarah is a wonderful representative of our amazing teachers.” Classes visit the Imagination Lab every other week. Cooley said the teachers are facilitators, but it is intended to be a child-led experience to allow the students to have ownership of the space and decide what they are going to do or create or just play and have fun. This is Cooley’s 16th year of teaching, and she said this project has been one of the most exciting things that has happened in her career. “This has been one of the hardest things I’ve done,” she said. “I’m glad it’s finished, but it’s been so rewarding, too, and something our school will have forever.”
B14 • May 2022
280 Living
VIDAL Access aims to level admissions playing field By ERIC TAUNTON “A kid is a kid.” That’s the philosophy of VIDAL Access, a nonprofit college access organization that provides in-school college consulting services to primarily low-income students. VIDAL Access recently announced that it helped two Birmingham students get accepted into Ivy League schools. Jose Tallaj, a student at John Carroll Catholic High School, was accepted into Columbia University, and Kennedy Tyson, a student at Indian Springs School, was accepted into Brown University. The nonprofit “pushes in” college consultants to high schools throughout the Birmingham area to provide students with essay support, SAT and ACT preparation, and resume building and editing assistance, among other services. “Our method of ‘pushing into’ the schools is a reflection of our values,” said Lance Beverly, president and CEO of VIDAL Access. “We’re not trying to cherry pick the top five kids from Ramsay High School, the top three kids from Woodlawn, the top three kids from John Carroll who happen to fall into that ‘diverse bucket of students.’ We have that full-fledged model of ‘pushing into’ the schools because every kid matters.” The U.S. Department of Education reports that students only receive 38 minutes of college
Lance Beverly of VIDAL Access talks with Sister Maria Thuan Nguyen’s AP English class about college admissions essays at John Carroll Catholic High School on April 12. Photo by Erin Nelson.
counseling per year, Beverely said, which stems from the overwhelming caseloads and responsibilities of school counselors. School counselors around the country have a lot of responsibilities such as testing coordination, conducting surveys, social and emotional development and class scheduling, Beverly said, which means only 22% of their time can be devoted to college counseling related tasks, according to the College Board. The American School Counseling Association recommends a 250-to-1 ratio of students to counselors, but the national average is 480-to-1 and in Alabama that number is 450 students for every single counselor, he said. “When only about a fifth of your time can
be devoted to college counseling, and you’ve got 450-ish students under your purview, it’s no wonder that the U.S. national average is 38 minutes of college counseling per year in high school,” Beverly said. Beverly refers to Birmingham high schools as VIDAL Access’ primary “offices.” VIDAL Access puts college consultants in schools for 8 hours because it believes it shouldn’t be the responsibility of students to reach out to them, he said. “Our aim is to provide low-income, lower-middle class students with the same level of college consulting support that an affluent family would seek in the private market, but we’re providing that on-site at the school,”
Beverly said. “The fact of the matter is most of the students we serve come from a single parent household where mama’s got a couple jobs or maybe you’ve got a couple of siblings you have to look after.” Beverly has had a passion for college access work since he was 13, he said. When his grandmother died after he graduated college when he was 28, it encouraged him to pursue his longtime passion for college access work, Beverly said. “It’s as simple as this: A kid’s a kid,” Beverly said. “We see the kid, we help the kid. That’s why we’re partnering with a devout Catholic school, and that’s why we’re partnering with a LGBTQ friendly school, because a kid’s a kid.”
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280Living.com
May 2022 • B15
Chelsea High School’s Class of 2021 celebrates graduation. This year’s ceremony for the Class of 2022 is scheduled for May 24 at 2 p.m. Photo by Neal Embry.
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Senior classes bid farewell to high school this month By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
INDIAN SPRINGS
Graduation season is here, and the four high schools in the 280 Living coverage area are hosting their graduation ceremonies this month. Here’s the information for each of them:
BRIARWOOD*
► Total graduates: 144 ► Valedictorian: David Houston ► Salutatorian: Lacey Wesson ► Graduation date: May 15, 3 p.m. ► Location: Briarwood Presbyterian Church ► Tickets: There will be open seating and no specific seating restrictions *Briarwood’s 50th graduating class
► Total graduates: 70 ► Fall Mayor: Andrew Cheng Schwebel ► Spring Mayor: Joseph Blanco Katz. ► Graduation date: May 27 at 9:30 a.m. ► Location: Indian Springs School.
OAK MOUNTAIN
► Total graduates: 386 ► Valedictorian: William Benjamin Stone ► Salutatorian: Lewis Parks Fuller ► Graduation date: May 25, 6 p.m. ► Location: Bartow Arena, UAB ► Tickets: Each student will receive 12 tickets for guests.
SPAIN PARK
CHELSEA
► Total graduates: 315 ► Valedictorian: Samantha Kennedy ► Salutatorian: Madison Taylor ► Graduation date: May 24, 2 p.m. ► Location: Pete Hanna Center at Samford University ► Tickets: Each student will receive 10 tickets for guests. Guests of all ages must have a ticket to attend.
► Total graduates: TBD. Their school system allows for students’ final semester grades to count toward graduation. ► Valedictorian: TBD ► Salutatorian: TBD ► Graduation date: May 20 at 5 p.m. ► Location: Pete Hanna Center at Samford University ► Tickets: TBD
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B16 • May 2022
280 Living
Mt Laurel Elementary hosts 1st book festival
Mt Laurel Elementary students participate in the school’s inaugural Book Festival from March 15-17. Students chose their own books (more than 130 pages) and created posters to explain them. Photos by Leah Ingram Eagle.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Mt Laurel Elementary students took part in the school’s inaugural Book Festival in mid-March. Students in third, fourth and fifth grades chose a fictional chapter book of their choice that was more than 130 pages. Each presented facts about their book on a decorated storyboard in the school lunchroom. Library Media Specialist Heather Braswell, along with several teachers, came up with the project. “We wanted to let parents come into the school so the students could showcase literary elements,” Braswell said. Projects were judged based on literary elements, creativity of the project and knowledge of the book. The festival took place over three days with third graders presenting March 15, followed
by fourth graders March 16 and fifth graders March 17. Guest judges were brought in and included local author Sally Dollar; Emma Harvey, a student teacher attending Samford University; April Brand, secondary school coordinator for Shelby County Schools; Shelby County Board of Education member Jane Hampton; Heather Stafford and Rebecca Rayl, media center specialists at Chelsea Middle School; Kate Etheredge, director of library services at North Shelby Library and Mt Laurel Library; Michelle Hall, Library Media Services Program area supervisor for Shelby County Schools; and Heather Lee, library media specialist at Chelsea High School. Braswell said some of the students appeared hesitant at first because it seemed like a lot of work, but when students began making their boards, they became excited about the project.
280Living.com
May 2022 • B17
Chelsea students get hands-on experience with DaVinci robot By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Students at Chelsea High School were given the opportunity to get a hands-on experience with the DaVinci robot during the Shelby Baptist Medical Center Day on April 14. The $2.4 million Intuitive DaVinci robotic-assisted surgical system was on display at the Chelsea High School Healthcare Academy. Shelby Baptist Medical Center physicians and staff were on hand to provide medical education and demonstrations. Students were also able to have hands-on simulation experiences with the robot during the school day, and an open house was held after school for parents, students, teachers, administrators, and school nurses from all Shelby County Schools, along with members of the community. The event was an industry partnership between Shelby County Schools, Shelby Baptist Medical Center and Intuitive Surgical. Andrea Maddox, instructor of the Healthcare Academy, said the day prior to the event, before the robot made its way to Chelsea High School, surgeons were using it. “It’s just been a great day of learning, demonstration and partnerships,” she said. “This robot was at the Marriott at Grandview yesterday training surgeons, and they brought it over here for our kids today.” Students in the Chelsea Healthcare Academy were excited to be part of the event and get to operate the robot. “Using the DaVinci robot was a surreal experience,” Rylee Speed said.
“You hear it get talked about, but actually sitting there being able to operate it’s an entirely different world.” Jessie Holsombeck said she had seen the robot in a real surgery at Shelby Baptist and enjoyed having a hands-on experience. “I got to observe at Shelby Baptist a prostate removal with the robot,” she said. “Seeing it here and being able to use it is really cool. Being able to sit where the surgeon sits and see what the surgeon sees was really surreal.” The robot's technology is ideal for many types of surgical procedures, and the doctors can guide patients through the process. Dr. Charles Braswell, a general surgeon at Shelby Baptist, said the hospital has been performing robotic surgeries since 2013. He said it can be used for a variety of surgeries, including hernia, gallbladder, prostate, gynecological surgeries, cardiothoracic surgery and any colon or stomach operation. Braswell went to the Intuitive lab in Atlanta to train on the DaVinci model. It only took him a short time to learn how to work the machine. “It was nothing because I knew how to do everything openly; I wasn't learning anything new,” he said. “It’s just like shrinking down my hands.” The robot offers a minimally invasive approach to surgery but doesn’t do anything independently. Benefits to patients include experiencing less pain, less blood loss, less infection and scarring, less use of pain medicine after surgery, a shorter or no hospital stay, faster recovery and a faster return to work.
A close up look at the DaVinci robotic-assisted surgical system. The equipment costs $2.4 million and is used by doctors to perform surgeries. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
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B18 • May 2022
280 Living
JUMPING RIGHT IN New Hoover Parks and Recreation director Erin Colbaugh brings familiarity to job By JON ANDERSON Erin Colbaugh has been managing events for the city of Hoover for 16 years, and now she’s tackling a new challenge. In February, she became the new director of the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department, replacing Craig Moss upon his retirement. Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said Moss did a great job in his 16-plus years as parks and recreation director, and he feels Colbaugh will slide easily into her new role. “She’s familiar with everything going on in parks and recreation, so she’ll be able to jump in it without too high of a learning curve,” Brocato said. Colbaugh has an incredible work ethic and a great ability to work with everyone, Brocato said, noting that she has already worked with the employees she now will manage. As events manager, Colbaugh had one assistant working with her, but her job involved a lot of coordination with most city departments. Now she will oversee a department with about 75 people in it, including part-time employees. Brocato said Colbaugh’s work experience prior to joining the city of Hoover fits very well with the parks and recreation job. Colbaugh said she knew early in her life she wanted to pursue a career that involved athletics, even when she was at Danville High School in Danville, Kentucky. She served as a football, baseball and wrestling manager in high school and also helped with basketball game management. While attending Murray State University, she became the university’s first female football manager where she assisted with game management and sports information for other sports after the football season was over. After earning a bachelor’s degree with a public relations major and physical education minor in 1993, she went to the University of Kentucky to earn her master’s degree in sports management. While there, she served as a graduate assistant under Athletic Director C.M. Newton, working with the special assistant for game management. Colbaugh also had the opportunity to work several national events for the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs. She came back to the University of Kentucky as a full-time assistant in the basketball office, working with legendary coach Rick Pitino. Colbaugh even got a national championship ring for being part of the staff when Kentucky won the NCAA tournament in 1996. As Pitino was preparing for his move to the Boston Celtics, he played in the Bruno’s Memorial Classic golf tournament at Greystone Golf and Country Club in 1997. While there, he helped line up a job for Colbaugh with the Bruno Event Team. From 1997 to 2006, Colbaugh helped organize events such as the Bruno’s Memorial Classic (now the Regions Tradition), SEC Baseball Tournament and events put on by a breast cancer foundation
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Above: Erin Colbaugh, the new director for Hoover’s Parks and Recreation Department, sways on the jungle gym at Hoover Central Park. Below: Colbaugh by the Shades Mountain Park baseball field. Photos by Erin Nelson.
created by NFL great Brett Favre and his wife, Deanna. Colbaugh then was hired by the city of Hoover as an events coordinator in 2006. The job later became events manager, and more recently, Colbaugh became the assistant director for hospitality, tourism and events for the city. Colbaugh said it has been a privilege to be involved with a lot of unique events over the years, and she has a lot of cool memories from all of them. One that stands out is former American Idol
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winner Taylor Hicks’ “home visit” to the Riverchase Galleria while he was in the competition in 2006, when thousands of people gathered inside the mall for the celebration. Another was former President George W. Bush’s visit to Hoover in September 2006. Brocato said events coordinator Brittany Callaway, who has worked with Colbaugh, is moving with Colbaugh to the Parks and Recreation Department because so many of the city’s events fall in that realm. Colbaugh said it has been great working with
the parks and recreation staff to put on so many events over the years. They are a wonderful team that has done a great job, and she looks forward to enhancing and expanding the excellent services and programs they already have and continuing to look for ways to serve the public with excellence and increase the quality of life for Hoover residents, she said. She also hopes to increase collaboration between the Parks and Recreation Department and other city departments, as well as with the school system and business community, she said. Another goal is to look for more ways to expand services outside the walls of the Hoover Recreation Center and Hoover Senior Center, Colbaugh said. For example, maybe the city can hold some activities for senior citizens at the Finley Center because there are many senior citizens involved in pickleball there. There also may be opportunities to get more people involved with organized activities at the new mountain bike park and trails in Trace Crossings. While COVID-19 didn’t curtail youth sports too much, some people have been reluctant to return to indoor activities at the Rec Center, so maybe the city can offer more outdoor activities for all age groups, Colbaugh said. The mayor said that another reason Colbaugh was chosen for the parks and recreation job, perhaps more important than her experience, is that she is a person of high standards and phenomenal integrity. “I think she’s going to be a tremendous asset.”
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280Living.com
May 2022 • B19
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B20 • May 2022
280 Living
Events Second Shift fundraiser to go ‘over the edge’ By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Second Shift is taking fundraising to new heights with its May 14 event. Approximately 75 brave “edgers” will have the opportunity to rappel seven stories down the McLeod Software building on U.S. 280 in exchange for raising a minimum of $1,000 in donations by May 10. Funds raised will support Second Shift, a Shelby County-based nonprofit that assists Alabama youth who are at-risk and aging out of foster care to help them transition to sustainable and connected independence. The day-long event will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Family, friends and spectators are invited to support participants and enjoy the “Landing Zone” party with food vendors and family fun. The activity will be put on by Over the Edge, a company that provides signature events for nonprofit organizations across Canada and the United States. In its 10 years of operation, it has helped raise more than $100 million with nonprofit partners, hosted over 1,000 rappelling events and maintained a spotless safety record. “Over the Edge demonstrates our mission perfectly,” said Tammy Spence, executive director of Second Shift. “Just as the rappelling equipment provides safety, Second Shift provides safe and stable support for aging-out youth, from the edge of foster care to the solid ground of independence.” Edger levels include thrill-seeker ($1,000plus), risk-taker ($1,500-plus), adrenaline junkie ($2,500-plus) and over-the-top
Summer fun returns with day camps at Hargis Christian Camp By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
The McLeod Software building at 100 Corporate Parkway off U.S. 280. Photo courtesy of McLeod Software.
Over the Edge for Second Shift • WHERE: McLeod Software, 100 Corporate Parkway • WHEN: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 14 • WEB: fundrazr.com/ote4secondshift
($3,000-plus). Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. All participants must be within the 100- to 300-pound required weight range for safety standards. For those with special needs, severe health complications or allergies, and more, contact Spence at link@secondshiftalabma.org. To register for the event, visit fundrazr.com/ ote4secondshift.
Summer camps are back at Camp Hargis for the first time in three years. Aaron Knight, who is heading up the revitalization of Hargis Christian Camp, said things would be in place to host kids for this year’s day camps. “Camps don’t leave a huge footprint since no lodging is needed,” Knight said. “We just needed the auditorium, cafeteria, pavilion and lake areas to be done, and these projects will be completed by the time camp begins.” Each week from June 6 to July 11, campers will participate in camps that feature entertaining activities with a Christ-centered focus. The camps will provide socializing and friendship building while eliminating children’s screen time. The camps will also offer exercise, personal growth and development, and time with positive role models. Located off U.S. 280 in Chelsea, the camps will take place daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each week will feature a different theme, including: Summer Games (Olympic theme); The Greatest Show (circus theme); Superhero (Jesus is our superhero); Color Your World (glow theme) and Water World (splash theme). Daily activities will include canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts, group chapel time, hiking, group worship, skits, sports and games, and fishing, among other things.
Kids enjoy time in the lake at Hargis Christian Camp. Summer camps will run this summer during June and July. Photo courtesy of Aaron Knight.
Summer day camps at Hargis Christian Camp • WHERE: Off U.S. 280, Chelsea • WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., each week from June 6 to July 11 • WEB: hargischristiancamp.org
Each week of camp is $195 and will include two snacks per day and a T-shirt. Campers are required to bring their own lunch. Registrants must be rising first graders through rising sixth graders. The registration deadline is May 1. Aaron said fundraising efforts continue for the camp, and donations are needed for their efforts to replace 300 mattresses. Another project is donor plaques: Anyone donating $1,000 or more will get a name plate in the cafeteria and those funds go toward more work at the camp. Preferred ages for counselors is 18-19, but those ages 16-17 can sign up to be junior counselors, which are not paid positions but permit free attendance. For more information or to register for summer camps, visit hargischristiancamp.org.
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280Living.com
May 2022 • B21
Participants at the 2021 Huntington’s Disease walk. Photo courtesy of Matthew Santamaria
Annual Huntington’s Disease fundraiser returns to OMSP By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Alabama Team Hope Walk will take place May 14 at 1 p.m. Oak Mountain State Park, with a mission to raise awareness and funds for research for Huntington’s disease. The annual fundraiser benefits the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the gradual breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, which deteriorates a person’s physical, mental and emotional abilities. Today, there are approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting HD. Team Hope is HDSA’s largest national grassroots fundraising event. It takes place in more than 100 cities across the U.S. and has raised more than $14 million for HD since its inception in 2007. Thousands of families, friends, co-workers, neighbors and communities walk together each year to support HDSA’s fight to improve the lives of people affected by HD and their families. “It is amazing how bringing the passions of families in our HD community together at Team Hope Walk is both energetic and
Alabama Team Hope Walk • WHERE: Oak Mountain State Park • WHEN: May 14, 1 p.m. • COST: $30 for walkers; $50 for superstar walkers; $100 for VIP walkers • WEB: south.hdsa.org/events/ alabama-team-hope-walk
comforting,” said HDSA South Regional Development Officer Melissa Wind,. “We really are a family, and I am so excited to see people in person, share a hug and walk together for HDSA this year.” Local companies and small businesses are invited to sponsor the Team Hope Walk. Check in time for the event is at noon. Registration is $30 for walkers, $50 for superstar walkers and $100 for a VIP walker. All donations from the event goto HDSA. For more information or to register, visit south. hdsa.org/events/alabama-team-hope-walk.
The Marketplace at Lee Branch will begin the first weekend in May and run until the end of August at a more central location in the Lee Branch shopping center located at Doug Baker Boulevard. Photo courtesy of Renee Betz.
The Marketplace at Lee Branch kicks off 8th season this month By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Marketplace at Lee Branch is back for its eighth season. Owner Mike Betz said the market will begin the first weekend in May and run until the end of August. Betz said the marketplace is continuing to rebuild post-pandemic and said it will be more normalized this season. “This is still a year of rebuilding, and we are trying to attract new merchants,” Betz said. The market will go back to more of a central location in the Lee Branch shopping center located at Doug Baker Boulevard. The center square grassy area can accommodate around 40 to 50 vendor tents, and Betz said people like that spot, which he considers “Southern walkable.” Betz said the regular farmers will be back this season and added that he’s curious if shopping locally will be more important this year as the prices of gas and food continue to increase. “It makes buying locally a lot more attractive; supporting local farms is becoming a lot more important,” he said. In addition to local products, the marketplace
The Marketplace at Lee Branch • WHERE: Lee Branch shopping center at Doug Baker Boulevard • WEB: facebook.com/themarket placeatleebranch and themarket placeatleebranch.com
will offer kids’ activities and music, special events and tastings, things they normally do that make the open air market fun, Betz said. Betz and his wife, Renee are both dealing with health issues but will be at the market as much as they can. The couple will continue to operate the market, but may do so through other people. “We enjoy doing it. It’s time to get the younger people to take over,” he said. “This is a year of rebuilding and a year of healing.” Market updates will be posted at facebook. com/themarketplaceatleebranch or its website, themarketplaceatleebranch.com.
B22 • May 2022
280 Living
Opinion Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich
Reverence for the Pound Cake Lady The things I could write about pound cake. I could go on and on and bore you to death, but I won’t. After my father died, I remember visiting a Methodist church with my boyhood friend, and he was introducing me to people. He was raised Methodist; I was not. My people were Baptist. The Methodists were cheerful. My people didn’t believe in cheer. Our pastor preached hard against alcoholism, promiscuity and narcotics because these things could lead to cigarette smoking. My friend pointed to one lady in the congregation. She was slight with gray hair and a blue skirt suit. There are some people you don’t forget. She was one of those people. She had a heavenly glow. People smiled when they passed by her like she was unique. “Who’s that woman?” I asked. “That is the Pound Cake Lady,” my pal said in reverence. After the Methodist service, my friend led me to a downstairs fellowship hall. The Methodists put out a bigger spread than any I’d ever seen. There was even a special table dedicated to cornbread and biscuits. It was too much. Overwhelming. I even saw people standing outside the fellowship hall, smoking cigarettes after their meal. It was as though they were unwinding after sin. The woman in the blue skirt suit placed
something on the end of were crammed in that little the table. It was a golden, house, eating raw oysters, fat, hulking, sacred pound laughing and carrying on. cake. There were so many that “Hurry and get some,” some had to sleep on coffee said my friend, “before it’s tables and in bathtubs. I felt all gone.” out of place. He was right. The cake The girl’s mother didn’t last four seconds, showed me to my bedroom, but when it disappeared, which was down the hall the old woman replaced it from the brunette’s room. with another. The woman said, “This People blessed her name is where you sleep. I’m Dietrich right across the hall. And forevermore. Hallelujah. And so did I. remember, I can hear whenSo every church has a pound cake lady. ever your door opens.” They are young, middle-aged or elderly, And I knew that if I tried to exit my room and they are holy. These ladies are mes- past curfew — even to visit the little boys’ sengers, sent to humanity as proof that room — I would wake up in a graveyard God is not gluten-free. He loves white dead. I fell asleep that night wondering why I flour, sugar and butter, no matter what diet books say. was there, on vacation with a happy family. If you have doubts whether your congre- I didn’t belong to these people. I’d never gation has a pound cake lady, just ask your belonged anywhere. Ever since boyhood, I church secretary. She knows their phone had a hard time fitting in. My family was nothing like this family. number by heart. Years later, I met a young woman at a We were broken, and about as unstable as similar potluck. She was brunette, Baptist, a rickety stool. with brown eyes. She and I became friendly The next morning I awoke to a pleasant and spent time together. smell that flooded the house. It was a familOne summer, she invited me to go with iar aroma. I followed it down the stairs. her family on their annual vacation. There, I found everyone awake. A big Her family rented a house in Indian man dressed in seersucker, a woman wearPass, Florida, on the Gulf. When I arrived, ing pearls, a lady with a big sun hat and I found the place filled with people. They several others. They were all singing, “In
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the Garden.” They asked me to join the singing, so we all sang together, and I wondered if these people were fugitives from the Searcy nuthouse. Then some lady said, “We’re so glad to have you here, Sean.” Everyone agreed with her. And I don’t know why, but I nearly cried. And that smell. It was so strong. It smelled like being hugged. Like vanilla. Like prayer meetings on warm Saturday evenings. Like looking at a midnight sky over the Gulf of Mexico. From the kitchen came the brunette. Young. Smiling. She carried a plate. On the dish was the source of the smell. A slice of warm, yellow, dense pound cake. Everyone stopped singing. They behaved reverently when she passed by. Boys removed their hats and held them over their hearts. And the family watched me take my first bite. A bite that would change my life forever. I told you, I could go on and on about pound cake and bore you to death. But I won’t. I just wanted to tell you how I came to marry the Pound Cake Lady. Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. He has authored nine books and is the creator of the “Sean of the South” blog and podcast.
280Living.com
May 2022 • B23
Holy Moly Motherhood By Alana Smith
Motherhood, unencumbered I am climbing our stairs, between past and future. headed to my son’s room When I am overwhelmed with tasks, I sometimes for the second time this picture my family living evening. When he sees me, on a farm, “Little House his face is filled with relief. on the Prairie”-style, with “Momma.” I scoop him up, and we slow-moving days and my settle into the rocker in children running carefree. I long for the freedom to just his room. I am weary and ready for him to sleep. watch them, in awe, withAlthough I need to finish out ruminating over how I the laundry, I really settle in am doing and what I need and exhale deeply, pushing to do next. Smith out the stress of the day. Did mothers long ago As his breath slows and sit in peace and rear chilhe lulls to sleep, I can feel mine doing the dren without distraction? Unlikely. They same. were probably thinking of their family’s I think to myself, how nice it would be next meal or washing sheets by hand or just to fall asleep right here. Perfectly safe, wartime. warm and content with my child in my But still I daydream. I imagine myself arms. But then I open my eyes. without interruptions, being able to play No matter how much I would like to stay cars on the floor with my son with true joy, in this spot, I must get up. The house and its and not the visceral pull that my responduties beckon me. If I sleep here, I would sibilities have over me. How much more miss my alarm in the morning, and every- pleasure would I be to him if I was truly one would be late — late to all of the places present, not accessible to anything other that we must go. than him at that moment? Lunches would be unmade, and dishes I crave simplicity, yet nothing about left dirty. The members of my family would my normal day seems simple. When I be a puzzled bunch — “Mom? What hap- come home from work and we have only pened to Mom?” moments before we leave for baseball, my As mothers, we don’t travel lightly living room is littered with toys, crumbs and throughout the day. We carry our responsi- rogue shoes. bilities, burdens and distractions into every Fruit snack wrappers and marker tops are task. Even moments that truly demand our abandoned, and piles of laundry wait to be attention are interrupted by thoughts of our folded. I can feel the tension rising in me, to-do list. on the cusp of boiling over. As I rock, I long to just be in this moment, Breathe. If only I was untethered. unattached and free, content in this place I know that as a mother, and a human, I
will naturally be filled with responsibilities to my family, my employer and to society, and I cannot realistically unburden myself of those things. I know that our busy schedules are too full, yet I’m thankful for the opportunities available to my children. Amid the chaos, I truly enjoy the activities and sports, as well as the noisy and often messy house we live in. So I must embrace the busyness that a full life brings. I pray that I can live with purpose and intention. I hope that when I find a moment of solace during the week, that I savor it. I pray that I can be truly present and soak up the moments that matter with my children. I once read that “to have a happy family … is to enjoy an earlier heaven,” a truth to be remembered when we are overwhelmed with our day. I imagine heaven is like the true joy of motherhood — all consuming and indescribable — without the doubt, weariness and frustration that we often feel. Motherhood, unencumbered. We are gifted little glimpses of heaven: when our children bring tears to our eyes with their goodness; when your son holds your hand while you read to him; when he hits a ball to the fence and finds you in the stands first; and when he looks back to find your eyes once more as he walks into school. These moments should remind us of the profound love our children have for us, no matter how messy, distracted or weighed down we think we are. We are mothers, and that in itself, is accomplishment enough.
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B24 • May 2022
280 Living
Metro Roundup HOOVER
May run/walk events planned at Veterans Park By JON ANDERSON
The Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue center is holding its 2022 5K MeowA-Thon and 1-mile Whisker Walk on May 28. Photo by Jon Anderson.
Veterans Park in Hoover will host a different walk or run every Saturday during the month of May. Here’s a rundown on each of them:
DONOR DASH FOR LIFE 5K
The Legacy of Hope nonprofit that supports organ and tissue donation in Alabama is having its third annual Donor Dash for Life 5K on Brought to May 7. Registration is at you by our 8 a.m., and the race starts sister paper: at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $35, but organizers also welcome people to form teams to raise money to hooversun.com support the cause, said Ashley Anderson, the Legacy of Hope’s community liaison. As participants run the course, those who have received donated organs, people who have donated organs and their families will cheer on the runners, Anderson said. The event serves both as a fundraiser and awareness campaign for Legacy of Hope, which coordinates organ procurement for the transplant centers at UAB Hospital and Children’s of Alabama hospital. The first year’s race was held virtually in 2020, and last year, about 90 runners and walkers took part in an in-person race at Veterans Park, raising more than $3,500, Anderson said. The goal this year is to have at least 120 people and raise more than $5,000, she said. For more information, call 205-7319200 or visit legacyofhope.org/event/ donor-dash-for-life-5K.
WALK TO CURE ARTHRITIS
The Arthritis Foundation is putting on its 2022 Walk to Cure Arthritis on May 14. The program begins at 8 a.m., and the walk begins at 9 a.m. The aim is to honor the 54 million Americans who battle arthritis and raise money to find better treatments and a cure for the disease, which causes pain in people’s joints and can reduce mobility. The Walk to Cure Arthritis is the flagship fundraising event for the foundation. People are encouraged to form teams to both raise money and participate in the event. The goal this year is to raise $40,000. As of April 20, 47 people on 14 teams had signed up for the Alabama walk at Veterans Park and had raised more than $7,500, according to the Arthritis Foundation website. For more information or to register to walk in the event or as a fundraiser, go to events. arthritis.org.
BIRMINGHAM GREAT STRIDES WALK
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is holding its Birmingham Great Strides Walk at Veterans Park on May 21. Check-in is at 9 a.m., and the 3-mile walk is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. The past two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Birmingham Great Strides Walk has been held virtually, with people participating separately in their own neighborhoods and communities, said Margaret Smith, executive director for the Alabama chapter of the foundation. This year, while the in-person group walk is back, people still have the option to participate virtually, she said. People are encouraged to create fundraising teams, getting people to sponsor them in the walk, either individually or as a group. Last year’s virtual event raised about $85,000,
Smith said. This year, the goal is $98,500, she said. As of April 20, about $17,000 had been raised, according to the foundation’s website. Normally, about 300 people participate in the in-person walks, Smith said. To register for the walk or get more information, go to fightcf.cff.org/greatstrides and look for the Birmingham walk.
KITTY KAT HAVEN 5K MEOW-A-THON & 1-MILE WHISKER WALK
The Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue, a no-kill, cage-free shelter for cats and kittens on Old Columbiana Road in Hoover, is holding its 5K Meow-A-Thon and 1-mile Whisker Walk on May 28. On-site registration and check-in begins at 7 a.m., and the 5K is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., followed by the 1-mile walk at 9:30 a.m. The cost to participate in the 5K is $25 ($15 for children ages 10 and younger), while the cost for the 1-mile walk is $15 ($5 for children ages 10 and younger), through May 27. The day of the race, the cost goes up $5. Packet pickup will be available May 26 and 27 at the rescue center at 3432 Old Columbiana Road from 1 to 6 p.m., or at Veterans Park on race day. Medals will be given to the top male and female finishers, as well as the top three male and female finishers in various age groups. Last year’s event drew about 120 participants and, with money from sponsors included, raised about $8,000 to $10,000 for the shelter, race director Kim Tyler said. For more information or to register, go to runsignup.com/race/al/birminghamkittykathaven andrescue5kmeowathon.
Hilliard Irrigation Building Relationships is Priority #1
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280Living.com
May 2022 • B25
Your Greatest Comeback Starts Here Out Drive Sports Injuries When you feel a snap, crackle and pop in your bones during your next game, it may be time to address the cause. Don’t let joint pain force you to take a timeout in life. Robert Agee, Jr., MD Sports Medicine
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Call 205-264-2816 to book an appointment or scan the QR code for more information. PrecisionSportsOrtho.com/Comeback
801 Princeton Ave., POB I, Ste. 710, Birmingham, AL 35211 200 Montgomery Hwy., Ste. 225, Vestavia, AL 35216
B26 • May 2022
280 Living
MOUNTAIN BROOK Yakov Lyublinskiy, a personal trainer at the Levite Jewish Community Center, demonstrates an exercise for Barbara Gordon during a training session March 24. Photos by Erin Nelson.
Nobody wins but everybody can lose Ukrainian-Americans locally worry about loved ones in war-torn Ukraine
Y
By ERIC TAUNTON
akov Lyublinskiy, and his daughter, Angelica Lyublinskiy, are having trouble sleeping at night. The Ukrainian-Americans are worried about their friends and family as they seek refuge, some hiding in basements, in their home country in the midst of an ongoing Russian invasion. Brought to Some of their friends you by our and family have been sister paper: able to flee to Poland and Germany, Lyublinskiy said, but others, like his wife’s father, villageliving grandmother and cousonline.com ins, are forced to stay in Ukraine. “Victoria’s father has to stay because her grandmother had a stroke a couple of months ago and also has a broken hip so she can not be moved,” said Yakov, a Birmingham resident and personal trainer. Victoria is his wife and Angelica’s mother. Yakov has been working as a trainer at the Levite Jewish Community Center in Mountain Brook since 2004, he said. Since then, he has also become a massage therapist, physical therapist and martial arts instructor at The Country Club of Birmingham in Crestline and at Lakeview Fitness. The situation in Ukraine is “just heartbreaking,” Angelica said. “It’s heartbreaking to see my family so distraught and worried, especially my mom because it’s her sister that had to flee Kyiv,” she said. “There are countless nights where she doesn’t get any sleep, and because of that I don’t get any sleep. It’s just a constant worry.” She said even though she’s lived in the U.S. most of her life, she still grew up in Ukrainian culture and feels connected to it. “It really hits home seeing my people being basically slaughtered, and I feel hopeless,” Angelica said. “I feel like I’m not doing enough, and I just want to do more, and it’s a very hopeless feeling.” Their family created a GoFundMe
Yakov Lyublinskiy stands in front of the Levite Jewish Community Center.
campaign to help Victoria’s sister, Julia, flee Ukraine with her two sons, Yakov said. She was separated from them when fleeing Ukraine but was reunited with them when they all reached Germany, he said. “The thing that’s bothering me about this situation is uncertainty,” Yakov said. “We don’t know what the fate of Ukraine is going to be, what the fate of millions of people will be or the fate of refugees. Are they going to live indefinitely in refugee camps, are they going to be able to come back? When will the conflict be over?” Yakov and Angelica said they are seeing their country’s history repeating itself. Ukraine is no stranger to struggling for independence and its own identity. In the mid-1800s, for instance, after the majority of Ukrainian territory was under Russian rule, the Russian government interrupted the distribution of Ukrainian literature and made it illegal to speak Ukrainian, with citizens being shot if they were caught speaking the language. “It’s a humanitarian crisis, and if we don’t do anything about it, history’s just going to repeat itself,” said Angelica, a Ukrainian-American studio manager and junior producer in Birmingham. “The whole point of learning history is to not make the same mistakes, and I think the more we talk about it and raise awareness, the more people will actually want to do something.”
The father and daughter have been raising awareness and money toward the conflict. Yakov has been featured on multiple media outlets to talk about his feelings on the war and has donated to several humanitarian groups. Angelica hosted an art show at Dave’s Pub, a bar in Birmingham, to raise money for people in Ukraine on March 13, she said. “Basically, I called upon artists of Birmingham to see if anybody would be willing to donate their artwork to benefit Ukraine, and I actually got an overwhelming amount of responses,” she said. “I got a lot of artists involved, they donated their art, and I donated mine.” She said the show raised more than $600. It’s important to talk about the current crisis, she said, to fight misinformation so people have the correct facts and to inspire them to help instead of not getting involved. “That’s how evil prevails: by not doing anything,” Angelica said. Yakov worries about the future of both Ukraine and Russia. He grew up with a love for Russian movies, music, literature and culture, he said. Because Russia and Ukraine are so close, he said, and Russians and Ukrainians have friends and family in both countries. “They probably have family and friends in Ukraine or their parents might have family
and friends in Ukraine,” Yakov said. “It’s incomprehensible.” He said Russian President Vladimir Putin is destroying people’s love of Russia “indefinitely.” Yakov said Putin is committing crimes against Ukraine and his own people. “Putin is sending those kids to die for what?” Yakov said. “There is no winning for him in this conflict. Even if he were to take all of Ukraine tomorrow, it would take just over a million soldiers and only in the big city centers to control the city centers.” He said there is no positive outcome for Russia in the war, which is what worries him. “There is no winning end for Putin and Russia in this conflict, but he can make sure that everybody loses,” Yakov said. “He can use tactical chemical and nuclear weapons. Russia could be a pariah indefinitely.” Yakov said he was born and raised in a small town called Podilskyi in western Ukraine. He said it wasn’t easy for him being raised in the Soviet Union, now Ukraine, experiencing a lot of antisemitism as well as quality products such as clothes and shoes being in short supply. “For a good pair of American jeans, you might have to save six to eight months,” Yakov said. He came to the U.S. when he was 27 years old with his mother and other relatives to escape antisemitism, he said. He just started dating Victoria, and they had to decide what their next steps were going to be. “We had just started dating,” Yakov said. “She was 18, I was 26, and I knew I was going to be leaving, and we had to decide what we were going to do.” He was told they would have to get married, and Victoria would have to apply for citizenship in order for her to be able to live with him in America, he said. They got married after three months of dating and lived together for 10 months before Yakov immigrated to the U.S. with his family. When Yakov was about to move with his family, Victoria had been pregnant with their first child, Angelica, he said, leaving for America right before she was born in 1997. It would be two years before he saw his wife and child, he said.
280Living.com
May 2022 • B27
TRUSSVILLE The ACTA Theatre and Heritage Hall. Photo courtesy of Amy Peterson O’Brien.
Repairs, repainting coming for historic Trussville building By GARY LLOYD An iconic Trussville building is getting a facelift. The Trussville City Council on March 8 authorized the city to pay approximately $19,000 for exterior repairs and repainting to ACTA Theatre and Heritage Hall. Some roof repairs Brought to were recently comyou by our pleted, and the new work sister paper: will include repainting and completing various exterior repairs. The building was cahabasun.com constructed in 1938 by W.J. Perry of Winfield for $19,967, the lowest of 11 bidders that vied for the construction of a retail general store and filling station. The building was part of the United States Farm Security Administration’s plans for the Cahaba Project, a government homestead project built in the wake
of the Great Depression. In 1951, four years after Trussville incorporated as a town, the town bought the general store to establish a community center and library. It later served as band and choral rooms for Hewitt High School. In 1988, on the building’s 50th anniversary, the Trussville Industrial Development Board restored the building. The building was dedicated to the preservation and development of the historic, civic and cultural heritage of the city through the Trussville Historical Board, the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Arts Council of the Trussville Area. The backside of Heritage Hall, near the Trussville City Pool, is ACTA Theatre, where local students and residents participate in dramas, comedies and musicals. The city council also re-appointed Steve Ward to his second term on the Trussville City Schools Board of Education, with that term ending May 25, 2027. Ward has served on the board since 2017. Prior to his retirement, Ward served as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, principal and college professor in Georgia.
Several changes have been made to Shelby County voting locations and to precincts to improve traffic flow, parking and handicap accessibility.
Postcards will be sent to voters whose precinct or voting location has changed and/or who have had a change in their congressional or state legislative district due to the changes passed by the state legislature during the 2021 Special Session.
Information about voting in Shelby County https://election.shelbyal.com Check your voter information on the Alabama Secretary of State’s website www.alabamavotes.gov NAVARRA COLLECTION
Check your voter registration at the Shelby County Board of Registrars website www.shelbyal.com/205/Board-of-Registrars or call 205-669-3913.
If you have further questions, please call Shelby County Department of Community Services at 205-670-6555.
B28 • May 2022
280 Living
HOOVER
Back home at the Met By JON ANDERSON
The Hoover Metropolitan Complex has a new general manager who just moved from Wisconsin, but he’s no stranger to Hoover. Shannon Ealy has spent about 30 years in sports management, including 19 years based in Birmingham, where he previously ran the SEC Brought to Baseball Tournament at you by our Hoover Metropolitan sister paper: Stadium for the SEC and Bruno Event Team for 10 years. “He knows what hooversun.com we’re about. He knows the events that are important to us,” Hoover City Administrator Allan Rice said. John Sparks, a vice president for The Sports Facilities Companies, whose subsidiary manages the Hoover Met Complex, said Ealy’s background and experience in the Birmingham and Hoover communities carried him to the top of the pack among applicants to fill the job vacancy. E.J. Brophy was general manager for the Hoover Met Complex for about nine months in 2021 but left for another opportunity in October, Sparks said. Ealy, who was hired to replace Brophy in February, has a long history of sports administration. He got his start in 1992 as an assistant to the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and after two years there spent a year as a marketing assistant at the University of Florida. In 1996, he moved to Birmingham, taking a job as the director of championships marketing and operations for the SEC for four years. In that role, he was responsible for event planning and operations for the SEC Football
Shannon Ealy, the new general manager for the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, outside the Finley Center. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Championship game, men’s and women’s SEC Basketball Tournament, SEC Softball Tournament, SEC Baseball Tournament and part of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Starting in 2000, he spent seven years with the Bruno Event Team and Alabama Sports Foundation, planning and coordinating events such as SEC Baseball Tournament, SEC Gymnastics Championships, Magic City Classic, Southwestern Athletic Conference Football Championship, Association of Volleyball Professionals Pro Beach Volleyball, U.S. soccer matches and U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. At the same time, he provided consulting
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services to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex to assist with the planning, programming and support for a downtown Birmingham stadium, entertainment district and lodging accommodations as president of Birmingham Sports Ventures. He then spent almost eight years with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, most as a senior associate athletic director with oversight of day-to-day operations and a budget of more than $30 million annually. He was named interim athletic director at the same time the university canceled the football, bowling and rifle programs and then assisted in getting all
Veteran sports administrator named complex manager three sports reinstated within six months after a public outcry. Ealy said that the whole experience was tough but made him a better leader and provided insight into how to handle adversity. Shortly after a new athletic director was hired, Ealy took a settlement package from UAB and went on to become athletic director at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for two years. The past two years, he has run a company called Outsource Sports Management that served sports, entertainment and tourism organizations. Ealy applied for the Hoover Met Complex general manager job when it was first created in late 2016 and was the runner-up for the job, he said. He said he has kept his eye on it ever since and was eager to get back to the Birmingham-Hoover area to be closer to his children. His familiarity with the complex and the people in Hoover has made the learning curve shorter, and he’s been working to understand the daily operations, structures and procedures, he said. “It’s going great. I love it.” He’s also been busy working to rebuild the administrative team, including key positions such as finance manager, marketing manager, human resources manager and concessions coordinator. His priorities are to solidify the relationships that the management company has with the city of Hoover and make sure Sports Facilities Management is being a good partner with the city, he said. The city has invested a lot of money into the complex, and he wants to make sure the city sees a good economic return on its investment while at the same time serving the needs of the local community, Ealy said. He wants to be the model facility for the 30 or so athletic facilities his company manages, he said. “I think it’s a lofty goal, but that’s what I’m shooting for.”
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280Living.com
May 2022 • B29
KNOW THE FACTS
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B30 • May 2022
280 Living
280
Real Estate Listings MLS #
Zip
1317628
35242
1317928
Address
Status
Price
3500 Wyngate Drive
New
$699,900
35242
1264 Legacy Drive
New
$939,900
1317625
35242
3160 Woodbridge Drive
New
$428,000
1317487
35242
305 Reach Court
New
$239,000
1317913
35242
2007 Bluestone Circle
New
$729,000
1317871
35242
4049 Milner Crescent
New
$549,750
1317818
35242
4334 Marden Drive
New
$1,325,000
1317218
35242
4509 Vestlake Ridge Way
New
$965,000
1317110
35242
5229 Meadow Brook Road
New
$350,000
1317006
35242
230 Highland Park Drive
New
$749,900
1317724
35242
4413 Boulder Lake Circle
New
$758,000
1317644
35242
5224 Valleybrook Circle
New
$385,000
1314613
35043
305 Honeysuckle Lane
New
$357,000
1317496
35043
250 Chesser Reserve Drive
New
$319,900
1317314
35043
300 Windstone Lane
New
$350,000
1317686
35043
109 Brynhurst Drive
New
$339,900
1317490
35043
347 Chesser Park Drive
New
$299,900
1317280
35043
278 Chelsea Park Road
New
$376,645
1317234
35043
Lot 1 Brynleigh Drive
New
$549,800
1316699
35043
2060 Park Springs Lane
New
$420,000
3500 Wyngate Drive
305 Honeysuckle Lane
Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on April 22. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.
Be aware of your Teen’s mental health
Your mental health struggle is real and you don’t have to deal with it alone. If you or your teen is concerned about stress, depression, or anxiety call Compact.
Parent Talk Line: 205-605-1827 Teen Talk Line: 205-605-1830
www.compact2020.com
280Living.com
May 2022 • B31
Calendar 280 Area Events May 3: 2022 Hoover Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. 7:30 a.m. Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Wynfrey Hotel. Lauren Sisler, a two-time national and regional Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster who joined ESPN and the SEC Network in 2016 as a sideline reporter for college football and gymnastics, is scheduled as the keynote speaker for the 2022 Hoover Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. Sponsored by the Hoover Beautification Board. For more information, visit hooverlibrary.org/ thelibrarytheatre. May 7: The Marketplace at Lee Branch. Lee Branch shopping center at Doug Baker Boulevard. Vendors and farmers offering local products, plus kid’s activities and music, special events and tastings. For more information, visit facebook.com/ themarketplaceatleebranch and themarketplaceatleebranch.com. May 7: Celebrate the Family Expo. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hoover Metropolitan Complex. Birmingham Christian Family magazine’s third annual event, featuring musician Kevin Derryberry and the Banks Academy Choir with live entertainment, plus inflatables for kids, face painting, free giveaways and about 60 exhibitor tents manned by people from various businesses, ministries, churches and other organizations. For more information, visit birminghamchristian.com/event/expo. May 14: Over the Edge for Second Shift. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. McLeod Software, 100 Corporate Parkway. Approximately 75 edgers will have the opportunity to rappel seven stories down the McLeod Software building in exchange for raising a minimum of $1,000 in donations to support Second Shift, a Shelby County-based nonprofit that assists Alabama youth who are at-risk and aging out of foster care to help them transition to sustainable and connected independence. For more information, visit fundrazr.com/ote4secondshift. May 14: Alabama Team Hope Walk. 1 p.m. Oak Mountain State Park. Raising awareness and funds to benefit the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. $30 for walkers; $50 for superstar walkers; $100 for VIP walkers. For more information, visit south. hdsa.org/events/alabama-team-hope-walk.
Chelsea Public Library CHILDREN/TEENS May 5, 12, 19 and 26: Kids Coding Club. 4 p.m. Coding robots and video games. Registration required. May 7: Chess Club. 2 p.m. Registration required. May 9: Teen Book Club. 5 p.m. Book discussion and free dinner. May 10: Virtual music and books club. 5:30 p.m. Online program. May 14: LEGO Day. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
North Shelby Library Library will be closed May 29-30 for Memorial Day. Registration link: northshelbylibrary.evanced.info/signup/calendar FAMILY/ALL AGES Through May 31: Spring Family Geocaching Scavenger Hunt. Put on your hunting hats and join in for some family fun with this virtually aided, seek-and-find scavenger-style hunt to explore what's hidden in plain sight in the scenic parks and public outdoor spaces of Mt Laurel. All ages. Registration required. STORYTIME Storytime and Craft Videos. Visit and subscribe to the North Shelby Library and Mt Laurel Library’s YouTube channel for fun storytime, puppet and craft videos for all ages. May 4 and 11: Family Storytime. 10:30 a.m. A story program ideal for pre-K with caregivers nearby. Registration required. Children May 1-7: National Pet Week. Stop by the children's department anytime in May to participate in our "pawtastic" scavenger hunt for a chance to win a puppy plush. No registration. All ages. All month: Activity Bundles. Each bundle comes with a themed picture book to borrow and a free bundle to keep with worksheets to promote literacy skills for children in preschool, kindergarten and first grade. All month: Monthly Craft Kit-to-Go. Make buzzy bug magnets. No registration. While supplies last. All month: Monthly STEM Kit-to-Go. Enjoy some fun outdoors as you use the chemical properties of different household products to make better bubble solutions. No registration. While supplies last. May 3 and 10: Tech Tuesdays. 3:30 p.m. A weekly drop-in, tech-based activity. No registration. All ages with adult assistance if needed. May 5: Preschool Kitchen Science – Live Animal Show! 10:30 a.m. STEAM-y (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) science experiments for preschoolers. Registration required.
out – Bee Hydrators. 1 p.m. Hope Long of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens will show how to make a simple hydration station for the bees that visit your garden. Registration required. May 18: K-5th Homeschool Art Craft Kit-to-Go. 1 p.m. Create your own decorative framed pressed flower. Registration required. May 23: Children’s Summer Reading program begins. Runs through July 15. The full calendar will be out mid-May. TWEENS (AGES 8-12) Tween Minecraft Realm. Join other tweens online on the library’s Minecraft Realm. Patrons must have their own supported version of Minecraft at home in order to play. May 2: Springcraft – A Creative Minecraft Challenge. 4 p.m. A panel of librarians will judge a winner. This event will take place at the library in the Young Adult Department using the Java Version of Minecraft. Registration required. May 5: Tween Virtual Writing Club with Ms. Emma. 4:30 p.m. Join YA fantasy author Emma Fox on Zoom for a fun writing club just for tweens. Registration required. May 20: Tween Leadership Council Party. 5 p.m. The Tween Leadership Council will meet at the library for a year-end party to celebrate its accomplishments. Registration required.
ons. 6 p.m. Join us and take part in a fun D&D campaign. Registration required. May 18: K-12th Homeschool Hangout – Bee Hydrators. 1 p.m. Hope Long of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens who will show how to make a simple hydration station for the bees that visit your garden. Registration required. May 18: Teen Art Kit-to-Go. 3 p.m. Registrants will pick up a take-home kit and instructions to make seed bombs. Registration required. May 19: Teen Department Herb Garden. 5 p.m. Hang out and help plant a mini community herb garden for the teen department. May 21: Teen Volunteer Day. Help the library and earn community service hours. Registration required. May 21: Teen Trivia Night. 5 p.m. Meet up in the library and battle against the other teens in a general pop culture trivia competition. May 23: Teen Summer Reading. Registration and logging begins. May 31: Teen Herb Walk. Noon. Join us as Walden Farms Birmingham guides us on an herb walk around the library. Most Fridays: Open Gaming. 3 p.m. Play the Switch, XBOX ONE, Wii, Minecraft, board games and card games with other teens.
TEENS Most Tuesdays: Drafternoons Writing Club. 3:30 p.m. Meet other writers, brainstorm and trade plot ideas. Registration required. May 2: Springcraft – A Creative Minecraft Challenge. 4 p.m. Join peers and challenge yourself with this spring-themed Minecraft Creative Build Challenge. A panel of librarians will judge a winner. Registration required. May 5: Teen Bath Bomb Craft. 5 p.m. Create cool bath bombs for a Mother’s Day gift. Registration required.
May 16: Junior Puppeteers Club. 4 p.m. A club for aspiring puppeteers and storytellers. Participants will listen to a story then build their own puppets and have the opportunity to perform their puppets for their families. Registration required.
May 9: Animation Workshop applications available: Learn the basics of 3-D computer animation from a professional artist in a week-long, intensive workshop for sixth through 12th graders June 13-17. Applications due by June 6.
May 18: K-12th Homeschool Hang-
May 9: Teen Dungeons and Drag-
ADULTS May 4 and 16: Language Club. 5 p.m. A club for those who want to practice with like-minded individuals who all have the same goal of improving their language education. May 6: Digital Family Breakout. 5-11 p.m. Work together and solve the clues to unlock the Breakout Box. May 10: True Crime Book Club (digital). 6 p.m. More than a book club, The True Crime Club covers true crime books and documentaries. Takes place via Zoom. Registration required. May 17: Watercolor – Beginner Class. 9 a.m. to noon. Watercolor artist and instructor Gayle M. Jones will teach how to paint a bird's nest. Registration required. May 19: NSL Book Club. 10:30 a.m. to noon. Registration required only if you are meeting via Zoom.
Mt Laurel Public Library ALL AGES Through May 31: Spring Family Geocaching Scavenger Hunt. Put on your hunting hats and join in for some family fun with this virtually aided, seek-and-find scavenger-style hunt to explore what’s hidden in plain sight in the scenic parks and public outdoor spaces of Mt Laurel. All ages. Registration required. May 23: Summer Reading registration begins. Join us for “Oceans of Possibility” this summer. Stop by the library or check our website for more details.
May 21: Chess Club. 2 p.m. Registration required.
CHILDREN
May 28: KZT Hands on STEAM Day. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
May 6 and 20: Toddler Tales. 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Stories, songs, finger plays and fun make up a lively 30-minute program designed
especially for short attention spans. Registration required. May 9: Flower Painting Kit. Pick up a kit to make a cute painting or do it here at the library. Registration required.
will plant basil, oregano, pepper and tomato seeds. Once they are grown, you should have delicious toppings for your own pizza. Tip and recipe sheets will be provided. Registration required. ADULTS
May 14: Crafty Saturday. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pick up a fun craft at the library. May 21: Cap’n Dave. 2 p.m. Cap’n Dave will be entertaining with his original songs, stories and humor. No registration. May 28: LEGO Club. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop by the library to build with LEGO or DUPLO blocks. TWEENS May 19: Plant a Pizza. 4 p.m. Tweens
May 5: Mt Laurel Book Club. 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Book Club will meet at the library and online over Zoom to discuss “Dopesick” by Beth Macy. Only the evening club will be via Zoom. May 12: Wildflower Seed Bomb. This kit will have everything you need to make a wildflower seed bomb. Patrons can make the seed bombs here at the library or take them to make at home. Registration required.
Arthur Deagon traded his 2003 GMC Yukon XL (right) for a brand new 2022 model.
When You Know You’ve Found The One When you meet the one, you’ll just know it. Arthur sure did when he chose his 2003 GMC Yukon XL at Royal. After nearly two decades together, it was time to upgrade. But there was no doubt that he’d come home with another Yukon. For a ride you’ll love for years to come, turn to Royal for your perfect match.
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At the Corner of I-65 and Highway 31 | 3010 Columbiana Road, Vestavia Hills