280 living october 2014 by Starnes Media

280 Living

October 2014 | Volume 8 | Issue 2

neighborly news & entertainment

From China to Oak Mountain

Social exposure

In this issue, read the story of the Eagles’ Kai Christenberry, a 16-year-old football player who is relayed game plays through sign language.

See cover page B1

Fall Home Guide

Fall is the perfect time for do-it-yourself projects and home improvements. Inside we provide ideas and tips in our Home and Garden section.

See page A20

INSIDE Sponsors ...... A4 280 News ..... A6 Business....... A11 Food ...............A14 Community...B14

Do you know what your child is doing on social media? By JESSA PEASE Would you let a 40-year-old stranger visit your 13-year-old, alone in her room, for three hours unattended?

Parents are encouraged to know what their children are doing on social media in order to protect them from online predators. Photo by Jessa Pease.

“Absolutely not, but if you’re not monitoring and the computer is in the bedroom, what’s the difference?” asked Officer John Barnes at a cyber awareness forum for parents. “You have no idea who she is talking to, who she is sending

School House ... B17 Sports ............... B19 Faith ...................B26 Opinion..............B27 Calendar ...........B28

pictures to, who she is receiving pictures from or what kind of inappropriate communication is going back and forth.”

See WEB | page A19

Trader Joe’s to open at The Summit

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By JESSA PEASE Hawaiian shirts will be making their way to The Summit next year. Specialty grocery store Trader Joe’s will bring its employees clad in festive luau uniform to a new location at The Summit. It will take over the space currently occupied by Banana Republic in the latter half of 2015.

See JOE’S | page A19

Specialty grocery store Trader Joe’s will be opening at The Summit in the latter half of 2015. It will take the place of the current Banana Republic location. Photo by Jessa Pease.

Taste of Hoover Thursday, October 16, 5-8pm Aldridge Gardens 3530 Lorna Road $20 for members of Aldridge Gardens $30 for non-members Tickets: online at www.aldridgegardens.com or by phone - 682.8019

Restaurants and chefs from around Hoover will have samples of their food available at the event; live music on the grounds. facebook.com/tasteofhoover More info: email Matthew Allen at matthew@starnespublishing.com

Sun

280 Living

A2 • October 2014

DERMATOLOGY

Medical

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Pediatric

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Cosmetic

For appointments, call 205.871.7332 or visit us at skinwellnessAL.com HOMEWOOD 1920 Huntington Road, Homewood, AL 35209 I CHELSEA 398 Chesser Drive, Suite 3, Chelsea, AL 35043

280Living.com

October 2014 • A3

Less wait time. More face time. Introducing four Drive-Thru lanes and new Video Teller technology. Regions understands that banking errands should be quick and simple. That’s why we’ve opened a four-lane Drive-Thru ATM site that also features our new Video Teller technology. More lanes means less waiting, and the new Video Teller lets you speak to an actual Regions Banker via two-way video without having to go inside a branch. All ATM lanes are available 24 hours a day, and our Video Teller has the following hours:

Experience the convenience of our new Video Teller technology today. Follow us for helpful tips and information.

Video Teller Hours: Monday through Friday – 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ATM transactions can be made at the Video Teller even when a teller is not available. ATM Location: 4713 U.S. Highway 280 Birmingham, AL 35242

280 Living

A4 • October 2014

About Us Please Support our Community Partners

Photo of the month

A dachshund ready for a luau at this year’s Woofstock. Photo by Madison Miller.

Send your submissions for Photo of the Month to

jessa@starnespublishing.com

Editor’s Note By JESSA PEASE The start of holiday season, leaves starting to change and fall fashion making a comeback (hooray for boots!) all pale in comparison to the fact that Halloween is just around the corner this month. As soon as the calendar hits Oct. 1, I break out my many boxes of Halloween decorations, crank up my Halloween playlist and spend endless hours transforming my house into something out of an Addams Family rerun. I have to admit, even waiting until the first of the month is hard. Lucky for me, I’ve had more than a few opportunities to embrace my

Publisher: Creative Director: Managing Editor: Sports Editor: Staff Writers:

Editorial Assistant: Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution:

Graphic Designer: Contributing Writers: Contributing Photographer:

favorite time of year prior to October. In this issue, you can find my Monster makeover: zombie edition, where I shared some stage makeup tips for how to transform yourself into a realistic looking zombie. If The Walking Dead, which starts back up again in October, isn’t your thing, the U.S. 280 corridor has many events for embracing the season. Take a hayride at Veterans Park, participate in one of the dozens of fall festivals being hosted by local churches or take a trip to Transylvania with the Virginia Samford Theatre’s production of Dracula. With so many holiday themed

Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Madoline Markham David Knox Katie Turpen Jessa Pease Sydney Cromwell Madison Miller Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Michelle Salem Haynes Nathan Pearman Morgan Robinson Emily VanderMey Rick Watson Kari Kampakis Karim Shamsi-Basha

For advertising contact: dan@280living.com

events, I’m not sure which one excites me the most. Although I might scare all my neighbors with my crazy décor, this time of year just gets me in the celebrating mood, and before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving and Christmas. So enjoy the fall while it’s still here, grab your copy of Hocus Pocus and find the nearest haunted house. As always, feel free to email me questions, comments or concerns at jessa@ starnespublishing.com so I can keep up with all things 280. Happy Halloween!

280 Living neighborly news & entertainment

Contact Information: 280 Living PO Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@280living.com

Please submit all articles, information and photos to: editor@280living.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 Published by : Starnes Publishing LLC

Legals: 280 Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial

or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. 280 Living is designed to inform the 280 community of area school, family and community events. Information in 280 Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of 280 Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

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280 Medical Supply (A16) AARP (B19) AL Telco Credit Union (A13) Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (B8) Alabama Outdoors (B22) Alabama Power (B11) ARC Realty (B1) Aura Salon Spa (B16) AUX Mechanical (B11) Backyard Adventures (A30) Batts’ Chimney Services (A24) Bedzzz Express (A32) Bellini’s (B6) Birmingham Botanical Gardens (B21) Birmingham Marriott (B26) Blinds for Less (A21) Brava Rotisserie Grill (B16) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (A8) Cabinetry Refinishing & Restoration (A1) Cahaba Dermatology and Skin Care Center (A6) Cahaba Glass (B22) Case Remodeling (A6) Chic Boutique (A19) Children’s of Alabama (B27) Chiropractic Today (A18) Classic Events (A2) Cowboy’s (B18) Danberry at Inverness (A5) Decorating Dens Interiors (A23) E & E Hardware (A21) Ecoview (A31) Encore Rehabilitation (B31) ENT for Kids Alabama (A16) Everly’s Boutique (B23) Expedia CruisShipCenters (A7) Fancy Fur- Paws and Claws (B5) GeGe’s Salon (B26) Glory Cottage Gifts (B28) Granite Transformations (A24) Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce (B6) Greystone Antiques & Marketplace (A27) Guitar Gallery (B5) Hanna’s Garden Shop (A26) Henderson & Walton (B9) Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall (A8, B18) Hilltop Montessori School (B29) Hollywood Pools Outdoor Finishings & Spas (A29) Home Care Associates (A17) In Shape MD Wellnes Clinic (B19) Indian Springs School (B28) Issis & Sons (A25) Jamieson and Hirschfield, LLC (A9) Kimberlee King (A19) Kumon – Greystone (A14) Lawncrafters (A31) Learning by Design (B8) Mathnasium (B31) Morningside at Riverchase (B2) Moss Rocks (B30) Odyssey Early Schools (B25) On Time Service (B20) Outdoor Living Areas (A22) Pak Mail (B7) Pastry Art (A14) Plain Jane Children & Gift Shop (B7) Re/MAX Advantage (A11) Regions Bank (A3) Retreat at Greystone Apartments (B14) Rosegate Design (A28) Royal Automotive (B32) Running Roots Lawn Care (A26) Sew Sheri Designs (A29) Skin Wellness Center of Alabama (A2) Sola Salon Studios (B20) Somerby at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen (B17) Southeastern Jewelers and Engravers (A11) St. Vincent’s One Nineteen (A10, A18, B12) Tae Kwon Do (A3) Target Auction Company (A12) The Cuckoo’s Nest (B21, B5) The Ditsy Daisy (A9) The Lice Place (B7) The Maids (A30) The Pam Ausley Team (B24) The UPS Store - Inverness (B9) Therapy South Greystone (B15) Tutoring Club Inverness (A10) UAB Division of Urogynecology (B3) Village Dermatology (B4) Vision Gymnastics (A17) Vitalogy Wellness Center (A15, B13) Weigh To Wellness (A5)

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280 Living

A6 • October 2014

280 News

Chelsea Fire and Rescue purchases new engine

Playground, archery range coming to Oak Mountain Oak Mountain State Park will soon be adding a playground and an archery range for its visitors to enjoy. At the Sept. 8 Shelby County Commission meeting, County Manager Alex Dudchock said construction on the playground project will begin “within weeks.” The two additions are funded by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Shelby County. The DCNR gave $34,550 to the archery range, and the county gave $25,000. The archery facility will include accommodations for archers of every skill level and even people with physical disabilities. Construction will also include parking and restrooms for the facility, which will be located on John Findlay Drive. The playground will be built on Terrace Drive and will include a pavilion with tables. The DCNR will purchase playground equipment and contribute $15,000 for its assembly and installation. Shelby County provided $25,000 and prepared the playground site for construction. For more, visit alapark.com/oakmountain.

A rendering of the 2014 Pierce Saber fire engine being built for Chelsea Fire and Rescue. The new engine was delivered in late September. Courtesy of Chelsea Fire and Rescue.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Chelsea Fire and Rescue will soon be responding to calls in a brand-new fire engine. At its July 15 meeting, the Chelsea City Council approved a bid for the purchase of a 2014 Pierce Saber to replace the department’s 15-year-old engine. The new vehicle costs $453,859 and was delivered in late September. “It’s going to be able to give us all that we need to respond effectively,” said

Chelsea firefighter and media specialist Paul Williams. The new engine was built “from the ground up” to Chelsea’s specifications. Williams said the engine can hold 750 gallons of water and can pump 1,250 gallons per minute. Chelsea’s current vehicle will become the reserve engine, replacing the 30-year-old engine the department has on reserve now. Williams said the current reserve engine only has a top speed of 40 miles per hour.

“You can only get so much life out of a fire truck after you run them for several years,” Williams said. Williams said the new fire truck will allow Chelsea Fire and Rescue to respond to calls more efficiently, potentially saving lives and property. “Whatever we can do to provide the most efficient fire and rescue service is what we’re looking to do for the residents of Chelsea,” Williams said.

New networking event coming to 280 In collaboration with Dixie Fish Company and the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, 280 Living is providing a networking opportunity for the U.S. 280 corridor. The first NETWORK280 program will be Oct. 21 from 4-6 p.m. at Dixie Fish Company at 101 Resource Parkway off U.S. 280. The program is designed to offer an opportunity to expand business contacts. For more information, visit shelbychamber.org.

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October 2014 • A7

Improved Treetop Nature Trail opens

The reopened Treetop Nature Trail includes new walkways, aviaries and native birds of prey. Photo courtesy of Alabama Wildlife Center

By SYDNEY CROMWELL After being closed for nearly a year, Oak Mountain State Park’s Treetop Nature Trail is open to visitors and its avian residents. Treetop is an elevated boardwalk through the woods where hikers can see birds of prey that live and hunt in Alabama. The trail was built in 1989 and the original cedar boards did not hold up well over time. Parts of the trail became structurally unsafe and it was closed in November for repairs. Doug Adair, the executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Center, said large portions of the trail have been completely rebuilt and the rest received significant improvements. The bird enclosures also received new perches, nest boxes and educational signs for visitors. “We’re very excited about the finished product,” Adair said. The state park worked with the Shelby County government and the Alabama

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to fund the Treetop renovations. “It’s just been a wonderful example of groups coming together for the betterment of our community and really the whole state of Alabama,” Adair said. Treetop’s twelve bird residents were returned to their aviaries in August. There are six species of owls, hawks and vultures on display at the trail, all former patients at the wildlife center. These birds’ injuries prevented them from returning to the wild, so they live at the trail to teach visitors about native birds. Four of the birds are new to Treetop: a turkey vulture, a barred owl and a pair of barn owls. The barn owls are replacing the screech owl exhibit, Adair said, because the screech owls tended to stay in their nest out of the public’s sight. Adair said everyone can help name the new birds on the Alabama Wildlife Center’s Facebook page or at awrc.org.

Spirit Halloween is back Now that the summer season has started to simmer down, Spirit Halloween stores are popping back up to offer costumes, décor, ghosts and ghouls, and the U.S. 280 corridor has its own location. The store is located at 5235 U.S. 280 near the Lowes. Spirit Halloween is the largest seasonal Halloween retailer in North America providing the season’s most popular costumes for adults and kids. Spirit offers interactive displays with animatronic frights, and decorations such as

zombie babies, animated jumping spiders and all sorts of horror film creatures that can create the perfect Halloween scene. “At Spirit Halloween it is our mission to get everyone excited for the Halloween season,” said Steven Silverstein, President and CEO, Spirit Halloween. “Each year we strive to offer the best costumes, décor and a frightening, fun experience for our customers no matter what their age.” For more information or a look into all that Spirit has to offer, visit spirithalloween. com or call 585-0692.

Tennis courts opening on County Road 51

The new tennis courts will provide practice courts for the Chelsea High School tennis team.

Four new tennis courts were completed in August on County Road 51 south of Highway 280. The courts have been under construction since May 2013 and cost $242,000 to build. Mayor Earl Niven said the city decided to build the courts because the middle and high school tennis teams have nowhere to practice. “It’s because of the need, not only of our schools, but our public also expressed a desire for tennis,” Niven said.

The courts are open to the public. They are regulation size, surrounded by chain-link fencing and have lights and a parking lot. In September, the city also added bleachers and about 106 feet of sidewalk. Chelsea has another six tennis courts planned for its new sports complex, which is under construction on Highway 11 near Chelsea High School. The complex will eventually have eight baseball fields as well as fields for soccer and football.

280 Living

A8 • October 2014

Hoover Board of Education presents rezoning proposal, 2015 budget Budget approval

By JESSA PEASE Superintendent Andy Craig and architect Tom Aho presented a new proposal for elementary school rezoning in Hoover City Schools at the board of education meeting Sept. 8 The proposal was formally presented to the public to allow for a feedback period before the board votes at a later date. As with the original draft plan, the only elementary school in the U.S. 280 corridor that would be affected by this new draft is Greystone Elementary. Students in the Riverchase Parkway area multi-dwelling units between U.S. 31 and I-65 would move from Riverchase Elementary to Greystone Elementary. Those units are Riverchase Gardens, Royal Oaks, The Gables Condominiums, Summerchase of Riverchase, Colonial Grand at Riverchase Trails and Sterling Oaks of Riverchase. Aho explained that since Hoover City Schools’ last major realignment 10 years ago, Hoover has grown by about 2,300 students, or about 20 percent. This has caused natural shifts in student population, begun to stress the capacities of some of the elementary schools and unbalanced student demographics. The key objectives of this realignment were too optimize use of existing facilities before constructing new

Greystone Elementary is the only school in the U.S. 280 corridor that could be affected by the new rezoning proposal. Photo by Jessa Pease.

ones, to position all Hoover City Schools to be successful, to minimize the frequency of future disruption and to allow uncertainties related to growth to com into focus.

Aho said that many concerns were taken into consideration to create this realignment plan, including the concerns of the community said and balancing school demographics. Craig

and Aho developed this plan by looking at the building capacity analysis, the growth projections in enrollment, and housing development and the student geo-demographic data

The board of education approved a budget of about $167 million for its 2015 fiscal year. This budget will exceed Hoover City Schools fund balance by about $6.9 million, but the budget summary illustrates that revenue is up $1.6 million from the 2014 Amended Budget. The budget presenter said over the last couple of years Hoover City Schools has been struggling with declining revenue, but she said the ad valorem or state property tax has provided a greater amount of local funding. The funds from both the State Foundation and the ad valorem are budgeted to be $67.1 million, which is a $1.1 million increase from last year. The budgeting process begins in the preceding spring with determining the school and department staffing needs for the following year. About 85 percent of the general fund budget is decided at this time. This budget will be used as a planning tool to provide an overall plan for the use of Hoover City Schools’ financial resources. One resident brought up the plan to charge for bus use during this presentation, and was told this budget did not factor in bus charges. They are still looking into their options concerning that issue.

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October 2014 • A9

Chamber

Preview of

October Luncheon

Booths at the luncheon were all community based such as one promoting The Taste of Pelham.

Christopher Nanni, The Community Foundation’s president and CEO, touched on some of the notable projects funded by his organization at the Greater Shelby luncheon. Photos by Jessa Pease.

Funding community projects Nanni addresses the Community Foundation at Greater Shelby Chamber By JESSA PEASE Have you ever wondered who funded the tunnel of lights in Birmingham? The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham made the multicolored LED lights in Birmingham possible. The Foundation’s president and CEO, Christopher Nanni, spoke about their various projects during the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce luncheon Aug. 27. “If I had to sum up what the Community Foundation is in a catch phrase, it would be that you — citizens and donors — can make the difference, and we can help you achieve that dream,” Nanni said. “That is sort of the

overall vision of what we do.” He went on to explain that the organization is one of the oldest and largest public charities in Birmingham that receives gifts such as cash, stocks and other assets. The Foundation then grows those investments and gives them back to the community. Founded in 1959, The Foundation is made up of about 450 charitable funds established by individuals, families and businesses with the average fund size being $376,800. For 55 years, Nanni said The Community Foundation has been working to drive positive change in the Greater Birmingham area through serving Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair and Walker counties. Since 2001,

it has granted those ﬁve counties about $182 million. “What I think really makes us unique as an organization is that we are comprehensive,” Nanni said. “We are able to serve any nonproﬁt.” Some of The Community Foundation’s other projects include funding the Montevallo Eco Trail, the Community Food Bank, the restoration of the Lyric Theatre and Red Mountain Park. It also provides resources for solutions to some of the problems facing the community such as issues with crime and education. For more information about The Community Foundation, visit foundationbirmingham.org.

Donald Williamson, MD.

Donald Williamson, MD, has served as the state health ofﬁcer with the Alabama Department of Public Health for the past 20 years. In addition to being an advocate for child health and communicable disease prevention and treatment, Williamson has led the state through numerous disasters and crises including hurricanes, tornado outbreaks and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Under his leadership, Alabama has become a leader in health education satellite conferencing. He was the champion of a constitutional amendment that, had it not passed, would have left Alabama Medicaid with a $100 million shortfall this ﬁscal year. The next meeting will be Sept. 24 at 11:30 a.m. at Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena.

280 Living

A10 • October 2014

All about the herbs Taziki’s owner talks HOPE at South Shelby Chamber

Preview of October Luncheon

Dudchock

Taziki’s owner Keith Richards invited the students from the HOPE program to stand on stage with him while he addressed the chamber.

By JESSA PEASE The herbs at Taziki’s offer more than nourishment. They offer personal growth. That’s because Taziki’s restaurants have an outreach program called HOPE — Herbs Offering Personal Enrichment. Partnered with Shelby County Schools, this project gives children with special needs the opportunity to gain experience with Taziki’s by either working in the restaurants or growing the herbs it uses. Restaurant owner Keith Richards discussed this partnership and how the program came about at the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon Sept. 4. “Believe it or not, these kids know

more about herbs than probably all of us combined,” said Richards. “At the end of the day they are seeing how a business is built, and so it’s fun for all of us.” Students tend to five different herbs used by Taziki’s restaurants. Once the herbs are ready to be harvested, the kids pick them and sell them back to Taziki’s. Richards also employs the students to work in his restaurants. “It’s so hard to crush down that wall and break down that barrier that [says] these guys can’t roll silverware,” Richards said. “To us, that’s a menial task that is so simple to do. These guys live for it.” He went on to explain that many of the students are able to take on other duties such as making the sauces or

The students tend to five different herbs Richards uses at his Taziki’s restaurants. Once the herbs are ready to be picked, the kids sell them back to Taziki’s. Photos by Jessa Pease.

picking grapes. The whole idea started about 10 years ago when Keith won a cruise with his wife, Amy. While Richards made friends with the band and jumped in as their impromptu drummer, Amy made friends with a woman who brought up hiring special-needs children. Richards said at first he wasn’t sure how it would work out, but the first student who ever came to work for him is still working at Taziki’s. Now, all seven of his restaurants in the Birmingham area participate in the program and hire special-needs students. “Every time I would open a restaurant, thank God for us, I would get a new student,” Richards said. “That was always fun.”

For his franchisees, Richards said he always explains project HOPE so that all of his 37 current Taziki’s locations can reach out. There are two reasons he said he stays active with this project — the kids and their parents. Richards is the father of two sets of twins, and he said he knows how difficult it can be just to have four children. He wants Taziki’s to be “a sigh of relief” for the parents of special-needs children because Taziki’s can provide the kids with something to do every day. “God has blessed me with the fortitude and the spirit and the help to create this restaurant concept, and we just have to give back when we can,” Richards said.

Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock will be the speaker at the October chamber luncheon, and the luncheon will will spotlight the organizations of Wilsonville. Alex Dudchock began his public administration career with Shelby County in 1988 and 2014 marks 21 years he has been county manager. Dudchock is responsible for the management and the delivery of diverse services, and he focuses on consistently implementing and delivering timely services through conservative and sustainable budget management actions. The next South Shelby Chamber Luncheon will be Oct. 2 at 11:30 a.m. at Columbiana First United Methodist Church. Information courtesy of shelbyal.com.

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Business Spotlight d Va lle yR Ca ha ba

Expedia CruiseShipCenters

Read past Business Spotlights at 280Living.com

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270 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 500 437-3354 cruiseshipcenters.com Monday- Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

By JESSA PEASE Jon Harvill was in Vancouver, British Columbia, looking for a reason to walk away and say, “No, this isn’t for me.” He had pursued owning a franchise of Expedia CruiseShipCenters through webinars and conference calls, and up until then, he hadn’t been able to find a reason to stop. “I couldn’t find it,” Harvill said. “I fell in love with the concept. I fell in love with the opportunity because [of] the Expedia name, the technology and the storefront, which has always been a dream of mine.” His first job out of college was with a travel agency in Mobile, but times were changing. Airlines were deregulating, and the Internet was coming in, which made travel agencies look like a thing of the past. His next 15 years were spent in the pharmaceutical industry, but every time he and his wife traveled, he was reminded of his love for the travel industry. “I would tell my wife on any trip we were on, ‘I have to find a way to get back into this somehow,’” he said. In January, he signed for his franchise and knew exactly where he wanted to put it. Harvill said he had always had his eye on his current location at the Village at Lee Branch even when it was a jewelry store. He

Jon Harvill’s favorite vacations Cruises: An Alaskan cruise where you can take excursions such as a salmon bake, a sea plane ride to a glacier lake, and a whale-watching tour where you can actually feel the mist from the whales. Countries: Turkey and Austria

Expedia CruiseShipCenters can handle every aspect of any vacation, even trips such as the Grand Canyon where Jon Harvill traveled with his family. Photo courtesy of Jon Harvill.

said people will see it when they walk into Publix, Moe’s, Five Guys and the UPS Store, making it a prime location. Now, owning his own business and traveling have created the perfect job for him. Travel agent versus computer Expedia CruiseShipCenters offers a variety of services that includes anything related to travel. It not only plans cruises but also creates itineraries for land travel, tours, all-inclusive reservations, air, hotel and car rentals for groups or individuals.

Harvill said they can basically book anything related to travel, and it costs nothing to have them handle it for you. The cruise centers, hotels and other booking agencies pay the agents individually on commission. “I hear time and time again of people who are just overwhelmed at all the possibilities and all the things they have to consider,” Harvill said. “They really don’t want to do, certainly, complicated itineraries themselves.” When you book with Expedia, you also get its top 2,000 list, which gets you the best prices or deals that are

pre-negotiated by Expedia’s department in Vancouver. This provides deeper discounts for customers. Those services also come with Expedia security. If you book online and you have a problem, you can’t turn to anyone, but Expedia is there to resolve problems. Harvill said he booked a hotel room in Paris for a client, but when they got there the room wasn’t what it should have been. Harvill called the hotel in Paris and got his client a free upgrade and breakfast every morning. Trip tips

Seasons: Europe in the winter is beautiful, snow isn’t an issue, and everything is cheaper. Harvill suggests taking the time to create the vacation you want. He said you have to balance being value-minded and getting the trip you envision. Pick your location and the non-negotiable things you have to see, where you have to stay, and how you have to travel. Then actually take the time to have that trip. Even if it takes longer to afford the trip, make it as memorable as possible. “The fun is in the planning and leading up to it, so give yourself enough time to create the trip that is according to your dream,” Harvill said.

Custom, Unique, Yours

5299 Valleydale Road, Suite 111 Birmingham, AL 35242 (two blocks from 280) www.southeasternjewelers.net • 980-9030

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Now Open Maximum Physical Therapy + Sports Wellness, 2680 Valleydale Road, Suite A, opened for business in May. The clinic, owned and operated by Todd Howatt, specializes in general orthopedic injuries, sports rehabilitation, pain management, video gait analysis and custom orthotics. 981-1690. maximumpt.net.

Calypso St. Barth, 225 Summit Blvd., Suite 100, is now open. 262-2996. calypsostbarth.com.

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Sellers Richardson Holman & West, LLP, 216 Summit Blvd., Suite 300, has been named as a “Best of the Best CPA Firm” by INSIDE Public Accounting, a monthly newsletter focusing on the accounting industry. SRHW is one of 50 ﬁrms nationwide honored with the distinction. 278-0001. srhwcpa.com.

Chicken Salad Chick, 210 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 200, is now

open. chickensaladchick.com.

E & E Hardware, 7 Mt Laurel Ave., is now open. It offers everyday hardware including screws, tools and project needs for the Dunnavant Valley area. 769-6704.

Steel City Motorcars, 16165 U.S. 280 in Chelsea, is now open. The dealership offers pre-owned vehicles and is located in the former FabsFirst location. 203-1002. steelcitymotorcars.com.

Coming Soon Jimmy John’s will open at 4647 6 U.S. 280, Suite U, in the location formerly occupied by Momma Goldberg’s Deli. jimmyjohns.com.

Hirings and Promotions RealtySouth’s Inverness ofﬁce, 109 Inverness Plaza, has hired Jared Logan, Gretchen Miraglia, Taisha Rogers and Patricia Trice as new Realtors. 991-6565. realtysouth.com.

Dr. Gary Roubin, an interventional cardiologist and one of the most well-known physicians in the ﬁeld, has joined the staff of Cardiovascular Associates, 3980 Colonnade Parkway. 510-5000. cvapc.com.

ARC Realty, 5291 Valleydale Road, has hired several new agents, including Stacy Flippen, Ross Blaising, Jennifer Maier, Cindy Myrex and Karl Dover. It has also hired Kristie Goodyear as marketing and communications manager. 969-8910. arcrealtyco.com.

Anniversaries Agile Physical Therapy, 4851 Cahaba River Road, Suite 137, celebrated its sixth anniversary in August. 969-7887. myagilept.com.

Closings

New Ownership Aura Salon Spa, 157 Resource Center Parkway, Suite 113, is under new ownership. The new owner is Joe McKamey. 980-2504. aurasalonspa.com.

News and Accomplishments

Momma Goldberg’s Deli, 4647 U.S. 280, Suite U, has closed. mommagoldbergsdeli.com.

Jersey Mike’s Subs, 4673 U.S. 280, has closed. jerseymikes.com.

Johnny Ray’s, 10569 Old Highway 280, Suite 3, Chelsea, has added a salad bar for patrons in its restaurant. 678-8418. facebook.com/ JohnnyRaysInChelsea.

Business news

Business news to share? Business news to share? share? to Coming Soon Now Open Coming Soon

Coming Soon Relocation

Expansion Expansion

Anniversary Expansion

If you are in a brick and mortar business along the 280 corridor and want to If you share are in ayour brickevent and mortar business with the If you are in a brick andthe mortar business along 280 corridor along 280 corridor and wantthe community, let us know. to and want to share your event with thewith community, let us know. share your event the community, let us know. If you are in a brick and mortar business

280 280 Living Living

along the 280 corridor and want to share your event with the community, let us know. neighborly news & entertainment

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neighborly news & entertainment

280 Living

A14 • October 2014

Restaurant Showcase

280

ey R ba Va ll Ca ha

Chicken Salad Chick

Read all the past Restaurant Showcases at 280Living.com

38 Doug Baker Blvd

119

By MADOLINE MARKHAM Stacy and Kevin Brown emptied out their cupboard on a mission. Their object was to think of any food they had seen restaurants pair with chicken and test it out in chicken salad. Some were horrendously bad, Kevin Brown said, but 12 became menu items for their first Chicken Salad Chick restaurant when it opened in Auburn in 2008. All 12 came with whimsical names after friends or family members. “Our intent was to appeal to all chicken salad lovers,” Kevin said. “Everyone likes it a little different and has a little different palate. Some like it with fruit, some like it classic, some like it with onions.” Now those 12, plus three more, are available at the new location for the restaurant in the Village at Lee Branch, scheduled to open Sept. 30. The remaining three chicken salad varieties on the menu came from outside the Browns’ kitchen. Kickin’ Kay Lynne, a combination of Buffalo sauce, ranch, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and jalapenos, was born of an employee’s request. Stacy’s best friend in kindergarten in Rome, Georgia, was a little bit offended there was no salad named for her on the original menu, so she came to the restaurant with a packet of ranch dressing, cheese and bacon. Today you’ll find chicken salad with those three ingredients if you order the Sassy Scotty, one of the top sellers for

Chicken Salad Chick founder Stacy Brown talks with customers. Photo courtesy of Chicken Salad Chick.

the restaurant. “Our idea from top to bottom is to have fun with this,” Kevin said. The two top sellers at Chicken Salad Chick are the Classic Carol, your basic formula of chicken, mayo, celery and seasonings, and Fancy Nancy, which is dressed up with Fuji apples, pecans and seedless grapes. Kevin said it can challenge a guy’s manhood to order “Fruity Fran” or “Nutty Nana” aloud,

210 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 200 Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. chickensaladchick.com

but other flavors are more popular with men. Buffalo Barclay is a little spicy, almost like Buffalo chicken dip, and is popular around football season. Chicken Salad Chick customers are typically around 80 percent female when they first open, but contrary to what you might think, Kevin said women start to bring their spouses and coworkers, who eventually bring other men when they find the food is good. He said they see a 65/35

female/male mix in restaurants that have been open longer. At the restaurant, you can order chicken salad by the pound, or on a sandwich or as a scoop with a side and cookie. If by chance a customer doesn’t want chicken salad, the menu also includes deli turkey, roast beef, ham and pimento cheese. They also offer a soup the day, featuring top seller Classic Loaded Potato, Chicken & Artichoke Florentine (Kevin’s favorite), Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese and Chicken & Wild Rice. Chicken Salad Chick now has more than 25 franchised locations and is looking to add an additional 40 across the Southeast next year, but they have long had their eye on the Birmingham market. “We feel like Birmingham is a gateway market for us, with it being the largest market in state where we are founded,” Kevin said. “We feel like it will open up new markets in areas where we don’t have locations.” In addition to Lee Branch, SoHo in Homewood and downtown Birmingham locations are in the works. The Lee Branch location will also serve as a training facility for managers and owners for other markets. “We are excited to be next to Publix and eateries we feel like share our same customer that appreciates a fresh alterative to burgers and fast food,” Kevin said. “Folks in Birmingham have been almost to the point of begging us to come.”

280Living.com

October 2014 • A15

Growling for more Draft beer craze growing on U.S. 280 By JESSA PEASE Last December, Alan Kidd couldn’t tell you what a growler was. “There’s not beer in that,” he said to someone when he saw a jug at a party. That was when Kidd’s wheels started turning. Now Kidd, owner of the Cowboys gas station on 280, is doing growlers his own way with the help of Cowboys Manager Mark Mosteller. They found someone who could build draft spouts right into the cooler wall, and now they carry 44 draft beers to-go in Cowboys growlers, which are glass or ceramic jugs used to transport draft beer. “It’s drawn a boatload of people,” Kidd said. “It’s been a crazy-fun adventure, and it hasn’t stopped. There’s so many beers [to choose from] — I mean there are hundreds and thousands of beers.” Cowboys has had visitors all the way from Tennessee and Oklahoma who wanted to see their wall, and even brewers from Atlanta and Pensacola have wanted to learn from Cowboys. “Alabama is truly blessed with some very good microbreweries... and we are trying to feature Alabama beers here,” Mosteller said. “At least half of our beers will always be Alabama.” Growlers weren’t always legal in Alabama, though. Chad Johnson, co-owner of City Vineyard, said he and his partner Gavin Ennis are the ones who fought for them. “We sell beer and wine to-go by the bottle or by the six-pack,” Johnson said. “We were trying to make it so you could buy it by draft.” So a couple years ago, Johnson and Ennis hired a lawyer and went through the proper channels to legalize growlers in the state. Now City

Where to fill up Cowboys 5492 U.S. 280 981-0994 Monday-Sunday, 24 hours

City Vineyard 5479 U.S. 280, Suite 102 437-3360 Monday-Thursday, 12-9 p.m. Friday, 12 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m.

City Vineyard carries eight different specialty brews on tap that you wouldn’t normally find in a bottle or can. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.

Vineyard keeps eight beers on draft for customers to take home. Those eight are specialty brews you couldn’t normally buy in a bottle or can. Johnson said smaller breweries or seasonal flavors don’t always produce enough revenue to be bottled or canned. “So they do some cool brews in kegs,” Johnson said. “We wanted people to be able to take those home as opposed to just sit there, having a beer at our place and leaving. They can actually take them home now.” One of the most popular beers in the country, according to Johnson, is called Mexican Cake.

This imperial stout, made from cocoa nibs, vanilla bean, cinnamon and habanero, is one of those brews that is rarely bottled. City Vineyard also carries various IPAs, shandies and a beer called River Dog from South Carolina. “We fill up people on their way to the lake or the beach, and they want to take something that they can’t get there,” Johnson said. “Some of the beer stores that you see on the way to the lake, they focus on the domestics and the standard craft beers.” Kidd also said he has seen people stopping in for growlers on the way to Lake Martin during the summer, but what he has really waited for is

football season. He and Mosteller think football season will be the real test of the wall of draft beers. Even with 30 years at Cowboys, both Kidd and Mosteller said the addition of growlers in the store changes everything. Kidd said they are always learning and adding to what they have. Customers were flooding in for six hours straight on the Fourth of July alone to get their growlers. “There’s more beer here than down U.S. 280,” Kidd said. “When I mean down 280 — On Tap, the beer place you go to drink beer, I think they have even come in here and gone, ‘Holy cow. How did this come about?’”

280 Living

A16 • October 2014

Constant creative Young Oak Mountain grad runs kitchen at The Summit By MADOLINE MARKHAM At age 19, Ric Trent decided he didn’t want to sit at a desk for the rest of his career. A year into a computer engineering degree at Mississippi State, he moved home with four semesters of both calculus and physics under his belt. Four years later, the 2009 Oak Mountain High School graduate is the chef of Primeaux Cheese & Vino at The Summit. He believes the establishment prizes the quality of food he had grown accustomed to as the sous chef at Ocean and 26, yet it offers a more laid-back atmosphere. Trent, who first started working in the kitchen at Mellow Mushroom in Inverness, said he’s still getting used to serving as a head chef at age 23, but these days he mostly thinks about how he gets to create food day in and day out. At any given time he and his sous chef, Cory Bolton, whom he brought from Ocean, are working on five to six menus. They work 60 hours a week in the restaurant, but each morning they said they wake up excited to go to work. Even when they go home, they get together to write menus and try to poke holes in each other’s ideas to make them better. For them, ideas are always flowing. The biggest draw to Primeaux for the young chef duo was not just running their own kitchen but taking charge of creating a new menu each week for the restaurant’s Chef’s Table Dinner for eight. Each Thursday they prepare a sixcourse meal with seven wines selected by their sommelier. One week, a Taste of Europe theme offered

Chef Ric Trent enjoys creating dishes made with local ingredients to pair with French cheese like the one he is cutting here.

traditional dishes from six different countries, each with Trent and Bolton’s own spin. Another week, they researched the ingredients and

techniques found on the French Riviera. A menu in the works will create “fine-dining fast food” with dishes such as fried duck confit and foie gras

fries in place of chicken nuggets and French fries. Trent said he invites the challenge of requests from customers for menu items or themes.

280Living.com

October 2014 • A17

Chef Ric Trent and his staff canned heirloom tomatoes and other local vegetables this summer.

“I want you to tell me what you want, and then I want to blow you away,” he said. Special dinners also allow them to experiment with modernist techniques such as foams, galettes and liquid nitrogen. At a recent dinner they served a scallop foam on a chilled coconut curry soup that they had been working to create since their days at Ocean. Trent and Bolton’s work is part of the ever-evolving food culture on 280. Growing up, Trent remembers when the only dining options at The Summit were chains like Macaroni Grill and P.F. Chang’s, and eating at independent restaurants meant going downtown for fine dining at Ocean or Highlands Bar and Grill. “Now more independent restaurants are opening up and going back to the way their grandmothers did things, cooking with local ingredients,” he said. “It’s fun to be in the middle of it.” Trent and Bolton have continued Primeaux’s mission to use local produce and meat as much as possible to pair with wines and cheeses

imported from France. This summer they canned heirloom tomatoes, pickled okra, pickled watermelon rind and pepper jelly — all of which they can sell alongside their wine and cheese since they have a retail license. Their house Pepper Strawberry Pinot Noir Jam has even inspired their bar manager to make a special sangria featuring it. To find out what Trent’s experimentation in the kitchen tastes like, you can order off of a new Primeaux menu that was adopted in September. Signature sandwiches and light entrees from their European café-style menu have remained, but they added more cold sandwiches for lunch. For dinner, you’ll find fewer sandwiches and more hearty dishes such as rack of lamb, steak, grouper and salmon, selected in consultation with restaurant owners Paul and Deborah Primeaux, who encourage the chefs to go after the best ingredients. Primeaux is located at 300 Summit Blvd. For more, visit primeauxcheeseandvino.com or call 623-5593.

Primeaux Chef Ric Trent is a 2009 Oak Mountain High School graduate. Photos by Madoline Markham.

280 Living

A18 • October 2014

Your Health Today By Dr. Irma Leon Palmer

When you’re “stressed out”, whether it’s emotional, physical, or from poor nutrition, your stress hormone rises and you crave sugar for fake fuel. Prevent fatigue and prepare yourself to succeed this upcoming holiday season. Stress is a natural and necessary response when challenged with the pressures of living or when confronted with danger. When we are unable to rid ourselves of stress, the adrenals increase the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. High cortisol levels from ongoing stress can create a variety of changes. Some of the more common are: changes in a appetite, food cravings, energy levels, muscle mass and bone density, mood, immune response, memory and learning. Many other hormones, including thyroid and sex hormones, are affected by adrenal stress. The adrenal glands, stress-handling glands positioned atop the kidneys, act as the control center for over 50 hormones which are involved in a large number of physiological functions in the body. They produce hormones in response to stress and have an effect on the body’s metabolism and blood ﬂow, and regulate water and electrolytes in the body. These hormones also control blood sugar,

natural inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses, and immune system response. Steroid hormones, also produced by the adrenals, determine your overall strength, energy, and stamina. Although there are no recent statistics available to determine exactly how common adrenal fatigue may be, in 1998, Dr. Wilson coined the term ‘adrenal fatigue’ to identify below optimal adrenal function resulting from stress and distinguish it from Addison’s disease. Dr. John Tinterra, a medical doctor who specialized in low adrenal function, said in 1969 that he estimated that approximately 16% of the public could be classified as severe. But, if all indications of low cortisol were included, the percentage would be more like 66%. This was before the extreme stress of 21st century living, 9/11, and the severe economic recession we are experiencing. Dr Michael Lam, familiar with adrenal fatigue, stated that 80% of the population will suffer with adrenal fatigue at some point in their life. Dr David Brownstein, the author of “Iodine: Why You Need It”, estimates that 40% of the Western world is currently experiencing some sort of thyroid imbalance. Don’t despair; there is hope and a natural approach to combat adrenal fatigue.

Prevent Adrenal Fatigue Relieving stress can seem impossible. But it’s how you handle the stress that will allow you to feel better, and decrease cortisol levels. Some things to consider: Sleep- the best way to relieve stress is to ensure you get 8 hours of sleep per day. This allows time for cortisol levels to drop and give you deep, restful sleep. Exercise- participate in regular “moderate” exercise. An intense workout may only complicate your adrenal issues. Nutrition- whole foods are important because they provide a wide variety of nutrients that are crucial during times of increased stress and adrenal fatigue. When the body is under stress, your metabolism increases, creating a greater need for nutrients. Avoid sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and refined flour. Stick to high fiber foods and lean protein. Chiropractic care- stress in the form of physical, chemical or mental / emotional stress can cause a subluxation, or the spine to misalign, and put pressure on the nerves. When this occurs at the T11-L2 area of the spine where the nerves exit and supply the adrenal glands, the adrenal glands don’t function well and adrenal fatigue can occur. Supplements- whole food supplements can provide additional support to help your

adrenal glands stay healthy. Standard Process adrenal support products can provide what the adrenals need to return to optimal function and aid the body in handling stress. Some examples are listed below. Adrenal Desiccated provides powerful short-term adrenal support for immediate energy needs. Drenamin offers comprehensive adrenal support to help reduce ongoing stress, increase energy production, and regulate mood. Drenatrophin PMG over the long term, re-establish adrenal function to reduce the effects of stress on the nervous system and combat fatigue. Cataplex C provides the vitamin C complex, a powerful antioxidant, which protects against environmental and internal stressors. Stress depletes vitamin C in the body, especially in the adrenal glands. At our ofﬁce, we believe that your body has the amazing capability of keeping itself healthy providing we live a wellness-oriented lifestyle. Giving your body proper nerve supply, nutrition, exercise, and rest is as essential as oxygen and water. Poor choices in any of these areas negatively impact our ability to live at our fullest potential. To ﬁnd out more join us on Tuesday October 21st for our free Adrenal Fatigue workshop at 6:15pm.

280Living.com

October 2014 • A19 JOE’S

WEB

CONTINUED from page A1

CONTINUED from page A1 In the past 10 years, the cyber world of apps and social media has created an opening for sexual predators and child pornography among middle and high school students. In response to the concerns of parents, Hoover City Schools hosted a cyber citizenship forum to discuss the latest trends in social media and the dangers associated with them. “Our girls have just started middle school, so I think we are all concerned about social media,” said Sue Collins, who attended the Aug. 26 meeting at Spain Park High School. “We want to learn. We aren’t as up on things as our teenagers are right now, so we are trying to get up to speed about what’s available and what’s out there.”

Sexting

Sergeant Mac Hardy began the session with a scenario and the phrase, “Never say never.” “Johnny asked Sally for a picture,” he said. “Sally takes a picture of herself and sends it to Johnny. Is Johnny going to keep that picture to himself? No, he gives it to his friend, and his friend looks at it and gives it to another friend.” In this scenario, Johnny and Sally have both committed felonies. According to Alabama state law, child pornography is deﬁned as nude images of a child under the age of 17, and it is a crime to possess, manufacture or transmit any form of child pornography. What this example is also describing is a trend called sexting, which exploded as a result of cellphone cameras and mass media coverage, according to Hardy. A few years ago, Hardy was working the child pornography sector of juvenile investigations, and he saw how many pictures there are out there. “People are searching for these pictures constantly — grown people,” Hardy said. “These laws were written to protect our children, not to prosecute our children for things of adolescence.” Hardy said there are 116,000 requests for child pornography daily. Fifty percent of 15- to 17-yearolds have already had exposure to hard-core pornography, and 30 percent of 8- to 16-year-olds watch pornography while doing homework.

“Think about how important it is to know what is on the device — that you own — that you allow your children to use,” Hardy said. “Who owns that phone? The parents.” Hardy stressed that parents should look through their child’s phone and know the passwords associated with it. Barnes also added that children should not be allowed to have their phones with them at night. “Letting the kids charge their phones in their rooms is the new pornography,” Barnes said. “That’s the title it has been given. You’ve got to be that parent.”

Sexual predators

There are about 50,000 sexual predators online who are experts at countering the intelligence of the police force. Because of that, about one in five children will be sexually proposed to online daily. Barnes read dozens of newspaper clippings about predators being arrested for sexual crimes directed at children. He also told the story of a fellow police officer whose daughter was kidnapped, molested and murdered by a sexual predator. “The more ‘connected’ a child is, the more availability for that child to experience negative online experiences,” Barnes said. That is because there are dangers associated with social media. If the user settings are not on private, anyone can see posts, pictures cannot be controlled once posted and statuses can be used for stalking purposes. Tags online can also reveal location and time, which can be used to gather information about a person. Most predators average about 250 victims in their life, and when 23 million kids use instant messaging, Barnes said it makes it easy for predators to “groom” them. The predator will agree with everything a child says and relate to every problem they have. When 86 percent of kids chat without their parent’s knowledge, it’s easy for predators to find an opening. “I ask them,‘Why do you do that?’” Barnes said, referring to the number of children online without

the knowledge of their parent. “They never fail to respond, ‘Well, I don’t want them to see what we are saying,’ or ‘I don’t want them to see what we are putting out there.’”

Precautionary measures

Barnes said if parents can monitor their kids’ social networks, they will have a greater understanding of who the kids hang out with, where they go, who they are dating and whether they participate in alcohol or drug use or sexual conduct. He also stressed that parents need to have access to and an understanding of every app their children are using, such as Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Ask.fm, Friendster, Flickr, GroupMe, Instagram, Meetup, ooVoo, Kik and Yik Yak. He directly mentioned Snapchat, an app that allows you to send photos on a timer that will be deleted when the timer runs out, as a popular new trend among children. “I don’t know what it is,” Barnes said. “They are infatuated by it. Even the ones that are not bad kids are sending bad pictures, but they are infatuated by their number.” Barnes also warned about an app called ooVoo. He explained that if you see ooVoo on your child’s phone, they are doing something very wrong. OoVoo allows people to meet online and exchange graphic content. After 9 p.m. there is no monitoring or filtering. Barnes recommended a monitoring system, My Mobile Watchdog, for parents to use on smartphones. It allows parents to control settings, get notifications from their child’s phone and turn the phone off at a certain time. This system is not fully compatible with iPhones. Monitoring devices for the computer, such as Blaster, allow parents to block certain websites, track keystrokes and personalize filters for each user profile on the computer. Barnes also said keeping the computer in a common area is helpful. “I’m so thankful, in a lot of ways, that I didn’t have to deal with, as a child, the things that these kids do,” Barnes said. “I don’t think I could have handled it.”

“There is a lot of opportunity in Birmingham, and it’s a great fit for Trader Joe’s,” said Trader Joe’s press contact Alison Mochizuki. The chain now operates more than 400 locations in 40 states. It began in the 1950s in Los Angeles as Pronto Markets, a small chain of convenience stores. Then in 1967, the “Trader” Joe Coulombe changed its name and business model. The chain purchases products direct from suppliers whenever possible and bargains to get the best price, which passes savings on to customers. They also do not charge their suppliers fees for putting an item on the shelf like other grocery stores do because it results in higher prices. Today Trader Joe’s carries an assortment of domestic and imported groceries including fresh baked artisan breads, Arabica bean coffees, international frozen entrées, 100 percent fruit juices, fresh crop nuts, deli items and vitamins, as well as the basics such as milk and eggs. Their products also come with no artificial flavors or preservatives, synthetic colors, MSG, genetically modified ingredients, artificial trans-fats or marketing costs. There are about 3,000 items under the Trader Joe’s private label, which includes Trader José’s salsas, Trader Ming’s fried rice and Trader Giotto’s marinara sauces. Ten to 15 new products are introduced every week in the stores. For more information about Trader Joe’s, visit traderjoes.com.

A20 • October 2014

280 Living

Fall Home Guide Special Advertising Section

ctober is the time to take on a project or two. Whether you are looking to redesign a room, revamp your summer garden or prepare your home for winter, we’ve got you covered. Browse through our fall home guide for advice, tips and resources for every aspect of home improvement.

Redesigning is a hoot at Rosegate Design, see page A28

INDEX Backyard Adventure..... A30 Batts’ Chimney............... A24

Try a furniture store with more at Issis & Sons, see page A25

Create a fall container garden with Hanna’s Garden Shop, see page A26

Blinds For Less............... A21 Decorating Dens............. A23 E & E Hardware............... A21 EcoView............................ A31 Granite Transform.......... A24

Add a classic touch with Greystone Antiques and Marketplace, see page A27

Greystone Antiques....... A27 Hanna’s Garden.............. A26 Hollywood Pools............. A29 Issis & Sons.................... A25 Lawncrafters................... A31

Outdoor Living Area ..... A22 Rosegate Desgin............ A28 Running Roots............... A26 Sew Sheri......................... A29 The Maids....................... A30

280Living.com

Get to know Blinds For Less

As the temperatures drop, heating bills go up. Before switching on the heat for the first time this winter, know that there are other ways to conserve heat in the home and keep energy bills from skyrocketing. One such way is to prepare the windows of a home with curtains or blinds. Keeping the blinds or curtains closed on drafty days can reduce the amount of cold air let into the home. The barrier can also prevent warm indoor air from escaping to the outside. To stay warm for less this fall and winter, Pell City-based Blinds For Less is offering 10 percent off all woven wood shades and roller shades during the fall season. Blinds For Less is a full service window covering company serving central Alabama

Fall

since 1994. Its goal is to enhance the beauty of your home with a perfect selection of window treatments that both compliment your home as well as control the lighting entering your area. With window treatments including blinds, shades, shutters, solar screens, draperies, top treatments and bed ensembles, Blinds For Less can create the perfect window covering for you. Blinds For Less’ staff can assist throughout the entire design process, from treatment selection to professional installation. Don’t leave anything to chance! Get it right the first time and enjoy your “eyes to the world” everyday there after. Call Blinds For Less at 612-6002 now to schedule a free consultation.

Home Guide

October 2014 • A21

Special Adversiting Section

Your neighborhood hardware store

Casey Crane is a local resident who wanted to bring something special to his community. That’s why he opened E & E Hardware in the Mt Laurel Town Center this past August. “It’s just such a quaint community here,” said Crane. “I want to be the little neighborhood hardware store for Mt Laurel and all the surrounding communities.” Crane describes his store as the perfect place to stop for weekend projects. The place has the ideal mix of small-shop charm and a big inventory of items. Products include paint, light bulbs, air filters, tools, home fixtures and more. “Product-wise, we carry everything you

need,” Crane said. For those looking to enhance the outdoor settings of their home, Crane sells birdseed and bird feeders. For those heading to lake this fall, Crane plans to offer customers a variety of fishing gear including basic fishing poles, rods, reels and tackle. If all of that is not enough, there is one more special touch. For customers who walk into the store and don’t see what they need, all they have to do is ask, and Crane can order it. “Special orders are no problem at all,” Crane said. “Everybody needs hardware.” For more information, call 769-6704 or email ccrane1966@gmail.com.

Fall

A22 • October 2014

Home Guide

280 Living

Special Adversiting Section

Want to spend more quality time with your family? An outdoor living area can bring a family together. Kids and parents alike forget about the TV, Xbox, cell phones and their iPads. Family time becomes “cool” again. Time after time, customers have told Outdoor Living Areas general manager Scot Thompson that relaxing in their new space allows them to lose track of time together. “Our satisfaction comes when customers tell us that they don’t watch as much TV and the kids don’t play as much Xbox or use their cell phones,” Thompson said. “I think that’s why our customers are so satisfied and refer us to their friends. It means they are spending time together as a family, and as a contractor, that is very satisfying.” Outdoor Living Areas Inc. specializes in outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, flagstone patios and decks. They personally work with the customer to design an area that flows with the architecture of the house and best fits the wants of the family. They also offer landscape design and irrigation to complete the entire project typically in seven to 14 days. “When I start a project, I don’t leave until we’re finished,” Thompson

said. “I think that’s one reason why our customers like us and call us back for more work.” For example, one house had a

particularly windy backyard that might get in the way of cooking at an outdoor kitchen, so Outdoor Living Areas suggested they build it in front

of the house. The homeowner now cooks there at least four times a week, even in the winter, and even had a cover installed over the kitchen so he

can cook in the rain. In addition to enhancing beauty and creating family space, the correct backyard design also adds value to the home and makes it stand out in a neighborhood. “I haven’t had a customer yet tell me they didn’t think they could get their money back,” Thompson said. Their sales of backyard designs have steadily grown, and they have added a plethora of new products lines to provide the latest innovations outdoor space design. Among their new product lines are low voltage LED strip lighting. “[It] gives our customers many more options than standard low voltage lighting,” Thompson said. The business’ designs transform existing space into retreats families will treasure for years to come. “What we are doing,” Thompson said, “is providing a unique, private outside area that the entire family can enjoy. We are utilizing a backyard space that has previously been ignored and turning it into something so special that it ends up being used more than any space inside the home.” For more information on Outdoor Living Areas, call 402-2110 or visit outdoorlivingareas.net.

Fire up the fun this fall! inc.  Patios & Walls  Outdoor Kitchens  Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire pits  Arbors and Pergolas

402-2110

You can see all of our past work on our website:

OutdoorLivingAreas.net

Alabama G C L #43737

280Living.com

Fall

Home Guide

October 2014 • A23

Special Adversiting Section

Windows to the world In the wonderful world of window coverings, there are virtually thousands of fabrics and design choices available to today’s homeowners. Many clients ask what makes a custom window treatment custom. That is a good question. Selecting the proper fabric for your décor and style is a must, but selecting the proper fabric for the treatment is also very important. Upholstery fabric will not make suitable swags, and you would not put silk in a child’s playroom! Once the fabric and treatment have been chosen, the project is then sent to a skilled workroom that specializes in custom window treatments. These professionals are trained to put the fabric together with the proper linings and interlinings to create a luxurious treatment that will withstand the test of time. Proper fabrication and lining selection will prolong the life of the fabric and also protect your furnishings and flooring. Properly chosen and constructed window treatments can also reduce heating and cooling costs by creating another layer of insulation for your windows. Treatments can also be combined to make a distinct look for your room. You might start with wood blinds and add panels or a valance, or you may use woven wood blinds alone. Another look is to add a soft shade with a valance or just use stationary panels or full

draw draperies. No two custom window treatments are exactly alike. Add the thousands of fabrics available, and the possibilities are endless! The job of an interior decorator is to help you choose the right fabric, treatment and hardware to enhance your space. Whether you want to block light, create privacy, camouflage a window mistake or frame a beautiful view, an interior decorator and an experienced workroom can help you avoid costly mistakes when it comes to window treatments. Think of window treatments as the jewelry for your room. You wouldn’t wear Versace to the ball and forget your earrings or necklace! Decorating Den Interiors has been providing their clients custom window treatments for more than 45 years. Owner and designer Laura Purvis owned and operated a custom window treatment workroom and decorating business more than 14 years, and designer Diane Barbee Smith has been creating beautiful commercial and residential spaces for more than 25 years. For all your window treatment, furniture, accessory, flooring and wall covering needs, let the Alabama design professionals at Decorating Den Interiors help you create the room of your dreams. Call Decorating Den Interiors for your free consultation today! For more information, call Decorating Den at 447-4589.

A24 • October 2014

Fall

A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be

Home Guide

280 Living

Special Adversiting Section

A low-maintenance, low-worry countertop

When the weather gets frightful outside, a fireplace can be delightful. To ensure your chimney is in tip-top shape, the experts at Batts’ Chimney Services answered a couple questions concerning the safety and upkeep of your fireplace. Batts’ Chimney Services is a local family owned and operated, full service chimney company. Owner Phillip Batts said residents have been relying on Batts’ for its professionalism and knowledge to handle their entire chimney needs for 36 years. “Our goal is to provide the highest quality work at a reasonable price!” Batts said. How often should I have my chimney cleaned? The National Fire Protection Association Standard 211 says, “Chimneys, fireplaces and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance and repairs shall be done if necessary.” My fireplace stinks, what can I do? A good cleaning will help, and during this process we can determine if there are other contributing factors that need to be addressed. I have water leaking into my fireplace and water stains on the ceiling and wall. Can your company fix my problem? We will complete a thorough inspection to determine where the water is coming from and help in the prevention of further leaks. Sometimes the problem is not chimney related. A roof problem can show up at

Granite Transformations can install its materials on top of existing countertops.

the chimney and deceive us. To learn more about Batts’ Chimney Services, visit battschimneyservices.com or call 956-8207. Visit csia.org/Homeowner-Resources/index.aspx for more FAQs on chimney service.

Countertops from Granite Transformations may look like an ordinary granite, quartz or recycled glass surface. But upon closer inspection, you’ll quickly learn how premium countertops from Granite Transformations will make your life easier. The company’s products are created by grinding up granite, quartz or recycled glass, and then cooking it to create a new solid material. The end result is thinner but stronger than traditional granite and quartz. Instead of being porous, it’s solid and sturdy — not to mention that it can withstand heat up to 500 degrees. Best of all, Granite Transformations countertops are scratch and stain resistant and backed by a lifetime warranty. The thin design also allows the product to be installed easily on top of existing countertops with no demolition required. To clean it, you simply wipe it with soap and warm

water. There’s no maintenance thanks to Forever Seal! The experts at Granite Transformations provide a quick turnaround. Ninety percent of installs are completed in one day, but that won’t be the first time they visit a customer’s home. Instead of visiting a show room with staged commercial lighting, a design consultant brings samples to the home, allowing the customer to select the product in the natural light of the kitchen or bathroom where it will be installed. Birmingham native Brandon Plowden recently acquired a local franchise of Granite Transformations, one of 95 across North America with products manufactured in Sebring, Fla. To learn more about Granite Transformations, visit gtalabama.com or call 789-9771.

280Living.com

Fall

Home Guide

October 2014 • A25

Special Adversiting Section

Taking care of the customer

Issis started in Pelham, Ala. in only a 2000 square foot showroom offering carpet and rugs. From the beginning in 1984 to today the philosophy is the same, “always take care of the customer,” as stated ﬁrmly by owner Steve Issis. The foundation of this business is founded on that simple, yet strong principle. With that in the foundation, Issis has grown leaps and bounds to

expand the main showroom to 100,000 square feet. The showroom on Highway 280 was opened in 1999 and is 20,000 square feet. The location is a full service store offering beautiful carpets, rugs, tiles, stone and hardwoods. A wonderful and exciting addition was added in 2007 to help our customers even more. That

addition was Issis & Sons Furniture Gallery in Pelham with a 22,000 square foot showroom. Managed by Nancy Gowens and a staff of talented professional decorators, the showroom offers all of the above plus a full line of quality ﬁne furniture along with custom bedding & drapery services, accessories and lighting. This led to the opening of Issis at Greenbrier

in 2013 that is managed by the Gary Hughes and Moeen Chadury, again offering service and quality. The ultimate goal of all Issis stores is to make our customers happy by providing excellent service, amazing selections and quality products at affordable prices. To learn more about Issis & Sons, visit issisandsons.com.

Fall

A26 • October 2014

How to plant fall container garden

Hanna’s can help you create your own fall container garden.

Tips and ideas from Lorraine Fincher, sales manager over annuals, perennials and seasonal color at Hanna’s Garden Shop } Think outside the flower box. Pansies, violas and mums are popular fall and winter annuals, but consider expanding your plant palette to include snapdragons, dianthus, ornamental kale, swiss chard or mustard greens. All of these will last throughout a typical Alabama winter. You can also add acorus grass for green color all year. } Mix it up. In addition to your flowers, try adding in greenery for a backdrop in your container. Ornamental grasses such as carex or juncus complement any annual or perennial bloom, as do evergreens such as false cypress, boxwood and arbor vitae. Your summertime marigolds and petunias can also remain in your containers until the first frost of the season. } Add pumpkins. Arrange a set of

ornamental pumpkins around your containers. Hanna’s sells a variety of sizes and textures in greens, whites, yellows and classic oranges. Be careful not to water your pumpkins when you water your ﬂowers, though, so they don’t rot prematurely. } Vary container sizes. Instead of planting one large container, try placing plants throughout three different sized containers in one location. Each can feature plants of the same color or complementary colors. Hanna’s sells ceramic and concrete containers in a variety of sizes and colors. Hanna’s Garden Shop, located at 5485 U.S. 280 E. across from the Lee Branch Shopping Center, offers not just ﬂowers but also trees, shrubs, fertilizers and gardening accessories, as well as the expertise of its staff. For more information call 991-2939, visit hannasgardenshop.com or email support@hannasgardenshop.com.

280 Living

Home Guide Special Adversiting Section

Focusing on what’s important Running Roots Lawn Care’s goal is to free you up from the demands of lawn care so you can focus on what really matters. Lawn maintenance takes time, and as the seasons turn this time of year, your lawn should receive some attention and care to ensure you maximize its health for the next growing season. Running Roots is a small, local lawn care and landscaping company located near Valleydale Road. Its mission is to create remarkable experiences by delivering the best lawn service and value in Birmingham. Its vision is to help you, the property owner, invest your time and energy in the most important things. Whether you want more time for family, work or leisure, Running Roots wants to free you up to do the things you love. Your lawn can easily get in the way, and if ignored, the work will keep piling up. Their staff would love to help you reclaim your evenings and weekends by becoming your lawn care and landscaping service provider. Even if you haven’t won the “yard of the month” award, there are things you can do to can signiﬁcantly

improve the health of your lawn and your curb appeal: } Lay new straw or mulch in your beds } Aerate your lawn } Apply weed control and light fertilizer } Cut back summer over-growth } Focus on the consistent removal of leaves

“We would love the opportunity to help take these requirements off your to-do list and free you up to enjoy your fall evenings and weekends without the hassle of lawn care,” said Owner Garrick McCarty. For more information, call 200-2602 or visit runningrootslawncare.com.

280Living.com

Fall

Home Guide

October 2014 • A27

Special Adversiting Section

‘Service, service, service’ When walking into Greystone Antiques & Marketplace, Manager Cindy Weems wants customers to know that they are in a friendly, happy and enjoyable environment. “We get to know our customers personally,” Weems said. “Personal service is very important to us.” Greystone Antiques & Marketplace has been in business for five years at the former Southern Home Furniture location. Their 25,000-squarefoot space features 70 booths and 100 vendors of antiques. Their marketplace atmosphere and mix of items from jewelry to clothing to furniture and more allows Greystone Antiques & Marketplace to fulfill customers’ needs and wants. “We’ve laughed that all we’d have to sell is milk and no one would have to go anywhere else,” Weems said. When choosing items or vendors, Greystone Antiques & Marketplace tries to include a mix of interests to fit the style of an array of customers. A group of in-house designers assist customers with purchasing the perfect items for their homes. In the fall and winter months, holidays are in full swing. Customers often want to spruce up a guest bedroom or bathroom for their family’s stay. “Sometimes all it takes is adding a couple of lamps, a mirror and a floral arrangement for the table [to get ready],” Weems said. Designers can assist customers at the store for free and can also make home visits for a nominal charge. Greystone Antiques & Marketplace stays in touch with the latest trends when choosing items to sell at the marketplace. One of the biggest trends right now is painted furniture. Vendors at the marketplace are available to paint furniture for customers. They also carry popular items such as Belle Craie chalk paint. The paint is made in the U.S. and comes in a variety of colors.

Greystone Antiques and Marketplace Manager Cindy Weems

Weems has also noticed a popularity spike in the hunter look, which features deer racks or horns as accents. Equestrian-themed décor is another upcoming trend. Greystone Antiques & Marketplace has collected old trophies, horse pictures, ribbons, saddles and more to fit this theme. Of course, with fall and winter on the way, the marketplace has many seasonal items such as pumpkins, gourds, wreaths and garlands as well.

Other services they offer include gift-wrapping, an in-house floral design center, readymade drapes that are customizable in length and gift items for the holiday season. The store also sells gift cards or certificates for teacher gifts or anyone who isn’t sure what the person they’re buying for has in mind. To kick off the start of the holidays, Greystone Antiques & Marketplace will host its annual open house on Nov. 6. The event will feature

live music, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and more. The marketplace will stay open late for the occasion. Last year, more than 300 people attended the fun-filled night. Greystone Antiques & Marketplace is located at 5475 U.S. 280. To learn more about Greystone Antiques & Marketplace, call 995-4773 or friend us on Facebook at Greystone Antiques.

Fall

A28 • October 2014

280 Living

Home Guide Special Adversiting Section

How to use patterns, prints and color schemes Redesigning or decorating? Rosegate Design has you covered. Opened in 1999 by interior designer Nancy Norris, Rosegate Design is known for its friendly, creative and enthusiastic staff, which has included partner Abby Leib since 2013. Rosegate offers comprehensive outside design services and a turnkey workroom for custom window treatments, bedding, upholstery and pillows. There’s an on-site design center stocked with designer fabrics and samples. It’s the perfect resource for designers, decorators and those wanting a beautiful home. To lend some professional advice for those who want a fresh, trendy new look, Norris lent some guidance. What advice can you offer for beginning the process of redesigning a room? Do your homework. I always have clients look through magazines to get an idea of their style. We also have a valuable website and a Pinterest page that can help clients get ideas. I do like to sit down with clients and find out what their lifestyle is along with how they like a room to function. I like to find out if they have kids, pets or any kind of special needs. What are the latest trends in color themes? Trends and colors are definitely going

fabrics that will look best on each. They need to complement each other. Everything can’t be the dominant piece or so-called focal point. If the furniture is bold, go easy on the window treatment and vise versa. What are some great brands for trendy furniture that’s easy on your wallet? We carry a few wonderful lines that are affordable including Four Seasons, Dovetail and Furniture Classics. What advice can you give on using pillows and bedding to tie a room together? In the neutral world we live in, you can use patterns and textures on pillows to give you great style without being committed forever.

lighter colors on walls and fabrics, using lots of linens or linen-like fabrics. Soft greys and neutrals are trending, as well as mixing lots of natural textures and woods including washed and painted woods. With so many patterns and prints,

what advice can you give to balancing colors in a room? Usually do the big pieces in solid fabrics, and then mix the patterns on pillows, ottomans and window treatments. A rule of thumb is use large patterns with medium and small patterns.

What prints are popular right now? Ikat, geometric and large scale patterns. How do you pair the perfect furnishings with window fabrics? Select furniture style and the window treatment style, and then select the

How can interior design consultants help? We can make sure that the client is purchasing the correct size furniture as well as using scale and proportion in the total design of the project. We have resources that can give them a personal custom look to their space. Rosegate Design is located at 6801 Cahaba Valley Road. For more information, visit therosegate.com or call 980-5014.

Fall

280Living.com

What to know about fabric trends

Home Guide

October 2014 • A29

Special Adversiting Section

Creating a ‘backyard oasis’

Shew Sheri features an assortment of contemporary fabric and a sewing essentials showroom. Photo by Keith McCoy.

Sew Sheri is not just a warehouse lined with bolts of fabric. It is a contemporary fabric, notions, hardware, trim and sewing essentials showroom with an open workroom, which also features Dorm Suite Dorm’s custom dorm bedding. Clients can choose or custom order fabrics for their home design projects. They may also schedule a consultation with a designer who can build on their design ideas and help them create exclusive pieces from our trend setting fabrics. The store works with clients at every stage of designing. Some are very savvy and already have specific ideas about their projects when they come in, and others are home design novices and feel more intimidated by the process. Sew Sheri’s designers get to know the client, their personality and their specific project needs. Owner Sheri Corey just returned from the WCAA (Window Covering Association of America) Color Theory Lecture in Atlanta.

Here are some trends in home fabrics she learned about: }} Moody shades are out, and happy patterns, colors. and prints are in. }} Blue, blue, blue! Rich, saturated blues are everywhere. }} Lush fabrics such velvet, suede and corduroy are a must for warm fall and winter décor. }} Modern versions of florals with bold colors and patterns are popular. }} Metallics are making a bold statement in home fabrics, furnishings and accents. }} Outdoor fabrics are coming inside for their unique patterns, longevity and durability. }} Home style follows fashion trends and mixing patterns is big, so if you are feeling unsure, start with an easy stripe/floral or plaid/color block. Sew Sheri is located at 2832 Culver Road. For more information, visit sewsheri.com or call 879-8278.

We are excited to introduce two new designers!

Danielle Palladino

Reb Baker,

ASID,RIO

Come in today for your free consultation. YOUR LOCAL FABRIC RETAILER

2832 Culver Rd • 879.8278 • Mon. - Sat

It may be the off-season for pools, but Hollywood Pool and Spa has plenty of other services to offer. Co-owner Billy Branch shares a little about the business. How did Hollywood Pool and Spa get its start? Hollywood Pools began in 1986 as a pool service and repair business with a small retail location on Hollywood Boulevard in Homewood. As the company grew, it became necessary to relocate to our current location on Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills. What is Hollywood Pool and Spa’s business philosophy? With our current product selection, we offer our customers anything they need to create a “backyard oasis.” What services do you specialize in? We offer a wide variety of pool services, including weekly cleaning and equipment

repair. We specialize in all pool renovations, including replastering, replacing pool tile and coping, and installing new vinyl liners. With summer being over and pools being used less frequently, what are some ways you continue to help customers? As our busy summer pool season winds down, we begin emphasizing sales of Sundance Spas, Big Green Egg and Weber Grills, and Crimson Casual and Lloyd Flanders patio furniture. Are you offering any specials during the fall and winter seasons? Whether it is the Fall Home & Garden Show, our annual Sundance Spas Truckload Sale or our huge Holiday Sale for Big Green Eggs, fall and winter are a great time to take advantage of discounted pricing on spas, grills and outdoor furniture. To learn more about Hollywood Pool and Spa, visit hollywoodpoolandspas.com.

Fall

A30 • October 2014

How to love cleaning day — call The Maids

The Maids began cleaning homes in the metro Birmingham area in 1987. With our 22-step Healthy Touch Cleaning System, we give you the healthiest, most thorough housecleaning ever! The Maids offers thorough and dependable cleaning, utilizing the three-tofour-person team concept and environmentally preferable products. The Maids insures and bonds our employees and pays all employment taxes. Our success is a result of our commitment to our employees and customers. We have an unconditional 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Our goal is always satisfied customers! The Maids has a commitment to give back to the community. Those we support include the Bell Center/Service Guild, Exceptional Foundation, Junior League, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Alabama Symphony and

many of our local schools. The Maids is a sponsor of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, and all of The Maids yellow company cars proudly display their license plates. The Maids is a member of the local chamber of commerce and the Better Business Bureau. Most of our clients say, “I love it when it’s cleaning day…Coming home to a spotless house is something our entire family looks forward to.” Weekly or every other week cleaning gives our clients time to spend doing the things they really enjoy. We also offer move-in/ move-out cleanings and other frequencies of service. Call today to enjoy the benefits of a cleaner and healthier home. For more information, call 623-4752 or visit maids.com.

TREAT yourself to a clean home with no TRICKS attached.

Proudly keeping homes cleaner and healthier since 1987

205-871-9338 www.MAIDS.com

Referred for a reason.

Home Guide

280 Living

Special Adversiting Section

Fresh air and exercise

Tired of nonstop TV shows and video games and kids running through the house? Get them to enjoy playing outside with a new playground set from Backyard Adventures of Alabama! Backyard Adventures sells residential and light commercial playground equipment, as well as trampolines and basketball goals. They also build any play set that is purchased, even if you didn’t buy it from them. Owner Jeff Beabout shared more about the business as well as what potential customers should know. Why do you recommend investing in a playground for your yard? Most importantly, it gets kids outside exercising and using their imagination. With all of the different options we have on our play sets, especially rock walls and monkey bars, it helps them build strength as well. What makes your products unique?

Our play sets have much thicker wood than smaller competitors’ sets, and the swing beams have a good bit of metal supports to make them stronger, which is needed when the kids want Mom and Dad to swing with them. We also can come out to your yard and help customize a perfect setup based on size of the yard and budget. What should customers know about buying a set this time of year? With holidays approaching, there always is a big rush to install sets and trampolines as close to Christmas Day as possible. So be sure to schedule as soon as possible to make sure you get a premium date. Backyard Adventures has a showroom at 7023 Meadowlark Drive where kids can play. To get there, turn off U.S. 280 between Lloyd’s restaurant and Dairy Queen. For more information, visit backyardalabama. com or call 408-4FUN (4386).

Fall

280Living.com

October 2014 • A31

Home Guide Special Adversiting Section

Save money with a new kind of window

FALL

W I N D OW S A L E Ernest Jordan explains the features of his EcoView Windows.

The most expensive window you can buy is the one you have today, according to Ernest Jordan. The cost, he said, comes from your utility bill if your house is more than 10 years old. By comparison, the EcoView Windows he sells can reduce heating and cooling bills by up to 40 percent. The windows typically pay for themselves in five to seven years. “After that you get a paycheck in your pocket that would otherwise go to a power bill,” he said. As the first step in working with EcoView, an estimator will come out free of charge to test entry points where the house might be losing energy. Typically the biggest benefit of all home improvements is windows, but they also work with doors and siding systems. EcoView windows start at $199, and all

are guaranteed for a lifetime. The best double pane window, which costs $399 installed, typically saves about $140-170 a year per window. “There’s no one else in town that sells a window that is that energy efficient,” Jordan said. Jordan is planning to change the name of his business to Green Home of Alabama, with a goal to provide a wider range of sustainable ecosmart home improvements. In whatever he does, his focus is on performance and the client. “It’s all about the client, it’s not about us,” Jordan said. “Whatever we do, it’s about providing the most we can to help that house to perform better.” To learn more about EcoView Windows of Birmingham, call 490-6045 or visit ecoviewwindows.com.

BEST VALUE Replacement Windows Starting at

199

INSTALLED*

205-490-6045

www.ecoviewwindows.com

*Some restrictions apply

Making the most of outdoor living Outdoor living areas are a great way to expand your living space without the major expense of a remodel or addition to your home. One of the most popular outdoor living design trends today is outdoor fire pits. Outdoor fire pits are a welcoming gathering place for family and friends from fall through spring in central Alabama. There are several options when considering adding a fire pit to your outdoor living area. Similar to adding a pool to your landscape, you should consider whether you want your fire pit flush to the ground or above the ground. Your decision may be influenced by the topography of your area. Above-ground pits allow for flexibility in design. A simple copper pit

can be purchased at your local home improvement store. A popular design is to utilize decorative paving stones or fire-resistant bricks to line the surface of your pit. Often pits utilize a natural gas line to aid in starting the fires. Outdoor fire pits are an incredibly efficient way to enhance your outdoor living space. With Alabama’s moderate winters, you can get many months of enjoyment out of your pit. They are great for family gatherings, and the kids will love the opportunity to make s’mores while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate this fall. Now is the time to consider adding a fire pit to your outdoor living area so you can maximize your enjoyment during the cool evenings. For more, call 229-0579 or email lawncraftersllc@hotmail.com.

造造

280 Living neighborly news & entertainment

SECTION

Events B2 School House B17 Sports B19 Calendar B28

Kai’s path Christenberry’s challenges provide inspiration to Eagles teammates By DAVID KNOX This is not your normal path to becoming a high school football player in the state of Alabama. This is not your normal path to a life in the United States. But this is Kai Christenberry’s path. His path is unique, but as far as his Oak Mountain High teammates and coaches are concerned, as unusual as it is, he’s just one of the Eagles. Kai has been playing football for only three years, just since he came to the United States from his homeland of China. That’s a lot of catching up to do for a 16-year-old junior who has never heard any of the football terminology most Alabama kids grow up knowing as second nature. In fact, Kai has never heard anything at all. He is deaf. The junior defensive back might not hear the banter and ribbing that comes as naturally to high school football practices as wind sprints, but he feels it. And he feels the camaraderie of team. “I feel like they’re all my brothers,” Christenberry said of his teammates through his interpreter, Chris McGaha. “It’s sort of like a family.” Family is a big deal.

At 13 years old, Kai was in an orphanage in China. As unthinkable as it may seem, Chinese families sometimes reject their deaf children and send them to orphanages. But at age 14, these children are turned out of the orphanages. They either ﬁnd a trade or end up on the street. Kai was lucky, or maybe it was something other than luck. He was adopted by Bill and Kim Christenberry through Lifeline Children’s Services. “That was God’s plan,” Kai signed. It was a blessing for all concerned. Eagles coach Cris Bell said that although Christenberry still has a lot to learn as a football player, he teaches his Eagles teammates something every day. “It probably means more to our guys when they see here’s a kid, he’s in China, he’s unwanted, he’s in an orphanage and now he gets an opportunity,” Bell said. “And look what he’s done with the opportunity. He never makes excuses, there’s no alibiing. He never says, ‘I didn’t make the play because I didn’t get the call.’ “I think that’s the biggest thing. He leads by example. He’s always in a great mood.” McGaha has been Christenberry’s interpreter

See CHRISTENBERRY | page B20

Oak Mountain High defensive back Kai Christenberry, who is deaf, receives information from Eagles coach Chris McGaha, his interpreter, during drills before a game with Vestavia Hills. Photo by Keith McCoy

280 Living

B2 • October 2014

Lovely weather for a hayride together with you

Hoover Hayride & Family Night Friday, Oct. 24 5-8 p.m. Veterans Park hooveral.org

Annual Family Night returns to Veterans Park just before Halloween By MADOLINE MARKHAM Last year around 10,000 people came out to Veterans Park on Valleydale Road for the Hoover Hayride & Family Night. We talked with Erin Colbaugh, events coordinator for the City of Hoover, about the sixth annual event, which is free and open to the public.

What can families expect at the Hoover Hayride & Family Night?

This is a great time to bring your family out to the park to spend an evening taking hayrides around the park and bringing kids to get treats from local businesses. Bring your kids dressed up in costumes. We’ll have face painting, balloon artists, concessions and other festivities.

Last year you had more than 65 businesses set up booths. What draws them to participate year after year?

We have great relationships with many of our businesses, and they enjoy seeing members of our community out at events. They like the family atmosphere, and it’s a good way to promote their business in a different,

The City of Hoover invites families to come in costume for hayrides and other festivities at Veterans Park the Friday before Halloween. Photos courtesy of Lance Shores, City of Hoover.

fun way. They get into the festive atmosphere, dress up and decorate their booths.

Q A

What is your favorite part of the event?

Everybody, regardless of age, can do it — grandparents, kids, parents, friends, everyone. The 15-minute hayrides around the lake in the park are fun for the families to do together as well.

Q A

What are some of the best costumes you have seen?

I always like the little girls in their princess costumes. This year we will have a photo booth set up with princesses and Prince Charming like we did last year.

Some Halloweens are hot, some cold. If you had to guess, what would your weather prediction be?

It’s hard to know what to expect, but it just generally gets cooler over the evening. Usually it’s pretty comfortable for kids in their costumes. Last year it was around 50 degrees.

What logistics should people know before coming out on Oct. 24?

You can park at Spain Park High School, and we’ll have

complimentary shuttles bringing people down to the park. For more information on the Hoover Hayride & Family Night, contact Erin Colbaugh at 444-7732.

280Living.com

October 2014 • B3

Fall festivals coming to Mt Laurel and area churches

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Fall festivals aren’t just about bounce houses and candy for children. The Mt Laurel Harvest Festival has vendors, live music and plenty of entertainment for every member of the family. It’s also becoming a popular October attraction. “It’s a great day. We enjoy literally thousands of people who attend it,” festival organizer Della Pender said. The harvest festival includes a petting zoo and two kids’ areas with carnival-style games and activities. Adults can enjoy music in the park and shop at the booths of about 100 vendors. Even leashed dogs are welcome to join in the festivities. “It’s pretty neat. Every year it has become more and more popular,” Pender said. “I think with the fall festival – it’s not that far from Christmas and people love looking, shopping and buying things.” This year’s festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Call Pender at 5401870 for more information. If you’re still craving more candy and fun, check out these local churches’ fall festivals:

Saturday, Oct. 25 } Join Morningstar United Methodist Church for its annual “Boo-palooza” at Tractor Supply Company, 119 Atchison Drive. Beginning at 4 p.m., local businesses will be handing out candy and

(left) First Christian Church’s Trunk or Treat includes a costume contest, games and a cake walk. Photo courtesy of First Christian Church. (above) Local churches and businesses participate in Morningstar United Methodist Church’s “Boo-palooza,” which features games, food, music and face painting. Photo courtesy of Morningstar United Methodist Church.

everyone can enjoy food, games, music, bounce houses, face painting and the Big Yellow School Bus 4 Jesus. Visit morningstarumc.co.

Sunday, Oct. 26 } Celebrate fall the German way with Our Savior Lutheran Church’s Oktoberfest, which begins at noon. Enjoy bratwursts and other German food along with games, bounce houses and corn hole. Visit oursaviorbirmingham.com. } Trunk or Treat with First Christian Church from 3 to 5 p.m. and participate in games, a cake walk

and a costume contest while you eat candy and hot dogs. Call 991-5000. } Double Oak Community Church will host a Trunk or Treat in Mt Laurel Square from 3 to 5 p.m. It will include candy, inﬂatables and live music. Visit doubleoakcc.org. } From 4 to 6 p.m., Chelsea Creek Community Church will host a Trunk or Treat at Chelsea Park Subdivision. It will include decorated cars, inﬂatables, face painting, popcorn and hot dogs. Visit chelseacreekcc.org. } Meadow Brook Baptist Church’s

fall festival will last from 4 to 7 p.m. and will include food, games, inﬂatables and prizes. Visit meadowbrookbaptist.org.

Wednesday, Oct. 29 } Warm up with chili and candy at Liberty Crossings United Methodist Church’s Trunk or Treat. Staring at 5 p.m., there will be a chili cook-off supper, games and plenty of candy. Visit libertycrossingsumc.org.

Thursday, Oct. 30 } Have some fall fun with your little

one at First Christian Church’s Adventure Nook Preschool Festival. From 6 to 7:30 p.m., families can eat dinner, play festival games, enter a rafﬂe and win door prizes. Tickets are $7 and rafﬂe tickets are $1 each. Call 991-5000.

Friday, Oct. 31 } The Connection Chelsea Campus will be hosting Sweets and Treats from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Play in the bounce house, win candy at carnival games and feast on hot dogs, cocoa and fried Oreos. Call 678-9565.

280 Living

B4 • October 2014

Back in the act Actor shares his story of returning to the stage By JESSA PEASE After 15 years at an office job, Jonathan Sweatt was aching for a creative outlet. Although he had enjoyed the theatre classes he took in high school, Sweatt got a job right out of high school in order to start supporting himself, and he stopped performing. “Where I come from, there wasn’t a lot of encouragement for the arts, or trying to reassure children that you can find a career and find your place in life through the arts,” Sweatt said. “I didn’t really know you could do that, so I jumped right into an office job.” He started his desk job in 1995, and another 15 years would pass before

he found out about the theatre scene in Birmingham. He knew there was a lot of talent in the area and many opportunities, so he decided to try and find a way to join it. “I knew that I was aching for some kind of creative outlet because, in addition to theatre when I was younger, I studied art, drawing and music,” Sweatt said. “I just knew there was something I needed to be able to get that out, so when I discovered the theatre scene, it just felt like the best way to be able to create.” His first audition was completely terrifying at first. He had been out of the theatre world for so long, he wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but then he started getting cast in some

small parts, he started ﬁnding great people to work with and strong directors to learn from. Those small parts turned into larger roles as he continued to get involved in theatre companies such as Theatre Downtown, Birmingham Festival Theatre and Terriﬁc New Theatre. He’s gotten to perform in shows such as Hamlet as Horatio, Dangerous Liaisons as Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont and Circle Mirror Transformation as Schultz. “There was a feeling that I was doing something I was supposed to do,” Sweatt said. “You always feel high stakes when you are starting out in something like that. You don’t know if you are going to be cast in a role.

Jonathan Sweatt will play John Seward, the owner of an insane asylum, in the Virginia Samford Theatre’s production of Dracula. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Sweatt.

You don’t know if this is going to end as quickly as it began, so it is exciting to keep having opportunities.” His next upcoming role is John Seward in the Virginia Samford Theatre’s production of Dracula. This will be his ﬁrst prodoction with the Virginia Samford, and he said he is very excited to be doing a Halloween-themed show. After all, Night of the Living Dead was his ﬁrst performance, and he said he loved Halloween anyway. The buckets of blood and the insane asylum Sweatt’s character owns aren’t the only scary aspects of the show though. Sweatt said the experience of being on stage can be a thrilling feeling as well. “It’s kind of a terrifying release in

a way,” Sweatt said. “It’s just a really positive experience for me. I feel like it’s just a way to express creativity, and to use your experience and your feelings in a way to portray a character.” Sweatt is anticipating sharing that experience with others as well as his own interpretation of the story and the character. Complex characters, ones that are really well rounded and cover a broad spectrum of personality, Sweatt said are some of his favorite to play. See Jonathan Sweatt in the Virginia Samford Theatre’s upcoming production of Dracula, playing from Oct. 30 to Nov. 9. For more information, call 251-1206 or visit virginiasamfordtheatre.org.

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280Living.com

October 2014 • B5

Funding comfort Project Night Night holds fundraisers to provide toys for children By MADISON MILLER For Julie Wahnish, it’s about helping the children. As part of Project Night Night, she provides children who have been victims of abuse, neglect or homelessness with toys and books when many of them feel as though they have nothing else. “They’re so traumatized and afraid and they’ve been through so much…” the Alabama Outreach Coordinator said. “[Having] that teddy bear or blanket to hold can really be helpful to them and help them to open up.” The members of Project Night Night fill bags with toys, blankets, books and other comfort items and donate them to shelters, crisis centers, group home, foster homes and other organizations so that children going through difficult circumstances can feel comfort. Although many of

their items come from donations to the organization, the members of the group often use their own money to pay to provide enough materials for all of the children. To help cover the costs and provide more donations, Project Night Night is holding fundraisers this fall and winter. }} Raffle at Mt Laurel Fall Festival. On Saturday, Oct. 11 at the festival, Project Night Night’s booth will feature raffle items such as a handmade quilt and children’s gift baskets. The baskets will be raffled off that night, while the blanket will be saved for their Christmas Shoppe fundraiser, at which a drawing will take place. }} Christmas Shoppe. On Saturday, Nov. 15 the organization is holding an event at Stone’s Throw Bar and Grill in Mt Laurel.

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Julie Wahnish works with Project Night Night to provide toys and books to children in need of comfort.

Autographed copies of books from local authors including Josh and Wendy Torres, Robert L. Palmer, Charles Ghigna (Father Goose), Jill Glassco and more will be available along with other holiday gifts for purchase. }} Autographed Football Event. Before the end of football season, this event will feature autographed footballs donated by Kellan Winslow, John Croyle and Brody Croyle as well as other

football items. Details on date, location and time will be announced at a later date. The fundraisers are sponsored by a support group of women from Highland Lakes, including the Knit Wits and The Church at Brook Hills Quilting Bees. For more information on the fundraisers or how to donate items, visit projectnightnight.org or call 532-1782.

280 Living

B6 • October 2014

Hooray for Chelsea Day

(above) The drum line of the Marching Hornet Pride Band sets the Bruno Mars beat at the parents’ preview night. (right) The band members will perform at Chelsea Day on Oct. 18 to show off all their hard work. Photos courtesy of Jon Curren.

By JESSA PEASE

Chelsea Day Oct. 18 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Chelsea City Hall

You might have heard the music of Bruno Mars, but never like this. All in uniform, students march across the ﬁeld playing brass, woodwind and percussion instruments. This year the Marching Hornet Pride Band of Chelsea High School is drumming up Mars’ tunes. “They are very excited about doing something modern,” said Jon Curren, band booster

vice president. Last year the Hornets’ theme was The Mask of Zorro, and the band earned superior and excellent ratings for the performances. The expenses of equipment, music and transportation can be difﬁcult on a school budget, though, so every year the band hosts Chelsea Day, a celebration of the arts. On Oct. 18 at Chelsea City Hall, the band will be joined by 30 to 50 booths of vendors, the sixth-grade beginning band and choral groups

from surrounding schools and churches. Booths will include local food vendors, arts and crafts, and products such as Mary Kay and Essential Oils. A silent auction will also have many baskets of goodies to bid on such as sports baskets, Christmas baskets, family game night packages and football tickets. Curren said they usually have a great turnout every year and that they are looking forward to another day of fun and entertainment.

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280Living.com

October 2014 • B7

‘Celebrate Calm’

Celebrate Calm Oct. 13, 7-9 p.m. Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church 5080 Cahaba Valley Trace Free admission

Father-son duo teaches skills to stop defiance, disrespect and yelling By JESSA PEASE What do you do if your child looks at you and drops the “F-bomb” during a fight? You might yell, get angry and ground them, or you can turn it into a learning opportunity that brings you closer to your child. Although it may sound impossible, Kirk Martin’s workshop, Celebrate Calm, teaches the skills necessary to do just that, and the free workshop is coming to the U.S. 280 corridor Oct. 13 at Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church. “We really show people how to take those really nasty moments and turn them into teaching opportunities,” Martin said. “Ways to actually draw closer to their kids rather than letting those nasty moments destroy their relationships.” The key thing that makes Celebrate Calm different from other programs is that it focuses on parents controlling their own anxieties, which in turn helps diffuse their kid’s anxieties as well. Not to mention, the skills are taught by the father-son Martin duo. Martin said parents don’t always listen to their kids, and the same goes for kids about their parents. But with Celebrate Calm, parents hear a firsthand perspective from Casey, Martin’s son. “It’s very real-life,” Martin said. “We are a real dad and a son, and the truth is the stuff that we teach, the principles and the strategies, work.” That’s why the children’s ministry director of Oak Mountain Presbyterian, Angie Hoffman, jumped at the chance to host the workshop for the surrounding community. She said it is a much-needed opportunity for parents and children to hear they are on the same team. The church’s children’s ministry assistant, Tara McCallister, has been to the workshop

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Speaker Kirk will show you 10 ways to: } Get your kids to listen the first time. } Stop defiance, disrespect and yelling. } Stop whining, tantrums and sibling fights. } Get kids off video games and TV screens without a fight. } Create a stress-free morning routine, homework time and bedtime. Kirk Martin and his son Casey are a real father-son duo who teach principles and strategies to help parents and children. Photo courtesy of Brett Martin.

before, and she said the seminar is fresh and exciteing. Best of all it gives you hope. “It’s not for parents with bad kids,” McCallister said. “This is for parents — even ones thinking about having children. It just provides you with information to build your skill set of a parent.” At the last workshop, she said she found the information about diffusing sibling squabbles the most beneﬁcial to her. “There are a couple things where he’ll ask you, ‘If you have experienced this, raise your hand,’” McCallister said. “Almost every hand in the room goes up, and you go ‘I’m not alone.’ You feel like you are with people who understand you.” That’s because the Celebrate Calm workshop

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started as a personal change Martin said he needed to make in his life. He said that as a father, he was awful in his discipline approach of yelling, screaming and demanding things. Martin said he started to realize that doing those things didn’t work, and that it was hurting his relationships with his kids, especially Casey. “I saw that I was losing him — that he didn’t trust me anymore because I was always getting upset with him,” Martin said. He decided if he came home and found something positive Casey had done that day, Casey responded in a completely different way. This led him to the conclusion that if he could learn to control his own reaction, it produced a similar reaction in his kids. “There is only one person in life that I can

control, and that is myself,” Martin said. “Trying to control other people does not work, and people don’t like that.” Martin started sharing the calm approach by inviting people to their home for camps. Kids from all over the country would attend, and Martin and Casey helped develop their social skills and taught them emotional control. The workshops started about 10 years ago, when Martin realized he could reach 150 to 300 people at one time as opposed to 10 kids at a time. It only grew from there. “We have worked with the hardest and most deﬁant kids, and with the most wound-up parents,” Martin said. “We know what really works. People like that we live in real life rather than just telling them raw principles.”

280 Living

B8 • October 2014

Finding a new normal Breast cancer survivor shares her story By JESSA PEASE “It’s not a big deal.” “It will go away.” “That doesn’t happen to me, that happens to everyone else.” Those were the thoughts that ran through Brook Highland resident Renee Galloway’s mind when she noticed a lump in her breast. “As women, I think we do that quite frequently,” Galloway said. “We are the be-all, do-all and we don’t take the time to listen to our bodies a lot of times.” She had put off getting a mammogram for about a year, and it wasn’t until she was called back in for an additional mammogram that she realized something was wrong. “It’s kind of numbing,” Galloway said. “When I went back for the

second mammogram, I kind of had that red-alert feeling when they started doing things that weren’t typical of other times.” When she finally saw the lump on an ultrasound, she knew she was about to go through something serious. A follow-up appointment with a surgeon changed Galloway’s life forever when he told her she “didn’t pass her test.” On Nov. 14, 2010, Galloway was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer, meaning the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. She would receive 16 chemotherapy treatments along with other medications to control the estrogen levels in her body, which was the cause of her cancer. “My mindset was, ‘I’m not going to let this get me,’” Galloway said. “I’m a fighter, and I have a lot of faith in God. My faith is very strong. My faith,

my family and my friends are what got me through everything. I had a lot of support.” Galloway’s husband was her primary caregiver, and she said words cannot describe what he means to her — he did everything. Her children also wanted to stop their lives to help, but she wouldn’t allow them to do that. Also helping her along the way was a group of ladies from Galloway’s church who would clean her house on weeks she had chemotherapy treatments and keep her fridge filled with the few foods she could still eat. Faith, though, played a major role in helping Galloway in her battle. She would repeat Psalm 91:4, “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings thou shalt trust,” over and over again when she needed

Renee Galloway is about one year away from her five-year cancer-free mark, which will increase the percentage of her overall survival. Photo courtesy of Renee Galloway.

comfort. “I guess I envisioned being cradled, rocked and held and that everything was going to be okay,” Galloway said. “It wasn’t a path that I had chosen per se as we were told, but it was one that I had to take. And I wasn’t going to be alone. I could make it through it.” Prayer was another comfort to Galloway, and she said every day was just taking one step at a time. She

saw doctors and had tests done every week to confirm that she was doing better, until one day she finished her last chemo treatment. “That was the kicker for me — I was in fight mode during chemo and the surgeries and all that, and I guess I thought it was all going to be over once you walked out the door after that last chemo,” Galloway said. “I wasn’t excited about that when I got

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280Living.com

October 2014 • B9

to the end of it, because that was like a security net.” She explained that she felt like she was on a tightrope with no safety net beneath her because the weekly tests and doctors’ visits were over. She even said she found it harder to cope after the chemotherapy than she did during it, because there is so much information on chemo itself, but not much about how to deal with the aftermath. “The old me, the me prior to Nov. 14, 2010, is gone,” Galloway said. “Now this new me has to find the way I am going to make it, because physical makeup, everything is different. Chemotherapy changes everything.” In November 2014, Galloway will be four years cancer free, and she is ready for the five-year mark. According to Galloway, if she makes it to five years without any issues, the percentage will be much better for her overall survival. Until then she is still in “maintenance mode.” “I have had a lot of side effects from various medications and things, so I am ready for the five-year mark to get here,” Galloway said. “I am still a little apprehensive. My husband calls it: finding a new normal. That’s one of those things that I was not prepared for.” One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Because of that number, Galloway stressed how important mammograms and self-examination are. Early detection can illuminate the need for chemotherapy and other surgeries for treatment. “I am hopeful that things will continue to improve,” Galloway said. “I don’t let things stop me. I press on.”

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} One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. } Breast cancer is the most

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} Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. } Each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed

with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die. } Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year.

280 Living

B10 • October 2014

Monster makeover:

zombie edition Vamp up your makeup skills just in time for Halloween By JESSA PEASE • Photos by SYDNEY CROMWELL

As a theater minor with some skills in stage makeup, I thought Halloween would be the perfect time for a how-to article. Lucky for me, Kaitlyn McMahon with Renaissance Consignment and Market agreed to be the victim in my monster makeover.

First, to create a gash across McMahon’s face, I rolled scar wax out like a snake and used spirit gum adhesive to glue the piece to her face. If the scar wax is difficult to work with, try using lotion or Vaseline to smooth and soften the wax.

Once the foundation is covering the entire face and neck (including the scar wax), we can get back to the gash across McMahon’s face. Using the end of a brush or other tool I carved out the shape of the gash I wanted, and then I used more Vaseline to smooth the edges out.

Next, apply a pale foundation in dots all over the face. This provides a more even coverage. Try adding some yellow to your foundation to give the skin a dead look.

To create a realistic wound, the first color you use is yellow. I followed the line of the gash lightly with my yellow oil-based makeup.

3 I used red over the same line I created with yellow. Blend those colors a bit with a makeup triangle, and add some blue color around the edges of the wound. Blend again. Then I applied dark fake blood to the wound, which really completes the realistic look of the gash. You can get these colors at Party City, or Walmart.

4 Next, I wanted to create sunken-in, black eyes. Red, yellow and blue are all used to make a black eye. Paint one blue line right under the eye and another in the lower eye bag. Paint one red line between the two blue lines. Use yellow paint above the eye just under the outer area of the eyebrow. Use blue on the eyelid. Blend in circular motions.

5 For the zombie appearance, I wanted areas on McMahon’s face that looked like her skin was peeling off. To create a textured look on her face, I used liquid latex and toilet paper. In the area I selected, I applied one coat of latex. Then I crumpled one sheet of toilet paper. I ripped the edges to make them ragged. This works best if there are no straight edges. Place the toilet paper on top of the latex and add another layer of latex. Repeat this step once.

Rub some Vaseline or lotion over the latex once it has dried so it will take color. To create the wound, I layered colors. Use dark red or purple as the first layer, yellow as the second and red as the topcoat. Peel some of the edges of the latex to make the skin look ragged, then add a layer of fake blood to the wound.

Homemade scar wax

}} Put some hair wax into a microwavable cup, and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds }} Mix liquid foundation into the hair wax }} Leave the mixture to harden for 10 to 15 minutes You can also purchase scar wax online. Buy the Ben Nye brand for about $5.

Spirit Gum adhesive You can find Spirit Gum at Party City or online. Purchase the Ben Nye brand for about $3.50.

I added another wound to McMahon’s face, and fixed any spots that might have come undone. Scar wax can be difficult, so make sure your model remains still and doesn’t move their face too much. Too much movement will cause the scar wax not to set properly. Add a costume, tease your hair or do whatever feels right to complete your zombie look. Happy Halloween!

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October 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ B11

280 Living

B12 • October 2014

A few good reads

By SYDNEY CROMWELL As the days grow colder, it’s the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Celebrate National Book Month with your local librarians, who have given their recommendations for readers of any age.

Kristy Hearn Library clerk and storyteller Mt Laurel and North Shelby Libraries

Chrissie Humphrey Head librarian Mt Laurel Library

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Synopsis: Narrated by the personification of Death, this book follows young Liesel Meminger as she lives through the tragedies of World War II and the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Genre: Young adult historical fiction Humphrey’s thoughts: “It’s very heartwarming, it’s sad. But it was very good... You see a whole different side of Death and how compassionate he is and how funny, too.”

Relic by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston Synopsis: Special Agent Pendergast must solve a string of murders in a New York museum. The culprit is more mysterious and terrifying than he can imagine. Genre: Horror Humphrey’s thoughts: “A good old-fashioned horror book about a creature in the Museum of Natural History in New York City.”

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers Synopsis: Set in the 1850s Gold Rush in California, this Christian fiction is a retelling of the biblical story of Hosea and Gomer. Genre: Christian romantic fiction Hearn’s thoughts: “It’s the process of the redemption and how they found faith together and love together... It’s probably one of the most life-affirming romance novels I’ve ever read.”

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems Synopsis: When a bus driver has to leave the bus, he asks the reader to make sure the Pigeon does not drive it. This is the first in a series of stories about the Pigeon’s adventures. Genre: Picture book, ages 2-6 Hearn’s thoughts: “It’s a wonderful little story. I have told it so many times and the kids get excited. They get excited when I tell the story because they want to be part of it.”

Dana Polk Head librarian Chelsea Library

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Synopsis: The classic story of Cinderella set in a future where the protagonist, Linh Cinder, is a cyborg with a talent for fixing things. Cinder is the first of the Lunar Chronicles series. Genre: Young adult science fiction Polk’s thoughts: “[For] somebody that just likes the fairytales but wants a different take, I think this would be just a good way to go.”

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson Synopsis: This origin story of Peter Pan was produced by one of Disney’s publishing companies and follows the early adventures of Peter, his friend Molly and the Lost Boys. Genre: Children’s adventure, grade 6-8 Polk’s thoughts: “I’ve always wondered, ‘Well, where did Peter Pan come from?’ And this is really excellent.”

280Living.com

October 2014 • B13

Dee Green Circulation manager North Shelby Library

Kate Etheredge Young adult librarian North Shelby Library

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Cecelia Dean Children’s librarian North Shelby Library

The Last Dragonslayer

Synopsis: The Gulf Coast has been quarantined after hurricanes and a plague, and a new primitive society has formed. The two protagonists must survive and escape the wreckage of a former civilization.

by Jamie Ford Synopsis: Chinese immigrant Henry Lee grew up in World War II and lost his childhood love, Keiko, when her family was taken to the Japanese internment camps. Decades later, he must sort through his troubled relationship with his father as he tries to ﬁnd Keiko again.

Synopsis: Jennifer Strange runs an employment agency for magicians. Her life changes when a prophecy suggests she might kill the last dragon in the world.

Genre: Young adult apocalyptic ﬁction

Genre: Historical ﬁction

Etheredge’s thoughts: “There’s a girl who’s trying to survive and a man who’s trying to get in to see if he can cure the plague, and it’s about their struggle to survive.”

Green’s thoughts: “When I ﬁnished reading it, I called my daddy and told him how much I loved him.”

Dean’s thoughts: “She has to kill a dragon and she doesn’t really want to because the dragon hasn’t done anything wrong. It all plays out and it’s really good. My 10-year-old daughter just read it and she loved it.”

Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater Synopsis: This companion novel to the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy continues the story of Isabel and the werewolf Cole. Genre: Young adult paranormal romance Etheredge’s thoughts: “The ﬁrst three books in the series have been going out like hotcakes... Find out what happened to Cole and Isabel after you left the world of Shiver.”

Night Road by Kristin Hannah Synopsis: Lexi, a teenager with a difficult past, finds friendship and love with Mia and Zach Farraday. Then, a disaster one summer night changes everything for Lexi and the Farraday family. Genre: Fiction Green’s thoughts: “It’s about a family through a struggle and through a very sad time, but finding peace and finding forgiveness... I think everybody should read it, especially if you have teenagers.”

by Jasper Fforde

Genre: Children’s fantasy, grades 5-9

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex Synopsis: Aliens have invaded the earth and taken 11-year-old Gratuity’s mom. In her quest to find her mother, Gratuity ends up befriending one of the aliens and saving the earth. Genre: Children’s science fiction, grades 4-7 Dean’s thoughts: “It is the story of their journey to find her mom. And it’s so funny.”

280 Living

B14 • October 2014

Community Shopping discount card to support Junior League Starting this month you can find discounts at area shops and restaurants through the Junior League of Birmingham’s Shop, Save & Share program. When you purchase a Shop Save & Share card for $40, you receive a 20 percent discount on merchandise and food at more than 530 participating stores and restaurants. Meanwhile, your $40 goes directly to support the League’s 34 community projects. This year’s Shop Save & Share program will run from Oct. 22-Nov. 2. “Being a part of the community is a large part

of our business, and the JLB is one way we express that,” said Greg Stein, general manager of Alabama Outdoors Inverness. U.S. 280 area Shop Save & Share participants include The Summit shops Butler’s Grooming Club, C. Wonder, Orvis and kate spade, as well as Ashley Mac’s, Hollywood Feed, Chuck’s Fish and Pure Barre. Visit shopsaveshare.net for a complete retailer listing, to purchase a card and for more information.

Brook Hills’ Platt to serve new role Pastor David Platt has announced he will be leaving The Church at Brook Hills. Platt has been with Brook Hills since 2006 but will now serve as the 12th president of the International Mission Board (IMB), the missions entity of the Southern Baptist Convention. IMB serves about 40,000 churches and more than 4,800 international missionaries, and is one of the largest ministries of its kind. “This is not something I saw coming,” Platt said in a statement and a video commenting on his transition. “I love pastoring The Church at Brook Hills. I love shepherding this local church on a mission for the glory of God among the nations and could picture myself doing that for decades to come. At the same time, God has been doing an unusual work in my heart and life. The concept of unreached peoples — of nearly 2 billion

Pastor David Platt will be leaving The Church at Brook Hills to become the 12th president of the International Mission Board.

people who have never heard the Gospel — is just totally intolerable.” To view Platt’s video, visit brookhills. org/new/davidmessage.htm.

Alabama Outdoors’ Inverness location is among local merchants participating in the discount card program.

OMHS graduate completes Beta Kappa Boulé training program Oak Mountain High School graduate Theron Christian Anderson recently completed the Beta Kappa Boulé training program. Anderson was chosen as one of 10 in the area to participate out of a pool of 50 applicants. Anderson placed third in the competition and received a $2,500 scholarship. The event celebrates students in the community who have successfully completed a six-month development program designed to help minority seniors acquire the social graces and other necessary skills for success in life. Selected applicants participated in workshops on the topics of etiquette, financial literacy, community service, entrepreneurship, educational excellence, healthy lifestyles, career exploration, public speaking and networking. Anderson is the son of George and Tampia Anderson. He plans to attend the University of Louisville in the fall and major in marketing. Anderson plans to attend law school after college. -Submitted by Tampia Anderson

Oak Mountain High School graduate Theron Anderson. Photo courtesy of Tampia Anderson.

280Living.com

October 2014 • B15

More than a set of walls Westminster designs building for classical learning style

Westminster’s new upper school building features an atrium that administrators say was designed to remind students to look upward.

By MADOLINE MARKHAM A new building off Cahaba Valley Road tells a story. At its entrance are bricks with the names of 78 high school graduates and their parents. They never attended school in the building, but they, the first graduates of Westminster School at Oak Mountain, paved the way for it to open this fall. Inside, a three-story atrium reminds all who enter that the space was created for both horizontal and vertical conversations. Classroom tables sit on casters so they can be moved to accommodate testing the speed of Hot Wheels in physics class and other hands-on activities. Other rooms set up tables in a U shape for what the school calls

“question and modeling” discussion-oriented teaching styles. “This building says the parents and grandparents bought into what we are doing and allowed the architecture to shape the way we are learning,” Head of School Robbie Hinton said. The arched windows and cathedral ceiling in the Harkness Room upstairs also point students upward, while an oval table creates a space for discussion of works such as Dante’s Inferno. Teachers have their own study space in addition to their classroom to encourage them to continue their own study of subject matter, but no lounge so they can better engage with students. In fact, it was this relationship that the school’s junior class brought up when they met with Williams Blackstock Architects last year.

Riley Kross teaches European literature to Westminster seniors in the Harkness Room. Photos courtesy of Emily Kicklighter.

“The pushback to the initial [proposal] was that they didn’t just want better conversations with one another, they wanted better conversations with teachers,” Hinton said. “That blew me away when they said that.” After all, Hinton said Westminster alumni say the number one thing they miss about the school is their relationships with their teachers. Westminster is part of a growing and stabilizing movement in classical Christian education across the country. These schools focus on liberal arts, teaching them to think and reason. “We are not doing something new,” Head of Upper School James Daniels said. “If you look at hundreds of years going back into what cultivates the minds of students, this is what they were doing.”

Hinton said many colleges are excited about their students because the national movement has shown them that classically educated students are taught to write well and how to learn. The school, now in its 16th year, began discussions with parents about the new building to supplement the school’s space in Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church, and plans for the building became public two years ago. “Parents and grandparents saw it as something that will be here for generations,” Daniels said. “We had more than 200 families of various means and backgrounds invest what they could in the project.” The church allowed the school to use its 19 acres on the opposite side of County Road 14 from its main campus. The building, land and a road

Hands on Care, Close to Home.

expansion on County Road 14 totaled $6.5 million. The school plans to open soccer fields adjacent to the new building soon, and one day they hope to add a gym and a fine arts center. This year Westminster is home to 205 students in grades seven to 12, and an additional 321 attend the lower school across the street. Hinton said they plan to gradually grow the student body to 624 students by 2020 but that they want to limit each upper school grade to three sections of 16 students. “You can’t remain anonymous here, you are going to be known,” Hinton said. “It feels like family, and that’s what our kids love — that people know them and know them well.” To learn more about Westminster, visit westminsterknights.org.

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280 Living

B16 • October 2014

Food for thought What are your students eating at school? By JESSA PEASE In a world ﬁlled with backpacks, lockers and textbooks, lunch is everyone’s favorite subject. Back in the day, cafeteria food was served assembly line style on a steam table but Hoover City Schools have debunked old stereotypes and are now modernizing their lunchrooms. Melinda Bonner, a registered dietician, serves as the child nutrition director for Hoover City Schools, and she said they have a lot of programs designed to provide children with healthy and fun options. “Participation is the main goal,” Bonner said. “You want the kids to come and eat with us. That is not only selﬁsh for us wanting our program to grow, but we also see what comes in their lunchboxes. They may not be getting a nutritious meal that way.” The biggest concept in high school right now, according to Bonner, is the food court concept, which gives students a variety of choices instead of the stereotypical lunchroom food. Now, the foods students can choose from more closely resemble the foods students already eat at restaurants. Students who enjoy places like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut can enjoy the Mexican and pizza bars, and grab-and-go sandwiches and salads are always available. Branding is another way the schools are catering more to the tastes of their students with options like Sabre hummus, Gatorade, Milo’s unsweet tea and milk now served in plastic jugs

instead of cardboard cartons. “Those are recognizable names, and that branding means they are going to be more likely to pick it up,” Bonner said. “So I would say atmosphere of the layout, and the branding — that’s how we win our older customers.” In addition to attracting students, the foods are also healthy. Hoover City Schools is part of the National School Lunch Program, which is federally mandated by the USDA to have speciﬁc meal patterns and components to every meal. They also provide guidelines for calorie, sodium and fat levels. Since the 1940s, the National School Lunch program has had these regulations, but in 2010 there were some major changes brought in by Michelle Obama’s child nutrition platform. Within a week’s menu plan, meals must have an orange vegetable, a red vegetable, a dark green vegetable, legumes, a starchy vegetable and other vegetables. All breads, cereals and grains must be whole grain. Although the changes were made in 2010, Hoover City Schools were ahead of the game. In 2008, Bluff Park Elementary School was the ﬁrst school in Alabama to conform to the new regulations, and the rest of Hoover followed. By the time the regulations came out, Hoover students couldn’t tell the difference. They were already used to the new system. Bonner said the schools have all been updating their wellness plans, and they are trying to

Melinda Bonner said the child nutrition program is there to promote a healthy lifestyle and provide healthy, nutritious options for its students. Photo by Jessa Pease.

reach out more with nutrition education. Some of the schools have gardens, some offer cooking classes and some classes simply introduce new vegetables to their students. One of the latest programs Hoover schools have started to implement is a universal free breakfast program where every student is given a free breakfast in the morning. Bonner said they have already seen beneﬁts from this program in

a reduction in those coming in late, improved attendance and fewer students who visit the nurse with stomachaches. Trace Crossings and Green Valley were the ﬁrst to offer this program, and Rocky Ridge Elementary will start in October. “We are doing a lot more than just providing food,” Bonner said. “We are reaching out and trying to educate as well.”

280Living.com

October 2014 • B17

School House Student and teaching mentor come full circle

Sara Askew and Ferris Smith. Photo courtesy of Kate Agliata.

Accepting a teaching position this fall at Oak Mountain Elementary School meant coming home in more ways than one for second grade teacher, Sara Askew. The Birmingham native grew up attending Oak Mountain schools, but most recently has been teaching at Vincent Elementary. A University of Alabama graduate, Askew also had the rare opportunity to return to her childhood elementary school to fulfill a portion of her student teaching requirements. “I couldn’t turn down a chance to go back home,” said Askew, who did her student teaching at OMES under the guidance of second-grade teacher Ferris Smith. Askew said Smith influenced her most with her humble and calm demeanor around the young students. “That’s such an important factor when

working with little ones,” she said. “It comes so natural to her, and seeing that was really good for me.” Now, in her first year teaching at OMES, Askew’s own classroom happens to be right across the hall from Smith’s. As a new teacher to OMES, Askew benefits from the school’s unique Teacher Mentor/Mentee program, where all first-year teachers have an assigned mentor to assist them with instructional, professional and personal needs. Askew said in many ways she thinks of the school as her home away from home. In fact, when she received news that she’d been hired for the new teaching position, just one thing came to mind. “It was meant to be,” she said. -Submitted by Kate Agliata

Students participate in community service for LPES Recently the Liberty Park Middle School seventh and eighth-grade football players and coaches participated in a community service project. They helped spread mulch at the Liberty Park Elementary playground to ensure it was safe for the start of school. -Submitted by Linda Rummell LPMS students spread mulch at Liberty Park Elementary School. Photo courtesy of Linda Rummell.

OMHS receives Safe Sports School award for athletics program Oak Mountain High School is the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award for its athletic training and athletics programs. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe

environments for student athletes. It also reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment. For more information, visit athletictrainers. org. -Submitted by Cindy Warner

LPMS welcomes new students Liberty Park Middle School welcomed 28 new students this year in grades six to eight. The LPMS Student Government Association welcomed these new students with the seventh annual New Student Breakfast. Counselors Stephanie Holcomb and Tre’

Munger along with the SGA sponsors Anne Carter Finch and Courtney Burger coordinated this annual event. The new students and this year’s SGA officers, ate breakfast and played get-to-know-you games. -Submitted by Linda Rummell

280 Living

B18 • October 2014

SPHS Engineering Academy to compete in robotics competition

Members of the Spain Park High School Engineering Academy work on building. Photo courtesy of Scottie Wilson. Joy Bragan, Amy Woodard, Jonathan Jeff, Kacy Pierce and Baylor Knott. Photo courtesy of Linda Rummell.

LPMS takes ice bucket challenge Students at Liberty Park Middle School watched as their favorite teachers and principal took the ice bucket challenge recently. The LPMS Student Government Association sponsored a fundraiser for ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Students were asked to donate dollar bills to nominate their favorite teacher to take the challenge. The goal was for more than $2,000 to be

raised so the principal would also have to participate. The total raised was $2,170, and all money went toward ALS research. Participants included sixth-grade teacher Amy Woodard, seventh-grade teacher Jonathan Jeff, eighth-grade teacher Baylor Knott, PE Coach Joy Bragan and Principal Kacy Pierce. Afterward, there was a Popsicle party for all faculty and students. -Submitted by Linda Rummell

With the start of fall, many high school campuses are buzzing with the excitement of football season. In Spain Park High School’s Engineering Academy, however, a completely different buzzing is going on — one of motors and power tools. This month Spain Park’s Engineering Academy will compete in the annual UAB Blazer B.E.S.T. (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Regional Robotics competition. The competition focuses on the students’ ability to employ science, technology and engineering build to program a fully functioning robot out of nothing but a box of parts. The students are not given building instructions, only a set of robot specifications and their imaginations. Spain Park Engineering Academy Director and Robotics Team Sponsor Scottie Wilson experiences first-hand the effort her students put into the competition.

“The six week process is amazing,” Wilson said. “It’s very tiring, but it’s great to see how analytical these kids become. They put thoughts into action, put their knowledge onto paper and ultimately build what they’ve envisioned.” Each participating team is also required to build a creative marketing booth based on each year’s game theme. This year’s theme, Blade Runner, focuses on the transportation and construction of wind turbines. On game day, the 25 teams will compete with each other to gain points by controlling their robots to perform certain tasks. The action takes place on Oct. 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at UAB’s Bartow Arena. For more information, visit uab. edu/engineering/home/school-profile/ best-robotics. -Submitted by Jordan Nakayama

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280Living.com

October 2014 • B19

Oak Mountain football player Kai Christenberry (32) signs to Eagles coach Chris McGaha, far left, during pregame warmups before a game with Vestavia Hills. Photo by Keith McCoy

CHRISTENBERRY

CONTINUED from page B1 from the time he joined the team, and in all sports, since Christenberry runs track and plans to try out for soccer. McGaha, who played football at Presbyterian College and has previously coached hearing and non-hearing players, serves as a full member of the coaching staff so that he can relate to Kai the things he needs to know. Other than that exception, McGaha said, “They treat Kai just like any other player on the team … that’s a big thing because a lot of times in situations like this, the coaches are not sure how to be, how to talk.” As if to emphasize the point, as Kai is being asked if he reacts to the ball being snapped or by watching a coach, someone walking by teases him that he can’t react “because he’s watching his girlfriend in the stands all the time.” When McGaha relates this to Kai, he

sheepishly but emphatically signs “No!” Bell reiterates that Kai isn’t on the team just because he’s a feel-good story. “He’s not out there just to be out there. He’s a contributor to the program and has been since he was a freshman. He’s driven to perfection,” Bell said. “He’s come a long, long way, to the point where he’s playing on Mondays [in junior varsity games], and he’s getting to the point where we’re going to have conﬁdence playing him on Fridays. That says more about him as a football player, handicap aside... He’s had a bunch of hurdles to jump and he’s done it with such class and dignity, and we’re fortunate to have him.” This past summer, some of the players approached McGaha about having a sign language class to learn how to be able to communicate with him better. Coaches came, too, McGaha said. “And that’s what it’s all about,” Bell said. “Growing as a team and building relationships.” Relationships are something Kai Christenberry is beginning to know a lot about.

280 Living

B20 • October 2014

Sports

Son of a Rebel denies Buddy the record By DAVID KNOX The game was over, and the victorious Oak Mountain Eagles and the defeated Vestavia Rebels were meeting at midﬁeld to shake hands. Amid the “good game” and the “good luck” wishes between players, Rebels coach Buddy Anderson, who had been denied his record 310th win this night, came upon the Oak Mountain sophomore who had caught the touchdown pass that sent the game into overtime. “I’m Coach Anderson,” he said. “You played a really good game. I coached your dad. Tell him I said, ‘Hi.’” Anderson, noted for his understatement, certainly did coach Daniel Salchert’s dad. Danny Salchert was the quarterback of the 1980 state champion Rebels, winning all-state honors in the process. That’s the ﬁrst of two

state titles Anderson has won, the second coming in 1998. So on this night, with Anderson poised to break the state record for wins by a high school coach in Alabama, it was the son of a former Rebel – and not just any former Rebel – who made probably the biggest offensive play of the 14-7 Eagles win to deny him that glory, at least for a week. “It was wild,” Danny Salchert said, “knowing Coach Anderson was going for the record and playing Oak Mountain and my son plays for Oak Mountain and he catches the touchdown pass and then we win. It was bittersweet, in a way. I’ll always be a Rebel, but of course I’m an Oak Mountain fan.” Salchert was a sophomore when Anderson took over as head coach 37 years ago. The Rebels went to the ﬁnals in 1978 and 1979 only to lose in the title game. In 1980, the

Salchert-led Rebs broke through, beating Parker in the ﬁnal at Legion Field. His son is just a sophomore, but he’s already got two TD catches. The 23-yarder against the Rebels, coming with the Eagles trailing 7-0 in the fourth quarter, will go down in Oak Mountain lore. “It was a seam route,” he said, “I was the ﬁrst read.” Was he nervous when the play was called? “I felt good. I was ready.” He hauled in the pass from Warren Shader and sprinted into the end zone. “I was hyped. I don’t think I was thinking anything except being excited we’d tied it up.” The last 11 minutes of regulation were dominated by defense, and in overtime Oak Mountain’s Harold Shader scored from a yard out. The Eagles defense held Vestavia on four downs to win the game.

Oak Mountain’s Daniel Salchert (26) runs into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown against Vestavia Hills. Photo by Nathan Pearman.

“It’s a big win for Oak Mountain,” Danny Salchert said. “A lot of folks didn’t think we had a chance.” We? There’s no disputing that Danny Salchert will always be a

Rebel. But he’s a dad ﬁrst. And a proud one, at that. So if his beloved old coach has to take a setback for a night, so be it. It seems like that’s how his old coach would want it, anyway.

280Living.com

October 2014 • B21

Briarwood Christian Football Recap Chelsea 22 - 23 Tyler Thomas’ extra point with 7:38 left was the difference as Chelsea broke a ﬁve-game losing streak to Briarwood. The PAT came after A.J. Jones’ second rushing TD of the game. Quarterback Chase Wilson also had a TD run and Thomas kicked a 37-yard ﬁeld goal to give the Hornets a 16-8 lead at the half. Briarwood rallied with a TD pass from Walker Lott to John Rutledge and Lott’s short TD run to take a 22-16 lead into the fourth quarter. The Hornets’ other QB in the tandem, Matthew Marquet, rushed for 114 yards on 12 carries.

Jackson-Olin 36 - 14 Walker Lott passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Lions built a 29-0 halftime lead and eased home for the Class 6A, Region 5 win. Travis Hightower intercepted a pass and returned it 96 yards for a TD for the Lions.

Homewood 6 - 28 Briarwood took a tough loss at Homewood in a big Class 6A, Region 5 game. The Lions dropped to 1-2, 1-1 in the region. The Patriots had too much speed on this rainy night. For updates on the Lions’ Sept. 19 game against Hueytown, visit 280living.com.

Briarwood ﬁnds the going tough in the Lions’ loss to Chelsea. Photo by Cari Dean.

Remaining schedule 9-26 10-3 10-10 10-17 10-24 10-31

Oak Mountain Walker Pelham Minor John Carroll Madison Academy

Away Away Home Away Away Home

280 Living

B22 • October 2014

Chelsea Football Recap Briarwood Christian 23 - 22 Tyler Thomas’ extra point with 7:38 left was the difference as Chelsea broke a ﬁve-game losing streak to Briarwood. The PAT came after A.J. Jones’ second rushing TD of the game. Quarterback Chase Wilson also had a TD run and Thomas kicked a 37-yard ﬁeld goal to give the Hornets a 16-8 lead at the half. Briarwood rallied with a TD pass from Walker Lott to John Rutledge and Lott’s short TD run to take a 22-16 lead into the fourth quarter. The Hornets’ other QB in the tandem, Matthew Marquet, rushed for 114 yards on 12 carries.

Southside-Gadsden 16 - 13 Chelsea, coming off an emotional win over Briarwood, managed to hold off Southside. Zalon Reynolds rushed for 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

Valley 43 - 20 The Hornets posted a big road win in their Class 6A, Region 3 opener. The Hornets forced four turnovers and cashed them in for a 22-7 halftime lead and a 36-7 lead in the third quarter. Zalon Reynolds rushed for 180 yards and TD runs of 57 and 72 yards, and Matthew Marquet threw touchdown passes of 80, 32 and 14 yards to Tyler Blackburn. For updates on the Hornets’ Sept. 19 game against Chilton County, visit 280living.com.

Chelsea’s A.J. Jones breaks loose for yards in the Hornets’ big win over Briarwood. Photo by Cari Dean.

Remaining schedule 9-26 10-3 10-10 10-17 10-24 10-31

Helena Opelika Benjamin Russell Pell City Oxford Thompson

Away Away Home Away Home Away

280Living.com

October 2014 • B23

Oak Mountain Football Recap Hillcrest 28 - 26 The Eagles asserted themselves on the ground, piling up 366 yards, and held off host Hillcrest.

Vestavia 14 - 7 The Eagles’ physical defense kept Oak Mountain in the game and Harold Shader’s run provided the winning points in overtime. The win denied Vestavia Hills coach Buddy Anderson of his 310th win. The Eagles’ Mitchell Jones made the tackle near the goal line on Vestavia’s OT possession on fourth down to end the game. A key 23-yard TD pass from Warren Shader to Daniel Salchert tied the game in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for the OT heroics.

Hoover 0 - 25 Coming off an emotional win, the Eagles couldn’t get much going against the Bucs and lost their ﬁrst game of the season. The Eagles (2-1, 1-1) did get 151 yards rushing from Harold Shader, but got nothing through the air against the Bucs’ tough defense. For updates on the Eagles’ Sept. 19 game against Tuscaloosa County, visit 280living.com.

Oak Mountain’s Nathan Bowman takes down a Vestavia Hills runner as Christian Hill (90), Avery Holsomback (10) and Armond Lloyd (97) close in. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.

Remaining schedule 9-26 10-3 10-10 10-17 10-24 10-31

Briarwood Christian Hewitt-Trussville Mountain Brook Spain Park Thompson Pell City

Home Away Home Away Away Home

280 Living

B24 • October 2014

Spain Park Football Recap Austin 5-3

Good pitching and timely hitting – wait a second, that’s not right. It was a baseball score on a night with heat better suited to that sport than football. Without a jamboree game and just three weeks’ practice, the offenses were a little sloppy. But fourth-ranked Spain Park did what it needed to do to win the game. Crosby Gray kicked through the decisive ﬁeld goal.

Hueytown 28 - 21

Jags quarterback Mason Duke threw a pair of TD passes to Trent Harper and scored on a run, but it was Wade Streeter’s 2-yard run late in the fourth quarter that broke a 21-all tie and lifted the fourth-ranked Jags to the road win.

Thompson 52 - 28

Hunter Schmith kicked a pair of ﬁeld goals and Jack Hutcheson connected with Alex Elam on a 68-yard TD pass on the fourth quarter as the No. 2 Bucs beat Mountain Brook for their ﬁrst win of the season, the Class 7A, Region 3 opener for both schools. The defense held the Spartans to just 80 yards of total offense.

Tuscaloosa Co. 7 - 26

At Northport, the No. 3 Jaguars were upset by region foe Tuscaloosa County. Spain Park (3-1, 1-1) managed just 110 yards of total offense and turned the ball over four times in the rainy conditions.

For updates on the Jags’ Sept. 19 game against Hewitt-Trussville, visit 280living.com.

Spain Park’s Owen Carr takes off for the end zone for one of his two touchdown catches against Thompson. Photo by Ted Melton.

Remaining schedule 10-2 10-10 10-17 10-24 10-31

Hoover (TV BRC 6.2) Vestavia Hills Oak Mountain Mountain Brook Bessemer City

Home Away Home Away Home

B25 â&#x20AC;˘ October 2014

280 Living

280

Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

608824

35242

1069 Dublin Way Unit# 44a

New

$284,900

608391

35242

3105 Crossings Drive

New

$319,000

608826

35242

128 Sutton Circle

New

$424,900

608491

35242

5204 Logan Drive

New

$199,900

608586

35242

2106 Eagle Ridge Drive Unit# 00

New

$229,900

608798

35242

88 Ridge View Lane

New

$549,900

608541

35242

2097 Eagle Ridge Drive Unit# 47

New

$224,900

608960

35242

8026 Greystone Green

New

$499,900

608905

35242

2569 Magnolia Place

New

$200,000

609031

35242

1336 Legacy Drive

New

$849,900

608863

35242

253 Narrows Drive

New

$202,500

608758

35043

1008 Edgewater Lane

New

$249,000

608854

35043

1069 Fairbank Lane

New

$124,900

608079

35043

2005 Kingston Court

New

$299,900

608675

35043

266 Fairbank Way Unit# 98

New

$200,075

609472

35242

1039 Greystone Crest

New

$1,349,000

608806

35147

2468 Forest Lakes Lane

New

$119,900

608589

35043

49 Beech Circle

New

$219,900

608079

35043

2005 Kingston Court

New

$299,900

608467

35043

120 Sydney Lane

New

$211,900

608779

35043

508 Baron Circle

New

$279,000

608786

35043

403 Lake Chelsea Way

New

$259,900

608034

35242

273 Vineyard Lane

New

$210,000

607408

35242

262 Highland Park Drive

New

$474,000

608019

35242

782 Reach Crest Unit# 96

New

$149,900

607827

35242

428 Meadow Croft Drive

New

$199,900

607982

35242

644 Springbank Terrace

New

$699,900

607336

35242

312 Fairfax Way

New

$324,900

608093

35242

1409 Greystone Parc Ln

New

$437,000

Real estate listings sent to 280 Living by Vinnie Alonzo of RE/MAX Advantage South between Sept. 2 and Sept. 16. Agents and agency vary by property.

3105 Crossings Drive

2005 Kingston Court

280 Living

B26 • October 2014

Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

Ten ultimate truths girls should know Let me start by being honest — sometimes when I hear about teen culture today, I want to throw my hands in the air. I feel a little defeated in advance because of the societal and peer pressures I’m working against as my husband and I raise four daughters. Simply put, it’s a backward culture. That crazy, self-destructive behavior we don’t want our kids to engage in? Well, that’s exactly what can earn them popularity and acceptance into the cool crowd. Being kind and compassionate may make someone a shining star in the adult world, but among teens, being virtuous is rarely a cause for celebration. It’s all scary, and as parents we want to bulletproof our kids. We want them to make good choices, find good friends, and be confident enough to withstand peer pressure. If there were a magic armor to protect them, we’d fork over big bucks for it. But since no magic armor exists, we rely instead on something bigger and better: THE TRUTH. Because in the end, only the truth

can set them free (John 8:32). Only the truth can point our kids in the right direction and help them understand why they don’t have to compromise their future or integrity to find the love, acceptance, and security they desperately crave. With this said, I have some exciting news to share. If you follow me on social media you may have heard already, but if not, here are the details. I’ve written a book for teen and tween girls that applies God’s truths to today’s realities. Called 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, it will be released through Thomas Nelson on Nov. 4. Writing 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know was a labor of love, and I can’t wait to share it. This book is everything I want my daughters to know, designed to open their eyes wider to God’s love, grace, and purpose for them. Like anyone who invests in the next generation, my goal is to plant seeds — seeds that might take root now or 20 years from now. Some of my favorite

Don’t be afraid....

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feedback so far came from a friend who shared the manuscript with her fifth grader. They read it together one night, and the next night, her daughter asked to read more because all day long at school, she thought about what the book said. That is what I’m aiming for here, that girls will stay mindful of God’s truths even when they’re away from home and navigating everyday life. I also hope this book encourages dialogue between parents and daughters. I hope it builds bridges that prompt you to share your teenage experiences. All of us have ridden that adolescent roller coaster, after all. All of us can remember, if we think hard enough, how emotional and invigorating that ride can be. God has a plan for my daughters and yours. He loves them more than us and has complete control of their lives. Our job as parents isn’t to save our children, but to point them to the One who can. And if we do that, guiding them toward the love of Christ, they’ll know the truth. They’ll have a moral compass to help them

find their way. Please know that I consider it a privilege to speak to tomorrow’s wives, mothers, leaders, and world changers. Our girls can’t hear the truth enough, and while we’re certainly working against a strong current, we’re also working for an almighty and invincible God. The Lord goes before us and with us (Deuteronomy 31:8). And when replace fear with faith, we gain the courage and wisdom to raise godly daughters in an ungodly world, daughters who can recognize the pressures they face and find solutions and solace in a deep, meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham mom of four girls, columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com. Her book, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, is available for pre-order through Amazon, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com.

280Living.com

October 2014 • B27

My South By Rick Watson

Bouquet of butterflies Jilda and I did some autumn I learned the hard way that cleaning last Sunday in prepayou should never look up to see the acorn rolling off the ration for our monthly League of Extra Ornery Songwriters roof. Last year while sweeping, meeting, which was at our one fell from the top, gained house this month. momentum and smacked me The League is a collecright between the eyes. I heard it, but I never saw it coming. tion of our songwriting buddies that gather to play new Today, one of the final songs and share information chores was to get fresh flowers on equipment, gigs and the for the table and the desk near meaning of life. the entryway. As always, we gave the Most of the flowers and vegWatson house a once over, tossing etables are gone now, but the magazines in the recycle box, which is hard for Old Maids (zinnias) are still showing out. us to do. We keep them stacked on our benches Planting those flowers is one of the best and coffee tables, thinking that one day we’ll investments we’ve ever made. We planted get around to reading them, but we rarely do. them a few years ago, and each summer they Then at the risk of looking like slobs, we bloom prolifically until frost. sort through the stacks and toss the ones I was out rolling up the hosepipe when we’ll never read. Jilda walked by clicking the scissors as she At one point I looked up at the ceiling fan, headed to the flowerbed. and it had dust bunnies the size of ChihuaA moment later, I heard her gasp. I thought huas tangled in cobwebs, swirling around. she’d stepped on a snake basking in the OctoI cleaned the fan and then headed out- ber sun, but when I stepped to the edge of the side to spray the sidewalk. Afterward I went yard, I saw a bouquet of butterflies feasting around back to sweep the leaves off the deck, on the nectar of the Old Maids. which is a perpetual job this time of year. I pulled the phone from my pocket and We have a water oak the size of Rhode tried to snap a photo, but each time I got Island in the yard. It sheds leaves in an close they flowers erupted off into a colorful orderly fashion. Once bitten by frost, other cloud. There were too many to count. oaks spend about three to four weeks turning After a few tries, I decided to just stand leaves into a tapestry of gold, rust, orange back and watch the show for a few minutes. and red before falling, but the water oak It’s interesting that we started out cleaning spills bushels of leaves each day over the our house and ended up seeing a butterfly course of fall and winter. ballet. As I swept the deck, I heard an acorn the Rick Watson is a columnist and author. size of a dime smack on the metal surface of His latest book Life Happens is available on the roof, and then race down the slope before Amazon.com. You can contact him at rick@ bouncing off the deck and into the yard. It homefolkmedia.com. sounded like an old timey pinball machine.

A Church at Brook Platt? By Madoline Markham As I glanced at the paper in my hand, my anticipation dampened. I had entered the building on Sunday morning expecting to hear one particular pastor preach, the one who easily engaged hundreds of people for more than 30 minutes. But the bulletin in my hand announced that it would the other pastor, the one who primarily had responsibilities in the church besides preaching, the one who Markham didn’t get asked to speak all over the country, who would address a passage from the Bible that morning. Yes, I have learned, I tend to prize the gifted message bearer, putting him on a pedestal higher than the message itself. And so I was disappointed when I heard David Platt was leaving the Church at Brook Hills to become the president of the Southern Baptist Church’s International Mission Board (IMB). I don’t attend Brook Hills regularly, but Platt has kept me up past my bedtime teaching for his six-hour Secret Church series, where he speaks practically in the backyard of the house where I grew up. There’s no doubt his teaching gift has drawn in people from all over

Birmingham and all over the world. With his new position, I selfishly wondered if I would ever again engage with scripture in the same way Platt had led me to before. In a post-Platt world, would I be less likely to want to be a part of The Church at Brook Hills and its mission? The answer is yes, even though I don’t want it to be. But why do I think that? Is church about its pastor? Is church primarily about listening to teaching on the Bible? Or is church a body of people who share a common faith? Is it a fellowship, a gathering to share in teaching, breaking bread, praying and praising God? Am I, and are you, a member of the church of a pastor, a Church at Brook Platt subject to if a leader leaves or stays? Or are we a part of the church of people who are seeking to follow a set of beliefs we share? I want to believe the latter. In fact, I find that the more my life becomes entwined seeking to comprehend, question and live out what we hear taught, the less I care about whose name is in the bulletin.

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Calendar 280 Events Oct. 2: Spain Park Varsity Football vs. Hoover. 7 p.m. Spain Park High School. Oct. 7: Third Annual Mitchell’s Place Chili Championship Golf Tournament. Noon. Greystone Founder’s Court. Proceeds beneﬁt Mitchell’s Place, Inc. Call 951-9538. Oct. 10: Oak Mountain Varsity Football vs. Mountain Brook. 7 p.m. Heardmont Park. Oct. 10: Briarwood Christian Varsity Football vs. Pelham. 7 p.m. Briarwood Christian High School. Oct. 10: Chelsea Varsity Football vs. Russell. 7 p.m. Chelsea High School. Oct. 10, 11: Berry Middle School presents Alice in Wonderland Jr. 7 p.m. Spain Park High School Auditorium. $5 for adults, $3 for children. Kids 4 and under are free. Berry Middle School activity cards will be

honored. Call 439-2000. Oct. 11-12, 18-19: Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders Community Showcase. Saturdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sundays 1-6 p.m. Various locations. Visit birminghambuilder.com. Oct. 11: Mt Laurel Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Town of Mt Laurel. Free admission. Call 540-1870. Oct. 16: Key To The Cure Pink Party. 5-8 p.m. Saks Fifth Avenue. A celebration during the Key To The Cure Charity Shopping Weekend. Saks Fifth Avenue and Saturday Night Live will partner to raise money for St. Vincent’s Birmingham Bruno Cancer Center. Call 298-8550, ext. 204. Oct. 17: Spain Park Varsity Football vs. Oak Mountain. 7 p.m. Spain Park High School. Oct. 21: NETWORK280. 4-6 p.m. Dixie Fish Co. NETWORK280, a joint

effort of 280 Living, Dixie Fish Company and the Greater Shelby County Chamber, will provide you with an excellent opportunity to make contacts on U.S. 280. Oct. 24: Hoover Hayride and Family Night. 5-8 p.m. Veterans Park. Complimentary shuttles to the park from Spain Park High School’s Parking Lot. Free. Visit hooveral.org. Oct. 24: Briarwood Christian Varsity Football vs. John Carroll Catholic. 7 p.m. Briarwood Christian High School. Oct. 24: Chelsea Varsity Football vs. Oxford. 7 p.m. Chelsea High School. Oct. 25: Morning Star United Methodist Church Boopalooza. 4 p.m. Tractor Supply Company, 119 Atchison Drive. Candy, food, games, music, bounce houses, face painting and the Big Yellow School Bus 4 Jesus. Visit morningstarumc.co.

Oct. 26: Our Savior Lutheran Church’s Oktoberfest. Noon. Our Savior Lutheran Church. German foods, games, bounce houses and corn hole. Visit oursaviorbirmingham.com. Oct. 26: Trunk or Treat with First Christian Church. 3-5 p.m. Games, cakewalk, costume contest, candy and hot dogs. Call 991-5000. Oct. 26: Double Oak Community Church Trunk or Treat. 3-5 p.m. Mt Laurel Square. Candy, inflatables and live music. Visit doubleoakcc.org. Oct. 26: Chelsea Creek Community Church Trunk or Treat. 4-6 p.m. Chelsea Park Subdivision. Decorated cars, inflatables, face painting, popcorn and hot dogs. Visit chelseacreekcc.org. Oct. 26: Meadow Brook Baptist Church’s Fall Festival. 4-7 p.m. Meadow Brook Baptist Church. Food, games, inflatables and prizes. Visit

meadowbrookbaptist.org. Oct. 29: Liberty Crossings United Methodist Church’s Trunk or Treat. 5 p.m. Chili cook-off supper, games and candy. Visit liberty crossingsumc.org. Oct. 30: First Christian Church’s Adventure Nook Preschool Festival. 6-7:30 p.m. Food, games, rafﬂe and door prizes. $7 tickets, $1 rafﬂe tickets. Call 991-5000. Oct. 31: Sweets and Treats. 6-8:30 p.m. The Connection at Chelsea Campus. Bounce house, candy, carnival games, hot dogs, cocoa and fried Oreos. Call 678-9565. Oct. 31: Briarwood Christian Varsity Football vs. Madison Academy. 7 p.m. Briarwood Christian High School. Oct. 31: Oak Mountain Varsity Football vs. Pell City. 7 p.m. Heardmont Park.

Mt Laurel Public Library For more information, visit mtlaurellibrary.org or call 991-1660. Oct. 3, 17: Toddler Tales. 10 a.m. Stories, songs, ﬁnger plays and more make up a lively 30-minute program designed especially for short attention spans and their caregiver. Registration required.

Oct. 3, 17: Storytime with Ms. Kristy. 11 a.m. Stories, music and more for every member of the family. All ages. Oct. 11: Crafty Saturday. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Drop in during the Mt Laurel Fall Festival to make a craft at the library. Oct. 11: Friends of the Mt Laurel Public Library Used Book Sale. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Oct. 31: Trick-or-Treat at the Library. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Stop by each department in the library for treats.

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Calendar North Shelby Library 5521 Cahaba Valley Rd For more information, visit northshelbylibrary.org or call 439-5500. Oct. 11: Central Alabama Reader and Author Shindig. 1-3 p.m. Join the library for an author signing featuring authors Kit Rocha, Moira Rogers, Hailey Edwards, Deanna Chase, Jenn Bennett, Alisha Raj and Vivian Arend. Oct. 30: Medicare Beneﬁts Check-up. 10 a.m.-noon. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A) will be hosting a free Medicare Beneﬁts Check-up at the library. Call 670-5570.

Children All month: Fall Owl Craft. Stop by the Children’s Department to pick up a craft to take home or make in the department. All ages are welcome. Supplies are limited. Oct. 4: Lego Club. 10-11:30 a.m. The library provides the Legos, the kids provide the imagination and creativity. Oct. 15: Homeschool Hangout: Haunted Shelby County. 1 p.m. Kim Johnston, author of the book Haunted Shelby County, Alabama, will share stories and evidence her paranormal team has collected at historical sites in and around Shelby County. Oct. 17: Pumpkin Painting Workshop. 4 p.m. BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin), and the library provide the paint. Registration required. Oct. 30: Tween Halloween Party. 6 p.m. Spooky stories, fun and good food. Ages 8-13. Registration required.

Storytimes Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Mr. Mac Storyteller Extraordinaire. 10:45 a.m. All akges. Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23: P.J. Story Time. 7 p.m. All ages. Oct. 7, 21: Baby Tales. 9:30 a.m. Ages birth to 18 months. Registration required. Oct. 13, 30, 27: Toddler Tales. 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Ages 19-36 months. Registration required.

Teens Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24: Gaming. 3:30-5:45 p.m. Come to the teen department each Friday afternoon for open gaming on the Wii and with board and card games. Call 439-5512 or email nsyouth@ shelbycounty-al.org. Oct. 4: Volunteer Day. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Help the library and earn community service hours. Call 439-5512 or email nsyouth@shelbycounty-al.org. Oct. 13: Anime Night. 6 p.m. Join the teen department for an evening of anime. Oct. 27: Minecraft Maze Runner Night. 6 p.m. Show off your minecraft skills navigating a dark maze with monsters. Oct. 31: Trick-or-Treat at the Library. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Stop by each department in the library for treats.

Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce 1301 County Service Drive, Pelham. For more information, call 663-4542. Oct. 1: Ambassadors Work Group. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive. Oct. 1: Small Business Work Group. 4-5 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive. Oct. 7: Go & Grow Workshop “Managing the Money.” 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive. RSVP by Oct. 6. $10 members, $20 nonmembers. Oct. 8: SpeedNetworking Time FOUR Chambers. 8:30-10 a.m. Parnell Memorial Library, 277 Park Drive, Montevallo. RSVP by Oct. 6.

Alabaster. RSVP by Oct. 13. Oct. 14: Existing Business & Industry Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc. 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 500. Oct. 15: Board of Directors’ Meeting. 8:15-9:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive. Oct. 21: Education Work Group. 8:309:30 a.m. Shelby County Instructional Services Center, 601 1st St. S, Alabaster.

Oct. 9: ‘Keeping it Real.” 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Oak Mountain High School. Call 663-4540.

Oct. 21: NETWORK280. 4-6 p.m. Dixie Fish Co. NETWORK280 – a joint effort of 280 Living, Dixie Fish Company and the Greater Shelby County Chamber, will provide you with an opportunity to make contacts on U.S. 280.

Oct. 10: Health Services Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive.

Oct. 23: Governmental Affairs Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Sain Associates, Two Perimeter Park South, Suite 500 East.

Oct. 14: Entrepreneur Roundtable I. 8-10 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive.

Oct. 29: Membership Program – Annual Safety Awards. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Pelham Civic Complex, 500 Amphitheater Road. RSVP by noon Oct. 27. $20 for members, $20 for nonmembers.

Oct. 14: CoffeeNet. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Montevallo Place Apartments, 1740 Woodbrook Trail,

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Calendar Heardmont Senior Center 5452 Cahaba Valley Road. For more information, call 991-5742. Mondays: Tai Chi. 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Bingo and Board Games. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Tuesdays: Bible Study. 11 a.m.

Wednesdays: Bridge. 9 a.m.-noon.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: Lunch. Noon.

Fridays: Zumba Gold. 9-10 a.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Aerobics. 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. on Thursdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays:

Fridays: Intermediate Line Dancing. 1011 a.m. Fridays: Beginning Line Dancing. 11 a.m.noon.

Oct. 7: Chiropractor Mike Talley and “Overall Wellness.” Oct. 9: Biscuit Bash. Oct. 15: Computer Class. 10 a.m. Oct. 16: Seasoned Performers Storytime. 11 a.m. Oct. 21: Trip to Palisades Park in

Oneonta and Out to Lunch. Oct. 24: Heardmont Dance. 6:30-9 p.m. Oct. 28: Lunch at Chow Town. Oct. 30: Halloween Party and Costume Contest. Oct. 31: Coffee Concert: Alabama Symphony at the Alys Stephens Center.

St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Wednesdays: Breastfeeding Support Group. 10 a.m.-noon. Moms will have the opportunity to meet with a lactation consultant, as well as network with other breastfeeding moms.

noon. This group supporting lupus patients and their families will meet the first Saturday of every month. This month a discussion will take place on the topic Living Well With Lupus.

Thursdays: Countdown to the Holidays Living Healthy Challenge. 11:15-11:45 a.m. Open Studio. A once-a-week class designed to help you stay healthy as we move into the fall season when comfort eating and holiday gatherings make it difficult to stay on track. Free for members, $10 per week for non-members. Call 408-6550.

Oct. 4: Sjogren’s Support Group. 12:303:30 p.m. We’ll offer education and support, as well as help increase awareness of this autoimmune disorder. Free.

Oct. 3: Healthcare Reform Meeting. 10 a.m.-noon. Blue Cross/Blue Shield will hold a meeting to discuss individual products related to Health Care Reform for individuals under the age of 65. Registration required. Call 1-885-764-1333 or visit HCRMeetings.com. Oct. 4: Lupus Support Group. 10 a.m.-

Oct. 9: Forever Families. 5-9 p.m. This class focuses on caring for a newborn and is designed for families coming together through adoption. Call 939-7878. Oct. 10, 28: Medicare Educational Meeting. Oct. 10, 10 a.m.-noon; Oct. 28, 10 a.m.-noon or 1-3 p.m. Blue Cross/Blue Shield will hold a meeting to inform customers about senior products. Free. Registration required. Call 1-888346-1946.

Oct. 14: Blood Pressure/Body Mass Index Screening. 8-11:30 a.m. Free. Oct. 15: CPR Family and Friends. 6-8 p.m. The class focuses on how to help an adult, child or infant who is choking. $20 per person. Call 9397878. Oct. 20: Weight Watchers at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. 11:30 a.m. Start of a new 12-week session. Call 408-6551. Oct. 22: Baby Sign Language. 10-11 a.m. This class teaches caregivers to communicate with their babies or toddlers before they are able to talk. Registration required. Call 939-7878. Oct. 23: Breakfast with the Doc: Identifying Beneficial Vitamins and Supplements. 8-9 a.m. Vicki Moore, MD, of

Birmingham Internal Medicine Associates. Free. Registration required. Call 408-6550. Oct. 28: Blood Cholesterol and Glucose Monitoring. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Cholesterol and blood glucose screenings will be held by appointment. Free for members, $20 for nonmembers and repeat visits. Call 408-6550. Oct. 28: Healthy Cooking in a Bag. 6-8 p.m. Prepare 10 healthy meals for your freezer. Bring your groceries to our kitchen, and we’ll prepare the meals together. $25 per person plus the cost of groceries. Call 408-6550. Oct. 31: Comprehensive Diabetes Education. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Physician’s referral required and pre-assessments given preceding the class date. Call 939-7246.

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Calendar Area Events Oct. 2: Birmingham Art Crawl. 5-9 p.m. Birmingham Historic Loft District. 2300 1st Ave N. Visit birminghamartcrawl.com.

3 p.m. Vulcan Park and Museum. Live music by Dumpstaphunk. $15 adults, $8 members and children 5-12, free for children 4 and under. Visit visitvulcan. com.

Oct. 2-5: Marvel Universe Live! Times Vary. BJCC. Ticket prices start at $40. Call 800-745-3000 or visit marveluniverselive.com.

Oct. 16: Key To The Cure Pink Party. 5-8 p.m. Saks Fifth Avenue. A celebration during the Key To The Cure Charity Shopping Weekend. Saks Fifth Avenue and Saturday Night Live will partner to raise money for St. Vincent’s Birmingham Bruno Cancer Center. Call 298-8550, ext. 204.

Oct. 3-4: Alabama Butterbean Festival. Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Downtown Pinson, Ala. Butterbeans, live music, carnival rides, fair food, petting zoo, pony rides and arts and crafts vendors. Call 390-1952 or visit albutterbeanfestival.org.

Oct. 18: Annual Heritage Festival. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Jefferson Christian Academy. Families can enjoy a variety of entertainment such as carnival rides, inflatables, live music, and other attractions. Visit facebook.com/ JeffersonChristianAcademy.

Oct. 3-Nov. 1: Sloss Fright Furnace Haunted Tour. 5 p.m. Sloss Furnaces. Weeknights: $17 furnace tour, $20 combo ticket. Weekends: $19 furnace tour, $22 combo tickets. Visit frightfurnace.com. Oct. 3-Nov. 1: Atrox Factory Haunted Tour. 6:30 p.m. Atrox Factory. $18 during the week, $23 on weekends. Call 458-1393 or visit atroxfactory.com. Oct. 3-Nov. 1: Warehouse 31 Haunted House. 6:30 p.m. Pelham Event Center, 3050 Lee Street. Visit warehouse31.com. Oct. 4-26: Ride the Pumpkin Patch Express. Saturdays 10 a.m.,

Visitors enjoy themselves at last year’s Heritage Festival. Photo courtesy of Wendy Burrows.

1 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sundays 1 pm. and 3 p.m. Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, 1919 9th Street, Calera. $17 adults ages 12 and up, $12 children ages 2-11, $12, Free for children under 2.

Oct. 8: The Head and The Heart with special guest Rayland Baxter. 8 p.m.-midnight. Iron City. $27.50 in advance, $30 day-of-show. Call 202-5483 or visit ironcitybham.com.

Oct. 5: Cheap Trick. 8 p.m.midnight. Iron City. $45 general admission, $250 the meet and greet package. Call 202-5483 or visit ironcitybham.com.

Oct. 10-11: Kathryn Tucker Windham Tale Tellin’ Festival. Swappin’ Ground at 4:30 p.m. Stories start at 6:30 p.m. 3 Church Street, Selma. $15 per night, $25 for both nights, $10

for students 12 and under per night, $15 for both nights. Call 334-878-2787 or visit artsrevive.com. Oct. 11: Cask + Drum Music Festival. All day. Lakeview district. $30-$35 general admission. Visit caskanddrum.com. Oct. 12: Vulcan AfterTunes.

Oct. 28: Carrie. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. A young, abused and timid 17-year-old girl discovers she has telekinesis, and gets pushed to the limit on the night of her school’s prom by a humiliating prank. 98 min. R. $8. Call 252-2262 or visit alabamatheatre.com. Oct. 31: The Black Jacket Symphony: Michael Jackson’s Thriller. 8 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Tickets start at $51.70. Call 800-7453000 or visit alabamatheatre.com.

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