280 Living
280Living.com
May 62013 May 2013 | Volume | Issue 9
neighborly news & entertainment
The Tradition returns
Opportunity captured Chelsea mom gets dream job offer on USA reality show By MADOLINE MARKHAM
Two-year tournament winner Tom Lehman will attempt a “three-peat” for this year’s Regions Tradition at Shoal Creek June 5-9. Read more about the tournament in this issue.
Community page 8
To market, to market
Valleydale and The Summit Farmers Markets will open for the season in mid-May, and Mt Laurel will follow soon thereafter. Find more details inside.
Special page 14
INSIDE Celebrations...6 Community .....7 Food .............. 10 Business ....... 11
School House ... 20 Sports ............... 26 Opinion ............. 28 Calendar ........... 30
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Skeet were flying through the air on a sunny California day, and Tracie Marcum’s job was to photograph them — one step of her sports photography training as a contestant on new USA reality show The Moment. Marcum, 37, was a long way from her Chelsea home, but there was something much more uncomfortable about the situation. She witnessed her mother’s suicide by gunshot inside their home 30 years ago. “I don’t do guns,” she told the camera. “If this is part of my assignment, I can’t do this.” Lou Jones a Sports Illustrated photographer, had set up the exercise not knowing Marcum’s background; he only knew it was good training for a final challenge she would face to photograph stunt pilots from inside a helicopter. But after talking to her husband on the phone, Marcum did what seemed like the impossible. “Face your demons, and they won’t be your demons any more, right?” she said as she walked onto the range. “It was tough, but I am glad that I sucked it up and did it,” she said, reflecting on the experience. “I realized at that moment I had to overcome that fear
Chelsea resident Tracie Marcum works with The Moment host Kurt Warner and Sports Illustrated photographer Lou Jones as a contestant on the new reality show. The show airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on USA. Photo courtesy of USA/Colleen Haves.
and stop letting that be something that held me back.” Rewind a year: Marcum was an operations manager for a software company in Inverness. She had owned a wedding business for 10 years but sold it 12 years ago. After that, she only pulled out her
camera for her kids’ youth sports games. Her son, Taylor, now 17, played youth football and baseball, and daughter Kennedi, 10, played softball and basketball. And somewhere in photographing her kids, a bigger dream was born: sports photography.
The sports world was nothing new to Marcum. Her dad raised her on Alabama football when she was growing up in nearby Wilsonville, and she writes a blog, gridirongirl. com, to inspire women to learn more
See MARCUM | page 29
Miracle Man As Tripp Nichols approaches his first birthday, his family still seeks a diagnosis By CLAYTON HURDLE On May 7, Tripp Nichols and his family will celebrate the end of a long, trying year in which the baby boy from Chelsea overcame odds again and again. Born without complication in May 2012, Tripp began suffering from chronic seizures soon after his birth. His epilepsy has caused vision impairment and devel-
opmental issues, yet no doctor has been able to diagnose Tripp’s seizure disorder. Doctors told Tripp’s parents that he wouldn’t live to his first birthday. “It’s hard when you wake up every morning to be positive,” Jessica, Tripp’s mother, said. “It’s hard to watch him hurt. We know what he’s missing out on, so it’s hard for us not to create a handicap for him.”
Jessica and her husband, Nick, have done everything in their power to help their son improve, but they knew early on that their efforts alone would never be enough. The Nichols family makes regular trips to Memphis, Tenn., to visit the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Tripp has also been to South Carolina,
See TRIPP | page 29
Tripp Nichols began suffering from chronic seizures after his birth. Photo courtesy Jessica Nichols.
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About Us Photo of the month
Please Support our Sponsors Thousands attended Mt Laurel Spring Fest in April, which featured face-painting for children among the many vendors rides and games. Photo by Madoline Markham.
Editor’s Note By Madoline Markham
When the storm comes page 23 for reminding me April is usually a rainy month, but if you turned of her). I want to plan out on the news last month, my weekend going to a you saw the storms of the big yard sale (check out world pounding: bombs, North Shelby Library’s injuries, deaths, gunshots, police chases. I found on May 11), running a 5K for a good cause (find the myself glued to special details on one on page 9 NPR coverage in my car as the plot in Boston unfolded or 15), hitting up an area farmers market (they like a suspense novel. return this month — see When the action ended, Madoline page 14), trying a new though, I retreated back place to eat (check out into my little world. There’s a reason I like editing this paper. The Georgia Pit’s barbecue on page 13) I turn to the good news in the familiar and not thinking about work I have to places around me just as I climb under do. I only want to think on what’s good, the covers with a good book during a what’s comfortable, what’s close. But when I reread this issue in the nasty thunderstorm. I want to reminisce good times copy editing process, I realized that so and good people, like Mrs. Amanda much of a good story is intertwined Bittinger, whose sweet spirit coupled the not-always-happy part of life, often with unrelenting dedication to explaining away from the comfort of home. In foreign calculus concepts gave me order to follow her dreams to become a love for learning difficult, abstract a sports photographer, Tracie Marcum things in a way that college never would had to confront a terrifying skeleton in (thanks to the Oak Mountain seniors on her closet while filming in (see cover
280 Living neighborly news & entertainment
Publisher : Creative Director : Executive Editor : Managing Editor : Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution : Contributing Writers :
Interns : Published by :
Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Jeff Thompson Madoline Markham Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Rick Watson Kari Kampakis Rebecca Walden Lisa Johnsey Clayton Hurdle Nathan Kelly Megan Smith 280 Living LLC
story). Author Robert Palmer writes novels to draw young adults to the Christian faith largely because he draws inspiration from his own skepticism journey of tragedy and doubt (page 18). Tripp Nichols, who turns one this month, is doing better health-wise, but I can’t imagine the rough journey he and his family travelled this past year both at home and as they saw doctors in surrounding states (see cover story). With that in mind, maybe my impulse to hide under the covers isn’t always the most wise choice. As Tracie and Tripp’s stories have reminded me, it’s when we link arms with those around us to face the storms that life is truly lived in its full glory. To borrow from an elementary school bulletin board saying, trite yet true, here’s to hoping April showers bring May flowers!
Contact Information: 280 Living #3 Office Park Circle, Suite 316 Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 dan@280living.com Please submit all articles, information and photos to: jeff@280living.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 For advertising contact: dan@280living.com
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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Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (20) Alabama Power (18) Aldridge Gardens (28) Altadena Valley Country Club (26) Azia Medical Spa (13) Beaumont Pharmacy (27) Bellini’s (7) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (20) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (19) Bryant Heating and Air (9) California Closets (25) Charles Dunn (11) Chiropractic Today (16) Comfort Keepers (29) Cousins Insurance Agency (23) Cutting Edge Salon (9) Diana Holladay (24) Elite Tan (11) Encore Rehabilitation (29) Eye Do (29) Fancy Fur- Paws and Claws (14) GeGe’s Salon (26) GradePower Learning of Birmingham (17) Greenbrier Furniture (2) Greystone Antiques & Marketplace (6) Ground Up Coffee & Smoothies (12) Hanna’s Garden Shop (15) Home Care Assistance (28) Home Search Solutions (31) ImageSouth (31) Isbell Jewelers (12) Issis & Sons (30) Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (16) Leaf & Petal (13) M&F Bank (21) Mister Carwash (24) Mosquito Squad of Birmingham (16) MoveDaddy (24) NAPA Auto Parts (5) Nex21, LLC (23) Pak Mail (24) Pastry Art (30) Plain Jane Children & Gift Shop (14) Plastic Surgery Specialists (12) RealtySouth Marketing (27) Red Mountain Theatre Company (22) Renaissance Consignment and Marketplace (5) Richard Joseph Salon and Spa (1) Royal Automotive (3) Sew Sheri Designs (21) Skin Wellness Center of Alabama (14) Southeastern Jewelers and Engravers (15) St. Vincent’s One Nineteen (17, 32) Studio Red (23) The Cuckoo’s Nest (19) The Ditsy Daisy (22) The Maids (1) The Urban Barn (24) The UPS Store (6) Total Care 280 (7) Vapor Thrift Store (11) Varsity Sports (26) Village Dermatology (10) Vulcan Park and Museum (8) Your Good Neighbor (29)
Meet our intern Clayton Hurdle Clayton is a junior journalism and mass communication major at Samford. A native of Hendersonville, Tenn., he has enjoyed getting to know the Birmingham area better through his internship. He enjoys all things sports and his unrealistic dream job would be as a football or basketball coach.
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May 2013
A fresh wind is blowing....
and it’s time to renew and revive your home
Renaissance has new, consigned, and reclaimed items just in time for Spring
Style Reborn for Home and Fashion 6801 Cahaba Valley Road (Hwy 119) 1/4 South of Hwy 280
205-980-4471 RenaissanceConsignment.com
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Celebrations Hall-Mitchell
Annaclaire Presley Hall of Springdale, Ark. and Jared Warren Mitchell of Birmingham were united in marriage on Jan. 5 at Provine Chapel Campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. Pastor Tim Peabody officiated the ceremony. A reception was held at Anderson Hall on the Mississippi College campus. The bride is the daughter of Jim and Nora Hall of Springdale, Ark. She is the granddaughter of Edward Dodson of Springdale, Jo and Uralde Lindsey of Fayetteville, the late Lucille Halle of Springdale and the late Gilbert Hall of Springdale. The bride will graduate in May with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. The groom is the son of Frank and Sherry Mitchell of Birmingham. He is the grandson of Bobbie and Dan Johnson of Montevallo, the late Thurman Mitchell of Montevallo, the late D. Anne Patterson Boyd of Birmingham and the late Billy R. Wilson of Birmingham. The groom, a 2009 graduate of Oak Mountain High School, will graduate in May with a bachelor of arts in Christian studies with a minor in psychology. The maid of honor was Arden Hall, sister of the bride, of Springdale. Bridesmaids were Ryann Mitchell, sister-in-law of the groom, of Alabaster; Lyndi Tankersley of Madison, Miss.; Megan Robinson of Kosciusko, Miss.; Kristen Fowler of Clinton, Miss.; and Rachel Reekers of Rock Springs, Wyo. The groom chose his father, Frank Mitchell, as his best man. Groomsmen were Jordan Mitchell, brother of the groom, of Birmingham; Will Mitchell, brother of the groom, of Alabaster; Aaron Ammon of Birmingham; Chase Butler of Birmingham; and Kyle Carpenter of Sterrett, Ala. After a wedding trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica, the couple has made their home in Clinton, Miss. Have an engagement, wedding or anniversary announcement? Email jeff@280living.com to have it included in an upcoming issue!
280 Living
OMIS partnership with community pays off
From left, Tim O’Brien with Oak Mountain Youth Football and Cheerleading, Pat Rakers with Oak Mountain Youth Baseball and Softball and OMIS PTO President Brandy Rhodes represent the school and area youth programs involved in the OMIS Field Makeover Project.
From October through February, approximately 100 volunteers participated in the Oak Mountain Intermediate School Field Makeover Project, a joint project of OMIS and the Oak Mountain Youth Baseball, Softball, Football and Cheerleading community athletic programs. Educators, parents, students and community members worked together to complete a much-needed makeover of the ball fields at the back of the school property. Volunteers worked evenings and Saturdays to make the fields safer and more enjoyable for OMIS and the community. The extensive renovation project included dismantling, sanding and painting bleachers, installing new seats, using recycled boards to install plant boxes near dugouts, and rebuilding and painting scorekeeper stands. In addition, volunteers removed old fencing behind the fields and addressed drainage issues. To complete
the renovation, OMIS art teacher Leigh Walker assisted in updating the field signs by hand-painting the new OM community logo “This Is Our Mountain.” The partnership also involved completion of a soccer/ practice field for school and community use. OMIS Principal Dr. Pat LeQuier extended appreciation on behalf of OMIS to Brian Lee, president of the Oak Mountain Youth Baseball and Softball League, and Derry Herring, president of the Oak Mountain Youth Football and Cheerleading Program, for their active investment in the partnership. LeQuier also acknowledged the significant involvement of Pat Rakers, coordinator of facilities and maintenance for the leagues, whose enthusiasm and leadership for the initiative were invaluable. In addition, the OMIS PTO’s financial contribution was crucial to the success of the project. – Submitted by OMIS PTO
Mother’s Day is May 12th
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you’ll be reimbursed 100%.* It’s the Pack & Ship Promise. You’ll not only be reimbursed for your item’s value,* but also for the cost of packing and shipping. The Village at Lee Branch (near Academy Sports) 205.408.9399 Tel email (store4648@theupsstore.com) Inverness Plaza (behind Compass Bank) 205.991.9999 Tel email (store0255@theupsstore.com) * Subject to the lesser of actual value, replacement or repair cost for items packed and shipped via UPS® by The UPS Store associates. See store for details or visit www.theupsstore.com. At participating locations. Restrictions and limitations apply. Copyright © 2007 Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. 7BDG261791 11.07
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Community Holt third runner up for Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen
Brooklyn Holt
Brooklyn Holt, a sophomore at Oak Mountain High School, was named third runner up in Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen in March. She competed as Miss Leeds
Area Outstanding Teen and was awarded more than $30,000 in scholarship money to Auburn University, The University of Alabama and Troy University. She also received $1,500 in cash for her outstanding leadership qualities as a teenager in the state of Alabama. At the competition, Brooklyn also received the Community Service Award and the Advertisement Award for selling the greatest amount of advertising dollars for the scholarship program. At OMHS, Brooklyn has a 4.3 GPA and is a majorette and member of National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society, Con-Brio Mixed Competitive Show Choir and Oak Mountain Masters. As a part of her personal platform, “Raise Your Voice for Children,” Brooklyn holds fundraisers for Children’s Miracle Network. She performs at her Raise Your Voice for Children Concerts and recorded a single, “Raise Your Voice,” in May 2012.
North Shelby Library Yard Sale The Friends of the North Shelby Library is hosting a large fundraiser Yard Sale to support the library’s upcoming summer reading program. The Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, May 11 from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Donations for the Yard Sale will be accepted on Wednesday, May 8 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday, May 9 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Friday, May 10 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Suggested donations include toys, furniture,
bikes, books, outdoor gear and sports equipment. Donations that cannot be accepted are clothes, shoes, computers, mattresses and cribs. There will also be a preview party show and sale on Friday night at 6:30 p.m., with tickets costing $25. The North Shelby Library is located at 5521 Cahaba Valley Road. For more, call 439-5500 or visit facebook. com/FriendsofNorthShelbyLibrary.
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Regions Tradition returning to 280 Two-year tournament winner Tom Lehman will attempt a “three-peat” for this year’s Regions Tradition as he faces a 58-player pool featuring PGA Tour stars like Fred Couples, Hale Irwin and Corey Pavin. Also for the third year in a row, the golf tournament will be held at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club June 5-9. The 72-hole competition has a purse of $2.2 million and has no cut, according to Bruno Event Team Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing Jessica Sciacca. The title sponsor of the tournament, Regions Financial Corporation, recorded an economic impact of more than $25 million to the greater Birmingham area over
the past two years. All general spectator parking at the tournament is free, and tournament shuttles will be provided to transport guests to and from the main tournament entrance. General parking is located at the corner of U.S. 280 and AL 119. Gates open for the tournament at 6:30 a.m. each day, with 7:30 a.m. tee times for each round. Tickets for a week pass for the tournament are $80 and $20 for a day pass. Junior guests, 18 years or younger, have free admission to the tournament when accompanied by an adult ticket holder. Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club is located at 100 New Williamsburg Drive. For more, call 969-9229 or visit regionstradition.com.
PGA Tour Golfer Fred Couples sinks a putt at the 2012 Regions Tradition Golf Tournament. Photo courtesy of Bruno Event Team.
Phoenix Festival and three other can’t-miss events this month Xterra Triathlon May 18
Oak Mountain State Park will host a triathlon on May 18. Race organizers encourage anyone in the park to join in on the fun and watch runners cross the finish line. The full-distance XTERRA championship race is comprised of a 1.5-kilometer swim, 30-kilometer mountain bike and a 10-kilometer trail run. Participants may race as an individual or on a relay team. A shorter distance XTERRA Sprint race is also offered. The Sprint race is half the distance as the championship race at 750 meters for the swim,
15-kilometer mountain bike race and a 5-kilometer trail run. Park entry fee for adults is $3 per person. To register, visit xterraplanet. com/races/register.cfm.
Lorie Johnson Golf Tournament May 20
The Fifth-Annual Lorie Johnson Foundation Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Monday, May 20 at Riverchase Country Club. The foundation, founded in honor of Johnson, a Chelsea woman who later passed away from breast cancer at age 34, provides financial
assistance to low-income women and girls with cancer of any kind. Many of the women they help have breast cancer. “We help low income individuals suffering from cancer with their rent, utilities, groceries, copayment, treatment and travel,” foundation board member Steve Bishop said Registration is at 10 a.m. The driving range opens at 10 a.m. and lunch is at 11 a.m. with a hotgun start at noon. Participants who beat the pro on a Par-3 win cash prizes and a hole in one wins $5,000. There is a $125 registration fee for individual players and $500 registration fee for a fourman team. Registration includes
range balls, golf cart and a barbecue buffet lunch. Register at loriejohnsonfoundation. org, or call Jay Mullaly at 587-9902.
For more visit hooveral.org. Movie listings will be listed on hooversun. com and in the June issue when they become available.
Free Friday Flicks Starts May 31
Alabama Phoenix Festival May 24-26
Grab a blanket, family and friends and enjoy a free familyfriendly movie every Friday night this summer at Veterans Park next to Spain Park High School. Movies will be shown every Friday night from May 31-July 26. Films start at dusk. Come early to visit vendors, get food and enjoy fun activities.
The Alabama Phoenix Festival is a family-friendly, multi-genre, fan convention featuring celebrity guests, authors, comic book writers and artists. The festival will be held at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center on Friday, May 24-Sunday, May 26. To register and find out more, visit alabamaphoenixfestival.com.
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King raising money as Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year candidate
Event to raise Lyme disease awareness
Inverness area resident Sylvester “Sly” King is in the running for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2013 Man of the Year. As a nominee, he has pledged to raise a minimum of $20,000 by May 16. “My immediate family has never been directly affected by a blood cancer disease, but I understand that cancer does not care,” King said. “Leukemia does not care how old you are. Lymphoma does not care about race or gender. Myeloma does not care about your wealth or the lack thereof. Statistics show that approximately every 4 minutes one person in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer disease and approximately every 10 minutes someone in the U.S. dies from a blood cancer. That person could be me, my wife, my 3-year old daughter, or it could be you.” The Grand Finale of the campaign will be May 16, but the competition doesn’t end until after a live and silent auction at the event. Campaigners have the option to bring a certain amount of items, either their own or solicited from local business, to auction. The money raised per item also adds to their votes. There will also be dinner, cocktails and music. The finale will be held at the McWane Science Center from 6-9 p.m. Individual tickets are $100, tables are $600 and patron sponsorship (two tickets and names in program) is $250. Call 989-0098 for more information. Visit mwoy.org to donate to King’s campaigns. The last day for online donations is May 14.
In conjunction with Lyme Disease Awareness Month, the Alabama Lyme Disease Association will hold an awareness event at Veterans Park on May 18. The festivities will take place at the new pavilion near the playground starting at 10 a.m. With the warm summer months ahead, it is important for our community to be aware of the possibility of contracting this disease, according to event organizer Carrye Hodges said. She believes the public needs to know that Lyme disease is not just a disease in the Northeast but it is thriving in Alabama, too. Lyme disease is a spirochetal infection that is transmitted from a tick. It is known as the “great imitator” because it can present as many other diseases such as fibromyalgia, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. The CDC recognizes that Lyme disease is the number one growing vector-borne disease. The current testing physicians use for the disease are admittedly inaccurate, and many people do not suspect that they have Lyme disease. Not everyone gets the classic bulls-eye rash, and many admit they never remember getting a tick-bite. Those with early stage Lyme disease generally have flu-like symptoms such fever, chills, joint pain and swelling. As the disease progresses, patients develop a constellation of symptoms that can include extreme fatigue, cognitive impairment and neurological pain. No registration for the event is required, and the event is free of charge, although donations of any amount are welcomed. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. For more information and T-shirt order forms, visit alabamalymedisease.org or find Alabama Lyme Disease on Facebook.
Sly King, right, with LLS Girl of the Year Avery Snuggs.
Dance recitals this month
Fearless Feet 5K and Fun Run
Exclusively Ballet & Dance is gearing up for its spring performances. On Saturday, May 11, the company will present “Cinderella” at 2:30 p.m. at the Oak Mountain High School Performing Arts Center. That evening, a Broadway-themed show featuring Exclusively Ballet & Dance’s lyrical, jazz, modern and tap students will take
The Prescott House Child Advocacy Center is hosting a 5K and fun run on Saturday, May 18, at 8 a.m. in The Town of Mt Laurel. The price for the 5K is $25, and for the fun run is $10. Both fees include a T-shirt, and the price goes up to $30 and $15, respectively, if runners register the day of the event. To register, visit prescotthouse.org.
place at 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, May 12, the Mother’s Day Preschool Performance, which will share the Broadway theme, will take place at 2:30 pm. Tickets will be sold at the door. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more, call 995-9220 or visit exclusivelyballet.com.
For more than 25 years Prescott House Child Advocacy Center has been a safe haven for child victims of sexual and physical abuse. The center is dedicated to the care and restoration of children who have suffered trauma. The Prescott House Child Advocacy Center is located at 1730 14th Avenue South. For more, call 930-3622 or visit prescotthouse.org.
Salon
Hey summer is here!! Come on in to Cutting Edge Salon and enjoy our May special and get your:
Color & cut $60 (no style)
Color & style $60 Full foil $75 (no style)
$10 Conditioning shot (normally $20 *no style)
25% OFF of all jewelry and products It's been a great year! Thank you so much for your support!!! Check us out on facebook for new client specials 5291 Valleydale Road #137, Next to Fancy Fur
205-991-7771
10 May 2013
280 Living
Restaurant Showcase
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The Georgia Pit
5492 Highway 280 672-7674 Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
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Read past Restaurant Showcases at 280Living.com
Doug Baker Blvd
By NATHAN KELLY Charles Hawk has never used a simple smoker to cook a butt or rack of ribs since childhood. His meat has always been perfected in an underground pit. He sums up the result two words: consistency and affection. Using only pecan tree wood, he now slow cooks meat using the same style he grew up with and sells it on U.S. 280. “This started out as a hobby of mine after I retired,” Hawk said. “After I built our little barbecue stand, I just cooked it the way I had learned in my childhood and now it’s a hit.” His takeout-only barbecue stand parks next door to the Cowboys gas station on U.S. 280 in Greystone. Hawk said he knew the owner of the gas station before he opened and was graciously given a spot to sell his barbecue. As for the name, Hawk grew up in Madison, Ga., before moving to the Birmingham area as a teenager when his dad got a job as iron worker. He never expected the business to take off like it did, and he considers all that has come from it a blessing. Customers have travelled from as far as Tennessee or Key West, Fla., and told him they like his meat more than any barbecue restaurant they had tried. Now, he
Charles Hawk smokes barbecue and sells it from his Highway 280 stand. Photos by Nathan Kelly.
sees his business as a way to give back that blessing to his customers. The food at The Georgia Pit is simple: pulled pork, ribs and Conecuh sausage. No sides are served, but each plate ($12 for pork, $15 for ribs) comes with either two slices of bread or a bun. You can also
buy a $40 butt ($50 chopped) or $25 rack of ribs ($30 sliced). Sausage is $10 a pound, or comes on a $5 hoagie. Hawk’s most popular item is the $6 pork sandwich, which he said comes with enough meat to feed a small family.
The Georgia Pit’s sauce is available to buy as well ($6 for a pint, $12 for a quart and $25 for a gallon). Hawk created it after he made the recipe for the rub he uses with his barbecue. After all, it’s his food that he sees as the key to his stand’s popularity.
“Our barbecue stand is about as humble as you can get in the food industry. We’re a family-run business parked next to a gas station with hardly any advertising besides word of mouth,” he said. “But if you have a good product, people will come back to see you and bring a friend.”
Mountain Brook Village • St. Vincent’s Blount • The Narrows
Uniquely YOUthful Luncheon Do you need to lift a sagging cheek, or are you just looking to prevent lines and wrinkles?
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Diamond Golf Cars 769-6355 4647 U.S. 280, Suite Y diamondgolfcars.com/ Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
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Read past Business Spotlights at 280Living.com
By NATHAN KELLY In 2012, after working in country clubs and golf equipment retail for more than 20 years, Bill Ochsenhirt was ready to branch off – not too far, though. He wanted to remain in a business related to the golf family. His idea was to develop the next generation of golf car dealerships that featured clean, upscale environments and made customers feel comfortable but in control. So, he modeled his showroom after a Lexus dealership and developed a way to make the relationship with his customers and their cars unique. “Most people who come in have an idea in their minds of what they want their car to look like,” Ochsenhirt said of his new store on 280, Diamond Golf Cars. “How to get that thought to reality is where we come in and build that bridge for them.” Ochsenhirt’s team is a knowledgeable, experienced group of technicians who not only work on the cars requested by customers, but also help coach them to find exactly what they’re looking for out of their vehicle. Ochsenhirt said his dealership separates itself from others by the level of customization it offers to its customers. “We can literally take a customer in the door and ask them what they want
Diamond Golf Cars owner Bill Ochsenhirt
done to their vehicle, it’s limitless,” he said. Customers at Diamond Golf Cars will choose from a wide range of color, wheels, lifts, seats and stereo systems to be installed in the cars. Availability and variety are two central points of Diamond Golf Car’s business, going as far as having an iPad inside the store with an
app that lets the customer see his or her vehicle before the designing even starts. The app features every golf car Ochsenhirt has in his showroom along with every customization option to add to the vehicle. It allows customers to more easily visualize the exact golf car they want. Ochsenhirt said the level of detail and options his business offers was
a challenge to demonstrate. Making sure the customer doesn’t buy more car than they need but still leaving happy with the look and performance is what his business boils down to. “It winds up being a very personal relationship with our customers,” Ochsenhirt said. “We had one gentleman who acted like an expecting father coming by every day to watch
his car being built and the progress we’d made.” Business has been steady – if not booming – in Diamond Golf Cars’ first few months. Its cars are being used by security guards, in malls and as personnel shuttles. “We supplied all of the vehicles used for the Compass Bowl at Legion Field,” he said. “You name it and we can provide it.”
Vapor Thrift Store now offers donation pick up service! www.pickupmydonation.com 5443 Hwy 280, Birmingham, AL 35242
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Business Happenings Vision therapy now offered Narrows Family Eye Care now offers vision therapy to strengthen eye muscles. The therapy includes both in-office and athome exercises. “We offer everything else,” said Jessica Palmer, O.D. “Now, we’re a onestop shop.” Vision therapy includes eye tracking, eye focusing, visual information processing, computer related vision problems and acquired brain injury related vision problems. Palmer said not many people provide the service in the area and it is something needed for the community. Narrows Family Eye Care is located at 13521 Old Highway 280, Suite 233. The office is open Monday and WednesdayFriday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Call 980-4530 for more.
Regus expands to fourth location Regus, a flexible workplace provider, will open its fourth full-service business center in Birmingham in July. The new center is located at 2700 Corporate Drive. Regus operates more than 600 locations throughout the U.S. Businesses of all sizes can access customizable office space at locations without an exhaustive search or long-term lease. Regus offers fully equipped offices, virtual offices, meeting rooms, and business lounges. For more, visit regus.com.
Gravlee Fitness closes Gravlee Fitness closed its business after 21 years of operation. The last day of
business for the personal training studio was March 31. Since opening in 1991, owners Lee and Amy Gravlee expanded their business to include TRX, Yoga, Pilates, Fit Train and Zumba classes. In November of 2011, they moved their business to Mt Laurel to make Gravlee Fitness more community centered until the closing date. After closing Gravlee Fitness, both Lee and Amy Gravlee have taken personal training positions at Life Time Fitness in Vestavia.
Consigned Designs now open Consigned Designs, a new furniture, gifts and accessories store, opened in Chelsea in March. Owner Lisa Curran and friend Lisa Eastman “upcycle” used items into creative products. Projects include a oncebreadbox-now-flower planter and an old suitcase that has been made into a chair. Consigned Designs is located at 540 Teen Town Road and open TuesdaySunday from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. For more visit the “Chelsea Consigned Designs” Facebook page or call 835-2905.
Fitness Together celebrates anniversary Fitness Together Greystone celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a celebration that included a ribbon cutting, an open house, free fitness classes and health screenings including checking anti-oxidant levels. Fitness Together boasts members who have been there since it first opened. The fitness facility offers one-on-one training and an intimate setting to make members
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more comfortable and focused on their goals. Fitness Together Greystone is located behind Krispy Kreme Donuts, near Wal-Mart on U.S. 280. Call 9812454 for more.
Weygand Insurance Agency wins Top Agency award Scott Weygand’s Farmers Insurance Agency won the award for Top Agency for Specialty Insurance Production for 2012. The award was given to Weygand in April, and it won the same award in 2009. The award came after Weygand was named the top agency in its district. It represents excellence in specialty insurance, which includes motorcycle, boat, motorhome, all-terrain vehicles and landlord policy insurance. Weygand’s Farmers Insurance Agency is located at 398 Chesser Drive, Suite 1. For more, call 678-4711 or visit farmersagent.com/sweygand.
The Urban Barn relocates On May 1, The Urban Barn relocated to a new home in Lee Branch Shopping Center. The move came when Owner Colleen Burback felt it would be a better location for her business than its previous location in Inveness Corners. She said most of The Urban Barn’s customers lived closer to Lee Branch Shopping Center so the move is a win-win. The Urban Barn is a clothing retail store specializing in boutique fashion, gifts and home décor. For more call 4518888 or visit the-urban-barn.com.
May 2013
Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce May Events May 1: Ambassadors Work Group. 11:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. May 1: Small Business Work Group. 4 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. May 10: Health Services Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Cardiovascular Associates, 3890 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham. May 14: Education Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Shelby County Instructional Services Center, 601 First Street South, Alabaster. May 14: Existing Business & Industry Work Group. 9 a.m. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc., 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 500, Birmingham. May 14: Membership Reception. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sponsored by RX Catering. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. No cost. RSVP required by Monday, May 13. May 20: Small Business Persons of the Year Nominees Reception. Featuring Rod Perkins, SBA. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. May 22: Membership Luncheon Small Business Week. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sponsored by Regions Bank. Mary Martha and Gary Parisher, owners of Cheeriodicals, will speak on “Entrepreneurship: Small Business Success.” Pelham Civic Complex, 500 Amphitheater Road, Pelham. RSVP required by noon, Monday, May 20. Investment: Members $17, future-members $25. For more, call 663-4542 or visit ShelbyChamber.org
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Farmers Market season returns Urban Cookhouse Farmer’s Market at The Summit
Mt Laurel Farmers’ Market and Craft Fair
Valleydale Farmers Market
The Valleydale Farmers Market offers farm-fresh recipes in addition to its local produce.
A plant vendor sells his wares on a Saturday morning in Mt Laurel.
Last year the Urban Cookhouse Farmers Market at The Summit welcomed farmers from Dodd Hill Farms in Blountsville.
38 Manning Place Saturdays June 1-October 26 8 a.m.-noon mtlaurel.com/virtualvisit/eventspage
214 Summit Blvd., Suite 102 Thursdays May 16-August 8 (except July 4) 3-7 p.m. urbancookhouse.com/farmers-markets Urban Cookhouse practices its “buy local, eat urban” motto not just in its restaurant but also in its farmers market held at The Summit. “We want to show support for local farmers,” market manager Victoria Underwood said. “Urban Cookhouse even buys from them for the restaurant.” Underwood said that while the market does get some competition from Saturday farmers markets, it is good for guests and farmers because it is in the evening. The market usually averages 20-25 vendors a week.
Sponsored by EBSCO Industries, the Mt Laurel Farmers Market and Craft Fair invites vendors and farmers from around the community to gather on Manning Place every Saturday morning from June-October. “The market proves people with good quality fresh food that they know where it came from,” said market manager Kelley Burley. The market not only offers locally grown, fresh produce, but also craftsmen of every trade to present their works to the community. The market brings more than 20 farmers and 35 crafts workers each weekend. Visitors will find pottery, woodcarving, knife and blade sharpening, frames, tin art, reclaimed furniture, honey, eggs, goat cheese, bread, succulents and fresh flowers.
4601 Valleydale Road Saturdays May 18-October 26 8 a.m.-noon valleydalefarmersmarket.com Five years ago, members of the Faith Presbyterian Church decided the community needed a good farmers market closer than the Pepper Place Market in downtown Birmingham. Today farmers from Chilton, Blount and other counties from Alabama travel to sell their produce to the community from the church parking lot. There are also vendors selling everything from homemade soaps to jewelry. Assistant manager Laura Buder said there will not be an art festival this year, but there will be a peaches and ice cream day and a tomato sandwich day.
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May 2013
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Celebrating strides in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walk ›› Benefits Cystic Fibrosis Foundation ›› May 18 ›› Veterans Park
Maddie Hagler’s team gathers at last year’s Great Strides Walk at Veterans Park.
By REBECCA WALDEN On May 18, Veterans Park will be filled with kids crafts, Zumba dancing, clowns, music, food and a signature 5K as a part of the annual Great Strides Walk, sponsored by the Alabama chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Our Great Strides event is a day of celebrating the funds our Great Strides teams have raised in the fight against CF,” said Jennifer McEuen, associate executive director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Alabama. “It’s a great way to have fun while making a difference for a child or young adult with this life-threatening disease, whether or not you know anyone personally with CF.”
While held in Hoover, the event represents the CF community of greater Birmingham, with families from surrounding neighborhoods turning out in droves to support a loved one or friend living with CF. Clay Hagler, principal of the Hagler & Brocato accounting firm on Valleydale Road, is participating this year as he has annually since 2006, when his oldest child, Maddie, was born with CF. “The walk provides the Cystic Fibrosis community the necessary funds to battle the disease on many levels,” he said. “The money raised has helped develop life-changing drugs and therapies that have increased the average
lifespan of Cystic Fibrosis patients from 14 years of age to their mid-30s. Not only are we battling the disease, but we are also assisting the local economy. Many of the research studies are performed in Birmingham at UAB (at the Gregory Fleming James CF Research Center) and Children’s Hospital.” UAB and Children’s also house the Foundation’s accredited care centers, which in total serve a combined CF population of 400 patients from across Alabama. “Because of our local research presence, as well as the care centers at Children’s and UAB, we receive back from our national office much more than we put in to the overall fundraising each year,” said McEuen. “In fact, on average,
Zumba instructor Cristina Rodriguez leads warm up activities at a previous CF race.
Alabama receives at least twice as much as we raise annually.” That represents more than $10 million reinvested back into Birmingham for CF research. Recently, Birmingham-led research efforts resulted in the development of Kalydec, approved by the FDA in January 2012. For more information about the race, including registration either as an individual or for a team, visit cff.org/Chapters/alabama/ GREATSTRIDES/.
5299 Valleydale Road Suite 111 Birmingham, AL 35242 (two blocks from 280) www.southeasternjewelers.net • 980-9030
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Your Health Today You Won’t Call it Crazy By Dr. Irma Palmer
“You’re nuts…Chiropractic care for my infant?” That’s usually the kind of response I get from parents when I make the suggestion. You wouldn’t believe the number of stories I’ve heard in almost 20 years of practice from parents at their wits’ end…comments like “I’m afraid to have any more kids if this colicky baby, chronic ear infections, incessant crying (insert any typical infant problem here) doesn’t stop!” As a chiropractor, I know there’s help without turning to stronger and stronger medicines to help these issues, and if I can just convince parents to walk through my office door, I know the parents will also find it’s true. Here’s just one mother’s story. “My son started care at 7 months old. He was not sleeping, crying and fussy constantly and just generally unhappy. We tried everything, and after numerous doctor appointments, a variety of different formulas, etc. he still was having major stomach issues and sleepless nights. As our last resort we turned to Chiropractic. Dr. Palmer talked to me about different formulas and how to read the labels. After only a few adjustments we noticed our son was sleeping more, crying less, and becoming the happy
loving baby we knew. Now, we have the entire family under care and we are all living life again!” This mother is not alone…not by a long shot. Another came in saying, “If this child was my first, he would have been my only. It has been three months of continual crying unless he is held, sleepless nights, bottles of medications, a variety of formulas and endless doctor’s appointments to get to the problem.” Thankfully, this mom took a bold “last resort” step across my doorway. After the first evaluation and a gentle adjustment, the child had three hours without crying; one week later, he was all smiles, was cackling, and both the mom and I shed tears of joy! Words cannot describe the impact this simple act of stepping out of the traditional box and trying Chiropractic will have on the family. So many have been lead to believe there is something wrong, something missing, and that better chemistry, and better and stronger meds will resolve the issue of a child not sleeping, spitting up, crying, etc. If this is so, then our better chemistry, better science, and sophisticated testing should yield better health in our community, and across our state and
When it Works
country. We should be the epitome of health! Reduced cardio vascular disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. should be expected. Our children without question should be faster, smarter, and healthier than any previous generation. Yet, unfortunately this is not our reality! It’s not just babies and kids whose health can be improved with Chiropractic care. It truly can work wonders for all members of the family. Another patient shared this story, “After many years of countless doctor visits, treatments and more prescriptions than you can imagine, I haven’t gone for more than my annual physical for the last two years since beginning Chiropractic care.” This person, well ingrained in traditional ways, had no other choice than to step out of the box when he’d finally had too much. He decided to let me try something different to see if a different result could be attained. No need for extra doctor visits two years running? We are celebrating his success with him and his entire family. His kids couldn’t be happier - they have a spunkier version of their dad back! One of the biggest stumbling blocks I find that people have to trying Chiropractic care, whether for
themselves or their kids, is that it’s not universally accepted. Don’t let that stop you! Come into my office and we will get to the root of your health issues or pain and then determine a course of action to restore proper function and resolve the cause of your problem, rather than trying to mask the symptoms with drugs that don’t fix the problem (and often make the situation worse!) If you are like the countless patients I’ve encountered through the years who have tried traditional options and are still experiencing dis-ease, pain, illness, or discomfort, or are tired of pumping medicines in and dealing with the side effects of doing so, I encourage you to be a trendsetter and give Chiropractic care a try. What do you have to lose? The traditional choice of treating your symptoms with over-the-counter and prescription meds will still be there if I’m wrong and can’t help you. But if I’m right and we can find the root cause of your problem, you won’t think it’s crazy to have given Chiropractic a try! Summer is a perfect time for children and entire families to enjoy living life outside the box! Please don’t wait. Call or visit us online today.
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May 2013
Teenage Republican organization taking root
The Greater Birmingham Teenage Republicans recently dedicated a Saturday to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Photo by Nathan Kelly
By NATHAN KELLY For teens, it’s not always easy to make time for politics. Knowing the pressures of GPAs, college acceptance letters and social lives can get in the way, members of the Shelby County Republican Party wanted to start educating teens on political topics early. So, one year ago this month, Executive Committee members Jason and April DeLuca founded The Greater Birmingham Teenage Republicans. “When we formed this group we wanted to introduce all sides of the Party. We realize there’s a wide range of views from far right to closer in the middle,” Jason DeLuca said. “A lot of teens will go to college and join the College Republicans like April and I did. This group gives them a head start and an easy transition.” Read Mills, the group’s president, said he benefits from the group most when he is able to swap ideas and perspectives with other teens that he may not get in a typical civics course in high school. “We realized the political efficacy among
teenagers is dismal,” Mills said. “People turn 18 and end up not voting because they don’t know the issues and don’t know what they’re voting for. This group is helping to change that and showing that votes really do matter.” In its second year, the Teenage Republicans will be focusing on what the county party does DeLuca said. It will learn when the Executive Committee meets and what it discusses in the meetings. The group plans to take trips to Montgomery to learn about State Legislature and stay up-to-date on 2014 state elections. Teens become members of the Teenage Republicans by attending meetings, held on the second Thursday of each month. A typical meeting is in a restaurant in the U.S. 280 area featuring either a group discussion on a popular political topic or a presentation by an elected official. Membership forms are brought to every meeting which are posted on the group’s Facebook page and website. For more information on the Greater Birmingham Teenage Republicans, visit greaterbirminghamtr.com or facebook.com/ GreaterBirminghamTeenageRepublicans.
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A pathway back to faith Local author writes fantasy novels to draw young people to belief By MEGAN SMITH Robert Palmer believes he understands what young Christians need to keep their faith. After all, his own journey includes stepping away from the church in his youth. “The problem is that youth today are growing up, leaving the church and not coming back,” he said. “The adults fail them. They either spoon-feed youth dry scripture without any heart, or they take the other extreme and only focus on entertaining them.” Palmer, a Highland Lakes resident, believes the best way to keep youth involved with the church, whichever church that may be, is to engage them intellectually and with heart and feeling. So he has sought to do that by writing fantasy adventure novels that are allegories to scripture. Using his own experience away from the church, Palmer’s Archibald Zwick and the Eight Towers, published in 2010, follows protagonist Archibald Zwick on his physical, mental and spiritual adventures in the Bermuda Triangle. The reader’s heart and feelings attach to the story when they identify with Archibald, Palmer said. The scripture the story is based on, revealed in the ending, sets readers up for the
companion volume, Truth in the Eight Towers, which engages the intellect. The second book reveals that almost everything in Archibald Zwick and the Eight Towers is symbolic. Archibald is a Germanic name that means genuine and bold, two attributes Palmer thinks Christians should have. The eightspoke wheel that Archibald wears on his chest reveals a Greek acronym. As for his own story, Palmer said he has been a practicing lawyer longer than he says he’s been a Christian. Sure, he was raised in a Christian home, but for various reasons when he was young, he found himself more and more disassociated with God. “I had two dogs die, and I went and prayed for the third dog, a coyote pup. And then it got hit by a car on Christmas,” Palmer said. Palmer said moments like this led him away from God. “I realize I had this vending machine mentality about God. Just insert time and choose what you need,” Palmer said. When he mentioned how he was feeling to his mother, she gave him Return to Religion by Henry Link to read, but he said it was bland and didn’t help. Through college, his religion became to try to become the best person
Robert Palmer writes fantasy adventures that are allegorical to his Christian faith. Photo courtesy of Robert Palmer.
he could be. He went to Georgetown on an ROTC scholarship and graduated as an officer in the U.S. Army. Afterward, he served in Korea. While he was there, his first wife filed for divorce. “Mary Poppins talks about practically perfect people,” Palmer said. “That’s what I was trying to be, and
divorce just didn’t fit into that. It caused a lot of soul searching.” Palmer was 8,000 miles away from everyone he knew and loved and facing a personal crisis. So, he found a bookstore, bought the Bible and read it from cover to cover. “I’d built up the framework of a nonbeliever,” Palmer said, “but I sur-
rendered to God and finally learnt what faith meant.” Since then, Palmer’s faith has led him to get involved with the Jimmy Hale Mission (he currently serves as immediate past chairman of its board) and influence his professional endeavors. After a four-year struggle and constant praying, Palmer got the statute of limitation law for tort cases in Alabama changed. “Matthew 6:33 says seek first the kingdom of heaven,” Palmer said. “I looked to God and everything worked out.” In 2008, the Public Justice Foundation of Washington D.C. awarded Palmer its Access to Justice Award. He became the second person to ever receive the award, but he considered declining it. He accepted it and gave God credit. His law firm started generating heavy income, but he felt God telling him to leave his lucrative business for something else. He quit his job and devoted his time to finishing his book and its companion novel. Now having published his first two novels with Crossbooks, the self-publishing branch of Lifeway, a Christian bookstore and publishing company, he has more books in the works and plans to publish each with a companion volume explaining its history and symbols. For more visit RobertLesliePalmer.com. You can find his books on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.
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Teen author’s novel arrives on shelves By MEGAN SMITH There’s a new book on the summer reading list at Oak Mountain High School this year, and its author will be familiar to some students. Anna Kathryn Davis isn’t just a name on a cover — she’s a 2012 graduate of the high school. Her novel, The Gifted, debuted in April. It follows Rose Hawthorne, whose face is so beautiful it drives normal men insane, as she learns that she and her friends, with superpowers, have to protect the human race from an infestation. Davis started writing in the seventh grade when a teacher she confided in at Oak Mountain Middle School suggested she take up poetry to sort out her emotions. She said it was a disaster, but she did start writing prose that slowly turned into characters and plots. By ninth grade, she had her first manuscript. “I’m glad I didn’t try to do anything with that,” Davis said. “Re-reading it definitely keeps me humbled.” It wasn’t until junior year that she began writing The Gifted. Davis has always been the youngest in her grade, so when everyone else was out driving places, she stayed up late writing. As a result she ended up having a lot of material. In a folder
of miscellaneous writing on her computer, she had stories and prose ranging from four to 400 pages. One night, she went through the folder and started compiling the things she really liked and started combining them. “From there, it took on a life of its own,” Davis said. In two and a half months she had a completed novel. Then came the preedits and editing with other’s help. When she thought it was complete, she wasn’t sure what to do next. “I never intended to write it,” she said, “so when I finished it, I pulled books off my bookshelf to find publishing companies.” She emailed her manuscript to those companies and didn’t receive feedback, so she let the book sit. When senior year came, she looked at an old list, her bucket list. Publishing a book was on there, so she went to Google and searched “small publishing houses.” She clicked the first link, found Tate Publishing and Enterprises and followed its “submit your manuscript” button. She even input her mother’s information and approval without permission. Her mom didn’t even know Davis wrote the book. Before long Tate called her and asked Davis about The Gifted.
Oak Mountain High School graduate Anna Kathryn Davis holds her newly released novel.
“Mom called and asked what The Gifted was,” Davis said. “I got so mad. I thought she’d been going through my things.” By late December, Davis had signed a contract and began the long process with multiple editors, a design team, a publicist and marketer. Davis, with no previous knowledge of how the industry worked, was overwhelmed. She even had to cut 40,000 words from her story. But now she has a website, annakathryndavis.com and a book for sale on Amazon. com and at Barnes & Noble. “It may sound cliché to say ‘I just have to thank God,’” Davis said, “but I do. I feel like this is
what I was supposed to do. Tate’s is a Christian publishing house, and my novel doesn’t have any Christian underlinings.” Davis is now a double major at The University of Alabama, keeps endless lists of her goals and of things to do, and maintains two jobs. But, if you ask the 18 year old what she wants to do with her life, she will tell you she doesn’t have a clue. “Before the book thing took off,” Davis said, “I always wanted to be a pediatrician.” One thing is for sure though: she will go into every experience with “published author” on her resume.
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School House Poems and pastries help OMES students celebrate dads First grade teachers at Oak Mountain Elementary recently honored the men in their students’ lives by treating them to a morning of poetry reading and breakfast during an event they called Dads and Doughnuts. Teachers Nina Butler and Monika Tortorici wanted to celebrate the men who have had an impact in their students’ lives in a similar manner as they do with their annual Mother’s Day Tea. Father’s Day falls during the summer months, so students do not have the same opportunities to prepare something for their fathers during the school year. “I hope this was a day where the dads of our students felt honored and loved,” Tortorici said. “It was a fun way to involve them as we finished our unit on poetry, and I look forward to doing it again next year!” Students recited poetry in a “coffee house” style. They had also written poetry, letters and stories as gifts for their fathers or other male role models. Dads and Doughnuts saw rooms filled with fathers, grandfathers and other family members discussing how honored they felt to be a part of the special event. “This will definitely be an annual event,” Butler said. “The response was so wonderful that I cannot imagine not doing it again next year.” - Submitted by Rebekah Austin, OMES
Jeff State student awarded coveted scholarship Jefferson State Community College Phi Theta Kappa honor student Deanna Pack was one of only 20 students in the United States to be selected as a 2013 Guistwhite Scholarship recipient. Pack, a resident of Shelby County, was recognized during
special reception at Phi Theta Kappa’s Annual Convention in San Jose, Cali., in April. Pack was chosen from more than 1,800 applicants to receive this $5,000 scholarship, the second highest offered by Phi Theta Kappa.
Pies fly on Pi Day at LPMS As part of Pi Day, celebrated worldwide on March 14, Liberty Park Middle School students in Brett Richards sixth grade math class participated in several activities. Richards read aloud the book Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Wayne Geehan. Students also discovered pi by measuring circular objects in the
class and had a competition to see who could memorize the most digits of pi. At the end of the competition, first place winners in each class got to throw pie at Richards. First place winners were: Eden Roberson - 81 digits; Riley McIntrye - 66 digits; Yuheon Lee - 59 digits; and Kendall Tucker - 54 digits.
Mt Laurel exceeds Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser goal
Student Carter Austin enjoys Dads and Doughnuts Day with his father, Scott.
During the month of February, Mt Laurel students in Lisa Bagley’s and Allison Gulock’s P.E. classes learned what it meant to be a Heart Hero. They took part in a month-long Jump Rope Unit that concluded with the Annual Jump Rope For Heart fundraiser that benefits the American Heart Association. In addition to students collecting donations, Bagley and Gulock created a
“Chain of Love” around the gymnasium. For a $1 donation, students were given a “heart” with their name on it to place on the wall. The goal was to create a chain around the entire gym. Mt Laurel raised a total of $4,005.23 in donations for the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser, $300 of which came from the “Chain of Love” fundraiser. The schoolwide goal was $2,500.
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May 2013
Spain Park wins Scholars Bowl State Championship
Matt Schoeneman, Stefanie Schoeneman, Dion Hagan, Kevin Yang, Andrew Forsyth, Kyle Griffin, Jack Peters and Coach Todd Parker.
Spain Park High School placed first in the 2013 Scholars Bowl State Championship in April at Jefferson State’s Shelby-Hoover Campus. Huntsville’s Grissom High School battled Spain Park in a sudden-death playoff for the championship. In the late afternoon, Spain Park won the last match and won the state title. Randolph School earned third place honors. “Students prepare for this tournament all year and they are serious about this competition” said Tournament Director and Jefferson State Instructor Lucy Lewis. “These are the best scholar teams from around the state,fa and they are comprised of extremely bright students.” To qualify for the state tournament, teams had to win a tournament in their district and win their region. Twenty-four teams competed.
“The competition is very similar to a game show, where contestants compete to give the correct answer very quickly,” said Lewis. “It is easy to see the pressure increase as teams progress further into the tournament.” During the tournament, four-person student teams face off in head to head competition. A moderator asks questions, and individuals “buzz” in with an answer. “The teams here definitely want to win, but this competition is also about celebrating our bright, young leaders of tomorrow,” said Lewis. Jefferson State has hosted the state championship tournament for 10 years. For more information about the tournament, email llewis@ jeffstateonline.com. -Submitted by Jefferson State
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Top seniors ready for next step Chelsea High School
Spain Park High School
Cheyenne Thompson
Dion Hagan
What are your college aspirations? I’ll be attending The University of Montevallo and majoring in chemistry. What is your studying secret or habit? Before I study for a big test, I like to take about 20 to 30 minutes to read scripture. I was always told that if you give God a portion of your time in scripture, He would take care of you. So that’s been very true for me. Who was your most inspirational teacher? Coach Jason Hill. He taught me chemistry and is a godly man. What stuck out about Coach Hill was how much he believed in everybody no matter what background they had. What can aspiring graduates learn from your success? I’d say to just have a good work ethic. High school isn’t the hardest thing in the world, but it can be tedious. Ask for help along the way and always work hard.
What do you remember most about your freshman year? I remember being surprised about how big all the other upper classmen were. What did you recently learn from someone younger than you? My younger siblings have taught me resilience. I need time to wind down and relax and they know how to have fun. What will walking across the stage mean to you? I think I’ll start to think about the relationships I’ve made at Chelsea. We are all going our separate ways, and I know the friendships are going to change. It’s a little sad, but I’m so happy to have made these memories with my friends for the last four years.
What are your college and career aspirations? I’m planning on going to Harvard University. I don’t really know what I’m planning to do yet. I’m planning on either going into medicine, or something completely different with finance. I’ve always wanted to do medicine because the human body has always interested me, and I have an interest in helping people. On the other hand, Harvard’s resources are unparalleled with finance. I feel like I could take my career much further in that way. What one thing on your college application helps you stand out? I play the cello, I don’t know if that helps. I do a lot of community service as well. When you’re 50 and you look back at yourself as a teenager, what characteristic will you remember most? Determination. Any of the goals I’ve put forward for myself, I’ve accomplished almost all of them. What can aspiring grads learn from you? Never sell yourself short. Believe in yourself, don’t listen to
What one object can you not live without? My laptop. Music is a large part of my life, and I spend an inordinate amount of time on Spotify and Pandora searching new music. If I didn’t have that, I’d probably go crazy.
people telling you that you can’t do things. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. What did you recently learn from someone younger than you? My brother is much better at time management than I am. As soon as we get home, he starts doing his homework and he’s done at 8 or 9 p.m. I wait until 11 p.m. or midnight to even begin. If you were going to be locked in a windowless room for one month but could bring one movie to watch and one book to read, what would they be? Pulp Fiction, definitely. It’s entertaining time and time again. I’d probably bring the Dao De Jing. I don’t practice Taoism, but I think it’s an interesting book. It would probably help me keep calm in a room without any windows.
›› Read full interviews online at 280living.com
Who was your most inspirational teacher? My most inspirational teacher was Mr. (Craig) Thompson, the AP U.S. History teacher. He took the history and taught us the background behind it. He made us think about the global aspect of it. He talks about ethics, aesthetics and other things that he wasn’t necessarily required to teach us, but he felt like it would help us as a person. What’s the study secret to your success? Pay attention in class because if you don’t pay attention in class you have to work harder. To be quite honest, I didn’t actually do a lot of studying outside of class, but I did a lot of paying attention in class. If you could go back in time, what year would you visit? As an African American, 1964 and the Civil Rights Movement. My parents and grandparents tell me all these different stories; it would be cool to get that perspective.
280Living.com
Oak Mountain High School
Lacey Cencula
Sarah Rourke
Michael Matthews
What are your college and career aspirations? I’m going to The University of Alabama and majoring in Business. I’ll then go to law school and hopefully become a corporate attorney.
What are your college and career aspirations? I’m going to The University of Alabama and majoring in business. Then I plan to attend law school.
What are your college and career aspirations? I will attend Auburn University and major in biomedical sciences. Then I’ll attend med school.
What do you remember most about your Freshman year? Probably the amount of school spirit Oak Mountain has. Everyone is so energized about our school.
What do you remember most about your freshman year? I remember trying to get involved as much as possible. I joined a lot of clubs and sports teams and made a lot of new friends through my involvement.
What’s one thing that helped you stand out on your college application? My musical background stood out. I play piano and guitar.
What’s an object that you can’t live without? Definitely my cell phone, I’m all about Twitter.
What’s an object that you can’t live without? It’s not necessarily an object, but I can’t go through life without taking naps.
Who was your most inspirational teacher? Mrs. Bittinger. She taught me AP calculus, and she is an angel. She’s very understanding of each student’s life, so she’s very patient with us. What’s the study secret to your success? I make online note cards on a website called quizlet.com. I make one for every test and a lot of classmates end up using them too since they know my user name.
Who was your most inspirational teacher? Mrs. Bittinger. What’s the study secret to your success? I learn when I write so when I’m studying I’ll usually rewrite my notes over and over again until I’ve got it memorized. Are you a dog or a cat person? Cat.
What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon growing up? I’ve got to go with Spongebob Squarepants. What’s an object that you can’t live without? My piano. How many hearts have you broken? Too many to count. What would you buy if you were given $1 million and had to spend it in one day? I would buy a baby grand piano, and then give the rest of it to Mrs. Bittinger. What do you remember most about your freshman year? The sense of community that Oak Mountain gave me as soon as I started.
›› Read full interviews online at 280living.com
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May 2013 23
Stephen Wiley What are your college and career aspirations? I will attend Auburn University and major in some kind of engineering. What’s an object you can’t live without? Water, food and shelter. Are you a dog or cat person? Definitely a dog person. What’s the study secret to your success? Pretty simple, just reading over my notes works for me. What would you buy if you were given $1 million and had to spend it in one day? I’d buy a beach house in Destin, Fla. If your citizenship was taken away and you had to live in a different country, where would it be? Probably Guatemala, I just visited there for a mission trip. If you were locked in a windowless room for a month, what one book and movie would you bring? I would bring the Bible and the movie Shooter.
24 May 2013
280 Living
Primrose donates more than 500 books
Chelsea student’s team takes top honors in national cybersecurity competition
Chelsea student Colby Sisco, second from left, with his teammates from the CyberPatriot V competition: Dean Williams, Stephen Jones, Isaac Lenox, Jose Martinez and Genevieve Breimhorst.
Chelsea High School student Colby Sisco, 17, and his teammates on the Grey Hat Cyber Sailors recently took first place in their division and sixth overall in the national finals of CyberPatriot V in Washington D.C. CyberPatriot, billed as The National High School Cyber Defense Competition, is designed to inspire students to consider
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields in their studies. Students in the CyberPatriot “games” gain an exposure to the principles of cybersecurity by identifying and ridding vulnerabilities from virtual machines. Led by coach Kelly Jones, the team was one of 14 finalists out of the 806 teams originally registered for the competition’s All Service
Dr. Abby Allen of Pediatrics West reads to students at Primrose followingtheir donation of 550 books to Reach Out and Read.
Division. This was the first year that a Naval Sea Cadet team or a team from the state of Alabama competed at this level. Following its performance, the team was commended by Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus, attended a House Judiciary Committee hearing on cybersecurity and received a personalized tour of the U.S. Capitol.
In March, Primrose School at Liberty Park presented the Birmingham Chapter of Reach Out and Read with more than 550 books. Primrose School families donated books during a monthlong book drive. The Reach Out and Read
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May 2013 25
Fike brothers finding success on the water
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The entire family except for LilliAnn rides competitively. Next year, 15-year-old Hayden “All of the kids do different Fike will become a professional things,” Gregory said. “Wakewakeboarder. boarding is the one thing that realThe Spain Park linebacker has ly pulls us all together. I can count completed the top wakeboarding on one hand the number of times trick in the highest level amateur diviwe were at the lake together in the sion, which consists of a forward flip entire year, just our family. That while spinning 360 degrees in the air. makes it special.” Spain Park High He won first place in multiple events The Fike brothers have two difSchool students within the division, most recently at a Hayden, above, ferent approaches to wakeboardregional championship event in Hot and Hunter Fike ing. Hayden, the consummate compete in Springs, Ark., last September. competitor, is constantly working Hayden has had the goal to be- wakeboarding on improving his already honed come a pro wakeboarder since he competitions. skills. Hunter, though also very was very young. With the ultimate talented, is more into the social asgoal now in his sights, Hayden pect of wakeboarding. couldn’t be happier. “For Hayden, it’s more about “I haven’t thought about it too competing and winning,” Gregory much, but when I do it’s something I said. “Hunter loves to bring budcan just picture in my mind so cleardies and enjoys wakeboarding for ly,” he said. “I feel like it’s there, and I the fun of it.” just have to step up and take it.” When both brothers placed at The growth of Hayden’s skill the Hot Springs competition last hasn’t been easy. His father, Gregory, fall, it was a momentous occasion. described waking up at 6 a.m. many mornings to “That was the first time that’s happened,” find his oldest son practicing flips and turns on Hayden said. “It was pretty cool to watch [Huntthe trampoline. er] excel at what he does and get second.” “That’s commitment right there,” Gregory said. The Fike family has also traveled across the Hayden’s brother, 14-year-old Hunter, who nation to locations such as Orlando and Bakersplays on Spain Park’s lacrosse team, placed sec- field, Calif., for competitions. The family enjoys ond in a lower division at the Hot Springs wake- the travel, but once there the boys’ full attention boarding event. He has learned much of his craft is given to the event. from his older brother, as well as his parents. “They get the chance to go site-seeing, and “Having Hayden as an older brother who’s a lot of the families do,” Gregory said. “But better than me is always good,” Hunter said. when we’re there, they don’t want to leave the “He’s always pushing me to step it up and do site. They work the booth for the board comsome new tricks.” pany that sponsors them the whole time when In fact, water sports are a family pastime for they’re not riding. You couldn’t peel them all the Fikes. Dad Gregory drives the boat for away from that. There’s no place that they’d both boys. Mom Kim is a national champion in rather be besides there.” the women’s beginner division. Sisters SavanIt’s a labor of love for the Fike teens, and the nah, 13, and Lilli-Ann, 11, enjoy wakeboarding Fike family, as they work in their potential to be and being on the water with Hayden and Hunter. among the best in their sport.
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Briarwood students named to all-star lacrosse team
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Raptors wrap up season with third championship
All-Star lacrosse players Mark Hand, Will Hulsey, Wilson Hand and Grant Weldon.
Briarwood sixth grader Mark Hand and eighth graders Will Hulsey, Wilson Hand and Grant Weldon have been named a 2013 Brine National Lacrosse All-Star and selected to represent the Southeast Region in the Brine National All-Star Lacrosse Academy and National Lacrosse Classic to be held in Boyds, Md., from June 30-July 3. These young men play in the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse League. Mark Hand plays for the U13 Lions Lacrosse team coached by Rick Burgess. Will Hulsey and
Grant Weldon play for the U15 Lions coached by Frank Bemis and Bobby Cowen, and Wilson Hand plays for the Varsity Lions team coached by Mark Hand Sr. All four young men are also members of Bamalax, Alabama’s select travel lacrosse program. The Brine National All-Star Lacrosse Academy brings the top 400 middle school lacrosse players in the country to one venue, where 16 regional teams will compete in front of NCAA lacrosse coaches from every division to become the 2013 National Champion.
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The Oak Mountain Raptors after winning the Over the Mountain Championship: Tyler Fanning, Wilder Evers, Taylor Bush, Ryan Giegel, Brady Dunn, Cam Whitaker, Ean Gove. Not pictured: Jack Driskill and Grant Rakers.
The third grade Oak Mountain Raptors basketball team won three championships this season. The first came in December in the annual “Jingle Bell Jam Tournament,” where the Raptors beat out 15 teams to take the title. The Raptors also went undefeated in the North Shelby Basketball Association regular season
and won the NSBA tournament. Finally, the team won the Over the Mountain title, knocking off Vestavia Blue in late February. The team’s record for the year was 252. Its only two losses were by one point in overtime. The Raptors were coached by Kris Dunn, Mike Evers and Pat Rakers.
280Living.com
May 2013 27
Briarwood tennis takes state title
In April, the Briarwood Christian School girls’ tennis team won the Class 5A state championship. The tournament was played in Decatur. Ashley Ochsenhirt placed first in the state in No. 1 singles play, defeating Sydney McKinney from Muscle Shoals 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Judson Tarence defeated Maggie Williams of Homewood 6-3, 6-1 to claim the No. 2 singles title. Together, Ochsenhirt and Tarence also took the No. 1 doubles state championship. Briarwood’s Ashton Henderson, Ellie Tarence and Kateleigh Calloway each finished state runners-up in their brackets. Ellie Tarence and Calloway also took second in the No. 2 doubles tournament. Left, Briarwood doubles partners and state champions Mary Judson Tarence (left) and Ashley Ochenshirt. Photos courtesy of Jamie Tarence.
Beaumont Pharmacy America, have we become a pill nation? By Tammy Rogers, Pharmacist Americans today take a lot of pills. The drug manufactures are able to advertise their products online, on television, even in your favorite newspaper. Every day millions of Americans watch Dr. Oz and are out looking for his remedies by the next day. At Beaumont Pharmacy, we have a Dr. Oz section where we try to keep his latest recommendations. Let’s face it, we are constantly confronted by the media with a “pill solution” for our every medical need. With so many medications prescribed today, it has never been more important for consumers to have a pharmacy advocate that is looking out for them! A lot of people today use multiple pharmacies and multiple doctors. Most pharmacies today check for drug interactions when filling prescriptions. However, if your pharmacist doesn’t know that you use different pharmacies, or maybe even a mail order source for your prescriptions, they have no way of checking the interactions on the products they don’t know about. I recommend that my patients always keep an updated drug list of their most current medications, and it’s important to update that list when changes occur. Every doctor and pharmacist you visit should know all the medications that you currently take, and don’t forget, over the counter medications as well as nutritional supplements. These products can also interact with prescriptions in an adverse way. Vitamins are considered to be harmless by a lot of folks, but vitamins can be harmful and even toxic in high dosages. Did you know that iron tablets or vitamin A in excess can be harmful or even deadly? Medications can certainly change our lives in positive ways; but when taken in the wrong strength or wrong amount, drugs can harm or even kill. Drug interactions are responsible for millions of hospital admissions and deaths every year. The actual numbers are probably much higher than what actually gets reported. If you are looking for an advocate to assist with your medication questions and concerns, please stop by today and let me be your advocate in pharmacy. We keep patient profiles on all out patients and our computer checks for drug interactions and allergies on every prescription we fill. If you are looking for a refreshing pharmacy experience, you will be pleasantly surprised with what you find a Beaumont Pharmacy!
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28 May 2013
Opinion My South By Rick Watson
Telling stories A friend gave us a sledgehammer. Katherine Tucker Windham When she heard the timbers documentary recently, and it creak on the front porch under blew me away. the weight of the intruder, she Windham was a master called almost in a whisper, storyteller who lived near “Charlie.” Selma. When she died in 2011, When there was no answer, Alabama lost a treasure. she grasped the handle of the Windham reminded me of shotgun with the barrel of the my own grandmother Willie gun on the hardwood floor Watson Watson. She wasn’t well and clicked it into a breached known outside of Sloss Hollow, but she position. She then pulled the hammer told stories as rich in texture as a Persian back, which made the gun ready to fire. tapestry. For those who’ve never heard a shotgun I remember one story where she talked being breached, let’s just say, there is no about my grandpa making moonshine mistaking that sound. whiskey back during the Great Depression. Apparently the intruder immediately He was bad to drink, but he also managed recognized the sound because he wheeled to sell and trade enough white lightening to around, jumped off the porch and ran for keep the family fed during those lean years. dear life. My grandma unlatched the lock, He often left his wife and the kids alone threw the door open and fired a shot in the while he walked deep into the woods at direction of the crunching leaves. night with 50-pound sacks of yeast and The old gun broke the silence of the night sugar on his back to make whiskey. and sounded like a cannon echoing off the One moonless night, my grandmother hills and hollows around where they lived. heard footsteps crunching the brown I smiled as I thought about that story. autumn leaves in the front yard. She and my It also made me wonder about how the grandpa had a signal worked out so she’d younger generation will view the stories know that he was approaching in the night. told by my generation. That night there was no signal, so she Interesting things happened to me silently slipped out of bed to investigate. all through my life, but when compared She said the heart-pine floors were cold as to what my parents and grandparents ice on her bare feet as she eased into the endured to stay alive, my stories seem front room. wispy. She kept an un-breached 410-gauge I’m guessing younger folks would spend shotgun by the door with a load of buckshot more time rolling their eyes than they would in the chamber. looking for a recorder to capture my stories. She remembered that it was so quiet I hope I’m wrong because we cannot she could hear the ancient mantel clock trust the media to give us a true picture of ticking over the fireplace, and feel her what’s going on around us. We all need to heart pounding against her ribcage like a learn to tell our stories.
280 Living
Life Actually By Kari Kampakis
An out-of-mommy experience I love being a mom, I really do, but sometimes I need to escape. Sometimes I need to detach from the job and fly away — mentally at least — to a place that’s mine and mine alone. It’s what I call an out-ofmommy experience. An out-of-mommy experience doesn’t have to be big, like a career or fully charged mission, although for some women that might be the case. To me an out-of-mommy experience is anything that fills in the gap between “mother” and “woman.” It’s those sanity savers that make us feel whole and remind us of the young, carefree girl we used to be — the girl who loved to laugh, sing at the top of her lungs, and live life on a whim because she had only one person to care for. Herself. There’s a general consensus that moms deserve time alone, but how do we disconnect from our families without checking out too long? How do we reclaim our youthful spirits without going overboard, or landing on an episode of Moms Gone Wild? I believe the key is to find healthy interests we can transition into and out of easily, interests that mesh with our daily lives. Whether the purpose is temporary relief or to set the stage for down the road — when we’ll have time to pursue interests as passions — it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have something separate from our family that we enjoy and find fulfillment in. Maybe it’s a strong network of
like how thankless and friends who meet up regularly. Maybe it’s a draining this job can volunteer position that be. I don’t like feeling uses our talents for a resentful because I’m greater cause. exhausted and worn Maybe it’s a hobby out. For me to enjoy such as writing, my family and see painting, gardening them as gifts rather than that transports our burdens, I need breaks. mind to a different I need to go off and Kampakis world. recharge, to let my kids Whatever the case, we all miss me just as I miss them. need something that builds us My out-of-mommy experup because the hard truth of iences aren’t ever long; sometimes motherhood is that children they’re as simple as a good run, aren’t designed to boost our dinner with friends, or a date night self-esteem. If anything they with my husband. Even driving in humble us, and if we’re looking the car alone, listening to music I to them for affirmation or to feel choose (and yes, singing at the top good about ourselves, we might of my lungs) can evoke that “bird be disappointed. out a cage” feeling of freedom. I I found the comical injustice could live for days on that feeling of the mother-child relationship alone. It flips on a switch inside summed up a few years ago me, illuminating the girl I used to while my oldest daughter, Ella, be, the 20 year old who’ll always watched the movie Cinderella. want out no matter how old I get. As the evil stepsisters bossed Yes, we are moms, but we are Cinderella around, doling out women too, women with more to chores without pause, Ella turned to me indignantly. “They’re being offer than clean laundry, chauffeur so mean!” she said. “I mean, services and fresh groceries. By they’re treating Cinderella like unplugging from our dutiful lives every so often and finding ourselves she’s a mom!” Her observation made me as individuals, we get a therapeutic laugh, mostly because it’s true. We boost that can re-energize us and, in moms get treated like the family effect, our families. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a slave without apology. Because we’re always around, no one feels Birmingham mom of four with the need to be on his or her best a background in PR, writing behavior, and while it’s good that and photography. For daily our kids are comfortable around us, inspirations, you can “like” her it can also make us their punching new “Kari Kampakis, Writer” page bag. Whatever frustration they’ve on Facebook. Visit her website at kept pent-up often unleashes on us. karikampakis.com, or contact her I love being a mom, but I don’t at kari@karikampakis.com.
May 2013 29
280Living.com MARCUM from page 1 about football. Marcum’s husband, John, was actually the one to nominate her for the opportunity that would change her life, and before long show host Kurt Warner was surprising her in her office in Inverness. Soon thereafter she was behind the camera in Los Angeles training for two weeks with Jones, a worldclass photographer who has shot the past 12 Olympic Games. The Moment, hosted by d former NFL star Warner (also a comeback kid — he bagged groceries before getting into the pros), gives ordinary Americans a chance to interview for a dream job. Contestants spend time training with a professional and then are given an interview to see if they can get their foot into the door. “[Lou Jones] is a great guy, a great mentor,” Marcum said. “I told him if he wasn’t tough on me, I wouldn’t be able to do things.” She knew she was rusty on photography coming onto the set, but as the skeet shooting exercise demonstrated, Jones knew what he was doing. When it came time for her final interview with Sports Illustrated, Marcum said she was unsure about what they thought of her. They hated the first five of photos she showed them, but they liked the last three. The last three must have sold them. Within minutes, the Chelsea mom had an offer from the national sports magazine. The decision to accept the offer had to be made that day. The couple had talked about it, but Marcum said she had to think through if she wanted to make the change for her whole family. “My husband said ‘You can’t have had this chance and walk away from it,’” she said, “so we decided to take it and go for it.” Following filming, Marcum spent six months in New York training with the photo department at Sports Illustrated, where she learned what they look for in photos. She returned to Chelsea the week before the show aired in April and plans to continue to freelance from her home. “I will probably cover a lot of SEC football, college basketball, whatever they need in the Southeast,” she said.
But the show did more than just give her a career opportunity. “There has been an outpouring of people saying thankful for talking about suicide awareness on television,” she said. Marcum had long been involved with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — she even wore her Out of Darkness T-shirt from the annual walk at Heardmont Park on the show — but following the show it was time to do something more. “Since the show I felt like that is one of the things I was supposed to do,” she said, “to bring awareness to something people don’t want to bring out in the open.” Now as a field advocate for AFSP, she meets with legislators in Montgomery to tell them about the importance of upcoming bills like ones that would grant funds for research for depression research. Marcum said through The Moment she hoped to show her daughter that if there is something you really want to do you should follow your dreams. And of that she is living proof. To keep up with Marcum and her work, follow her on Twitter @traciemarcum.
TRIPP from page 1 where a young girl with a similar undiagnosed condition lives. “We don’t have a date set, but one of the leading doctors in optic nerve hypoplasia [Tripp’s eye condition] at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles has agreed to see Tripp and evaluate him,” Jessica said. At home, Jessica and Tripp stay busy, going to occupational and physical therapy sessions several times a week. “I was going to be a stay-at-home mom for a few years,” Jessica said. “Now that’s permanent because he requires 24-hours-a-day care.” In addition to Tripp’s many professional supporters, Nick and Jessica have received emotional and financial support from family, the city of Chelsea and an ever-growing online community. “It’s been a blessing for my husband to have our church [Chelsea Community Church] support,” Jessica said. The Chelsea community has been a source of financial help. Several local businesses have set up donation jars, and the Nichols’ church hosted a benefit concert in April with all proceeds going to Tripp’s medical expenses. The Facebook page “Tripp’s Journey” is approach-
ing 7,600 likes. Jessica updates the page several times daily and has been overwhelmed at times by the support of its followers. “We created Tripp’s Journey to update family and friends because I couldn’t return phone calls and emails fast enough,” Jessica said. “It kind of took off from there. It blows my mind because it was made for 30 to 40 people.” Above all else, the Nichols family has relied on their faith to pull through the darkest times in their experience with Tripp. “God is truly what has gotten us through,” Jessica said. “The reason that Tripp’s still here is because of prayer. God works miracles every day. You can’t know Tripp and not believe in miracles and in Jesus Christ.” After many trying days and nights, things are looking up for Tripp. His seizures are no longer as frequent as they were. His therapists have been helping his development progress. In April he passed a swallow study and started to learn to eat without his feeding tube. His parents hope to be able to take the tube out just in time for his birthday, so he can have a little birthday cake. “He’s progressing, he’s learning and he’s doing remarkably well,” Jessica said. “He’s a miracle man.” To learn more or support Tripp and the Nichols family, visit facebook.com/TrippsJourney
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30 May 2013
Music Listings Courtyard Oyster Bar & Grill 280 Mondays: Dj Johnny D Tuesdays: Dj KOP May 1: Matt Hill & Sean Bunn / Whiskey Dix May 2: Dj Chuck J May 3: Southern By Grace / SK5 May 4: Bottle Rocket May 5: Jager Muffin / Hutch / Secondhand Jones May 8: Matt Hill & Sean Bunn May 9: Erica May 10: Dixieland Disciples / Matt Hill band May 11: Sexy Tractor May 12: Matt Broach / Aaron Blades May 15: Matt Hill & Sean Bunn / Whiskey Dix May 16: Dj Chuck J May 17: Pharmband / SK5 May 18: Stomp Hills May 19: Patrick / Whiskey Dix / Jager Muffin May 23: Erica / Heath May 24: Voodoo Jones / Matt Hill band May 25: Secondhand Jones / Heath May 26: Paul Sisson / Aaron Blades / Heath May 29: Matt Hill & Sean Bunn / Whiskey Dix May 30: Dj Chuck J May 31: Aaron Blades band / SK5
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5426 Highway 280 874-6361 May 2: Jared White May 3: 90 Proof May 4: Outshine May 9: Jared White May 10: Atomic Radio May 16: Jared White May 17: Dance DJ Dance May 18: A Little R&R May 23: Jared White May 24: Sam Foster May 25: Acoustic Cafe May 30: Jared White May 31: Jason and Alan
Community Calendar 280 Events
American Diabetes Association. 8-11 a.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Call 408-6550 to register.
May 2-5: The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood. Spain Park High School Spring main stage production. Show 7 p.m. May 4-5 there will be 2 p.m. shows as well. $5 students, $8 adults. Call 439-1465. May 3: Chelsea Park Elementary Art in the Park Sidewalk Festival. Make ‘n take craft stations, inflatables, entertainment, food and silent auction. Wristbands available April 29-May 3, $9. $12 at event. 5:30-8 p.m. May 3-4: 18th Annual Inverness MemberGuest Tennis Tournament. Benefits the Alabama Head Injury Foundation. Play begins May 3, followed by reception at Inverness Racquet Club. Men and Women’s Doubles takes place May 4 with lunch at the Racquet Club and dinner, cocktails and a silent auction at Inverness Country Club. Call 823-3818.
May 11: Girl Power. Class for girls 8-12 to understand early adolescent changes and develop a positive self-image. $5/girl. 10-11:30 a.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Register at 939-7878. May 14: Blood Cholesterol and Glucose Monitoring. First screening is free for members, $20 non-members. Five \-minute results. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Call 408-6550.
May 18: Homecoming featuring the Royal Masters. Union the Church at Chelsea Park. Service 10:30 a.m. Potluck at noon. Gospel singing after lunch. Call 678-6677. May 18-19: XTERRA Races. Oak Mountain State Park. Visit xterraplanet.com. May 22: Comprehensive Diabetes Education. Physician’s referral required and preassessments are scheduled before May 22. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Register at 939-7248. May 25: Memorial Day Crafts. Oak Mountain State Park. Come out to do some crafts to celebrate this holiday. Campground Pavilion. 10 a.m. Visit alaparks. com/oakmountain or call 620-2520.
May 16: Living Healthy: Healthy Carbs and Healthy Proteins. Nutrition session will discuss how to plan a healthy menu. 11 a.m.-noon. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Call 408-6550.
May 4: Photography Hike. Oak Mountain State Park. \ Meet at the Old Tennis Courts on Terrace Drive at 10 a.m. Parking is available at the Beach parking lot (third lot on right). Visit alaparks.com/oakmountain or call 620-2520.
May 16: Cuisine at One Nineteen. Executive Chef Matthew Guy Lagace from Bellini’s will cook. $25/person. Childcare available with reservation. 6:30-8:30 p.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Call 4086550 to register.
May 27: 3rd Annual Memorial Day Bug Races. Come race some bugs. Bring your own bugs or look for some there. Meet at the bottom of the stairs at Treetop Nature Trail at 10 a.m. Visit alaparks.com/ oakmountain or call 620-2520
May 18: Fearless Feet 5K and Fun Run. 8 a.m. Town of Mt Laurel. Benefits The Prescott House Child Advocacy Center. Visit prescotthouse.org.
June 5-9: Regions Tradition. Shoal Creek. Visit regionstradition.com.
May 6: Spin-a-thon for ADA. Each participant is asked to raise $10 for each hour of spinning for the
May 18: Lyme Disease Awareness Gathering. 10 a.m. Pavilion at Veteran’s Park. 10 a.m.
May 4: Build a Library 5K and Fun Run. Proceeds from the run will go toward construction and furnishing the new Mt. Laurel Public Library. 8 a.m. Visit mtlaurellibraryrun.com.
Birmingham Bake & Cook
Thursdays: Farmer’s Market at The Summit. Starts May 16. 214 Summit Blvd., Suite 102. 3-7 p.m. Visit urbancookhouse.com/farmers-markets.
May 1: Marco’s Italian Table
May 7: Asian Seafood with a Twist
May 21: Traditional German Cuisine
May 2: Cooking in Provence with Julia
May 9: Oo-ey Gooey Caramel Classics
May 3: Sinning with Chocolate. (Girl’s Night Out, anyone?)
May 14: Crepe Escape, Sweet and Savory
Call 980-3661 to register or visit bakeandcookco.com for more. Classes are $45-50 per person and take place from 6:30-9 p.m.
If you’ve never been “baby bitten”, then drop by Pastry Art Bake Shoppe today to experience the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of one of our original Baby Bites. Once “bitten”, we know you’ll be back to try all 20 flavors. NEW LOCATION! 940 Inverness Corners
205.995.5855 205.877.3852
May 11: The Friends of the North Shelby Library Yard Sale. Donations will be accepted May 8, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; May 9, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and May 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Clothes, shoes, computers, mattresses and cribs cannot be accepted. Preview party begins at 6:30 p.m., May 10. Tickets cost $25. Yard sale is May 11, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
May 18: Tour De Cure. American Diabetes Association Alabama at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Health and Wellness. Cost: $15 to register and $150 fundraising minimum. Visit facebook.com/tdcalabama/info.
May 26: Night Hike. Oak Mountain State Park. \ There are a lot more creatures out at night than you think. Learn about some of them during this hike. Meet at Park Office on Terrace Drive at 7:30 p.m. Visit alaparks. com/oakmountain or call 620-2520.
May 4-5: 2013 Alabama Lacrosse Championship. Heardmont Park. Games begin May 4, 9 a.m. May 5 games begin at 1 p.m. Admission $5 adults, $3 students (6-18), free under 5.
Been Baby Bitten?
1927 29th Ave S | Homewood
May 9: Gluten-Free: Who Needs It? Discussing gluten and gluten sensitivity. 6:30-7:30 p.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Call 408-6550.
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Library Events North Shelby Library Summer Reading: Summer Reading is almost here! We have all kinds of great programs and activities scheduled for this year’s Summer Reading program, “Dig Into Reading.” Some of these include jugglers, magicians, movies and crafts. May 20-27: Summer Reading Early Registration. Come by the Children’s Department or go online to pre-register. Children will receive a special prize for registering during this time. If you register online, stop by the Children’s Department to pick up your Summer Reading bag. No phone registration, please.
May 2013 31 May 15: Homeschool Hangout: End of School Party. 1 p.m. Ages 8-12. Registration required.
Story-Time Programming Mondays: Toddler Tales. 9:30, 10:30 a.m. Registration will begin one week prior to each story time. Ages 19-36 months. Tuesdays, May 7 and 21: Baby Tales Story Time. 9:30-10 a.m. Ages birth to 18 months. Registration required, begins one week prior to program date.
for teens (entering sixth through 12th grades). Parents and siblings are welcome to attend for $10 each. Participants must register in the department between May 20-31. Payment for non-teens is due at registration. Call or email Kate or Daniel at 439-5512 or nsyouth@shelbycounty-al.org for more.
Mt Laurel Public Library
Thursdays: P. J. Story Time. 7 p.m. All ages. No registration.
Summer Reading: As part of the North Shelby Library’s Summer Reading program, the Mt Laurel Library will have programs and activities in June and July – magicians, crafts, science and more! The full calendar will be available mid-May. Early Registration runs May 20-31. Regular registration runs June 1-July 17. Online book logging will run June 1-July 26.
For more, contact the Children’s Department at 439-5504 or northshelbyyouth@gmail.com or visit northshelbylibrary.org/children.html.
May 1 and 15: Toddler Tales. 10 a.m. Registration begins two weeks prior to each storytime. Age 3 and younger. Registration required.
Special Programming
Teen Happenings
May 3: Happy Birthday Pigeon Party. Games, a craft, cake and ice cream. 4 p.m. Registration required.
Fridays: Gaming. 3:30-5:45 p.m.
May 1 and 15: Storytime with Ms. Kristy. 11 a.m. All ages. No registration required.
May 20-31: Teen Department Summer Reading Early Registration. Regular registration runs June 1-July 17. Online book logging will run June 1-July 24.
May 11: Lego Club. 10-11:30 a.m. All ages. No registration. May 14: Sunshine Craft. 4 p.m. All ages. Registration required.
Special Events May 2: Tim McGraw: Two Lanes of Freedom Tour. Featuring Brantley Gilbert and Love and Theft. 7 p.m. Oak Mountain Amphitheatre. Visit facebook.com/omaconcerts. May 3-5: Aaron’s Dream Weekend. A triple-header featuring the ARCA Racing Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series Aaron’s 312 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron’s 499. Visit aaronssports.com. May 3-5: Birmingham Music Club presents “The Merry Widow.” Virginia Samford Theatre. Call 726-2853. May 4: Sweet Home Alabama Symphony. Christopher Confessore, conductor,
Wednesdays: Mr. Mac (Storyteller Extraordinaire!). 10:45 a.m. All ages. No registration.
May 9: Anime Night. 6 p.m. May 19: Young Adult Writing Group. 4:30 p.m. Snacks served. June 3: Teen Summer Reading Kick-off. Showing of Star Trek: Into Darkness at the Alabaster AmStar 14. 6:30 p.m. We will provide admission
with guests The Rewinders with Jeff Reed. 8 p.m. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 4: Birmingham Ballet Presents Artist’s Palette. BJCC. Tickets $25-45. Visit birminghamballet.com/artistspalette.htm. May 5: Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra Spring Concert. Conductor Roderick Cox. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 5, 12, 19: Wedding Singer Sunday Buffet. Buffet: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Show: 2 p.m. at RMTC Cabaret Theatre. Call 324-2424. Reservations must be 72 hours in advance. May 10: Coffee Concert, Mozart & Haydn. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 and Haydn Symphony No. 100. Visit alabamasymphony.org.
May 11: Crafty Saturday. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. All ages with parent help. Registration is not required, but supplies are limited. Contact the Mt Laurel Library at 991-1660 or mtlaurellibrary@gmail.com for more information or to register. Register online using the Calendar on mtlaurellibrary.org.
May 11: 2013 Spring Walking Tour Series: Five Points. Vulcan Park and Museum. 9:30 a.m.-noon. Visit visitvulcan.com/events-andprograms.html. May 11: Girls on the Run 5K. Begins at Marconi Park. 8 a.m. Visit girlsontherunbham.org. May 21: A Fiddler’s Tale. Samford University and Patty McDonald present Concertmaster & Friends. 7:30 p.m. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 21-26: SEC Baseball Tournament. Hoover Met. Visit secdigitalnetwork.com. June 1: 4th Annual Bob Sykes BBQ and Blues Festival. Debardeleben Park, 1-9 p.m. Tickets $8 before, $12 at gate, 12-under free. Portion of proceeds will benefit The Bessemer Education Enhancement Foundation and Hands On Birmingham.
Classifieds Childcare Worker:
Sunday and Wednesday. References and background check are required. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Hwy 39, Chelsea, AL. • 205-618-8367 or rector@StCatherinesAL.com
Comfort Keepers
is currently hiring quality caregivers. 205-981-1800
HELP WANTED
FULL OR PART TIME SALES ASSOCIATE. HOURS AVAIL: 12-6: SUN-SAT Apply Rogers Trading Company, Hwy. 280, resource center parkway: send resume or application to jenrtc@aol. com No phone inquiries accepted
Part-time Help Needed Sales and Merchandising Computer knowledge needed. Some Saturdays Plain Jane’s Women & Children Shop Lee Branch Shopping Center 205-991-1995
280 Medical Supply
is looking for part time help: Candidate will be responsible for making deliveries and repairing DME. Please send resume to info@BhamMed.com, fax to 888-611-8229 or call 205-678-8755.
Home Instead Senior Care Looking for part time CAREGivers for Non-medical in home care. Apply at: www.homeinstead.com/bham 205.822.1915
Help wanted
Meadow Brook Animal Clinic is looking to fill an eventual full time position. Experience is helpful but not required. It would be preferable if you lived close to the 35242 zip code, but we will not exclude any qualified applicant. Please email us at mac7019@gmail. com and we will send you an application.
May 2013
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