280 Living
• A1 September September 2013 | Volume2013 7 | Issue 1
280Living.com
neighborly news & entertainment
Is this thing on?
Sense of urgency
Sellers regaining leverage in 280 residential real estate market
As work on U.S. 280 intersections kicked into high gear, area residents offered their opinions on ALDOT’s plan.
Opinion page A21
Summer fun
The freedom of summer may have been lost to fall routines, but take one grand look back with our Summer Fun Photo Contest. See the winners inside.
Community page B4
INSIDE Sponsors .......... A4 280 News ......... A6 Business ........... A10 Faith .................. A17 School House ... A18
Mitch Carbonie, Highland Lakes resident and owner of Carbonie Allstate Agency, searched for a buyer for his home for 11 months. He finally found relief in August. Recently, the market has shown a significant upturn, and many others are selling their homes as well. Experts in the area say it may not be long before the U.S. 280 corridor returns to a seller’s market. Photo by Jeff Thompson.
By JEFF THOMPSON
Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Birmingham, AL Permit #656
Home sales up
22%
– James Harwell Agent, RealtySouth
Opinion ............. A22 Community ...... B7 Sports ............... B15 Calendar ........... B20
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U.S. 280 real estate
‘Houses aren’t returning to the market, and a lot are finally leaving. Time is suddenly of the essence.’
The sour housing market was suffocating Mitch and Brandi Carbonie. A year ago, the couple decided they wanted to build a home more suited to their family’s needs, so they listed their Highland Lakes residence. It’s a beautiful multistory property that features a wooded lot and the distinction of being one of the first houses in the neighborhood. And it just sat there. In 11 months they went through several real estate agents. They were a buyer’s second choice 10 times or more. They even held off on building their dream home
Sale price up
9%
Homes for sale
751
Aug. 15 data compares January through July 2012 to the same period in 2013 and is specific to U.S. 280 markets. Provided by Ginny Willis, president of the Birmingham Association of Realtors and an associate broker with RE/MAX First Choice.
because they had doubts the property would sell at a competitive rate. “When you have a similar property right down the street on a fire sale, why would you pay what we were asking?” Mitch said. It made for a home life marred by the unknown and spent on the floor of a showroom. “It’s horrible,” Brandi said. “We had to have the house show-ready 24/7. Someone would call every night during dinner and ask us to step outside. I hated every second of being in that limbo. I never got used to it.” Unfortunately, it’s been a common refrain. Following the housing market crash, property values on the U.S. 280 corridor fell, and the number of available homes on the
market steadily climbed. It resulted in a wash of inventory and gave buyers ultimate power at the closing table. But this year, things have changed. On the U.S. 280 corridor, the theme of the summer was “sense of urgency.” According to James Harwell, an agent with RealtySouth and vice president of the Birmingham Association of Realtors (BAR), buyers are finding it more difficult to snatch up dream homes at dream rates. “Houses aren’t returning to the market, and a lot are finally leaving,” he said. “Time is suddenly of the essence.”
See REAL ESTATE | page A20
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September 2013
280 Living
September 2013
280Living.com
• A3
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A4 •
September 2013
280 Living
About Us Photo of the month Jefferson State’s most recent nursing faculty members to earn doctoral degrees are Pat Havard, Anita Naramore, Gena Richardson and Trish Haywood. All four teach at the ShelbyHoover campus on Valleydale Road. Photo courtesy of Jefferson State Community College.
Editor’s Note By Madoline Markham
Embracing the change The long-vacant edifice that will soon be Trinity’s new As I walked my family’s golden retriever through the back of Brook Highland one night a few months ago, my normal hospital is coming back to life and even has a name. The lot behind what is now The Fish Market and Starbucks path from the tennis courts to Brook Highland Drive was rerouted. Bulldozers were frozen in place. They had been at 119 and 280 — the one where I learned to ride a dirt bike digging up the fields I had walked through for years and and still think of as the Bruno’s Memorial Classic parking lot played on as a kid — the ones right by the now-decrepit tot — will soon hold Brookwood’s new ER, just minutes from lot where I had hunted for Easter eggs and the where I grew up. The Hoover buses my Oak Mountain ones still-pristine pool waters where I spent summers. “Why destroy what has always been to build passed to and from school in our area of crisscrossed districting might not run next year. something unnecessary like new houses?” I Even previously required sloshing through thought. My gut reaction is always to hate change, the spillway as you drive near the back entrance after all. to Oak Mountain State Park will be no more. This makes the nostalgic, SUV-driving side of But somehow life moved on without any me sad, but stepping back a moment, I see the significant change to my routine. As Jeff good in saving your car from a lake bath on Thompson’s cover story in this issue reminded me, the real estate market is on an upward swing, every trip to the park. and that’s a good thing — if you are selling or What do you think of all these changes and Madoline Markham others we report in this issue? We always love to building, that is. hear from you. Email us at madoline@280living. It is probably about time I learned to embrace com or jeff@280living or find us on Facebook. change. It’s happening every which way in 280 Land. Stay tuned until next month, when we when might just Over the next few months, we’ll be waving goodbye to the way we always turned onto Valleydale Road from U.S. 280 have a more definite answer to how these new intersections and goodbye to certain shortcuts in and out of the Walmart will actually work, and find us online in the meantime. parking lot from 280. (See last month’s cover story in print Fondly, or online, and read our Sound Off on page A21of this issue for more on that.) But if traffic flow closer to downtown postALDOT intersection changes is any indication, it might just get us moving faster after all.
Correction “Up for the fight,” a story about the Chandler family and their fight against CDKL5 in our August issue, mistakenly printed the link for an informational website and said that their daughter Carly was three years old. Carly is 2, and for more information, you can visit cdkl5.org.
280 Living neighborly news & entertainment
Publisher : Creative Director : Executive Editor : Managing Editor : Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution : Contributing Writers :
Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Jeff Thompson Madoline Markham Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Michelle Salem Haynes Katie Turpen Marienne Thomas Ogle Rick Watson Kari Kampakis Chandler Jones Will Hightower Intisar Seraaj-Sabree Brian Foreman Paul Johnson
For advertising contact: dan@280living.com
Contact Information: 280 Living PO Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205)-313-1780 dan@280living.com Please submit all articles, information and photos to: jeff@280living.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 Published by : Starnes Publishing LLC
Legals: 280 Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic
content without prior permission is prohibited. 280 Living is designed to inform the 280 community of area school, family and community events. Information in 280 Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of 280 Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.
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280Living.com
September 2013
• A5
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September 2013
280 Living
280 News New name for Trinity on 280 By JEFF THOMPSON Out from under its opposition, Trinity on 280 is moving forward beneath a new banner. On July 31, area leaders and Trinity executives convened at the future hospital site on U.S. 280 to unveil a new name for the facility – Grandview Medical Center. The event, held amidst visible duct work and wire veins in the shell of the future lobby, welcomed Gov. Robert Bentley, who singled Trinity Medical out as a visionary in Alabama. “We’ve got a long way to go in this state, and we need to dream big – dream big like this hospital,” he said. Wayne T. Smith, president and CEO of Community Health Systems, introduced the new name to the audience, announcing it as a title that encapsulates both the beauty of the facility and its potential in the corridor. The event also welcomed other principals on the project to the podium, including Daniel Corporation Chairman and CEO Charlie Tickle, Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors Chairman Miller Gorrie and A.G. Galston Construction Company President Walter Howlett. During the event, Tickle confirmed the first of what he anticipated would be several medical facilities constructed adjacent to the hospital. Tickle called the new construction a “state-of-the-art, very modern, first class, 200,000-square-foot medical office building” that will connect to Grandview. “Plans as we speak are underway supporting retail, lodging, housing and additional offices that will support the first class medical campus and business center that Gandview already is,” Tickle said. “Today is just the beginning of a long-term economic development that’s going to be one of the shining things in our state.” Trinity Medical President and CEO Keith Granger said the company plans to invest $280 million to finalize construction on the hospital and anticipates completion in approximately two years.
The new spillway crossing at Oak Mountain State Park under construction in mid-August. Photo courtesy of Shelby County.
Spillway crossing at Oak Mountain Park to open By JEFF THOMPSON
Above: Trinity Medical Center President and CEO Keith Granger speaks following the announcement in July that Trinity on 280 would be renamed Grandview Medical Center. Right: Daniel Corporation Chairman and CEO Charlie Tickle announced a new medical office would soon be constructed on the Grandview campus adjacent to the hospital. Photos by Jeff Thompson.
Beginning this month, vehicles won’t need waders to complete a lap around Oak Mountain State Park (OMSP). As per an agreement among stakeholders, a new spillway crossing has been constructed at the park. According to Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock, the county’s goal was to have the new bridge/culvert construction operational before the end of August provided weather didn’t interfere. The project was launched in June following a Memorandum of Agreement between Shelby County, the park and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The construction replaces the spillway adjacent to Locker Lake – the upper lake – that previously restricted or prevented “pedestrian, vehicle and camper access to the main park facilities through the Cahaba Valley Road park entrance,”
the agreement reads. To cover the cost of construction, DCNR agreed to provide $58,000 to Shelby County, which added $50,000 of its own funds. Winston Contracting constructed the new bridge on its approved bid of $107,000. Also in accordance with the agreement, the county is participating in the coordination, development and construction of a pier at Beaver Lake, the park’s lower lake. Work to be executed at the lower lake includes constructing a fishing pier and making improvements to the volleyball court and parking facilities to accommodate access to the pier and restrooms. “The county’s goal is to implement projects valued at $193,000 by or before Dec. 15, 2013,” the agreement states. “County, state and OMSP will continue developing and implementing projects that enhance OMSP facilities, public events or assemblies and other county attractions.”
September 2013
280Living.com
Despite delayed opening, Forest Oaks Elementary still a promising sign for Chelsea community
Heavy rain delayed summer construction at Forest Oaks Elementary School on Hornet Parkway. Chelsea Intermediate School on Highway 39 is hosting classes for Forest Oaks students while construction is being completed. Photos by Katie Turpen.
BY KATIE TURPEN With a new school year underway, more than 700 students in the Chelsea community are still waiting to access their new school building and take advantage of the facilities. Construction of Forest Oaks Elementary School on Hornet Parkway was halted earlier this summer when heavy rains prevented workers from completing the project on time. “We’re still trying to catch up,” Shelby County Superintendent Randy Fuller said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience with these unforeseen circumstances.” In early June, Fuller announced in a letter to parents that more than 50 days of construction were lost due to rainfall at the site that totaled approximately 100 inches. Although an opening date has not been set, workers are making progress on the construction of the facility, and Fuller has high hopes for the new school once it is complete. “We are excited,” Fuller said. “It’s going to be a real neat facility.” On Aug. 19, Forest Oaks students and faculty began classes at Chelsea Intermediate School, located just down the road from
Forest Oaks on Highway 39, which was the original site of Chelsea Elementary School. Fuller said a committee comprised of school officials, government leaders and parents decided on the name of the new school in August 2012. In February, the Shelby County Board of Education approved zoning changes for the three Chelsea elementary schools. Forest Oaks will be the third elementary school zoned for the Chelsea area, joining Mt Laurel and Chelsea Park Elementary. The new school is part of an overall trend of growth in businesses and schools in the Chelsea community. Mayor Earl Niven said the city issued 170 new building permits in 2012. He is thrilled that a third school will be serving the children of the community. “The new school is a direct result of growth in Chelsea both commercially and residentially,” said Niven. “We are very supportive and excited.” To help accommodate the addition of a new school, Niven said the city has contributed $300,000 for the construction of a new road, Hornet Parkway, which connects to County Road 47. Fuller believes the new road will help with traffic circulation throughout
Chelsea, especially during peak school hours. “It will provide an additional point of access and enhance transportation in the area,” Fuller said. When it opens, Forest Oaks Elementary School will serve 712 students in grades K-5 in a facility containing 50 classrooms. Fuller said the building must be able to pass all inspections before it can officially open as a safe learning environment for students. The school will have a full-size competition gym, which was built in partnership with the City of Chelsea. Niven said the city donated $500,000 to the Board of Education to build the gym, anticipating that City of Chelsea youth activities could be held there. Additionally, the school will have an art suite, music classroom, computer lab and electronically controlled access at the main gate. Despite the delayed opening, school officials remain positive about a third elementary school serving the students of Chelsea, even if the transition is taking longer than expected. “I am looking forward to a remarkable first year,” Principal Resia Brook said in a message to students and parents.
• A7
New organization to support Chelsea businesses By JEFF THOMPSON A new organization in Chelsea is aiming to complement area chambers of commerce in building the local business community. The Chelsea Business Alliance will hold its first annual meeting in October, said founder Dr. Ben Smith of Smith Chiropractic in Chelsea. The member-driven organization recently received its nonprofit designation and intends to use it to enhance the services of and offer programs to businesses, enabling them to improve at a cost-effective rate. “Simply, the Alliance is almost like a chamber [of commerce], but we don’t answer to typical chamber regulations,” Smith said. “We will set goals for ourselves based on local input, and we’ll use our resources to be an advocate group for businesses in Chelsea.” Smith said the organization will eventually hold annual events, provide regular classes and help recruit businesses to Chelsea. “We want to drive traffic to Chelsea – to be a resource for potential new businesses that want to locate here and help them navigate the waters when they do,” he said. According to Chelsea Mayor Earl Niven, the city is giving the Alliance its support and feels it will be a valuable addition to local chambers. Niven didn’t rule out the idea that the Alliance could someday evolve into a chamber to specifically serve the local economic climate. “Because we currently have such great organizations — the Greater Shelby and South Shelby Chambers of Commerce — the Chelsea Business Alliance will just be a complement,” Niven said. “Right now, it just has a great opportunity to advocate for Chelsea.” Smith said the Alliance would meet the second Wednesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. at Chelsea City Hall. For more information or to apply for membership, contact Smith at 678-6884.
A8 • September 2013
280 Living
Options explored for Hoover bus options, but cuts remain By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE The Hoover City Schools Board of Education might have voted to halt general student bus transportation beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, but the future of that service remains up in the air. Board members decided 4-1 in July to end bus service for all but special needs students and special events to help stem the ongoing drain on the system’s finances. While the board has not changed its stand, its lawyer is currently investigating the feasibility of alternatives that could mean busing for the general student population — in some form or fashion — might remain available. Attorney Donald Sweeney said he is now in dialogue with state officials to further investigate the legality of parents paying a fee that would enable their children to ride buses to and from the city’s schools. Other options being studied include “securing additional revenue” to help bolster the Hoover School system’s declining revenues and the possibility of a private transportation system by a third party provider, Sweeney said. Board members and school Superintendent Andy Craig have heard mainly public opposition to the cost cutting move over the weeks since the July 15 vote via emails, phone calls and comments at a packed public forum at Spain Park High School Theatre and the recent August board meeting. Parents, grandparents, Hoover residents and school bus drivers have addressed the board, listing a variety of concerns should busing cease, including a decline in child safety, increased traffic, absenteeism and a decrease in property values. Some offered
Parents raise concerns at forum held to discuss Hoover City Schools’ cutting bus service.
suggestions for gaining funding for the schools by other means, including seeking an increase in property taxes, charging an education fee for those who live in multi-family housing and disallowing children of Hoover teachers and school employees to attend Hoover schools. Many asked the board to rescind its decision and to request City of Hoover officials to return funding cut from the schools several years ago. According to Hoover City School Board of Education member Stephen Presley, addressing the busing issue must be “a joint effort.” “This is not something one entity brought about and it’s not something one entity will solve,” Presley said. “This will take the city, the state and the school system being diligent.” The Hoover City Schools bus program serves an average of about 46 percent or 6,300
of the system enrollment of about 13,700 students. Cutting general bus transportation would save the system about $2.5 million a year, system representatives said. According to school officials, the system has seen an ongoing decline in revenues, including city, state and federal funds, coupled with an increase in student enrollment. Since 2008, system revenues on a perstudent basis have decreased from $13,715 to $11,356 for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2012, said school officials. The decline represents a cumulative operating revenue loss for the same four-year period of $96.8 million; with revenues for fiscal year 2012 down $31.6 million compared to the fiscal year 2008 level. Hoover City School officials said the steady losses and the impact they have had and will
continue to have on the school system cannot be understated and must be addressed with significant changes that will allow the system to commit more financial resources to instruction. Steve McClinton of the Lake Cyrus community has three children in three different Hoover schools. McClinton said he and his wife — both employed — do not want to see the bus service cut, but should it be, they “will have to make it work.” “That said, we would certainly be willing to pay for busing,” McClinton said. McClinton went on to say that he believes the Hoover City School board “is sincere” in its efforts to find alternative plans for general student transportation. “I’m glad they’re looking at other options, and while there’s a lot to be played out, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some sort of solution found in the next several months,” McClinton said. “Our school officials are very efficient and you have to be impressed by the product they produce. After all, in the end, a school system is not known for its buses; it’s known for its quality of education and academic status.” The next regular Hoover City School Board of Education meeting will be Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Farr Administration Building, 2810 Metropolitan Way.
September 2013
280Living.com
Brookwood freestanding ER takes a step forward
• A9
Update on Chelsea capital projects By JEFF THOMPSON
Brookwood’s freestanding emergency room facility would be built at the intersection of Highway 119 and U.S. 280
By MADOLINE MARKHAM A state court has cleared the way for Brookwood Medical Center to build its proposed freestanding emergency room off U.S. 280 The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals unanimously affirmed a lower court’s decision in favor of Brookwood’s facility in August. The ruling upholds the Certificate of Need awarded to Brookwood in 2010. Original plans for the ER facility called for it to be built at the intersection of Highway 119 and U.S. 280 East over approximately 18 months. “We are delighted that the Court saw the merits of the case and the benefits of our emergency room,” Brookwood CEO Garry Gause said in a press release. “This project
has received tremendous support throughout the communities we serve. Our proposal presents a clear, cost‐effective solution to a critical health care problem. Brookwood serves as a primary provider of health care services to Shelby County residents, and we look forward to continuing to provide the high quality care people have come to expect from our hospital.” The first of its kind in Alabama, Brookwood’s $19 million freestanding emergency room will provide hospital-level emergency services for children and adults. The 19,598-square‐foot facility will provide around‐the‐clock care by board‐certified emergency medicine physicians with specialty physicians available 24 hours a day. “An FED in this area would undoubtedly make a difference in the lives of Hoover
citizens,” Hoover Fire Department Executive Officer Rusty Lowe said in a press release. “As you can imagine, the nonstop traffic on 280 makes navigating emergency vehicles extremely difficult. The FED would bring the emergency care services to the patient, reducing the time we have to transport them in an emergency situation when every second is critical.” The facility will have 24‐hour fully staffed laboratory services, along with pharmacy and diagnostic services, including CT, MRI, X‐ray and ultrasound. Triage protocols will be in place for stabilization and immediate transfer of patients requiring care from existing acute care hospitals in the Birmingham area. A helipad will be available for emergency air transfer. To learn more, visit 280ernow.com.
ALDOT launches website to educate drivers on changes to U.S. 280 As work on intersections continues on the U.S. 280 corridor, the Alabama Department of Transportation has launched a new website to acclimate drivers the changes that have already occurred.
“We chose a simpler approach to improve traffic flow on Highway 280 by making a few changes at several congested intersections and re-routing certain lanes,” reads better280.org. “These changes, along with new adaptive signal
technology, are designed to create a better, more efficient driving experience on Highway 280.” Work on intersections from The Summit to Doug Baker Boulevard is expected to continue through Thanksgiving.
It’s been a busy summer for the City of Chelsea. According to Mayor Earl Niven, the city is pushing ahead with its capital improvements projects, and residents should see progress this month. As of mid-August, Niven expected the city’s approved purchase 105 acres adjacent to Chelsea High School to be complete. With the intention to develop the area into facilities for youth recreation, he said the first order of business would be to construct baseball and softball fields, six tennis courts and a new road to the site. “We’ve secured the funding, and hopefully by September the timber will be in the process of being cut,” he said. “Once the land is cleared, we’ll be ready to start the engineering process.” In addition, Chelsea is moving ahead with the development of a new community and senior center on County Road 47 across from Liberty Baptist Church. Niven said a sign indicating this plot as the future home of the center could be up immediately after the city signed a contract to purchase on Aug. 15. The resurfacing of King’s Ranch Drive will also occur this month, Niven said. Finally, as children returned to schools, the city made its annual contribution of $15,000 to get teachers started on the new year. Niven said the city would donate to each school for startup supplies, bringing its total contribution to local schools to more than $5 million in the last 12 years. “We encourage citizens to come to our meetings and participate in Chelsea government,” Niven said. “And we’ll also soon be starting section on our website [cityofchelsea.com] that lists all our capital projects. It will be a place where citizens can see the status of various projects going on. Look for it coming in the near future.”
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Papa Saia’s Pizza & Sports Grille 1 is planning to open in October in the former Petrucelli’s location on U.S. 280 at 10 Meadow View Drive. Norman Saia, a 25-year veteran of the restaurant industry, formerly owned a business by the same name in Helena. papasaias.com.
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Dixie Fish Co. is scheduled to open Sept. 7 in the former Bahama Breeze location at 101 Resource Center Parkway off U.S. 280. The seafood restaurant plans to source local farm produce and serve craft beers. 342-2432. dixiefish.co.
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Regus is scheduled to open a service business center at 2700 Corporate Drive on Sept. 23. It offers fully equipped offices, virtual offices, meeting rooms and business lounges. Regus.com.
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Now Open
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Gallery No 9 is now open in the Terrace at Greystone at 5426 U.S. 280, Suite 9, next to Ge Ge’s Salon. The store is owned by Donna and Nicole White and specializes in fine home furnishings, estate pieces and new accessories. 960-8532. gallerynumber9.com.
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Business news
to share? Now Open Coming Soon
Relocation Expansion Anniversary If you are in a brick and mortar buiness along the 280 corridor and want to share your event with the community, let us know.
280 Living neighborly news & entertainment
Email dan@280living.com
The Shoe Box opened in the Terrace at Greystone, 5426 Highway 280, Suite 7, in May. The store specializes in ladies’ designer shoes and accessories. Brands sold include Privileged, Rock Candy, London Trash and Xtc. 437-4777.
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280 Living
Rice Lovers Chinese Restaurant 6 opened July 1 in the former Chop Suey Inn location in Greystone Park shopping center, 5511 U.S. 280. The
restaurant serves a variety of favorite Chinese dishes. 995-4007. SmallCakes: A Cupcakery, 5291 Valleydale Road, bakes 18 signature cupcakes flavors daily. The chain’s founder Jeff Martin has appeared on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.” 991-1003. smallcakescupcakery.com.
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The Highlands Treatment Center for Eating Disorders opened in August at 2807 Greystone Commercial Blvd., Suite 36. The facility offers two programs, a partial hospitalization program and an intensive outpatient program for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and compulsive eating. 552-0417. thehighlandstc.com.
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Expansions Lakes of Inverness apartment complex has opened a new clubhouse. It is located at 100 Hunt Cliff Road behind Home Depot on U.S. 280. (877) 495-8242. lakesatinverness.com.
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New Faces 10 Studio Red has a new stylist: Alek
Szundryk. The organic salon is located at 1011 Edenton St. off Cahaba Beach Road. 991-2099. studioredsalon.com.
New Services Renaissance Consignment &
11 Marketplace is offering a new
decorating service, Renaissance Re-Make. Customers can try a new look overnight, and if you don’t want to keep it, Renaissance will pick all of it up the next day. 980-4471. renaissanceconsignment.com.
September 2013 • A11
280Living.com
Be wary of scams occurring in the area By BRIAN FOREMAN Officer, Hoover Police Department Criminals are always looking for new and different ways to scam victims. We want you to be aware of some of the different types of scams that have been reported to us over the last year so you can protect yourself. Please share this information with your family and friends. Card Member Services Scam – The victim receives a text message on their cell phone from Card Member Services stating that a credit/debit card has been deactivated. The victim is prompted to call a phone number to reactivate the card. When the victim calls the number, he or she hears an automated message asking them to enter their credit/debit card number and security code. After the victim does this, an automated message tells the victim that his or her card has been reactivated. Criminals can now use the account to make purchases and/or withdrawals. Publishers Clearing House Scam – The victim receives a phone call from someone who states they are with Publishers Clearing House and the victim has won a large cash prize and/or car. The victim is advised to obtain Green Dot Money Pak cards to pay for taxes, fees and delivery charges. The criminal will get the victim to obtain more and more Green Dot Money Pak cards until the victim realizes he or she has been scammed. Hotel Room Scam – The criminal calls a hotel and asks to be transferred to a specific room. When the guest answers the phone, the criminal pretends to be an employee at the front desk and tells them that there has been a glitch with the hotel computer. After explaining that the guest’s personal and payment information was lost, the criminal obtains the victim’s name, address, phone number and credit card information. Alabama Power Scam – This scam primarily targets business owners. The criminal calls up and identifies himself as an employee of Alabama Power and advises the business
owner that his/her power bill is delinquent. The criminal tells the business owner to purchase a Green Dot Money Pak card to make payment and keep the power on. After obtaining the cards, the victim calls back and gives the criminal activation codes of the cards. The criminal then tells the business owner that his or her account is now current. Facebook Hacking – Criminals hack an individual’s Facebook account, change the password so the victim cannot log in, and send out a notice to “Friends” saying the individual they know needs help to get out of a financial bind. i.e., “We took a quick vacation to Mexico and someone stole all our cash, credit cards, and travelers checks! Please wire us some money so we can get home! We will repay any money sent to us!” They then include information on how to wire money overseas. Telephone Number Cloning Scam – A criminals uses a computer program to duplicate the correct name and phone number of banks, credit unions and other legitimate businesses. He/she then calls the victims and attempts to obtain personal information. Grandchild in Jail Scam – A criminal will call an elderly victim and pretend to be a grandchild who was arrested and needs bail money to get out of jail. He/she begs the grandparent not to tell their parents and asks for money to be wired. Criminals use websites like whitepages. com to obtain information about the names and ages of residents associated with an address or phone number. Secret Shopper Scam – The victim is mailed a letter that states he/she has been selected to be a “Secret Shopper.” A check for several thousand dollars is included with the letter and the victim is advised to cash the check and return the excess in a money order or certified check. Foreign Lottery Scam – A victim is informed he/she won a lottery in another country by mail, email or phone. In order to release their winnings, the victim is required first to pay taxes by wiring money to an account in another county.
A12 • September 2013
280 Living
Restaurant Showcase r Rd a Rive
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New Orleans native Mason Jambon plans to open Dixie Fish Company in the former Bahama Breeze location on U.S. 280. Photo by Katie Turpen. Above right: Auburn-themed Buffalo Oyster Poppers are made with Gulf shrimp, crystal hot sauce, honey, butter and blue cheese. Photo courtesy of Jason Wallis/ Dixie Fish Company.
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101 Resource Parkway 342-2432 dixiefish.co Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
By KATIE TURPEN In 1986, Mason Jambon was barely out of high school when he casually walked into Commander’s Palace in New Orleans wearing a blue blazer and tie to apply for a job as a food runner. “I had no idea where I was applying or who I was applying with,” Jambon said. “I was probably a food runner for two years because I couldn’t carry a tray correctly. It took me a long time to work my way up.” After years climbing the ladder at Commander’s Palace under head chef Emeril Lagasse, Jambon served as the general manager at Red Fish Grill for 15 years
Read past Restaurant Showcases at 280Living.com
Dixie Fish Company
and then ran the House of Blues in New Orleans for eight years. Now Jambon is bringing New Orleans culinary expertise to Birmingham. Dixie Fish Company, a restaurant specializing in local seafood and local beer, is set to open Sept. 7 in the former Bahama Breeze building on U.S. 280 — and Jambon, his former mangers and Executive Chef Greg Collier are behind it. Jambon recalls regularly passing the empty building when he moved to Birmingham two years ago. It did not take long for him to decide it was perfect for his seafood restaurant concept. “To have a facility like this to do what we want to do is just great,” Jambon said. “We wouldn’t have done the deal if we wouldn’t have found this building.” Jambon’s vision for the restaurant encompasses all things Southern. For him, the fresher the food, the better the food — and that means staying as local as possible. “[We will have] fresh Gulf seafood at a really reasonable price point. We want to be the anti-chain,” Jambon said. “That means we’re not flying in stuff from California, not getting frozen crab legs from Alaska. Were trying to not only to source the seafood from the Gulf but also the accompaniments.”
The menu certainly knows it’s serving Alabamians. The Buffalo Oyster Poppers are Auburn-themed and Crimson Shrimp and Grits Alabama-themed. Neighboring Southern states are also represented. “We’re doing a catfish platter from Mississippi. We’re doing grouper sandwiches from Florida and a few New Orleans dishes,” Jambon said. “[We are showcasing] different regional cooking styles from the South done with as much local ingredients as we can.” Jambon and chef partner Greg Collier are working on a non-seafood entrée that he is particularly excited about serving. “We’re a seafood restaurant, but I think one of our best-selling dishes is going to be the Dixie Chicken. He does it in a sweet tea marinade then fries it and coats it with tobacco pepper jelly,” Jambon said. “Then there’s the hot mac and cheese with this cold cheesy whip cream made in the back that melts over the whole thing.” In addition to the food, Jambon said the bar will have nine local beers on tap and specialty Southern-style cocktails made with Southern distilled liquors. One thing diners won’t see around the restaurant is typical seafood restaurant décor. “It’s just as much Dixie as it is fish,” Jambon said. Outside, a patio will feature an outdoor bar, stage, fire pit, a big screen television broadcasting football games and picnic tables painted in SEC team colors. College football crawfish boils and musically themed Sunday brunches are also in the plans. Whether planning the menu or the décor, Jambon and his team live by one motto that they hope Birmingham diners will appreciate and enjoy as much as they do: “Alabama if at all possible and Southern at all costs.”
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September 2013 • A13
280Living.com
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Business Spotlight 38 Doug Baker Blvd
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Grade Power 1401 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 105 980-5745 gradepowerlearning.com Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
GradePower
Tony Mauro’s Grade Power uses curriculum to encourage students as self-sufficient learners. Photo by Chandler Jones.
By CHANDLER JONES As Tony Mauro bounded off the final step of the Michigan State University graduation stage, his mind reeled at what he had just accomplished. Growing up in his Detroit high school wasn’t easy. His blue-collar family encouraged him to attend college, but he said it wasn’t natural for him or anyone in his family. He struggled with grades and personal academic insecurity throughout school, but as he entered his junior year, something in him changed. “It was like a light bulb went off,” Mauro said. Then school began making sense to Mauro as he saw it in a new way and began to appreciate the importance of learning. It was those realizations that would lead him to eventually become who he is today. On his birthday this year, Mauro quit his job at Compass Bank to start a new learning center called Grade Power. He prioritized his life to follow this new calling, and the center opened in June. Grade Power is modeled after the Canadabased Oxford Learning Center created by R.N. Whitehead in 1984. Oxford Learning resolves learning issues through building the blocks of knowledge. Whitehead believes most learning disabilities are diagnoses in students who might not actually have disabilities or academic weaknesses but simply a “cognitive disconnect.” His program teaches problem-solving, active learning, information seeking and retention of material. That philosophy was the part that sold Mauro. It would allow students like him to stop considering themselves the problem. Grade Power’s method is not the classic
modes of repetition, but locating the fundamental learning issues. Instead of teaching how, Mauro and his team try to create a knowledge base. Their programs extend past facts and main ideas to help students understand why they should care and what effect it would have on them. “We go about developing the learning skills, the learning awareness and also the academic skills concurrently so that the student, in short order, understands what they know,” Mauro said. “If the student isn’t grasping a particular concept, they’re more conscious of why they’re not and what information they need to seek to help it make sense or help them make the connection. They just become more self-sufficient as learners.” The goal at Grade Power is developing students so they eventually don’t need a teacher. Mauro said the Grade Power method changes a student’s perspective, and it’s all the motivation he needs. His role isn’t to act as a qualified teacher but an educator. He works everyday, arrives before and after business hours and loves what he does. To Mauro, working isn’t work, it’s a mission. His role in students’ success validates the struggles of his schooldays. “It’s like watching magic,” he said. Mauro now works with 15 children out of his Village at Lee Branch store front and plans to accommodate 150. “At the end of the day, it’s about hope for them,” Mauro said. “There is a plan for me, and there is hope for me. It’s just a matter of building and helping them become aware of the fact that they acquiring these skills. I can’t wait for these kids to go into the school year with what they’re picking up.”
A14 • September 2013
280 Living
Your Health Today By Dr. irma Palmer
the answer is in your hair. What’s the question you ask? it’s one i hear all the time in my practice. “Doc, i know vitamins and supplements are helpful, and maybe even necessary, but there are so many different ones and it’s overwhelming. How do i know what i need and what i don’t?” Are you surprised that the answer is in your hair? Let me explain, by starting at the beginning. My practice is focused on helping patients live life to the fullest. to do that, i educate them about getting enough of the good things…healthy nutrients, positive lifestyle choices that are life enhancing and promote longevity like a regular fitness routine, 7+ hours of nightly sleep, drinking a gallon of water daily, eating nutrient-rich food, proper supplementation, chiropractic wellness care and more…while not getting too much of bad things like fast foods, inadequate water hydration, excessive coffee and soft drinks, stress, unhealthy lifestyle habits, negative thinking, sedentary lifestyle, excessive medication…and the list goes on. Let’s consider how this “looks” in humans by examining a tomato plant. naturally, a tomato plant is genetically
designed to grow, blossom, and produce tomatoes. What a plant needs to survive and thrive is well known…sunlight, water, soil nutrition, drainage, etc. if those needs are met, the plant thrives and voila, you have tomatoes! But what if the opposite needs are provided? What happens if the plant gets minimal to no sunlight? if instead of water you feed it excessive coffee and soft drinks? What if soil drainage isn’t rapid enough (the equivalent of lack of exercise in the human body), and you don’t pay attention to what nutrients you feed the soil? What will the outcome be? i think you’d be headed to the store or farmer’s market to buy your tomatoes! if you cared about your tomato plant, you wouldn’t harm it with lack of sunlight, no water, poor drainage and improper nutrients. Yet your human body (the only one you get, I might add!) is infinitely more valuable and many of us care for ours just like the tomato plant that was given exactly the opposite of what it needs! A combination of “not enough good stuff” and “too much bad stuff” will certainly lead anyone down the road towards sickness and lack of living. it’s the yin and yang of our health. creating
Chiropractic Today Total Natural Health
Who Knew? The Answer is in Your Hair balance in one’s life is key to succeeding at living a full life, or as i always say, “living wide open!” in my opinion, it’s how we were designed to live. Fulfilling the purpose we are here to serve can only be fully accomplished if our health is a priority. When we are as healthy and well as we can be, we have the energy and the capacity to serve our families, our communities, and the one above. Let’s say you are on a continual pursuit of a wellness lifestyle (music to my ears!) You have made positive changes with your yin and yang. Life enhancing habits are becoming easier. Life and health are improving. Fantastic! Yet you feel there is a higher level of well being to achieve. this is why i made my opening statement… the answer is in your hair. the next level is making sure your body has the vitamins and minerals it needs. Determining what vitamins and supplements are right for YoU can be determined fairly easily using Hair Analysis testing (HAt). HAT provides a specific analysis of your hair to determine which trace minerals you don’t have enough of and which ones you have in excess. it’s the yin and yang of HAt. the area and quantity of hair removed is not noticeable, so there’s no cause for
alarm. We provide these services in our office by appointment. More information can be found on my website atwww. chiropractictoday.com. Just click “Hair Analysis” under the “Wellness” tab. Why test for minerals? Minerals are the “spark plugs” of life. they are involved in almost all enzyme reactions within the body. Without enzyme activity, life ceases to exist. Mineral content of the hair reflects the mineral content of the body’s tissues. Hair analysis testing frequently reveals various mineral imbalances which lead to metabolic dysfunctions before any symptoms become manifest. Hair analysis is an invaluable screening tool which allows a correct program of diet and supplementation to be designed for each individual’s specific needs. never before has there been available a metabolic blueprint with such a degree of applicable scientific accuracy. Call my office today at 205-991-3511 if you’re ready to learn what your hair says about you. Whether you are already on the road to wellness, or wondering where to start, a visit to my office to learn more is an invaluable next step. together, we can design a plan that will help you live life wide open too.
420 Inverness Corners Birmingham, AL 35242
(205) 991-3511
www.ChiropracticToday.com
September 2013 • A15
280Living.com
Back in the saddle Therapeutic horseback riding helps individuals with special needs
BY INTISAR SERAAJ-SABREE Magical things happen at Special Equestrians, Inc. Wheelchair-bound children and adults can run, overcome challenges and make lifelong friends. Special Equestrians, located off of Highway 119, provides therapeutic horseback riding lessons for individuals with a variety of special needs. Sally Cope, one of 11 instructors with the organization, was inexperienced in dealing with individuals with special needs when she began volunteering in 1999. However, she did not let that deter her from giving back to the community or stand in the way of her love for horses. Over time, as she worked her way up in the non-profit organization, Cope realized that Special Equestrians gave her a platform to make long-lasting, positive changes in the lives of these individuals. “We had one rider who had his first words on the back of a horse,” said Cope, who lives in Inverness. “To see what horses can do for our riders — it’s rewarding.” The organization’s goal is to increase the independency and quality of life for each rider, according to its website. But it does this and much more. Social, physical, cognitive and emotional improvements have all been met at some point after having lessons at Special Equestrians. Depending on the rider’s needs and desires, riders build positive selfesteem and confidence, increase mobility or develop self-control.
Learn more
Special Equestrians, Inc. is located at 1215 Woodward Drive and open Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more, call 987-WHOA (9462) or visit specialequest.org. How to contribute: Blue Rain Express Carwash, located at 100 Big Mountain Circle off of U.S. 31, donates to Special Equestrians when you purchase a $5 carwash. To contribute, enter 9044 into the automated cashier box. How to volunteer: Contact Gordon Sullivan at gsullivan@ specialequest.org and visit specialequest.org for volunteer forms. New volunteer training sessions are Sept. 6 from 5-7 p.m. and Sept. 8 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Above: Three volunteers assist a student rides around the arena. Left: Three wheelchairs sit empty as their owners are horseback riding.
Upcoming charity event: 2013 Celebrity Golf Tournament, Thursday, Oct. 3 at Timberline Golf Club in Calera. A student learns to lead a horse.
“For someone that can’t walk without assistance to control a 1,200 pound animal, it gives them a huge empowerment that they’re capable,” said Kathleen Claybrook, the director of Special Equestrians. Moments like this create an atmosphere where you cannot have a bad day, Claybrook said. She has been with the program since it was founded in 1985 by Rita Mendel, owner of Carousel Tack Shoppe on Highway 119. When riders stop coming to the sessions with the horses, Cope said the situation is bittersweet. Some
participants have become involved with social organizations, started non-profits or gone off to college because of their time on horseback. Other riders have stayed for as long as 26 years. All this would not be possible without the organization’s 11 horses and 10 acres of land on Indian Spring School’s campus. Each horse goes through an evaluation to provide a safe environment and to accommodate various special needs. Because horses must tolerate extra external stimuli, their tolerance for
prospective stimuli is checked before they are brought to the program. Then the staff observes how the horses interact with participants and see if they like their new environment. Although the organization has “the perfect horses,” Claybrook said participants still can take a while to confidently mount the horse. The time length depends on each rider. Some riders get on the horse their first day of the program and others take weeks. But the instructors are patient. “I haven’t had anyone yet to never get on,” Claybrook said.
Some riders cry when they first mount the horse, then smile the whole duration of the ride, and cry when they have to get off. Because of the special services each nationally certified instructor and therapist provides, the organization has a two-year waiting list. Claybrook advises people to sign up quickly for one of its 100 sports. “Even an able-bodied person is fortunate to ride, but this enables an individual with special needs to do the same thing,” Claybrook said. “Their special needs don’t keep them from wanting to be like everybody else.”
A16 • September 2013
280 Living
The real frequent flyers
Clipped Wings 45th Anniversary Event to be held Sept. 6
Sunny Gilliam, Diane Hill, Marna McGahan and Marjie Collins reminiscence of their days as airline stewardesses in the 1950s and 60s. Photo by Chandler Jones.
BY CHANDLER JONES Calling all stewardess, flight attendants and survivors of the pre-1967 requirements for three-inch heels and monthly weigh-ins – Clipped Wings wants you. Gather to reminisce a time when a airline stewardesses carved meats and served ice cream sundaes, made dinner plans in Indianapolis although they lived in Atlanta and worked just 10 days a month. The organization is welcoming those previously employed with airlines like TWA, National, Western, Delta, United, Eastern, Capital Air and Northwest. “For me having flown and worked as long as I did with the airline, I was as
comfortable there as I am sitting in my living room,” Sunny Gilliam said. “If you knock on my door, I’ve invited you in, and I welcome you as I welcome you on the airplane. I show you to a seat. I offer you something to drink, and I make you comfortable. Then when you get ready to leave, just as you would at my front door, I would say, ‘Thank you for being here. I enjoyed getting to visit you.’” Gilliam gathers with Diane Hill, Marna McGahan and Marjie Collins – all members of Clipped Wings chapter in the 280 area– and others to talk about memories from the 1950s and 60s in the profession. They remember when travel dress code was Sunday best and when some of Fidel Castro’s rebels flew for free. All meals
were hand delivered, there were no carts like everyone is so familiar with today, tray tables didn’t yet exist, and instead pillows laid in laps to hold food. The ladies chat about meeting celebrities like Robin Williams, Alfred Hitchcock, Perry Como, Ted Turner, Arnold Palmer, Sandy Koufax, Jaclyn Smith, Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter. The club is currently planning its 45th anniversary event at the Founders at Greystone Country Club on Friday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. “We would like to an extend an invitation to anyone who has flown any amount of time with an airline and lives in the area,” Gilliam said. Call Sunny Gilliam at 981-7163 for more information.
September 2013 • A17
280Living.com
Faith Beauty’s in the mind, not the mirror There’s a difference between looking pretty and being pretty. I learned this the year I started college at a major university.
Life Actually
By Kari Kampakis
From day one on campus, I was blown away by all the beautiful girls. Everywhere I looked there were knockouts, girls to suit any taste or preference: tall, short, curvy, lean, blonde, brunette, glamorous, natural…the list goes on.
We waste a lot of time in this world being insecure over appearance. I’m as guilty as anyone, and I admit that when I approve of my reflection in the mirror, I want to take the world by the horns. I want to live big. But the danger of chasing the eye’s approval is it holds no long-term value. It’s superficial and shallow, and when it becomes our singular focus, we become superficial and shallow, too. There’s no way around this because what consumes us is who we are.
It was an intimidating situation, especially when I considered that the ratio of boys to girls on campus was 1-to-4. As I thought about the dates I hoped to have and how the odds were against me, I couldn’t help but wonder how I was supposed to compete. Over the next four years, I learned lessons in beauty that changed my outlook. Above all, I learned that while a girl’s appearance can attract attention, it can’t sustain it because beauty without virtue is a wash. I saw girls fall from a 10 to a 6 on the beauty scale by being mean, vindictive or vain. Likewise, I saw girls shoot up in rank because of character and inner light. Eventually, I realized that pretty girls are a dime a dozen, easy to replace. Unless a girl has something besides looks going for her, she won’t be able to compete because there’s nothing unique to set her apart. There are two kinds of beauty in this world: beauty in the eye and
even their most arresting features. Inner beauty brings a person alive, illuminating them like lights on a Christmas tree. Where inner beauty doesn’t exist, there are no lights, just a tree with ornaments.
beauty in the mind. While the eye’s opinion matters upfront, when the first impression is made, it’s the mind’s opinion that stands the test of time. In the mind is where true beauty registers, for it takes into account factors like behavior, attitude, heart and soul. Pretty is as pretty does, after all. For someone young, this may be hard to understand, but as we age, we get it. We realize that the better we know someone, the less their appearance matters. We stop noticing
If we really want to be beautiful – to ourselves and others – we should evaluate ourselves as a package. We should see beauty as a running tally, a tally that may gain or lose points with each choice we make. Above all, we should consider how people feel after being in our presence. Do they feel uplifted? Inspired? Warm and refreshed? Or do they feel indifferent? Down? Inadequate and ashamed because they don’t fit our mold? To me, the epitome of a beautiful person is someone whose company I crave because she touches my soul. It’s someone who is high in authenticity, but not high on
herself. A beautiful person represents the truth, and as I see it in her, I search for it in my life. As a man named Frédéric Fekkai says, “Beauty’s in the mind, not the mirror.” Let’s take care of ourselves and make the most of what we have but keep the pursuit in moderation. Looking good can be a full-time job, but even if we achieve perfection, we’d still be lacking because this outer obsession would dim our inner light. Inner light can’t be bought in a bottle or created in surgery. Inner light comes from the joy we add to the world. It radiates from within. Pretty is as pretty does. Appearance is a starting point, an invitation to look closer. Pretty girls are a dime a dozen, but true beauty is priceless. May women of all ages remember this and embrace the freedom that comes when we realize that beauty is not about conforming to a mold but rather breaking it.
Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham mom of four with a background in PR, writing and photography. For more inspiration, join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer” or find her on Twitter. Visit her website at karikampakis.com, or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com.
A18 • September 2013
280 Living
School House Students represent state at Youth Conference on National Affairs
Primrose students spend time with Lee McDonald at Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control. Front row: Natalie Jones, Amelia Putnam, Lewis Fitzpatrick, Kelley Jiang, Allison Hanby and Rachel Knowles. Back row: Read Mills, Ben Jackson, Hayden McDaniel, Hannah Mouyal, Jacob Kimes, Zijie Yin and Noah Crawford.
Several 280 area students attended the YMCA’s Youth Conference on National Affairs (CONA) at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, N.C. this summer. During the weeklong event, almost 600 delegates from more than 30 states debated a wide range of national and international issues. Prior to the conference, each student spent time researching, writing and preparing a proposal to present to the other delegates. Among the Alabama delegates whose proposals advanced to the Third Committee was 2014 Alabama Youth Gov. Noah Crawford, a senior at Spain Park High School who proposed banning prescription drug advertisements. He is the son of John and Sherrie Crawford. Read Mills, a 2013 SPHS graduate, was selected as fourth alternate presiding officer for the conference.
Mills’ proposal to privatize the U.S. post office made it all the way to the conference’s General Assembly. Mills is now attending The University of Alabama to study political science and economics. He is the son of Lynn and Hunter Mills. Other area teens who attended the conference were: ff Allison Hanby, a SPHS senior, proposed caffeine regulations for children. She is the daughter of Shari and Todd Hanby. ff Hayden McDaniel, a senior at Oak Mountain High School, served as Alabama’s flag bearer for opening and closing ceremonies. She is the daughter of Gage and David McDaniel. ff Jacob Kimes, a rising senior at Spain Park High School and the son of Laura Kimes. ff Rachel Knowles, a rising senior at Oak Mountain High School and the daughter of Amy and Keith Knowles.
Preschoolers donate pet food and supplies For a month this summer, 60 preschoolers at Primrose School at Liberty Park learned about pets and what it takes to help them. Their Precious Pets program culminated with a donation of 275 canned and dried pet food items and supplies to the Adoption/Rescue department at Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control (BJCAC). “At Primrose Schools, our Precious Pets drive provides an opportunity for children to
experience the special value of helping others, including animals,” Margaret O’Bryant said. “Through hosting the annual pet food and supply drive, we’re not only able to teach them the importance of lending a helping hand, but we’re showing them how they can make a difference.” Lee McDonald of BJCAC visited Primrose School at Liberty Park with Winky, an adoptable dog. McDonald spoke to the children about caring for pets.
September 2013 • A19
280Living.com
Renaissance returns to MLES
Attendees of last year’s MLES Renaissance Faire peruse the selection of gift baskets auctioned during the evening. Photo courtesy of Sarah Rhodes, MLES PTO.
Mt Laurel Elementary School will host its 10th Annual Renaissance Faire on Friday, Sept. 20 from 5:30-8 p.m. The event includes a silent auction, vendor booths, inflatables, games, music and food from local restaurants. This year’s silent auction will feature themed gift baskets, which are billed as a highlight of the evening. Some of the basket themes include Sports, Family Movie Night, Holidays and Alabama and Auburn. Also, last
year MLES auctioned off Justin Bieber tickets. Armbands for admission will be available at a pre-sale rate of $12 each or $13 at the door. Armbands are $10 each with the purchase of three or more. Adults and children 4 and under are free and do not require an armband. The Renaissance Faire is one of the largest annual fundraisers to benefit students and teachers of MLES.
Hanby advocates for CF in Washington D.C.
SPHS senior Allison Hanby with Rep. Spencer Bachus. Photo courtesy of Shari Hanby.
Allison Hanby, a senior at Spain Park High School, was recently selected to visit Washington D.C. as a teen advocate for cystic fibrosis (CF). On her trip, she met with elected officials to encourage support for CF drug research and development. While meeting with Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus, Allison shared the story of Rachel Griffin, a young woman from the Birmingham area who is fighting CF. Rachel has participated in many drug trials at UAB and Children’s of Alabama. Allison is a varsity cheerleader for SPHS, a member of several scholastic organizations and is active in her church. She would like to attend to college to focus on legislative law.
A20 • September 2013
280 Living
Balance restoring?
REAL ESTATE
Experts say the residential real estate market could be closer to pulling out of its five-year slump by the end of the year. Here’s how:
CONTINUED from page 1 Examples are everywhere. Last year, Terry Crutchfield wouldn’t even show homes sided with EIFS. Demand was so low for houses featuring expanded polystyrene foam – synthetic stucco, or Dryvit, as it’s known in the area – she didn’t bother. But in a few short months it’s become a different market. “I remember there was one home in Highland Lakes with [Dryvit] for sale this summer,” said Crutchfield, an agent with RE/MAX Advantage South. “It wasn’t my listing, but my client put in a full-price offer on it, and we didn’t get it. Last year no one would’ve looked at it, and this summer it wasn’t even on the market for a week.” Recent data shows the 280 corridor made strong gains in both number of home sales and average sale price in 2013. Ginny Willis, BAR president and an associate broker with RE/MAX First Choice, said home sales were up 22 percent for January through July when compared to 2012, from 1,240 to 1,514, and the average sale price jumped 9 percent, from $272,995 to $296,743. “If this keeps up,” she said, “before the end of the year we’re going to have a strong seller’s market in the area.” Willis’ colleagues agree. “It does seem to be trending toward a seller’s market,” RE/MAX agent Peter Northcott said. “We’ve been through such a dry time the past four years, we really had to rethink the game. Then, all of a sudden everybody started to buy.” A BAR August report showed markets in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount and St. Clair counties improved in every category compared to July 2012. Some agents were most thankful to see a change in inventory – the number
of homes on the market. It steadily declined, down 3 percent from last year, from 8,262 to 7,979 in the four-county area. As of mid-August on the 280 corridor, 751 homes were for sale. “The big thing that’s going to bring us back is that the inventory has gone down,” Harwell said. “When everyone was sucking wind, we had more than 15,000 houses on the market (in the four-county area). And you can’t negotiate the price of a house when there are hundreds of others out there just like it.” But several other factors are contributing to the shift, said Clark Edwards, an agent with RE/MAX Southern Homes 280 and a board member of the Meadow Brook Homeowners Association. Besides a decline in inventory, a rising interest rate was a major catalyst. “We’ve been flat off the bottom for three years as people wondered where the market would go,” Edwards said. “But now, this increase is tied to both confidence and a limited supply on a national level. So many people for so long have read negative reports and have been concerned about the unknown as much as anything. But once the interest rate moved up, it had a snowballing effect on our recovery.” According to Bankrate, Inc. (bankrate. com), an online financial monitoring organization, interest rates have increased about a full point since May. Coming into the summer, banks were offering 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at approximately 3.7 percent. In August, they reached 4.6 percent. Experts who work on the 280 corridor said when the rates started moving, so did buyers.
“Even though we’ve had an uptick in rates, they’re still at record lows,” IBERIABANK Mortgage Branch Manager Brian Goldman said. “We’ve started seeing bidding wars because people can’t get offers in fast enough on houses to get bids accepted. The whole story is you can’t lowball somebody anymore. You have to be realistic.” Goldman, who is mostly optimistic about the direction of the market, is taking his own advice. He said not to overlook the market’s volatility. Though it may be a good time to sell, a seller’s market isn’t a guarantee in Shelby County. BAR’s August report indicated that 17 percent of all home sales in the four-county area were foreclosures, and that it was the lowest percentage in more than four years. However, Goldman said banks are holding onto “shadow inventory” – foreclosures that had already taken place but remained unlisted. “There are still a lot of houses out there that are for sale,” he said. In addition, homes haven’t appreciated back to the point they reached in 2006. Prices are rising, but they aren’t skyrocketing. “We’re seeing values somewhere about 2005,” Edwards said. “So, values haven’t reached their peak, but they have climbed 10 percent over a 12-month period.” As August neared its end, so did the struggle endured by the Carbonie family. Their latest agent, Crutchfield, was able to secure a contract on their Highland Lakes home. Regardless, while a seller may have things to mull over this fall, buyers will lose leverage as experiences like theirs become less common.
According to bankrate.com, interest rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage have climbed almost a full point since May. % 3.70 4.50 4.30 4.10 3.90 3.70 3.50 5/22
6/2
6/13
6/24
7/5
7/16
7/27
8/7
Rising rates put pressure on buyers to take action, but available homes on the market have decreased. July Inventory 14,000 13,000 12,000 11,000 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 July
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
With increased demand, homes in the area appreciate in value. $200,000 $195,000 $190,000 $185,000 $180,000 $175,000 $170,000 $165,000 2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Data from RealtySouth agent James Harwell, compiled by the Birmingham Association of Realtors
2013
September 2013 • A21
280Living.com
Newest homes to hit the market 280 homes listed between July 15 and Aug. 15 2516 Single Tree Circle, Birmingham 105 Lenox Drive, Birmingham 950 Greystone Highlands Circle, Hoover 1107 Berwick Road, Hoover 3416 Charingwood Lane, Birmingham 2908 Coatbridge Lane, Birmingham 2024 Little Ridge Circle, Birmingham 4964 Caldwell Mill Lane, Indian Springs Village 2724 Goldmor Circle, Birmingham 3267 N Broken Bow Drive, Birmingham 301 Narrows Drive, Birmingham 3349 Sunny Meadows Court, Birmingham 525 St Lauren Way, Hoover 151 Calumet Drive, Birmingham 418 North Lake Road, Hoover 47193 Portobello Road, Birmingham 105 Narrows Creek Drive, Birmingham 4392 Heritage View Road, Birmingham 3000 Kelham Grove Way, #16, Birmingham 2609 Buttewoods Drive, Birmingham 1908 Indian Lake Drive, Birmingham 4004 Belvedere Court, Birmingham 640 Talon Trace, Birmingham 2011 Belvedere Cove, Birmingham 123 Landale Drive, Sterrett 5124 Stratford Road, Birmingham 3305 Culloden Way, Birmingham 5074 Applecross Road, Birmingham 533 Thornberry Lane, Birmingham 3652 Southern Blvd., Birmingham 332 Amherst Drive, Hoover 3008 Kelham Grove Way, #20, Birmingham 3501 Pineywood Trace, Birmingham 445 Miller Circle, Pelham 7017 Inverness Green Lane, Hoover 3141 Woodbridge Drive, Birmingham 2993 Kelham Grove Way, #23, Birmingham 1096 Monaghan Drive, #0078a, Birmingham 5432 Hickory Ridge Drive, Birmingham 2417 Brook Run, Birmingham 1000 Eagle Crest Circle, Birmingham 3317 Afton Way, Birmingham 2982 Kelham Grove Way, #1, Birmingham 126 Birch Creek Drive, Birmingham 5000 Kelham Grove Circle, #37, Chelsea 1013 Belvedere Cove, Birmingham 1082 Belvedere Cove, Birmingham 5100 Shadowbrook Trail, Birmingham 216 Bradberry Lane, Hoover 3704 Cumberland Trace, Birmingham 3032 Kelham Grove Way, #14, Birmingham 3088 Brookhill Drive, Birmingham 1092 Hermitage Circle, Birmingham 232 Hawthorn St., Birmingham 2986 Kelham Grove Way, #2, Birmingham 431 Lake View Circle, Vandiver 5000 Cameron Road, Birmingham 211 Hawthorn St., Birmingham 6165 Eagle Point Circle, Birmingham 4271 Ashington Drive, Birmingham 3609 Chippenham Drive, Birmingham 128 Indian Gate Circle, Birmingham 1119 Danberry Lane, #45, Hoover 1409 Marion Court, Hoover 1192 Haven Road, Hoover 1709 Wingfield Circle, Birmingham 1005 Parkwood Road, Birmingham 1004 Danberry Lane, #26, Hoover 7067 Bradstock Court, Hoover 3425 Chippenham Circle, Birmingham 5537 Lakes Edge Circle, Hoover 1021 Danberry Lane, #39, Hoover 5556 Parkview Circle, Birmingham 368 Turnberry Road, Birmingham 2018 Blue Heron Circle, Birmingham 211 Sheffield Lane, Birmingham 2348 Ridge Trail, Birmingham 208 Highland Park Drive, Birmingham 2032 Shandwick Terrace, Hoover 2130 Brook Highland Ridge, Birmingham 425 Stonegate Drive, Birmingham 5642 Double Oak Lane, Birmingham 1204 Perthshire Court, Hoover 5655 Double Oak Lane, Birmingham 1323 Legacy Drive, Hoover 6096 Brookhill Circle, Birmingham 1124 Highland Lakes Circle, Birmingham 201 Legacy Court, Hoover 1045 Royal Mile, Hoover 403 Stonegate Drive, Birmingham 1049 Royal Mile, Hoover 5212 Queensferry Lane, Hoover 7 Deerwood, Birmingham
$147,200 $164,800 $179,900 $189,000 $189,000 $189,900 $195,000 $199,900 $199,900 $205,000 $209,000 $213,500 $219,000 $219,900 $219,900 $224,900 $225,000 $234,700 $237,000 $239,900 $239,900 $249,900 $249,900 $249,900 $249,900 $249,000 $250,000 $250,000 $259,900 $259,900 $259,900 $265,000 $269,900 $269,900 $269,900 $274,500 $275,000 $278,171 $284,900 $284,900 $289,000 $289,900 $294,055 $299,800 $307,000 $307,500 $309,900 $315,000 $315,000 $325,000 $325,000 $325,000 $332,900 $338,000 $343,520 $349,500 $365,000 $375,000 $379,000 $379,900 $384,900 $384,900 $396,000 $397,900 $398,900 $400,000 $404,900 $406,000 $419,000 $419,900 $425,000 $429,000 $449,900 $475,000 $519,900 $524,900 $529,000 $539,900 $549,900 $589,000 $595,000 $599,900 $649,000 $649,900 $774,900 $775,000 $865,000 $924,900 $934,900 $1,195,000 $1,425,000 $1,599,000 $4,875,000
Make it easy on yourself. Just use
Data from RealtySouth agent James Harwell through MLS and the Birmingham Association of Realtors RealtySouth.com Mouse ads-VillageLivingHALF.indd 2
7/18/13 9:57 AM
A22 • September 2013
280 Living
Opinion Sound off: ALDOT’s Intersection Improvement Plan I think the people who came up with idea are the same ones that want to do away with the school buses in Hoover. They’re nuts and know nothing about traffic. -Judy Myrick Miller
God bless my new driver who doesn’t know where she’s going anyway. I can hear the GPS now: “Turn left onto Valleydale, make a U-turn, make a U-turn, make a U-turn.”
To me this idea is as goofy as all those “roundabouts.” -John Devenyns
-Brandy Bradberry Whitfield
Because local communities have shot down every other idea ALDOT had (i.e. elevated highway), I think it’s the best solution. Something had to be done to try to minimize traffic on 280, especially with the addition of a new hospital. People were going to complain without construction, and people are going complain with construction. Either way, something had to be done with the increased traffic. -Bob, via 280Living.com
It’s the 280 Two-Step. One intersection forward, one U-turn back! Insane.
This is a stupid and terrible “solution” to the 280 traffic problems. It will be a nightmare and will negatively affect every business and homeowner that lives off 280. It will be extremely difficult to get anywhere! Terrible, terrible, terrible idea! -John, via 280Living.com This design is not new, they have the exact same “new design” on some busy roads in the Indianapolis area, too. It has not been in place long enough yet to know how well it will or will not work. One of the major problems with this plan is that people cannot read the signs and follow the instructions properly, which creates its own set of problems. -Christin Bockman-Pedersen
-Jenny Valenza
I would like to think that the reasoning behind the U-turn is that 280 westbound traffic during morning rush hour takes priority over the Valleydale travelers. It’s better to speed up that intersection for those traveling westbound even if it slows down those turning left onto Valleydale. Also, the lights should be timed to not hinder the eastbound travelers any more than they are by the Valleydale light now. -Steven Clinkscales I fly over 280 frequently, and seeing this from above with an understanding of what they’re trying to accomplish with the intersections does make some sense. It helps to see all the geography around the
intersections, not just the cutaways of the road surface. I’ve driven enough Michigan roads to learn to appreciate the “Michigan Left,” which is the U-turn everyone is talking about. It works when people know how to do a U-turn. I’m not sure the engineers took into account that large trucks and 18-wheelers who supply Home Depot are going to be forced to do a U-turn uphill just to access Home Depot for deliveries. -Greg McNair Traffic is already worse. I can’t imagine how it could get better once they implement more of this crazy plan. U-turn 280 was a terrible idea! -Deanna Campisi Straub That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. It looks like a 5 year old designed it. -Heather Harper Pardue Whoever came up with all these “improvements” clearly has no clue what 280 traffic is like. Nothing about all the changes is helpful in any way. -Nancy Meeks
280 needs the overpass system like in Huntsville! All those turn lanes to U-turn will be full, and traffic will back up. This will in no way help. And they are taking lights away but then put them back up in other places? It makes no sense. -Kathleen Alfano
This is a plan to force overpasses on the community. I am from Huntsville, and this is exactly how you arrange an intersection with an overpass over it! They will launch this, and then when everyone screams how it doesn’t work, they will come up with the “solution” of overpasses. If you ever go to Memorial Parkway in Huntsville, just exit off at a major intersection (University Drive, Drake, Airport Road) and attempt to turn left, and you will see. The community didn’t want overpasses, so this is how you sneak them in. (It reminds me of back when we had two votes on a domed stadium and voted it down, and they are going to build one anyway!) By the way, the U-turns are also part of the overpass system. -Leslie Everett Ellis
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September 2013 • A23
280Living.com
My South By Rick Watson
That’s Life By Paul Johnson
Treasure
Sundown wrath, sunrise joy
I picked up a piece of treasure during look at, but it plays sweet.” the summer of 1976 when I worked at the He handed me the guitar. Sportsman Package store. I was between I gently took it by the neck and held it jobs, and my cousin hired me up to the flourescent lights to to pump gas, check oil and see the name on the headstock. load cases of beer. It was a caramel-colored My hands always seemed Gibson. to smell of motor oil no Determining the age was matter how hard I scrubbed hard. Gibson started making them. guitars in 1902, but if its life Walker County was dry had been as hard as that of its back then, and the Sportsman owner, it could be less than 10 was the first stop in Jefferson years old. County where you could get It had a small wood screw in a tank of gas and beer cold the headstock where it looked enough to crack your teeth. as if it had been dropped, but it Watson Late one Friday night, was sturdy. an ancient red and creamThere was what looked like colored Oldsmobile as big as a land barge a bullet hole from a small-caliber pistol near rolled into the parking lot with gravel where his heart would have been if he’d popping under the wheels as it coasted been playing it when the shot was fired. up to the pumps. It had rust spots in the I stepped my boot up on the bumper of fenders big enough to throw a puppy his Olds, laid the guitar across my knee through. and strummed a few chords. A guy climbed from behind the wheel. I had to agree it wasn’t much to look at, He was wearing jeans and a cowboy shirt but it played sweet. with dark stains under his arms that went In those days, I didn’t have a lot of money halfway down his rib cage. either, but I recognized treasure when I saw it. He walked over to talk to me about a problem I filled his tank up and laid a cold case of he had. The veins in his eyes looked like road Budweiser in his back seat. maps, and he smelled of whisky, cigarettes and “I thank you,” he said as he cranked the sweat. He’d been drinking a long time. Olds, a cloud of cigarette smoke drifting out His breath was toxic. I took a step the window. “I wish I had time to tell you the backward to put a little distance between us. story behind that guitar, but I’m running late.” “I’m outta gas,” he said matter-of-factly He opened a cold Bud, slurped foam with his hands shoveled deep into his back from the top and set it between his legs. He pockets. “And what’s worse, I’m out of waved as he headed out of the parking lot. beer. I ain’t got no money either. I do have I never saw him again, but I’ve often something to trade.” wondered if he made it to where he was The Olds was a two-door hardtop, and headed. I also wish there’d been enough he had all the windows rolled down. He time for him to tell me the story of that leaned his scarecrow frame into the back guitar. seat and pulled out an ancient guitar. I think about him every time I pick up “I’ve got this,” he said. “It ain’t much to that old Gibson and strum a tune.
Last summer I wrote an article routine (brush teeth, wash face, titled “Pulling the Sheets off Anger” put on pajamas). And then get in about not going to bed angry and bed, breathing deep in order to how to avoid doing so. I have had relax and ready yourself for sleep. that discussion with many people but And here’s the really important have also added more. Agreeing not part, part 2: touch! Any old (or to go to bed angry and agreeing not to young or middle age) body parts wait until bedtime to discuss sensitive will do: hand to arm, foot to matters is a helpful and wise strategy, calf, tush to tush, anything that but emotions being what they are and is somehow flesh to flesh. If you human beings who they are, sundown are emotionally regulated enough wrath often occurs. Have hope; there (calm) and you can spoon, go for is still something that can be done. it. It does not matter how, just that Johnson Many have interpreted the Bible you do: touch! verse, “Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath” What happens is that trace amounts of the to mean, “Don’t go to bed angry,” and thus, have neurohormone called oxytocin are released into tried to work out a disagreement before going your system. This chemical increases your feeling to sleep, often working into the wee hours of of well-being and connection to the other person. the morning and usually reaching no resolution. While you are resting, your body starts to move They usually stop from sheer exhaustion, with you in the direction of resolution by creating the one party giving in to “make the peace” and sense that you are together and connected and ending up angrier for having to settle, give in, on the same team though not necessarily on the over-compromise, for the sake of peace and same page yet. So, when you awake, you are not sleep. News flash: that’s still going to bed angry, only refreshed of body but also refreshed and at least the spirit of it. united of spirit, ready to tackle the discussion of I have a friend/mentor who shared with me a alternative viewpoints, but from what seems like great alternative interpretation. He told me that the same side of the bargaining table, rather than instead of trying to talk your way to resolution the opposite. The potential for sundown wrath is that night, take a collective deep breath (one, transformed into the potential for sunrise joy. two, perhaps a third). Then take a collective Besides, a discussion is much more likely (and an time out, realizing that fatigue is a participant argument less likely) when you are both holding a in the current argument and can only serve to nice warm cup of morning java between your hands. hinder not help. Set an appointment the next And if the discussion of alternative viewpoints starts day or in the near future when both of you are to move in the direction of heated argument, let go rested, relaxed, and unhurried to resume the of your coffees with one hand, join them and let “discussion of alternative viewpoints.” oxytocin start to work its wonder again. Next, take another collective deep breath Paul Johnson is a professionally licensed (one, two, perhaps a third). Then, and this is marriage and family therapist, professionally the important part (part 1): resume your regular licensed counselor and nationally certified nightly getting-ready-for-bed-routine! When the counselor. You may reach him at 807-6645 or feeling of anxiety or fear or anger starts to creep lifepracticalcounseling@gmail.com. His office is in, take a breath; regulate as you work your in Greystone Centre on U.S. 280.
A24 • September 2013
280 Living
“They Laughed and Said, ‘Dude, You’re Fat.’ “But Then I Looked in The Mirror…”
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280 Living
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neighborly news & entertainment
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B
September 2013 • A25
College Previews B1 Summer Fun photos B4 Community B7 Sports B15 Calendar B20
157 Resource Center Parkway Suite 102 Behind Logan’s Roadhouse on 280 Your source for teams sports
205-981-0291
Opening the season with the voices of
The Opening Drive By TOM WARD Special to 280 Living
Jay Barker
Do you think the preseason predictions for Alabama and Auburn have been fairly accurate this year? Jay Barker: I think the predictions on Alabama are fair, given their accomplishments of the last few years. Alabama is the logical team to place at number one. They are just so loaded at so many different positions. It really just comes down to injuries. Now it’s so hard to just win one national championship, much less back-to-back. But to win three in a row... the odds are just so much against them, but I still think the number-one ranking is deserved and correct. They are the best team, talent wise and with coaching, in the country right now. Al Del Greco: Where Auburn is concerned, there are still a lot of questions. How does quarterback Nick Marshall fit in? How does the offensive line come around? How does the defense, with coordinator Ellis Johnson, fit with what Gus Malzahn is doing offensively with the up-tempo offense? And the other thing is, we’ve had all of these great recruiting classes, but how good are these kids? They have been developed well, and they
Al Del Greco and Jay Barker join forces each morning with host Tony Kurre on the air for The Opening Drive show on WJOX 94.5 FM. For 280 Living, the two personalities give their opinions on the upcoming seasons for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers. aren’t as good as they could be yet. So how quickly can the coaching staff get them to where they can compete at a level where the expectations are? So really, we don’t know what Auburn is yet, and probably halfway through the season, we’ll have a good idea of what this team is all about. Do you see any surprises on the horizon for the 2013 season?
ing forward to seeing who that type of surprise player is. Whether it’s a quarterback or a running back, or just someone who has come out of nowhere and is a fun player to watch. I love those types of stories, and I’m looking forward to seeing the surprise stories of 2013.
Del Greco: I really think the new rule change on targeting, and being able to eject a player immediately and call a 15yard penalty, then you’ll go back to a review and say, well, we may have made a mistake and he really didn’t target a guy so we’ll let him back in the game and initiate the penalty anyway. That’s going to happen somewhere, and it’s going to occur in a game where somebody gets thrown out and could really affect that game and the national championship picture. Talk about an outcry...it’s coming.
Del Greco: Other than at quarterback, the guy who has intrigued me the most is Carl Lawson. Looking at his recruitment, looking at the work ethic that he puts in, the quotes from him and his dad about what it means to play college football, and talking to some of the coaches who have seen him on campus for a month and a half, I can’t help but be impressed. You’re talking about a kid who has a great motor on him. The question is how long it will take him to adapt to SEC football, because there is a bit of a learning curve, but he’s the one who intrigues me the most because of what we’ve seen leading up to this time. He has one goal in mind, and that’s helping the football team.
Barker: One of the great surprises last year was when Johnny Manziel came onto the scene, and this year I’m look-
Which new player do you see having the biggest impact on the team?
Barker: For me, there are two guys at
Alabama, one on offense and one on defense. Derrick Henry on offense is a big running back who had some injuries during spring practice but has come back strong. The coaches have said that he performed really well in scrimmages, and they are excited about his size, his athletic ability, and his enormous potential. Reuben Foster, on the defensive side of the ball, has the coaches excited this year. He is a big dude, once an Auburn commitment who flipped to Alabama. I think he will make a tremendous impact immediately, especially with Trey DePriest being out. The coaches hope DePriest will be back for the Texas A&M game, but I think Reuben Foster will make a huge impact this year as a freshman. What are your own predictions? Del Greco: I’ve said all along that I think Auburn wins 7 or 8 games this year. The four nonconference games are all winnable. I think the games with Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss are all very winnable. And I think Auburn could surprise one of the other four teams they play: Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and LSU. Again, that is
Al Del Greco
predicated on Nick Marshall or someone running this offense the way Gus Malzahn wants it run. Barker: For Alabama, the two biggest games are Texas A&M on the road, and then a neutral site for the SEC championship game. After the A&M game, Alabama gets LSU, Tennessee and Ole Miss at home. Auburn is always tough to play down there, no matter what the records are. Those are the games we should worry about, and Tennessee will be much improved with new coach Butch Jones. I think maybe the toughest game of them all could be Georgia in the championship game, because Georgia has a really, really good football team this year. It’s true that they have to replace a lot of defensive players, but those new guys are talented. They also have the redemption factor they’re striving for, for an entire year, and I really think that matchup will happen again. Georgia got so close last year, to beating Alabama and taking away those dreams. Can Alabama beat them twice in a row? Alabama has a schedule that could allow the three-peat, but it’s just so hard to repeat, much less win three in a row.
A26 • September 2013 B2
280 Living
Eat here, see this, don’t miss
A local take on what to do in Auburn and Tuscaloosa for game-day travelers Allison Lowery & Carol Johnson
Katie Brown
Caroline Beauchaine 2012 Oak Mountain graduate
Eat here: Your friend’s tailgate. The best food I’ve had in T-town usually comes from a tailgater next door, no matter my location. There’s an open-door policy at most tailgates, so it’s fun (and delish) to try what others claim as their “signature dish.” I’ve had everything from Gator-Kebabs (courtesy of when the Gators came to town) and tailgate-tinis made with unknown liquors straight up the food ladder to classic dirty martinis and perfectly grilled pork tenderloin. See this: The “fashion.” Every year the girls strut their stuff in ever-changing game-day attire. How can you wear houndstooth, crimson, and white in seven different ways (enough ways to cover all the home games)? We find a way! The guys are fun to watch, too. You’ll see grown men wearing red pants with little elephants stitched on them, and I don’t care what people say, the girls in T-town are the prettiest I’ve seen (starting with my 3- and 6-year olds!). Don’t miss: Post-game fun. I especially love a game that ends after the sun goes down. The quad is lit with twinkle lights strung from tents, TVs going with another SEC game or a post-show recap of the win (or loss, very few of those thanks to Saint Nick), and an overall air of part fun and part relief. Most of us who go on game day are also die-hard fans. We love to celebrate a win (or discuss the details of a loss) with our fellow Bama friends. The party continues down the strip, and plans are made for the next home game. What will you cook? What will you wear? How bad will we beat them?
Eat here: If you’re in Tuscaloosa for game day, you have to stop by Rama Jama’s to get breakfast. The wait is long, but it’s worth it. They have the best biscuits in town, and there’s Alabama memorabilia all over the walls. See this: If you’ve never been in Tuscaloosa on game day, you absolutely have to go to the quad to tailgate. Even if you’re not tailgating, just walking around and taking in the atmosphere is a must. The Million Dollar Band performance before the game gets everyone excited. Don’t miss: You can’t miss the Walk of Champions. All the players walk into the stadium, and everyone cheers them on. Seeing the massive size of our players is always exciting for us and intimidating for the other team.
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Eat here: Nothing says Auburn like Toomer’s Corner! And game day wouldn’t be complete without a large glass of freshly squeezed lemonade from Toomer’s Drugs. See this: If it is your first experience at an Auburn football game, you cannot miss Tiger Walk. There is no better way to feel the Auburn spirit than by immersing yourself in a sea of orange and blue fans cheering on the Tigers as they make their trek into Jordan-Hare Stadium. Don’t miss: My favorite tradition at Auburn is the flight of the eagle around the stadium just before kickoff. When Nova finally lands on the field and the entire stadium erupts in a triumphant “War Eagle!”, the unity of the Auburn family fills the air. It’s an experience you cannot miss.
Chris Woodham
Eat here: My favorite stop is Niffer’s Place right off of Opelika Highway. They’ve got a wide selection in food and drink items plus plenty of TVs to catch the game. Coming in a close second would be the Turkey Wraps at The Amsterdam Cafe. See this: This is what I tell all of my co-workers who might have moved to the state or friends who aren’t aware of Auburn traditions. Without a doubt, the must-see experience is when Nova or Spirit hover over the stadium and then dive down to land near the 50-yard line. There’s nothing like it anywhere in sports. Don’t miss: You can’t miss campus on any game day. You can sense the buzz in the air – whether we’re talking Monday afternoon or 30 minutes before kickoff. My can’t-miss spots are Tiger Walk, tailgating on the lawn, and then heading off to celebrate a victory with friends in downtown Auburn. Toomer’s trees may be gone, but the spirit is still there.
September 2013 • A27 B3
280Living.com
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A28 B4 • September 2013
280 Living
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B5 September 2013 • A29
Runners Up
Tubing fun in the bay! Photo by Lori Harris. Looks like Walt Disney threw up! Photo by Nathan Acre.
What’s better than free chicken? Photo by Brandy Whitfield.
Grandkids having fun at the pool. Photo by Millie Lindsay. Rylee Mae East enjoying water for the first time since an itty bitty baby! Photo by Allison East.
Proud To Be An American! Photo by Debbie Jones.
4th of July Parade! Photo by Jennifer Jacobs.
Celebrating friends and freedom on the Fourth of July at Fort Morgan! Photo by Lori Harris.
The McCoy & Anderson Sisters at Smith Lake. Photo by Mel McCoy.
A30 B6 • September 2013
Runners Up
280 Living
Cowgirl up! Photo by by Jennifer Jacobs.
Madison Bowles, Alana Blocker and Lauren Bowles. Photo by Tabetha Lemonds.
Mason Gray in his grandaddy’s pool. Photo by Melanie Gray.
Claire McCoy with her mustache sunblock at Smith Lake. Photo by Mel McCoy.
Bronson, Lyla, and Kacey Moore of Chelsea. Photo by Lynn Walton.
Lucy, Deacon and Mimi beat the heat at Lake Martin. Photo by Lori Kirkpatrick.
Sofiya Sciara. Photo by Lauren Ellis.
September 2013 • A31 B7
280Living.com
Community
Dragon boats
coming to Oak Mountain Teams of 18 to 25 people will race dragon boats to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama at Oak Mountain State Park on Sept. 28.
Chelsea Day festivities set for Oct. 5 Chelsea High School Band Boosters are planning the annual Chelsea Day event for Saturday, Oct. 5 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the City of Chelsea City Hall. The event will celebrate the arts and host various vendors and artisans from throughout the state. There will also be food, family fun and local entertainment from Chelsea schools and churches. Organizers are currently looking for vendors to participate in the event. For more, contact Scarlet Walker at 529-3750 or chelseahighband@ yahoo.com.
Children’s consignment sale to benefit missions organizations The first dragon boat race in the Birmingham area will be held at Oak Mountain State Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, and benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama. With a history of more than 2,500 years, the sport of dragon boating originated in ancient China. Teams are formed with 18 to 25 people of any age and ability. The paddlers’ jobs are to paddle in unison with the entire team. The drummer’s job is to beat the drum in sync with the paddlers and to motivate their team to the finish line. A steersperson provided by the festival stands in the stern of the boat and guides the boat straight down the race course with a 10-foot oar. The event, which runs from 9 a.m.3 p.m., will include local and regional teams coming together to race against each other in a series of heats. Spectators are encouraged to come to Oak
Mountain with lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the festivities. Food vendors and music will keep the event lively throughout the day. For corporations, public service groups, small businesses, schools or others interested in forming teams, paddles, life vests, boats and steerspersons will be provided as well as a training session in advance of the event. Each team just has to provide 20 paddlers, a minimum eight of whom are female, and a drummer. On race day each team will race in three heats on a 300-meter course. With the help of race participants, Ronald McDonald House will be able to continue to provide a safe, affordable, supportive “home away from home” for sick or injured children and their families when they travel to Birmingham for medical treatment. In 2012 the organization served 1,096 families from 66 Alabama counties and 18 states as well as
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Haiti, Kenya and Jamaica. To enter a dragon boat team, visit birminghamdragonboat.com or contact High Five Dragon Boat at 813-426-3544.
Consignment fashions will return to Asbury United Methodist Church for its annual Giggles & Grace sale Sept. 6-7. Children’s clothes, youth clothes, toys, books, shoes, baby furniture and other items will be available for purchase. The sale is conducted by a staff of volunteers. A portion of proceeds goes toward consigners, and the remainder is given to the Asbury UMC children’s program and various mission groups in the area. Organizers will also be collecting canned good/non-perishable items for Asbury’s new food bank as well as gently used shoes of any size and socks for the Navajo Mission Life Center in Cuba, Mexico. There will be drop-off boxes at the door for donated items. Sale hours are Friday, Sept. 6 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 7 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Select items will be 50 percent off on Saturday. For more visit asburygigglesandgrace.com or facebook.com/asburygigglesandgrace.
A32 B8 • September 2013
280 Living
Move those feet: Got Creek?
Opportunities
Paws for the Cause The Animal League of Birmingham is hosting its 5th Annual Paws for the Cause Dog-Friendly 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run. The event, scheduled for Sept. 21 at Veterans Park, benefits the Shelby County Humane Society. Last year’s race sent numerous pets to forever homes up the east coast. The race promises a fun-filled morning for families and their four-legged friends, as food and goods vendors will be set up at the park. Registration fees for the 5K Run/Walk are $30 and $25 for the 1 Mile Fun Run/Pet Walk. Participants can enter both for $35. Add $5 for late registration. Packet pickup will be Friday, September 20 at the Track Shak on U.S. 280 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. or on the morning of the race. Late registration opens at 7 a.m. on Sept. 21. Register online via active.com by Sept. 20. For more information, visit theanimalleagueofbirmingham.com.
Paws for the Cause brings the promise of fun for pets and people alike. Photo courtesy of the Animal League of Birmingham.
R(un) for One Organized by the Oak Mountain Runners Club, the Got Creek 5K is a race that’s billed as “a change of pace from the normal road.” Its route crosses a creek multiple times, so runners are encouraged to wear their old shoes. The race, which supports youth athletics at Oak Mountain schools, is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 28 at Heardmont Park on Alabama Highway 119. Participants who register before Sept. 8 pay only $25, and the fee includes a shirt. After Sept. 8, registration is $30. On race day, registration begins at 6 a.m. and is $35. Discounted rates are available for students and alumni of Oak Mountain schools. Register online at championship-racing.com/#gotcreek5k. For more information, email gotcreek5k@gmail.com.
Lifeline Children’s Services will hold the R(un) for One on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 8 a.m. at Veterans Park. Proceeds will benefit Lifeline Children’s Services (un)adopted program, which helps provide safe environments for orphans in need around the world. Registration fees for the 5K are $30 and $10 for the Kids F(un) R(un). Add $5 for late registration. Packet pickup will be Friday, Sept. 6 at the Track Shak on U.S. 280 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. or on the morning of the race. Late registration opens at 7 a.m. on Sept. 7. Register online via active.com by Sept. 6. For more information, contact Elizabeth Gilmer at 9404623 or email elizabeth.gilmer@lifelinechild.org. Adoptive parent Geoffrey Ketcham, left, and Garth Thorpe, a member of Lifeline’s (Un) adopted team and one of the planners for the R(un) for One. Photos courtesy of Lifeline Children’s Services.
September 2013 • A33 B9
280Living.com
to run for a good cause coming up Walk to Cure Diabetes The 2013 Birmingham Walk to Cure Diabetes offers participants a way to show support for those living with type 1 diabetes. The event, scheduled for Sept. 29 at Veterans Park, supports JDRF, a global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Registration for the 5K walk begins at 1 p.m. on Sept. 29, and the walk is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. For more, contact Shannon Turner at 421-9964, email sturner@jdrf.org or visit jdrf.org. Participants support the JDRF during the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes. Photo courtesy of Shannon Turner/JDRF.
Orphan Run Sponsored by Christ City Church, Orphan Run is designed to support orphans both locally and globally. The event raises funds for adoptions and organizations providing orphan care. The event is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 8 a.m. Register online via active.com by Oct. 3 for $30. Late registration opens at 7 a.m. on Oct. 5. For more, visit christcitychurch. org/orphanrun.asp.
Hearts for Hasberry The Hearts for Hasberry 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run is raising money to support Hoover resident Greg Hasberry and his family as he searches for a kidney donor. Hasberry is a local fitness instructor who suffered from double kidney failure in 2012. The race was developed by a group of individuals who have all been touched by Hasberry and want to
give back. The event is scheduled for Oct. 6 at 8 a.m. at Veterans Park. Register online via active.com. Cost to enter is $35 for the 5K and $30 for the Fun Run. For more, contact Sarah Harris at 259-3736, email sarahanna@ transformationfit.com or visit transformationfit.com/hearts-forhasberry-5k.
Personal trainer Greg Hasberry and his daughter, Brittany. Hasberry suffered from double kidney failure in 2012, and the Hearts for Hasberry 5K aims to help fund his search for a donor. Photo courtesy of Transformation LLC.
A34 B10 • September 2013
280 Living
Gov. Bentley to speak at Chamber Luncheon By JEFF THOMPSON
This month, the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce is welcoming the highest in the state. On Sept. 12 at the Hyatt Regency-The Wynfrey Hotel, Gov. Robert Bentley is attending the monthly Chamber luncheon as the organization’s featured speaker. As Bentley is fast approaching the 2014 campaign season, Hoover Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Powell said he expects the governor to discuss both what he’s accomplished during his term and what he hopes for the future of Alabama. “Since [Bentley has] pretty much already announced that he will seek re-election,” Powell said in an email, “I’m sure he will tout his record, plus how much the Alabama economy has improved and what is expected to come in the next four years.” The official website of the governor’s office, governor.alabama.gov, reminds the Alabama public of Bentley’s campaign promise to not accept a salary until the state reached an unemployment rate of 5.2 percent. The site states Bentley helped create more than 10,000 new jobs in his first year in office, and more than 17,200 new and future jobs were announced before the close of 2011. Last year, according to the site, approximately 21,000 new jobs were announced, and the state’s unemployment rate had fallen from 9.3 percent in January 2011 to 6.9 percent in January 2013. “Although, given the reduction in unemployment Alabama has seen over the
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks at Grandview Medical Center on U.S. 280 in August. Photo by Jeff Thompson.
past two years, [Bentley] is getting closer to receiving a paycheck,” the site reads.
Another accomplishment listed is Bentley’s response to the tornadoes that struck on April 27, 2011 – his
100th day in office. “[Bentley] established the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund to fund unmet needs of individuals,” the site reads. “His administration is now engaged in a massive long-term recovery and the greatest reconstruction effort in the state since the Civil War.” Born and raised in Shelby County, Bentley graduated from The University of Alabama School of Medicine and was a commissioned captain in the United States Air Force. Before being elected as governor in 2010, Bentley served two terms as the District 63 (Tuscaloosa) representative in the Alabama State House. Powell said September’s luncheon is a special luncheon, hosted and sponsored by the Wynfrey and General Manager Andy Peters, who is also first vice president of the Chamber of Commerce. Powell said he was asked by Peters to invite Bentley as the speaker. Powell said space is limited. To attend, make reservations no later than Monday, Sept. 9, by calling the chamber office at 9885672 or emailing admin@hooverchamber. org. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., with the meeting starting at noon. The luncheon is $20 or $22 without early reservations. Non-Chamber members must pay in advance by Sept. 9. The Hyatt Regency BirminghamThe Wynfrey Hotel is located at 1000 Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. For more on the hotel, call 987-1600 or visit hyattregencywynfrey.com.
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September 2013 • A35 B11
280Living.com
Back to the midway Oak Mountain State Fair promises old feel mixed with big fun
By JEFF THOMPSON Through the passenger window, ahead on the right, the crest of a Ferris wheel peeks above the trees. For many, it’s a sight that signals the senses to remember the heart of the midway. Plastic rings clank against glass bottles in the booths as children squeal in victory. Others scream and giggle from a cone of swirling lights elsewhere in the crowd, most likely trying to find a point in the distance to focus on as their world blurs. The odor of fried dough and powdered sugar fills your nose, so much that you realize after you finally cave and buy a funnel cake that there was no need; you’d been tasting it all night. It’s the fair, and it’s coming back this month. The Oak Mountain State Fair, scheduled for Sept. 26-Oct. 5 at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre and its adjacent parking lot, promises to be a massive production that welcomes thousands. But its organizers say they’re going to great lengths to give the event a farmland fair experience. The memory of the time you were devastated after dropping your corn dog into the goat pen will be so vivid you won’t even buy one this time. “We’re trying to recreate the feel of the state fair,” said John Ruffino of Red Mountain Entertainment, a partner with the Amphitheatre. “For so many years, Birmingham had something traditional at the
The 2012 Oak Mountain State Fair hosted thousands. Photos courtesy of Red Mountain Entertainment.
fairgrounds with more agricultural types of attractions. We’re trying to recreate that.” Supporting that claim, this year’s attractions include pig racing as well as duck racing, a petting zoo, pony rides and a bull-riding competition on Oct. 5. But for the enthusiast of the more evolved fair, there’s more than a
dozen other reasons not to miss out – rides, and big ones. Included this year are the 130-foot-tall Star Tower, the Cliff Hanger and the Century Wheel, billed as the tallest traveling Ferris wheel. Other attractions include: “On the Edge,” a team of stunt riders performing two-wheel tricks; a human cannonball show with
Stephanie Smith, one of the few women to master being fired from a cannon into a net 130 feet away; and the Skin and Bones Comedy Circus, which features trained dogs and potbellied pigs, juggling, magic and plenty of comedy. Ruffino said attractions and shows would mostly take place on the weekends. The State Fair also boasts
state-of-the-art skill games, a host of retail vendors and live music. “It’s really an event to get the community involved,” said vendor coordinator Lisa Le. “We’re focusing on giving back to the area by providing thrilling events and attractions for the whole family.” For more, visit oakmountainstatefair.com.
A36 B12 • September 2013
280 Living
Participating vendors
Taste of Shelby returning to 280 Cahaba Grand Catering Texas Roadhouse Vizzini Farms Winery Morgan Creek Vineyards The Pampered Chef Good People Brewing Co. Ezell’s Fish Camp Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe Ozan Vineyard & Cellars Rx Catering Shelby’s Ragtime Café Mikey’s Grill Tellini’s Italiano Bernie’s on Main Zaxby’s Bistro proVare Teresa’s Catering & Wedding Cake ... And more
By JEFF THOMPSON For the first time, Taste of Shelby County is in the hands of its beneficiary. The 2013 event, scheduled for Sept. 12, is being organized by the Greater Shelby Education Foundation, specifically its community relations director Kendall Williams, who took over in April. “The [Greater Shelby] Chamber of Commerce has done such an amazing job,” she said. “Now, the Foundation is just taking over the reins. You won’t notice the change at all.” Williams said attendees could expect an event similar to previous years. About 30 vendors from across Shelby County will spread out in the Cahaba Grand Conference Center from
‘The food and drinks are always spectacular. It’s a good idea to come hungry.’ - Kendall Williams, community relations director, Greater Shelby Education Foundation
5:30-8:30 p.m. These vendors, a collection of restaurants, wineries, caterers and more, will offer samplings of their signature dishes as live music fills the room.
6th Annual Taste of Shelby County Sept. 12, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Cahaba Grand Conference Center Tickets $25 Visit shelbychamber.org or call 682-5255
Vendors, sponsors and community leaders rub elbows with supporters of the Greater Shelby Education Foundation during last year’s Taste of Shelby County. Photos courtesy of Lisa Shapiro / Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s a really fun, easygoing evening,” Williams said. “Vendors are always interacting with the crowd, and the crowd has a chance to meet with different sponsors, community leaders and members of the Shelby County school board.” This year’s participants include Texas Roadhouse, Good People Brewing Company from Birmingham, Vizzini Farms Winery from Calera, Morgan Creek Vineyards from Harpersville, Taziki’s, Ezell’s and others. “The food and drinks are always spectacular,” Williams said. “It’s a good idea to come hungry.” New this year, the event will feature door prizes, including a $500 gift card to Books-A-Million. As always, the event supports the Education
Foundation as one of the organization’s largest annual fundraisers. The Foundation, according to the Shelby County Board of Education’s website, is a nonprofit organization that has awarded more than $500,000 to teachers in Shelby County Schools for classroom projects since it was founded in 1992. Sponsors for this year’s event are Alagasco, Alabama Power, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Books-A-Million, Cahaba Grand Conference Center, Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Shelby County Reporter and Sysco. For more information or to purchase tickets for the 6th Annual Taste of Shelby County, visit shelbychamber.org or call Williams at the Foundation at 682-5255. Tickets are $25.
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September 2013 • A37 B13
280Living.com
Taste of Hoover back for its second year The best of Hoover’s dining scene will converge at Aldridge Gardens for the second annual A Taste of Hoover event. Presented by Aldridge Gardens and the Hoover Sun, the event will take place Oct. 10 from 5-8 p.m. All proceeds will go toward Aldridge Gardens. Local restaurants will set up food stations throughout the gardens, and there will be live music. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door, and Aldridge Gardens members receive a discount on the ticket price. To purchase tickets or find more information, visit aldridgegardens.com. Aldridge Gardens is located at 3530 Lorna Road.
Thursday, October 10, 5-8pm
Aldridge Gardens, 3530 Lorna Road $30 in advance, $35 at the door [discounts available to members of Aldridge Gardens] Tickets: online at www.aldridgegardens.com or by phone - 682.8019 Restaurants and chefs from around Hoover will have samples of their food available at the event; live music on the grounds.
facebook.com/tasteofhoover More info: email Matthew Allen at matthew@280living.com
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A38 B14 • September 2013
280 Living
Harvesting hope
Annual luncheon benefits Oak Mountain Missions
By CHANDLER JONES In 2012, Roddy Cooper quietly looked at the figure the sixth annual Harvest of Hope Luncheon had raised. He gave a silent prayer of thanks and got in his car to go to the bank. On his way, Cooper glanced at Inverness Plaza where Food World once stood and the roots of Oak Mountain Missions Ministries began. Cooper began his operation through contacting grocers in the area. He knew that FDA-standards ruled food still considered “good” can’t be sold in stores after a certain period. Cooper would collect these foods and distribute them to, at first, animals then local charitable facilities and shelters like Safe House of Shelby County. Today the Mission serves countless families in need in Shelby County out of its Pelham facility. Oak Mountain Missions Ministries’ only fundraising event raises nearly a third of its budget at the annual Harvest of Hope Luncheon. This year marks their seventh event, to be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 11:30 a.m. in the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. No invitation is necessary, and all are welcome. Oak Mountain Missions Ladies Auxiliary, led by Paula Campbell and Barbara Porter, organizes the luncheon each year. The event will include a silent auction beginning at 10 a.m with everything from Christmas decorations to condos and sports equipment to vacations. Keynote speaker Shelby County
Harvest of Hope Luncheon Benefiting Oak Mountain Missions
Cain achieves Eagle
Sept. 17 10 a.m. Cahaba Grand Conference Center The Oak Mountain Missions Ministries Ladies Auxiliary plans the Harvest of Hope luncheon and silent auction.
Sheriff Chris Curry will discuss the servant philosophy of Oak Mountain Missions. “It’s quite an honor, and to be quite truthful with you when I was asked to do it, I felt assured there were many other people much more capable to deliver a much better speech. But Roddy wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Curry said. Curry and Cooper have known each other through Christ Church United Methodist for many years. Curry said he has watched the program grow from its inception. “I think the program, the service that Roddy and his group are doing, and the people they’re helping is astronomical,” Curry said. “If we had more help like this available, the
world would be a better place.” Janet Hall of Fox 6 News will be the mistress of ceremonies, and Reverend Al and Passion Lewis will provide musical entertainment. Also, a client from Safe House will speak on how Oak Mountain Missions Ministries affected her family’s lives. Last year’s luncheon grossed $114,161.76, and Oak Mountain Missions Ministries netted $95,396.48. Funds raised go entirely to the Mission’s clients. Oak Mountain Missions pays one bill a year for clients in need, purchases apartments and uses donated furniture to furnish those apartments. “It’s huge for us,” Cooper said.
“We do about $58,000 a year in bill assistance. We try to be good stewards with the money, and it goes back to the people that come to us for assistance.” The Harvest of Hope is just that, and so much more, for Oak Mountain Missions “It raises awareness that Oak Mountain Missions is there, in place and doing what it’s doing,” Curry said. “That serves two purposes. It tells people who are in need where they can go to get help, and it tells people who want to help where to direct it.” For more contact Oak Mountain Missions Ministries at 6855757 or email oakmtnmissions@ yahoo.com.
Parker Cain
Parker Cain, 17, was recently awarded the rank of Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America. Cain is a member of Troop 538 out of Asbury United Methodist Church. Parker received the Order of the Arrow and Triple Crown of Scouting. His Eagle Scout project consisted of building a pig shelter and goat house for the Oak Mountain State Park Farm. He completed all requirements in 2012 during the Eagle Scout Centennial. Parker is a senior at Oak Mountain High School. He is a section leader in the Spirit of Cahaba Marching Band and Wind Ensemble as well as member of the National Honor Society, German National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Ro Kappa.
September 2013 • A39 B15
280Living.com
Sports SPHS Dazzlers return from UDA with multiple awards
SPHS Dazzlers varsity: Seniors: Maddy Powell (captain), Amelia Juneau (co-captain), Giulia Mugnaini (co-captain), Alexandra Denning, Megan Koziol, Elizabeth Pate, Jill Sanderson, Katherine Sharpton, Emily Taylor. Juniors: Kate Dease, Avery Henson, Taylor Jordan, Mary Elizabeth Killian, Tatiana Lamb, Rachel Ousley, Haley West. Sophmores: Leigh Dees, Elizabeth King, Lilly Martin, Courtney Wells.
JV Dazzlers: Sophomores: Emily Fisher, Laney Lambert, Faith Robinson, Dymon Todd. Freshmen: Caroline Grace Bagwell, Katherine Barton, Alexis Drake, Grace Friedman, Katherine Friday, Haley Halsell, Taylor McKinney, Rachel Miller, Sarah Sharpton.
Oak Mountain All Stars are metro champs
Front row: Park Herbert, Connor Hilley, Luke Baker, Connor Kelley, Pete Schilli and Carson Schweer. Back row: Assistant Coach Bob Schilli, Head Coach James Schweer, Colin Carney, Matthew Smith, Cole Key, Wesley Dennis, Lake Gangle, Peter Lankford and Assistant Coach Jim Baker. Photo courtesy of Melanie Smith.
The Oak Mountain 13/14 year old All Star team defeated the Alabaster All Star team 21-14 in June to win the Metro All Star Championship.
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Spain Park High School Dazzlers dance teams attended Universal Dance Association (UDA) in Baton Rouge, La. in June and received several awards. The varsity team won fifth place in Home Routine, the Team Routine Full Out award and four Spirit Stick awards. Nine seniors received UDA staff bids and AllAmerican awards. Forty Individual Superior awards and 27 Individual Drill Down awards were earned by team members. One varsity member, Elizabeth King, placed fifth out of 300 for an Individual Final Drill Down award. The junior varsity team earned first place in Home Routine, the Team Full Out award and four Spirit Stick awards. Five dancers received All American awards. Twentyfour Individual Superior and 16 Individual Drill down awards were received. The Varsity and JV teams danced with nationally renowned choreographers Kendra Andrews and Chris Dupree.
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B16 A40 • September 2013
280 Living
2013FOOTBALLSCHEDULES
Spain Park Jaguars
Chelsea Fighting Hornets Date 8/29 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1
Opponent John Carroll Thompson* Spain Park* Stanhope Elmore* Tarrant Oak Mountain* Wetumpka* Pelham* Prattville* Shelby County
Location Home Home Away Away Home Home Away Away Home Away
Time 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
Date 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1
*Region game
Opponent Shades Valley Wetumpka* Stanhope Elmore* Pelham* Pell City Chelsea* Spain Park* Prattville* Thompson* Clay-Chalkville *Region game
Location Home Away Home Away Away Home Away Home Away Away
Time 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
*Region game
Briarwood Christian Lions
Oak Mountain Eagles Date 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1
Opponent Austin Prattville* Chelsea* Wetumpka* Lee Montgomery Thompson* Oak Mountain* Stanhope Elmore* Pelham* Oxford
Location Away Away Away Home Home Away Home Away Home Away
Time 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
Date 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/17 10/25 11/1
Opponent Eagles’ Landing, GA Sylacauga* Homewood* Shelby County* Gardendale Talladega* Chilton County* Ramsay* John Carroll* Pinson Valley *Region game
Location Away Home Away Home Away Away Home Away Home Home
Time 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
280Living.com
Birmingham’s Alternative Sports
Taking flight
BMX riders soar at Oak Mountain State Park
By WILL HIGHTOWER In team sports, sometimes things can get boring. Games can involve sitting on the sidelines, and practices mean going through monotonous drills. And for kids frustrated with that repetition, one alternative is BMX racing. The thrills of flying through the air on a bike and pedaling to beat your opponent can be enjoyed by all ages, and Birmingham has its own track in Oak Mountain State Park. The best part? No one sits on the bench. No one is bored. Everyone gets a piece of the action. “Compared to team sports, I think BMX is a lot more fun for everyone because there isn’t anyone sitting on the bench,” said USA BMX Chief Communications Coordinator Craig Barrette. “Everyone competes. I think kids are attracted to BMX racing because of the thrill and the adrenaline rush of catching air.” BMX, which stands for bicycle moto-cross, is a type of off-road bicycle racing. The track usually consists of a starting gate for around eight racers, a dirt race course made of various jumps, and a finish line. The course is usually flat, about 15 feet wide, and has large banked corners that help riders maintain speed. Riders range from as young as 3 to 70. With races taking place within age classifications, the sport is open to anyone. BMX started to pick up popularity in America in the late 1980s. When
BMX riders take to the track during the 2013 season at Oak Mountain State Park. Photos courtesy of Oak Mountain BMX Track.
it was recognized in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as an Olympic sport, it’s popularity exploded. In 2011, the two main sanctioning bodies of the sport, the National Bicycle League and the American Bicycle Association, merged together as a united voice, which Barrette called “a tremendous help” for the sport’s growth. The Oak Mountain BMX track is one of only four in the state. Races take place nearly year-round, from late
February to December. If someone can ride a bike, they can race BMX. “We’re really fortunate to have the Oak Mountain track here,” Bob Kuykendall said, whose 10-year-old son, Cade, has started racing. “The great thing about BMX is that all you need is a bike, a long sleeve shirt, something to cover your knees, and a helmet, and you’re ready to go. The first race is free.” Some racers only compete at Oak
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Mountain, while the more serious participants travel across the country. Kuykendall emphasized that while some might be more serious and competitive than others, the atmosphere at the track is fun and friendly. “It’s like when you go to the lake,” he said. “You have a big socioeconomic range, but there is great camaraderie. You’ll be out on a boat at the lake, and everyone is having a good time and waving to each other when they
pass. It’s the same way with BMX. It’s competitive, but it’s also familyoriented and competitors will help each other out. If a kid’s chain breaks, someone will help him replace it.” Barrette emphasized that the family atmosphere isn’t confined to the stands. Sometimes, he has seen three generations racing at one event. “The most unique thing about BMX racing is that it’s for all ages,” he said. “With the Strider push bikes, we see kids under 2 years old racing. Training wheels are being thrown out the window. You see grandparents out there too, so sometimes there are three generations racing at once.” The focus for USA BMX nationwide, according to Barrette, is to keep putting in new tracks and retain beginners to make more long-term riders. Meanwhile, many are thinking about who will be on Team USA for the 2016 Olympics. But in Birmingham, those thoughts are long from most riders’ minds. At the Oak Mountain track, it’s all about giving people of all ages the thrill of flying through the air on a bike. “Everyone loves that feeling of hitting jumps and turns on the bike,” Track Director Shannon Sikes said. “And if you mess up, you don’t get benched. You just get back out there and try again.” To find out more, visit the oakmountainbmx.com or call Sikes at 259-3388.
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280 Living
Gaining speed
Lacrosse one of the fastest growing sports in Birmingham
By WILL HIGHTOWER It’s often called the “fastest game on two feet, but it’s also one of the fastest growing sports in America according to a report by CNBC. And, unlike many other sports, your son or daughter will be getting off the bench to play almost immediately after signing up. This sport that is so intrinsically connected to speed is lacrosse. The game, played with a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick, originated with Native Americans and has recently become popular in the Birmingham area. Although high schools do not have school teams, the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association (GBYLA) organizes more than 1,500 local athletes into teams to compete around the state and country. GBYLA Executive Director Hunter Faulconer, who played lacrosse for the University of Virginia, explained why the game has become so popular: “It’s fast-paced, and there’s not a lot of down time. There is tons of action and activity, which is why one of our slogans is ‘fastest game on two feet.’ And the great part is all kids get to play. Lacrosse opens up a lot of avenues for kids that might not make their high school basketball or football teams.” In lacrosse, there are 10 players on the field for each team, a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders and three attack men. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent’s goal and to keep the other
Students on GBYLA’s Hoover-based lacrosse teams compete. Photos courtesy of GBYLA.
team from scoring. The team that scores the most goals wins. The game is played on a field similar in size to a football field. Boys lacrosse has some contact – although not the big hits you see in football games – and girls lacrosse is no contact. GBYLA President Brad Lapinski said he thought girls having no contact “forces them to have better skills as far as handling and passing the ball.” This fast sport was virtually nonexistent in the Birmingham area until the late 1980’s when a group of young college graduates who had played in college started organizing youth clinics. That effort continued with moderate success until 1999, when a group of parents joined in to form the BYLL (Birmingham
Youth Lacrosse League) as a nonprofit entity, re-energizing the group’s efforts to recruit youth and form teams. “The original group that started lacrosse in Birmingham knew it was a great sport that had a dedicated following. It was a natural fit for a sports-minded area like Alabama where football and basketball were so popular, because lacrosse combines some of the same skills as both of these sports,” said Susie Margotta, GBYLA’s operations manager. The first teams were based out of Mountain Brook, and since there was no one to play in Birmingham, the teams had to travel out of town for every game. But by 2005, popularity in
Birmingham exploded, with teams forming in Vestavia Hills and Hoover. The BYLL became the GBYLA and saw growth of 20 to 40 percent each year according to Margotta. “From 2009-present, the GBYLA has experienced a 75 percent rate of growth with teams expanding to Trussville, Oak Mountain, Homewood and area private schools,” Margotta said. “Popularity for the sport of lacrosse is indicative in the rate of growth over a relatively short period of time.” These days, the association boasts 55 boys teams and 18 girls teams, ranging from grades 1-12. The main season is in the spring, although fall lacrosse has also started to pick up. The Fall League, which began in 2007, started with
395 boys and girls and has grown to 563 in 2012. A Summer League launched in 2009 with 97 players and enjoyed a 41 percent growth rate to the present. The numbers reinforce one thing – this sport is all about fast, including the speed at which it is gaining popularity in Birmingham. “Lacrosse is growing at a rapid pace,” Margotta said. “With the need for a faster paced game these days, kids are seeing lacrosse as a viable alternative to baseball and soccer. At a collegiate level, more schools are seeing lacrosse as a way to draw talented student-athletes to their schools.” To find out more, visit the GBYLA website at gbyla.org. Registration for fall lacrosse opened August 1.
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Keeping cool
280 kids and teens finding fun on the ice is only a short drive away
By WILL HIGHTOWER The Pelham Ice Rink isn’t just home to people having a fun afternoon of ice skating. The Birmingham Youth Hockey League is based out of Pelham and has both travel and recreational leagues. Hockey is poised for growth in the Birmingham area as the city of Pelham works to appoint a new Director of Hockey to market the sport. Although the Birmingham Bulls are no longer here, Auburn and Alabama have club teams that are inspiring kids to pick up a hockey stick and learn how to play the sport. “I see it growing tremendously in the future,” said Mike McCarthy, a Boston native who played hockey in college and is now the Director of Coaching for the BYHL. “I went into a Chelsea school one day to a gym class with my hockey stick and just sat down and told them about it. They were ecstatic about playing hockey.” BYHL President Tony Harlow agrees: “There’s no reason why this program can’t be the largest in the Southeast. Once we get a new director in here and new marketing, that will start to happen. It’s definitely going to double in size. I could foresee there being 1,000 kids in the program.” The program currently has close to 150 kids and teenagers playing for it, with four travel teams that travel across the the region and travel to a national tournament annually. “As a parent, I like hockey because no one sits on the sidelines the whole
Birmingham-area youth compete at the Pelham Ice Rink. Photos courtesy of BYHL.
game,” Stacey Kerbler said. “Every level of ability gets to play. You watch a football game, and a ton of players never even see the field. With hockey, everybody plays every game.” The Pelham Ice Rink, which was founded in 1996, is starting to host hockey events such as the Iron Cup, which is the annual game between Auburn and Alabama’s club teams. Last season, the game drew over 3,000 spectators. In the future, the rink will host the National Club Team Championships in 2015. It is one of three rinks in the state of Alabama. “The Pelham rink is the nicest in the Southeast,” McCarthy said. “The
new mayor has been very supportive of us, and people seem to be excited about events like the Iron Cup, especially the kids.” Although many might see hockey as a rough boys sport, girls are also becoming interested. Title IX has sparked hockey programs at some colleges, and Birmingham has some girls starting to play. Kerbler’s daughter Sydnee Goyee, a 13-yearold Hoover resident, plays at the Pelham Ice Rink. “It’s great to play something unique,” she said. “I love it when people find out I play hockey and the incredulous look on their face.
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They all ask where I play hockey in Birmingham. No one knows what a great facility we have in Pelham.” The hockey season lasts from September to mid-March, meaning it conflicts with several more mainstream sports. Harlow said there might end up being a shorter season around Christmas break, and that summer leagues exist where teams play 3 on 3. “I can’t tell you how many younger kids come to us and start playing hockey and love it,” Harlow said. “And I think why some kids love it is because they’re not Johnny Football, they’re not Johnny Baseball.
Hockey is kind of their thing, no one else in their class really knows about it. They excel at it. It’s nice to see the kids that perhaps went to the point where they didn’t think they were athletic because they didn’t play football, come to this sport and find their home.”
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Music Listings
Community Calendar
Courtyard Oyster Bar & Grill 280 Mondays: DJ Johnny D Tuesdays: DJ Kop Sept. 1: Dewayne Sept. 4: Sean & Kenneth Sept. 5: DJ Chuck J Sept. 6: S K 5 / Shake the Kitty Sept. 7: F: 5 Sept. 8: Huck & Boss / Paul Sisson / Morgan Sept. 11: Sean & Kenneth Sept. 12: DJ Chuck J Sept. 13: 2 Da Max / Hutch Sept. 14: Paul Sisson / Cam Spinks Band Sept. 15: Spoonful / Zach & Cheyloe / Morgan Sept. 18: Sean & Kenneth Sept. 19: Erica Chambers Sept. 20: S K 5 / Matt Carroll & the Brown Coats Sept. 21: Fool’s Gambit Sept. 22: Paul Sisson / Huck & Boss Sept. 25: Sean & Kenneth Sept. 26: DJ Chuck J Sept. 27: 2 Da Max / Voodoo Jones Sept. 28: Cowboy Down Sept. 29: Dewayne / Zach & Cheyloe
Grey Bar
5426 Highway 280 874-6361 Mondays: $2 Margs and Wine. All day. Tuesdays: $2.25 Domestics. 6 p.m. Wednesdays: Acoustic Café and $2.50 Wells. 9 p.m. Thursdays, July 11- Aug. 1: Jared White and half priced bottles of wine. 9 p.m. July 11 & 25: $2 Wells and $5 Glass of Featured Wine. 9 p.m. July 12: Cicly Duo. 10 p.m. July 19: 90 Proof Acoustic. 10 p.m. July 20: Outshine. 10 p.m. July 26: Jarett Smith and Friends. 10 p.m.
280 Living
280 Events Sept. 6-7: Giggles & Grace Consignment Sale. Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m, Saturday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Asbury United Methodist Church. Children’s clothes, youth clothes, toys, books, shoes, baby furniture and other items. Select items will be 50 percent off on Saturday. Visit facebook.com/ asburygigglesandgrace or asburygigglesandgrace.com. Sept. 7: R(un) for One. 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. 5K, 8:45 a.m. Fun Run. Veterans Park. Supports (Un)adopted, a division of Lifeline Children’s Services that works to meet the physical and spiritual needs of orphans who are unlikely to be adopted due to their older age. $30 in advance, $35 race day for 5K. $10 in advance, $15 race day for Fun Run. Visit unadopted.org/run or call 940-4623. Sept. 7: Empowering Women. 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Expert speakers on health and well-being topics, complimentary health screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations and more. Call Dial-A-Nurse at 939-7878 to register or visit onenineteen.com. Sept. 7: Meadow Brook Homeowners Association Community Yard Sale. 7 a.m.-noon. With the fourth annual event, organizers anticipate more than 50 homes in Meadow Brook will be participating. Yard sales will be marked with signs and balloons. Visit MBHO.org for a list of participating homes. Sept. 8: Concert at Union the Church at Chelsea Park. 6 p.m. Music by Josh and Ashley Franks. Sept. 9: LifeSouth Blood Drive. 7 a.m.-1 p.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen parking lot. No registration. Sept. 12: Taste of Shelby County. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Cahaba Grand Conference Center. Restaurants, wineries, caterers and more will offer samplings of their signature dishes. Benefits Greater Shelby Education Foundation. $25. Visit shelbychamber.org or call 682-5255. Sept. 14: Spain Park High School Cross-Country Invitational. 8 a.m.-noon. Veterans Park. Sept. 17: Harvest of Hope Luncheon. 10 a.m. silent auction, 11:30 a.m. luncheon. Cahaba Grand Conference Center. Chris Curry, Sheriff of Shelby County, will speak. Benefits Oak Mountain Missions Ministries. Contact Dianne Cesario at 685-5757 or by email
atoakmtnmissions@yahoo.com.
2 p.m. walk. Veterans Park. Supports JDRF, a global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Contact Shannon Turner at 421-9964, email sturner@jdrf. org or visit jdrf.org.
Sept. 19: Cuisine at One Nineteen: Sushi Made Simple. 6:30-8 p.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. Kelly Viall will teach sushi basics including proper rice making and preparing your own sauce. $25. Register at 408-6550.
Oct. 1: Football Legends Fundraiser. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Fleming’s Steakhouse, The Summit. Benefits personalized cancer medicine/cancer research through the Southeast Cancer Foundation. $125. Call Yvonne Pope at 936-1403 for tickets.
Sept. 19: Coffee with the Mayor of Chelsea. 8:30-9:30 a.m. City of Chelsea City Hall. Visit cityofchelsea.com. Sept. 20: Renaissance Faire. 5:30-8 p.m. Mt Laurel Elementary School. Silent auction, vendor booths, inflatables, games, music and food from local restaurants. Benefits the school. Armbands $12 in advance, $13 at the door. Free for children 4 and under.
Oct. 5: Orphan Run. 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. run. Veterans Park. Christ City Church event will raise funds for adoptions and organizations providing orphan care. Visit christcitychurch.org/orphanrun.asp.
Sept. 21: Paws for a Cause 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run. 8:30 a.m. 5K, 9:45 a.m. Fun Run. Veterans Park. Benefits Shelby Humane Society. A fun day of running, booths and snacks. $30 for 5K, $25 for Fun Run. Visit theanimalleagueofbirmingham.com.
Oct. 5: Chelsea Day. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. City of Chelsea City Hall. Vendors, artisans, food, family fun and local entertainment from Chelsea schools and churches. Call Scarlet Walker at 529-3750 or email chelseahighband@ yahoo.com.
Sept. 26-Oct. 5: Oak Mountain State Fair. Oak Mountain Amphitheatre parking lot. Rides, games, competitions, stunt shows, live music, food vendors and more. Visit oakmountainstatefair.com.
Oct. 6: Hearts for Hasberry 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run. 8 a.m. Veterans Park. Event to support Hoover resident Greg Hasberry and his family as he searches for a kidney donor. $35 5K, $30 Fun Run.
Sept. 28: Hoover/Shelby Art Association Fall Art Show. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. City of Chelsea City Hall. Free. Call 979-5699.
Home Varsity Football Games
Sept. 28: Dragon Boat Race. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oak Mountain State Park. Spectators are welcome. Benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama. Visit birminghamdragonboat.com or contact High Five Dragon Boat at 813-426-3544.
Sept. 6: Chelsea High School vs. Thompson. 7 p.m. Chelsea High School.
Sept. 28: Got Creek 5K. 7:30 a.m. Heardmont Park. Organized by Oak Mountain Runners Club. Supports youth athletics at Oak Mountain schools. $25 before Sept. 8, $30 after, $35 race day. Register at championship-racing. com/#gotcreek5k. Email gotcreek5k@gmail.com. Sept. 28: Sparks In The Park Marching Festival. Spain Park High School. Visit spainparkband.org.
Sept. 6: Briarwood Christian High School vs. Sylacauga. 7 p.m. Briarwood Christian High School. Sept. 13: Spain Park High School vs. Chelsea. 7 p.m. Spain Park High School. Sept. 20: Briarwood Christian High School vs. Shelby County/Homecoming. 7 p.m. Briarwood Christian High School. Sept. 20: Oak Mountain High School vs. Pelham. 7 p.m. Oak Mountain Stadium, Heardmont Park.
Sept. 28: Health Fair. 9 a.m.-noon. Chelsea Publix Parking Lot. South Shelby Chamber of Commerce event sponsored by Shelby Baptist Medical Center. Visit southshelbychamber.com.
Sept. 27: Chelsea High School vs. Tarrant. 7 p.m. Chelsea High School. Sept. 27: Oak Mountain High School vs. Pell City. 7 p.m. Oak Mountain Stadium, Heardmont Park.
Sept. 29: Walk to Cure Diabetes. 1 p.m. registration,
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Community Calendar
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Library Events North Shelby Library
Visit northshelbylibrary.org to view the library’s calendar and make reservations for programs. Sept. 2 Library Closed for Labor Day
Children
Contact the Children’s Department at 439-5504 or northshelbyyouth@ gmail.com. Sept. 7, 10- 11:30 a.m. Lego Club Creations will be put on display in the Children’s Department. All ages welcome. No registration required. Sept. 10, 4 p.m. Johnny Appleseed Craft Registration required. All ages welcome. Sept. 18, 1 p.m. Homeschool Hangout: Birmingham Audubon Society Participate as a “migratory bird” in a hands-on activity to see if you have what it takes to migrate your way to the wintering grounds. Ages 8-12. Registration required. Sept. 20, 4 p.m. Potterpalooza Games, a craft and refreshments to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Harry Potter series. Ages 9-12. Registration required. Sept. 28, 2 p.m.
Family Movie Day: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs All ages. No registration required.
Story-Time Programming Mondays, 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Toddler Tales A 30-minute program for ages 1936 months. Registration required. Tuesday, Sept. 3 and 17 Baby Tales A story time designed especially for babies up to 18 months and their caregivers. Registration required. Wednesdays, 10:45 a.m. Mr. Mac (Storyteller Extraordinaire!) All Ages. No registration required. Thursdays, 7 p.m. P. J. Story Time No registration Required.
Teens
Call or email Kate at 439-5512 or nsyouth@shelbycounty-al.org for teen program information. Fridays, 3:30-5:45 p.m. Gaming Gaming on the Wii and with board and card games. Sept. 12, 6 p.m. Anime Night Treats will be served, and costumes
are welcome! Sept. 16-20 Harry Potter Week Watch Harry Potter movies, make wizard crafts and take pictures in a photo booth complete with character props. Sept. 18, 1 p.m. Homeschool Hangout: Teen Edition An opportunity for homeschoolers in sixth to 12th grade to get together for fun and educational activities. This month take a tour of the library and learn about the electronic resources available. Sept. 19, 4:30 p.m. Young Adult Writing Group Come with a piece of writing complete or half-done, or with no writing at all. Snacks served.
Adults
Sept. 19, 9:30 a.m. National Medicare Education Week Seniors can interact with a healthcare expert and ask questions about upcoming Medicare changes. Refreshments served. Not cost but registration is required. Call 1-866-890-2242 to RSVP or visit NMEW.com. Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m. Understanding Retirement Community Living Tim Meehan of Somerby St.Vincent’s 119 will explain the
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specifics of independent living, assisted living and memory care. Refreshments served. Call 4395540 or email nsref@shelbycountyal.org for more information. Sept. 30, 6:30 p.m. 4Health Town Hall Meeting Join Dr. David C. Todd for information about separating myth from fact about health information! Refreshments served. Call 4395540 or email nsref@shelbycountyal.org for more information.
Mt Laurel Library
Oak Mountain Runners Club is organizing the Got Creek 5K for Sept. 28 at Heardmont Park. Runners should wear old shoes to prepare to cross creeks in the park.
Contact the Mt Laurel Library at 9911660 or mtlaurellibrary@gmail.com for more information or to register. Register online using the Calendar on mtlaurellibrary.org. Sept. 4 and 18, 10 a.m. Toddler Tales A 30-minute program for ages 36 months and younger. Registration required. Sept. 4 and 18, 11 a.m. Storytime with Ms Kristy All ages. No registration required. Sept. 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Crafty Saturday All ages with parent help. Registration is not required, but supplies are limited.
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Community Calendar Area Events Sept. 7: Crestline Rocks. Crestline Village. All-day event features live music and special deals from Crestline vendors. Benefits PreSchool Partners, a nonprofit organization that prepares 3- and 4-year-old at-risk children and their families for kindergarten in the Birmingham City School System. $35 in advance or $40 at gate. Free for ages 12 and under. Visit crestlinerocks. com or preschool-partners.org or call 951-5151. Sept. 7: Ross Bridge 8K and Health Expo. 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. race. 2101 Grand Ave. Family activities and health expo will follow race. Benefits Alabama Teen Challenge, which provides youth, adults and families with a Christian faith-based solution to life-controlling drug and alcohol problems. $25. Visit alabamateenchallenge.org. Sept. 7: Monkey C Monkey 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run. 8 a.m. 5K, 9 a.m. Fun Run. Homewood Central Park. Benefits Camp Smile-A-Mile’s year-round programs for children affected by cancer in Alabama. Register at imathlete.com or Trak Shak Homewood. Email Savannah. Lanier@campsam.org for more. Sept 14: Head Over Teal 5K, 1-Mile Fun Run and Family Fun Day. 8 a.m. 5K, 9 a.m. Fun Run. The Preserve, 601 Preserve Way, Hoover. Food, live music and children’s activities begin at 9 a.m. Race benefits the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation. LifeSouth Bloodmobile will be there on race day. $35 adults, $15 children 12 and under. Visit thinkoflaura.org. Sept. 15: Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963. 3 p.m. Alys Stephen Center’s Sirote Theatre, 1200 10th Ave. South. National staged reading of the play by Christina M. Ham. Tickets $15. Call 975-2787 or visit alysstephens.org. The Greek Food Festival returns to Birmingham Sept. 26-28. In addition to Greek cuisine, visitors will find live Greek music and Greek dancing by youth. Photo courtesy of Elaine Lyda.
Sept. 19: Exceptional Foundation Art Show & Auction. 6-9 p.m. The Exceptional Foundation. Art show, music, food, wine and beer, and silent auction. Call 870-0776 or
email jjones@exceptionalfoundation.org. Sept. 19: Eric Essix Concert. Alys Stephens Center. 7 p.m. The Birmingham native and Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame will perform songs from “Evolution,” the artist’s landmark 20th recording. Call 975-2787 or visit alysstephens.org. Sept. 21: ZooGala 2013. 6:30 p.m. The Birmingham Zoo. Guests will enjoy cocktails, dinner, live music and animal walkabouts in an Old Hollywood atmosphere. All funds raised at ZooGala go toward the Zoo’s operational efforts. Visit birminghamzoo.com or contact Kathy Vaughn at 397-3861 or kvaughn@birminghamzoo.com. Sept. 21: Paws for a Cause 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run. 8:30 a.m. 5K, 9:45 a.m. Fun Run. Veterans Park. Benefits Shelby Humane Society. Grab your pooch and entire family and come out for a fun day of running, booths and snacks. $30 for 5K, $25 for Fun Run. Visit theanimalleagueofbirmingham.com. Sept. 21: Yotam Haber’s “A More Convenient Season.” Alys Stephens Center. 8 p.m. Commissioned by the ASC and philanthropist Tom Blount, includes the Alabama Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Morgan, an all-female choir featuring four young soloists from the area, electronic music by the acclaimed Philip White, a video by Oscar-nominated filmmaker David Petersen and audio recordings from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s Oral History Project. Call 975-2787 or visit alysstephens.org. Sept. 22: Talladega Half Marathon & 5K Lap Around the Track. 7:30 a.m.-noon. Talladega Superspeedway, 3366 Speedway Blvd., Talladega. Visit talladegahalf.com. Sept. 22: Alabama State Open Chili Championship. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Public tasting 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Aldridge Gardens. Sponsored by and benefits the Chili Appreciation Society International. $25 to enter competition, free to
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attend. Visit chili.org/cookoffs.html. Sept. 26-28: Greek Food Festival. 10:30 a.m.10 p.m. Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 307 19th Street South, Birmingham. Greek cuisine, music, dancing, market place and more. Take-out orders and call-in orders for 10 or more are available by calling 7163086. Free admission, food items individually priced. Visit birminghamgreekfestival.com. Sept. 28: Alabama Symphony Orchestra at Homewood Central Park. 6 p.m. Homewood musical ensemble, 7:30 p.m. symphony. Visit alabamasymphony.org. Sept. 28: Run Over Rett 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run. 8 a.m. 5K and 8K, 9 a.m. Fun Run. The Preserve Town Hall. 5K and 8K run and walk will benefit the SUKI Foundation’s work to fight Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder. $25 5K, $35 8K, free Fun Run. Visit sukifoundation.org/events.html. Sept. 29: Symphony 30 Picnic. 4 p.m. doors, 5 p.m. concert. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Annual fundraiser held by Symphony 30 auxiliary to benefit the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and its family and education programs. Tickets TBD. Visit alabamasymphony.org. Sept. 29-Oct. 25: Watercolor Society of Alabama Members’ Showcase Exhibit. Opening reception Sept. 29, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Birmingham Public Library. Free. Visit wsalabama.org or call 979-5699. Sept. 29: Magic City Mile. 2 p.m. Trak Shak Homewood. All funds raised support the children of The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs, and the after-party
will include music, activities for children and food from Chuy’s. Runners will compete in heats starting at 3 p.m. Register at imathlete. com, call Kelly Peoples at 879-3417 or visit thebellcenter.org. Sept. 29: Vulcan AfterTunes. 3 p.m. Vulcan Park and Museum. Live music and kids’ activities. $15 adults, $7.50 Vulcan members, free for ages 12 and under. Visit visitvulcan.com. Oct. 1: Football Legends Fundraiser. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Fleming’s Steakhouse, The Summit. Fleming’s exclusive fine fare with Alabama and Auburn football legends. Autographed helmets for each team will be auctioned. Benefits personalized cancer medicine/cancer research through the Southeast Cancer Foundation. $125. Call Yvonne Pope at 936-1403 for tickets. Oct. 3-6: Antiques at The Gardens. Thursday 1-5 p.m., Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Renowned tastemakers and dealers from across the country will curate themed areas. $10 nonmembers, free for members. Visit bbgardens.org/antiques or call 414-3950. Oct. 5-10: 2013 USGA Mid-Am Championship. Country Club of Birmingham, 325 Country Club Road. Visit ccbham.org. Oct. 6: Hot Strings Music & Arts Festival. Noon-6 p.m. Colonial Brookwood Village. Artists, kids’ activities and live music. Three on a String, Mandolin Orange, Act of Congress and Matthew Mayfield will perform. Benefits local rescue mission and recovery center The Foundry. $15. Visit HotStrings.org.
Birmingham Bake & Cook Co. All classes and events cost $40 and run from 6:30-9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Call 980-3661 to register.
Sept. 10: Gluten-Free Baking. Taught by Carol Key.
Cheese Kits and signed copies of Tasia’s Table by Tasia Malakasis. No cost.
Sept. 12: Cooking with Autumn Herbs. Taught by Linda Franzo of Passionate Platter. $45.
Sept. 24: Cooking with Beer. Taught by Chef C.C. Fridlin. $45.
Sept. 16: Birmingham Meet & Eat Dinner Club. No cost. Sept. 17: Homemade Pickling … Relishes, Too! Taught by Susan Green. Sept. 19-21: Belle Chevre Pop-Up Shop. Shop Elkmont, Ala.’s artisan American cheeses, DIY
Sept. 26: Rolling in the Dough! Pizza Dough, That Is! Taught by Susan Green. Sept. 28: Tamale-Making Workshop. Taught by Rebecca Treadwell of Hoffman Media. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $45.
Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce Sept. 4: Ambassadors Work Group. 11:30 a.m.1 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. Sept. 4: Small Business Work Group. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. Sept. 10: Education Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Shelby County Instructional Services Center, 601 First Street South, Alabaster. Sept. 10: Existing Business & Industry Work Group. 9-10 a.m. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc., 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 500, Birmingham. Sept. 11: Healthcare Reform Workshop. 7:30-9 a.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 7191 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham. Sept. 13: Health Services Work Group. 8:309:30 a.m. Cardiovascular Associates, 3890 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham. Sept. 17: Go & Grow Workshop “Dealing with
the Difficult.” 7:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. Presented by Michael T. Smith, TheGREATtheGOODandtheGONE.com. Members $25, future members $50. RSVP by Sept. 13. Sept. 17: Guide to Green Business Benefits Workshop. 9-11 a.m. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc., 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 500, Birmingham. Presented by Chris Grace, Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc. No investment required. RSVP by Sept. 16. Sept. 18: Board of Directors Meeting. 8:159:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. Sept. 18: Membership Luncheon. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Pelham Civic Complex, 500 Amphitheater Road, Pelham. Sponsored by Alabama Telco Credit Union. Hosted by the Health Services Work Group. Program on National Rehabilitation Week. Healthcare industry showcase feature.
A48 • September 2013
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