Cahaba Sun March 2023

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There are many dreary winter days when I step outside and don’t enjoy it. It’s overcast and cold, and that makes me yearn for more pleasant days.

In those days, it may seem difficult to believe that better days are on the horizon. But as spring nears, those shrubs in front of my house — the ones that look lifeless in the cold months — begin to show signs of life once again.

By the time spring is in full swing, those shrubs will be flourishing once again, forcing me to get out in the front yard and trim them.

Just as seasons change in nature, seasons change in life as well. There are seasons in the rearview mirror and seasons in the future, but I’m challenging myself to embrace my current season.

We all have dreams, visions and goals for our future, but we can waste present opportunities if we’re not careful. No matter what you’re doing, enjoy the moments you have now. Seasons change, for better and worse.

OF THE MONTH

Please Support Our Community Partners

Bedzzz Express (20)

Birmingham Orthodontics (1)

Bromberg’s (15)

Children’s of Alabama (7)

Cottontails Village (15)

DeDe’s Book Rack (7)

Deerfoot Memorial Funeral Home (15)

First Baptist Church Trussville (17)

Jefferson County Commission (5)

Find Us

Lee Marlow, RealtySouth (11)

Legacy Ridge Assisted Living (19)

McWane Science Center (18)

Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (14)

Trussville Gas and Water (5)

Vapor Ministries/Thrift Store (2)

Wind Creek Hospitality (3)

Window World of Central Alabama (2)

Pick up the latest issue of Cahaba Sun at the following locations:

► Edgar’s Bakery

► Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce

► Trussville Civic Center

► Trussville Gas and Water

► Trussville Police Department

► Trussville Public Library

Want to join this list or get Cahaba Sun mailed to your home?

Contact Dan Starnes at dan@starnesmedia.com.

Publisher:

Community Editors:

Dan Starnes

Kyle Parmley

Jon Anderson

Leah Ingram

Eagle

Neal Embry

For advertising contact: dan@starnesmedia.com

Sports Editor: Photo Editor: Design Editor: Page Designer: Production Assistant:

Contributing Writers: Graphic Designer:

Client Success Specialist: Business Development Exec: Business Development Rep: Operations Specialist:

Kyle Parmley

Erin Nelson

Melanie Viering

Ted Perry

Simeon Delante

Sean Dietrich

Gary Lloyd

Emily VanderMey

Warren Caldwell

Don Harris

Madison Gaines

Sarah Villar

Contact Information: Cahaba Sun P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com

Please submit all articles, information and photos to: kparmley@starnesmedia.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253

Published by: Cahaba Sun LLC

Legals: Cahaba Sun is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. Cahaba Sun is designed to inform the Trussville community of area school, family and community events. Information in Cahaba Sun is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of Cahaba Sun. 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.

Please recycle this paper.

ON THE COVER: New homes are under construction on Brexton Street in the Stockton Crest subdivision in Trussville on Feb. 7. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hewitt-Trussville’s Michael Igbinoghene competes in the boys triple jump during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Feb. 4. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

the Items Collected Will Include:

 Ammunition

 Appliances

 Batteries

Día de recaudación de productos tóxicos

 Municiones

 Aparatos domésticos

 Household cooking grease

 Electronics

 Electrónicos

 Pilas

 Grasa de cocina

 Paper Shredding

 Pesticides, Herbicides and Fertilizers

 Paint

 Prescription drugs

Je erson County Residents Only Verification of Residency Required (valid driver license or photo ID with address)

 Tires

No Businesses Allowed to Participate

April 29, 2023

First Baptist Church Gardendale-South Location-940 Main Street, Gardendale 35071

Classic Car Motoring-3900 Grants Mill Road, Irondale, 35210

City of Bessemer Public Works Laydown Yard-1205 15th Avenue North, Bessemer, 35020

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

 Pintura

 Pesticidas, herbicidas y fertilizantes

 Papel para ser triturado

 Recetas médicas

Solo para residentes del condado de Je erson -Necesita verificación de residencia(license de conducir o foto ID con dirección)

 Liantas/neumáticos

No se permite la participación de negocios

April 29, 2023

First Baptist Church Gardendale-South Location-940 Main Street, Gardendale 35071

Classic Car Motoring-3900 Grants Mill Road, Irondale, 35210

City of Bessemer Public Works Laydown Yard-1205 15th Avenue North, Bessemer, 35020

BUSINESS Business Happenings

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The nominating committee for the board of directors of America’s First Federal Credit Union has nominated Katie Voss and Ross Mitchell to fill two positions on the board of directors for the next three years. Voss is vice president of risk management for Brasfield & Gorrie and was first elected to the America’s First Federal Credit Union board of directors in 2020 and currently serves as vice chairwoman. Mitchell works for Tenet Healthcare as vice president of external and governmental affairs for Brookwood Baptist Health in Alabama and director of government relations in Tennessee. He previously served on America’s First Federal Credit Union’s board of directors from 2015 to 2021 and as an associate director in 2021. Board members will be selected at the credit union’s annual meeting on April 18. 205-655-3360, amfirst.org

PERSONNEL MOVES

Local EXIT Realty affiliated offices are pleased

to announce the addition of several individuals to their teams of dedicated real estate professionals. DJ Greer, Jerel Cain, Kasey Jones, Katrina Clay and Kegan Tarver have joined EXIT Realty Birmingham located at 2808 7th Ave. S., Suite 111, Birmingham. Heather James and Kevin Nguyen have joined EXIT Legacy Realty located at 7924 Parkway Drive SE, Leeds. Malcolm Johnson has joined EXIT Realty Southern Select located at 196 Main St. 205-913-0396, exitrealty.com

ANNIVERSARIES

Cahaba Mortgage – Trussville, 196 Main St., is celebrating its second anniversary in March. They also offer meeting and conference rooms for anyone needing a space to gather. 205-208-9100, cahabamortgage.com

The Hair Suite, 255 Gadsden Highway, is celebrating its 10th anniversary in March. 205-452-2399

New hotel approved in Trussville

By GARY LLOYD

Trussville will soon be home to more hotel space.

The Trussville City Council in December approved an economic development incentive for a new Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel, to be constructed at 6360 Misty Ridge Drive near Service Road. The $14 million project is expected to include nearly 100 rooms and take about two years to complete, and “bring much-needed hotel space to our city,” said Councilman Ben Short.

The economic development incentive agreement calls for the city to pay the developer, Mansa-TRH, an amount equal to 80% of lodging tax revenues collected by the city from the operations of the hotel during the first five years. The city will then pay an amount equal to 50% of the lodging tax revenues from the hotel starting in the sixth year until the maturity of the term. The city assistance shall not exceed $1 million.

According to the agreement, “the renovation, development and redevelopment of the property is expected to promote and enhance the economic vitality of the city and to support tourism and hospitality which supports the public services the city provides to its restaurants and businesses.”

The project is estimated to produce taxable revenues of more than $3 million per year, lodging tax revenues of more than $180,000 per year, and approximately 25 post-opening jobs.

In other city news, the Trussville City Council in December approved a proclamation declaring the city a trafficking-free zone. In the proclamation, the city states that it is “committed to ensuring that our community is prepared to recognize signs of human trafficking.”

Risks of human trafficking increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic turmoil, financial hardship, isolation and the shuttering of schools and other programs resulted in increased opportunities for human trafficking, particularly online, and resulted in fewer places for victims to turn to report exploitation and fewer chances for the abuse to be recognized.

Trussville will combat the human trafficking of children and vulnerable adults and mitigate the associated public safety, economic and health risks to the city in collaboration with the Child Trafficking Solutions Project and other anti-human trafficking organizations by:

► Combating labor trafficking, servitude and commercial sexual exploitation through comprehensive education of city staff

The Mercedes Doctor, 7341 Gadsden Highway, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in March. 205-661-5880, themercedesdoctor.com

Rosewood Antiques, 1935 Gadsden Highway, is celebrating its second anniversary in March. 205-452-2646

Symply Unique Boutique, 2450 Old Springville Road, is celebrating its fifth anniversary in March. 205-706-0089, symplyuniqueboutique.com

24e Health Clubs, 307 Main St., Suite 131, is celebrating its ninth anniversary in the Trussville community in March. 205-508-5053, 24ehealthclubs.com

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS

If you have news to share with the community about a brick-and-mortar business in Trussville, let us know at cahabasun.com/about-us

► The implementation and enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy against any act that may support human trafficking

► Supporting collaborative community-based solutions including prevention, recovery of victims and prosecution

of perpetrators

Trussville encourages all residents to raise the visibility of this crime and to become more informed about ways to prevent, recognize and respond to potential victims of human trafficking.

The Trussville City Council in December approved an economic development incentive for a new Home2Suites by Hilton hotel, to be constructed at 6360 Misty Ridge Drive near Service Road, seen here on Feb. 7. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Rotary starts Spirit of Service award

The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club has created an award to recognize the community service of its members.

The club's first quarterly "Spirit of Service" recipient was Marty Adams. He is very involved in the community, as evidenced by his almost 360 hours of service from June to September. He serves Full Life Ahead, an organization for families with disabilities. Adams recently assisted with its "Run for Hope," which raised and

matched over $80,000.

In February, Rotarian Ryan Benson was presented the award. Some of Ryan’s activities include serving as a board member at his church, coaching little league baseball and Upward basketball, leading kids' church, serving as a member of the Trussville Redevelopment Authority, and setting up/working the Rotary tent at the Christmas parade.

– Submitted by Diane Poole.

The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club collected and donated several items to First Light Shelter in January.

Rotary collects, donates winter items

One of January’s service projects for the Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club was the collection of new and gently-used coats, blankets and sleeping bags. All donations were taken to First Light Shelter.

First Light’s mission is to work with homeless women and their children to create hospitality in a safe and nurturing community, to encourage them to maintain dignity, to find hope, to seek opportunity and to grow spiritually, thereby achieving their full potential.

The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club has been involved in many community projects. Those projects include leadership

and scholarship opportunities for local high school students, ribbons at City Hall in recognition of Veterans’ Day, lunch for campers and staff at Smile-a-Mile and trees planted at Civitan Park. The club collected, cleaned and distributed laptops to schools for students who did not have them at the beginning of the pandemic. The Club also provided the benches at the walking track at Cahaba Elementary, the playground equipment at The Mall in historic Trussville and solar benches at the library park and at The Mall. Its largest fundraising event is a golf tournament that has been held for 30 years.

– Submitted by Diane Poole.

When people with extraordinary talent and passion are given the technology, the facilities, and the support, they achieve great things. The discoveries taking place today will help shape the future of treatments and lead to cures – benefitting not only our patients and families, but people across the country and around the world for years to come.

Left: From left to right, Club President Jamie Townes, Marty Adams and Rotary District Governor Carol Argo.

Right: Ryan Benson and Club President Jamie Townes. Photos courtesy of Diane Poole.

Photo courtesy of Diane Poole.

‘Our journey is over’

Glendale Farms owner recounts history, discusses legacy

By GARY LLOYD

Before this land’s future was passionately debated in crowded city council chambers, Mary Beard-Foster roamed that picturesque acreage, filling cartons with free-range eggs.

Other than the three henhouses that came about in the 1940s and hogs for a short time in the 1960s, Glendale Farms was always a cattle farm.

“It’s so, so neat to have grown up in all that,” Beard-Foster said.

Now, the three big tractors and one small one have been sold off. The last cutting of hay happened a while back. The cattle no longer wander the hills. It is now a blank 230-acre slate, awaiting whatever comes next.

The Trussville City Council in November 2022 approved a resolution for the purchase of 230 acres of Glendale Farms, where a development that would have included 419 homes and a fourth city elementary school was denied in August 2022. The Beard family owns the property. Paul Ott Carruth Jr. and Lindsey Bowers Carruth have assigned a first right of refusal on some of the land to the city.

Much has been said about Glendale

Farms in Trussville the last couple years. However, there were more than 80 years of family history there before the land became so much about the future. Beard-Foster’s grandfather, Richard Beard Sr., bought the farm in 1936.

A few years later, Glendale Mills & Supply Co. was opened on modern-day Main Street, in the location of present-day Edgar’s Bakery. It was a co-op store. It expanded into hardware in the 1960s and

was added onto in the 1970s to sell furniture and appliances.

“That store was the beginning of Glendale Farms,” Beard-Foster said.

But why name it Glendale? Beard Sr. lived in Nashville as a kid, and one of his favorite parks was called Glendale Park.

“He loved that park, and he loved the name Glendale,” Beard-Foster said.

Beard-Foster’s father, Richard Beard Jr., lettered in football at Marion Institute High

School and later Auburn University and LSU. He served in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1952 and, upon discharge, went to Glendale Farms to manage the property with his dad. When Beard Sr. was elected Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries, Beard Jr. took over running the farm.

“My dad got real, real involved,” Beard-Foster said.

He owned the property from 1973 until his death in 2019. He was twice chosen as Jefferson County’s Most Outstanding Young Farmer and served as president of the Jefferson County Cattleman’s Association. He was president of the Trussville Civitan Club and Trussville Chamber of Commerce in 1961. He served on the Trussville City Council, Trussville Utilities Board and Marion Institute Board of Trustees. He owned and managed Glendale Mills & Supply Co. from 1964 to 1992, at which time the property became Sticks ‘N’ Stuff.

A lake covering five or six acres was added to the property by Beard Sr. It was stocked with bluegill, bream and largemouth bass. Beard-Foster’s husband, Rick Foster, has reeled in a 12-pounder.

From the 1960s on, Glendale Farms was strictly a cattle farm, breeding Angus and

Above: Mary Beard-Foster and her husband, Rick Foster, stand at the back of Glendale Farms overlooking a pond on the property in Trussville. Glendale Farms has been in Beard-Foster’s family since 1936. Below: The original barn at Glendale Farms in Trussville. Photos by Erin Nelson.

Brahman cattle. Beard-Foster was always instructed not to get attached to the cattle, but how could you not? She can look at old photos today and remember their names –Georgie, Roscoe and her favorite, Sweet Pea.

Her father’s pride and joy was a white Brahman named Buford, who ate from a persimmon tree when he was a calf. At 2 months old, he became Beard Jr.’s pet. He owned about 200 photos of Buford. Buford died at age 6. The loss was so hard that Beard Jr. moved on from Brahman cattle and brought in Limousin cattle.

“It was just devastating for my dad,” Beard-Foster said. “He was just such a pet.”

Beard Jr. died in 2019, leaving the property to Beard-Foster. At the north end of the Glendale Farms property on a blustery but beautiful recent January afternoon, she talked about not trading her 67 years of life on the farm for anything, about how her family’s heritage developed her as

a person.

She and her husband want to spend more time with their son, Harrison, and his wife, Melissa, and granddaughters Lilly and Olivia. Now, she said, a newer tomorrow is appropriate.

“Our journey is over,” she said. “The journey for a newer tomorrow for it is there. That’s how I look at it. It’s been

incredible for me in my life. I would love for every kid in the world to experience what I had at this farm.”

The family won’t be far away. A barn that will include a kitchen and other space is under construction on a parcel of the property the family retained. They’ll have the memories and the views, though the landscape is certainly going to change. Despite the Glendale Farms Preserve development being denied in August 2022, the plan is still to construct a fourth city elementary school on the property. Beyond that, options abound. Beard-Foster hopes enough of that picturesque property remains so that whenever a school is constructed, children peer through classroom windows and are inspired.

“You can’t help but look out a classroom window and look and just go, ‘Wow, this is

incredible,’” she said.

Maybe some of those children will be so inspired to one day earn a scholarship from a program that Beard-Foster and her husband are creating. The name is still being finalized, but the program will be for students who are working and plan to work trades for a living. The scholarships will start at $2,500 and could go as high as $5,000. Glendale Farms won’t be the same as it was for more than 80 years, but the family legacy can continue with this scholarship program.

“We want them to be the future of America with welding, with knowing plumbing, knowing agriculture, knowing those things, and not be in debt,” Beard-Foster said. “To us, it’s giving back. It’s just giving back. It’s important to us. I think it’s important to the future of America.”

Above: Mary Beard-Foster holds a photograph of her father Richard Beard Jr. from the 1950s, on the Glendale Farms property in Trussville. Top: Mary‘s grandfather, Richard Beard Sr., with two bulls from the 1950s, on the Glendale Farms property. Right: Photographs of Richard Beard Jr., father of Mary Beard-Foster, are pinned to a bulletin board in the office. Photos by Erin Nelson.

It’s been incredible for me in my life. I would love for every kid in the world to experience what I had at this farm.

MARY BEARD-FOSTER

Housing market regains steam after 2022 slowdown.

REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT

By JON ANDERSON

The housing market in Trussville slowed down some in 2022, but as interest rates have dropped back down a bit this year, activity is picking back up, people in the industry say.

The number of home closings in Trussville fell 10% in 2022 from 794 to 713, data from the Greater Alabama Multiple Listing Service shows. The 2022 numbers were 15% below the 850 home closings in 2020, when record-low interest rates spurred a flurry of sales.

Of the 713 home closings in 2022, 536 of them were existing homes, which is down 12% from 611 closings on existing homes in 2021, data shows. Meanwhile, new home closings in Trussville have remained stable over the past five years, with 188 in 2018, 183 in 2019, 182 in 2020, 183 in 2021 and 177 in 2022.

The biggest reason for the overall decline in home sales is the rise in interest rates, real estate agents and builders say.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage had fallen below 3% after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, dropping as low as 2.65% in January 2021. That was the lowest rate in history and encouraged many people to move or build because they could borrow money at a cheaper price and afford a bigger house.

But the Federal Reserve throughout 2022 steadily raised short-term interest rates in an effort to control inflation. The result was that the average 30-year mortgage rate edged up from 2.75% in December 2021 to 4% in March, 5.25% in May and 7% in October, according to Freddie Mac.

The higher rates pushed some potential homebuyers out of the market, said Kevin Sargent, an associate broker at ARC Realty’s office in Trussville and secretary for the Birmingham Association of Realtors.

Housing became less affordable, and some of those people who were looking for a housing change more out of desire than necessity backed off their search, Sargent said.

Lee Marlow, a Realtor in RealtySouth’s Trussville office, agreed.

“It got kind of quiet in October when rates started going up. The market kind of stopped. It slowed down a good bit,” Marlow said. Rates were increasing rapidly, “and it was kind of scary a little bit for everybody.”

But as rates began dropping from the 7% to 8% percent range to the 5.5% and 6% range again early this year, activity has picked back up.

Based on the number of phone calls and meetings occurring, “I think it’s going to be a really strong year here,” Marlow said. “I think the market is very slowly normalizing.”

STRONG DEMAND

Demand for housing in Trussville continues to be strong, Realtors and builders say.

“Trussville continues to do very well,” said Jonathan Belcher, president of Signature Homes, which had 49% of the new home closings in Trussville last year. “It’s a very attractive community for new homes and existing homes. It’s a great community with great schools.”

The city is close to all the amenities and jobs in Birmingham and has been adding more restaurants and areas like the

entertainment district, Sargent said. City leaders have been working to revitalize the downtown area and expand amenities such as parks, trails and green spaces, Marlow said.

“There’s a lot to offer families where they don’t have to leave Trussville to go find it somewhere else,” she said. “There’s something to offer everybody.”

The problem is that the housing inventory is low. At the beginning of this year, there was less than a three-month supply of new homes on the market and only about a month’s supply of existing homes, MLS data shows.

“We need more inventory. We need more homes to sell,” Marlow said.

The low inventory and strong demand have been factors in prices continuing to increase. The average price for new homes in Trussville rose 11% in 2022 from $432,002 to $477,605, while the average price of existing homes was up 14% from $334,379 to $380,909, MLS data shows.

Just four years prior — in 2018 — the average price for a new home in Trussville was $344,562, while the average price for an existing home was $255,708.

These price increases for 2022 came despite higher interest rates, which shows that the economy in Trussville is strong, Belcher said. “I was shocked at the number of homes selling for over $500,000 versus two to three years ago,” he said.

Taking home size into consideration, the price per square foot for new homes in Trussville rose from $134 per square foot in 2018 to $162 per square foot in 2021 and $186 per square foot in 2022. For existing homes, the price per square foot rose from $109 in 2018 to $140 in 2021 and $158 in 2022.

Strong demand wasn’t the only reason for price increases. The cost of building materials also has risen. The cost of lumber in 2020 and 2021 was 37% above historical averages, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Other building materials such as concrete, gypsum and steel also saw rapid price increases during that time.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Now that interest rates have dropped again, the outlook is positive for 2023, Sargent, Marlow and Belcher said.

“I expect 2023 to be stronger than 2022, but not by a lot,” Sargent said.

Marlow said there is some pent-up demand from people who backed off to watch the market this past fall and now are ready to move. It would help to have more inventory to show them, and it would be nice to get a little more variety of housing types when it comes to new construction, she said. She’s hearing from people who are interested in homes with basements instead of just a slab on top of the ground, as well as a desire for more starter homes, she said.

JR Malchus, Trussville’s building official, said building permits were down from the previous year for the months of November, December and January — from 33 to 22.

Some of that is because builders finished up the last of available lots in the Winslow Parc and Halcyon communities in 2022, and Harris Doyle Homes ran out of approved lots in Longmeadow, Malchus said.

However, Harris Doyle is about to start a new phase of Longmeadow, and Trussville Springs is about to start another sector, he said. Additionally, Little Goose Development is

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about to start building on 70 lots along Husky Parkway, Malchus said.

Belcher said Signature Homes has less than 40 lots to sell in Stockton and likely will finish up in that community this year. There also are available lots scattered all around town, Malchus said.

There is plenty more land in and around Trussville for development, but people are asking a lot of money for their land and a lot of it is hilly, which makes development more complicated, Malchus said.

Huskies finish 3rd, 4th at state indoor meet

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Hewitt-Trussville High School boys and girls indoor track and field teams came up a few points short of a runner-up trophy Feb. 4 at the Class 7A state meet, held at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Hoover swept the boys and girls titles in dominant fashion, as the boys more than doubled runner-up Vestavia’s score, while the girls won by more than 30 points as well. Hewitt’s girls finished third with 63 points, behind Chelsea’s 81 points. Hewitt’s boys were fourth, just a half point behind Huntsville and 9.5 points behind Vestavia Hills.

Tori Mack was victorious in the 60-meter hurdles, running the race in 8.92 seconds to earn top spot on the podium. Michael Igbinoghene was an individual champion as well, winning the long jump crown by reaching 22 feet, 8.75 inches.

The boys 4x200-meter relay team of Hudson Bates, Colin Wadsworth, Malachi Johnson and Manny Cazeau was also victorious, running it in 1:29.

Reaching the podium for the girls were Brianna Beckham (third in 60), Madisyn Hawkins (second in shot put) and the 4x200

HewittTrussville’s Manny Cazeau competes in the boys 4x200-meter relay during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Feb. 4

(seventh in 800 and sixth in 1,600), Kinley Harris (seventh in 1,600), Catherine Asbury (fifth in high jump), Haley Melton (eighth in long jump and fourth in triple jump), Haven White (fourth in pole vault), Sarah Johnson (eighth in pole vault) and the 4x800 relay of Cahoon, Sophie Bryant, Callie Armstrong and Sophia Knox (sixth) earned points for the Huskies girls as well.

Earning additional points for the boys team were Igbinoghene (fifth in 60 and fifth in triple jump), Nathan Thomas (sixth in 60), Cazeau (sixth in 60 hurdles), Tristan Teer (eighth in 1,600 and sixth in 3,200), Will Owens (seventh in high jump), Daniel James (fourth in pole vault), Shaw Helfrich (eighth in pole vault), the 4x400 team of Cazeau, Daniel Hickman, Hudson Bates and Tyrone Reese (fourth) and the 4x800 team of Rush Lachina, Wes Ellison, Jacob Mullinax and Teer (seventh).

relay team of Beckham, Mack, Libby Armstrong and Emmie Goodell. Beckham (fourth in 400), Avery Cahoon

Hailey Tolbert, Jamal Hobbs, Jadon Loving, Jayda Hammonds, Jaliyah Edwards, Skyler Carrillo and DJ Carter also competed for the Huskies.

New-look Huskies ready to prove themselves

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Hewitt-Trussville High School softball team has two Class 7A state championships and a runner-up trophy over the last three full seasons, as the Huskies have fully established themselves as one of the top programs in Alabama.

One of the key factors in that success has been a potent offense, possessing power and depth that few teams across the state can compete with.

But while the Huskies are gearing up to reach similar heights once again in 2023, that offense is going to look a little different. They probably will not hit as many home runs as in years past, as run production takes on a slightly different look.

“We’ve got some really good kids that are athletic,” Hewitt-Trussville head coach Taylor Burt said. “We’re faster, so the name of our game is going to change a little bit.”

Hewitt lost a crop of seniors from last year’s team but will also be moving forward without star infielder Kenleigh Cahalan. Cahalan elected to graduate in December and enroll at the University of Alabama, where she is playing this spring. She has been a

big part of the Huskies’ success over the last four years.

“She’s meant a lot,” Burt said. “Her and Hannah [Dorsett] in the middle, I’m not sure you can have two better middle infielders anywhere. She’s set a good example of work ethic, what it takes to be that good, and really helping bring our program to a level we had not seen before.”

This year’s Hewitt team will feature four seniors, in Dorsett, Gracie Reeves, Rubie

HewittTrussville’s Hannah Dorsett (15) records an out as she makes a throw to first in an elimination game against Hoover during the Class 7A state softball tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford on May 19.

Simon and Taylor Davis. Dorsett has contributed to the varsity team since she was in middle school and will anchor the Huskies’ offense at the top of the order one more season before heading to play at UAB.

Dorsett is one of a handful of returning Huskies that garnered significant experience a season ago. Simon was a key part of the outfield last year, while Sara Phillips, Olivia Faggard and Kate Hicks are also back.

Phillips, a Maryland commit, will be the

Huskies’ ace pitcher and likely one of their top hitters as well. Faggard is committed to ULM and Chaney Peters is an Illinois commit, and both juniors are looking to be fixtures on the infield this season.

Hicks and Zaylen Tucker are going to be among the pitchers logging innings in addition to Phillips. Throughout her tenure, Burt has committed to using a pitching staff to make it through the season without wearing down a single arm.

Burt has seen positive signs in the team’s emerging leadership and wants the Huskies to define success on their own merit. She believes outsiders will doubt the potential of this year’s squad, due to the departing star power from last year’s runner-up team.

Hewitt will compete in Area 6 with Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Chelsea this season. If the Huskies advance, they will compete in a regional against two of Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Tuscaloosa County and reigning champ Thompson. Only two of those teams will even make it to the state tournament in Oxford.

“There’s a lot of reasons that this group wants to prove itself, we just have to make sure we channel that,” Burt said. “They want to prove to people that they can succeed, too.”

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Huskies preview season at media day event

By KYLE PARMLEY

Many schools were represented at Thompson High School over a two-day stretch, Jan. 25-26, taking part in a preseason media event to highlight local high school soccer programs.

It is the third consecutive year that local soccer teams have taken part in such an event, with it previously being held at Pelham and Oak Mountain.

The Hewitt-Trussville boys team took part in the preseason event, as second-year coach Daniel Decker was joined by seniors Parker Briggs and Parker Green.

Decker’s team posted an 8-12-3 record last spring but continually improved as the season progressed. The Huskies broke through to the state playoffs for the first time in several years, finishing second in the area.

There are nine seniors on this year’s roster who saw that steady progress a season ago, which gives hope that the Huskies can pick up where they left off.

“As a team, we understand each other a lot more,” Decker said. “We tried to get to know each other last year and develop the

play style we wanted. So, we hit the ground running off the bat [this spring].”

Decker said things began to click last spring when Hewitt-Trussville adjusted back to a more familiar playing style for the returning players. That positive stretch culminated in the regular season finale, as the Huskies beat Spain Park 4-0 to get that playoff berth.

Hewitt-Trussville bowed out in the first

From left: HewittTrussville boys soccer coach Daniel Decker, Parker Briggs and Parker Green attend the 2023 soccer media day at Thompson High School on Jan. 26.

round of the playoffs to eventual Class 7A runner-up Oak Mountain, but the Huskies hope to one day get to a level where they are competing with those top-tier teams, of which there are many in the Birmingham area.

Briggs and Green said the key in games against teams like Oak Mountain is keeping composure and remaining focused. They said it is a process learning how to compete in

those big games.

Decker wants his players to play with that chip on their shoulder, but to also remain humble and focus on developing as players and as a team.

“We are in that upper echelon, we do belong,” he said. “We proved that last year, being able to make the playoffs. We had some close results that could’ve gone the other way.”

Along with Briggs and Green, seniors include Brooks Bilodeau, Anderson Branham, Legion Gaston, Max Medero, Seth Walker and Ethan Williamson.

This season, the Huskies will play in 7A, Area 6, with Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Chelsea. That certainly will not be an easy feat for them to get back to the playoffs, but coach and players are eager to get going.

Hewitt-Trussville’s girls will be looking to get back to the playoffs after a tough area road last season. Led by Lauren Wooten, the Lady Huskies went 13-6-2 in 2022.

Hewitt’s girls feature four seniors this season, with Ella Allen, Lily Burford, Katie Harbin and Anna Savage playing out their final seasons with the program.

Varsity Sports Calendar

BASEBALL

March 2: Doubleheader vs. Gadsden City. 4:30 p.m.

March 3: @ Briarwood. 5 p.m.

March 6: @ Mortimer Jordan. 4:30 p.m.

March 7: vs. Springville. 6:30 p.m.

March 9: @ Central-Phenix City. 5 p.m.

March 10: @ Auburn. 1 p.m.

March 11: @ Opelika. 10 a.m.

March 14: vs. Cullman. 7 p.m.

March 16: @ Oxford. 4:30 p.m.

March 17: vs. Briarwood. 6 p.m.

March 18: vs. Southside-Gadsden. 4 p.m.

March 20: vs. Boaz. 6 p.m.

March 21: vs. Hoover. 5 p.m.

March 23: @ Hoover. 6 p.m.

March 24: @ Southside-Gadsden. 7 p.m.

March 27: vs. Hueytown, Normal (Illinois). Gulf Shores. 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

March 28: vs. Bradford (Tennessee). Robertsdale High School. 2 p.m.

March 29: vs. Napersville (Illinois). Orange Beach High School. 4:30 p.m.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

March 3: Husky March Classic. Hewitt-Trussville Stadium.

March 11: King of the Mountain. Vestavia Hills High School.

March 18: Homewood Invitational. Waldrop Stadium.

March 23: Over the Mountain Challenge. Waldrop Stadium.

SOCCER

March 3: Boys @ Homewood. 7 p.m.

March 7: vs. Chelsea. Girls at 5 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

March 10: @ Spain Park. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

March 14: vs. Oak Mountain. Girls at 5 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

March 16: Girls @ Thompson. 6:30 p.m.

March 17: Boys vs. Thompson. 7 p.m.

March 21: Girls @ Vestavia Hills. 6:30 p.m.

March 22: vs. Shades Valley. Boys at 5 p.m., girls at 6:30 p.m.

March 24-25: Boys at Smoky Mountain Cup. Sevierville, Tennessee.

SOFTBALL

March 3-4: Hewitt Invitational. Goldie Paine Field.

March 7: @ Southside-Gadsden. 4:30 p.m.

March 8: vs. Austin. Wallace State Community College. 5 p.m.

March 9: @ Oak Mountain. 6 p.m.

March 10-11: Jag Classic. Hoover Met Complex.

March 14: @ Spain Park. 6 p.m.

March 21: @ Hartselle. 6 p.m.

March 23: @ Chelsea. 4:30 p.m.

March 27-29: Gulf Coast Classic. Gulf Shores Sports Complex.

TENNIS

March 3: @ Auburn. 4 p.m.

March 7: vs. Hoover. 4 p.m.

March 8: @ Gardendale. 4 p.m.

March 10-11: Boys at McGill-Toolen Invite. Mobile.

March 14: @ Spain Park. 4 p.m.

March 16: vs. Sylacauga. 4 p.m.

March 20: vs. Pell City. 4 p.m.

March 24-25: Girls at McGill-Toolen Invite. Mobile.

Photo by Kyle Parmley.

Rotary announces student, teacher of month

The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club is pleased to announce its Don Haisten Student of the Month for January. The program is sponsored by Full Moon Bar-B-Q.

Senior Jaimee Douglas is from ClayChalkville High School. Jaimee has participated in Thespian Society, National Honors Society, National Art honors society, Clay-Chalkville Ambassador, HOSA, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Shillo USA, Mu Alpha Theta, Key Club, JefCoEd Broadcast Journalism Signature Society and the Greater Alabama Council Boy Scouts of America Youth Leadership Development Program.

Jaimee is academically at the top 10% of her class, is on the A-Honor Roll, received Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Achievement Awards, and received the $1,000 Litter Quitters Award and the Alabama PALS 2022

Governor's Award. In her spare time, Jaimee likes to participate in community service projects around school, as well as to organize her own service projects. She also enjoys dancing.

Jaimee selected as her Teacher of the Month (TOM) her Broadcast TV Production teacher, Mr. Kristopher Campbell. She said of Mr. Campbell, "He is the only teacher I've had who actually gives his students the materials and independence needed for them to evolve and grow more, not only academically but more emotionally as people. The sympathy, empathy, and understanding that he has demonstrated for those around him has not only influenced me to do the same but it has also helped me when I was at my lowest. He is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of teacher from whom I am glad to have the pleasure of learning."

– Submitted by Diane Poole.

From left: Rotary Student Services Chair Fran Aldridge, Student of the Month Jaimee Douglas, Teacher of the Month Kristopher Campbell and Club President Jamie Townes. Photo courtesy of Diane Poole.

TRUSSVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Mondays and Thursdays: Yarn Manglers. Mondays 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursdays 2-4 p.m. Knitters and crocheters, join for fellowship and creativity. Ages 18 and older.

Tuesdays: Crazy 8’s Math Club. This eight-week session of our lower-elementary-grades math club is booked up. Stay tuned for the next session.

Thursdays: Children’s storytime. 10:30-11:30 a.m

Join Ms. Alicia for stories, songs, bubble time and lots of fun. Birth through pre-K.

March 1: Gardening. 11 a.m.-noon. Learn how to set up your garden for success throughout the growing season with this tutorial on spring tasks. Ages 18 and older.

March 1: Video Game – Free Play. 4-5:30 p.m. The library will provide several gaming systems and games as well as a large projector for use. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. 6th-12th grades.

March 2: An Evening with Sean of the South. Sold out.

March 9: Pokémon Club. 4-5 p.m. Spend time playing

Pokémon or enjoy watching a classic Pokémon show and creating a craft! 1st-5th grades.

March 9, 16, 23, 30: Sign Language 101. 6-7 p.m. Ages 13 and older.

March 13: Bingo Night. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Join us in the Cahaba Room for a fun time playing Bingo. Win prizes and enjoy light refreshments. Please register, as space is limited. 6th-12th grades.

March 13: STEAM for Kids. 5-6 p.m. Ready for some hands-on application of science, technology, engineering, art and math? This club is open to 1st-6th grades. Registration is required.

March 13: Books & Brews. 7:15-8:15 p.m. An evening Adult Book Club meeting in the event room at Ferus Artisan Ales. Ages 18 and older.

March 14: T.A.B. 4-5 p.m. Teen Advisory Board is a place for local teens to get involved with their library. 8th-12th grades.

March 15: Preschoolers at Play. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Join us for a guided sensory time with Ms. Alicia, followed by free play at several stations set up around the large auditorium with various toys. Ages 2-5.

March 15: Adult Book Club 2023. 2-3 p.m. This month’s title is “The Cartographers” by Peng Shepherd. Ages 18 and older.

March 15: Video Game Tournament. 4-5:30 p.m. Registration required. 6th-12th grades.

March 16: Trussville Job Fair. 1:30-5:30 p.m. See trussvillechamber.com for details. Ages 18 and older.

March 16: Understanding Medicare. 1-2 p.m. Educational seminar about Medicare options. Ages 18 and older.

March 20: Chess Club. 5-6 p.m. Registration encouraged. Parents are welcome to participate with their children. K-8th grades.

March 21: Manga Club. 4-5 p.m. Teen Book Club for manga and anime fans. The book will change every month. 6th-12th grades.

March 23: “Schitt’s Creek” Trivia. 6-8 p.m. Registration required. Ages 18 and older.

March 27: American Girl Club. 4-5 p.m. This month we’ll talk about Josefina. Registration required. K-5th grades.

March 28: Let’s Duel. 4-5 p.m. We will be playing a variety of card games and board games, so feel free to bring your own cards or games from home. 6th-12th grades.

March 31: Red Cross Blood Drive. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Every unit we donate at our blood drive can help save up to three lives. Ages 16 and older.

Southern Musings

By Gary Lloyd

The backside of beach traditions

By GARY LLOYD

Our trips to Gulf Shores were always packed with more tradition than that pregame hype video that plays across the jumbotron screens at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The buffet at Hazel’s was always a must. I ate enough popcorn shrimp to keep a shrimp boat deckhand working all summer. Finding 18 holes of mini-golf, anywhere on the Gulf Coast, was how we’d spend at least one night. Racing go-karts at The Track was always my favorite event of the week.

It was the beach so, naturally, there had to be time in the sand. We’d build sand castles, dig holes, search for unbroken shells and avoid jellyfish stings. I waded only waist deep into the Atlantic Ocean, because anything too deep to see to the ocean floor was disconcerting.

How, knowing that jellyfish, stingrays and sharks lurk in those waters, do you swim 100 yards out in that green water and just stand there? I’ll never understand. This is what the pool is for.

Anyway, I recently drove south to Gulf Shores by myself for a work trip. Alone at a buffet? A group of one at mini-golf? Spinning out 12-yearolds from Knoxville at The Track? None of the traditions I grew up with seemed to make sense by myself. In my free time, I had to find something new, and I found it on the backside of all the attractions.

My fifth-floor room faced away from the ocean, but I could still see a large body of water. It took me walking through the parking lot and across a pedestrian bridge over five lanes of speeding tourists to learn what it was. It was called Lake Shelby, and it was my favorite part of my trip. I visited every day.

I sat atop a picnic table five feet from the water my first evening there, and I quickly realized that there wasn’t a single person within a football field of me. In Gulf Shores. In May. In sub-80s temperature. Kids swung and climbed at a nearby playground. A man taught his black Labrador to catch a Frisbee.

I went to the same place the next morning at sunrise. On my last full day in Gulf Shores, I walked four miles around the lake. Talk about a place to recenter and just be. I was on the backside of the beach, of some massive waterpark, of every one of the 917 souvenir stores that sell toddler-sized airbrushed T-shirts for the same price as the grilled snapper at LuLu’s.

I saw a man teaching his daughter to snag crabs from the water with a net. I saw a brown rabbit that was blissfully unafraid of me, and a heron that I swear wanted to kill me. The minnows in the lake allowed me close enough to record a slow-motion video of them.

All week I thought it was odd that, despite being by myself on the trip, I didn’t take a go-kart for a couple laps at The Track, that I didn’t putt a bright red ball around 18 holes of green carpet.

I suppose I started a new tradition.

Gary Lloyd is the author of six books and is a contributing writer to the Cahaba Sun.

Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich

New in town

Sean and his wife Jamie moved to the Birmingham area in March 2022. This is a column he wrote on his fourth day in his new town.

Day Four. We have been living in Birmingham for four days and I am lost. Hopelessly lost. Right now I am in interstate traffic and I have no idea where in the Lord’s name I am.

Also, it’s colder than a witch’s jogbra in this city. The temperature last night was 37 degrees and I couldn’t feel my digits.

Before you accuse me of being a weather wimp, I must remind you that I come from the Panhandle, where the median temperature is 103, and our hurricane season lasts from June to the following June.

So I was not ready for the freezing temps a few nights ago. My entire little family slept in one bed to keep warm, and whenever it got cold, my wife threw on another dog.

But that’s what you get here in the foothills of the Appalachians. Because when I asked the guy at the hardware store if it would ever warm up, he explained the weather like this:

“This is Birmingham, dude. You git what you git, and you don’t pitch a fit.”

Which reminds me: I know all the hardware store employees on a first-name basis now. I’ve been spending a lot of time at Home Depot lately.

Since we are still busy moving into our house, my wife has been sending me on random hardware errands for items such as felt chair pads, shims, sink stoppers, and (don’t ask) pitchforks.

I go to the hardware store four or five times per day, sometimes more. Sometimes I don’t even buy anything, I just wander the aisles wearing a helpless look, glancing at my wife’s list in a way that causes concerned employees to sidle up to me and ask if I need a chaplain.

Then an employee leads me to an aisle where my item is located and I am forced to choose between an infinity of options, colors, and denominations.

Do you want the one with the five-eighths angled grommet, or the eleven-sixteenths one with the reinforced brackets? Do you want galvanized or powder coated? Or would you like the three-quarter nodule with the all-weather defibrillator and the reverse coupling ribbed flange?

Nothing is easy in the hardware store anymore. Take lightbulbs. Used to, buying light bulbs was a snap. Your mom bought them at the supermarket. She simply tossed a box of bulbs into her buggy with her non-smoking hand and kept on trucking.

Back then, you had three kinds of bulbs to choose from — which were all the same bulb, but different wattages. The whole process took maybe 4 seconds.

Today, however, the hardware store has a lightbulb aisle that’s roughly the size of Newark. There are bulbs with different “lumens,” “finishes,” “contours,” “hues” and “shapes.”

You have incandescents, compact fluorescents, halogens, light emitting diodes, tubes, candles, globes, floodlights, spirals, Edisons, capsules, track lights, cool lights, white lights, warm lights, menthol lights, Miller Lites, etc.

And God help you if you buy the wrong bulb, because your wife will send you back to the hardware store. This is very embarrassing. When you re-enter through the pneumatic doors again, you immediately make eye contact with the same employees you saw a few minutes earlier, and you feel much like a neutered dog.

Then, one of the employees usually attempts to make you feel better by saying, “Listen, it’s not easy, shopping in this store, it’s overwhelming.”

Which makes you feel about as manly as a guy dressed in a Hello Kitty costume.

But hey, this is all part of the moving process. Moving means learning how to adjust to new situations, new experiences, and new highways.

Speaking of highways. I’m still driving, and I still have no earthly clue where I am.

So far, I’ve been learning how to navigate this foreign city with a sociopathic GPS that often tells me to “turn right here” while I am speeding over a bridge.

I’ve had to pull over and ask random pedestrians for directions three times this morning. Although, I have to admit, the residents in this city are extremely accommodating.

A few minutes ago, for example, I asked a guy for directions who I met in a parking lot near a Mexican restaurant. He was Latino, and more than happy to help.

This kind hearted man took nearly 15 minutes of his valuable time to tell me, in painstaking detail, exactly where I should go, where I should turn, and how long it would take me to get where I was going. At least I assume that’s what he was saying because he didn’t speak one lick of English.

In fact, the only English words he apparently knew were, “It is what it is, man.” He must have said this phrase 2,193 times.

“Thank you for your help,” I said as we shook hands and parted ways.

“It is what it is, man,” he answered.

Which, I suppose, roughly translates into, “You git what you git and you don’t pitch a fit.”

Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. He has authored nine books and is the creator of the “Sean of the South” blog and podcast.

Dietrich

Hear and know God in a new way

First Baptist Church Trussville

First Baptist Church Trussville has developed a summer program for every age group to help young people develop a relationship with Christ.

From devotion and summer fun in Ocoee Ridge, Tennessee, to honing fine arts skills, First Baptist Church Trussville hosts fullweek summer camps and day camps throughout the summer.

Student Camp Ocoee takes students in sixth through twelfth grades to Tennessee for five days packed with fun activities, worship and distraction-free time with friends.

Third- through fifth-grade campers are invited to Camp ToKnowHim to get away and have fun. Kindergartners through second-grade campers attend a Day Camp at First Baptist Church Trussville with the same themes.

For the artistically inclined students between first and fifth grade, Fine Arts

CALL: 205-655-2403

WEB: fbctrussville.org

Camp is a day camp that offers instruction in several disciplines.

Princess Dance Camp is a fun half-day camp that teaches the basics of dance to girls ages 3-8.

There are also several basketball camps available for kids in K5 through 5th grade.

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