Homewood Star December 2015

The Homewood Star Volume 5 | Issue 9 | December 2015

neighborly news & entertainment for Homewood

City rules on vaping, smoking broaden

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Police officers have to go through firearm training twice a year, but this time, the Homewood Police Department is adding a new competition to the mix.

Homewood Police Sgt. and firearms instructor Justin Self said the department’s 78 officers are using their fall training session to prepare for a new “Top Gun” shooting competition slated for Dec. 4.

“We have always had some sort of competition amongst ourselves during these training sessions,” Self said as he stopped to answer questions at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Training Center. “Mainly for bragging rights.”

To make this round of instruction even more interesting, Self said, Homewood Police Chief Jim Roberson asked the instructors to create the inaugural Top Gun competition. The winning officer will walk away with bragging rights, of course, but also a trophy and prize.

“This event will help get our guys even more motivated,” Self said.

“They all have a competitive spirit, and of course this is already important

Jake Waitzman is an unlikely proponent of more expansive smoking regulations. A former 20-year smoker, Waitzman is the owner of Vulcan Vape and the president of Breathe Easier Alliance Alabama, an e-cigarette lobbying group.

However, he said he “applauds” the Homewood City Council’s Nov. 9 decision to update its smoking ordinance, prohibiting smoking and e-cigarette use in several new public spaces.

“I think it’s a healthy thing to talk about,” Waitzman said.

Discussion of new smoking ordinances began in October. Members of the Safe and Healthy Homewood Coalition, as well as several parents and residents, favored a comprehensive regulation to ban smoking in all public places due to health risks for smokers and those around them. They expressed these opinions to the council over the course of multiple meetings.

“One’s right to smoke ends at my right to breathe,” said Resolute Running coach Jennifer Andress at an Oct. 26 public hearing on the issue. “We definitely need to be leaders in this capacity.”

“When kids grow up in a community where that’s just not an acceptable behavior for anybody… they’re less likely to begin to use [tobacco or other substances],” said Carissa Anthony, the prevention and development coordinator for the coalition after that meeting.

“Over and over again… that [comprehensive smoking ban] has been linked to a reduction in youth initiation of smoking.

In fact, it’s almost equivalent to raising the taxes on cigarettes by a dollar,” Anthony said.

Some council members, including Ward 4 Rep. Barry Smith and Ward 5 Rep. Peter Wright, agreed with the coalition about the comprehensive ban. Others, such as Ward 1 Rep. Britt Thames, were opposed to regulations that would limit businesses, including restaurants, from coming to their

See TOP GUN | page A26

See SMOKING | page A27

Above: Homewood police officer Victor Sims completes his semiannual requalification course at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Training Center on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Below: Sgt. Justin Self, also a firearms instructor, reviews a target for accuracy. Photos by Ana Good.

On the mark

Homewood Police compete for inaugural ‘Top Gun’ title

By ANA GOOD

INSIDE INSIDE

Sponsors.................... A4 City.............................. A6

Business.................... A10 Community.............. A22

School House............B12 Sports........................ B15

Real Estate................B21 Calendar....................B22 facebook.com/thehomewoodstar

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit #830

Got Goats?

Red Mountain State Park employs a unique but sustainable solution to mitigate a growing problem: invasive plant species like kudzu.

See page B1

Hoops Hype With basketball season upon us, we preview Homewood’s boys and girls 2015-16 teams and schedules.

See page B17

A2 • December 2015

The Homewood Star

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A3

faster

• Custom run plans • Weekly speedwork • Goal race training • Boston Marathon qualification training • Team race events

“I have had huge PRs & shaved off my times: 7 minutes off 5k 8 minutes off 10k 3 minutes off half 6 minutes off marathon”

~Shilonqua, marathoner

The Homewood Star

A4 • December 2015

About Us

BEHIND THE LENS Editor’s Note

By Sydney Cromwell This year will be my first Homewood Christmas. I’ve lived part-time in the area for a few years, but I always returned to my family’s home in Tennessee around Christmas and New Year.

I’ll still visit them for the holidays, but most of my time will be spent here, in my new home.

Last year, I looked at friends’ pictures of the downtown star lighting ceremony and wished I could be there. This year, I will be.

The great thing about being here for the holidays is how many Christmas events I have to choose from. There’s probably more than I can get to in just one year.

Aside from the star lighting, there’s the Holly Days sale, the Legacy League home tour, the city Christmas parade and the Nutcracker at Samford’s Wright Center, among others. I also want to visit the Homewood Wishing Tree to hang my own wish for the New Year on one of the branches.

Before December even began, I got to walk down 18th Street and see the holiday window displays. The weather may have been too warm for sweaters, but I felt a dose of Christmas joy all the same.

I hope the holidays are a time of happiness and safety for you and your family, whether you take part in these events or prefer to celebrate at home.

As we prepare for a new year, I also hope you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on 2015, its highs and lows, and make plans for where you want to be when I’m writing this note in December 2016.

I wish you confidence and peace in these final days of the year.

Goats on Red Mountain are probably nothing new, given the history of the mine-rich area. Now, they are being used as an effort to reclaim areas of Red Mountain Park that have been overgrown with invasive plant species including kudzu and privet hedge.

Their natural curiosity make them fun to observe and photograph. This herd of about 150 goats are confined to a specific a ea by a portable electric fence. After a short hike to the area they were working, I found them chewing on almost everything in their reach.

I used a 200 mm lens to maintain my distance and set the ISO of 400, the shutter to 1/200th of a second and an aperture of f14 to get a little bit of depth.

Behind the Lens highlights the inspiration and execution of a photographer’s assignment. Got a question?

Email Frank Couch at fcouch@starnespublishing.com.

The Homewood Star Publisher: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Video Editor Page Designers:

Community Reporters: Staff Writer: Associate Editor: Copy Editor: Graphic Design: Contributing Writers:

Contributing Photographer: Intern:

Dan Starnes Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams Cherie Olivier Cameron Tipton Emily VanderMey Elizabeth Chick Ana Good Erica Techo Jon Anderson Emily Featherston Lucy Ridolphi Louisa Jeffries Shweta Gamble Andrew Anderson Kari Kampakis David Knox Rick Watson Leah Ingram Eagle Marienne Thomas Ogle Steve Irvine Rachel Burchfiel Chris Megginson Jesse Chambers Grace Thornton Frank Couch Sam Chandler

Advertising Manager: Matthew Allen Sales and Distribution: Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes

Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith James Plunkett

For advertising contact: dan@thehomewoodstar.com Contact Information: Homewood Star PO Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@thehomewoodstar. com

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

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

Please Support Our Community Partners ABC Toys, Brookwood Village (B8) Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (A21) Alabama Outdoors (B16) Alabama Power (A5) Alys Stephens Center, Art Play (A22) American Lung Association ​(A2) ARC Realty (B1) Arts, Too (B8) Bar Stools (B23) Batts’ Chimney Services (B18) Bedzzz Express (B24) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (B18) Birmingham Tennis Academy (B19) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (A15, A20) Brookwood Village (B6) Cahaba Cycles (B11) California Closets (B9) Chickadee (B10) Children’s of Alabama (B11) Danberry at Inverness (A28) Dawson Music Academy (B15) Dish’n It Out (B10) Doorstep Delivery (A21) ERA King Real Estate Homewood (B21) Escape (A17) EW Fit​(B14) Ex Voto Vintage (B4) First Lenders Mortgage Corp. (A6) Gina G Falletta, State Farm (A10) Grand Bohemian Hotel (A18) Great Clips (B14) Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (B20) Homewood Antiques and Marketplace (A22) Homewood Carpet & Flooring (B19) Homewood Family and Cosmetic Dentistry (A23) Homewood Parks and Rec (B2) Homewood Toy & Hobby (A18) Impact Family Counseling (A13) IronTrust Ins. (A6) Issis & Sons (B7) JJ Eyes (B17) Joe Falconer (A19) Johnny Montgomery Realtor (A16) Kasey Davis Dentistry (A7) Kete Cannon, RE MAX Southern Homes (A10) Limbaugh Toyota (A12) Mary House Kessler, Ph.D (A10) Mingle & Jingle Christmas Market (A8) Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware (A24) Mountain Brook Art Association (A25) OB/GYN Associates of Alabama (A20) Olli (B22) Over the Mountain Glass (B20) Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (A9) Phoenix Builders (A9) Planet Fitness​(A27) RealtySouth Marketing (B13) Red Mountain Theatre Company (A8) Red Pearl Restaurant (B15) Rehaba (A26) Resolute Running Training Center (A3) Salem’s Diner (B21) Savage’s Bakery (B4) Selkirk Partners (A13) Shiki Thia and Sushi (A11) Sikes Children’s Shoes (A25) Sweet Peas Garden Shop (B12) Target Auction Company (B21) The Cook Store (B9) The Maids (A16) The Whole Dog Market (B9) Tom Williams BMW (B3) Vitalogy Wellness Center (B3, B5) Wallace-Burke (A19, B12) Water Drainage Solutions (A11)​ Willow Homes (B23) Wolf Camera (A1, B22)

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A5

A PUBLIC NOTICE FROM ALABAMA POWER

TREE CREWS WORKING IN HOMEWOOD THROUGH EARLY 2016 Alabama Power crews are working in several Homewood neighborhoods, removing trees and other vegetation that threaten the safety and reliability of our electrical system.

As part of this process, Alabama Power goes to great lengths to talk with individual property owners. Company representatives are going door to door, leaving notices at locations where work is needed.

If you have any questions before crews come by your home, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and ask for someone in the Vegetation Management Group to contact you. Or you can email us at apcvm@southernco.com. Work in Homewood and nearby areas is expected to continue through early 2016.

Also, you can go online to alpwr.co/vm for more information about these safety and reliability measures, as well as resources for property owners who would like recommendations about planting the right tree in the right place.

Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your business.

Vegetation Management Group 205-257-2155 | apcvm@southernco.com

Š 2015 Alabama Power Company.

APSA-1008.REV1.pdf 1

8/19/15 1:49 PM

The Homewood Star

A6 • December 2015

City Improving visibility and access to the SoHo parking deck is one possible solution for downtown parking shortages.

Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Mayor’s Minute

By Scott McBraver

Parking potentials pitched

By SYDNEY CROMWELL In a planning and development committee meeting Nov. 2, Ward 1 Rep. Britt Thames presented the ad hoc parking committee’s initial solutions for downtown parking.

Thames said although there is not land available in the area for the city to purchase or lease, there are other possible sites of on-street parking.

These include the 18th Street South beautification project, the grants for which have been recently approved, and the possibility of turning Reese Street into a one-way, eastbound street from Central Avenue to Linden Avenue to make room for parking and a potential sidewalk.

Thames said an unlikely option would also be to remove the turn lane on 28th Avenue for approximately two blocks to gain parking, but it would likely back up traffic. When a traffic study is done on 18th Street, Thames said, the city should look at 28th, too.

Thames and the committee were in favor of opening up more spaces in the SoHo deck by relocating

city vehicles and vehicles that had been parked without moving for a long time.

There are city ordinances allowing Homewood to give notice to the vehicle owners and tow any that are not moved. This could possibly free up about 30 spaces for customers and employees of downtown businesses. The committee favored asking businesses to require employees to park in the deck, leaving street spaces for customers.

Meredith Drennen with the Chamber of Commerce said there could be ways to incentivize using the deck.

The final element Thames presented was to make people more aware of existing parking. This included new signage around downtown pointing out the deck and pedestrian access, as well as lighting and beautification for current entrances to the deck. He added that the city has re-striped existing parking and a crosswalk on Central Avenue to make it more visible.

Thames said he will work on a signage proposal, possibly including sending out an RFP for ideas and continue looking at other solutions.

THE HOME LOAN SPECIALIST

Jody Brant

Pam Smith

Joel Brant

Office: 205-942-9696 Cell: 205-305-4348

Office: 800-240-5626 Cell: 256-572-2530

Office: 256-891-0681 Cell: 205-613-7848

NMLS 189545

NMLS 189538

NMLS 189546

JRBrant@FirstLenders.com

pamela@firstlenders.com

joelbrant@FirstLenders.com

• CONVENTIONAL LOANS UP TO $417,000

This program allows up to 95% LTV for qualified borrowers

• FHA (HUD) 96.5/LOANS UP TO $271,050

This program allows all funds to close to come in the form of a gift or secured loan. Most flexible program on credit and debt ratios.

• VA 100% LOANS TO $417,000

This program is designed for qualified veterans/national guard.

• JUMBO LOANS From $417,000 to $1,000,000

This program will allow up to 90% loan to value.

• USDA

100% Loans for Moderate Income.

FIRST LENDERS MORTGAGE CORP. Since 1988

www.firstlenders.com

1-800-309-5585

NMLS 189527

Dear friends and neighbors, I trust this letter finds you well as you get ready for the holiday season. It seems to me each year passes more quickly, and it’s hard to believe Christmas and New Year’s Day is almost here. Still reflecting on Thanksgiving, I am so grateful to all of you who live, work and do business in our wonderful city. Homewood has been truly blessed this past year. I pray our city continues to thrive and that you and your family are prosperous in both health and finances this coming year. I hope this holiday season you will continue to shop in Homewood whenever possible. Remember, those dollars you invest stay here in Homewood, and it helps our community as a whole.

We are in full swing of leaf season!

Please remember to bag your leaves whenever possible. It’s not a requirement, but those who bag leaves get them picked up on a regular basis. And if you rake or blow your leaves to the street, please remember do NOT put them in the roadway or close to our storm drains. Place them on the edge of your yard so our trucks can come by and easily get them with the vacuum.

I appreciate so much our Street and Sanitation Department for the work it does each year in helping to keep our city beautiful. It’s not an easy job, and it’s tough doing what they do when it’s raining and cold outside. Please thank them when you get the opportunity because I know it will mean so much to them. The services they provide to this city are invaluable and we can never thank them enough for their dedication and hard work no matter what kind

of weather we are having.

I also want to thank our Environmental Commission for the work they did recently by planting seedlings along our Greenway. Groups including the Cub Scouts and Samford’s rugby team also assisted placing nearly 250 trees and clearing underbrush along the creek ensuring the Greenway will stay beautiful for generations to come.

I would also ask you to remember to please be careful during the holidays while driving around in our city. So many of our churches are having programs, children will be out in the front yards helping decorate, and groups will be out caroling during the evening hours. Our neighbors and their children are our greatest asset in the city, and trying to get somewhere in a hurry is just not worth having an accident.

Slow down, enjoy the scenery, yield to others and take time to enjoy your family.

If you are going to be out of town, please know you can call the Police Department and let them know so they can actively patrol your home until your return. I pray you can reflect on this past year with good memories and look forward to the New Year with renewed strength, prosperity, and the excitement of even more good things to come. With kindest regards I remain Sincerely,

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A7

Townhome rezoning OK’d State funding also accepted for 18th Street work

By SYDNEY CROMWELL The City Council approved during its Nov. 9 meeting rezoning the property at 818 Columbiana Road to allow the construction of six highend townhouses.

Adam Kent of Ellis Architects said the units will be sold as individual lots with 1,600to 1,800-square-foot homes starting in the $300,000 range. There would be two parking spaces per unit, plus seven overflow spaces, and there would be no connection to Green Springs Highway.

David Siegel, the current lot owner, told the council that surrounding homeowners favored the idea and the lot in its present vacant state is an “eyesore.” In response to council questions, Kent said the townhomes will have a homeowners association that matches those of other residential areas of Homewood. He is also going to look into possibilities of extending the sidewalks at that lot.

The council also: ► Discussed accepting funding from ALDOT and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham for the city's 18th Street South Revitalization project. Confusion over the amount of money allocated for the project this fiscal year caused the council to refer the issue to the finance committee. Once the finances are figured out, Ward 1 Rep. Britt Thames said engineering is supposed to happen in the current fiscal year and construction would occur in the 2016-17 fiscal year. ► Approved a restaurant liquor license for the

Adam Kent of Ellis Architects explains the plans for townhomes on Columbiana Road. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Shrimp Basket at 801 Green Springs Highway. ► Approved the mayor to enter a series of contracts that were included in the 2015-16 fiscal year's budget, including: up to $40,000 for the Exceptional Foundation; up to $2,500 for Prescott House; and up to $15,000 for ClasTran. ► Set a Dec. 7 public hearing to consider declaring the property at 506 Shades Creek

KaseyDavis

Dentistry

Parkway a public nuisance due to excessive growth. ► Rejected a request for the city to clear an alley of underbrush between the Shades Valley YMCA and Rumson Road. Ward 2 Rep. Vance Moody said the city does not typically clear "paper alleys" such as that one. ► Approved work in the right-of-way at

324 LaPrado Circle for a parking pad, on the condition that the homeowner uses permeable pavers. ► Approved a request from Regions Bank to remove a tree that blocks visibility from the city right-of-way near its Wildwood Parkway location.

The council asked that Regions plant crepe myrtles or similar trees to replace the one removed.

The Homewood Star

A8 • December 2015

Community questions developers, officials on Patriot Park lot proposals

By SYDNEY CROMWELL A small crowd gathered Wednesday night to discuss proposals for the vacant lot at 165 Oxmoor Road.

The Nov. 4 meeting was planned by Mike Higginbotham, the administrator of the West Homewood Facebook page, at the Hub, next door to Seeds Coffee. It included both developers who had submitted proposals for the lot, along with Council President Bruce Limbaugh and Ward 2 Reps. Fred Hawkins and Vance Moody.

All three council members said repeatedly through the meeting that they had not come to a conclusion on whether to pick one of the proposals or reject both, and that the purpose of the meeting was to guide that decision.

Sonya DiCarlo presented her Grove development, a two-story building anchored by a Cajun cafe and including multiple retailers and event space, as well as a patio and possible rooftop dining.

Coleman Beal also shared details of his proposal for a food truck park, which would include hookups for up to 10 food trucks to lease space, a beer garden contracted to a single brewery and patio seating.

After their presentations, community members were invited to ask questions and make comments. No strong preference emerged from the crowd on what development was preferred, though Higginbotham collected ballot slips for residents to share their thoughts at the end of the meeting. He said he will count those slips and pass the information on to the council.

Audience questions included details about the developers’ previous experience in creating a project of this sort and managing tenants; DiCarlo cited her previous business experience and Beal said he had extensive financial experience and his proposal partner, Tom Walker, works with Bayer Properties on similar developments.

The developers were also questioned on finances. DiCarlo and her partner, Paula Harris, are offering only $50,000 for the lot compared to Beal and Walker’s $140,000. DiCarlo said this is due to the expense of extra environmental testing for the former gas station site, though Moody and Hawkins said the Alabama Department of Environmental Management had already found the site to be clean. The Grove also requires a larger upfront investment, though the food truck park is more flexible if it is unsuccessful

Coleman Beal explains his food truck park proposal to residents at a Nov. 4 meeting. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

and a new development wants to take its place.

Beal described the vacant lot as a potential “signature piece of Homewood” that can act as a gateway to West Homewood.

DiCarlo could not give a definite cost for construction, as the building design has not been finalized, and she said tenants could include other restaurants, a brewery, retail or a nail salon. She believed the development would generate at least $85,000 in tax revenue in the first year for the city. Walker had said in a previous

presentation that the food truck partnership has budgeted $450,000 for purchase and development of the lot. Beal did not have an estimate of tax revenue, but said that he feels comfortable in the business’ success based on interest from Birmingham food trucks and conversations with other food truck parks around the country.

See LOT | page A9

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A9

Zoning request withdrawn for Wildwood indoor car dealership

By SYDNEY CROMWELL No major requests came before Planning Commission members during a brief Nov. 3 meeting.

Chris Stokes, the owner of Simple Auto Imports, decided not to pursue a requested amendment to the Planned Mixed Use District that would have allowed him to proceed with plans for an indoor car dealership in Wildwood.

Stokes was considering a dealership for mid- to highend used vehicles somewhere within the shopping center and had previously stated he hoped to open the dealership within the next few months.

Vanessa McGrath of the Department of Engineering, Planning and Zoning said she did not know why the request was withdrawn or whether Stokes is pursuing the idea in a different location.

Other Planning Commission business included:

LOT

CONTINUED from page A8 Moody noted that the city will include in its agreement a payback guarantee to make sure any loss to the city from selling the property is made up over several years.

Parking was a concern, as residents mentioned packed lots for the park and people parking in front of their houses. Sharing parking with Shades Valley Community Church was mentioned as a solution, though this could present problems during the summer farmer’s market located there and events throughout the year. Hawkins and Moody mentioned that the longterm West Homewood plan includes more parking spaces and efforts to slow traffic and reroute cut-through drivers away from residential areas.

The Grove’s event space, which DiCarlo

• Rejecting a proposed amendment that would allow hotels and motels within the Planned Mixed Use District areas, such as Wildwood, as long as the building was at least 500 feet from any residential areas.

• Recommending approval of amendments to the driveway ordinance within Homewood’s subdivision regulations. The amendments would bring the subdivision rules in line with the city-

mentioned as a possible site for senior center activities and other events, drew questions about other event spaces in the city. Limbaugh estimated that Rosewood Hall’s space is occupied about 50 percent of the time, and Higginbotham, a member of the library board, said the library meeting rooms are frequently in use. DiCarlo said she would want to bring music and new events, especially for seniors, to the second-story rooms and balcony.

Other worries from meeting attendees included the impact of having alcohol sales near a park frequented by children, the aesthetics of both developments and the impact of weather on the open-air food truck park.

Beal said that outdoor heaters would combat winter cold, but rain would cause fewer sales.

He noted that most restaurants also experience slow sales on bad weather days, even with a roof.

wide rules. These included updating the definition f a parking pad and driveway — mandating that driveways in city rights-of-way must be at least 6 inches thick — and adjusting the allowed street frontage width.

• Approving the 2016 meeting calendar. The Planning Commission will meet the fi st Tuesday of every month except July, when it will meet July 12 to avoid an overlap with Independence Day.

Both developers said they were inspired by the other development going on in the community and wanted to be part of it. Morgan Duncan, the owner of nearby Oak and Raleigh, said he believed that the community needed to pick a development and get behind it, rather than doing nothing and having the same conversation down the road.

“Option three [rejecting both proposals] is not an option,” Duncan said. “We’ve got momentum and we’ve got to act on it.”

Limbaugh estimated that the council would choose an option before the end of the year. If chosen, Beal estimated a mid-summer food truck park opening and DiCarlo’s original proposal to the city had a yearlong construction timeline, but she did not give a specific opening timeframe at the meeting.

“How it benefits Homewood should always be how we think,” Limbaugh said.

Library receives 4-star rating

By ANA GOOD The Library Journal has ranked the Homewood Public Library as one of the top 20 libraries in the nation with a budget between $1 million and $4.9 million.

The publication designated the Homewood library as a four-star establishment in its most recent index rating.

The index measures how libraries compare with others in their peer group on statistics such as library visits, circulation, program attendance and public Internet computer usage. Libraries in the Top 10 receive a 5-star rating, while the next 10 receive a 4-star rating, and the following 10 receive three stars.

“I am so proud to be part of this wonderful library,” said Deborah Fout, who has worked at the Homewood Public Library for over 30 years and has been director since 2009. “The support from city officials and the Library Board, along with the hard work from our dedicated staff, has resulted in the success we have experienced through the years. The high quality of the fantastic Homewood school system is always noted when someone speaks about the city of Homewood, but let’s not forget the Homewood Public Library because it is one of the best in the nation.”

Of the 16,000 public libraries in the United States, Library Journal honored 261 across America as “top-rated.”

According to a news release, seven libraries in Alabama received stars this year, and of those seven, two are in Jefferson County. The second was the Birmingham Public Library system, receiving three stars from the Library Journal Index.

The Homewood Star

A10 • December 2015

18 Street S.

Homewood Happenings

9 12

280

2 28th Ave S

4

31

3

r Rd

oo Oxm

ve yA lle

5

Rosedale Dr

8 Ind

6

Va

epe

280 nd

enc eD

r

1

149 S wy yH

Hw

d

y

65

149

W Oxmoor Rd

10

h

s ke

W

La

kw eP r o

y

r

M

s ng pri

or R

o Oxm

D re

o esh Lak

on tg o

m

er

nS ee Gr

W

ve yA e l l Va

11

31

7

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A11

Relocations and Renovations

Hirings and Promotions

HealthSouth Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, 3800 Ridgeway Drive, has announced plans for a $61.5 million renovation and expansion. Construction is expected to start in early 2016 with an anticipated finish date of early 2019.

868-2000, healthsouthlakeshorerehab.com

Brik Realty, 3430 Independence Drive, has hired Juhmad Hollis as a Realtor.

206-4321, brikrealty.com

1

SWAG Home Staging & Design, 2711 18th Place S., has announced that it will relocate to a larger space in downtown Birmingham in January 2016.

370-9057, swaghomestaging.com

2

Alabama Outdoors, 3054 Independence Drive, has launched a new website. The redesigned site features real-time inventory, a mobile optimized display allowing easier shopping on any device, and simplified navigation.

870-1919, alabamaoutdoors.com

3

4

The UPS Store, 1919 Oxmoor Road, recently underwent renovations to their

store.

868-4367, homewood-al-3425.theupsstore local.com

News and Accomplishments Cahaba Cycles, 2834 18th St. S., was named one of “America’s Best Bike Shops” by the National Bicycle Dealers Association for the third consecutive year. To be considered, a store representative (owner or manager) must apply by filling out a detailed application, as well as agreeing to be mystery shopped by an outside company. Applicants are awarded points based on the application and shopping results, with only the highest performers being selected.

879-3244, cahabacycles.com

5

6

Kathleen Healy-Collier has been named the COO of Brookwood Medical Center, 2010 Brookwood Medical Center Drive. She comes to the position most recently having served as vice president of business line operations and professional services at Regional One Health in Memphis, Tennessee.

877-1000, bwmc.com

7

Mayfair Pediatrics, 3401 Independence Drive, has hired Dr. Kristin Mizerany as a new pediatrician. She is now accepting new patients ages newborn through 18 years.

870-1273, mayfair.childrensal.org

8

Anniversaries Wags ‘n Whiskers Comprehensive Pet Care, 2804 Crescent Ave., celebrates its first anniversary in business this month.

902-9247, wagshomewood.com

9

Lakeshore Pharmacy, 1 West Lakeshore Drive, Suite 102, is celebrating its 17th anniversary in business Dec. 4.

945-8081, lakeshorepharmacy.com

10

Southlake Orthopaedics, 513 Brookwood Blvd., Suite 402, is celebrating its 19th anniversary in business in December.

802-6898, southlakeorthopaedics.com

11

Icing on the Cookie, 2907 Central Ave., Suite 101, celebrated its sixth anniversary in October.

871-9852, icingonthecookie.net

12

“When it rains, we drain!”

244-1114 Heavy Runoff ?

Standing Water?

Erosion Problems?

Storm Drainage Clogged?

WaterDrainageSolutions.com

The Homewood Star

A12 • December 2015

An incubator for small businesses, united in faith

By SARAH WALLER What is the Common Thread Community? The question makes Taylor McCall, one of its founders, pause in thought.

“There are about eight different directions I could go with this question,” he said.

Common Thread could be described in a variety of ways: a missional community, a system of home churches or an international missions center.

Homewood residents may also know it as the folks behind Seeds Coffee.

But its most unique feature is a focus on business, operating as an incubator for small, non-profit start-ups.

“Common Thread is a non-profit, and it’s really seen as an umbrella nonprofit for innovators and creators who are passionate about helping people – who are passionate about the kingdom of God, and who are passionate about serving,” McCall said.

Created in fall of 2013, Common Thread began as a grassroots organization, simply asking people how they could help.

“Many people have amazing ideas, but they don’t have the capital, the synergy or just the empowerment to do it,” McCall said. “Ideas don’t come to fruition because they aren’t great ideas or because the people aren’t great. It’s because it’s stinkin’ hard.”

Common Thread strives to help its “works,” or adopted businesses, in four areas: coaching, training,

Chalice Howard, owner of The Sara Jane Project, stuffs plush bunnies created in Uganda at Common Thread’s West Homewood office space. Photo by Sarah Waller.

media and finance. If a business has a funding need, McCall says they go to its network, the church, to raise the needed support.

They also provide an office space.

Common Thread purchased a building in West Homewood located next to Seeds Coffee in the fall of 2014. It

serves as a hub for its operations. All who come under the Common Thread umbrella have equal access to it.

“We share cost. We share responsibility. It makes it so it’s not a burden for anyone because everyone is sharing it. Everyone takes ownership,” McCall said.

Common Thread does not have set criteria for assistance. Instead, they seek people who share their philosophy of faith and purpose and who have passions that align with their own.

“Our ultimate desire is to build a community that has a thread, this same ideal or philosophy running through

them, and they are always working together,” McCall said.

Chalice Howard, a 24-year-old, full-time nanny, started a non-profit called The Sara Jane Project in 2011.

She decided to partner with Common Thread earlier this year. Employing skilled women in Uganda, The Sara Jane Project sells fair-trade, plush bunnies for children, with the profits in turn supporting families in the midst of an adoption.

“The Sara Jane Project is a great example of amazing vision with an amazing leader, but there were things that were falling through the cracks,” McCall said. “[Howard] needed a community around her that would say, ‘We are with you, we believe in what you’re doing.’”

Howard admits that she is naturally an independent person, but partnering with Common Thread gave her advice and encouragement and in turn, her non-profit is growing exponentially.

For the past four years, Howard has orchestrated an annual spring shipment of bunnies from Uganda, selling them online with a promise of an Easter delivery. But under the guidance of Common Thread, she has expanded her orders to seasonal shipments, four times a year.

“We call most of our works ‘microchurches’ because they are small families, and that’s what church means: the family coming together with an intentional purpose,” McCall said.

Learn more at commonthread.org.

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A13

Chamber

Buffalo Rock president describes company future at chamber luncheon

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Buffalo Rock President Matthew Dent speaks at the November Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Over a Thanksgiving lunch of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, Buffalo Rock President Matthew Dent talked to the Chamber of Commerce about the plans and goals of the local bottling company.

The luncheon on Nov. 17 was sponsored by the Jimmie Hale Mission. Dent grew up in Homewood and is still a member of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church. He said that Buffalo Rock got its start as a wholesale grocery store in the late 1800s, with the signature soda being made in the basement.

Now, Buffalo Rock owns 2 percent of the U.S. bottled drink market, with $520 million in annual sales of Aquafina, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Gatorade, Sunkist and other drinks.

Despite this large growth, Buffalo Rock is still owned by the Lee family that started it. Dent said the company is making strides in new markets, such as Auburn University, and the 2,100 employees must be quick on their feet. At any one time, Buffalo Rock only has about eight days’ worth of inventory produced and waiting for distribution.

“I’m a steward in time,” said Dent, who is the first president who was not part of the Lee family.

He said his philosophy is to be “servant-minded” and leave the company better than it was when he took the leadership position.

Some new projects underway for the company include a coffee and tea franchise with Red

Diamond and a new manufacturing system for Fruit Shoot, a popular U.K. drink that Buffalo Rock has been importing for several years but will now produce locally.

Buffalo Rock also just launched its new wastewater plant, as previously another company had handled their wastewater. After the meeting, Dent said that the company had investigated resident complaints about a foul odor near the property and had been meeting with homeowners and council members. The smell, Dent said, is not coming from the bottling company’s facilities.

“It is not our system that is the problem,” he said.

Dent added that county officials had been in the area in mid-November testing at neighboring sites to find the source of the odor.

During his luncheon speech, Dent recommended “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel Brown as the best book he’s ever read on teamwork.

The book is based on the story of an American rowing team competing in the 1936 Olympics.

“What I like is just to read something that makes sense,” Dent said.

A critical part of the rowing team’s success, Dent said, was learning a way to row slower yet still set a faster pace than their competitors.

Dent said Buffalo Rock is entering a stage with a “slower oar rate” that will focus on the company’s growth and reducing costs.

The chamber’s next luncheon will be Wednesday, Dec. 16. The speaker will be Governor Robert Bentley.

The Homewood Star

A14 • December 2015

BIG HEART LEAVES A

BIG MARK Friends, family remember loads of laughter, love from Homewood’s Glenn Feldman

By EMILY FEATHERSTON For Glenn Feldman, laughter was as natural as breathing, and as necessary for life.

It was that sense of humor and larger-than-life personality that many friends and colleagues said made the Homewood native and longtime resident a beloved figure and presence everywhere he went.

Feldman passed away suddenly from a heart attack Oct. 19 at the age of 53 but not without first leaving a mark on the Homewood community and beyond.

From All Saints Episcopal Church, where Feldman was a Sunday School leader, to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was a history professor, Feldman touched many lives.

“He was kind of a big kid,” said longtime friend and fellow Homewood resident Tracy Wooten.

Most people knew Feldman because of his love of jokes, dancing, amusement parks and the Rolling Stones, she said. Calling him a character was an understatement, she said.

Auburn University professor Marty Olliff, who in 1992 was working on his doctorate at Auburn at the same time as Feldman, echoed Wooten’s sentiments.

“You knew when Glenn was on the hall,” Olliff said, remarking that Feldman had a special talent for imitations and practical jokes.

Longtime friend and fellow Homewood resident Mary Morgan once was the victim of one of these jokes at the Homewood public swimming pool. After hours of complaining to Feldman about the lifeguards strictly enforcing silly rules, she suddenly heard herself called out over the announcement system for reading a book, only to look up to find Feldman doubled over with laughter.

It was this humor that she said was an outward example of his inner joy. “He had just a tremendous love of life,” Morgan said.

Mark Lucas, who went to Homewood High School with Feldman, said that joy would spread to everyone Feldman was around, even if they didn’t know him personally.

“He was always up to something,” Lucas said, describing a scene where Feldman once inserted himself into the We Love Homewood parade with a sign reading, “Elect Glenn Feldman Dog Catcher.”

However, for many, Feldman was far more than a comedian.

As a member of All Saints Episcopal Church, where his wife is the children’s formation director, Feldman was actively engaged as a member and a mentor.

“He had a profound effect on my child and my child’s spiritual growth,” Wooten said about Feldman helping lead her son’s Sunday school class.

Feldman was constantly moved to help and care for those less fortunate and wanted to instill that in everyone he met, Wooten said.

“He was always helping the underdog,” she said.

Carol Ann Vaugn Cross, who was a doctoral student with Feldman at Auburn in 1993 and is now a professor at Samford University, said she will miss the serious conversations about life she had with Feldman, and the wisdom he would so willingly share.

“As a historian, he was one of the best.

As a colleague, he was one of a kind. As a human being, he was one of the good guys.

Capital ‘G’,” she said. “As my friend, he was

“

Glenn Feldman poses with his daughter, Hallie. Feldman passed away suddenly from a heart attack Oct. 19 at the age of 53 but not without first leaving a mark on the Homewood community and beyond. Photo courtesy of Hallie Feldman

As a historian, he was one of the best. As a colleague, he was one of a kind. As a human being, he was one of the good guys. Capital ‘G’.

As my friend, he was irreplaceable.

”

CAROL ANN VAUGN CROSS

Glenn Feldman and his daughter, Hallie, attend a Rolling Stones concert in June at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. Photo courtesy of Hallie Feldman.

irreplaceable.”

As a professional friend, Olliff said Feldman was always available, no matter how much time

had passed. Feldman was always willing to give advice on research or simply offer words of encouragement, he said.

“He will be sorely missed in the historical community,” Olliff said. “We are lesser for it.”

Professionally, Feldman had a significant impact on the academic community, colleagues said. Colin Davis, chairman of the history department at UAB, said Feldman would be sorely missed by faculty and students alike.

“He didn’t hold back,” Davis said, noting that Feldman’s student evaluations almost always described a dynamic educator well-liked by those he taught.

Feldman held five degrees and authored eleven books of original scholarship, most of them focused on the history of race relations and economics in the South. He also wrote more than 150 published articles, with at least 40 published in scholarly journals.

Davis said that despite his “dazzling career,” Feldman didn’t “strut around the corridors or pat himself on the back,” but was a team player whose energy and confidence would be missed.

Wooten said that, ultimately, Feldman’s fierce love for his family is what stands out the most.

He is survived by his wife Jeannie and daughters Hallie and Rebecca.

“It’s the kind of family that we always strive to have,” Wooten said, noting that Feldman would often make the long trip to Auburn to see his oldest daughter and drove an old van so his girls could have safe, reliable cars. “His family really came first.”

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A15

The Homewood Star

A16 • December 2015

Serving the ones who served Organization helps veterans find jo s

By HANNAH JONES When Walter Berry left his job at ESPN, he wasn’t leaving for better pay or because he didn’t like his job. He left because he wanted to help his own.

Berry is the central Alabama regional director for Still Serving Veterans, an organization that assists veterans in reintegrating into the workforce after service that has just expanded into Homewood.

“I took a huge pay hit coming from ESPN, but for the first time in my life when I come home at night, I sleep well because we’re serving from our hearts,” said Berry. “I can’t think of doing it any other way.”

Still Serving Veterans was started in Huntsville eight years ago by a group of veterans who thought that they weren’t being served properly.

They now counsel veterans through the transition, assist in resume writing and interviews, and help them find jobs, and as of May, they do it from Homewood.

“Homewood has always been more than most veteran-friendly,” said Berry. “Hopefully we can have Homewood become a veteran-friendly landing zone.”

The decision to move here was an easy one for Berry. When asked if he would be director, Berry asked if he could choose where the organization would expand. When the organization said yes, he immediately said Homewood, which he also calls home.

“We’re going to reach out, find the veterans, bring them in, counsel them and help them through this transition,” said Berry. “We’re going to give them hope and help them find employment

Director Walter Berry believes that Still Serving Veterans is already making an impact on veterans’ lives from its new Homewood home. Photo

by Hannah Jones.

so they can come back to the real world.”

They reach out to the area by holding events at colleges and universities, job fairs and the VA hospital. They also have representatives from the VA hospital off and on at their location so people can sign up for veteran benefits at the hospital.

“A lot of people think that veterans are

DON’T LET THE hustle and bustle OF THE HOLIDAYS CLUTTER UP YOUR HOME Everyone can appreciate a thorough clean from The Maids.

Proudly keeping homes cleaner and healthier since 1987

205-871-9338 www.MAIDS.com

AV

Referred for a reason.

laborers, and they’re not,” said Berry. “They’re coming back nurses, doctors, engineers, ordinance people and IT people.”

Through all of these events, Still Serving Veterans makes the heart of their organization clear.

Their focus will always be serving those who have served by helping them find long-lasting

careers and aiding them in the transition from war to the civilian world.

“Twenty-two veterans are committing suicide every day in the United States, and it’s got to stop,” said Berry. “If you find them jobs and give them hope, then maybe we can put a dent in that.”

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A17

Commitment to community, commitment to self JROTC program focus: Building tomorrow’s leaders

By JORDON SEMIEN Inside Homewood High School’s JROTC classroom, students are learning discipline, diligence and community awareness every day.

Retired Air Force Sgt. Vincent Simmons is now in his 10th year teaching the program that has existed at Homewood since the early 1970s.

Simmons has seen many faces come and go from his JROTC classes, but the one constant has been his commitment to his students’ enrichment.

“What we try to do is try to get them involved in things that they wouldn’t normally do,” Simmons said. “The community service is typically things they’ve really enjoyed doing, and wearing the uniform, believe it or not.”

Most days begin either in the classroom or in the field for Simmons and his students, depending on what he believes they need to focus on that day.

“It could be a focus on how to lead; it could be how to structure and conduct a staff meeting, how to monitor progress on projects, how to plan a project,” Simmons said.

He and his class recently began a new lesson plan that covers an array of subjects, from the ins and outs of banking to handling stress and practicing public speaking.

A 26-year veteran of the Air Force, Simmons calls his enlistment in 1984

JROTC cadets participate in a flag-folding ceremony. Photo courtesy of Vincent Simmons.

“a life changing decision” and accredits his time in service for helping him grow to be the man he is today. He hopes the same happens for his JROTC students.

“It puts you on a positive path, and if you’re dedicated enough or mentally strong enough to focus on it, it has a lot of advantages,” Simmons said. “And that’s what we try to do with the kids: to give them a path to grow into men and women.”

The group’s commitment to the community ranges from cleaning up highways to participating in flag-folding ceremonies for Veterans Day at Homewood and Pizitz middle

schools, Dawson Family of Faith and in downtown Birmingham.

“They also like helping around the school. It wasn’t that way when I got there, and the kids have just kind of bought into it, and they’ve grown and they actually enjoy it,” Simmons said.

But for Simmons, the best part of the job is reaching his kids.

“They keep me motivated, I keep them motivated, and I literally feel like it has kind of become my purpose in life, to grow that program and to make it one of the best programs in the state, and we’re well on our way to doing that.”

Homewood High School JROTC students tackle a rope bridge challenge during summer leadership camp. Photo courtesy of John Paul.

A18 • December 2015

The Homewood Star

HOMEWOOD

Top: The Fitzwater family bikes through their West Homewood neighborhood. The family supported Homewood’s consideration of a bike-share program this summer. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Bottom: Steve Colter trains to compete on American Ninja Warrior at the Homewood Community Center.

Photo by Madoline Markham.

An artist works on her creation during the Homewood Rotary Club’s Sidewalk Chalk Festival and Bake Sale, part of We Love Homewood Day celebrations. Staff photo.

Holiday Decadence!

Indulge with family and friends this holiday season at Habitat Feed & Social featuring fresh, progressive cuisine including Bohemian Spiced Prime Rib, Turkey Supreme with Sage Gravy, Crab Cakes, savory desserts and so much more.

Come gather at our table for your Festive Holiday Feasts.

THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS DAY BUFFETS, 11 AM - 2 PM NEW YEAR’S EVE PRE FIXE FOUR COURSE DINNER, 5 PM - 10 PM After dinner, ring in the New Year with live music at the bar and a countdown at midnight on the terrace.

RESERVATIONS AND INFORMATION: 205.414.0505 OR GRANDBOHEMIANMOUNTAINBROOK.COM

2 6 5 5 L A N E PA R K R OA D, M O U N TA I N B R O O K , A L 3 5 2 2 3

TheHomewoodStar.com

Clockwise, from above: Residents protest an electronic billboard at the Lakeshore Drive BP gas station in March. Photo by Madoline Markham.

A man sits beside his bees as he sells honey during the summer Homewood Farmers Market this summer. Staff photo.

Joshua Gough watches his mastiffs play in Patriot Park after an August city council discussion of new regulations on aggressive dogs. Photo by Keith McCoy. Riders try out the new Segways at Red Mountain Park. Photo by Madoline Markham.

Have You Seen...

Wallace -Burke?

WALLACE -BURKE

Fine Jewelry & Collectibles

1811 29th Avenue South | Downtown Homewood, AL 35209 | 205.874.1044 www.wallace-burke.com

December 2015 • A19

The Homewood Star

A20 • December 2015

WHAT’S COOKING

Need a last-minute holiday dish?

Savage’s owner shares a favorite

By SYDNEY CROMWELL We’ve all wished at one point or another – especially around the holidays – that we possessed a new, showstopping recipe, particularly one that chefs and restaurant owners rely on to wow their customers or families.

Well, wish no longer.

In this new series, we ask local culinary professionals to dish out the details on some of their favorite creations. Today, we talk with Van Scott of Savage’s Bakery, 2916 18th St. S.

Savage’s Bakery owner Van Scott checks on the cheese cookies’ progress as they bake in an industrial oven.

Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

RECIPE

► ½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated ► ½ pound butter, softened ► 2 cups flour (all-purpose or bread and cake flour mixture) ► 2½ cups Rice Krispies ► ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Mix cheese and butter. Add in remaining ingredients one at a time and mix until the dough is uniform. Roll into balls

about 1-2 inches in diameter. Place on greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cool and serve.

ALTERNATIVES

Van’s grandmother would sometimes place a pecan half on top of the cookies before baking.

He recommended experimenting with the amount of butter, flour and cheese to find your preferred taste.

Q: How long have you been cooking?

A: “I started cooking as a child, making fudge, Jello fried chicken with Annie Bell Jones, one of the family's cooks. I learned how to make rolls and cut biscuits during the holidays at home and my sister Katherine would bake cakes from scratch and I would lick the beater.”

Q: What do you like about where you work?

A: “I like working with the employees, and they are considered a part of my family. I also like the creativeness about the business, which challenges my ability. There is a great sense of Savage's being a part of bigger community and has been a part of so many people's lives for several generations that means something to families and individuals, which has been very satisfying all these years.

Q: If you have to bring a last-minute dish to a Christmas party, what's your go-to choice?

A: “My grandmother’s cheese cookie recipe.”

Q: What do you like about that dish?

A: It’s something that has been passed down for a few generations, and the whole family enjoys them. Van grew up eating them, and so has his daughter Margaret.

Experiencing Changes in Your Vaginal Health?

If you are experiencing intimacy dryness due to menopause or breast cancer treatment ...

You are not alone!

More than 20 million women experience intimacy dryness, itching, burning, bladder infections or pain during intercourse following menopause or breast cancer treatment.

There is now a pain-free laser therapy that is transforming women’s intimate relationships and LIVES! MonaLisa Touch™ is an FDA approved, five minute solution without the use of hormones or medications.

For more information or to schedule your free consultation, call OB/GYN Associates of Alabama at 205.271.1600 or visit MonaLisaTouchAlabama.com.

TheHomewoodStar.com

Opinion Ordinary Days By Lauren Denton

Faith and fear in the season of life Now that Kate is in “big phone call on a Wednesday school,” she regularly comes morning about something, home asking questions that someone very near to us that surprise us. changes our world?

“Is Santa Claus real—like, in So yes, faith is an easy conreal life?” was one recent one. cept in theory, but when the bad “If fairies aren’t real, then stuff comes, truly believing in what about the tooth fairy?” something — Someone — we was another one. can’t see requires a faith bigger I can usually muddle my way than just having all the right through those questions — or answers. The only way I can nudge her in my husband’s describe it as is otherworldly. I direction so he can come up believe even when I can’t see, Denton with a good answer. But there even when I don’t understand, was one that really stopped me and made me even when things seem impossible. think about my answer in a different way. She Here we are in December when we’re celeasked, “What does faith mean?” brating the miracle of Jesus’s birth. It’s another I’m sure some people could have given a more almost otherworldly concept — the idea that a in-depth, Bible verse-specific answer, but mine baby born in a dirty stable was sent to save the was fairly simple. world. It can be hard to swallow even with faith “It’s believing in something even when we — He’s both God and man? — but impossible without it. can’t see it.”

She thought for a minute, then asked, “You As adults, we like facts, science, provable mean like I believe in mermaids and sometimes truth, and tangible evidence. In contrast, our monsters even though I’ve never seen them?” kids, the ones who still believe in fairies and Kind of, I told her, but it’s more like we mermaids, monsters and Santa Claus, may be believe in God even when we can’t see him. able to more easily grasp this concept of believFor me, having grown up in church, faith is ing in invisible things. a concept that’s pretty much taken for granted.

In this season of life, I hope and pray that I have faith, we need faith, and God gives us God’s gift of faith will fill us and banish our faith. Easy peasy. And this is fine when life is fears. Even when we can’t see beyond the teesmooth, things are going well, nothing out of tering step on which we’re balanced, may He the ordinary happens. But what happens when remind us in the quiet that He is here, His arms the water gets rough? When we’re faced with are under us, and we are safe. evil in the world — the kind of evil that comes I’d love to connect! Email me at LaurenKto us through news reports of faraway places, Denton@gmail.com or find me on Twitter @ or the kind that comes through an innocuous LaurenKDenton.

December 2015 • A21

The Homewood Star

A22 • December 2015

Community Fifth annual Christmas Home Tour to include holiday gift market

Guests admire holiday décor at the 2014 Christmas Home Tour. Courtesy of Lynn Parrish.

Samford University’s Legacy League is holding its fifth annual Christmas Home Tour on Thursday, Dec. 10.

The tour includes five homes in Mountain Brook and Vestavia, showcasing their holiday décor. This year’s tour will also include a holiday gift market.

Homes on the tour range from traditional to contemporary designs. One home includes a large outdoor living area and fireplace built by the owners. Another has contemporary design and includes an indoor fountain. Another tour residence includes exposed beams and limestone appointments, reflecting the English arts and crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A fourth residence reflects New England architecture in a rural setting.

The Samford President’s Home, which sits atop Shades Mountain, includes a view of the city. At this home, guests will have hors d’oeuvres and desserts. They will also have the opportunity to shop at the holiday gift market, a new addition to this year’s tour.

The gift market will have jewelry and accessories, art, children’s items, clothing, food and home items for sale. The market is sponsored

by Event Rentals Unlimited.

‘Symbol of community’ to shine again

By GRACE THORNTON The massive star that’s become a Homewood icon will be lit again over 18th Street on Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m. It’s a tradition that’s been going on for more than 60 years and the festivities will last until 7 p.m. and include cookies, hot chocolate, music and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus.

Local businesses will offer holiday wares, and Meredith Drennan, executive director of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, encouraged folks to come early, shop and enjoy refreshments before the

celebration starts.

Students from Homewood’s elementary schools will perform during the event, and Mayor Scott McBrayer will ceremonially light the star.

“It is a symbol of our community — it’s become iconic for Homewood,” Drennan said. Made by Douglass W. McConnell, the star boasts roughly 1,200 lights and takes a week to prepare for the lighting ceremony.

“The celebration is a tradition for our community,” Drennan said. And this year, she added, Homewood can even promise snow — fake snow, at least.

Homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 through Dec. 8 or $30 at the door. To order tickets, visit samford.edu/legacyleague. For more information, call 726-2247 or visit the website.

Proceeds from the home tour and gift market will be used for scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances.

Featured homes include: Tricia and Mark Drew 4105 Kennesaw Drive, Mountain Brook Dimity and Alex Leath 4405 Old Brook Run, Mountain Brook Lynn and Duane Randleman 2717 Old Trace, Mountain Brook Shannon and Richard Riley 3505 Brookwood Road, Mountain Brook Jeanna and Andy Westmoreland Samford President’s Home 1994 Shades Crest Road, Vestavia Hills

Homewood residents fill 18th Street for the annual lighting of the Homewood star. Staff photo.

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A23

Holly Days back to combine friends, family, shopping Holly Days was about friends and family first before it was ever about shopping.

But Jennifer Martin Lee said she likes to think it’s great for both.

“I started this show years ago with my cousin,” she said of the little annual shopping day she’s held for the past 14 years in her home at 117 Eastwood Drive. “At first it was a way for some of us new stay-at-home moms to transition from being workaholics to having a little pet project.”

But then Jennifer’s Kitchen — her business of selling pepper jellies made from fresh ingredients — “kind of got roots and grew,” she said, and she began showing and selling her products nationwide.

“But I’ve kept the home show because it’s where I began,” Lee said. “It means a lot to me to keep doing it and to just have fun.”

Holly Days is happening this year Dec. 2-3 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. with a Girls’ Night Out on Dec. 2 from 7-9 p.m.

New and returning artists who will show at Holly Days include Kerri Malone Jewelry, Elizabeth Hubbard Pottery, Becky Stayner’s Biscuit Leather Company, HomeTees, Paige Wilcutt Linens, Blake Bands by Wendy Ellison and her daughter Blakely Ellison, Karen Marcum Art and Redeemed by Colleen Conner.

Lee will of course show her pepper jellies, and

Holly Days is a chance for artists to show their Christmas products to shoppers. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Lee.

her cousin Laurie Byrne — the other mastermind behind the start of Holly Days — will show a special selection of gifts.

“I look forward to just seeing everybody and catching up and having a cup of coffee with my friends,” Lee said.

Joan Curtis, a member of the Mountain Brook Art Association, paints for the group’s annual Christmas show.

Photo courtesy of the Mountain Brook Art Association.

Brookwood Village to host art show

By GRACE THORNTON If you’re looking for a unique Christmas gift this year, or even just an enjoyable step away from the holiday rush to browse local art and listen to jazz, Janet Sanders says she’s got just the thing for you.

Mountain Brook Art Association will be holding its Holiday Show during mall opening hours Dec. 4-19 on the lower level of Brookwood Village in the former Gus Mayer space.

“It’s a fun and elegant show, and there are so many unique gifts that you can get,” said Sanders, who serves as chairman of the show. “We play jazz, we feature a daily demo artist and we try to have plenty of new features each day for

folks to come by and enjoy.”

Despite the name, Mountain Brook Art Association members hail from all over the metro area, Sanders said. Club rules are that an artist must live within 25 miles of Mountain Brook City Hall, so the club’s 216 members come from as far away as Chelsea, Leeds and Bessemer.

Member artists range in age from 20s to 90s.

Art ranges from “small whimsies” to large traditional pieces, she said.

“Their work covers a broad range of art and includes some really interesting pieces,” Sanders said.

A portion of the proceeds will go to Hand in Paw, a charity providing animal-assisted therapy in central Alabama.

Nutcracker returns to Samford

By GRACE THORNTON

“The Nutcracker” will be performed at Samford University’s Wright It might be easy for Center Dec. 11-13 and folks to think ballet per18-20 at 7:30 p.m., as formances of choreograwell as Saturday and pher George Balanchine’s Sunday matinees at 2:30.

“The Nutcracker” happen Dozens of dancers everywhere at Christmas. portraying toy soldiers, But that’s not at all the mischievous mice and, case. of course, the SugarOnly eight dance plum Fairy create an companies in the world unforgettable experihave licenses to perform ence for those attending his famous version of the ballet.

Tschaikovsky’s renowned The Nutcracker Bouballet, and Alabama Ballet tique will also be located is one of them. in the Wright Center’s So it’s an uncommon The Mouse King dances in the Alabama lower lobby and will be opportunity that area Ballet’s rendition of the Nutcracker. open before each perforresidents have to see the Photo courtesy of Alabama Ballet. mance and during interexquisite ballet with its mission to offer an array extravagant sets and costumes, said Mandy of beautifully decorated nutcrackers.

McDaniel, marketing manager of Alabama For more information or tickets, visit alabamBallet. aballet.org.

The Homewood Star

A24 • December 2015 Pratt Brown, Pratt Brown Landscapes; Kate Newton, Landscape Services; Kimberly Bean, Greenery Sale Chairman; and Amy Ager, Greenery Sale Co-Chairman at the Red Mountain Greenery Sale.

Photo courtesy of Red Mountain Garden Club.

Star of Bethlehem star of Samford planetarium show

By SAM CHANDLER The Samford University Christenberry Planetarium will host its annual Star of Bethlehem show at select dates and times throughout the month of December. Each show is about an hour long and evaluates the symbolic star from an astronomical, historical and biblical standpoint.

“Coming at it from these three angles, we attempt to narrow down the possibilities for what the Star of Bethlehem was,” Planetarium Director David Weigel said.

While the show focuses on the star itself, Weigel said the ultimate aim is to direct people’s attention to the real reason behind the season.

“The show is very much a prayerful meditation in preparation for Christmas,” Weigel said, “and it’ll be a good opportunity to sort of reorient your perspective so that you’re focused on the true meaning of Christmas.”

The shows include Dec. 3-4 at 8 p.m., Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., Dec. 16-17 at 2 p.m., Dec. 18 at 10 a.m., Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 4 p.m.

Tickets are $8 and can be purchased online by visiting tickets.samford.edu, in person at the Harrison Theatre Box Office Monday- Friday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. or by calling 726-2853.

Greenery sale moves to SoHo

By EMILY FEATHERSTON The annual Red Mountain Garden Club holiday greenery sale, typically hosted at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, is moving this year to Rosewood Hall in SoHo Square.

The move is the result of on-going renovations at the Botanical Gardens.

The sale will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Rosewood Hall is located on the first floor of Homewood City Hall, and drive-up access to the sale will be available. There will be many greenery options for walk-up shoppers, including wreaths, mailbox decorations, kissing balls and greenery arrangements.

As in previous years, the sale will benefit the Memorial Garden at the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The Memorial Garden, which has been a focus for the Club for the last 60 years, was recently given updated lighting thanks to the Club.

Garden Club president Penny Page said nearly 100 active and affiliate members work hard at the greenery sale to continue to support the Memorial Garden as well as other gardening efforts throughout the city.

For more information about the greenery sale, visit redmountaingardenclub.com, or contact Ginny Hutchinson at 370-4936, or ginny@ scribblerpink.com.

UAB band rings in the holidays

By GRACE THORNTON Combine good music and Christmas sing-alongs with the UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band on Dec. 1 at Trinity United Methodist Church.

The casual 2 p.m. Christmas concert, which will feature both secular and sacred Christmas music, will be performed by both of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s concert bands.

Band director is Sue Samuels, who will conduct alongside assistant directors Gene Fambrough and Cara Morantz.

For more information, visit uabbands.org.

The UAB band will perform Christmas music during a Dec. 1 concert.

Photo courtesy of UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band.

Gifts inspire FREEFORM show It’s Christmastime, and a lot of us have gift boxes and bags on the brain.

But FREEFORM, a dance and video projection work put on by the Dance Foundation, takes the idea of a box into a whole different realm — one that’s maybe a little out of the box.

Featuring Dance Foundation students and guest artists Mary Foshee, Jean Jacques and Rachael Inman, the production explores “the poetic imagery of a box as a container, a house, a window or a portal that one might pass through.” Modern dance company Sanspointe will return to perform a dance work from their show “Deconstruction Zone.”

FREEFORM is set for Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. at the Dance Foundation at 1715 27th Court South in Homewood. For more information, visit thedancefoundation.org.

City prepares for Christmas parade This year’s Christmas parade and tree lighting will be Tuesday, Dec. 8. The entertainment will begin at 6 p.m. in the Rosewood Hall Plaza and the parade begins at the Homewood Library at 6:30 p.m.

Activities at City Hall include a performance from the Patriot Band and local dancers, a reading of the Christmas story and a visit from Santa. Parade participants will be competing for awards for Best in Show, Most Holiday Spirit, Most Lights, Best Use of Lights and Best Decorated Vehicle.

The parade will head east on Oxmoor Road from the Library and travel down 18th Street South, 29th Avenue, 19th Street and 28th Avenue. Updates on the day of the parade will be made on the City Parks and Recreation Facebook page and Twitter (@ homewoodparks), as well as homewoodparks.com. - Submitted by Rusty Holley.

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A25

Wishing Tree to return to downtown

By SYDNEY CROMWELL If you’ve still got a few wishes left after the Christmas presents are unwrapped and the turkey is eaten, bring them to the Homewood Wishing Tree.

Kirsten Morrow, who helps to organize the Wishing Tree, said the project will return on Dec. 26 and last until Jan. 16. The Wishing Tree is one of the trees in front of the Trak Shak on 18th Street South.

Morrow and others will decorate the tree and leave a box of yarn, markers and tags.

People can use the tags to hang Christmas and New Year wishes or prayers on the tree. Morrow said visitors are welcome to hang as many wishes as they want. This is the second year of the Wishing Tree’s existence.

To learn more, find the Homewood Wishing Tree on Facebook.

The Wishing Tree started in 2015 as a way for people to express their prayers and wishes for the new year. Photo courtesy of Kirsten Morrow.

From left: Liz Estes, vice president of fundraising and philanthropy; Toni Vaughn, fundraising committee chairman; Harry Wooten, executive vice president of the Alabama Ear Institute; and Glenda Lott, chapter president.

Photo courtesy of Glenda Lott.

DZ chapter presents check to institute The Delta Zeta Birmingham Alumnae Chapter recently presented the Alabama Ear Institute with a $6,000 check.

The money, raised at the chapter’s annual Make Some Noise fundraiser, will benefit the Alabama School for Hearing.

Chapter President Glenda Lott presented the check to Harry Wooten, executive vice president for the Alabama Ear Institute, during a meeting at La Catrina Restaurant in Vestavia.

Delta Zeta Sorority’s national philanthropy is speech and hearing, and the Birmingham chapter annually raises

2918 18th Street South Homewood, Al 35209

205-879-7681

money for the Alabama School for Hearing. This segment of the Alabama Ear Institute is for children ages 3-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Make Some Noise was held Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. It featured a game day fashion show, luncheon, wine lottery and silent auction. Models in the fashion show were from both the community and the Alabama School for Hearing.

For more information, visit dzbirminghamalumnae.org or email deltazetabirmingham@gmail.com - Submitted by Glenda Lott

The Homewood Star

A26 • December 2015 Right: Homewood Police Sgt. Justin Self, also a firearms instructor, leads an officer through a requalification course Wednesday, Nov. 4. Below: An officer aims during firearm training.

Photos by Ana Good.

TOP GUN

CONTINUED from page A1 to them, but this sort of competition will amp up their performance during the training.”

The sessions, roughly eight hours long per instructor, are also when each officer must requalify to carry a handgun during a state-approved 50-round firearms course. Self said all officers in Alabama must qualify once a year and pass the course with at least a 70 percent. But in Homewood, officers must qualify twice a year with a score of at least 80 percent. Homewood officers who carry a rifle on duty must pass with a 90 percent on the pistol course and a 96 percent on the rifle course.

Should an officer fail to pass the course, Self said, the officer would immediately be removed from duty and assigned to remedial firearms training.

“That’s not usually a problem in Homewood,”

he said, crediting in large part the amount of time each officer spends training each year.

Officer Victor Sims completed his requalification with a 90 percent this fall, but seemed a bit

dissatisfied with his score.

“I stunk,” he said, after completing the course.

“He usually shoots better than that,” Self agreed, “but we are still only talking about a

handful of misses.”

Homewood officers must attend both the spring and fall firearms training courses, which totals 16 hours of training per officer and roughly 350 rounds per session, according to Self.

“And that’s not counting the amount of time the officers spend on the ranges outside of that,” he said.

Except for the command staff and firearms instructors, every officer will be competing for the top five scores. Totals from each of the training courses will be compiled to select the top finishers, who must qualify with 98 percent or higher.

Those five officers, Self said, will compete at the Top Gun competition across three courses at the Jefferson County range. The Top Gun courses include a pistol qualification round, a bulls-eye course measuring speed and accuracy and a nighttime combat course. The courses will take anywhere from about a minute to finish, to a couple of seconds to finish, Self said.

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A27

SMOKING

CONTINUED from page A1 own decision on smoking.

"I think people can make decisions on their own," Thames said on Oct. 26.

The version of the ordinance that was approved on Nov. 9 is a blend of concessions from both sides. Smoking is now prohibited for both indoor and outdoor dining in restaurants, hotel and motel rooms and nursing rooms. The council also voted to ban smoking within 20 feet of the doorway of a business that prohibits smoking, and city property remains smoke-free as it did before the new ordinance.

However, private events and membership-only clubs are allowed to choose whether they will permit smoking during private functions. Shops that derive 80 percent or more of their sales from tobacco products have also been granted an exemption, so products can be tested on their premises.

“I think there’s a strong sentiment for the restaurant regulations,” Wright said in a Nov. 2 public safety committee meeting.

In the discussion of smoking in outdoor dining, downtown restaurants Jackson’s and Oak Hill Bar and Grill were frequently brought up.

Both had allowed outdoor smoking prior to this new ordinance. It was a particular council concern at Jackson’s, which has residences above the restaurant.

Tom Sheffer, the owner of Jackson’s, said he is glad that smoking is now banned indoors. He owns a Nashville location of the restaurant and they had already prohibited smoking there. He noted that the ban caused a short-term drop in business at the bar, but the overall restaurant’s food sales increased. Since many smokers are accustomed to going outdoors, he said he didn’t expect a problem at the SoHo location.

“If I thought it’d have an impact on business, I’d feel different,” Sheffer said.

However, Sheffer did say he disagreed with the concept of a ban on outdoor patio smoking.

He acknowledged that Jackson’s was a “unique situation” due to the residences above and that it was likely for the smoke to waft toward those apartments. He noted that only a few customers

E-cigarette users hold signs during an Oct. 26 public hearing asking the City Council to allow vapor shops an exemption from the new smoking ordinance. In the background, members of the Safe and Healthy Homewood Coalition stand to show their support for a comprehensive ban on smoking and vaping in public places. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

at Jackson’s smoked and they all stayed at the edges of the dining area.

“I don’t referee many complaints from customers about so-and-so smoking on a patio table,” Sheffer said. “Most of the ones I see are pretty considerate.”

For restaurants without people living nearby, though, Sheffer said he didn’t feel the outdoor smoking ban was needed.

“I feel like we’re running smokers into some sort of corner… I’m not for that,” Sheffer said.

“I’m not sure you need to ban patio smoking, but I understand why.”

J.D. Hill III, the owner of Oak Hill, was also pleased about the indoor smoking ban, though he said Oak Hill has not allowed the practice indoors for years due to cleanliness and employee health concerns. Hill was less concerned about the patio ban, as Oak Hill has an area behind it that is already used by smokers and is outside the prohibited areas described in the ordinance.

“I don’t think it’ll be a big problem,” Hill said.

“People will adjust.”

Hill and Sheffer both said they would abide by the council’s new ordinance.

A wrench was thrown into the ordinance discussion with the inclusion of e-cigarettes and vaping. These electronic devices have exploded in popularity in the last several years, as they are used to smoke an “e-liquid” in a variety of flavors and do not emit the traditional smell. The vapor that e-cigarettes produce is also different from cigarette smoke.

Since vaping is so new, there is not a lot of research on the effects. The FDA does not regulate the contents of e-cigarettes, though minors are not allowed to purchase them. Research has been unable to provide a clear picture of the health risks of e-cigarettes. Some studies, including one published in August by Public Health England, state that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes for the users and those around them.

Other researchers, including the American Heart Association and an April 2014 study in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research journal, have found that e-cigarettes mimic tobacco’s effect on

cancerous cell mutation and the vapor includes toxic compounds.

The World Health Organization stated in August 2014 that more regulation of the industry is needed, but the use of e-cigarettes is still too new to come to solid conclusions on their health impact.

“It’s like new technology, I’m not sure anyone knows how to handle them,” Sheffer said.

This confusion over vaping bled into the public hearing because an initial draft of the ordinance did not allow vapor shops the same exemptions as tobacco shops. Several Homewood residents and e-cigarette users, including Waitzman, spoke about the improvement in their health since they quit traditional smoking. One former 25-year smoker said she had the "choice as an adult" to consume vapor and should be allowed to sample vaping products within a store's walls.

Members of the Coalition, however, said that e-cigarettes have potential health risks and a cultural impact.

"This is potentially re-normalizing smoking," one resident said.

The council ultimately decided to treat e-cigarettes the same as tobacco products in all aspects of the ordinance, including the exemption for vapor shops to use their products on-site.

Waitzman said that treating the two products the same was his goal all along, and he supported the ban on smoking and vaping in most public spaces. He got involved in the discussion to make sure that vaping was not treated differently from tobacco products, both as a user and seller. Since he can see the potential appeal of vaping to children and annoyance to others in public spaces, Waitzman feels the final version of the ordinance best serves the needs of the community.

“We have kids and we know it’s an adult product that kids shouldn’t be exposed to,” he said.

“We shouldn’t just expose others to it.”

While he and other e-cigarette users are convinced the products are harmless, Waitzman said he understands that it is still new and unfamiliar to many in the city.

“We get people’s concerns,” Waitzman said.

“We encourage people just to obey the laws, and just because it’s vape it’s not somehow magically exempt.”

SECTION The Homewood Star

B

Gift Guide B8 School House B12 Sports B15 Calendar B22

DECEMBER 2015

sustainable solution to a

BAAA-A-D

problem

Goats move into park, help clear overgrown land

R

By ANA GOOD

ed Mountain Park has a new group of residents — back permanently following a temporary stay. A herd of 150 Kiko goats now call the park home, nestled among RMP’s 1,500 acres.

The goats, part of RMP’s “Long-Term Herbivore Browse Program,” offer more than a new sight to see. They are all working for their keep.

Each day, the goats do what they do best: eat. In the process, they help clear land previously overrun by invasive species such as kudzu and Chinese privet.

The goats are so successful at their task, RMP natural

Red Mountain has a group of new tenants: Kiko goats, which are used to clear the underbrush in areas of the park. Photos by Frank Couch.

resource specialist Ian Hazelhoff said, that plans are already in the works to have the goats clear other overgrown areas of Birmingham as well.

Hazelhoff said this particular species of goats,

See GOATS | page B20

B2 • December 2015

The Homewood Star

HOMEWOOD PARKS & RECREATION Homewood Community Center Zumba with Camille

Tango Argentin

Homewood Senior Center

ZUMBA is Latin inspired aerobic dance and every class feels like a party. ZUMBA is for all ages, and both sexes!

Tuesday & Thursday: 5:30pm-6:30pm Saturday: 9:00am-10:00am Camille 256-452-2500 • camillescruggs@gmail.com

Introductory lessons and guided practic . New students are taught basic Tango technique and experienced “milongueros” are encouraged to practic and exchange ti s to improve their dancing. Couples and individuals of all ages are welcome. HWCC Fitness Studio 2.

1st & 3rd Wednesday each Month – 7:00pm-8:30pm

Seated Exercise Class – Mon (11:15am) / Wed and Fri (10:30am) 45-60 min. Gentle joint movement as warm-up; stretching & strength portions are led with an emphasis on proper breathing; includes 10 min of standing exercises designed to practice balance/weight shifting.

Young Rembrandts

360 Personal Trainer Fitness Bootcamp

Line Dancing “Smart Moves” – Tue & Fri

Young Rembrandts drawing classes, uses step-bystep curriculum to teach fundamental art skills in a nurturing environment that gives children an academic advantage. Classes for boys and girls 5 to 12 years of age. Summer Camps available in June & July.

Contact Chris Roberson at (205) 943-1923 for more information and o register or visit www.youngrembrandts.com to enroll anytim .

North Star Martial Arts

Homewood FIT – Women’s Bootcamp Join this all women’s bootcamp happening right here in Homewood.

Monday & Wednesday – 5:45am-6:45am www.homewoodfit. om

North Star Martial Arts primary focus is to make a life lasting impact on our students, and their families. Classes range from beginners to adults.

For detailed class listings and ti s please visit the park’s website or www.northstarkarate.com.

205-966-4244 • masterjoe@northstarkarate.com

Acting Out Academy

Belly Dancing with Aziza Class Fee: $60 cash only Contact Aziza: 205-879-0701 azizaofbirmingham@att. t www.azizaofbirmingham. om Learn the ancient art of Middle Eastern belly dance with Aziza, over 40 years of experience in performance and instruction Each session is 5-weeks long on: Monday: Beginners, Tuesday: Intermediates & Thursday: Advanced.

YoLIMBER

Vinyasa yoga classes in an energetic environment using upbeat music. All levels welcome.

Friday 9:30am-10:30am Saturday 9:00am-10:00am Contact Marla: 205-223-8564 • mac@yolimber.com

​​35209 Dance

Line dance for a healthier you!

Tuesday 7:00pm-9:00pm • Sunday 3:00pm-5:00pm $7/Drop-in - $5/Seniors 65+ - First class is free Rosa Fisher 205-910-8896 • rosafish r@yahoo.com

Acting Out Academy is a kid’s performing arts classes at the Homewood Community Center Thursday 3:30pm-4:30pm (Encore: After School Program) Thursday 4:30pm-5:30pm (Advanced on-camera). www.actingou academy.com • 205-440-2699 meg@actingou academy.com

Blue Line Combati es Wednesdays 7:00pm – 8:30pm Blue Line Combati es teaches self-defense and urban survival instruction. Classes and private training are available for all ages.

Call or email for additional in ormation Instructor Jon P. Newland jon.newland442@gmail.com • 205-296-1250

Cheerleading & Tumbling Classes Steel City Cheer classes cover all cheerleading & tumbling necessities: motions, jumps, cheers, stretching, conditionin , and tumbling. All ages & skill levels welcome.

Monday & Tuesday 5:30pm-6:30pm Contact DeeDee: PDEveritt@gmail. om • 901-734-0277

A ordable small group training sessions are available to members in the community center weight room. Each 30 min workout is fast, fun, safe, and e ecti e and each person is started with a program to fit their fitness level. $25 Per Session (or) 12 Sessions for $250 Call Royce for more information (205) 945-1665

Total Body Blast

Children’s Ballet with Claire Goodhew Beginning ballet moves taught as a foundatio for many types of dance. Students will work on coordination balance, rhythm and flexibility while developing listening skills and strengthening muscles.

Mondays 4:00pm-4:45pm For additional In ormation all Claire: (205) 879-8780

Zumba Gold & Tai Chi Review – Tue (2:15 & 3:00pm) Zumba Gold is designed at a slightly slower pace with easier directiona transitions. Fun, lively music is used and several movements are repeated throughout a song to allow participants ample practice of each move. Review and practice of the Thursday Tai Chi class is completed the last 15mins of class.

Adapti e Yoga & Gentle Yoga – Wed (1:15 - Adapti e & 1:45pm - Gentle) Half hour of gentle guided stretching and breathing, using a chair.

Appropriate for persons who wish to avoid exercise on the floor. Participa ts have the option to continu for the 2nd half hour with gentle guided stretching and breathing on floor mats.

Tai Chi – Thursday (2:00pm) Very slow movement sequences repeated multiple times. Weight shifting and directional changes are executed through slow transition Gentle on the joints and safer than dance for persons with equilibrium challenges. Not only exercises the body but also the mind, as participants must recall the sequence and repeat it.

Personal Training at HWD Sr. Center –

members only.

Kathy focuses on orthopedic issues and restorati e training to improve fitness for mature adults, including those with equilibrium, fl xibility, strength or other chronic health challenges. Sessions are $35/hour, Contact Kathy at 422-4025 (or) krhagood@yahoo.com

Mommy and Me Stroller Bootcamp Tuesday & Thursday @ 9:00am Location Homewood Central Park A class for moms of all fitness levels! This 45 minute class focuses on interval training with the use of bands, body weight, and your child’s stroller! www.mommyandmetime. om

Royce Head Personal Training

@homewoodparks

Bootcamp style fitness classes at Homewood Community Center.

Classes Meet: Mon/Wed/ Fri 5:30am-6:30am Michael Brooks – michaelbrooks360@gmail.com

(9:30am) Beginner to Intermediate movement sequences are taught for each song, a sequence is repeated multiple times but facing a different direction with each repetitio Styles of music vary.

Not only exercises the body but also the mind, as participa ts must recall the sequence and repeat it.

Saturday mornings at 10:30am Classes meet at Homewood Community Center (Fitness Studio 1) Class Description Total Body Blast is a 1 hour group fitness class that focuses on using High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to create a total body work out. What to bring to class: One set of 5 to 7lb weights, yoga mat, towel and bottle water.

CLASS RATE: $10 (1stClass is Free) Contact: T. Harris 205.249-7982 getfitwit tamika@yahoo.com

Homewood Christmas Parade Tuesday, December 8th Festivities begin at City Hall Plaza at 6:00pm Parade begins from Homewood Library at 6:30pm

Mark Your Calendar Girl’s Fall Softball egistration begins January 6, 2016 Homewood Patriot Baseball registration beg ns: Early 2016 Homewood Soccer Club Recreation Leagues Register January 2016

www.Homewoodparks.com

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B3

The Homewood Star

B4 • December 2015

Capturing a spirit on paper Artist blends the beauty of Homewood life with his personal experiences

By JESSE CHAMBERS

Andrew Tyson works on one of his drawings. He uses a variety of media, including pastel, pencil, ink, digital media and glass. Photos courtesy of Andrew Tyson.

www.exvotovintage.com

Tis the Season!

Created in Alabama by designer Elizabeth Adams.

Visit our showroom in Mountain Brook Village.

205.538.7301

Andrew Tyson has a rather lofty inspiration for making art.

“What draws me to it is seeing the beauty in the world,” said the artist, whose pastel and pencil drawings are currently on display in the lobby of City Hall. “It is music to my soul, and something just had to come out.”

Some of the fruits of Tyson’s inspiration – 17 pieces, with one hanging glass work on view along with the drawings – make up the second exhibit to be hosted by the Homewood Arts Council at the Community Art Gallery since it began this summer.

The drawings allow Tyson to demonstrate his love for Homewood, where he has

lived most of his life. He draws freely on his travels and other experiences for subject matter and tries to show off the joy he takes in depicting the essence of a unique human face or personality.

Tyson studied digital media and photography at Virginia College but is largely selftaught. “I work in pencil, pastel, ink, digital media and glass,” he said.

And while the Homewood resident does a few landscapes or other natural subjects here and there, he knows what he does the best. “My favorite subject matter is people,” he said.

Some of Tyson’s subjects are people he has not actually met or spoken to but merely photographed and drawn later.

“I will go out with my camera and take

TheHomewoodStar.com pictures of people,” he said.

The chance to give portrait subjects a kind of immortality is part of what drives Tyson to draw so many human faces.

“These are real people and I feel, in a way, I am capturing their spirit, their emotions and their essence to record for all to see and hopefully have it continue on for generations,” he said. “I guess in some ways I am capturing their essence and blending it with my own personality and putting it on paper.”

Some of his drawings have been based on photos taken at Homewood Central Park, the We Love Homewood Day parade and his own yard.

“For the most part, my art has been the illustration of my personal life, family, travels and experiences,” he said.

One drawing is of Tyson’s uncle Max, who died the week the exhibit opened. The portrait was to be displayed at Max’s memorial service.

Other pieces are based on people he met while traveling in Spain.

“Most of my pieces have stories associated with them,” Tyson said.

A member of the Mountain Brook Art Association, Tyson has shown work at Birmingham’s Art Walk, Brookwood Medical Center and other venues and is represented by Littlehouse Galleries in Homewood.

Tyson’s show will remain on view until the end of January.

The Arts Council plans to host three exhibits each year at City Hall, including a show coming in February, according to the group’s chair, Diane Litsey.

“Our goal is to feature the work of local artists, not necessarily Homewood artists, and get the community involved,” she said.

For more information, go to facebook.com/homewood artscouncil.

December 2015 • B5

Homewood artist Andrew Tyson, left, at the opening of his exhibit at the Homewood Community Art Gallery with Meg McGuffin, Miss Alabama 2015, and Dr. Amanda Tapley, Miss Alabama 2008.

(Left) “Kayla” is one of Tyson’s many drawings based on people he knows or meets while traveling.

(Right) “Old Friends II” is based on a tree in Tyson’s yard.

The Homewood Star

B6 • December 2015 Layla Humphries keeps a photo of her high school violin teacher, who died of cancer, in her violin case.

Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Eat, breathe, play violin Academy founder remembers those who shaped her love for music

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Layla Humphries was definitely not one of those kids who wanted to be a musician.

She hated practicing the violin and piano, and she only kept at it because her mother insisted. Despite growing up around music, Humphries had planned to quit lessons after high school graduation.

“It was just like you eat, you breathe, you play violin,” Humphries said.

That plan was derailed when her violin teacher, Charles Wade, got cancer her senior year. She knew she wanted to continue playing in honor of him, and ultimately decided to study and teach music while at Samford University.

Now Humphries is the founder and artistic director of the Dawson Music Academy, a 12-year-old program at Dawson Family of Faith that has about 280 students from ages 4 to 70.

She still keeps a picture of Wade inside her violin case, and she credits him and her mother’s persistence for her career as a music teacher.

“The music academy wouldn’t be here if my momma hadn’t said, ‘You’re going to play violin and you’re going to do it until you graduate high school,’” Humphries said.

The DMA holds music lessons every day of the week with 35 teachers on staff. Most of the students play violin or piano, but Humphries said they also teach everything from flute and trumpet to guitar, percussion and voice. She said it started as a few private lessons at the church while she was a student at Samford, and she asked to start a program after her 2003 graduation. Humphries just wanted to teach — she never anticipated being the program’s director.

“We kind of just took a chance and said, ‘Let’s try,’” she said.

A combination of good location, good teachers and word of mouth are what Humphries credits with the program’s growth, as she has done very little advertising. She said it also helps that the DMA tries to be accommodating of families’ schedules, especially if they have multiple students taking lessons.

“Homewood kids can walk down for lessons, and we really try to customize schedules for families,” Humphries said.

Though she still plays at weddings and in the Dawson orchestra, Humphries said her first love is teaching. After 12 years, some of her original students are now playing in college or come back to help teach the summer music camp. While she enjoys seeing the payoff of a decade of work, Humphries also likes the excitement of a new student making a sound on their instrument for the first time. To her,

being in the lesson room is a “holy moment.”

As the DMA continues, Humphries hopes she has put it on a good footing for the future. Just as Wade instilled a legacy of hard work and excellence in her, Humphries wants to provide those values for her students and teachers.

“I’ve poured my life into this since college,” Humphries said. “When I’m not here, I want it to still be going.”

She also hopes to grow to the point that the music rooms at Dawson will almost always have the sound of students practicing their music. An empty room in a church is just waiting to be filled.

“I’m passionate about churches that are empty during the week,” Humphries said. “Look, there are pianos sitting here that aren’t being played.”

To learn more about the Dawson Music Academy, visit dawsonchurch.org/dma.

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B7

250 seedlings planted along Greenway Trail

Volunteers planted seedlings along Shades Creek Greenway Trail as part of the Green Skies tree planting project. Photos by Erica Techo.

By ERICA TECHO Around 100 volunteers gathered on Saturday, Nov. 14 to help out with the Green Skies tree planting project.

The event was a partnership between the Homewood Environmental Commission, Samford University, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Boy Scouts. Volunteers at the event planted 250 seedlings along the Homewood Shades Creek Greenway Trail and helped clear invasive species near the Greenway’s entrance on Green Springs Highway.

Franklin Lowe, a member of Samford’s rugby team, said he and his team members came out to establish

a culture of volunteering with the relatively new club.

“We’re not just here to play a sport,” Lowe said. “We’re trying to create a culture of volunteering.”

The rugby team helped clear out invasive species, which was a new aspect of this year’s Green Skies project, said Jane Reed Ross with the Homewood Environmental Coalition.

“They’re taking out privet [and] mimosa, which is crowding out our native plants,” she said.

Removing the undergrowth helped clear the view of the creek, Ross said.

They also placed box elder, a tree that thrives around creeks, in the area for soil stabilization.

The seedlings that were planted are all native species and are from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, including black jack oak, red oak, box elder, water oak, persimmon and chestnut oak. Planting native trees is important, Ross said, because they can thrive in the area and help feed local wildlife.

“Everyone seemed to have fun and many of the runners, walkers and cyclists on the trail that day thanked the volunteers as they worked,” Ross said. “Part of our mission in planting the trees is to educate people on the importance of our native tree canopy in the environment and replacing trees that comes down on an annual basis.”

Samford rugby players helped clear out invasive species as part of the Green Skies tree planting project.

1493 Montgomery Highway Vestavia, AL 35216 • 205-874-9586

holiday gift guide

The Homewood Star

B8 • December 2015

For the

LITTLE COWBOY “Roper” by Dan Post Boots $58-90 Every little boy loves cowboy boots, and these Dan Post boots with handcrafted cushion comfort are perfect for riding the range.

Sikes Children’s Shoes 2920 18th Street S. 879-3433

For the

BIRD LOVER

For the

Ceramic Planter $50-75 This ceramic planter with air plants is perfect for the plant lover.

Wild Woolie Felt Birdhouse $20-25 These fun and festive birdhouses are made with sustainable materials in Nepal by skilled artisans working in a fair trade production center.

Sweet Peas Garden Shop 2829 Linden Ave. 879-3839

Christopher Glenn Inc. 2713 19th Street S. 870-1236

PLANT LOVER

For the

TIMEKEEPER Tag Heuer Aquaracer $1500 Silver dial and stainless steel bracelet.

Bromberg’s 2800 Cahaba Road 871-3276

s

% 5 2

f f O

Al

oy T l

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B9

For the

SWURFER

For the

COOL KID Ray-Ban Aviator Kids $69 Kids Aviator Ray-Bans with gold frame and green lenses.

The Swurfer Swing $129 All you need is a big tree and an open area, and the wooden Swurfer Swing provides fun for kids who can sit or stand on the wooden swing made in Charleston, South Carolina.

Homewood Toy & Hobby Shop 2830 18th St. S. 879-4444

JJ Eyes 2814 18th St. South 703-8596

For the

FESTIVE PARTY For the

FAMILY OUTING YETI Family Rambler Series $24.99-39.99 Coolers $249 and up Perfect for the family on the go. The YETI family has something for everyone on your list.

Christmas Petit Fours $13.20 per dozen Specially decorated for Christmas, these festive and unique petit fours are perfect for any party.

Savages 2916 18th St. S. 871-4901

Alabama Outdoors 3054 Independence Drive 870-1919

2937 18th St. South | Homewood, AL 35209 | 783-1169

homewood.thewholedogmarket.com

B10 • December 2015

Clockwise, from above: Homewood women dressed up as witches Oct. 30 and rode through the city, occasionally tossing out candy. The ride and associated silent auction raise money for cancer research. A Homewood kid eats a piece of candy during the annual Homewood Witches ride. Participants in the ride wear costumes and decorate their bikes to look like broomsticks.

Their entry fees went toward cancer research. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

The Homewood Star

WITCHES IN THE STREET

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B11

The Handmade Art Show included traditional artwork, jewelry, pottery, candles, plant-dyed yarn, foods, fabric art and more.

Local vendors set up at Patriot Park on Oct. 24 for the Handmade Art Show. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

2015 HANDMADE ART SHOW

ART FROM THE

HEART

Caroline Ward Sayre sells woodblock art at the Handmade Art Show.

The Handmade Art Show is a semi-annual event in Patriot Park to spotlight local craftsmen.

PATRIOT PARK, HOMEWOOD

Watch a video from the Homemade Art Show:

280living.com/topics/video

http://thehomewoodstar.com/peopleplaces/ artists-gather-for-handmade-art-show1024/

MAYFAIR MEDICAL GROUP welcomes

Dr. Kris t in Mizerany

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

newborn-18 years

3401 Independence Drive Homewood, AL 35209

205.870.1273

Pam Weaver of Buttnaked Candles talks to customers about her soy candles, which can also be used as lotion.

The Homewood Star

B12 • December 2015

School House OLS students learn about fi e safety

Students at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School learn about fire safety and prevention during a visit from the Homewood Fire Department during Fire Safety Prevention Week in October.

Photo courtesy of Mary Stephens Pugh.

The Homewood Fire Department paid a visit to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School during Fire Prevention Week in October.

The visit was geared toward teaching students about fire safety and prevention. Students in third, fourth and fifth grade learned about smoke alarms through this year’s theme, “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm.”

Homewood Fire Department Battalion Chief Lori Stoney and Montevallo Fire Department Fire Marshal Brandon Broadhead led a fire safety talk and allowed students to tour the fire truck.

Students also experienced the Smokehouse Fire Safety Trailer, where they were taught how to escape a smoke-filled room.

- Submitted by Mary Stephens Pugh

Shave

Perfecting the

WALLACE -BURKE

Fine Jewelry & Collectibles

1811 29th Avenue South | Downtown Homewood, AL 35209 | 205.874.1044 www.wallace-burke.com

OLS yearbook staff selected

Our Lady of Sorrows’ yearbook staff includes, from left: Frank Perrucci, Savannah Meikus, Lauren Hooten, Sydney Lange, Clay Guerrera, Jackson Hanle and Antonio Bowie. Photo courtesy of Mary Stephens Pugh.

Seven students at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School were selected for the 2015-16 yearbook staff. The students will help create the content of this year’s annual.

The eighth-grade students have been chosen to write, copy edit, proofread and lay out the pages of the yearbook. They will shoot pictures and conduct interviews with teachers, school employees and other students throughout the school year. They

will also be responsible for selling advertisements and promoting yearbook sales.

Teacher Andrea Smith directs the staff that was chosen based on teacher recommendations, grades and a short application detailing their talents.

Students on yearbook staff include Frank Perrucci, Savannah Meikus, Lauren Hooten, Sydney Lange, Clay Guerrera, Jackson Hanle and Antonio Bowie.

- Submitted by Mary Stephens Pugh

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B13

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School students had a great time participating in the Boosterthon Fun Run. Photo courtesy of Mary Stephens Pugh.

OLS School gets a ‘boost’ from fun run Students at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School raised thousands of dollars for their school at this year’s Boosterthon fundraiser.

Students reached their pledge goal of $50,000 to help enhance technology and make capital improvements at the school.

The fundraising event lasted nine days, kicking off with a pep rally. To earn money, children asked for pledges on a per-lap basis during the Fun Run or flat-donation basis

from friends and family. Students received prizes based on how much they raised, and there was a prize given to the top student collectors in the school.

This year’s theme was Big World Recess, which aimed to build character through sports. Students learned about teamwork, curiosity, practice, humility, confidence and endurance.

-Submitted by Mary Stephens Pugh

Kindergarten students, above, raise their hands while others, below, pray the rosary in the Memory Garden of the Good Shepherd. Submitted by Mary Stephens Pugh.

OLS kindergartners learn about praying together Kindergartners at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School recently participated in a special day titled “Praying with Pals” that included activities to help them learn the importance of prayer.

The event was designed to help them learn about prayer in different forms. The day included Mass, the blessing of rosaries, praying the rosary in the school’s Memory Garden of the Good Shepherd with OLS Associate Pastor Father Wilfred Emeh, and a visit to the Adoration Chapel for silent meditation. The students

also enjoyed Principal Mary Jane Dorn as their mystery reader, creating a religious craft and having a snack with cross-shaped cookies.

The afternoon included a prayer service with the children’s parents, grandparents or special friends. Christine LaRussa, director of religious education for OLS School, led the group in prayer with kindergarten teachers Dawn Philbin and Cindy Westbrook. It was a fun-filled day for everyone involved.

- Submitted by Mary Stephens Pugh

The Homewood Star

B14 • December 2015

Shades Cahaba takes part in competition Fourth-graders Kimberly Briseno and Daniel Vines from Shades Cahaba Elementary School participated in the Special Olympics at Trussville High School.

Students from across the Birmingham area competed in a variety of events. Kimberly competed in a race and the tennis ball toss. Daniel competed in a race and the softball throw.

– Photo courtesy of Desiree Smith.

HMS students cheer on participants Homewood Middle School’s special education students attended the track and field Special Olympics at Trussville High School with other Over the Mountain schools. Students participated in running, throwing and jumping events and also enjoyed a grand sendoff at HMS before competing. - Photo courtesy of Desiree Smith.

Pupils take ‘trip’ to Mexico

Brittany Allen’s kindergarten class at Hall-Kent Elementary School took a mock flight to Mexico. The students completed teacher-led research about airplanes and airports and then planned a trip to Mexico. They created an airport and airplane and signed up for jobs for their trip. The students worked at the check-in counter, served as pilots and acted as passengers enjoying beverages and snacks. The students will learn about Mexico throughout the school year as an integrated topic for all of their academic areas. – Submitted by Desiree Smith

Edgewood shows its spirit Edgewood Elementary School students created a spirit tunnel for students who were participating in Special Olympics.

The Olympians walk through the tunnel while music plays as students, parents and teachers cheer for them. Photo courtesy of Desiree Smith.

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B15

Sports Homewood boys make it four in a row

The Homewood boys celebrate their fourth straight cross-country state title. The Patriots’ first two came while they were in the 5A classification with the most recent pair coming at the 6A level. Photo by Sam Chandler

By SAM CHANDLER In the week leading up to the AHSAA State Cross Country Championships, Homewood coach Lars Porter found himself questioning whether or not his team would be prepared to defend its state title for a fourth straight year.

“I would say Monday, Tuesday, I was feeling a little bit of pressure wondering, ‘are we where we’re supposed to be?’” Porter said.

On that Tuesday afternoon, however, Porter’s Patriots appeased his nerves.

Led by seniors Sean Conboy and Hunter Poole, the team cranked out two reps of one-mile repeats, clocking blistering times in the mid-tohigh four-minute range.

“It was like they walked away with that quiet confidence, and I was able to have that same confidence as the coach, you know, ‘OK, we’re

ready,’” Porter said.

At Oakville Indian Mounds Park on Nov.14, site of the state meet, the Homewood boys confirmed that belief.

Driven by the top-10, All-State efforts of Poole (3rd), Will Stone (4th), Andy Smith (5th) and Conboy (8th), Homewood secured its fourth consecutive state title in dominant fashion, collecting a team score of 32 and finishing 28 points ahead of 6A runner-up Opelika.

“We’ve had a number of guys who’ve had the luxury of letting the older runners handle it,” Porter said, “knew it was their turn, their responsibility, and everybody did what they could and what they were supposed to, and I feel great about it.”

With the triumph, Homewood moved into a tie with three other schools for the third spot on the state’s all-time list for most consecutive state

Newly Expanded

Lunch specials $5.99-$7.99 Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 3:30 pm Full dinner menu available all day Live Lobster, Crabs, Bullfrogs, Tilapia, and Eels Large Selection of Fresh Oriental Veggies

Market & Red Pearl Restaurant 243 W Valley Ave, Homewood • 205.945.9558 • superorientalmkt.com

cross-country championships.

For the Class of 2016, who have now won state titles each year of their high school careers, it couldn’t have been a more perfect ending.

“When I was a freshman, Coach Porter came in as a new coach, and we just didn’t really know what to expect,” Poole said, “and then after just what his coaching strategies have done for us, we’ve just had so much success with him, and it’s just a joy to finish off what we started.”

Poole, competing in his fifth and final state meet, capped off an accomplished prep cross-country career with his first podium finish, nabbing third place in a near-personal-best time of 16:18.94.

“He’s been one that’s just been so steady over the years and steady with his improvement,” Porter said. “He had a breakout spring,

breaking 4:30 in the mile, and we knew what he was capable of.”

Stone, the second-ranked freshman in Alabama, along with Smith, who battled injury over the course of the season, and Conboy, comprised the primary chase pack with Poole throughout the race, pushing each other to continue pressing until the finish.

“My coach always said, ‘find comfort that your teammates are suffering just as much as you are,’” Conboy said.

On the girls side, Homewood narrowly edged Florence, 131-132, for third place. Eighth grader Edie Smith and seventh grader Victoria Thompson were the first two Patriots’ finishers to cross the line, clocking times of 20:02.74 and 20:05.12, respectively. Smith’s 15th-place performance earned her All-State honors for the second straight year.

The Homewood Star

B16 • December 2015

Lakeshore Goalball team wins 3rd straight title

By DAVID KNOX The Lakeshore Youth Goalball team won its third straight United States Association of Blind Athletes National High School Goalball championship in St. Augustine, Fla., Nov. 6-8.

Parker Stewart and Josh Welborn were named All-Americans and Welborn was named tournament most valuable player.

Nicholas Rollins and Tanner Wood are other team members on the team coached by Cliff Cook and assisted by Linda Welborn.

The team has been dominant since 2013, having not lost a game in youth league play since.

Lakeshore had to come from behind to defeat Texas 5-3 in the championship game.

Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for blind athletes, originally devised in 1946 by in Austria as a means of assisting the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans.

Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded in it into the opponents’ goal.

After quarterfinal action on the boys’ side of the draw, the final four teams (Lakeshore Foundation, Georgia Panthers, Texas Wildcats, and Arizona Sentinels) faced off to decide medal positions. In the first semifinal, Lakeshore played outstanding defense and demonstrated offensive prowess in their first semifinal win, 11-1 over Arizona.

In the championship game, Lakeshore and Texas fought a tight defensive battle for much of the game and finding themselves tied up at 2-2 late in the second half, the Lakeshore Foundation’s championship experience would prove to be the determining factor. Lakeshore won the closest contest in a medal round, 5-3, to win the gold medal and 2015 National Championship, and the Texas Wildcats claimed the silver.

Head coach Cliff Cook, Tanner Wood, Nicholas Rollins, Parker Stewart, Josh Welborn and assistant coach Linda Welborn. Photos courtesy Lakeshore Foundation.

Homewood’s Doud, 2 others claim All-America honors

By DAVID KNOX

Homewood’s Rachel Doud aims her bow during a competition. Photo courtesy

of the Lakeshore Foundation.

Homewood High senior Rachel Doud and two other Lakeshore Foundation athletes claimed All-America honors at the National Junior Disability Championships in New Jersey.

Clay’s Rashad Bennett and Hokes Bluff’s Emily Frederick were the other two athletes honored. The championships were this past summer, but the announcements were not made until September.

U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, revealed the 66 athletes selected as 2015 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field High School All-Americans.

This is the sixth year that U.S. Paralympics has honored the top high school track and field athletes with Paralympic-eligible

impairments based off performances during the 2015 season.

“Each year, the high school All-American list showcases the top young athletes across the country,” Cathy Sellers, high performance director of U.S. Paralympics Track and Field, said.

“This group has a number of athletes that we will see on the podium at the 2020 Paralympic Games and potentially even in 2016.”

Doud, who was also named All-American last year, took honors in the 1,800-meter event.

Originally from Oklahoma, Doud and her family moved to Homewood to be near Lakeshore so she could train and be near other family members. Doud, who was born with spina bifida, draws nothing but praise from her coach at Lakeshore, Jerry Allred.

“Her first love is basketball, which I also

coach her in,” said Allred. “Her parents really wanted her to do track and field for the fitness aspect, and she really took to it, really excelled at it. She’s a hard worker and very coachable.

“She has a very competitive spirit.”

Doud didn’t win the 1,800 meters, but both she and the winner broke the national record.

“On the last lap, I tried to draft the girl in first but I couldn’t get close enough,” Doud said.

“I started strong but kind of ran out of steam, thought I was going to pass out, but my friend in the race was pushing me on.”

While she looks ahead to next track season, she’s really enjoying getting back to her first love, basketball, right now.

“We lost some of our big players – big both in talent and size – but we’re a faster team this year.

We’ve got to learn to utilize that team speed.”

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B17

PREP HOOPS PATRIOTS

New talent joins returning talent

By DAVID KNOX If your memory of last year’s Homewood boys basketball season is Malik Cook’s floating shot that was swatted away at the hoop with 8 seconds left, that’s probably a bitter memory.

There isn’t a Patriot fan, player or coach who didn’t believe that was goaltending, robbing the Patriots of a one-point lead against Lee of Huntsville in the Class 6A semifinals and a shot at a state title.

If that’s your only memory, you’re shortchanging a tremendous year for the Patriots, who went 28-8.

Not that it didn’t sting.

“It probably took me a good month to get over it,” Patriots coach Tim Shepler said, “to work it through mentally. But we ended up saying this is going to be a positive in these kids’ lives to realize life doesn’t seem like it’s fair at times, but you have to work through it. That’s when you lean on your spiritual side, and realize to put things in their proper perspective.”

The Patriots are loaded this season.

“We’ve got a bunch of seniors coming back and a lot of experience and feel good about the opportunities that are going to be out there for these guys this year. We lost a very good player in Malik Cook, who is up at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. We’re going to miss him, but I think these guys are ready to step up.”

Depth is not an issue. Shepler has 16 players – someone’s probably going to have to play JV – including six football players who were still in the playoffs as of this writing. He has 10 seniors.

Where last season’s team looked to Cook, this year’s team is more balanced. Practices have been highly competitive as players push for playing time.

Among those expected to step up this season are Austin Patterson, Chris Miller and Peyton

Trey Jemison (55) drives against Chris Miller during a preseason scrimmage. Photo by Scott Butler.

Brown. Freshman forward Logan Padgett will be a contributor right away, Shepler said.

“He scored the first nine points in our preseason scrimmage, but then he can turn around and be a freshman real quick. So we understand that.

But he’s had a good fall,” Shepler said.

He’s the son of Samford coach Scott Padgett.

Newcomer Trey Jemison, a transfer from Ramsay, could be the biggest surprise. Jemison, a 6-foot-9 power forward, is just a sophomore whose best days are ahead of him. He’s young, but he’s a vocal leader, and with 10 seniors, Shepler doesn’t think leadership will be a problem.

Shepler knows his team will have a target on its back, but he said his squad embraces that.

He’s put together another challenging schedule that he thinks will pay off in the long run.

“We feel like our region is very strong, and it’s going to take a lot to get back to Birmingham.”

Defending champs ready for another shot at title

By DAVID KNOX JoVanka Ward has a challenge ahead of her, but it’s a challenge every coach would love to have.

The Class 6A defending champion Homewood Lady Patriots basketball team is eager and talented enough to do it again, but as hard as it is to get to the top, it may be harder to repeat.

“How do I keep these young ladies hungry?”

Ward said. “We were very blessed and fortunate, and that’s what I’ve explained to them. This year we are not sneaking up on anybody. They have to be ready. They’re going to be under the spotlight.

“It’s about keeping them humble and yet keeping them very hungry.”

Hannah Barber, one of two Lady Patriots named most valuable players from the 2015 Class 6A Final Four, said unity is key. “I think that’s one of the things that will help us stay hungry and stay humble,” Barber said. “If we’re all together and focused on the things we can control, we’ll be fine.”

The first poll won’t be out until December, but Homewood almost certainly will be ranked No. 1. Ward returns two juniors and 10 sophomores, but they were the heart and soul of last year’s state championship team, which beat Blount 69-60 in the final.

Three seniors have departed, but Final Four co-MVPs Barber and Ajah Wayne are back. Tori Webb, who also made the all-tournament team, is another returning sophomore. The two juniors are Shelby Hardy and Venice Sanders, a very athletic newcomer who starred in volleyball.

Ward has put together a difficult schedule, and included is a meeting with Lauderdale County in the Steel City Invitational in late December, the only girls matchup in the event. Lauderdale County has won 84 straight games, the longest streak in Alabama girls basketball history.

“They have accomplished something most people can only dream of,” Ward said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m very honored just to have the opportunity to play before a large crowd in such an event. To be the first girls team invited to this tournament is huge.”

Barber said it will be a great test and opportunity. “Just the fact that they’re another top team in the state, just to get a different look from a really good team will be exciting for us.”

The Lady Patriots have a lot of weapons, but it really starts with Barber, who is one of the top players in the state already and is drawing interest from Alabama as well as many other schools.

“Hannah is a gift,” Ward said. “She is one of those special kids. I would love to take the credit for her, but she is a gym rat; she’s always working on getting better. She has such strong leadership skills. Hannah’s special because the girls look to her to do a lot of things, but she keeps a level head. Another thing that’s special about her is she celebrates every single person 1 through 15. That’s the thing that makes her special well beyond just her skills.”

She’s a scoring point guard who distributes.

She said one thing she’s worked on is coming off screens faster to get her shot off, and off the court she said building relationships with her teammates, relating back to her comments about “staying together” as a team.

Barber, Ward reminds, is just one piece of the puzzle. There is plenty of talent around her, Ward said.

“I have other young ladies who can step up, so I don’t worry about having Hannah do too much,” Ward said. “Ajah Wayne—she gets going, she’s hard to stop. Shelby Hardy—she does those things that may not show up all the time in the stats. Kalia Cunningham has a great motor; Tori Webb is a great post player for us. I think our depth again is going to be our strength.”

The Homewood Star

B18 • December 2015

Gentry commits to S. Carolina

By DAVID KNOX “Blessed to say that I’ve verbally committed to play football for The University of South Carolina #gogamecocks.”

That’s how Homewood defensive end Griffin Gentry announced on Twitter that he had changed his oral commitment from Troy to South Carolina on Nov. 4.

He didn’t get an offer from South Carolina until coach Ben Berguson got the word at halftime of the Patriots’ game at Jackson-Olin on Oct. 23.

Shawn Elliott is the South Carolina interim coach after Steve Spurrier stepped down last month. Linebackers coach Kirk Botkin and defensive line coach Deke Adams recruited Gentry, who is 6-2, 255.

“I’m proud of him,” Berguson said. “I know that’s what he’s wanted all along, is to play in the SEC. “They had looked at him and the thing that worried them is his height. But I think he’s proved the way he’s played that’s not a concern. He’s such a presence whether he’s making the tackle or not because they have to run away from him.”

After posting over 100 tackles as a junior, after 11 games Gentry had 85 total tackles including a whopping 28 tackles for loss.

He leads the team in sacks with six for a loss of 50 yards and has forced six quarterback hurries. He has forced and recovered a fumble and blocked one field goal this season. He has recorded one safety as well.

Gentry, whose father played for the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL, had committed to Troy on July 24. He also had offers from Appalachian State and South Alabama and had some interest from Alabama.

Homewood football recap Patriots fall short in 2nd round of state playoffs

By CHRIS MEGGINSON, DAVID KNOX and RUBIN GRANT

Game 9, 10/22

HOMEWOOD 27, JACKSON-OLIN 3 Derrick Underwood amassed 121 yards rushing and scored a touchdown in the first half, and then he and his Patriots teammates cruised home with a 27-3 win at Jackson-Olin on Thursday night.

The Patriots defense was dominant, allowing only a fake punt pass that set up the Mustangs’ only points as Homewood improved to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in Class 6A, Region 5 play.

The win closed out region play for the Pats.

“Derrick had a big night,” Homewood coach Ben Berguson said. "Chestin Jones ran well.

We had a good game rushing the ball tonight.

I was pleased with our offensive line.

“And I was real happy with our defense, they played great again this week. I thought Griffin Gentry had a huge first half and I was really happy because he got an official offer from the University of South Carolina at halftime.”

Jackson-Olin, coached by Homewood High graduate Tim Vakakes, pulled the trickery out right away. The Mustangs (3-6, 3-4) executed an onside kick on the opening kickoff. But the Patriots defense held on three plays and took the punt and drove 74 yards on 12 snaps.

Carson Griffis connected with Ronald Claiborne for a 39-yard pass play to set up a 5-yard pass from Griffis to Griffin Walker for the first score of the game. Castro’s extra point made it 7-0 with 5:46 left in the first quarter.

The visitors took their 20-3 lead into the lockers.

At the half, Underwood had 121 yards on 15 carries, and he mostly let others do the heavy lifting after the break, especially Jones, who showed off his speed on a 44-yard burst for a TD on Homewood’s first second-half possession.

The Patriots defense swarms to tackle a Clay-Chalkville runner Nov. 14. Homewood lost 40-39. Photo by Scott Butler.

Castro’s point made the score 27-3 with 9:45 left, and it was all over but the shouting.

“I think we played pretty well,” Gentry said.

“There are always mistakes. That’s how it’s supposed to be. You learn from them and they make you better.”

Game 10, 10/31

HOMEWOOD 34, TUSCALOOSA COUNTY 14 While other playoff-bound Class 6A, Region 5 schools slipped up on the road this

week, the Homewood Patriots closed the regular season with a 34-14 win at Tuscaloosa County High School’s Wildcat Field.

“I wanted to make sure we had momentum going into the playoffs next week, and that’s what we did,” Homewood head coach Ben Berguson said.

The Patriots opened the game passing but stuck to the ground game after Justen Little picked off a Carson Griffis pass on the opening possession. Homewood held the Wildcats to a 40-yard field goal try, which missed short and

TheHomewoodStar.com to the left. TCHS held again, but mishandled a punt return, which Jacob Biles recovered at the Wildcat 45 to give the Patriots a spark.

That spark was all Homewood need to get its run game going. Derrick Underwood Jr., who finished with a season-high 213 yards rushing, hit four runs for 38 yards to set up first-andgoal at the 3.

Griffis punched the ball in from there for the first Patriot touchdown, 7-0.

The Patriots led 14-7 at the half, and big plays by Underwood, Griffis, Alec Marsch and Roger Castro bumped that up to 24-7.

Similar to the second quarter, Tuscaloosa County opened the fourth quarter with a scoring drive. Berguson appeared to have pulled Underwood after he picked up 112 yards rushing in the third quarter, but put the senior back in the game on the next possession. He collected 39 more yards on four plays to set up a 43-yard field goal.

With Castro out due to an injury, freshman Connor Smith came on and hit his first varsity field goal with 6:56 to play.

“I just pulled him up from the freshman team this week (Tuesday),” Berguson said.

“He’s going to be great down the road.”

The Patriots held Tuscaloosa County to 3.5 yards per play in the game, including 2.9 per play in the first half. Griffin Gentry led the Homewood defense with seven tackles and a sack.

Game 11, 11/7

HOMEWOOD 49, LEE 14 Griffin Walker wasn’t running for his life, but he was running as fast as he could.

Walker caught a pass from quarterback Carson Griffis and raced 87 yards down the left sideline for Homewood’s first touchdown, sparking the Patriots’ 49-14 rout of Lee-Huntsville on Friday night in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs at Waldrop Stadium.

The Patriots had gone three-and-out on its first possession Friday and were facing a thirdand-10 on their 13-yard line on their next possession when Griffis and Walker hooked up on their long touchdown pass.

“The way we had the play drawn up, they had a linebacker playing over and he bumped

December 2015 • B19

Above left: Senior Griffin Walker (8) reaches out to slow a Clay-Chalkville defender as he makes a run during the Patriots’ game Nov. 14. Above right: Senior quarterback Carson Griffis hands off the ball to Derrick Underwood.

Photos by Scott Butler.

me and let me go,” said Walker, a senior receiver. “I ran a corner route and Carson hit me in stride.

“I saw the shadow of the guy chasing me and then he tripped and I told myself that I’ve got this. I have never run that fast in my life.”

Two more touchdowns gave the Pats a 21-0 lead at the half.

In the second half, the defense and special teams got in on the scoring flurry.

Homewood defensive lineman Bailey Thomas deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage and middle linebacker Carlos Figueroa plucked it out of the air, returning it 25 yards for a score at the start of the third quarter.

Homewood answered two Lee touchdowns with a long scoring drive, capped by Underwood’s second touchdown on an 8-yard run, to re-establish control. Underwood finished with 17 carries for 126 yards.

Homewood held Lee to only 74 total yards

and forced three turnovers.

“I thought our defense played great,” Homewood coach Ben Berguson said. “Those points they gave up were the offensive’s fault, leaving them with a short field.”

Game 12, 11/14

HOMEWOOD 39, CLAY-CHALKVILLE 40 In a game worthy of a state championship final, two Class 6A powerhouses went toe-totoe and matched each other punch for punch.

In the end, there was no knockout.

Unbeaten Clay-Chalkville, the defending state champion and unbeaten over two seasons, earned a 40-39 decision Friday night at Cougar Stadium over the gritty and game Homewood Patriots.

“I felt like we played as well as we could have played,” said Homewood coach Ben Berguson.

The Patriots led 7-0 and 14-7 in the first half, and were tied at 20 at halftime. It was tied at 26 and at 33 in the second half. They could never grab the lead, but Clay-Chalkville – which was averaging over 50 points a game – never led by more than seven at any point of the game.

When Clay led 40-33 with seven minutes to go, the Patriots responded and narrowed the lead to 40-39. After an unsuccessful Patriot attempt to take the lead, Clay-Chalkville ran out the clock.

The Patriots’ terrific season ended at 9-3.

Griffis was 18-of 23 for 222 yards passing and added 80 yards on the ground. Underwood rushed for 118 yards.

“I thought we played a great game – we were oh, so close,” Berguson said. “So proud of the kids, they played hard all night. Carson played great. Just came up short. I wish we had that one back.”

The Homewood Star

B20 • December 2015

These goats are known as “aggressive browsers” and will clear land quickly and without the harm of herbicides or machinery.

GOATS

CONTINUED from page B1 which he referred to as “aggressive browsers,” are a crucial part of the park’s long-term plans.

Combined with targeted herbicide use and heavy machinery, the goats’ land-clearing abilities will help the park access land once feared useless.

Because of their “delicate touch,” the goats are able to clear the land without damaging potential artifacts that would be crushed by machinery or strip the land of nutrients like unrelenting herbicide use could.

The goats were brought back, Hazelhoff said, following a successful pilot program last year in which 50 goats cleared 2 acres in just five days.

An added benefit, Hazelhoff said, is the free fertilizer the goats produce. The goats’ droppings return valuable nutrients to soil once stripped by the mining of days past.

Once the land is cleared, RMP staff can reintroduce plant species, such as oak, hickory and dogwood, which will help the land flourish.

Up first on the list of tasks for the goats is to

clear what will eventually become a large, multiple-acre pasture, Hazelhoff said, where families can enjoy picnics, disc golf, water features and other activities.

The goats belong to Goat Busters, a company based out of Virginia that specializes in land clearing by goats.

Jace Goodling, who owns the company, said one of his employees moved to Birmingham to help care for the goats. The goats are monitored closely, he said, and are visited several times a day.

“Goats are Mother Nature’s oldest weed-eaters,” Goodling said. “With so much emphasis nowadays on green methods, on being environmentally friendly, using goats to clear land makes all the sense in the world.”

Goodling visits frequently, he said, until he can find someone else to help watch over the animals. Goat Busters is responsible for the well-being of the animals, including their food, breeding, veterinary and housing needs. Four guard dogs — two Great Pyrenees and two Anatolian shepherds — help keep away hungry

predators such as coyotes, bobcats and feral dogs.

Hazelhoff, a Sewanee graduate, said he had previously heard about using goats for land-clearing purposes, but never thought to implement the idea until he was hired at RMP to help lay the groundwork for the continued sustainability of the forest.

“I knew that the invasive plants were at such a level of saturation that something had to budge,” he said.

Because of RMP’s independence and ability to experiment, Hazelhoff said, the opportunity to incorporate an innovative approach seemed perfect. He added that Birmingham has the highest concentration of invasive plant species in the nation, making it the perfect experimental site for this relatively new concept.

Once the plan was underway, the goats took off. Not only did they eat and clear the land quicker than anyone expected, but goat fascination also quickly grew.

The amount of interest in the goats eventually led RMP and Goat Busters to work toward

a permanent partnership. Though the details are still in the works, said Hazelhoff, the plan is to eventually introduce goat browsing to Birmingham’s vacant lots, highway borders and other area green spaces. The goal is to help spread the herbivore browse practice across the region, while spurring economic development and creating hundreds of new jobs for local farmers willing to learn the specifics.

In terms of logistics, Hazelhoff said, the goats are also extremely cost-effective. With the goats, it is estimated that RMP can increase the amount of land that will be restored to good health 75 percent more quickly than without the goats’ help. The goats will continue the park’s upkeep, Hazelhoff said, saving tens of thousands a year that would otherwise be used to bring in ongoing machinery and herbicide use.

“Everywhere a goat walks, it poops,” said Goodling of Goat Busters, “and because they tend to chew everything over and over, goats crush seeds, limiting any reseeding risks. Their hooves help break up the soil, and that, added with their natural fertilizer, helps prepare the ground for native species.”

Goodling said he got into the goat market almost accidentally. A luxury house builder by trade, Goodling looked for other sources of income when the housing economy tanked in 2008. Goodling teamed up with Auburn grad Scott Wilcox and began breeding Kiko goats as breeding stock. The ones that weren’t deemed “perfect” for breeding purposes, he said, became the foundation of his Goat Busters squad.

“The company has grown every year for the last seven years,” he said.

RMP encourages visitors to observe, but not touch or feed, the goats and it provides maps on where the grazers can be found.

“We as city dwellers have lost touch with what it’s like to see lots of farm animals out and about,” Hazelhoff said. “Having the goats visible encourages parents and children to learn more about the species and about the important work they are doing.”

The initiative, Hazelhoff said, will help put Birmingham on the map for innovation.

“Our desire is to be at the forefront of helping Birmingham heal its land,” he said. “Be on the lookout for goats to pop up around the city.”

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • B21

Homewood Real Estate Listings

18 Ventura Ave.

MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

733798

35209

18 Ventura Ave.

New

$468,900

733962

35209

1617 Beckham Drive

New

$239,780

733847

35209

1831 28th Ave. #410

New

$349,900

733805

35209

504 Oxford Circle

New

$339,900

733509

35209

1101 Hollywood Manor Circle

New

$459,780

733269

35209

1037 Drexel Drive

New

$249,000

732991

35209

621 Grove St.

New

$164,500

732842

35209

316 Woodland Drive

New

$510,000

732831

35209

302 Glenwood Drive E. #57

New

$329,000

732502

35209

3407 Waverly Drive

New

$299,900

732549

35209

108 Edgewood Blvd.

New

$599,900

732491

35209

120 Oxmoor Road

New

$149,800

732405

35209

1545 Valley View Drive

New

$179,900

732396

35209

815 Columbiana Road

New

$209,900

732094

35209

1608 28th Ave. S.

New

$299,000

732005

35209

232 Kent Lane

New

$179,900

732000

35209

1850 Windsor Blvd.

New

$379,900

731962

35209

1648 28th Ave.

New

$309,000

108 Edgewood Blvd.

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on Nov. 16.

Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

HOMEWOOD

•

ALABAMA

877-8797

Wayne Salem, Owner

2913 18th Street S. www.salemsdiner.com Monday - Friday: 6:30 am - 2:00 pm Saturday: 6:30 am - 3:00 pm

HOME OF THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK

The Homewood Star

B22 • December 2015

Calendar Community Events Dec. 1: UAB Symphony Band Concert.

2 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church. A Christmas concert and sing-along with the UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band. Visit uabbands.org.

Dec. 1: Annual star lighting. 18th Street, Homewood. Visit homewoodchamber.org.

Dec. 2: The annual Red Mountain Garden Club holiday greenery sale. Rosewood Hall, SoHo Square. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Visit redmountaingardenclub.com.

Dec. 2-3: Holly Days. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Girls’ Night 7-9 p.m. Dec. 3. 117 Eastwood Drive. Shop for Christmas items made by local vendors.

Dec. 4-19: Mountain Brook Art Association Christmas Show. Brookwood Village, former Gus Mayer space. Proceeds from the show benefit Hand in P w animal-assisted therapy. Visit mountainbrookartassociation.com.

Dec. 8: City Christmas Parade. Entertainment begins at 6 p.m., parade begins at library at 6:30 Rosewood Hall, SoHo Square. The evening

includes a parade, music, reading of the Christmas story and visit from Santa. Visit homewoodparks.com.

Balanchine’s choreography of this famous Christmas ballet. Visit alabamaballet.org.

Dec. 10: Christmas Home Tour and Holiday Gift Market. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Homes in Mountain Brook and Vestavia. $25 through Dec. 8 and $30 at door. Visit Samford. edu/legacyleague or call 726-2247.

Dec. 12-13: FREEFORM Dance Show. 7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. The Dance Foundation.

Visit thedancefoundation.org.

Dec. 11-13, 18-20: George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker.” 7:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Samford University Wright Center. Watch the Alabama Ballet perform

Dec. 26-Jan 16: Homewood Wishing Tree. Corner of 18th Street South and 29th Avenue South. Hang your wishes and prayers on the decorated tree. Find the Wishing Tree on Facebook.

Homewood Public Library Events Children

Stories, activities, and crafts about multiculturalism and diversity.

Dec. 1 & 15: Holiday Flix. 3:30 p.m. Showing holiday movies and popcorn and drinks.

Dec. 21: If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. 10 a.m. in the Round Auditorium.

Crafts and snacks.

Dec. 7: Skyping with I Survived Author Lauren Tarshis. 6 p.m. in the Round Auditorium.

Enjoy snacks and ask the author Lauren about her creative process and how she gets ideas and inspiration for her books.

Dec. 10: The Santa Experience.

6:30 p.m. in the Large Auditorium. An evening with Lew-E Circus and his Santa Experience Show.

Dec. 12: A New York Christmas with American Girl Samantha. 10:30 a.m. in the Round Auditorium. Snacks and crafts.

Dec. 13: Our World Our Library (O.W.O.L.) 2:30 p.m. in the Round Auditorium

Dec. 22: Gingerbread Baby. 10 a.m. in the Round Auditorium. Crafts and snacks.

Dec. 23: Rudolph’s Reindeer Games. 10 a.m. in the Round Auditorium. Crafts and snacks.

Teens Dec. 1: Girls Who Code. 4-6 p.m. in the Boardroom. Empowering girls grades 6-12 who are interested in the computer science field No registration required, but participants are encouraged

to bring their laptops.

Dec. 2: Duct Tape Madness. 4 p.m. in the Large Auditorium. Creations that can be made with duct tape.

Dec. 14: Teen Advisory Board (TAB). 6 p.m. in the Boardroom. Open to teens in grades 6-12 who want to take an active role at the Homewood Public Library.

Adults Dec. 1: Oxmoor Page Turners: The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kieran. 6:30 p.m. in the Boardroom.

Dec. 4: Jingle All the Way - Christmas Songs and Stories of the Season with

Storyteller Dolores Hydock and the Music of Bobby Horton. 6:30 p.m. in the Large Auditorium. Stories, songs, and sing-a-longs to make the season bright. Show includes a light hors d’oeuvres buffet starting at 6:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 7:30 p.m. $25.

Dec. 7 & 14: Library Yoga. 10 a.m. in the Large Auditorium. Free. All levels of fitness welcome No registration required, but please bring your own mat.

Dec. 10: Christmas Around the World with Niki Sepsas. 6:30 p.m. in the Round Auditorium. Niki Sepsas details Christmas customs from around the world.

Dec. 14: OLLI Bonus Program: A Reading and Discussion of A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote with Ginger Sharpel. 12 p.m. in Room 101 (Lower Level).

OLLI is seeking retired and semi-retired adults who are interested in socials, eld trips, classes with no exams, and making new friends!

e Spring Preview

December 3rd at 1 P.M. Vestavia Hills Civic Center olli.ua.edu/fun - 205-348-6482

TheHomewoodStar.com

December 2015 • A23

Calendar Library Events (cont.)

Dec. 14: Bossypants Book Club. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Nabeel’s Café. Discuss Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.

Dec. 16: The Better Than Therapy Book Club: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie. 2 p.m. in the Boardroom.

Area Events Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 17-23, & 26-31: Zoo Light Safari presented by Wells Fargo.

Birmingham Zoo. 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. $8 for non-members, free for members, $12.00 unlimited wristbands, $3.50 per attraction. Over one million lights synchronized to holiday music and activities. Visit birminghamzoo.com.

Dec. 5: Birmingham City Scholastic Chess Tournament. 8 a.m. Beginners welcomed. Sun Valley Elementary School, 1010 18th Ave. NW. Visit alabamachess.com.

Dec. 5: Yuletide in Dogtown. 3 p.m.–7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. The dogs are back in town for this ArtPlay/ASC favorite holiday production.

Dec. 11: The Mutt-cracker. 7:30 p.m. BJCC

Concert Hall. Benefiting the Gre ter Birmingham Humane Society. $20-$45. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Dec. 12-13: The Nutracker and premiering Dross, a prequel that tells the story behind the Nutcracker. BJCC Concert Hall Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. $20-$45. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Dec. 13: Eric Essix & 5 Men on a Stool.

7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. If you’re looking to get in the groove of the holidays, you shouldn’t miss “Holiday Soul” at the ASC. Dec. 30: Season 6 Premiere of Downton Abbey. 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Alys Stephens Center.

Free, ticket reservations available. Find out what will happen next on the most-watched drama in PBS history. Visit AlysStephens.org.

Now Hiring Young Rembrandts After School Art Instructor in Vestavia/Cahaba Heights and Substitute/Trainer centrally located in the Birmingham area.

Love art, love kids? We will train!

Part-time work afternoons Monday-Thursday. Call 999-4264.

Expires9-30-2015 01-15-16 Expires

$

488

788

$

*

King Set