February 2024 | Volume 14 | Issue 9
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Scoring high marks Smith, Hunter represent Homewood in state Teacher of the Year competition By LOYD McINTOSH
Homewood Theatre and Homewood Library team up for a Valentine’s Dinner Theatre show.
See page 10
Stacked Roster
A
pair of teachers from Homewood High School and Hall-Kent Elementary School will represent Homewood City Schools in the 2024-25 Alabama Teacher of the Year program. Katie Smith, an English teacher at Homewood High School, is Homewood’s Secondary Teacher of the Year, and Katie Hunter, a second grade teacher at Hall-Kent, is the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. Both now move on to the next
See TEACHERS | page 28
Lady Patriots leaning on depth and experience.
See page 16
INSIDE Sponsors.............. 4 City........................ 6 Business................7 Community.........10 Schoolhouse....... 12
Events.................. 14 Sports.................. 16 Opinion...............20 Medical Guide... 22
Katie Smith, an English teacher at Homewood High School, talks with Lottie Hill as Hill and other students in Smith’s ninth grade English class discuss reasons that people are mean to each other talks with Lottie Hill, left, as Hill and other students in Smith’s ninth grade English class work in a small group as they prepare to read “Of Mice and Men” on Jan. 9. Smith was named the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Homewood City Schools. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Patriot band preparing for Ireland trip By GRACE THORNTON
facebook.com/thehomewoodstar
Members of the Patriot Marching Band practice marching in the Homewood High band room on Jan. 10 in preparation of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Leigh Lewis laughs when Chris Cooper calls her the instigator behind the Homewood High School Patriot Band’s upcoming trip to Dublin, Ireland. She says it wasn’t her suggestion, but she very much supports it — she loved her own trip there in high school. “I was in the band room helping with something for the band’s 50th anniversary, and he said they were considering an Ireland trip,” Lewis said of Cooper, the band’s director. “I told him I had been the first time.” Lewis went in 1993 as a sophomore in the Homewood High School color guard.
See BAND | page 30
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2 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
SPONSORED CONTENT
New, state-of-the-art Facial Plastic Surgery practice is now open in Homewood
A
n exciting new medical practice — Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery — is now open in downtown Homewood. Headed by Dr. Blake Raggio, a highly skilled Facial Plastic Surgeon, the facility focuses exclusively on providing patients with the latest cosmetic and aesthetic procedures for the eyes, face, nose and neck. Dr. Raggio has dedicated his entire career to becoming an expert in these procedures. Not only has Dr. Raggio obtained extensive training in both Facial Plastic Surgery and Head & Neck Surgery, but he has continually refined his techniques over the last several years in practice. “We’re able to provide patients the safest, most up-todate techniques to effectively reach their goals,” he says. Procedures are performed in the Raggio MD office which represents a state-of-the-art medical facility with no detail overlooked. Dr. Raggio says he’s “beyond thrilled” about his practice, which opened in January at 1920 Huntington Road. “Opening a private practice has always been my ultimate goal, and we couldn’t have found a better location,” he says. Homewood is centrally located, allowing easy access for patients from the entire Birmingham area, including Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills. In addition, downtown Homewood “has an upscale yet inviting atmosphere and is the perfect setting for our boutique practice,” Dr. Raggio says. “From a surgical perspective, we’re excited to share our expertise in cosmetic rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation procedures, including face, neck, brow and eyelid lifts,” Dr. Raggio says. “In addition, we’ll provide non-surgical options, including Botox, dermal filler and other medical spa treatments, such as laser skin resurfacing and radiofrequency microneedling.” Raggio MD is the only cosmetic plastic surgery facility in the region offering in-house hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which promotes faster healing, less bruising, minimizes complications and enhances the overall result. Dr. Raggio earned his undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University and his medical degree at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed an extensive residency in Head & Neck Surgery at the Tulane University Medical Center. Dr. Raggio then finished a highly competitive fellowship program in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto with renowned rhinoplasty and deep-plane facelift surgeon, Jamil Asaria. He has dual board certification in both Facial Plastic Surgery and Head & Neck Surgery. One of Dr. Raggio’s most sought after and favorite procedures is the rhinoplasty. “I have great confidence in performing rhinoplasty for patients of all shapes and sizes, including teenage, male, ethnic, and Asian rhinoplasty concerns.” Beyond the primary rhinoplasty, Dr. Raggio also specializes in performing revision rhinoplasty for patients who may not have had a great first surgical experience. “We’re talking about complex revision rhinoplasties, which require using rib cartilage and other advanced techniques,” he says. “I have a tremendous amount of experience and expertise in the rhinoplasty arena, and I’m excited to offer these modern rhinoplasty techniques to Birmingham and the surrounding region. Dr. Raggio is also an expert at doing surgical full-facial rejuvenations in which a patient has several procedures performed at once. “We’re doing more than just the routine eyelid surgery or a facelift, but rather we’re focusing on panfacial rejuvenation by implementing cutting-edge therapies such as full-face fat grafting, surgical lip lifts, and deep-plane facelift and neck lift techniques,” he says. Both rhinoplasties and full-facial rejuvenations are
Kristin Raggio and her husband, Dr. Blake Raggio, owners of Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery
► WHERE: 1920 Huntington Road ► PHONE: 659-272-0092 ► WEB: raggiomd.com
“extremely rewarding procedures to perform, and the results are often life-changing,” Dr. Raggio says. His practice also offers the best in non-surgical facial rejuvenation, including “full-face botox treatments and filler treatments that are really safe, modern and effective techniques,” he says. Dr. Raggio and his wife, Kristin, who is a registered nurse, co-own Raggio MD, and Kristin serves as practice manager. New Orleans natives, Dr. Raggio and Kristin moved to Birmingham in October and live now in Mountain Brook. They have a growing young family, with three children and a fourth on the way. It’s very gratifying to open and run a business with his wife, Dr. Raggio says. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else more to not only run the practice but also interact with patients,” he says. “As the surgeon, the technician, I have a vision, and sometimes it’s hard to articulate that, but Kristin gets it and is able to help bring it to life in every aspect of the practice.” “I believe Blake and I make an outstanding team because we share the same goals and philosophy regarding patient care,” Kristin says. “Blake and I truly understand each other. We know what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t. In addition, we are both perfectionists and never settle for anything less than exceptional.” The co-owners hope to create a warm, friendly, inviting atmosphere at the practice. “In New Orleans, Southern hospitality is alive and well, and we want to bring that to what we do here,” Dr. Raggio says. “Patients love our bedside manner and like
the warm, friendly interaction.” Dr. Raggio’s work with patients brings him a tremendous sense of satisfaction. “I’m blessed with the incredible opportunity to positively impact people’s lives,” he says. “My patients entrust me with their care, and this is something I take very seriously and enjoy thoroughly.” Dr. Raggio listens carefully to each patient’s desires and concerns in order to design a personalized treatment plan. He also makes sure they fully understand what he can offer them and — more importantly — what he can’t offer them. “Sometimes the hardest thing I have to do is say ‘no’ to a patient, or to steer them away from a certain desired treatment or procedure,” he says. “We focus a lot of our attention on listening to patients and educating them before we even consider moving forward with a procedure,” Kristin says. “I have a duty and responsibility to the patient to provide them with a treatment plan that I feel confident will produce a beautiful result that will be safe, natural and conform with the classical standards of beauty – a result that we would both be happy with and proud to share,” Dr. Raggio says. Dr. Raggio has an artistic eye and a keen appreciation for beauty, which he says are essential traits for a plastic surgeon. “It’s about understanding facial proportions, balance and harmony, as well as identifying how to maximize that certain individual’s traits to their fullest potential,” he says.” These principles allow him to “deliver a subtle, natural result that stands the test of time,” he says. In addition, Dr. Raggio “tirelessly searches” for ways to refine his skills and find new ways to “maximize the patient experience,” he says. “The journey never ends.” “Our passion for excellence will allow us to deliver that outstanding patient experience that we know people will love at Raggio MD,” Kristin says.
TheHomewoodStar.com
February 2024 • 3
The Homewood Chamber of Commerce Proudly Presents
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Easter Egg Hunt Saturday March 23rd
4 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
About Us Publisher’s Note By Dan Starnes Did you know that we really love it when our readers submit local community events for us to share? We know that publishing these is a huge service to the community, so we promote these in all four outlets of your paper: print, email newsletter, website and social media. Here are the criteria for events to be published in advance: ► The event must take place in Homewood ► It needs to be open to the public ► For us to publish the event in print, we usually need to receive it at least 3 weeks before the first day of the month in which the event happens
when selecting from events that may have a promotional angle for a business. While an event being sponsored by a business obviously won’t keep it from being published, we’ll be looking for elements that make the event entertaining for the general public. To submit your event, you can email me at dan@starnesmedia.com.
We’re looking for any events that may be entertaining to our readers. We will use our editorial judgment
PHOTO OF THE MONTH Harper King, 8, reads a book with her mom, Jen, and Ziggy, a newlyadopted puppy from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society during the Books & Barks event in the children’s department at the Homewood Public Library on Jan. 10. Books & Barks is hosted every Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. during the school year and is open to children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Publisher: Dan Starnes
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dan@starnesmedia.com Please submit all articles, information and photos to:
Community Editors: Jon Anderson Leah Ingram Eagle Sports Editor: Kyle Parmley Design Editor: Melanie Viering Photo Editor: Erin Nelson Sweeney Page Designer: Ted Perry Production Assistant: Simeon Delante Operations Specialist: Sarah Villar
Please Support Our Community Partners All of Us UAB Research Study (24) Bedzzz Express (32) Bidding Kings (11) Birmingham Museum of Art (15) Bromberg’s (31) Budget Blinds (17) Children’s of Alabama (22) Cottontails Village (21) Crocker Moving Services (1) ENT Associates of Alabama (19) Etc. (9) Farrell-Calhoun Paint Inc. (7) French Drains Pro (21) Gardner Astroturf (8) Gardner Landscaping (6) Green Springs Animal Clinic (29) Guin Service (1) Gunn Dermatology (23) Homewood Chamber of Commerce (3) Homewood Family and Cosmetic Dentistry (29) Homewood Parks and Rec (13) Issis & Sons (16) Medicare Advisors of Alabama (27) Mr. Handyman of Birmingham (28) One Man & A Toolbox (21) Outdoor Living Areas (18) Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (8) Piggly Wiggly (19) Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery (2) Renew Dermatology (5) Samford University Marketing (20) Shunnarah Flooring (31) Southern Blood Services (12) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (12) SouthPoint Bank (10) TherapySouth Corporate (26) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (30)
Contributing Writers: Kathatine Armbrester Carmen Shea Brown Solomon Crenshaw Jr. Lauren Denton Sean Dietrich Loyd McIntosh Emily Reed Grace Thornton Client Success Specialist: Warren Caldwell Business Development Exec: Don Harris
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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.
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February 2024 • 5
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6 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
City Referendum to change city government must wait til spring By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. Homewood residents who want to change the city’s form of government will have to wait until at least April before they can vote to make that happen. City Council President Alex Wyatt gave an update on the process of possibly shifting to a city manager-council government during the council’s finance committee meeting on Jan. 8. “The first step, or the next step, is to get a petition,” Wyatt said. “We have to do a petition that's signed by a certain number of voters.” The goal was to have someone in place to handle the petition around the end of January, Wyatt said. According to state law, the petition must be signed by 4% of the city’s population as counted in the last census, which would be 1,057 people. All of the signers must be qualified voters in the city of Homewood. The council president said work is already being done to draw up new council districts according to the census data. The council hopes to offer a government that will have four council members elected by district and a mayor who is elected at-large and votes as part of the council. That compares to the current 11-member council, which includes two representatives from each of five council districts and a council president elected at-large. Under the proposed city manager-council form of government, the city manager would handle the day-to-day operations of the city. “Once we get the map and the petition completed, then the referendum has to happen within 90 days of the petition being submitted to the probate court,” Wyatt said. “Once we have an idea of when the petition will be completed,
Homewood Council President Alex Wyatt speaks during a meeting at Homewood City Hall on March 27. Photo by Erin Nelson.
then we can schedule the referendum.” Homewood will have to wait until voting machines are available. Those machines are scheduled for use in the March 4 general election primaries. “That's why we're looking at some time in April,” he said. “The earliest [a referendum could happen] would be April.” If a majority of voters agree to the change in government, that change would not happen until November 2025, when the new council takes office. “This [current] form of government will stay until that point. The only difference will be that
we will — if this goes through — we would endeavor to hire a city manager that would sit without all of their duties until such time as the new government took place. But that would allow the transition to be in place and wouldn't require a year after the new government took its seats to find someone,” Wyatt said. An impromptu report came during the finance committee meeting as Barry Smith gave her fellow council members a look at renderings of budgeted upgrades to Central Park. Smith is the council’s liaison to the park board. “I've been able to see all the plans, but nobody else has,” she said. “I just kind of want
everybody to see.” Smith’s excitement over the project was evident. “We've never had a playground in the city that was fully accessible to anybody,” she said. “The fact that we're going to have one that people in wheelchairs can access, kids in wheelchairs, ... they can play with their friends on the same toys, when previously they would have had to sit on the sidelines and just watch everybody else have fun. “I love it. I do love it,” Smith added. “I think it's a fantastic thing, and I'm so excited about it.”
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TheHomewoodStar.com
February 2024 • 7
Business
Business Happenings NOW OPEN
RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS
Dr. Blake Raggio recently announced the opening of Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery, 1920 Huntington Road, providing facial plastic surgery and non-surgical treatments to create a more youthful and symmetrical appearance. 659-272-0092, raggiomd.com
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS Avadian Credit Union, with a business services office at 2200 Lakeshore Drive and a branch at 475 Green Springs Highway, was recently named by Business Alabama as one of the 40 best companies to work for in Alabama. In addition to comprehensive insurance plans, 401k, medical leave and holiday pay, Avadian offers a student loan repayment program, tuition reimbursement, flexible work hours and a relaxed dress code, the magazine said. 888-282-3426, avadiancu.com
NEW OWNERSHIP
Mary Virginia Colvert has recently sold Celebrate Birmingham, 1743 Reese St., to Lesley Hendon. Hendon is the owner of Pop and Pour Party Co. in Fairhope. Colvert is happy to remain an active member of the Homewood community. 205-440-2184, celebratebirmingham.com Homewood Gourmet is now open at its new, larger location at 2703 Mamie L Foster, 18th Place. The casual eatery serves fresh, local ingredients in handcrafted sandwiches, salads and sides, as well as a selection of dinner entrees to go. 205-871-1620, homewoodgourmet.com
ANNIVERSARIES Vista Engineering is celebrating 26 years in business. The business, located at 130 Citation Court, specializes in materials consulting, as well as research and design services in the private sector. 205-307-6550, vistaeng.com
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Business News to Share? Do you have news to share with the community about a business in Homewood or the greater Birmingham area? Let us know at starnesmedia.com/ business-happenings
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8 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
WEBB Building Essentials opens showroom in Homewood BY EMILY REED For those looking to see home construction materials and products first-hand, WEBB Building Essentials offers an up-close solution at their new Homewood location. “We offer a ‘kick the tires’ feel of almost anything you need to build your dream home,” said WEBB media specialist Laurel Webb. “Our highlights are window and door selections, exterior building material options and a few of the many floor and tile selections available in today’s market.” Customers can also find assistance with interior and exterior molding choices, decking, railing systems, stair parts, turf and custom wallpaper. Located at 1716 28th Ave. S., the space was formed based on customer demand, Webb said. The parent company, WEBB Concrete and Building Materials, has been serving the Homewood area for years, but their closest showroom was in Pell City. “When we started our search for a new location in the greater Birmingham region, we considered locations all over, but kept coming back to Homewood,” said Zeke Keel, who is an outside sales team member at the new showroom. “This area has a strong architectural and builder presence, so homeowners in these areas will now have a short drive to come see us.” WEBB Concrete and Building Materials is a third-generation, family-owned company. Current owners Phil and Denise Webb bought the company from Phil’s father in 1980. Since then, WEBB has grown to offer paint and design showrooms and a flooring division. “We have expanded to serve our customers with all materials necessary to complete a project from the foundation up,” Laurel Webb said. The appreciation of the completed home is something that WEBB continues to focus on. “The work, attention to detail, the story of each home, making something great and unique for our neighbors and community, makes this rewarding in so many ways. It is one of the reasons WEBB
WEBB Building Essentials’ new showroom is now open in downtown Homewood. WEBB provides flooring, windows, doors, molding, siding, decking and more for residential and commercial properties. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
continues to grow,” Keel said. WEBB Building Essentials has been fully staffed and operational for a few months but has limited customer traffic to appointments only, in order to optimize the new space and arrange displays. Showroom manager Sherri Wilson and Webb
have been working recently to make sure the business was ready for the grand opening on Jan. 11. Over the next few months, WEBB Building Essentials will continue working on its space to meet customer demand and stay up-to-date with trends and new products on display.
“We greatly value feedback,” Webb said. “Come in for a cup of coffee and talk and share your ideas with us.” Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are available. For more information, visit webbbuildingessentials.com.
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February 2024 • 9
Left: Thomas Findlay talks about a new painting on fabric that he’s working on at his studio and rebranded storefront, Thomas Andrew Art, Home & Faith, located on 18th Street South in Homewood. Right: Thomas Andrew Art, Home & Faith brings together work by Thomas Findlay and other artists with the chocolate products from Chocolate America, Findlay’s second business. Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Blending art and chocolate 2004 and opened his first studio on Linden
He admits to having a sweet tooth, and the
“Fine chocolate is somewhat of a delicacy, just
In 2019, Findlay opened the Thomas Andrew Art Studio and Gallery, and he had intended the gallery to also be a welcoming space for visitors who wished to paint their own artworks on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic arrived several months after the gallery’s opening and derailed his plans. “I had to come up with a Plan B,” he said, “and that was inviting other artists and new products into my gallery. That’s when I started selling fine chocolates because no one in Homewood was doing it.”
who were coming for their cookies would also want to buy some really good chocolate as well,” he said. Only American-made chocolates were sold at Chocolate America, and the top sellers from that store will continue to be sold at Thomas Andrew Art, Home & Faith. Home decor and faith-based items will be available for purchase, along with original artwork by Findlay and other artists. Findlay found that combining his art gallery and his chocolate shop was not very difficult.
Homewood.” During the week, Findlay will use the space for his studio, creating paintings for his art shows and clients. “People will be able to walk by and watch me paint,” he said. The Homewood community’s response to Findlay’s previous businesses and his new venture has been “extremely supportive,” he said. “I love Homewood because I feel like it is the best of all worlds.” For more information, visit the store’s website at thomasandrewartwork.com.
in 2011. combination of chocolate and art seemed “like like fine art,” he said, “so the two seemed to fit Thomas Andrew Findlay Avenue “My father encouraged me to become an a natural fit.” well together.” we will continue to have home artist because I always loved to draw as a kid,” Chocolate America, Findlay’s second busicombines art studio, gallery Findlay said. “I’m a self-taught painter, and this ness, opened on the corner of 18th Street South decor“In thegiftsfront, and chocolate, and in the back we been the best career I could’ve ever hoped in May 2022. He chose the location because of will have fun art classes and workshops,” with chocolate boutique has for.” its proximity to Cookie Fix. “I figured people Findlay said. “It will be a very unique store for By KATHARINE ARMBRESTER Homewood locals and visitors can now satisfy their appreciation for art along with their sweet tooths in the same location. Thomas Andrew Findlay has combined his art studio and gallery with his second business, Chocolate America, located at 2856 18th St. S. The new business is Thomas Andrew Art, Home & Faith. Findlay has been a professional artist since
10 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
Community Have a community announcement? Email Sarah Villar at svillar@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Homewood Theatre, library team up for Valentine’s dinner event By CARMEN SHEA BROWN When adult services librarian Leslie West first came to the Homewood Public Library 12 years ago, she was captivated by the success of the library’s long-running Mystery Dinner Theatre. “I thought, man, this is so popular, we should try to do this for Valentine’s Day,” West said. Eleven years later, the Valentine’s Dinner Theatre show is still going. This year’s show, “Til Beth Do Us Part,” is a romantic comedy about a career-driven Southern woman, Suzannah Hayden, who brings in her new personal assistant, Beth Bailey, to “make her household run more efficiently.” Little does she know that her husband, Gibby (who hasn’t been attentive to their marriage lately), is about to be a part of that change as well. The play was written by playwrights Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten. Wooten was a longtime writer and producer of the classic NBC comedy “The Golden Girls.” The library will hold two performances at its large auditorium: one on Friday, Feb. 9, and another on Saturday, Feb. 10. Tickets are $45 per adult, and the price includes dinner provided by Christian Catering Co. “It’s a buffet meal that includes a chicken dish, saffron rice, tossed salad and yeast rolls,” West said. “And for dessert, we always have their bread
A scene from Homewood Theatre’s 2023 rendition of “’Til Beth Do Us Part.” Homewood Theatre is partnering with the Homewood Public Library for a Valentine’s Day dinner theater in February and will be performing “’Til Beth Do Us Part.” Photo courtesy of Homewood Theatre.
pudding. It’s phenomenal. It’s the final blow to your senses at the end of the meal.” The buffet begins at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. This also is the first year the
Homewood Public Library has teamed up with the Homewood Theatre. “We’re excited to work with our own community theater,” West said. “I hope to do this for years to come.”
West said she first met Homewood Theatre Executive Director Kyle Bass at the Homewood State of the City dinner last year, and she was immediately drawn to his energy and enthusiasm.
“I thought, ‘This is the time to try something different,’” West said. “I knew I would really enjoy working with him.” Bass said he was “tickled to death” when West asked him to work with her. “They are all fabulous over there. They get good crowds. They’re moving and shaking up there at the Homewood Library,” Bass said. Their first collaboration was last fall’s Mystery Dinner Theatre production, “Catch Me if You Can,” a classic Broadway play not related to the 2010 movie. West said it was a full house, and the show was well received. “They have great actors. They’re all very funny and engaging,” she said. “You can’t ask for anyone better than Kyle and his people,” West said. Bass said the Valentine’s Day show will have what he calls “six hunks of dynamite” performing, including David Coker, who recently toured with “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical!,” and newcomer Kristin Staskowski, a seasoned actress who will be doing her first performance with the Homewood Theatre. “It’s a different audience and a different space for us to work with,” Bass said. “It’s been kind of fun for us to learn how we can move everything up the street.” Tickets went on sale Jan 5 at homewoodpubliclibrary.org/vdt. For more information, contact West at 205-332-6620.
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February 2024 • 11
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Schoolhouse Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Sarah Villar at svillar@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Homewood school district improves on state report card By LOYD McINTOSH The Homewood school system earned a 94 on its state report card for the 2022-23 school year, up from 93 the previous year. Homewood Middle School made the largest jump on its report card among the city’s five public schools, Superintendent Justin Hefner said, improving from a grade of 89 in the 202122 school year to a 95 in the 2022-23 term. Shades Cahaba Elementary School improved three percentage points, from 94 in 2021-22 to 97 in 2022-23. Hall-Kent Elementary and Edgewood Elementary each improved one
percentage point, from 93 to 94 and 98 to 99, respectively, while Homewood High School held steady at 93 across both academic years. “I’m really proud of our teachers and our leaders,” Hefner said. School board President Jill Kimbrell said it’s great to see the report card for all the city’s schools. “Everybody did well,” she said. In other business, the Homewood school board in December approved a pair of contracts. First, the board approved an agreement for insurance policies with Cobbs Allen for $451,387, followed by a $25,824 contract earmarked for Microsoft licenses for education
In the 2022-23 school year, Homewood Middle School made the largest jump on its report card among the city’s five public schools, improving from a grade of 89 in the 2021-22 school year to a 95. Staff photo.
software programs in the schools. Additionally, the Board of Education approved an expenditure of $1,550 per month for the Alabama Game Changers Now! program, an online tutoring platform for special services students. The subscription is effective Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2024. The school board also agreed to continue a
partnership with the YMCA of Greater Birmingham for after-school care and summer child care programs. Hefner also congratulated Amber Broadhead, a fourth grade teacher at Edgewood Elementary School, who was recently appointed to the Alabama social studies course of study committee and task force.
Board of Education members recognized, soccer coach wins award
Left: Homewood City Schools recently celebrated its school board members for their efforts on behalf of the school system. Students wrote thank-you cards and made posters during School Board Member Recognition Month to thank the Homewood BOE for their contributions. Right: Homewood High School soccer coach Sean McBride was recently selected as one of Positive Coaching Alliance's regional winners of the 2024 Coach of the Year Award, presented by TeamSnap. McBride was selected from nearly 500 nominated coaches, who received over 1,000 letters of reference. Photos courtesy of Merrick Wilson, Homewood City Schools.
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February 2024 • 13
Homewood Parks & Recreation Classes & Activities Central Barre
Tuesday 6:15am Wednesday 5:15pm Saturday 8:15am Homewood Community Center Central Barre is a small group fitness class incorporating barre, core, cardio, balance, strength training and stretch to give you a complete workout in 55 minutes. We use a variety of small equipment such as weights, resistance bands, balls and sliding discs to increase variety and provide real results. ellyngagnon@gmail.com
Dance Trance
Saturday 9:30am-10:30am Homewood Community Center Dance Trance is a high-cardio, high-energy dance fitness experience that leaves participants soaking wet! It is a non-stop workout that feels more like a party than an exercise class. www.dancetrancefitness.com
Fun For All Line Dancing
Beginner and Beyond Beginner line dance instruction encompassing a variety of music genres, e.g., pop, country and R&B. You will learn line dance terminology, line dance steps, and, of course, line dances to specific music. Homewood Community Center, Fitness Studio 2 Tuesday 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM $5.00 per person per visit funforalllinedancing@gmail.com
North Star Martial Arts
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 times please visit the park’s website or www.northstarma.com. 205-966-4244 • info@northstarma.com
Bench Aerobics Step & Line Dance
Tuesday: 4:15pm – 5:15pm (Step Aerobics) Thursday: 4:15pm – 5:15pm (Cardio Line Dance) Homewood Community Center Fitness Studio 2 Cost: Classes are FREE (with donations) For more information contact Rosa at 205-253-9344 or benchaerobics@bellsouth.net
We Love Homewood Day 2024
Saturday, May 4, 2024 Save the date & come celebrate Homewood! Vendor & Sponsorship information available at www.homewoodparks.com
Royce Head Personal Training Affordable personal training available to members in the Fitness Center at the Homewood Community Center. Workouts are fast, fun, safe, and effective and each person is started with a program to fit their fitness level. Call Royce for more information: (205) 945-1665
Senior Center Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention
Vinyasa yoga classes in an energetic environment using upbeat music at Homewood Community Center. All levels welcome. Friday: 8:00am-9:00am - Basics Class Friday: 9:30am-10:30am - Regular Class Contact Marla: 205-223-8564 • mac@yolimber.com
YoLimber
Wednesdays at 1:30pm Tai Chi is an ancient mind-body marshal art exercise that with regular practice improves health and wellbeing. It is a moving meditation in the form of fluid, graceful, circular and slow exercises. This class is suitable for anyone, easy on the joints, helps to calm the mind, improves balance and coordination. The program of Tai Chi for Health Institute. For additional information about Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention, contact Galina at: galinawaites@gmail.com
Confi.Dance
Tai Chi, Sun Style
Confi.Dance is a dance class in a small group setting to teach you the secrets of looking good on the dance floor and having more fun than you thought possible. Class Meets: Wednesday 3:00pm – 4:00pm Homewood Community Center For more information: jgtally@aol.com
Fast Track Line Dance
We learn the current and classic intermediateadvanced line dances. This class is not for beginners. Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm Homewood Community Center, Fitness Studio 2 Jackie Tally jgtally@aol.com (or) Helen Woods aquafool@aol.com
FIT4MOM
FIT4MOM Birmingham provides fitness classes and a network of local moms to support every stage of motherhood. From pregnancy, through postpartum and beyond, we serve our community by offering our fitness and wellness programs to help keep moms strong in body, mind and spirit. View our website for Membership Plans, Passes and Schedule. https://birmingham.fit4mom.com/
Misc. Information 2024 Summer Seasonal Employment Lifeguard & Camp Counselors
Job descriptions and applications available at www.homewoodparks.com
Mondays at 1:30pm Tai Chi is an ancient mind-body marshal art exercise that with regular practice improves health and wellbeing. It is a moving meditation in the form of fluid, graceful, circular and slow exercises. During this class participants will learn in more depth about Tai Chi history, principals and styles, will learn and practice Sun Style 73 forms. This class is suitable for anyone who is willing to take the time learning beautiful, liberating and empowering set of movements(forms). For additional information about Sun Style Tai Chi, contact Galina at: galinawaites@gmail.com
Dance Fusion with Galina
Thursdays at 1:30pm Dance Fusion is an easy low impact aerobic exercise, where we learn the basics of many dances around the world while having a lot of fun in the process. Linear movements and occasional turns are simple enough to remember and perform, while energizing music of the program helps with cardio elements and a positive emotional effect. For additional information about Dance Fusion, contact Galina at: galinawaites@gmail.com
Summer Day Camp 2024 Program details and registration information will be released mid-February at: www.homewoodparks.com
Applications will be accepted beginning February 1st!
Follow us for athletics, community centers programming and event updates @homewood.parks
@homewood_parks
@homewoodparks
14 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
Events
Homewood events guide
Feb. 1-3: Lil Lambs Consignment Sale. Trinity United Methodist Church, 1400 Oxmoor Rd. Lil Lambs is a consignment sale that provides gently worn clothing, toys and furniture at reasonable prices. Additionally, at the end of the sale all unsold items marked “donate” will be shared with families and organizations in need in the area. The presale is Feb. 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. ($5 cash at the door). The regular sale will take place Feb. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. and Feb. 3 from 8 a.m. to noon, with many items half off on the last day. Visit trinitybirmingham.com/event/ lil-lambs-consignment-sale.
are $55, $25 of which is a tax-deductible donation. For more information and to make reservations, visit samford.edu/legacyleague.
Feb. 3: Cozy Tales. 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 16-17: Homewood South Central Classic. Homewood High School. Show choirs from across the state will compete in Homewood High School’s annual event. Choirs will perform in their respective categories including mixed groups, women’s groups, men’s groups and middle school groups. Homewood’s choirs The Network, Nexus, Continuum and Patriot Singers will host. For information, visit showchoir.com/events.
Feb. 5: Comic Creators. 4-6 p.m.
Feb. 1: Ribbon Cutting for Renovation of Encore Thrift Store. 1-2 p.m. 1755 Oxmoor Rd. The Homewood Chamber of Commerce and members of the Assistance League will celebrate the expansion and renovation of Encore Thrift Store with a ribbon cutting. Visit business. homewoodchamber.org/events. Feb. 1-4, 8 and 11: “Til Beth Do Us Part.” Homewood Theatre, 1831 28th Ave. S. From the writers of “The Golden Girls” television program. A strong Southern woman hires an assistant to help run her home as efficiently as her office. Performances are Feb. 1, 2, 3 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 4 and 11 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets $25. Visit homewoodtheatre.com.
Feb. 8: Drew Petersen, Pianist. 7:30 p.m. Samford University, Brock Recital Hall. Enjoy the musical talent of Drew Petersen, an acclaimed young American pianist. This event is part of the Davis Architects and Birmingham Chamber Music Society Guest Artist Series. Tickets available at samford.edu/ wrightcenter/events/Drew-Petersen-Pianist.
Feb. 5: Night Owl Storytime. 6 p.m. Feb. 8: Acting Out! 3:30 p.m. Feb. 9 and 23: Pre-K Play. 9:30 a.m. Feb. 12: Build It! 3:30 p.m.
ADULTS Mondays: Virtual Library Yoga with Jackie Tally. 2 p.m. Tuesdays: Adult English Classes. 6-8 p.m. Feb. 1: Read It & Eat Book Club — “By the Book” by Jasmine Guillory. 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 5: 1990s Rom-Com Classics — “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” 6-8 p.m. Feb. 6: Not Your Mama’s Book Club — “The Spiritual Influence of the Beatles.” 2 p.m. Feb. 7: Introduction to PowerPoint 2016 — Part 2. 2:30-4 p.m.
Feb. 19: Vienna Boys Choir. 7-9 p.m. Samford University, Wright Center. The Davis Architects Guest Artist Series and the Samford University Wright Center Society present the Vienna Boys Choir in concert. Experience one of the world’s oldest and most famous choirs, originally formed in 1498 for the Austrian Imperial Court. Tickets available at etix. com.
Feb. 22-March 3: Birmingham Restaurant Week — Winter Edition. Restaurants around the Birmingham area, including Homewood, will participate. Try a new restaurant or an old favorite with these lunch or dinner prix-fixe menus at varying price points. Find a full list of participating restaurants and menus at bhamrestaurantweek. com.
Homewood Library
Feb. 7: Staff Picks — “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” 3-5 p.m. Feb. 15: Tween Eats! 4 p.m. Feb. 17: Itsy Bitsy Baby. 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 8: Painting Large with September Reed. 6:30-8 p.m.
Feb. 19: Homeschool Hour — S.T.E.A.M. Powered. 1:30 p.m.
Feb. 9-10: Valentines Dinner Theatre — “Til Beth Do We Part.” 6:30-9 p.m.
Feb. 22: Drum Along with Drummer Man. 4 p.m.
Feb. 10: CPR with Homewood Fire Department. 1-2:30 p.m.
Feb. 24: Book Babies. 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 13: Niki Sepsas Presents — The Bermuda Triangle: Fact or Fiction? 2 p.m.
Feb. 26: Homeschool Hour — Art Attack. 1:30 p.m. Feb. 27: Tweens Craft On. 4 p.m. Feb. 27: Bake & Make. 6 p.m. Feb. 29: Storytime & Book Signing with Tanisia Moore. 4:30 p.m. TEENS Feb. 1 and 15: Teen Theatre Thursdays. 4 p.m. Feb. 1: Teen Advisory Board (TAB). 6 p.m.
Feb. 13: Oxmoor Page Turners Book Club — “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson. 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 14: West Homewood Read, Watch & Review — “Wild, Wild West.” 2 p.m. Feb. 14: Google Docs. 2:30-4 p.m. Feb. 16: Birmingham Baroque Concert. 11 a.m. Feb. 16: Big Ideas Book Club — “Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?” by Julie Smith. 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 4 and 18: Teen Dungeons & Dragons. 3-5 p.m.
Feb. 19: Educator Book Club — “Ain’t Burned All the Bright” by Jason Reynolds. 4 p.m.
Tuesdays: Wee Ones. 10 a.m.
Feb. 6: Grownish — Taking Care of Your Clothes. 4 p.m.
Feb. 19: 1990s Rom-Com Classics — “Sleepless in Seattle.” 6-8 p.m.
Tuesdays: PJ Storytime. 6 p.m.
Feb. 8: Cosplay 911. 5-8 p.m.
Wednesdays: Storypalooza. 10 a.m. Round Auditorium.
Feb. 9 and 23: Character Design 101. 4 p.m.
Feb. 20: The ABCs of Medicare. Noon to 1 p.m.
CHILDREN
Feb. 10: Stabby Valentines Day for Teens. 1 p.m.
Feb. 8-11: Voices Annual Dance Concert. Feb. 8-10 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 11 at 2:30 p.m. Samford University, Harrison Theatre. Experience the beauty and talent of the Samford Dance Company as they explore various ways of communicating, combining non-verbal expression with song, spoken word and other soundscapes. This event is part of the Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman Theatre and Dance Series. Adult tickets are $20 and students tickets are $10. Tickets available at etix.com/ ticket/o/4477/samford-university. Feb. 14: Samford University Legacy League Luncheon. Doors open at 10:45 a.m.; the program will begin at 11:30 a.m. Vestavia Country Club, 400 Beaumont Drive, Vestavia.Samford alumna Trudy Cathy White, the only daughter of Jeanette and Truett Cathy the founder of Chick-fil-A, will be “coming home” to share an inspirational message. Luncheon guests can bid on a variety of items at the silent auction for scholarships. Tickets
Feb. 5: Storywiggles. 9 a.m.
Feb. 13: Kids’ Advisory Board (KAB). 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 21: Job and Internship Fair: Business and For-Profit. 1:30-4 p.m. Samford University Regions Room. Samford students and alumni can begin networking for careers and internships. Recruiters from a variety of organizations will be there. Only for students and alumni. Professional attire is required. Visit samford.edu for more information. Feb. 4: Sean of the South with Three On a String. 2:30 p.m. Homewood High School. Enjoy the collaboration of Sean of the South and Three On a String, benefitting the Homewood Patriot Band’s trip to Dublin, Ireland. This event is sponsored by the Homewood Arts Council. Sean will do a meet and greet after the show, with books and CDs for sale. Premium reserved tickets $40, reserved tickets $30 and general admission $20. Tickets available at gofan.co and search “Homewood High School.”
Feb. 26: Anime Club — Poke-Day. 4-6 p.m.
Feb. 12: Grown-ish Homeschool — Job Corps Career Workshop. 4 p.m. Feb. 13: Not Today Cupid — Chocolate and Trivia. 4 p.m. Feb. 15: Tween Eats. 4 p.m. Feb. 16: Teen Crochet Circle. 4 p.m. Wednesdays: Barks and Books. 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 22: Teen CPR. 4-6 p.m.
Thursdays: Stay and Play. 10-10:30 a.m.
Feb. 22: Magic: The Gathering for Teens. 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Feb. 1: American Sign Language for Kids. 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 25: Cartoons, Comics and Cocoa. 3-5 p.m.
Feb. 20: Seasonal Stories with Sid Burgess. 1 p.m. Feb. 20: Forever YA Book Club — “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas. 6 p.m. Feb. 20: Adult Crafting with September Reed — Origami. 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 22: Game Night at the Library. 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 26: 1990s Rom-Com Classics — “As Good As It Gets.” 6-8 p.m. Feb. 27: Dixie’s Pet Loss Support Group. 6-7 p.m. Feb. 28: Better Than Therapy Book Club — “The First Ladies” by Marie Benedict. 2-3:30 p.m. Feb. 28: Google Sheets. 2:30-4 p.m.
TheHomewoodStar.com
February 2024 • 15
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16 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
Sports
Lady Patriots leaning on depth, experience By KYLE PARMLEY The postgame stat sheet from a Homewood High School girls basketball game tells a different story nearly every night. There are no huge scorers, and plenty of Lady Patriots players get in on the action each game. The Lady Patriots like to use their balance and depth to their advantage, something that has worked so far in the 2023-24 season. “It’d be a tough scouting report to put together,” head coach Gavin King said. “Who do you want to try and take away, because we’ve got multiple girls that can fill those stats?” Kayla Warren and Mira McCool agree that those factors give the team a boost. “We have so many threats on the court at one time, which is nice because we don’t have the burden of having to carry the team or doing everything ourselves,” Warren said. McCool added, “We talk about depth a lot. You never know who’s going to be hot, hit a bunch of [3-pointers], have a great night, whatever. It adds a great element to our team.” Warren, McCool and Susie Whitsett are the team’s three seniors, but Whitsett has yet to play this season as she recovers from a knee injury. Warren and McCool have been playing on the varsity team since they were freshmen, and King
Left: Homewood’s Kayla Warren (3) shoots for a jumper in a game against Parker at Homewood High School on Jan. 13. Above: Homewood’s Ellis McCool (33) shoots a layup. Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
arrived at Homewood ahead of their sophomore campaigns. He likens their experience to being second-year seniors, since they were the oldest players on the team last season as well. “They’ve been big pieces all three years I’ve been here,” King said. King inherited a young roster
when he arrived at Homewood, and the experiences gained by so many players playing varsity ball so early has begun to reap benefits. Homewood entered the 2024 calendar year with a record of 16-3, notching wins over the likes of Ramsay, Briarwood, Northridge and Oak Mountain.
The Lady Patriots have not advanced past the area tournament since the 2020-21 season. Last year, they fell to Minor by five points in the opening round of the area tournament. “We were really close last year,” King said. “We haven’t done anything magical. We’ve kept working.”
Neither Warren nor McCool are the type of personalities to be overly vocal leaders, but they each focus on setting strong examples by the way they conduct themselves at every practice and game. “We like to lead by example,” McCool said. “The important thing is to be a friend of the younger girls, so that they can trust you and look up to you.” One thing Warren and McCool have both experienced this season is playing with a younger sister, as Chloe Warren and Ellis McCool are also on the varsity team. This is the first year the Warrens have played together, while the McCools have played basketball and volleyball on the same teams for many years. Kayla Warren called it “fun but frustrating,” because she wants to see her younger sister be successful. Mira McCool said she has to remember “advice from your sister does not translate.” But they both say they have loved the opportunity to play together. Warren will head to Auburn in the fall, while McCool has some options to play volleyball at the college level. As their basketball careers wind down, they want to go out on a high note. “I don’t think we’ve peaked yet. We’ve been playing some really good ball, but I think we still have our best games ahead of us,” King said.
TheHomewoodStar.com
February 2024 • 17
2023 Metro South middle school football Players of the Year announced By KYLE PARMLEY
The Metro South seventh grade, top, and eighth grade, bottom, middle school football teams. Photos courtesy of Barry Stephenson.
Following the 2023 football season, the Metro South Players of the Year were recognized for their outstanding performances over the seventh and eighth grade football seasons. Terry Gillespie from Hewitt-Trussville was named the seventh grade Coach of the Year, while Liberty Park’s Brent Brizendine and Hewitt-Trussville’s Scott Bromley earned eighth grade Coach of the Year honors.
Grayson Roberts ► 8th grade: Braxton Hunt, Nick Smith, Finley Williams, Preston Deal
MOUNTAIN BROOK
► 7th grade: Braylon Cooley, Brooks Essig, Slade Wood, Sam Young ► 8th grade: Gray Anderson, Luke Carroll, Robinson Peer, Henry Singley
OAK MOUNTAIN
BERRY
► 7th grade: Angelo Petelos, Sam Zanthos, Silas Allday, Eli Byars ► 8th grade: Brody Hughes, Clayton Cherry, Tucker Kelly, Eli Ervin
BRAGG
► 7th grade: Karter Floyd, Hudson Cearlock, Noland Williamson, Riley Dodd ► 8th grade: Daniel Holmes, Hudson Mote, Charlie Allen, Lawson Manown
BUMPUS
► 7th grade: Briggs Patterson, Ian Maxwell, Harrison Swiney, Elijah Foster ► 8th grade: Jamal Jones, Andrew Thompson, Alex Frymark, Jordon Ward
► 7th grade: Jameer Hudson, Colton Spencer, Jakobie Bates, Crawford Portera ► 8th grade: Nicolas McKissic, Wyatt Baty, James Jones, JD Thompson
PIZITZ
► 7th grade: Brooks Beasley, Grayson Burdette, Nathaniel McCloy, Evan Storey ► 8th grade: Urijah Casey, Cohen Corbell, Mark Moody, Luke Pruitt ► 7th grade: Josiah Blair, Tyler Foran, Lake Hendricks, Phillip Maye ► 8th grade: Jerrell Anthony, Mario Gibbs, Rakaveon Goldsmith, Paxton Weatherly
CHELSEA
► 7th grade: Bryant Wisdom, Cole Carroll, Aiden Skoglund, Caaleb Thomas ► 8th grade: Hudson Picklesimer, TJ Spell, Noah Lee, Bronnor Sanders
SIMMONS
CLAY-CHALKVILLE
► 7th grade: Markell Compton, Kaleb Martin, Kobe Booker, Kejuan Pryor ► 8th grade: Christian Bennett Richardson, Rodriquez Penn, Markell Stephens, Oshea Abercrombie
HELENA
► 7th grade: Logan Wormington, Christian Grant, Kellen Schultz,
Tra’VeonSalter ► 8th grade: Brayden Jackson, Emmanuel Compton, Will Tayloe, Maddox Johnson
HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE
► 7th grade: Jack Floyd, Hunter Futrell, Searcy Ellis, Daniel Williams ► 8th grade: CJ Davis, Deonta Pickett, Michael Ross, Tyler Wilson
HOMEWOOD
► 7th grade: Andrew Knight, Juda Nix, Mac Abernathy, Jakari Haynes ► 8th grade: Quincy McGhee, Reid Goldstein, Tate Burdeshaw, Marcus McGhee
LIBERTY PARK
► 7th grade: William Dedmon, Caleb Hahn, Davis Heilbron,
THOMPSON
► 7th grade: Bralen Coleman, Isaiah Henley, Kingston Myers, Eli Ogles ► 8th grade: Whit Goodwin, Dedrick Kimbrough, Maleek Billingsley, Mehkii Billingsley Jason Watson contributed to this report.
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18 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
AHSAA reclassification: Patriots, Cavs stay put By KYLE PARMLEY The Alabama High School Athletic Association released its new classifications for the next two school years on Dec. 18, following approval by the Central Board of Control. The AHSAA reclassifies its member schools every two years based on enrollment data for public and private schools across the state. The period Homewood pep squad members lead the team onto the announced will be in field before a home game against Jasper in November 2023. Photo by James Nicholas. effect for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. Class 7A contains the 32 largest schools years in 6A. The Lions will slot into Region 5 in the state, while the other six classes have alongside John Carroll, Center Point, Corner, Carver-Birmingham, Hayden, Ramsay and roughly twice that many schools in each one. Locally, Spain Park and Chelsea will drop Wenonah. The region and area alignments for other from 7A to 6A, beginning next school year. Replacing them in football’s Region 3 will be fall sports were released as well, including Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa — which jumps from 6A for volleyball, cross-country, flag football and swimming and diving. to 7A — and Prattville. In 5A volleyball, John Carroll will be in Hillcrest and Prattville will join a football region with Hewitt-Trussville, Hoover, Oak Area 9 with Northside, Sipsey Valley and Mountain, Thompson, Vestavia Hills and Tus- Wenonah. Briarwood will be in Area 8 with Central-Clay County, Shelby County and caloosa County. Spain Park and Chelsea will be in Region 3 Sylacauga. Area 8 of 6A will contain Chelsea, Helena, of 6A, with Benjamin Russell, Calera, Chilton Pelham and Spain Park. Homewood will County, Helena and Pelham. As a result of that shakeup, Homewood headline Area 9 with Parker, Minor and Jackmoves from Region 3 to Region 5, play- son-Olin. Mountain Brook will be in Area 10 ing against the likes of Parker, Gardendale, with Huffman and Woodlawn. 7A volleyball will have a different look as Minor, Mortimer Jordan, Jackson-Olin and well. Area 6 will consist of Hillcrest, Hoover, Woodlawn. Mountain Brook remains in 6A as well and Oak Mountain, Thompson and Tuscaloosa heads over to Region 6 with Clay-Chalkville, County, while Area 7 will have Hewitt-TrussHuffman, Oxford, Pell City, Pinson Valley ville, Vestavia Hills, Albertville, Grissom and Huntsville. and Shades Valley. The full data can be accessed at ahsaa.com. Briarwood will return to 5A after four
The 2023 All-Over the Mountain flag football team. Photo courtesy of Scott Butler.
All-OTM flag football team named By KYLE PARMLEY Coaches from many of the local high school girls flag football teams put together an AllOver-the-Mountain team, recognizing the top players in the area for outstanding seasons. Vestavia Hills was the top team in the area, as the Rebels finished as the state runner-up in the Class 6A-7A division. Flag football has been offered the last three years as an emerging sport in the state. It will become fully sanctioned by the Alabama High School Athletic Association next fall, meaning a championship program will be in place and state titles recognized at the end of the season.
1ST TEAM
► McKenzie Stribling, Hoover ► Taylor Kindred, Hoover ► Mallory Ogle, John Carroll ► Emily Stricklin, Spain Park ► Zyian Heligar, Spain Park ► Chenell Hunter, Spain Park ► Christiana Belcher, Vestavia Hills ► Layne Turner, Vestavia Hills
► River Riley, Vestavia Hills ► Emily Spooner, Vestavia Hills ► Julia Rose, Vestavia Hills ► Lindsay Green, Vestavia Hills
2ND TEAM
► Reece Unnoppet, Helena ► Liesel Kellen, Homewood ► Sadie Busbee, Homewood ► Bella Paradise, Hoover ► Hadley Williams, Hoover ► Cecilia Jehu, John Carroll ► Eliza Jehu, John Carroll ► Anna Grace Fuller, John Carroll ► Emily Williams, John Carroll ► Ella Holt, Oak Mountain ► Rory Payton, Spain Park ► Holland Warren, Vestavia Hills
HONORABLE MENTION
► Edison Williams, Homewood ► Ky’ara Walker, Homewood ► Meghan Donahue, Mountain Brook ► Samantha Bennett, Oak Mountain ► Irene Kihara, Spain Park
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TheHomewoodStar.com
Sports Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley
Where to for the Super 7? There’s plenty to talk more than 47,000 people, about in high school footfirst hosted the Super 7 ball at the moment. in 2021. It is quite a bit We’re not far removed smaller than Jordan-Hare from the completion of Stadium in Auburn and the 2023 season, which Bryant-Denny Stadium saw Central-Phenix City in Tuscaloosa. That made dethrone Thompson for the atmosphere, at least the Class 7A state title and for the 6A and 7A games, Clay-Chalkville defeat pretty electric in my defending champion opinion. Saraland in a 6A game for So, that leads me to the the ages. question: Where should Parmley In the middle of Decemthe Super 7 be hosted each ber, the Alabama High School Athletic year? On one hand, there is something Association announced its reclassifica- unquantifiable about being able to play in tion and realignment for the following historic venues at Alabama and Auburn. two years. That news immediately sends But those stadiums just seem cavernous, coaches into a frenzy when it comes to even for the 6A and 7A games that bring in the biggest crowds. attempting to fill their schedules. There is also a change in the College This past season in Tuscaloosa, the Football Playoff structure that could have Super 7 drew a total of 43,014 fans, an effect on the future of the Super 7, the including 11,891 on the opening day, most high school football state championship of those for the 7A contest. Keep in mind, event. The CFP is expanding to 12 teams Bryant-Denny holds over 100,000 people. beginning next season, meaning there is a On the other hand, playing at a smaller realistic opportunity the University of Ala- venue would allow for a more exciting bama and Auburn University could host atmosphere. Think of the last quarterfia quarterfinal game some years. In those nal or semifinal playoff game you went years, there would be no way for the Super to, and how big it felt. Personally, I enjoy 7 to happen at those venues. The Tusca- that the most. Do you play it at Protective permaloosa News reported the potential future nently? Perhaps the Cramton Bowl in conflicts of that scenario in December. Right now, the Super 7 rotates between Montgomery should be considered. Tuscaloosa, Auburn and Birmingham Everyone has their own opinion, and it (Protective Stadium) in a contract that makes for great offseason fodder. runs through 2032. Will there be changes Let me know what you think by reaching made to the contract in order to ensure that out to me on Twitter at @KyleParmley or the Super 7 still has a solid venue each via email at kparmley@starnesmedia.com. season? I imagine so. Protective Stadium, which opened in Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at 2021 in downtown Birmingham and holds Starnes Media.
February 2024 • 19
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20 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
Opinion Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich
Girl Scout cookie season It’s Girl Scout cookie season again, which traditionally begins right after deer season and is followed by Lent. This is the time of year when words like “Samoas,” “Shortbread Trefoils,” “Do-si-dos” and “Tagalongs” become household names. A season when many of us transition to wearing sweatpants full-time because we love cookies. Some years ago, two Girl Scout Daisies (kindergarten-age recruits) visited my porch selling cookies. If you’ve never met a Daisy, make it your objective to do so. You will die from cuteness overload. I told the Daisies that I wanted to buy 100 boxes. I was joking, of course, but they didn’t realize this. One of the girls had to be revived with cold water. Her friend shouted, “Ohmygosh! Mom! A hundred boxes!” Whereupon the girl’s mother (this is true) said, “That means we win a pink Cadillac!” The reason I regularly order cookies is not only because they’re delicious, but because I believe in these girls. I believe in their values. I believe in their organization. I believe in refined sugar. My grandmother was a Girl Scout in the early 1920s. My mother was a Girl Scout. My wife was a Girl Scout Brownie — which is the same as a regular Scout, except they don’t file income taxes. The Girl Scouts represent one of the finest institutions this country has ever produced, and that’s not an opinion. Take, for example, troop leader Emma Hall. In 1913, during an era of flagrant racism,
13
Miss Emma’s “Red Rose origins back to 1917, a year Troop” in New Bedford, Masfraught with heartache and viosachusetts, was welcoming lence. There was a World War on. Twenty million men were African-American Girl Scouts into its group. And keep in dying overseas. Newspapers mind, this was happening were reporting rumors of a seven years before American possible Spanish flu epidemic on the horizon. women had the right to vote and 50 years before public A few girls from the “Misschools would be integrated. tletoe Troop” in Muskogee, Oklahoma, started baking I’m telling you, these girls are cool. and selling cookies in a highI first fell in love with the school cafeteria to raise money Dietrich Girl Scouts when I had a gig to send gifts to troops. These writing for a small publication soldiers would have been the in Savannah, Georgia. My assignment was to girls’ brothers, uncles and fathers. The cookies were an instant hit. They cover local history. One day, I was interviewing a local histo- became so popular that by the 1920s, Girl rian in a coffee shop, when this historian said, Scouts all over the nation were using the same “Have you ever visited the Juliette Gordon simple sugar cookie recipe to raise money. Low house?” Back then, the cost of ingredients was about 25 cents per seven dozen cookies. The girls “The what house?” I said. In a few minutes this historian had whisked would bake several batches in one afternoon, me across town to Oglethorpe Avenue for an often on wood stoves, making serious attempts impromptu tour of the birthplace of Juliette to burn down their homes without parental Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts. And supervision. They would turn around and sell I was overwhelmed. these cookies at 35 cents per dozen. The more I learned about these Scouts, In other words, they were raking it in, hand the more I liked them. This organization did over merit badge. more than introduce values of inclusion and By them ’30s, about 127 Girl Scout counself-confidence during an era when women cils in America were holding cookie sales. By were trivialized. These Scouts also introduced the 1950s, Girl Scout cookies were a national our nation to perhaps the most cherished thing, baked in commercial bakeries and American pastime ever established. delivered door-to-door by hand. By the ’60s, I am, of course, referring to Thin Mints. all Americans — no matter what their creed, The first Girl Scout cookies trace their shape or denomination — had the God-given
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opportunity to eat these sacred cookies and gain serious adipose tissue. I don’t have to tell you that the Scouts are still going strong today. Currently, there are about 2.5 million Girl Scouts in 92 countries. In an average cookie-year, 1.7 million girl members raise about $800 million dollars. The remarkable thing about this is that 100% of the money that’s raised stays within local councils and troops, which makes the Girl Scouts of America a very uniquely run organization. Especially when compared to, say, televangelism. Even during the pandemic, the Scouts were still open for business, although their selling methods were different to keep customers socially distant and safe. But the idea is the same. I am writing this because I believe in these kids. I admire what they stand for, I love what they do. And I want them to know that I support them. In fact, I just ordered my annual cookies online because, let it be stated here, my household supports our local troops. Each one of these young women deserves to know that they, like their predecessors, have made my life infinitely more sunny. Not just because of their cookies, but also because in this troubled world, these girls are brave enough to call themselves Scouts. Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. He has authored nine books and is the creator of the “Sean of the South” blog and podcast.
TheHomewoodStar.com
February 2024 • 21
Ordinary Days By Lauren Denton
Inhale, exhale, sunlight, repeat I realize the topic of reducing unlikely form: Ruby. Though she stress and anxiety was around leaves tumbleweeds of hair all over before the pandemic, but since the our floor, barks wildly at anyone pre-pandemic days feel like a hunwho walks in our front door and dred years ago, it can seem like it can clear a room with her bodily functions, Ruby is an expert at the all started with March of 2020. very things I’ve been learning. Fast forward to now and it seems like everyone is talking about ways One of my favorite things about to reduce stress and beat back anxRuby is a normal part of her preferred morning routine. After iety, in whatever form they come. And lately, I’ve been paying more breakfast, she’ll go stand by the Denton attention. The funny thing is, I’ve back door and wait patiently for learned a lot of interesting and helpful infor- me to let her outside. Once I open the door, she mation via scientific studies, professional saunters out into the grass, does her business, opinions, podcasts and books, but one of the then finds a patch of sunlight. She sits, facing best teachers has been my dog. Yep, Ruby the the sun, and from my vantage point in the shedding doodle. I’ll get to her in a minute. house, it appears that she closes her eyes. The My attention was first piqued a couple years sun reaches our yard in patchy stages, so much ago, when I went to a parenting conference of the yard will still be shadowed, but there’s with a prominent child therapist who taught us Ruby in a halo of sunlight, face toward the about box breathing: slow inhale, hold for four warmth, absorbing all that dopamine goodness seconds, slow exhale, hold for four seconds. while her ears flutter and her tail occasionally Then came Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist thumps the ground. and podcaster, who talks about the importance The next part of her preferred morning of long exhales, which stimulate the parasym- routine involves me and the leash. We take pathetic nervous system, helping you relax. walks most days, sometimes two a day — That advice was echoed by my online Pilates especially now that I have this new knowlinstructor (I call her Jackie), who is always edge about deep breathing and sunlight and reminding us that long exhales tell the body it’s fresh air. As we walk, she trots ahead of me, OK to relax and calm down. (I’ve reminded my tail wagging, and stops to sniff anything that girls about this technique when they’ve been seems interesting. She’s wary of trash cans and keyed up about an upcoming test.) Counselor lawnmowers, and she gives other dogs a wide Michele taught me about the 54321 grounding berth, but once we’ve passed the scary things, technique: while breathing slowly and deeply, she forgets her worries and goes right back to you find five things you can see, four things sniffing and smiling. And the longer we walk, you can touch, three things you can hear, two the lighter my shoulders feel. Concerns and things you can see and one thing you can taste. problems don’t disappear, but somehow, the It's not just breathing that can reduce stress, combination of warmth on my skin, breeze on but also sunlight and fresh air, two things I my face and blood pumping through my arms thought I was already pretty good at. Michele and legs makes the problems seem a little more taught me about the importance of getting early manageable. morning sunlight “in your eyeballs,” as she I’m not saying neuroscientists and other puts it. Of course, she didn’t mean for me to professionals aren’t important — obviously stare directly at the sun, but she talked about they are. I use the breathing techniques I’ve how absorbing sunlight through the eyes and learned, and I’m teaching them to our girls. skin — specifically sunlight in the early morn- We talk about the importance of moving our ing — wakes up the cells in our bodies and bodies and getting vitamin D and more “green helps produce dopamine, which gives us a time” than screen time. But I’m also watching sense of wellbeing and motivation. Even better Ruby. I (try to) wait patiently for opportunities if we can get that early morning sunlight before to come. I pay attention to interesting things on we drink our coffee. (Something about caffeine our walks. And I find patches of sunlight and and adenosine and receptors, but I’m a writer, face the warmth. not a scientist, and anyway I can’t wait until the sun makes it to my backyard before I pour When I’m not writing about my family my first cup.) and our various shenanigans, I write novels And the fresh air part? Try this — get up and go to the grocery store. You can find my and walk outside your house or office, where books in stores, online, and locally at Little you can see the sky and trees and hear birds Professor Bookshop. You can reach me by email chirping. Does that simple action not make you at Lauren@LaurenKDenton.com, visit my take a big, chest-expanding inhale? website LaurenKDenton.com, or find me But my most recent (albeit clueless) teacher on Instagram @LaurenKDentonBooks or of stress-reducing techniques came in the most Facebook ~LaurenKDentonAuthor.
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22 • February 2024
2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE
The Homewood Star
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2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE
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February 2024 • 23
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Helping people achieve their healthiest skin GUNN DERMATOLOGY At Gunn Dermatology, Dr. Holly Gunn and her dedicated staff offer full-body dermatological and cosmetic care at two convenient locations in Mountain Brook. “We treat you as a whole person with realistic, long-term goals to achieve your healthiest skin,” Dr. Gunn says. At both facilities, Dr. Gunn and her staff provide great medical care in a luxurious environment, and they offer virtually any service or treatment a patient could possibly need. Gunn Dermatology provides cosmetic and surgical procedures, head-to-toe skin exams and acne treatments, as well as basal cell and skin cancer removals, including safe, effective non-surgical techniques. A full-service wellness center, Gunn Dermatology offers cryotherapy, infrared sauna sessions, spray tans and many other services. The staff performs treatments to make the skin healthier and stronger while removing signs of aging and discoloration. They also treat their patients like family, and the patients think of Gunn Dermatology as their home away from home. “We love our patients,” Dr. Gunn says. “We are just here to serve.” The team at Gunn Dermatology is always on the lookout for new technology to help their patients. For example, they are excited about the Vivace Ultra device, which can be used on any area of the body that a patient wants to tighten, tone or contour. With the precise individualized settings from the ultrasound, patients are seeing great results. An accredited, board-certified dermatologist with 15 years of experience, Dr. Gunn attended medical school at The University of South Alabama and completed her dermatology training at Pennsylvania State University.
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She worked in private practice for several years and formerly served as an assistant professor of dermatology and the director of the Dermatology Cosmetic and Laser Clinic at UAB. Dr. Gunn opened the original location of Gunn Dermatology in 2020 in Crestline Village. In 2022, she opened her second location at Lane Parke in Mountain Brook Village. “We seek to provide the best care in the community through our innovative technology, knowledgeable staff and our comfortable, friendly atmosphere,” Dr. Gunn says. Dr. Gunn lives in Old Mountain Brook with her husband, Dr. Stephen Gunn, a plastic surgeon, and their four young daughters, and they enjoy living in Mountain Brook. “We love the community, and we love that our kids are so supported by other parents and teachers and the community at large,” Dr. Gunn says. Overall, Mountain Brook has been a great place to run a business, she says. “The community is so supportive of small businesses and small-business owners,” she says. Running her practice has been very rewarding for Dr. Gunn, who says that she has “always been kind of a natural caregiver. “It brings me so much joy when people come to me with a problem I know how to fix or improve,” she says.
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2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE
24 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
UAB returns ‘value’ to participants in All of Us research program ALL OF US UAB RESEARCH PROGRAM
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he National Institutes of Health began enrolling participants in its groundbreaking new All of Us Research Program in 2018. Working with researchers, health providers, community organizations and universities, including The University of Alabama at Birmingham — the NIH hopes to eventually have at least one million Americans volunteer to take part in All of Us, in which participants share their personal health information to help create one of the largest, most diverse health databases in history. Scientists will use this data to learn how our biology, lifestyle and environment affect us and to find new and better ways to treat and prevent disease. They also hope to find ways to better customize medical diagnosis and treatment for individual patients. Researchers at The University of Alabama at Birmingham are playing a big role in All of Us. UAB leads the All of Us Southern Network, composed of more than 10 sites in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Dr. Bruce Korf, chief genomics officer of UAB Medicine and the associate dean for Genomic Medicine, is the contact principal investigator for the Southern Network. Dr. Korf calls All of Us “a unique opportunity to influence medicine for a long time into the future.” The program is designed “to generate the data to understand risk factors for disease and outcomes for a diverse population over a period of time, and from that will come new insights for prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” he said. A program like All of Us would not be nearly as effective without the tremendous advances in recent decades in the speed and capacity of genetic and genomic research. Genomics refers to the mapping of all the DNA in an organism. The All of Us research program holds out the “possibility of customizing prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of disease to the individual — taking into account what they are specifically at risk for and how they will respond to treatment,” Dr. Korf said. “This will inform precision medicine for generations to come.” Nearly 36,000 people have signed up for All of Us in the Southern Network so far, and more than 675,000 Americans have signed up nationwide. And UAB is continuing to seek new participants in the program. People who take part will answer surveys on different topics and be asked to share their electronic health record, give samples of blood and urine for lab and DNA tests. The health information that participants share with All of Us goes into a secure database. By participating in All of Us, people receive numerous benefits. First of all, like the researchers themselves, the participants get the chance to be part of a historic research program. “One of the major reasons they participate is because they want to be part of something important and meaningful that will benefit their families and future generations,” Dr. Korf said. Participants also receive “a rich return of value” because All of Us is using genomics, which includes genetic sequencing. They will have the chance to learn more about their ancestry and genetic traits, but researchers also look at “medically significant genes” in participants who opt into this analysis, Dr. Korf explained. These genes could point out risk for such conditions as cancer or heart disease. “Most people are not going to have a variant in one of those genes that put them at risk for disease, but if they do, they can be provided genetic counseling,” he said. “For a small proportion of people — about 3% — this can be life-changing and even life-saving.” The All of Us program reached a milestone in
DR. BRUCE KORF ► CALL: 833-JOIN-UAB ► EMAIL: allofus@uabmc.edu ► WEB: allofus.uabmedicine.org or joinallofus.org
December when the NIH began returning personalized health-related DNA results to more than 155,000 participants, with reports detailing whether participants have an increased risk for specific health conditions and how their body might process certain medications. For Dr. Korf, the return of the results to participants “was very exciting.” The wide diversity of All of Us participants is also very important to the project, Dr. Korf said. “Historically a lot of the research has been done on people of European ancestry, and we’ve learned a lot, but we’ve also learned that some of the things we found don't apply equally well to people of different ancestries,” he explained. “We want to provide medical care that is broadly applicable and available to people regardless of their background.” More than 50% of people enrolled in All of Us are from racial and ethnic minorities. “You’ve got to reach out to diverse communities if, in the long run, you want to serve diverse communities,” he said. The success of the All of Us research program also “requires building trust in communities that historically may have had good reason not to be trustful.”
According to Dr. Korf, community engagement has always been a “cornerstone” of All of Us. However, community engagement “does not mean selling the community on the program,” he said. “It’s learning what’s important to the community and making sure that what you’re doing is sensitive to their needs.” Community members have been part of All of Us from the beginning and people from diverse communities take part in the leadership groups. As part of this effort to reach as many people as possible, the All of Us Southern Network has several enrollment sites in Alabama. Last spring, All of Us opened a new site in Dothan, an area which was previously not well-served by the program, Dr. Korf said. They also have a mobile unit that travels the state, including areas with poor internet access. “It brings All of Us to people wherever they may be and offers us a chance to involve people who might not otherwise have the opportunity,” Dr. Korf said. The lofty goal to enroll at least one million participants in All of Us nationwide is still in reach, despite delays caused by COVID-19, he said. With the slowing of the pandemic, All of Us is back in “a rapid enrollment phase,” Dr. Korf affirmed. “It’s clear that the goal of at least 1 million participants will be reached.” U.S. residents ages 18 and older can join the All of Us program. For details, call 833-JOIN-UAB or go to allofus.uabmedicine.org or joinallofus.org.
2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE
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February 2024 • 25
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2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE
26 • February 2024
The Homewood Star
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE
February 2024 • 27
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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they don’t sign up for Medicare at 65. That can be true, but not always. You can postpone enrollment beyond age 65 if you or your spouse are still working and you have health insurance under an employer plan. Q: The Annual Enrollment Period ended Dec. 7. Is it too late to make changes? A: There are several different enrollment periods throughout the year. One overlooked enrollment period (Open Enrollment Period) runs from Jan. 1 through March 31. This period is for a person who needs to change their Medicare Advantage Plan or someone on a Medicare Advantage Plan but would like to return to Original Medicare. There are also many Special Enrollment Periods (SEP) throughout the year as well. Q: Where can I get help with Medicare? A: You can schedule a consultation with someone on our team. We can talk over the phone, meet virtually via Zoom, in-person at our local office, at your home, your business or even out at a coffee shop. We teach classes called “Prepare for Medicare” at our Vestavia office. We have lots of fun, and it’s very educational. No specific products are discussed, but it’s a great way to learn the basics of Medicare and get your questions answered. Call us to RSVP.
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We are independent insurance brokers, which means we are not tied to any one insurance company. Our goal is to get to know YOU and learn about your specific healthcare needs. We are Medicare experts, and we would love to help you cut through the clutter and find the plan that works best for you!
Call 205.704.9020 or visit www.medicareadvice.org We offer FREE classes on how to Prepare for Medicare. Call us to RSVP for the next class in our Vestavia office at 2116 Columbiana Road.
Medicare Advisors of Alabama is an insurance agency based in Birmingham, AL and not a part of the federal government. We do not offer every plan available in our area and currently represent 55 out of 56 Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans and 21 out of 27 drug plans (Part D) along with many medigap plans. Contact Medicare.gov at 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all your options.
The Homewood Star
28 • February 2024 TEACHERS
CONTINUED from page 28 round in the annual competition to determine the state’s best teacher.
SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Smith began teaching English at Homewood High School in 2001, following short stints at Opelika High School and Largo Middle School in Largo, Florida. Currently teaching ninth grade English, Smith also has taught 10th and 11th grades, served as the girls golf coach for six years and served as a counselor during her 20-plus years at Homewood High School. During her career, Smith also acquired her degree in education administration nearly a decade ago and served as the ninth grade team leader. However, her passions are in the classroom, teaching students about writing and English literature and helping them understand how to enrich their daily lives and develop and value their unique voice in an age of instant information and artificial intelligence. “I try to make everything we do every day as relevant to the world as possible,” Smith said. “There is always the ‘why.’ Why are we doing this, or how can this affect my life, or how does this relate to other people in the world outside of Homewood High School, outside of the classroom and outside of Homewood in general? “We talk about and I tell them, ‘This is your voice; these are your ideas, and your ideas are better and more important than what you can generate on ChatGPT,” she said. “When you can get them to generate their ideas without the help of technology, they see that their voice is important, and it’s meaningful, and they do have things to say.” While Smith said she is honored to receive the Teacher of the Year award and the opportunity to represent Homewood in the regional round of the annual competition, she recognizes that Homewood City Schools is a special and unique system due to the support she and her fellow teachers receive from parents, the Board of Education and the Homewood High School administration. “Working at Homewood is definitely a privilege because we have support, but most importantly we have the support of our parents,” Smith said. “Our parents are behind us and the decisions that we make, and they send us their students with the understanding that their teachers are here to help them, and so that makes it a positive atmosphere. “Inside of our building, our administration is here to help us,” she added. “We have administrators in our classrooms who are working alongside us. They’re looking for ways to help our students if they have issues, or if there are things that we want to do to extend the learning, they’re here to support us.”
ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Hunter earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and her master’s degree from the University of West Alabama. She has been teaching for nine years, the last five in the second grade at Hall-Kent.
Above: Katie Hunter, a second grade teacher at Hall-Kent Elementary School, talks with her students about what aspects make a story a fable during class Jan. 9. Hunter was named the Elementary Teacher of the Year for Homewood City Schools. Left: Katie Smith during a class discussion with some of her ninth grade English students. Smith was named the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Homewood City Schools. Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Hunter said her teaching style is a “mix of everything” and believes her primary role in the classroom is to lead her students through exploration and self-discovery. “I feel like my job, first and foremost, is to be a facilitator of learning. I don’t feel like my style is to stand up at the front and talk, but more to give opportunities for growth and exploration and for experimentation,” she said. “I’m really just facilitating the kids, kind of leading their own learning in a way. Obviously, I have to set guidelines, but I feel like it’s important to let them explore.” Homewood, Hunter said, is a special place because of the community’s diversity, and she believes the community’s diverse makeup of cultures and classes enhances her teaching and the learning experience for her students. That diversity assists her with teaching the children in her classroom about
the world around them, while also helping them understand how special and unique they are, she said. “We are a diverse population academically, but also socially and economically, and I think that really adds to the magic of Hall-Kent specifically because all of these kids come in as experts on different things based on their home lives, their backgrounds and what they’ve grown up with,” she said. “They know so much about certain things that they’re able to bring to the table, and I think what’s special about that is they get to share that with kids who come from a different background, who don’t experience these or haven’t seen these things.” Hunter said she is honored to be recognized as Homewood’s Elementary Teacher of the Year among a faculty with many other great teachers, and she hopes that, as she
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moves on to the next round, she is recognized as an effective collaborator and an advocate for her students. “Working where I do, every teacher has such a gift. So, being chosen, knowing what goes on in this building, is what I think is so special,” she said. “I hope that the persona that I put out there is that I’m approachable and that I’m a team player. I hope that people see me as someone who is always trying to get better, not just for myself, but for the children that I serve because they deserve it.” Here are the Teachers of the Year from each individual Homewood school: ► Edgewood Elementary: Susan Hanson, science, technology, engineering and math ► Hall-Kent Elementary: Katie Hunter, second grade ► Shades Cahaba Elementary: Lindsey Mahaffey, kindergarten ► Homewood Middle: Jayde Harville, sixth grade math and science ► Homewood High: Katie Smith, English teacher, instructional coach
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February 2024 • 29
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The Homewood Star
30 • February 2024 BAND
CONTINUED from page 30 “Chris asked me if I thought they should go again and why, and I told him I thought it was such a fantastic opportunity for so many kids to travel internationally for the first time,” Lewis said. “For some, it was their first time on a plane. It was a really cool experience to be able to go to another country with your friends and experience the history, different food and a different culture.” Now, after many months of planning, 336 Homewood High School students and staff are headed to Dublin in March to be a part of the city’s St. Patrick’s Festival Parade. Along the way, they’ve been steadily fundraising toward the trip’s $1.3 million price tag. One of those fundraising events is an upcoming concert with humorist and musician Sean of the South and special guest Three on a String. The concert — sponsored by the Homewood Arts Council — will be Feb. 4 at 2:30 pm in the Homewood High School theater. “We are thrilled about this high-profile funding initiative by the Arts Council,” Cooper said. “It creates an opportunity for us to reach a broader base of funding support from across the community for our band, who will soon represent the City of Homewood, as well as the state of Alabama and the United States, on a world stage event. There is a genuine sense of pride for all of us in play here.” Cooper said after talking with Lewis in the band room that day, he got excited about the prospect of taking the Patriot Band to Dublin. “I thought, ‘Let’s just apply; our resume is pretty good,’” Cooper said. The Homewood High School band has performed in the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade twice in the past — the 1993 trip, then again in 1997. The band has also been to “all the big parades in America,” Cooper said, like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. When Cooper got word that they were invited to Dublin, he and others began making plans, and in 2023 he tagged along
Members of the Patriot Marching Band practice in the Homewood High band room on Jan. 10 as they prepare to travel to Dublin, Ireland, for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
with another band making the same trip, so he could get a feel for what it was like. “The trip is fantastic,” Cooper said. “The principal and I went on it last year and followed another band and got to see it firsthand with the same tour company we’ll be going with.” The Patriot Band will be marching in two parades while there — the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin, with a million people along the parade route, and a parade in the Dublin suburb of Celbridge. Cooper said Celbridge is “like a Homewood.” “It’s a neat parade, like a Homewood parade
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— everyone came out,” he said. “I met the mayor, and he called us the ‘America band’ because we’re so patriotic-looking.” In addition to performing in the parades, the band will tour sites around Dublin, travel to the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Kerry and watch a dog demonstration at a sheep farm. It will take 10 flights to get the entire band to Ireland, and Cooper said more than 75 people will be going on a family and friends trip that will mirror the band’s itinerary. Another 150 to 200 people from Homewood will also join them for parts of the trip. Among those extra travelers are Lewis and her husband and daughter, an eighth grader
at Homewood Middle School. Lewis’s son, Glenn, is a junior on the drumline in the Patriot Band. Lewis said she’s “excited for the opportunity that the kids will have.” A good friend of hers who was also on the 1993 trip will be tagging along — Wendy Story, the principal at Shades Cahaba Elementary School, who was in the color guard with Lewis. Her daughter, Merrill, is a sophomore on the Star Spangled Girls precision dance team. “As far as I’ve been able to figure, Wendy and I are the only ones who have been on the ’93 or ’97 trip who have kids going on
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February 2024 • 31
Left: Homewood High School band staff, from left, Terrance Cobb, Mackenzie Owens, William Clay, Chris Cooper and Ryan Murrell during a St. Patrick’s Day parade reception by the Irish Tourism Board on Dec. 20, which honored all of the U.S. bands participating in the 2024 parade in Dublin. Photo courtesy of Chris Cooper. Above: Leigh Lewis and Wendy Story in 1993 during Homewood High School’s band trip to Dublin, Ireland. Lewis and Story will be attending this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ireland with their children, who are current members of the Patriot Marching Band. Photo courtesy of Leigh Lewis.
this trip,” said Lewis, who runs the “Homewood High School Band Reunion” page on Facebook. She said she has a photo of her and Story from the spot where the band was staging for the parade in Dublin, and they plan to recreate it while they’re there, and maybe make their kids recreate it too. Story said she’s excited about the chance to go back with the band and “experience this trip through a different lens this go-around, as an employee and parent.” She’s especially excited because she missed the first three days of the 1993 trip. “I flew standby with my mom, who was the manager for United Airlines at the time,” Story said. “The day our group left was the
day the Blizzard of ’93 hit Birmingham and the eastern United States. My family made it with the band on the flight from Birmingham to Washington, D.C., but I then had to watch the entire band board the flight from D.C. to Limerick as we were bumped from the flight due to cancellations.” It took her family three days to rejoin the band in Ireland, so she’d missed several of the sites that she’ll now get the opportunity to see with her daughter on this trip. But she did make it for the parade, and it was an unforgettable experience, she said. She’s excited to see the next generation of Patriot Band members take part. “Our band holds a rich history of performing in elite parades and events,” Story said.
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“By marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, the students are adding to the continued excellence that comes with being a part of the Homewood Patriot Marching Band.” Cooper said seeing the parents and the rest of Homewood support the band’s trip has been amazing, including their support for the Sean of the South concert ticket sales. “They always support the band; it’s just amazing,” he said. “Homewood is the best place to be a band director in the state of Alabama because of all the support.” Homewood High School principal Joel Henneke said performing internationally is an “amazing” opportunity for the students. “For many of our students, this could be their first time overseas. I am excited they
will get to explore museums and castles and will get to learn about Irish culture and tradition,” Henneke said. “Performing in front of thousands of people and representing your community is pretty special. I’m so proud of our students as their dedication and hard work paved the way for this extraordinary opportunity — being chosen to perform in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin.” For more information about the Homewood High School Patriot Band, follow them on Facebook @HomewoodPatriotBand or Instagram @homewood_patriot_band. For tickets to the Sean of the South event, visit the Homewood High School ticketing website at gofan.co and search and search “Homewood High School.”
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