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December 2023 | Volume 14 | Issue 7
Serving the Birmingham area since 1958. SERVING HOMEWOOD, HOOVER, MOUNTAIN BROOK, VESTAVIA HILLS, TRUSSVILLE AND THE U.S. 280 CORRIDOR
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ALDOT ready to add lanes to US 280 in 2024 By JON ANDERSON
R
unning 392 miles, U.S. 280 goes from downtown Birmingham to Blichton, Georgia (near Savannah), but traffic congestion sometimes makes it feel like you’ve been on the road long enough to travel 392 miles between Birmingham and Chelsea. The Alabama Department of Transportation hopes to ease the congestion by widening a 4½-mile stretch that takes travelers through Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Birmingham.
See U.S. 280 | page 28 Motorists travel east and west on U.S. 280 between Pumphouse Road and The Summit. The portion of U.S. 280 from Lakeshore Drive to Perimeter Park is slated for expansion to four through lanes on each side. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Homewood fire chief looks back on 34-year career By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. For Nick Hill, it was love at first ride. “My dad was a firefighter,” recalled Hill, chief of the Homewood Fire Department. “They used to have open houses, and they would take people for a ride on the fire truck. The first time I rode that fire truck, I was like, ‘This is it.’” What was it about being a firefighter that so thoroughly captured the imagination of this boy, who would grow up to lead Homewood’s entire department?
Homewood Fire Chief Nick Hill in his office at Homewood City Hall on Nov. 9. Hill is retiring at the end of the year, following a 34-year career serving the Birmingham and Homewood area. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
“It was just the thrill of riding on the fire truck with the siren going and knowing that you’re going to help people,” he said. “I think I was in fourth or fifth grade [that] I actually won career day. I dressed up like a firefighter. I knew as much about the fire service then as I know now, just about.” That’s saying something, considering what Hill knows about firefighting after more than three decades.
INSIDE
See HILL | page 30 Sponsors.................. 4 News.......................... 6
Business...................8 Chamber.................. 11
Community.............12 Schoolhouse...........16
Events......................18 Sports.....................20
Opinion...................24 Real Estate............26 facebook.com/thehomewoodstar
Sharing Blessings
Homewood Hoops
Trinity United Methodist Church expands community service mission with new Outreach Hub.
See how the Homewood boys and girls basketball teams are preparing for the upcoming season.
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2 • December 2023
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Publisher’s Note By Dan Starnes Sometime around the day after Halloween, I tend to hear a lot of people advocating for hitting the pause button on holiday festivities until after Thanksgiving. And I understand why. But I do the opposite. I skip over the holidays in my mind and start to set goals and plan for the following year. We should go to all the holiday events in our community that we can. We should all savor the moments that this time can create and experience formative and lasting memories. You can read about these events in this issue. But on to goals, for now. One of our goals for 2024 is to make The Homewood Star as connected as it
possibly can be to Homewood. We have room for help in sales, writing, editing and social media. There is flexibility in what that can look like, from internships to freelance work to full-time employment. If you think that serving Homewood in this way sounds attractive to you, please feel free to shoot me a text at 205-370-0732 or email at dan@starnesmedia.com. I can’t wait to hear from you.
One of my personal goals in 2023 was to run the NYC Marathon. Check.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH The John Carroll marching band performs during halftime of a game against Maplesville at John Carroll Catholic High School’s Pat Sullivan Field on Nov. 3. 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 Graphic Designer: Emily VanderMey
Alabama Power (25) Bedzzz Express (32) Bidding Kings (3) Birmingham Zoo (14) Bromberg’s (10) Budget Blinds (15) Children’s of Alabama (17) Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (11) Community Grief Support Service (14) Cremation Center of Birmingham (24) Crocker Moving Services (1) ENT Associates of Alabama (26) Etc. (5, 31) French Drains Pro (26) Green Springs Animal Clinic (24) Guin Service (1) Gunn Dermatology (2) Homewood Chamber of Commerce (13) Homewood Family and Cosmetic Dentistry (27) Homewood Parks and Rec (29) Issis & Sons (31) Mr. Handyman of Birmingham (8) One Man & A Toolbox (10) Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (30) Piggly Wiggly (17) Shades Creek Dental (9) Shunnarah Flooring (16) Sikes Children’s Shoes (23) SoHo Social and Social Taco (6) Southern Blood Services (21) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (23) SouthPoint Bank (12) The Cook Store (6) TherapySouth Corporate (13) TrustMark Bank (19) Vapor Ministries/Thrift Store (7) Virginia Samford Theatre (16) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (30) Watts Realty (21)
Intern: Harper Harwell Contributing Writers: Katharine Armbrester Carmen Shea Brown Solomon Crenshaw Jr. Lauren Denton Loyd McIntosh 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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6 • December 2023
The Homewood Star
City
Stanton Optical has a clinic at 169 State Farm Parkway in Homewood. The business sought a sign variance to allow for signs on the back and side of the building, in addition to the one on the front. The Homewood City Council approved a sign on the back but not on the side of the building. Photos by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Council votes on sign variances By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. Applicants for a sign variance on State Farm Parkway learned at a recent Homewood City Council meeting that you can’t always get all of what you want. Stanton Optical sought variances for two wall signs, in addition to the city-permitted sign on the front of the building at 169 State Farm Parkway, the former FedEx building facing Lakeshore Parkway. The applicant wanted a sign on the side of the building and another on the back to make it identifiable by people approaching from either direction. But the Homewood City Council wasn’t having it. “This seems like too many signs to me,”
Council President Alex Wyatt said. “I’m not even crazy about the one in the back. I understand the logic … but I certainly don’t see a need for more than that [two signs].” The council on Oct. 23 approved one of the two requested signs, which will go on the back of the building, facing State Farm Parkway. The council also heard a request for a variance at 2713 18th Place S., seeking a second sign for each of the businesses in that shopping center, to be placed on a group wall sign on the side of the building. Each business has a permitted storefront sign. “The shopping center is kind of L-shaped, and a lot of the businesses are toward the back,” Councilwoman Barry Smith said. “The reason this was brought up was Homewood Gourmet,
which is on the very far end of the strip. You can’t really see their sign from their location at the back. This would allow all the businesses, some of which are at the back, to have a bit of presence on the street.” The council approved the requested variance. In other actions, the City Council: ► Appointed Kirk Mobley to the Ward 5 position on the Library Board. ► Approved funding for a new senior engineering position. ► Agreed to apply for a grant from the Alabama Transportation and Rehabilitation Improvement Program II, for access improvements to U.S. 31. ► Approved a maintenance contract for elevators in the public safety building for $20,300.
► Approved use of the City Hall Plaza for the Wine 10K on March 2, 2024. The plaza is reserved from 5 to 10 a.m., with the race set to begin at 7 a.m. ► Authorized the mayor to sign a contract for the fiscal 2024 budget appropriations for the Homewood Chamber of Commerce and Red Mountain Park. ► Approved a meeting schedule to deal with holidays in November and December. In December, the revised schedule has council committee meetings on Dec. 4 and a full council meeting on Dec. 11. Committees and the full council will meet on Dec. 18. There are no meetings the week of Christmas. More schedule changes are likely in January to address New Year’s Day and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
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Above: Andy Virciglio, owner of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Homewood, speaks to the Homewood City Council about plans for constructing a new store on Courtney Drive on Nov. 6. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr. Left: A space plan for the layout of the new Piggly Wiggly location. Image courtesy of McConnell White & Terry Realty and Insurance Co.
Council narrowly approves plan for Piggly Wiggly By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. After more than a year of discussions, the Homewood City Council on Nov. 6 voted unanimously to rezone property on Courtney Drive to accommodate a new Piggly Wiggly store. The store’s development plan, on the other hand, only narrowly passed with a 6-4 vote. The single bone of contention was the proposed location of the grocery’s loading dock. Neighbors near or along Courtney Drive wanted the loading dock on the north end of the building, but the developer said the best location is the south end of the new 27,650-square-foot building.
Store owner Andy Virciglio repeated his plan to hire a flagman to direct traffic as delivery trucks arrive. Councilwoman Melanie Geer called that plan “unsustainable,” adding that too much was being placed in a tight corner. Developer Murray Legg said putting the loading dock on the south end of the building is best, considering that the CVS drugstore refused to move from its current spot. Legg added that the current Piggly Wiggly is much smaller and lacks storage space. The new store will have storage, thus allowing for fewer deliveries. Council members Andy Gwaltney, John Hardin, Walter Jones, Barry Smith, Andrew Wolverton and Alex Wyatt voted in favor of
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the development plan. Geer, Nick Sims, Jalete Nelms and Jennifer Andress were opposed. Carlos Aleman was absent. In other action, the council: ► Accepted the bid of $689,115 from Central Alabama Asphalt for revised paving projects. ► Accepted the bid of $9,500 from Video Industrial Services for as-needed drainage pipe rehabilitation. ► Approved changes to the city’s credit card purchasing policies. ► Set 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 as the date to accept bids for the second phase of the Delcris Drive sidewalk project. ► Approved a one-time offer for retiree
health insurance. ► Set new criteria for approving events that will impact normal street flow and access, such as road races. ► Approved the amended development plan at 202 State Farm Parkway for the construction of Fast Pace Urgent Care, a new 3,726-square-foot, single-story urgent care medical clinic. ► Set a public hearing for 6 p.m. on Dec. 11 to consider vacating Drake Street and adjacent alley rights-of-way for the Piggly Wiggly development. ► Authorized the mayor to sign a facilities use agreement for a movie production company.
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Business
Business Happenings NOW OPEN
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Cushman Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services firm, recently opened a new location at 2715 18th Place S. cushmanwakefield.com Farrell-Calhoun Paint — a neighborhood retailer offering a large assortment of paints, supplies and other products — is now open at 2704 19th St. S. farrellcalhoun.com Webb Concrete & Building Materials recently opened Webb Building Essentials, a new building materials showroom, located at 1716 28th Ave. S. The store offers a selection of windows, flooring, doors and more. webbbuildingessentials.com
COMING SOON SouthPoint Bank is planning to open a location at 1720 28th Ave. S., the site of the former Valley Mall, in early 2024. southpoint.bank A new mural was recently completed by Marcus Fetch and Dewon Moton on the exterior of the upcoming Luca restaurant, which will be a Nick Pihakis-inspired Italian-themed restaurant. The new restaurant will be located at 200 28th St. S. and is part of the redevelopment of the former Valley Mall. marcusfetch.com, facebook.com/eatluca
Painter Thomas Andrew has combined his art gallery with his chocolate boutique, Chocolate America, into one storefront named Thomas Andrew Art, Home & Faith. The new store, located at 2856 18th St. S. where Chocolate America has been since May 2022, offers a selection of fine chocolates as well as home decor, art and faith-based items. Andrew first opened his art gallery in December 2019 in downtown Homewood on 29th Street South. 205-427-5299, facebook.com/ThomasAndrewArt Spencer-SHE, a local woman-owned engineering consulting and safety training firm based at 3351 Independence Drive, recently announced the accomplishments of some of its team members. Kelvin Eades, safety and training manager, graduated from Purdue Global University with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences — with honors — summa cum laude. Eades has been a member of the Spencer team for five years. Syed Imam, recently promoted to project engineer, began his career with Spencer as an intern and has accomplished his goal of earning his bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Spencer’s newest intern, Savannah Smith, attends Samford University and majors in environmental science. She is also working toward a GIS certification. 205-552-7400, spencer-she.com
PERSONNEL MOVES Gabby Bass-Butler was recently promoted as the Homewood Public Library’s new full-time children’s librarian. She was a member of the Teen Advisory Board at the library and began working part-time in the children’s department during her time at Samford University. She is currently in her first semester of library school at the University of Alabama. 205-332-6600, homewoodpubliclibrary.org
ANNIVERSARIES
RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS Little Professor bookstore is now open at its new Homewood location, 2738 18th St. S. Once Upon a Time, a children’s clothing store, has moved into the bookstore’s previous location at 2844 18th St. S. littleprofessorbookshop.com, onceuponatimechildrens.com
D-BAT SW Birmingham is celebrating four years in Homewood. The indoor baseball/softball facility franchise has more than 85 locations in the United States and China. The Homewood location is at 131 West Oxmoor Road, Suite 131. 713-492-7262, dbatswbirmingham.com Advanced Computer Engraving is celebrating three years in Homewood. The company, located at 225 Oxmoor Circle, Suite 812, specializes in laser engraving, banners and signs, name tags and promotional products. 205-323-4153, facebook.com/advancedcomputerengraving
Homewood Bagel Co. has been operating at its Central Avenue storefront full time since December 2019. Before purchasing the storefront, the bagel bakers shared its location with Icing on the Cookie and did home deliveries and pop-up shops. 205-769-6131, homewoodbagelco.com Momma Goldberg’s Deli is celebrating 16 years since opening its first location in Homewood in December 2007. Momma Goldberg’s now has dozens of locations across the Southeast, including on 18th Street South in Homewood. 205-834-8871, mommagoldbergsdeli.com
Jack’s Family Restaurants celebrated 63 years in November at the Homewood location, 2831 19th St. S., which is the first restaurant in the fast food chain. 205-879-9321, eatatjacks.com Ace Hardware Homewood, 320 Oxmoor Road, is celebrating its first anniversary. The store carries a large selection of fasteners, grills, paint, plumbing, outdoor power equipment, gardening supplies and electrical. 205-778-2100, acehardware.com
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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CONFIDENT, JOYFUL SMILE & LIFE FOR YOUR AGING PARENT Your parent’s smile holds a lifetime of joy, confidence, and shared connections. If your parent has been facing the challenges of traditional dentures, we want to introduce you to a transformative solution. Shades Creek Dental now offers the stateof-the-art All-on-X dental implant procedure. It’s not just about teeth; it’s about restoring their smile, enhancing their life, and bringing back the confidence they truly deserve.
Rediscovering Their Smile, One Implant at a Time Traditional dentures can be a daily frustration. They may slip, cause discomfort, and limit their ability to enjoy meals and communicate with confidence. All-on-X dental implants provide a breakthrough solution, offering stability, comfort, and a natural-looking smile. By strategically placing a small number of implants in the jawbone, the All-on-X procedure creates a secure foundation for a full arch of teeth. We understand the emotional significance of your parent’s smile. Driven by our passion for restoring smiles and enhancing lives, our team is dedicated to offering the most suitable procedures. From the moment your parent enters our doors, our
compassionate staff will guide them through this transformative journey. We take the time to listen, understand their unique needs, and develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to their goals.
Unrivaled Expertise and CuttingEdge Technology When your parent is ready for the Allon-X procedure, they will receive the highest level of care. We’ve invested in cutting-edge 3D scanning and printing technology, coupled with a collaboration with a highly skilled dental surgeon specializing in this procedure. This advanced technology and partnership allows us to streamline the process, significantly reducing the number of appointments required for their new smile. This means they can have their comfortable temporary prosthesis on the day of surgery, allowing them to maintain their daily activities with confidence.
More Than a Smile: Restoring Their Quality of Life The benefits of All-on-X dental implants go beyond aesthetics. By stimulating bone growth in the jaw, these implants help prevent future bone loss and maintain facial structure. This ensures that your parent can maintain a youthful appearance and avoid the
sunken-in look often associated with traditional dentures. With All-on-X, they can embrace life’s pleasures— indulging in their favorite foods, engaging in lively conversations, and expressing themselves freely, knowing that their smile is secure and naturallooking.
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10 • December 2023
The Homewood Star
Revisit your childhood at Sasquatch Toys & Comics Longtime friends share their love of vintage comics, classic toys
Sasquatch Toys & Comics ► ADDRESS: 145 Citation Court ► PHONE: 205-410-1059 ► WEB: “Sasquatch Toys & Comics” on Facebook
By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. The storefront at 145 Citation Court is unassuming — nothing that would stand out in the warehouse district of West Homewood. But looks can be deceiving. The placid appearance hides a not-so-secret identity, somewhat like a comic book superhero shielding his identity behind a mild-mannered persona. Sasquatch Toys & Comics is a virtual multiverse of comic book and cartoon genres. The 2,400-square-foot store specializes in vintage toys and comic books, with an inventory that includes GI Joe, Star Wars, Masters of the Universe, Star Trek and more. “There’s not anything like this one,” Ben Traylor said of the store he opened with longtime friend Seth Cosby. “I’ll hear there are some places with comics, maybe some Funko Pops. But nothing that ties it all together, at least not in this state.” And just weeks after Sasquatch’s grand opening, fans of vintage comic books and classic toys have found their lair. “We’ve got such a good amount of folks,” Traylor said. “We got swamped. And with only one of us here, it’s literally a full-time job. We’ve got people bringing in so much to sell.” As Traylor spoke, a customer was proving his point, having driven two hours from Hamilton, Alabama. He was looking to sell the mint condition Funko Pops he brought with him. But the customer wasn’t seeking a one-way deal, as he perused the various toys and comic
Seth Cosby and Ben Traylor, owners of Sasquatch Toys & Comics, hold a Star Wars diorama. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
books on the walls and in assorted bins. Sasquatch is a place where women and men can relive their childhood. Traylor and Cosby are among the people having the time of their lives. “These are not Walmart toys and these aren’t flea market stuff,” Traylor said. “This is expensive vintage, plus modern collectibles. So much more than toys.” A peek behind the front counter provides plenty of evidence that this is no simple toy or comic book store. There are comic books in protective plastic cases priced in the hundreds of dollars. “The whole collecting community, we’re our own little group. The great thing is we’re just a bunch of really, just passionate people that just love toys,” Cosby said. Cosby frequently travels to shows and
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exhibitions, looking for unique products to add to their inventory. “If you think about it, a collector of anything, in theory, they’re reliving their childhood,” Cosby said. “You have great memories playing with stuff in the ‘80s and ‘70s. It just kind of brings you back to that, a better time in life, other than growing up.” Traylor, 54, and Cosby, 49, had separate business ventures before launching Sasquatch. The former is a lawyer and the latter operates Ed’s Pet World, another Homewood company, founded by his father. The two previously talked about opening a store for comic books and toys but didn’t act on the idea. “I’d always laugh with him and say, ‘Man, we’ve got to start a store,’” Traylor said. “We need to start a store. You know how that goes.
We’d laugh about it, but we didn’t take it seriously.” Then Traylor had a June 2021 bout with COVID-19 that put him in a hospital for three months. That virtually wiped out his law practice. “I didn’t have any clients for three months. No contact,” he said. “People need to move on. It’s always very humbling, too, the people that can live without you. You come back six months later and get in touch with somebody, and they didn’t even know you were gone.” But clients weren’t the only thing missing. So too was the lawyer’s passion for the profession. “It used to be a lot of fun,” Traylor said. “I used to love it. I still enjoy helping people, and I still like helping change lives.” The attorney said he was happy with his family — Donya, his wife of 12 years, and four children — but he was unfulfilled in his career. “Two years later, I ran into Seth,” recalled Traylor, who is wrapping up his law practice. “He said, ‘Hey, let’s start a store,’ and I said, ‘We should.’” Only this time, they did. The same day, they walked over to the future site of Sasquatch, which was near Traylor’s storage space. “A guy was renting this, and I knew it was coming up for rent. We came in, looked around and said, ‘This is it,’” Traylor said.
TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 11
Chamber
Visual Comfort & Co. is a lighting and interior design showroom in downtown Homewood offering a variety of indoor and outdoor lighting and ceiling fan options. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Meteorologist James Spann to speak at chamber luncheon By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
The Visual Comfort & Co. adds a personal touch to Homewood By KATHARINE ARMBRESTER The Visual Comfort & Co. showroom has been open on 18th Street South in Homewood for a year and a half, and Jennifer Edwards, the showroom manager, says that the business received a warm response from the community. “It’s so charming, and it has our target market that lives here and around the area,” Edwards said of Homewood. “It’s a really quaint place where people go window-shopping.” From ceiling fans to chandeliers, the
shop offers a plethora of lighting fixture choices in various sizes and finishes. Visual Comfort began in 1998 in Savannah and has now expanded to nearly 50 locations. Inside the showroom, customers can find a combination of urban elegance with a small-town atmosphere. “What you get here that you won’t get anywhere else is the vast array of offerings that we give,” Edwards said. Some of the recognizable designer brands at Visual Comfort & Co. include Ralph Lauren and Kate Spade. The store also carries the Visual Comfort
signature line and can work creatively with each customer and their budget. The store’s architectural lighting specialist, Brenton Bellamy, can assist with particularly technical lighting projects. “We can do all of the custom things needed, from personalizing wall sconces to even being able to paint the inside of some ceramic or metal light fixture shades,” Edwards said. Visual Comfort & Co. is located at 2808 18th St. S. in Homewood and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit visualcomfort.com.
W E ’ R E L E AV I N G A
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE, ONE LEGACY AT A TIME Moving back to Birmingham to raise their family was always Brooke and Daniel Coleman's plan. Living in other cities had given them the opportunity to see how strategic investments transformed those communities, and they wanted to apply that knowledge to their home. That's why they chose the Community Foundation to steward their investment in Birmingham. Education is a cause close to their hearts. They see how key it is to the growth and success of our region every day through Daniel’s role as president of Birmingham-Southern College and Brooke’s community leadership. Partnering with the Community Foundation enables them to support educational opportunities now and create a legacy that will invest in their hometown for generations to come. Brooke says, “Because we trust the Community Foundation's vision for Birmingham's future, we know that our legacy gift will still support the causes we care about even after we are gone.” Visit cfbham.org/legacy to learn how you can join Brooke and Daniel and create your lasting legacy.
The Homewood Chamber of Commerce’s December chamber luncheon and annual meeting is set for Tuesday, Dec. 12. The guest speaker will be ABC 33/40 chief meteorologist James Spann. The event will also feature the Chamber’s Annual Business Awards. Meredith Drennen, executive director of the Homewood Cham- ABC 33/40 chief meteorologist ber of Commerce, said James Spann. Photo courtesy of that James Spann is an ABC 33/40. Alabama legend and a professional cornerstone of the meteorological and television industry. “Residents turn to his advice and forecasts for everyday life, as well as weather emergencies,” Drennen said. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch at noon. Registration for the chamber luncheon is available online at business.homewoodchamber.org and is $45 for non-members and $200 for a marketing booth. The deadline to register for this luncheon is Monday, Dec. 4.
12 • December 2023
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 native becomes local Kiwanis Club president By GRACE THORNTON Robbie Lee’s plan was to become a teacher — he loved the idea of investing in children’s lives. But a class he took in graduate school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham changed that trajectory a little. “One of the first classes I took was an exceptional learners course, and we were asked to do 20 service hours as part of the coursework,” he said. A Homewood native, Lee knew about the Exceptional Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides social and recreational services for children and adults with special needs. “I started doing service hours there, and it just clicked from the beginning,” he said. “The more people I met, the more welcome they made me feel. It’s such a warm, happy place.” Fast forward 15 years, and Lee is now the organization’s director of partnerships and outreach. Not only that, he’s an advocate for the wellbeing of children in other ways — he was recently installed as president of the Kiwanis Club of Homewood-Mountain Brook. “It’s a great club,” he said. “Kiwanis, whether local or international, the main focus is to improve the lives of children.” Kiwanis International works to improve children’s health and nutrition, education and literacy and youth leadership development around the world. “We try to support the organizations around town through volunteer work or financial support,” Lee said. He said the club provides scholarships for Key Club members at Homewood and Mountain Brook high schools and supports organizations such as the Bell Center and
Children’s of Alabama. “We are also supporting new organizations this year like Christopher Kids and Magic Moments,” he said. While attendance at civic clubs across the board has reportedly dwindled over the years — especially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic — the Kiwanis Club of Homewood-Mountain Brook has stayed the course, Lee said. “I couldn’t be prouder of where we sit and the people who have made efforts to make our club as strong as ever,” he said. The club meets on Wednesdays at noon at Homewood Public Library, and Lee said they welcome guests from Homewood and Mountain Brook to connect with them and hear great guest speakers every week. One of the club’s biggest fundraisers is its annual pancake breakfast, which is the second Saturday in March. Lee said one of the funny things for him personally about being in the club and now serving as its president is the “irony to so many people who have known me.” “I got in a lot of trouble when I was young, and when I first joined the club, my eighth grade principal was in the club,” he said. “My friends still get a kick out of the fact that I went from being in his office every day to being in the club with him.” Lee said he’s now channeling all that energy into helping people have better lives through his roles at the Exceptional Foundation and the Kiwanis Club, and also as a member of the Homewood Rotary Club. “It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. For more information about the Kiwanis Club of Homewood-Mountain Brook, visit homewood-mtbrook-al.kiwanisone.org.
Bergen Wilkinson, a sophomore at Mountain Brook High School, and Robbie Lee, director of partnerships and outreach, at the Exceptional Foundation. Photo courtesy of Robbie Lee.
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December 2023 • 13
Peace on Earth
The Homewood Chamber of Commerce Invites You to Celebrate
Homewood for the Holidays Lighting of the Star & Christmas Parade
TUESDAY DECEMBER 5TH 6:3OPM
Join us as we light the Historic Homewood Star at The top of 18th Street. the lighting of the Christmas tree and Parade will immediately follow
Breakfast with Santa
TUESDAY DECEMBER 16TH 9:00-11:00AM Join us alongside Samford University for a very merry Breakfast With Santa! Il enjoy breakfast, activities, and a complimentary photo with the jolly man himself- Santa! Tickets are on sale now!
SHOP EARLY, SHOP LOCAL WWW.HOMEWOODCHAMBER.ORG
14 • December 2023
The Homewood Star
Trinity UMC begins Outreach Hub By CARMEN SHEA BROWN It all started with a conversation about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Right in the thick of the Covid pandemic, in April 2020, Mary Liz Ingram and her friend Mollie Erickson were thinking of ways to help people who had been affected financially. “We were sitting in my front yard, and Mollie said she had a lot of extra PB and Js in her cooler,” Ingram said. “I just got a table and put it out there with a sign that said, ‘Free.’ That’s where the idea for the Sharing Table originated.” Ingram, a local artist who was working as a preschool director in Mountain Brook at the time, began working at Trinity United Methodist Church in August 2020. Over time, she and her colleagues witnessed a rapid growth in the number of people who were in need. “We just sat there and honed our vision about what we wanted to do, and by last January it had exploded,” Ingram said. Ingram said the Outreach Hub grew out of three programs: Food Share, Backpack Program and the Sharing Table. As the donations have continued to pour in and more people learned of the ministry, volunteers and community leaders came together to build a brandnew Outreach Hub Market at the Trinity West Homewood campus, which held its grand opening on Oct. 1. This central location for Trinity’s outreach ministry has exponentially expanded its mission to help those who need assistance with everything from food, clothing, household items, and utilities. Through Food Share, every Tuesday afternoon, the Outreach Hub serves 250 local households with pre-packed groceries through a drive-thru line under the Outreach Hub portico. “Anyone is welcome at the drivethrough. Everything else is by appointment,”
Norma Thweatt puts a t-shirt on a hanger as she and others volunteer at the Trinity Outreach Hub in West Homewood on Nov. 7. Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Ingram said. At the Sharing Table, which takes place every Thursday, local families can receive supplies like food, books, household items, clothing, baby equipment and furniture. Trinity’s Neighborhood Network grew out of The Sharing Table and helps meet more
specific, urgent needs. “We have about 300 people on the email list so far,” Ingram said “One day, we found out someone needed a blender, so someone brought a blender. Another time someone needed a car seat, and within 10 minutes a car seat was dropped off.”
The Backpack Ministry addresses childhood hunger by packing and delivering weekend meal packs to students in Homewood City Schools, providing around 100 bags each week. Trinity UMC has Blessing Boxes available at both campuses, a concept similar to the Little Free Libraries around the city, so that people
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TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 15
Left: Mary Liz Ingram, Outreach Hub director, unloads donations from Shades Cahaba Elementary at Trinity Outreach Hub. Right: Emily Oldham packs bags of food for families in need ahead of a weekly drive-thru food pickup. Below: Photographs show the journey of the Trinity Outreach Hub.
“can take what they need and give what they can.” The Outreach Hub also offers a large “Free Store,” where people can shop for clothing, household items, furniture and food. The Hub works with community partners including United Way, Inspiritus and Alabama Interfaith Refugee Partnership, which operates out of Trinity West and serves refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from countries including Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. “When the Afghan refugees settled in Birmingham around winter of 2022, they didn’t have anything but the clothes on their backs,” Ingram said. “I sent out an email and posted on Facebook that they needed help, and it was just like a runaway train.” Trinity volunteers hold community English classes on Monday nights to help people who need assistance with English speaking, reading and writing skills. “We have a volunteer, Edna Vasquez, who speaks Spanish and some French, and we even have some volunteers who speak Arabic,”
Ingram said. “With the English classes, we’ve formed a separate community of diverse faiths and cultures. We open up a couple of hours before the English classes start, and this has given us a chance to have conversations and get to know people in the community.”
Amin Sherzad, along with his wife Freshta and two-year-old son Oktay, came to Birmingham from Afghanistan in 2022. Sherzad learned about the Outreach Hub through Inspiritus, and he said he has since formed a special bond with the volunteers and other families.
A data manager with Simulations Plus, Sherzad helped improve the ministry’s data management and check-in processes. He even cooked kebabs at the Hub’s grand opening. “I’ve met some good friends, other refugees and families from Afghanistan,” Sherzad said. “A few months ago, they were struggling with attendance sheets for the ESL classes, and I made a QR code and helped them with that. Now it’s much more streamlined and fancier.” Ingram said word-of-mouth and social media have played a huge role in the Hub’s success. “Letting this grow organically is a big reason why this has been successful,” Ingram said. “We’ve been able to maintain a safe space where people are comfortable.” Ingram said faith is what compels her and all of the volunteers to do what they do. “It’s been a wonderful experience for everyone,” Ingram said. “Life is so much richer for all of us.” The new Outreach Hub is located at 914 Oak Grove Road in Homewood. To learn more, visit outreach.trinitybirmingham.com.
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16 • December 2023
The Homewood Star
Schoolhouse Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Sarah Villar at svillar@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
School board honors middle school cross-country team By LOYD McINTOSH The Homewood Board of Education recently recognized the Homewood Middle School boys cross-country team for its impressive season, including capturing the 2023 Metro South championship. Head coach Eric Swope accompanied the entire team to a school board meeting in October and spoke about the group’s accomplishments in the championship race, after spending most of the season in second place. “The most exciting thing about the year was that we ended with a championship, because we were second all year long to Mountain Brook. So we knew going into it that we had to do something big,” Swope said. “It wasn’t even a close race. We beat them by a good margin, too, so it was pretty awesome. “This whole year, there was just something special about this team,” he said. “The culture of our team was just dynamic. Every time we went to practice, it was a good time.” While he enjoys teaching his classes during the school day, Swope said he most looked forward to coaching the cross-country team after the final bell. “My favorite part of the day is the end of the day,” he said. “I love getting out running with these guys, having a good time.” Homewood City Schools Superintendent Justin Hefner, who coached cross-country briefly as a student teacher, often ran with the team during training sessions and saw first-hand how the athletes responded to Swope’s leadership and character. “I tell people all the time how great coach
Homewood Middle School cross-country coach Eric Swope, far right, talks about his team winning the 2023 Metro South Championship during a Homewood Board of Education meeting Oct. 24. Photo by Loyd McIntosh.
Swope is because we’ve had a lot of success in our track program at the high school, another boys state championship this spring, and I always point to coach Swope,” Hefner said. “What starts here, finishes the loop there. “Coach Swope, you’re such a great relational teacher, which we value so much in our system,” he added. “ It’s just something that I wish I could replicate across the board.” At the same meeting, the Homewood Board of Education approved a $60,000 contract for work on the baseball and softball fields at Homewood High School. The board unanimously voted to award the contract to HNP Landscape Architecture for the
installation of synthetic turf on each field, as well as other work related to the project, including drone surveys of the existing surface, design coordination, construction administration and other tasks. In other business, the school board heard from Homewood High School senior Jack Roberts, who addressed the topic of adding non-voting student representation to the school board — an idea that is catching hold in other parts of the country, including school districts in New Hampshire, Maryland and Kentucky. Lastly, during the public comment portion of the meeting, the school board heard from Kelly Connor, a Hall-Kent Elementary School parent
who asked the board to consider returning the school’s beginning drop-off time to 7:10 a.m., rather than 7:25 a.m., in order to accommodate work schedules, families with children attending multiple schools and other needs. “The drop-off timed at 7:10 last year worked far better for many families in the area who have to be at work by 8 or earlier, or even work outside of the greater Birmingham area,” Connor said. She added that staff at Hall-Kent are allowed to bring their own children or the children of friends and neighbors at the time of their arrival, which she says is unfair to other Hall-Kent parents who have had to adjust their work schedules due to the change.
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December 2023 • 17
205- 638-PIRC (7472) Helping navigate the mental health system for teens and children. From left: Zilin Li, Austin Meredith, Jackson Garza, Maggie Hale and Ava Dillard. Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.
5 Homewood High School students named Commended Students by National Merit Scholar program Five Homewood High School students have been named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholar program. These students are among the 34,000 students nationwide who are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. The students are Ava Dillard, Jackson Garza, Maggie Hale, Zilin Li and Austin Meredith. Commended students placed among the
top 50,000 who entered the 2024 competition by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. “We are extremely proud of our students and their outstanding academic accomplishments recognized at the National level,” said Merrick Wilson, director of communications for Homewood City Schools. – Submitted by Merrick Wilson, Homewood City Schools.
Services are FREE and confidential. Services provided by phone are not medical advice and should not be considered as such. Services are provided via telephone by licensed mental health professionals who recommend the most appropriate mental health resources. PIRC is available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
PIRC is NOT a crisis or suicide hotline. Call for mental health resources.
The PIRC is generously supported by funding from United Way of Central Alabama, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama and the Walker Area Community Foundation.
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10/25/23 9:17 AM
18 • December 2023
The Homewood Star
Events
Homewood events guide Dec. 1-3: Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Homewood Theatre, 1831 28th Ave. S. Hosted by Sunny and Kyle from the Cascade Lounge, this event will have you in a toe-tapping Christmas mood. Tickets $25. homewoodtheatre.com.
meeting. 11:30 a.m. The Club, 1 Robert S. Smith Drive. Guest speaker James Spann. The meeting will also feature the chamber’s Annual Business Awards. homewoodchamber.org.
Dec. 18: Teen Movie — “Dungeons & Dragons.” Noon to 2:15 p.m. Room 102. Rated PG-13. For grades 6-12. No registration. Dec. 19: Teen Anime Club — The Holiday Episode. 3-5 p.m. Room 109. Watch holiday-themed anime episodes, do a cool anime activity and eat the meal of the holidays in Japan: KFC. For grades 6-12. Register online. Dec. 20: Gingerbread Challenge. 4 p.m. Round Auditorium. For grades K-5. Register online. Dec. 22: Teen Watercolor Painting. Noon to 2 p.m. Room 109. All supplies provided. For grades 6-12. Register online. Dec. 29: End of the Year Crochet Circle. 1 p.m. Room 110. For grades 4-12. Register online.
Dec. 6: Lighting of the Star and Christmas Parade. 6:30 p.m. After lighting the star, the parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Homewood Library, 1721 Oxmoor Road, continuing east through Downtown Homewood. Kick off your holiday festivities with this annual Homewood tradition. homewoodchamber.org. Dec. 7: Samford Legacy League 13th Annual Christmas Tour. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Five festively appointed residences, including three in Vestavia Hills, one in Homewood and one in Mountain Brook, will be featured during Samford Legacy League’s 13th annual Christmas Home Tour. Guests will tour the homes and also enjoy pop-up shops and holiday refreshments at the Samford President’s Home. All ticket purchases for this beloved event supports the Legacy League’s mission to provide transformational scholarships for students with significant financial need. Tickets are $40 through Nov. 30, then $45 Dec. 1-5; advanced purchase is required. Tckets are available at samford.edu/legacyleague. Dec. 9-10: A Night in Bethlehem. 7 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 1400 Oxmoor Rd. Experience the sights, sounds and scents of the city of Bethlehem. Enjoy a stroll through the bustling marketplace of Bethlehem, make holiday crafts and decorations, watch the town craftsmen demonstrate pottery-making and textile-weaving, sample breads and sweets in the bakery and hear stories in the storyteller’s tent. End your journey with a visit to the live nativity and experience the joy and magic of the first Christmas. Free tickets at eventbrite.com. Dec. 9-10, 16-22: Magical Nights at Vulcan. 6-8 p.m. Vulcan Park & Museum, 1701 Valley View Drive. Vulcan Park and Museum will be transformed into a delightful wonderland filled with lights, holiday music, special guest appearances and Santa. The Anvil and Museum will have extended hours until 8 p.m. There will also be food, hot chocolate, wine and beer available for additional purchase. Tickets are $8 for general admission and $5 for children and seniors. visitvulcan.com.
Dec. 14: “Big Old Christmas Show” featuring Gary Furr and Friends. 7:30 p.m. Homewood Theatre, 1831 28th Ave. S. Stories, original songs, hot bluegrass and great old covers will send you home with a lot of laughs, a heart full of great music and a little inspiration. Put this on your Christmas list for yourself for an evening certain to leave a smile. Gary Furr, Brent Warren, Nancy McLemore and Mark Weldon are your hosts for the evening. Tickets are $20. homewoodtheatre.com. Dec. 15: A Vintage Country Christmas. 7:30 p.m. Homewood Theatre, 1831 28th Ave. S. Come home for Christmas and enjoy the glowing light of the tree and ole time Opry radio. The Rose Colored Glasses band will give you their renditions of some country Christmas favorites. Tickets are $20. homewoodtheatre.com. Dec. 16: Breakfast with Santa. 9-11 a.m. Samford University. This holiday season, enjoy time with your community at Samford University’s Breakfast with Santa event! Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children under the age of 12. Included in the ticket price are breakfast, fun activities, crafts and a picture with Santa. Register online at homewoodchamber.org.
Homewood Public Library CHILDREN/TEENS Dec. 1 and 15: Character Design 101. 4 p.m. Room 109. Kane Bourgeois will teach the ins and outs of drawing characters. Supplies for traditional art are provided, but participants can bring digital art equipment. For grades 6-12. Register online. Dec. 2-3: ACT Weekend Workshop. 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30-5 p.m. Sunday. This two-day ACT weekend workshop will help prepare students with content prep and a practice test. Students will need to bring a notebook or laptop, pencil, calculator and bottled beverage/snack. $40 per teen. A pizza lunch is included on Saturday. Register online. Dec. 2: Baby Sign Time. 10:30 a.m. Round Auditorium. Interactive storytime for ages 0-18 months. This program will highlight beginner American Sign Language for toddlers. Dec. 4: Comic Creators. 4-6 p.m. Room 110. This series will walk through comic creation basics from top to bottom. Grades 4-12. Register online. Dec. 4: Night Owl Storytime. 6 p.m. Round Auditorium. Interactive storytime with the Alabama Institute of Blind and Deaf, who will be teaching basic American Sign Language throughout each story. Dec. 5: Tuesday Tunes with Alabama Symphony. 9:30 a.m. Round Auditorium. Preschool storytime with the Alabama Symphony, with stories and a performance.
ADULTS Dec. 1: “Jingle All the Way” with Storyteller Dolores Hydock & the Music of Bobby Horton. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. Snacks starting at 6:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online. Dec. 4, 11 and 18: Virtual Library Yoga with Jackie Tally. 2 p.m. Zoom. Free yoga class. Register online. Dec. 5: Not Your Mama’s Book Club – 2024 Astrological Predictions. 2 p.m. Boardroom. Astrologer Mandie Rae Trott shares astrological predictions for 2024. Dec. 6: Planning for Financial Disaster. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Room 102. Penny Southward of Operation HOPE, in partnership with Regions Bank, covers what to do with your finances before, during and after a disaster to ensure you’re protected. Dec. 6: Staff Picks — ”It’s a Wonderful Life.” 3 p.m. Large Auditorium. A man who has given up everything for everyone is thinking about taking his own life. A visit from his guardian angel during the Christmas holidays helps him make a decision. Dec. 7: Read It & Eat Book Club. 6:30 p.m. Urban Cookhouse. Discussing “Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano. The food is not provided by the library, but participants are encouraged to order beverages/food. Dec. 7: Painting Large with September Reed. 6:30-8 p.m. Room 109.Paint your own masterpiece on an 11x14 canvas. The library will provide supplies. Register online. Dec. 9: Adult Crafting with September Reed. 11 a.m. Large Auditorium. Make bath bombs. Register online. Dec. 11: Educator Book Club. 4 p.m. Boardroom. Homewood City Schools educators can earn professional development credit for attending. December’s selection is “Parachute Kids” by Betty C. Tang. Register online. Dec. 12: Forever YA Book Club. 6 p.m. Room 110. Discussing “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling. Register online. Dec. 12: Dixie’s Pet Loss Support Group. 6 p.m. Room 108. For reservations, contact Randy Hicks, GBHS volunteer coordinator, at 205-542-7111. Dec. 12: Adult English Classes. 6-8 p.m. Room 102. To register, contact Stephanie at The Literacy Council, slyas@literacy-council.org.
Dec. 10: Walk for a Claus. 1-6 p.m. Grocery Brewpub, 2823 Central Ave. The Homewood Santa Claus Society is back at it again with the fifth annual Walk for a Claus. This event will begin with the "Santas" enjoying Christmas cheer at the Grocery Brewpub, followed by a 1.5-mile "Santa walk" through Homewood, and then the Santas will rest back at the Grocery Brewpub after delivering their gifts. Participation in this event is for men 21 and older and requires the walkers to wear a Santa Claus suit. Golf carts, side by sides, ATVs and decorated Christmas floats are permissible. Admission tickets cover food and beverages at the event, along with a Homewood Santa Claus Society gift. The event will conclude with a silent auction of items from various local vendors. General admission tickets are $100 and are available on eventbrite.com.
Dec. 7: Miss Mollie’s Musical Storytime. 9:30 a.m. Round Auditorium. Preschool time with Miss Mollie and her musical instruments, accompanied by a story or two.
Dec. 13: Niki Sepsas Presents “Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata.” 2 p.m. Large Auditorium. This presentation features the growth of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dec. 7 and 21: Teen Theatre Thursdays. 4 p.m. Round Auditorium. This bi-monthly program will focus on teaching the performing arts to aspiring teen thespians, with assistance from the Red Mountain Theatre. For grades 6-12. Register online.
Dec. 15: Big Ideas Book Club. 11:30 a.m. Boardroom. A book club for professional growth. Register online.
Dec. 12: Bake & Make. 6 p.m. Zoom. Families will pick up their baking kits at the children’s desk in preparation for the event. Register online.
Dec. 19: The ABC’s of Medicare. Noon. Room 116.
Dec. 11: Menorah Lighting. 5 p.m. 2839 18th St. S. The Chabad of Alabama and the City of Homewood is holding its third annual Menorah Lighting with games, food and songs at the Curve in downtown Homewood. chabadofalabama.com.
Dec. 15: Teens Holiday Craft with September Reed. 1 p.m. Room 109. Celebrate the holidays by crafting with September Reed! All supplies will be provided. For grades 6-12. Register online.
Dec. 12: Homewood Chamber luncheon and annual
Dec. 18: Totes To-Go. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Children’s Department. Pick up a kit to make a fun DIY craft or STEAM activity at home.
Dec. 16: Game Night at the Library. 2-4 p.m. Room 102.
Dec. 19: Seasonal Stories. 1 p.m. Round Auditorium. An hourlong adult story time of classic short stories. Dec. 27: Better Than Therapy Book Club. 2 p.m. Boardroom. Discussing “The Book Haters Book Club” by Gretchen Anthony. Dec. 28: Niki Sepsas Presents “Valor in the Ardennes: The Battle of the Bulge.” 3 p.m. Homewood Senior Center.
TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 19
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20 • December 2023
The Homewood Star
Sports
Seniors leading charge for Patriots By KYLE PARMLEY Homewood High School boys basketball coach Tim Shepler has written out a concise, measurable and achievable list of goals for his team to achieve during each game. If the Patriots check those handful of boxes on a given night, they are almost guaranteed a win. In fact, if they check over half of them, things have likely gone in their favor. Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden’s famed pyramid of success also hangs in the Homewood locker room. Perhaps some of the wise words about competitive greatness and the like will rub off on the team as well. The Patriots put forth a 20-win season last year, although things ended a little sooner than expected with a two-point loss to Jackson-Olin in the opening round of the area tournament. Homewood figured things out over the second half of the season, winning 13 of 15 to close out the regular season. A similar trajectory may be in the offing this season as well, with plenty of players returning. Shepler sees plenty of potential with the 202324 version of Homewood basketball. While the Patriots may not have an obvious star as the season begins, there are several players with the capability of carving out major roles. There are six seniors on this year’s team, the biggest senior class Homewood has had in a few years. Shepler said this year’s team gets along, cares about each other and enjoys playing the game of basketball together. Jarryd Cline, Jeremiah Gary, Turner Gray, Will Pope, Jake Stephens and David Stone compose a
Homewood’s David Stone (20) shoots a layup guarded by Calera’s DJ White (25) in a game against Calera at Homewood High School in November 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
tight-knit group, according to their coach. “At the end of the year, we’re going to say this group gave everything they got. Whatever happens, you can say, ‘I’m fine with that,’” Shepler said.
At times, a quote like that can be construed as a coach simply aiming for his players to give great effort, despite knowing it may not result in many wins. That’s not the case here. Shepler said this team has “a little bit of
everything,” from shooters to post players to solid defenders and everything in between. Last season, Homewood was deep enough to often substitute five new players into the lineup. Shepler doesn’t believe that substitution pattern will be the way for this team, but he feels like there is plenty of quality to go around. Homewood expects the likes of Will Myers and Kaleb Carson to handle the point guard duties this season, but both arrived to the basketball court a little late after serving as quarterbacks for the Patriots’ football team, which made its annual trek to the playoffs in the fall. “We’ll be integrating point guards and changing all the way up through Christmas. We’ve got an experienced team, but the point guard is such a critical position,” Shepler said. Latham Binkley, a junior, and sophomore Daniel Vinson are two talented players capable of elevating the Patriots as well. Adesh Mishra and Charlie Sims are also juniors on the varsity team. The early months of the season will certainly prepare the Patriots for the finishing stretch. After facing the likes of Chelsea, Ramsay, Briarwood, Oak Mountain, Vestavia Hills and Spain Park to go along with tournaments at Vestavia, in Orlando and at home, Homewood will embark on its most pivotal stretch in January. The Patriots will take on Minor, Parker and Jackson-Olin in Class 6A, Area 9. A win in the opening round of the area tournament will get them back to the sub-regional round for the third time in the last four years.
Lady Patriots clamoring for regional return BY KYLE PARMLEY Lack of familiarity and experience certainly will not be an excuse for the Homewood High School girls basketball team this season. The Lady Patriots return virtually the entire roster from last season, as the 2022-23 team had no seniors. Plenty of this year’s seniors and juniors have been playing on the varsity team each of the last two seasons. “We’ve got a lot of girls that have played ball with each other,” third-year coach Gavin King said. “That’s definitely going to be a benefit for us this year.” Homewood’s hallmark the last two seasons has been the pace the Lady Patriots have played with on both sides of the floor, with an up-tempo offense and a full-court-pressure defense. As the program has evolved, King said some zone defense concepts have become more prevalent for the team as well. “You keep stacking the practices and things over the years, with consistency, it’s going to pay off. The older ones are going into their third and fourth year on the varsity,” he said. “There’s a lot of comfort with what we’re trying to do.” Although the Patriots won a combined 40 games over King’s first two seasons, the Lady Patriots were unable to advance out of the area tournament either year. The culprits in last season’s five-point loss to Minor in the area tournament were turnovers and other struggles in pressure situations. Not surprisingly, the Lady Patriots have worked quite a bit on both of those things. King also believes this year’s team will be able to shoot the ball at a higher clip and be better as a whole on offense. “We’re older and stronger, and a little more confident and aggressive. We’re getting to the basket a lot more confidently and we’re shooting the 3 ball,” he said. Mira McCool, Kayla Warren and Susie Whitsett give the Lady Patriots three quality seniors, although Whitsett’s timetable for returning from an injury is unclear at this point.
Homewood’s Laine Litton (1) dribbles the ball across midcourt guarded by Calera’s Samiyah Jemison (13) in a game against Calera at Homewood High School in November 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Laine Litton, a junior, and sophomore Ellis McCool are returning starters who will only see their roles increase this year. Savannah McDonald, Deavion Portis and Ryanne Ezekiel are all returning varsity players as well. Imon Odell has made the jump to varsity, and Chloe Warren will be a contributor as well after the flag football season. Ava Robinson is a guard who transferred in from Vestavia Hills. Lane Crowe and Kardyn Spears could also see some
varsity time. This year, the goal for Homewood is to get to the regional tournament for the first time since the 2019-20 season. “That’s definitely a realistic goal for this team,” King said. “I want the seniors to be able to play at JSU [Jacksonville State University, the site of the Northeast Regional]. We’ve been there three summers in a row, so when we do get there, we’ve been on the court.”
Homewood certainly did not ease into the season, playing several games right off the bat in November. Games against Chelsea, Ramsay, Briarwood, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and several others are the best way to prepare for a Class 6A, Area 9 slate against Parker, Minor and Jackson-Olin. “We want to be the best team we can be by February,” he said. “Obviously, that starts now, so we don’t want to waste days.”
TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 21
Left: Homewood's Mira McCool (13) hits during the North Super Regional volleyball tournament Oct. 25 at Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Photo by Kyle Parmley. Right: John Carroll’s Meredith Davis (2) passes the ball in a match against Pelham in the Class 6A, Area 10 tournament at Pelham High School on Oct. 18. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
High school volleyball season concludes By KYLE PARMLEY The Homewood and John Carroll high school volleyball teams recently finished their seasons. Homewood advanced to the Class 6A North Super Regional quarterfinals, where the Patriots finished a win short of the state
tournament. Homewood swept Huffman 3-0 in the opening round of the tournament at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. The Patriots then fell to Fort Payne 3-1 in the quarterfinals, ending their season. Homewood finished as the Area 9 champions, with an 18-23 record on the season. Mira McCool completed her career with over
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500 kills. Freshman setter Kam Coleman has already surpassed 500 career assists. “The 2023 season was filled with challenges and growth,” Homewood head coach Andie Freedman said. “We are excited to keep working and developing in the offseason.” Liz Cleland and Carson Jarmon were also
seniors for the Patriots this fall. John Carroll played in 6A, Area 10, one of the deepest areas in the classification. The Cavs notched a regular-season win over eventual area champion Pelham but fell short against the Panthers in the area tournament. Meredith Davis and Kaitlin Gilchrist were the team’s two seniors this season.
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The Homewood Star Max Plaia (11): Caught a 55yard TD pass vs. Wenonah.
Evan Ausmer (2): Rushed 122 yards and a TD vs. Pelham.
UNDER THE LIGHTS Randall Jaquez (34): Key fumble recovery vs. Chilton County.
By KYLE PARMLEY The high school football regular season has come to a close, with Homewood and John Carroll both qualifying for postseason play after strong seasons. Here are some highlights from the last few regular season contests. Stay tuned to thehomewoodstar.com for postseason coverage. Photos by RICHARD FORCE, TODD KWARCINSKI and JAMES NICHOLAS
Will Myers (11): Completed 23-of-29 passes for 215 yards and rushed for 108 yards, combining for 4 TDs vs. Chilton County.
King Walker (14): Caught a 65-yard TD pass vs. Briarwood.
TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 23
Sports Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley
Let them celebrate As someone who covers plenty of high school sports throughout the year, I get the great opportunity to see many, many teams be crowned champions. Area champions, regional champions, state champions. There are so many trophies handed out during the course of all the seasons. For example, if you go to the Super 7 high school football state championships, you’ll see eight state titles awarded over a three-day period. I can easily see how you become numb Parmley to that, if you work a large number of championship events. You see the same movie unfold over and over. Team A wins and rushes the field in a bundle of elation and claims a trophy for its efforts. Rinse, repeat. I’m often frustrated at how the teams that win these championship events are stifled in the immediate aftermath of victory. After a very brief explosion of joy, players and coaches are shuffled back to their places so that the mundane and repetitive awards ceremony can commence. For the high school athletic teams in this state, they are told that reaching these championship events is the pinnacle of their seasons. But too often, they are only allowed to celebrate for a single moment and then moved out of the way for the next title game. What gets lost so often is the context each team carries at the end of a season. The teams fortunate enough to win a state championship have logged countless hours, days and months with each other, achieving triumphs and persevering through struggles along the way. They didn’t just show up at the end ready to win it all. These coaches and athletes have dedicated their lives for a portion of time to ensure that their particular team has a chance at glory. While those of us who are fortunate enough to cover these events regularly can always come back next year, many of the players and coaches get one shot at claiming a state title. The least we can do is allow them to bask in the moment of reaching the mountaintop of their sport. It’ll be OK if the next game starts a few minutes later than planned. The teams deserve at least a minute or two to soak up a championship moment. Let them enjoy it! Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at Starnes Media.
Varsity Sports Calendar BASKETBALL
BOWLING
Dec. 1: vs. Vestavia Hills. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 5: vs. Jackson-Olin. SpareTime Trussville. 3:45 p.m.
Dec. 4: @ McAdory. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 6: vs. Gardendale. Super Bowl. 4 p.m.
Dec. 5: @ Bibb County. Girls at 4 p.m., boys at 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 7: vs. Mortimer Jordan. Vestavia Bowl. 3:45 p.m.
Dec. 8: @ Spain Park. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 12: vs. Gardendale. Vestavia Bowl. 3:45 p.m.
Dec. 14: Girls vs. Pinson Valley. 5:30 p.m. Dec. 14-16: Boys at KSA Classic. Orlando, Florida. Dec. 18: Girls @ Austin. 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21: vs. Childersburg. Girls at 3 p.m., boys at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 28-29: Metro Tournament. Homewood High School. Dec. 29: Girls @ Calera. 4:30 p.m.
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WRESTLING Dec. 5: Pike Road Tri-Match. Pike Road Elementary School. Dec. 8: vs. Oak Mountain. TBA. Dec. 15: Pelham Tournament. Pelham High School. Dec. 20: Home match. TBA. Dec. 29: Hoover Tournament. Hoover High School.
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Opinion Ordinary Days By Lauren Denton
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There is a particular author who has unwittingly become a not-insignificant part of my own writing career, but not for a good reason. This author — I’ll call her “Beth Davis” — snuck into my life via Twitter, her social media platform of choice. She posts multiple times a day, and what struck me about her from the very beginning wasn’t just the fact that she’d written more than 20 novels, or the fact that she started her own boutique publishing company (and continues to write her own books), or the fact that she has gorgeous hair (which she does). What made the biggest impact on me was seeing posts like this nearly every day: “Woke up at 5, cranked out 4K words, made a green smoothie, and had just enough time to make whole-grain, gluten-free chocolate muffins for the kids!” Or this: “Got a mani-pedi, grabbed a coffee, did a little shopping, and still squeezed in 3K words before the end of the day!” On and on these posts come, word counts climbing higher and higher, multiple books releasing each year and all of it done with glossy, perfect hair and pearly pink fingernails, big cozy sweatshirts and leggings, while sitting on her beautiful back porch overlooking trees that look like they were painted by Thomas Kinkade. Now, I know I’m being ridiculous. I know that what I see on social media isn’t the truth — it’s a stylized, curated, filtered approximation of real life. But still, there’s something about this author that makes everything I do feel less. Less real, somehow. Less important. Less significant. I hear myself think, “If I could just buckle down like Beth, I’d be able to crank out big word counts each day.” Or “What am I missing
out on that’s helping her do 20 things at once and do them all so darn well?” Sometimes I think, “Maybe it’s the hair. It must be the hair.” Without realizing it, Beth became my nemesis and I didn’t even know the poor woman. Denton I even told my counselor, Michele, about her one day. (OK, I’ve told Michele about her many times.) “Beth is so accomplished and hits or exceeds her word count every day. She doesn’t appear to ever have a day when things are falling apart, whether it’s staring at the computer for hours and not being able to get a single string of good words on the page or being late to pick up kids from school because of said word paralysis. And the worst part is she just seems so happy about it all! She delights in everything she does, and her whole world is quaint coffee shops and muffins and roses and manicures. And highly successful novels.” And counselor Michele looks at me, head tilted, and waits. “I know, I know,” I’ll say. “Her life isn’t perfect and neither is she.” I can Beth Davis myself to death, and when that happens, I have to stop and tell myself — again! — that people don’t put the ugly parts online. And despite the hair and the nails, the books and the coffee shops, Beth Davis doesn’t have it all figured out. She’s probably a whole lot like me, struggling to get the words on the page, even while she continues to show up as a half-decent wife, mother, daughter and friend.
She’s just more social media-savvy than I am. (OK, and she has better hair too.) I’m reminding myself of all this because we’re in the thick of holiday season and it’s so very easy to look at what everyone else is doing and think, “What am I missing? Why are we not as happy/well-rested/wealthy/relaxed/festive/ savvy/joyful as everyone else around here?” It can seem like nearly everyone is taking lovely family portraits in coordinating outfits, hanging beautiful handmade wreaths on their doors and buying bigger and better gifts for loved ones, while we’re running around with our hair on fire just trying to make it until school gets out, or until work ends, or until the holidays are over. May it all be different for us this year, even if it means we have to hang a wreath from Hobby Lobby that cost $9.99 and sheds glitter, even if we fall laughably short of our daily word count goal, even if we have to skip the family portraits entirely. However things unfold for us this season, may we have real rest instead of rushing around trying to keep up with the Beth Davises of the world. May we be satisfied with less, so we can be more for those around us. And may we keep our blinders firmly in place so that what we have and do within our own little families is just right and just enough. When I’m not writing about my family and our ordinary life, I write novels, go to the grocery store, and vacuum dog hair. You can find my books in stores, online, and locally at Little Professor Bookshop. Reach me by email at Lauren@LaurenKDenton.com, visit my website LaurenKDenton.com, or find me on Instagram @LaurenKDentonBooks or Facebook ~LaurenKDentonAuthor.
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TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 25
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26 • December 2023
The Homewood Star
Real Estate
By the numbers: October 2022 vs. 2023
Note: Real estate data is by zip code, but some parts of these zip codes are outside the city limits. Data provided by the Greater Alabama Multiple Listing Service on Nov. 7, 2023
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TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 27
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The Homewood Star
U.S. 280
CONTINUED from page 1 The state in 2024 plans to begin adding an extra lane on each side of U.S. 280 between Lakeshore Drive and Perimeter Park, just east of Interstate 459. That would make four dedicated through lanes on each side of the highway along that stretch of road. To make that happen, the state will have to replace the Pumphouse Road bridge over U.S. 280 in Mountain Brook because there is not enough room for additional lanes with the current bridge structure. Leonard The state also plans to add a third left-turn lane from westbound U.S. 280 onto I-459 and make repairs to the I-459 bridge deck, said DeJarvis Leonard, the lead engineer for ALDOT’s East Central Region. Additionally, the project includes repairs on the existing U.S. 280 roadbed between Lakeshore Drive and Rosedale Drive in Homewood and repaving of the stretch between Perimeter Park and the Cahaba River, Leonard said. That makes the total project cover about 5.8 miles. It’s clear the project is needed, Leonard said. Currently, there are an estimated nearly 100,000 vehicles per day traveling U.S. 280 at I-459, he said. The stretch of road in question is operating at a D or F level of service during peak traffic times (roughly 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 4:30-6 p.m.), he said. In traffic design lingo, a D level of service equates to “approaching unstable flow,” and an F level of service means “forced or breakdown flow,” in which travel time cannot be predicted and generally there is more demand than capacity. “We’re pretty much at full congestion,” Leonard said. Adding an extra through lane on each side of the highway should improve the level of service to a B or a C, Leonard said. A B level of service means “reasonably free flow,” and a C level of service means “stable flow, at or near free flow.” The planned road changes should take five to 10 minutes off the travel time between I-459 and the Red Mountain Expressway, Leonard said. “We’re excited about the project and think it should be a win-win for everyone,” he said.
Motorists travel on U.S. 280 between Perimeter Park and The Summit. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
COST AND TIMELINE
The expected cost is $25 million to $30 million, but the project is still in the final design stage, and construction bids probably won’t be taken until March, Leonard said. Construction should start in early May and take 18 to 24 months to complete, he said. The bulk of the work will be scheduled at night and on weekends so as to minimize disruptions to weekday traffic, Leonard said. There will be some traffic interruptions, especially during bridge construction, but the public will be notified in advance about major traffic flow alterations, he said. This project has been in the planning stages for three to four years, Leonard said. Originally, it was a smaller project that involved new lanes being added only between Lakeshore Drive and Pumphouse Road — a stretch of about 2.1 miles, Leonard said. However, it was such a small job that it didn’t attract the attention of a lot of contractors, and the bids received were high, he said. ALDOT decided to broaden the scope of the job and believes that will attract more bidders and help bring the cost per mile down, he said. The project already has been approved by the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization and added to the state’s transportation improvement plan, Leonard said. It will be funded by the state, including state and federal tax dollars, he said. The city of Birmingham is making adjustments to improve the entrance to The Summit shopping center from U.S. 280 in conjunction with the ALDOT project, Leonard said. State and Birmingham area officials
have looked at numerous ways to improve traffic flow on U.S. 280 over recent decades, including an option to build an elevated roadway in parts of the corridor. However, there was enough opposition from cities and communities in the corridor to eliminate that idea from consideration. Among the concerns, residents said they feared an elevated roadway would be unsightly and add noise and light pollution, hurting their property values.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Regarding the new plan to add lanes to U.S. 280, Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch said he believes it will help move traffic through the area faster between downtown Birmingham and I-459. Some Mountain Brook residents two years ago expressed concerns during a public meeting that the elimination of an acceleration lane from Overton Road onto U.S. 280 will make traffic back up too long on Overton, causing a logjam there. Leonard said ALDOT needs to turn that
acceleration lane into a through lane because there is not enough room for both to exist due to the terrain. He understands that would make it more difficult for traffic from Overton Road to merge onto U.S. Welch 280, but in response to resident concerns, ALDOT plans to alter the traffic light timing to give dedicated time for right turns from Overton onto U.S. 280, he said. Welch said that should help compensate some for the removal of the acceleration lane. “I know they’re going to try to address the problem as best they can with the timing of the lights, and hopefully it won’t get too bad,” he said. People would be surprised how much traffic can flow through an intersection in 20
seconds, he said. “I think ALDOT’s doing the best they can to solve a problem that’s a pretty tough problem,” Welch said. Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry said he definitely views the additional Curry lanes on U.S. 280 as a positive. The traffic volumes on U.S. 280 have far surpassed the original projections for the roadway, he said. The additional lanes on the highway will help more traffic more efficiently, he said. “I don’t think there’s any way it would do anything but help us,” he said. “It’ll be safer. It’ll be quicker.” While that stretch of U.S. 280 isn’t in the Hoover city limits, it will affect many Hoover residents as well, especially those who live in the Greystone or Inverness areas. Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said he knows that U.S. 280 is a difficult problem to solve and that ALDOT has studied the situation. “I’m grateful they’re actually putting new lanes on 280 to help the problem,” Brocato said. “I think that eventually that will be the solution as it moves out through Chelsea as well.” About 10 years ago, ALDOT implemented a change in Brocato traffic patterns at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Valleydale Road, for drivers on westbound U.S. 280 who want to turn left onto Valleydale and drivers on eastbound U.S. 280 who want to turn left onto Cahaba Beach Road. Those drivers now must go through the traffic light at Valleydale Road and make a U-turn and then a right turn instead. That took some adjustment by drivers, but the changes did help move traffic quicker, Brocato said. The U.S. 280 corridor is vital to a number of cities, including Hoover, Brocato said. “We certainly want to support anything ALDOT does to help move traffic through there safely and efficiently and at the same time gives our communities the opportunity to continue shopping on 280,” he said.
TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 29
Homewood Parks & Recreation Classes & Activities Central Barre
Tuesday 6:15am Wednesday 5:15pm Saturday 8:15am at 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. Email ellyngagnon@gmail.com for more information.
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 - Studio 2 Tuesday 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM $5.00 per person per visit For more information contact funforalllinedancing@gmail.com
Senior Center 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
Athletics Homewood Patriot Lacrosse
HPL works in collaboration with Homewood Parks & Recreation, Homewood City Schools, and Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association. For more details please go to: www.gbyla.org
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) All classes in Fitness Studio 2 @ Homewood Community Center Cost: Classes are FREE (with donations) For more information contact Rosa at 205-253-9344 or benchaerobics@bellsouth.net
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
YoLimber
Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention
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
Homewood Soccer Club
Homewood Soccer Club is dedicated to creating a balanced youth soccer program. Information about the Spring 2024 season, all levels of play, registration deadlines, fees and Club philosophy is available at www.HomewoodSoccer.com , or call The Soccer Office at 205-874-9182.
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. Wednesday 3:00pm – 4:00pm at Homewood Community Center For more information: Jackie Tally jgtally@aol.com
Fast Track Line Dance
Royce Head Personal Training
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
Confi.Dance
We learn the current and classic intermediate-advanced line dances. This class is not for beginners. Fitness Studio 2 Homewood Community Center. Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm 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/
Tai Chi, Sun Style
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
Homewood Patriots Youth Baseball and Softball League HPYBSL is a youth recreational baseball and softball league for the citizens of Homewood, as well as surrounding communities. Please visit our website for more information about the upcoming Spring 2024 Season: www.playhwd.com
Follow us for athletics, community centers programming and event updates @homewood.parks
@homewood_parks
@homewoodparks
30 • December 2023
The Homewood Star Homewood Fire Chief Nick Hill points out himself in a 1989 photograph with his graduating class from the Alabama State Fire College at Shelton State Community College, while in his office at Homewood City Hall. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
HILL
CONTINUED from page 1 But his time leading the department is drawing to an end, as he’s announced that he is retiring at the end of 2023. Mayor Patrick McClusky calls Hill a tremendous asset to the City of Homewood. He’s glad the chief can begin to enjoy his well-deserved retirement, but Hill will be greatly missed, he said. “After Chief [John] Bresnan passed away, Chief Hill took over and has done an amazing job with our fire department,” McClusky said. “Under his leadership, new training standards were implemented, assuring that we were able to recruit and retain the best firefighters for our citizens. We all wish him the very best in retirement, and we hope that he and his family will continue to visit us here in Homewood.” The retiring chief will have been with the department 34 years and 3 months on his scheduled final day, Dec. 31. Hill said his love of the profession was equal parts helping people and wanting to be like his father, for whom he was named. And it wasn’t an office job. “I was into sports, and I didn’t really want to sit behind a desk,” the 59-year-old recalled. “I was a little stir crazy.” The fire chief remembers being a C student, not what he would call an academic scholar. “I just didn’t want to be behind a desk,” he said. “It wasn’t intriguing to me. It wasn’t my calling.” Hill’s path to firefighting took him through a period as a police officer in 1988. He calls that a fun job, one that he struggled to leave since he enjoyed the work and got along with his coworkers. “I became a police officer because I needed a job,” he said. “It was actually more fun and more intriguing than I expected it to be. But, long term, that wasn’t my goal. My goal was always to be a firefighter.” Across more than 30 years, no call truly stands out in the annals of Hill’s mind. Each has a place. “Some calls are more prevalent in your mind than others: when you save a child with an EMS call, or you don’t save a child on an EMS call,”
“
It’s a good job. I love it. I’ve just been doing it a long time, and now it’s time for me to let it go and let the younger group have it.
the chief said. “Those are both equally important for different reasons. One is very joyous, and one is very sad. But they both stick with you. “We’ve had some good calls, and we’ve made a lot of good saves that will make a difference, and sometimes it doesn’t work out well,” Hill said. “Sometimes it works out really well for the patient or the person whose house is on fire.
”
NICK HILL
Obviously, if you can save someone’s personal belongings, what their memories are made out of. Most people can rebuild a house, but you can’t rebuild a picture of your dad. You’ve got the shotgun your granddad gave you. You can’t buy that. It’s priceless.” That’s the difference Hill has wanted to make, saving that which can’t be replaced by
simply writing a check. That, he said, is really rewarding. Hill said he’s had the high-drama experiences of rescuing someone who is teetering on an edge, or saving a vehicle that’s about to fall over an embankment. But his days are not the thrill-a-minute life depicted on television dramas. “We don’t have that kind of busy schedule,” he said. “Those circumstances are rare. Most of the calls are little things. Most things go unnoticed. You take it as it comes and do your job. “It’s a good job. I love it,” Hill continued. “I’ve just been doing it a long time, and now it’s time for me to let it go and let the younger group have it.” The retiring chief has been married to his wife, Amy, for 21 years. They have three daughters, a grandson and a granddaughter.
they’re still here ...somewhere
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TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2023 • 31
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