The Homewood Star June 2018 by Starnes Media

June 2018 | Volume 8 | Issue 3

THEHOMEWOODSTAR.COM

HOMEWOOD’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE

The Wright family’s home on Ardsley Place is one of many historic homes in Homewood that residents have chosen to preserve and restore. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

THE BIG

SQUEEZE

THIS OLD

HOUSE By SYDNEY CROMWELL

On-street parking delays emergency responders

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

he Homewood Fire Department’s average response time is 3 minutes. But when their route to a call is blocked by on-street parking, the fire engine often has to sit and wait, minutes ticking by, while drivers relocate their cars from the city’s narrow streets. Lt. Darrell Garrett in the city fire marshal’s office said it “happened all the time” when he was a firefighter at Homewood’s Station 1, on 28th Court S. “I had to get out of the truck on emergency response and start, with the siren going, and telling people to move their cars,” he said. “It’s not rare. It’s very common.”

See PARKING | page A26

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit #54

The Homewood Fire Department has been experiencing difficulty navigating the streets of Homewood due to an increase of improperly parked cars on the streets. The fire department encourages residents to make use of their driveways and be aware of fire lanes and laws restricting vehicles from being within 30 feet of an intersection or parking adjacent to each other across the street. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

INSIDE

Sponsors .............. A4 News...................... A6

Business ..............A10 Chamber..............A16

Events ..................A19 Community ......... A21

Owning a historic home means being prepared for surprises, especially when renovating. “Whenever you open up a panel or go to fix something, you have no idea what you’re going to find. And usually it ends up costing about three times as much,” said Amy Wright, whose home on Ardsley Place was built in 1926. “Everything’s a little quirky — you’ve got uneven floors, the bathrooms are small,” she said. It also means some of those quirks have a decades-old story behind them, sometimes dating back to the first owners. Homewood has a number of historic houses within its borders, and for owners who choose to preserve and restore the original look rather than update it, the story of the house is often worth the peculiarities and the cost. “It was worth it to us. You wouldn’t necessarily get all that back in resale,” Peerless Avenue

See HISTORIC HOMES | page A24

Opinion ................. B6 School House ...... B6

Sports ................... B11 Calendar .............. B18 facebook.com/thehomewoodstar

All in the family

100 years of life

Brother-sister duo Alvin and Aiya Finch support each other on and off the ﬁeld.

Native Alabamian Ann Rogers looks back on her 71 years living in Homewood.

See page B1

See page B4

A2 â&#x20AC;¢ June 2018

The Homewood Star

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A4 • June 2018

About Us Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell In my head, my dad and motorcycles have always been two sides of the same coin. He raced dirt bikes when he was young and is known to make a second loop around the parking lot to get another look at a nice motorcycle anywhere he goes. So, as a young child, of course I had a motorcycle too. You could ﬁnd me on my little pink Y amaha dirt bike, head bobbling in a slightly oversiz ed helmet as I cruised through our backyard or nearby ﬁelds. y favorite was going over “ whoop-de-doos” – in reality, they were probably j ust little dirt mounds, but Dad always treated them like j umps on my own personal track. Usually when I would ride, Dad kept training wheels on my bike and a long rope attached to the tail so he could prevent anything catastrophic f rom happening. W hen I was roughly 6 or 7 , he stopped me in the backyard to “ look at something” on the back end

of my bike. I wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing, f ocused impatiently on returning to z ipping around in a circle. W hen he stepped away, I carried on riding like normal, not even noticing until later that he had taken of f both the training wheels and the rope. W ithout realiz ing it, I was riding all on my own.

Had he told me the training wheels were gone, I probably would have gotten nervous and crashed almost immediately. Instead, he knew I was ready and q uietly took away the supports so that when I realiz ed they were gone, I was already succeeding on my own. N ot all of the things Dad taught me have stuck over the years — sorry Dad, I still can’t change my own oil — but that’s one of the memories I remember f ondly, of my f ather guiding me, but letting me teach myself to be strong and brave. Happy Father’s Day.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Northview’s Nasir Pierson (3) and Homewood’s Connor Smith (10) battle for position during a Class 6A semifinal playoff match between Homewood and Northview on May 11 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville. Photo by Todd Lester.

Publisher: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Director of Photography: Community Editors: Sports Editor: Digital Editor: Page Designer: Community Reporters:

Dan Starnes Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams Sarah Finnegan Erica Techo Lexi Coon Emily Featherston Kyle Parmley Alyx Chandler Melanie Viering Jon Anderson Jesse Chambers

Contributing Writers: Chris Megginson Lauren Denton

Advertising Manager: Matthew Allen Account Manager: Layton Dudley Sales and Distribution: Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Rhonda Smith James Plunkett Eric Clements Vicky Hager Heather Anthony Ethan Currier

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

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

Published by: The Homewood Star LLC Legals: The Homewood Star is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Homewood Star is designed to inform the Homewood community of area school, family and community events. Information in The Homewood Star is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of The Homewood Star. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

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Please Support Our Community Partners 1st Resource Credit Union (B15) Alabama Goods (A16) Alabama Power (B18) Amanda Dabbs, RealtySouth (B9) Aqua-Guard (B19) ARC Realty (B13) Avondale Common House & Distillery (B10) Batts’ Chimney Services (B6) Bedzzz Express (A28, B1) Birmingham Museum of Art (B3) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (B11) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (A14) Byars-Wright Insurance (A12) Cahaba Cycles (A22) Caliber (A2) Campaign To Elect Bill Veitch (A12) Campaign to Elect Sheila Weil (A22) Case Remodeling (B17) Closets by Design (B17) Cookie Fix (A18) Debbie Wooley / Newnan-Daily Resort Properties (B7) Designs by Laney (A10) Dish’n It Out (A25) Encore Rehabilitation (B11) EZ Roof & EZ Restoration (B7) First Lenders Mortgage Corp. (B10) Groome Transportation (A2) Homewood Family and Cosmetic Dentistry (A13) Homewood Parks and Rec (A23) Homewood Toy & Hobby (A20) Hutchinson Automotive (A16) HydraLive Therapy (A8) Issis & Sons (A6) Jack Williams Campaign (A1) Jacqueline DeMarco (A18) James S. Snow & Associates CPA’s (A25)

JJ Eyes (A11) Johnny Montgomery, ERA King (A20) Kete Cannon, RE/MAX Southern Homes (A9) Market Table (A19) McWane Science Center (B13) Mountain Brook Sporting Goods (B8) Nothing Bundt Cakes Summit (A10) One Man and a Toolbox (A15) Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (B8) Pitts & Associates Mental Health Professionals (A14) RealtySouth (A3) Red Mountain Theatre Company (B20) Red Pearl Restaurant (B4) Robert Rudolph DMD (A17) Roberts Building Group, Inc. (B15) Salem’s Diner (A14) Shades Creek Dental (A5) Standard Air, Plumbing & Insulation (A1) Steve Ammons for County Commission District 5 (B5) Sugar Sands Realty (B18) Taco Mama (A27) Tenet Physicians Resources (B1) The Hair Group Homewood (B6) The Maids (B14) The Wade Team (A5) The Whole Dog Market (B4) Thimbles (B4) United Ability (Care of Modern Brand) (A21) Valora at Homewood Apartments (B2) W Waxing Salon (A15) Wild Things (A7) William Fowler/Secrets of a Blue-Green River (A9) Wilson Building Company (B14)

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City

Council approves mid-year financial report for 2018 By SYDNEY CROMWELL The C ity C ouncil heard a midyear report on the state of the city’s finances at its ay 1 meeting. Finance Director and C ity C lerk elody Salter presented the report, including data from ct. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, to the halfway point, arch 1, to Council members during a special finance meeting. Salter described the report as “ cautiously optimistic” when the f ull C ity C ouncil later voted to accept it, and Ward epresentative Walter ones called it “very good news on all fronts.” Highlights from the report include that the city has brought in .91 million in ad valorem property tax so far, putting it at 9 .88 percent of the anticipated budget for the first half of the year. Salter’s report noted that 1 , in property tax collection would make up the small budgetary gap. “You’re going to be flush for the mid-year,” Salter said, noting that property and business license tax es are collected early in the year. “While it looks great of course that number’s not going to hold.” Salter also noted a ump from 2 .8 million in total sales tax revenue in the 2 16 fiscal year to . million in Y 2 1 , divided between the general fund, oard of Education and capital pro ects. Salter attributed this to the addition of a one-cent sales tax approved in 2 16, which went into

he City Council approved a mid year report on the state of the city’s finances at its May 1 meeting. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

effect mid-way through the ﬁscal year. The sales tax revenue is anticipated to be higher this year due to collection at the new rate. The total balance across the city’s accounts is 11 . million. he debt service fund includes .9 million right now, compared to . million at the same point last year, but Salter said there is million in another city account that will be transferred to debt services. he capital pro ects fund has ust under million

in it as well. Salter’s report also provided an in-depth comparison of how every city f und’s revenue and ex penses compared with the same half way point in the last ﬁscal year. In the general fund, for example, revenue increased by 2.9 million to .2 million, but expenses also increased by 2. million to 2 .1 million total. he debt service fund, on the other hand, is about 2. million lower than last year’s halfway point, while

expenditures are up from 1.9 million to . million. oth revenue and ex penditures have dipped by less than 1 million in the capital pro ects fund from the 2 1 mid-year report to now. Salter said she is hoping for about 2 million in extra sales tax revenue above pro ections this year, which can be used as a cushion f or debt service or other pro ects. The C ouncil also: Approved a 1 contract with Trane to perf orm a citywide audit

of lighting and energy efficiency. Separately, the Council contracted Charles anaty to consult on pro ects relating to improved energy efficiency of lighting, water and sewer utilities. he contract includes a , per month retainer and a percentage of money saved, as long as those savings equal or exceed an agreed-upon amount. he changes anaty mentioned include an audit of streetlights the city pays to operate new LEDs installed in city buildings to qualify for tax credits and laying dark fiber throughout the city’s municipal properties for faster services. Decided to send design of the Patriot Park connector sidewalk out for bidding. About 8, is estimated for the cost of design and survey before the pro ect is bid for construction. Approved a 8, contract with Gon ale Strength for engineering on the umson oad sidewalk contract, which will connect to Shades Creek Parkway. Approved a lounge retail liquor license for Saw’s ar, which will expand Saw’s into the neighboring space. he approval letter is contingent on statements of no ob ection from the police and fire departments. Set a une 11 public hearing for a sign ordinance variance request at Little Donkey, 2821 Central Ave. Set a une 11 public hearing to consider declaring 111 Hardwick L ane a public nuisance due to ex cessive growth.

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he Jefferson County oard of egistrars has relocated polling for Precinct 10 to the Homewood oard of ducation building 0 ale Ave. since the ceptional oundation 1616 moor oad will be unavailable due to work on its building. This change is only for this summer’s primary and runoff elections, and voting for Precinct 5210 will return to the Exceptional Foundation for the Nov. 6 general election. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

Homewood voting precinct to change location for 2018 primaries By SYDNEY CROMWELL Homewood residents who have used the E x ceptional Foundation as their polling location will have a new spot to vote during this summer’s primary and runoff elections. Since the E x ceptional Foundation, 1 6 1 6 Ox moor R oad, will be unavailable due to work on its building, the J ef f erson C ounty Board of R egistrars has relocated polling f or Precinct 52 1 0 to the Homewood Board of E ducation building, 450 Dale Ave. This change will only af f ect the primary

elections on J une 5 and the runof f f or any contested races on J uly 1 7 . V oting f or Precinct 52 1 0 will return to the E x ceptional Foundation f or the N ov. 6 general election. V isit alabamavotes.gov f or more inf ormation on the upcoming elections or to ﬁnd your polling location. The Homewood Star has partnered with BirminghamW atch to provide inf ormation on the J une primaries. V isit thehomewood star.com or birminghamwatch.com f or candidate proﬁles.

raffic cones block off an area of rookwood Medical Center rive after a rusted pipe under the road caused part of the road to collapse. he Homewood City Council funded emergency repair of the site on April 3. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Council approves emergency roadwork funding By SYDNEY CROMWELL The C ity C ouncil approved f unding f or an emergency road proj ect near Brookwood Medical C enter at its April 23 m eeting. Mayor Scott McBrayer made the req uest af ter a corrugated metal pipe, located under Brookwood Medical C enter Drive, rusted and caused part of the road to cave in. The area was blocked of f with cones. “ The road is completely collapsed,” McBrayer said at the meeting. The low bid f or the proj ect is $ 1 0 3,2 9 0 , which was allotted to be used to replace the pipe with a concrete version and to rebuild the road. McBrayer said no cars or property were damaged when the road collapsed. The council also: Approved the closure of rookwood

V illage R oad f or the Brookwood L ive concert series in May and the Art C rawl Summer Series, on Fridays f rom May 1 8 to J une 2 2 f rom 5-9 p.m. J ennif er G owers of G oPro E vent Solutions said the Art C rawl will f eature local artists setting up tents along the sidewalk in f ront of the mall to display and sell their work. Approved the city’s participation in the Back to School sales tax holiday on J uly 2 0 -2 2 . Approved work in the city right-of-way at 21 1 W oodland Drive to replace 150 f eet of retaining wall. Approved the mayor to sign its standard two-year agreement with Trane Heating and Air Maintenance. Appointed incumbent Charlie Douthit to a second term as the W ard 4 Board of E ducation representative and Susan Z uber f or the W ard 4 Historic Preservation C ommittee seat.

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A8 • June 2018

Planning commission approves development plans for school additions By SYDNEY CROMWELL The Homewood Planning C ommission unanimously approved development plans f or f our of Homewood’s ﬁve schools at its ay meeting, allowing construction of additions on those properties to move f orward. Goodwyn ills Cawood G C and Hoar Program anagement HP presented drawings of the planned additions to C ommission members on ay 1. Shades Cahaba Elementary is the only school that will not receive an addition, as the school system is planning extensive interior work instead to allow more classrooms and cafeteria space. A G C representative said both E dgewood and Hall-K ent E lementary schools will receive classroom additions, with E dgewood adding about 8 ,50 0 sq uare f eet and HallK ent adding about 8 ,8 0 0 sq uare f eet. oth schools will alter the shape of their walking tracks to accommodate the additions, but the new classrooms are located no closer to roads than the remainder of the buildings. Homewood iddle School will add a one-story, 3,7 0 0 -sq uare-f eet addition that will allow more space for wrestling, cheer, choral and band practices. In response to a question from the Commission, the G C representative said construction will not affect access to the campus from V alley Avenue or parking. Homewood High School will receive the most extensive addition on the north side of the school, with 21, square feet being demolished before roughly 1 , square feet are added for classrooms, athletics

Above left: Plans for an addition of classrooms and areas for athletics and fine arts (shown in brown) at Homewood High School. Above right Plans for a classroom addition (shown in brown) at dgewood lementary School. ight Plans for a classroom addition (shown in brown) at Hall ent lementary School. Plans courtesy of Goodwyn Mills & Cawood.

and ﬁne arts facilities. here will also be a net gain of roughly 25 parking spaces on the north side of the school, which will have a new entrance and be designated f or parent drop-of f and pickup. HP Senior Program anager ommy Alfano said the total construction cost of these pro ects, plus interior work at all ﬁve schools, a new track surface at Waldrop Stadium and H AC control system across all school buildings is estimated at 2 million. Alfano said he is expecting construction at HHS, Edgewood and Shades Cahaba to wrap up in fall 2 19. In April, he estimated a

summer 2 19 ﬁnish date for work at Homewood iddle. ead more about the pro ects’ estimated timeline on page B8. Information about each school’s planned expansion and interior pro ects can be found on the Homewood City Schools website, homewood. k12.al.us, under the “ acilities” tab. he Commission also carried over discussion of a preliminary development plan for Edgewood anor, a 12-lot subdivision at 8 -8 8 Saulter oad and 8 9 Carr Avenue, to its J une meeting at the req uest of the property developers. The development plan presented in April did not pass af ter a tied vote

by C ommission members. The C ity Council will take a ﬁnal vote on the developers’ req uest to rez one the properties to Planned esidential District, which also resulted in a tied vote during the April C ommission meeting.

The C ommission will hear a new development plan proposal f or E dgewood anor on une at 6 p.m. inally, the Commission approved a resurvey of 12 and 126 Windsor Drive into a single lot at the homeowners’ reque st.

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Council members discuss sidewalk projects, Berry Road speed humps By SYDNEY CROMWELL The city is moving f orward on sidewalk proj ects at Patriot Park and along Saulter R oad and considering whether to replace a series of speed humps on Berry R oad. At the C ity C ouncil’s f inance committee meeting on May 7 , W ard 2 R epresentative Mike Higginbotham said the city has met with residents whose properties would be impacted by a connecting path between Hillmoor L ane and Patriot Park and have received a mostly positive response so f ar. Higginbotham said about $ 8 ,7 0 0 is needed f or design of the path, which has included several options, and a survey of the area to determine the ﬁnal look of the sidewalk. It would then go out to bid f or construction. The C ouncil approved sending the proj ect design to bid at its May 1 4 meeting. The C ouncil’s planning and development committee also gave the go-ahead for the ﬁrst part of the Saulter R oad sidewalk at the May 7 meeting. Building, E ngineering and Z oning Department employee G reg C obb said the segment f rom Sylvia Drive to R ockaway R oad will be the easiest to complete geographically. As it is already in the capital proj ects budget f or 2 0 1 8 , the committee voted in f avor of him moving f orward without sending the item to the C ouncil f or a vote. C obb also let the planning and development committee know that the city is working with G onz alez Strength & Associates on a sidewalk

A proposed development of three homes and a new semi-circle road at 123 Hena St. Photo courtesy of the city of Homewood.

pro ect on umson oad and is ﬁnishing up a segment of sidewalk on C lermont Drive. Plotting a path f or a sidewalk on V alley Avenue continues to be a challenge, C obb said, due to steepness of the geography and an inability to meet Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA) standards. The public saf ety committee is considering whether to add a series of speed humps back to Berry R oad af ter they were removed f or a repaving proj ect. W ard 3 R epresentative Patrick McC lusky said there were

about eight humps on the road previously and two have been put back, but the city decided to stop the proj ect to consider whether they wanted all of the humps put back. McC lusky said he has received calls f rom residents both f or and against the speed humps. Higginbotham said he understood residents’ concern about saf ety, since Berry is a through-road f or much of Forest Brook, but he also said he doubted whether they were ef f ective in slowing cars and if they caused

more problems f or drivers who use Berry to commute. “ I am f ully in support of seeing a reduction of the speed humps,” Higginbotham said. W ard 3 R epresentative W alter J ones said the speed humps, as well as a later traffic circle, were added based on the findings of a California-based study on their efficiency. However, he and McC lusky both f avored a reduced number of speed humps. J ones suggested humps spaced roughly 1 ,0 0 0 f eet apart,

rather than the 50 0 -6 0 0 f eet of distance between the previous ones. Police C hief Tim R oss also said he f avored a reduction in the speed humps, as navigating them slows down emergency vehicles. The committee will continue to discuss the speed humps at a f uture meeting. Also tonight, two developers have asked the special issues committee to consider allowing them to work in city right-of -way to construct additional roadway as part of new developments. A developer is planning to ex tend the western end of G race Street roughly 1 50 f eet f or f our new residential parcels, located on the side opposite Homewood Middle School’s property. The developers will f oot the cost of the road being built to ﬁre department standards, but they have req uested permission to work in city right-of -way to build the road bed and retaining wall. The issue was sent to the C ity C ouncil to discuss, and C obb was set to meet with the developers in May. Strout C onstruction is also req uesting to build a short semi-circle road of f of 1 2 3 Hena St. to accommodate three homes planned f or the property. The subdivision of the lot into three parcels was approved at the March Planning C ommission meeting. The committee decided to continue discussion of the issue to their nex t meeting so they could learn more about the plans f or the property, including a traf f ic study done at the req uest of the Planning C ommission.

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TheHomewoodStar.com

Now Open H a r p e r La n e , 7 8 0 Brookwood V illage, a locally owned clothing boutiq ue, opened in April. 2 2 3 - 1 2 5 9 , s h o p b r o o k w o o d v illa g e .c o m /s t o r e s / h a r p e r -la n e

Coming Soon

H yd r a Li v e T h e r a p y, 30 36 Independence Drive, will be opening in Homewood late May or early J une. They currently have a location in Tuscaloosa. h yd r a l i v e t h e r a p y. c o m

R etail store T h e Co t t o n Ba s k e t , 1 8 1 6 2 8 th Ave. S., Suite E , plans to open the ﬁrst week of une. wner Shelli orrow says it s been a dream of hers to open a store.

Relocations and Renovations K e l l u m & Co m p a n y has moved to 1 8 2 5 2 9 th Ave. S., Suite B. 8 7 4 -9 5 3 0

June 2018 • A11 onitor for air quality tracking. 8 7 9 - 3 2 7 8 , c m s k id s .o r g Dr a k e H o m e s , 2 7 0 0 1 9 th Place S., was honored at the Alabama R emodeling Excellence Awards ceremony hosted by the Home uilders Association of Alabama. hey placed in or won several categories, including runner up in itchen emodel , to 8 , for “ G ory-Mountain Brook” and runner up in Additions 1 , to 2 , for “ ut en- estavia Hills.” 6 3 7 - 3 6 4 6 , d r a k e h o m e s .n e t

Wi l l o w H o m e s , 1 1 1 Broadway St., Suite 3, was honored at the Alabama R emodeling Excellence Awards ceremony hosted by the Home uilders Association of Alabama. hey placed in or won several categories including winner of est in Show for “ orrest Drive ixer pper ” winner of Whole House emodel nder 2 , for “ orrest Drive ixer pper ” winner of Whole House emodel 2 , to , for “ enilworth Pro ect ” and runner up in Whole House emodel 2 , to , for “Dixon Pro ect.” 2 0 6 - 6 1 2 1 , g o w illo w h o m e s .c o m

New Ownership

F i r s t Co m m e r c i a l Ba n k , with locations at 8 0 0 Shades C rest Parkway and 2 2 2 2 Woodcrest Place, has rebranded and is now Synovus Bank. The bank has long been in the Synovus family, and all Synovus banks nationwide are now under the Synovus Bank name. 8 6 8 - 9 1 1 1 , s yn o v u s . c o m / l o c a l / b i r m i n g h a m - a l

G r a n d v i e w Me d i c a l G r o u p , 1 8 1 7 xmoor oad, has recently acquired the practices of Dr. ames Abroms, Dr. Walter randner and Dr. Sarah K unin. 8 7 0 -4 0 3 0

ach enta of A l l i a n c e Ca p i t a l Co r p o r a t i o n , 18 8 xmoor oad, was named one of the ising Stars of oney, 2 18. 9 8 2 - 7 9 0 0 , a llia n c e c a p it a lc o r p o r a t io n .c o m

a T e a m Mi n i s t r i e s is moving to Homewood at 18 9 xmoor oad, Suite 1 1. 4 0 1 - 8 2 3 2 , a t e a m m in is t r ie s .o r g

ERA K i n g Re a l Es t a t e , 2 7 0 0 R ogers Drive, has acq uired C oldwell Banker Preferred Properties, located on Columbiana oad in estavia Hills. he 2 real estate agents from that ofﬁce will become agents with E A ing. 9 7 9 - 2 3 3 5 , e r a k in g .c o m

News and Accomplishments ryant oore CL ChC of A s h f o r d A d v i s o r s , 1 Independence Plaz a, Suite 2 , was chosen by the irmingham chapter of the ational Association of Insurance and inancial Advisors as a recipient of AI A- irmingham op Advisors nder for 2 1 . he award recogni es excellence and achievement in the insurance and ﬁnancial services ﬁeld, measuring business production, years in business and community involvement. 6 2 3 - 2 1 1 0 , a s h f o r d a d v i s o r s .n e t / p / b ir m in g h a m -a la b a m a

Cr e a t i v e Mo n t e s s o r i Sc h o o l , 2 8 0 0 ontessori Way, recently became the ﬁrst school in irmingham to install a PurpleAir

Hirings and Promotions aines Welden has oined Le a v e l l I n v e s t m e n t Ma n a g e m e n t , 2 7 1 2 1 8 th Place S., as an Investment C ounselor. 8 7 9 - 1 6 5 4 , le a v e llin v e s t m e n t s .c o m

G r a n d 181 Abroms D, K unin MD. g r a n d v ie w m e d

v i e w Me d i c a l G r o u p H o m e w o o d , xmoor oad, has hired ames Walter randner D and Sarah ic a lg r o u p .c o m

Anniversaries T h e a d o r a A b b e yl u x e , 2 8 2 1 1 8 th St. S., celebrated 1 0 years in May. 8 7 9 - 0 3 3 5 , t h e a d o r a .c o m

Closings 17

Wh i t e F l o w e r s , 2 8 0 0 1 8 th St. S., has closed.

Ono Poke is expanding from its Pizitz Food Hall location to an Edgewood storefront, in the former Sash & Beau location. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

no Poke coming to Homewood By SYDNEY CROMWELL Hawaiian cuisine is coming to E dgewood with the opening of no Poke this summer. The restaurant, which opened its original location in the Piz itz Food Hall in February 2 1 , signed a lease in the spring for the former Sash and eau storefront in anuary, owner V inh Tran said. ran said no Poke has “been a hit” since it opened and they’ve wanted to open in Homewood for a while. The commercial real estate market has been “ really hot right now,” and Tran said it took time to ﬁnd a spot. When they found the Sash and Beau spot, Tran said they decided to take a chance on the space even though its narrow

layout could present challenges. “ The space is pretty limited,” he said. ran said the finished restaurant will have high ceilings and be a place for either a quick bite to eat or a “ cool place where people can hang out.” Poke is a Hawaiian dish of marinated raw fish served over rice or greens. ran said the E dgewood location will have the same bowls as the Piz itz location, but he plans to add new items like poke burritos and cooked fish options. Tran said he is shooting to open in J une, but that timeline could change depending on the renovation work needed. ollow no Poke on Instagram at @ theonopoke.

The Homewood Star

A12 • June 2018

Local mattress company to open SoHo store By SYDNEY CROMWELL Ensley airfield attress Company has been in business 1 years, through four generations of family ownership. he locally owned mattress business is opening a store in Homewood this summer, in the former Your Pie location at 18 1 28th Ave. S. he newest generation of the company, illian Holt claw arnett and husband Perry arnett, are hoping to distinguish themselves from other mattress sources through their lengthy irmingham history and expertise in the sub ect. Ensley airfield attress started in 191 first as a mattress refurbishment company, then later as a manufacturer. Perry arnett said the company used to deliver its mattresses in a odel van. illian arnett’s grandparents started to develop the retail side in addition to wholesale manufacturing, and they lived in an apartment at the back of the factory to “eat, sleep and breathe it every day.” any members of the Holt claw family have been part of the business over the years, Perry arnett said, including expansion to six retail stores at one point. he company switched from manufacture to retail sales entirely in the 198 s, though the arnetts said they continue to handpick manufacturers “that can do the work we have done.” he Ensley airfield attress Company is currently in its sole location on Pelham Parkway. Perry and illian arnett are relatively recent additions to the company, having established their careers and raising kids in Huntsville before choosing to move back to irmingham and help run the business in December 2 1 . illian arnett’s mother runs the business but is looking toward retirement in the near future, with the next generation taking over the reins. Perry arnett said Ensley airfield attress’ 1 years in irmingham have made them a

nsley airfield Mattress Company owners Jillian Holt claw arnett right and husband Perry Homewood this summer in the former our Pie location. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

trusted source for businesses and individuals, and he’s hoping to build on that reputation. “We feel our mattresses are better than everybody else because we hand pick the stuff,” he said. “We’re gonna give it all we have and we’re gonna do it the old-fashioned way.” illian arnett said they have competitors both in other stores and online sales, but she feels they offer a level of expertise that will help people get a better night’s sleep. Perry arnett said they are often the company people

seek out when their ﬁrst mattress purchase leaves them disappointed. In addition to mattresses, the company also offers bed frames, iron beds and cribs, speciali ed “wellness” beds, ﬁtting for odd mattress si es and home decor such as pillows and candles. Perry arnett said they chose to open a second store in Homewood because many of their customers are in the area, and Homewood has the same sense of history and support for

arnett are opening a new location in

local businesses that Ensley airﬁeld attress has built its business on. Construction on the former restaurant is underway and the arnetts are hoping to open around une 1. he Pelham store’s hours are 1 a.m. to p.m. onday- riday or 1 a.m. to p.m. Saturday, though illian arnett said they may ad ust the hours for the Homewood store. isit ensleyfairfieldmattress.com for more information.

TheHomewoodStar.com

SOME

June 2018 • A13

ENTERTAINMENT Magic City Pipe Club meets every second Monday of the month at The Briary in Homewood. The members sample various tabaccos and enjoy conversation during their monthly meetings. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

Magic City Pipe Club brings together generations of tobacco enthusiasts By A LYX CH A NDLER W hen you walk through the door of the Briary on the night of the monthly Magic C ity Pipe C lub meeting, the smoke is musky and thick enough to see sunbeams streaming through it. For the couple of doz en people smoking tobacco pipes, this is j ust the way they like it. David Beaumain, who was part of the core f our or ﬁve smokers who have been in the agic City Pipe C lub since the very beginning, said that the club is more about enj oying the good company than it is about the pipes. “ It’s not j ust pipes, it’s not j ust cigars, it’s not j ust tobaccos, we cover everything f rom j okes to world philosophy to everything else,” Beaumain said. “ It’s a bunch of guys getting together and relax ing and being themselves.” Plus there’s the addition of Pat the C at, he said, who has been dubbed their unofﬁcial feline mascot af ter eating some chicken wings at a meeting one day and never lef t. As of April 2 0 1 8 , Beaumain said that the Magic C ity Pipe C lub has been going on f or approx imately f our years, with membership rising consecutively each year. The club is open to men and women of smoking age. “ E very time we would see anybody with a pipe or if anybody would come up to us because they saw us with a pipe, we would tell them all about the club,” Beaumain said. “ Bef ore we knew it, we got a nice little f ollowing.” They’re now up to around 2 0 members who meet on the second Monday of every month at

the Briary in W est Homewood, which Beaumain describes at the best pipe shop within three states. Members arrive between 5 and 6 p.m., and smoking and conversing continue until 8 p.m. At ﬁrst, eaumain said the group met at various restaurant patios each month but eventually wanted to settle on a reoccurring place. E ven though the Briary is only open until 6 p.m., they now have an arrangement set up so the club can stay, along with some of the employees, a little later f or the monthly meeting. The Briary has ex actly the atmosphere the Magic C ity Pipe C lub was looking f or, Beaumain said, with welcoming employees and a well-stocked wall of tobacco. “ [ The Briary] is an ex cellent sit-down, enj oy-yourself , camaraderie kind of place, with leather chairs and not too much distractions,”

Beaumain said, adding that they honestly consider the employees part of the club at this point. “ W e are all already smoking our pipes by the time we walk through the door,” he laughed, and members are usually giddy to try new ﬂavors. At the meeting, Beaumain said they share each other’s tobaccos and usually begin by getting them all out of the various bags and laying everything in one big mass on the table. Then they pass around pipes, try new ﬂavors and some people even trade pipes. If there’s ever a dull moment, members get out their box of E ngland-imported snuf f , which is a smokeless tobacco that is snif f ed. “ Bef ore you know it, it’s like comedy hour, especially f or the newcomers,” Beaumain said. Beaumain said they love educating newcomers

or “ young f olks” about pipes, as it is a hobby that over the years has dwindled in popularity. “ Y ou don’t have to be a snob to do this sort of thing. If you’ve got a corn cob pipe and that’s what you like to smoke, more power to you,” he said. The kinds of pipes everyone smokes at the meetings varies, Beaumain said, with everything f rom a commonly popular Briar pipe to an octopus-shaped pipe to a long-stemmed churchwarden. They also smoke both aromatic and non-aromatic tobaccos. Beaumain said the club recently partnered with the downtown G host W alking Tour soon f or a night of smoking and history education. G o to their Facebook page at @ magiccitypipe club to learn more.

The Homewood Star

A14 • June 2018

Fitness studio opens next to Red Hills Brewery By SYDNEY CROMWELL Provision Studio is the newest addition to Homewood’s f itness scene. The studio, located nex t to R ed Hills Brewery on C entral Ave., of f ers ref ormer Pilates and cardio circuit classes. Owner Margaret V irden moved to Homewood in J anuary to be closer to f amily. The Montgomery native’s background is in business and she worked in W ashington, D.C . in the office of a congresswoman before her return to Alabama. V irden said she discovered Pilates while in college at Mississippi State, and she decided that she wanted to get active again. “ I wasn’t f eeling my best and got tired of sitting behind a desk,” she said. She attended Pilates training and worked at a friend’s fitness business f or a while bef ore creating her own company. W hen she was looking f or a place to open Provision, V irden said she liked Homewood’s community and the walkable area. Provision Studio’s first class of the day will start at 5: 1 5 a.m., and the last class will start at 5: 30 p.m. Her classes include ref ormer Pilates, which uses the ref ormer machine as a supplement to flexibility and strength exercises, and a cardio class called Accelerate, where participants cycle between treadmills, small trampolines and wall-mounted strength eq uipment. “ It’s very easy to modif y so any age can do it,” V irden said, describing the class as high-intensity but low-impact. V irden said she is currently teaching both classes but will look to hire additional trainers as the business

Above Provision Studio a new Homewood fitness studio will offer pilates and cardio classes to customers. ight Margaret irden owner of Provision Studio opened her business on April 3. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

establishes itself . She said the combination of classes she of f ers can help people develop strength, toning and ﬂexibility. W hether on a ref ormer machine or a mat, V irden said Pilates ex ercises are “ very core-f ocused” and the ef f ects can be f elt in everyday activities. “ If your core is weak or strong af f ects your whole body,” she said. Provision Studio also has a retail section at the f ront of the studio, where V irden will of f er skin, wellness and home care products that she

believes are saf e and healthy to use. N ew members can try one of each class type f or f ree and sign up f or reduced rates f or a week or month of unlimited classes. Af ter that, a single class is $ 2 5 and package class passes are available for between ﬁve and 40 classes. C lients can also purchase unlimited class memberships f or anywhere f rom a week to a year. Private sessions are available, as well. Provision Studio is located at 2 8 2 3 C entral Ave., Suite 1 1 1 . C all 6 1 31 37 8 or visit provisionstudio.com f or more inf ormation.

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • A15

‘Just try it’ Locals bring taste of Ethiopia to Homewood By EMI LY F EA T H ERST ON A q uick internet search f or local E thiopian cuisine leads to less than a handf ul of options in the entire state of Alabama. J ust over a year ago, there wasn’t even a single option in the greater Birmingham area, but now Homewood is home to the second purveyor of the uniq ue cultural ex perience: R ed Sea E thiopian and Mediterranean R estaurant. Owned and operated by G ini Mohammed and K edij a Teyeb, the restaurant first opened in fall 2 1 , and in the last f ew months it has celebrated a ribbon cutting with the Homewood C hamber of C ommerce, participated in Taste of Homewood and looked to add new ex periences f or the greater Birmingham community. rom the traditional sour flatbread, known as inj ura, to the distinct palate of spices, Mohammed said that many in Homewood and beyond are completely unf amiliar with E thiopian cuisine. “ ur food is definitely different,” she said, adding that once people try it, nearly everyone becomes a f an. Mohammed, who was born in E thiopia, moved with her f amily to irmingham in 2 1, but due to

the lack of authentic E thiopian f ood would travel to Atlanta with f riends to get a taste of home. That is, unless she was the one cooking it f or her f riends and neighbors. “ I always love to cook and entertain,” she said. “ hat’s how I grew up.” She said she was of ten told she should open a restaurant, but since she had no ex perience or even knew someone who owned a restaurant, the idea never seemed to be one of much conseq uence. Then, she and Teyeb were invited to cook f or Taste of Bessemer, an event that is held in April and draws f rom around the area. “ Most of the people there were afraid,” she said, but that she could usually coax them into a taste. “ J ust try, it’s not going to hurt you,” she said. “And they loved it.” Mohammed said everyone f rom construction workers to the mayor came to her table and asked where they could ﬁnd her food, so she and Teyeb decided to try catering. E ventually, af ter going to a f ew events, she said her husband f ound out about Halal Market planning to open on G reen Springs. Once they saw the space, she said, they were sold and got to work

Gini Mohammed demonstrates a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at Red Sea Ethiopian and Mediterranean estaurant during the establishment’s chamber of commerce ribbon cutting. Photo by Emily Featherston.

making it into an inviting atmosphere. he name “ ed Sea” came mostly out of necessity, she said, because the sign lef t by the previous restaurant said “ ed owl” and changing the sign completely would have been too ex pensive. The R ed Sea connects the areas where she and Teyeb are f rom, so it also ﬁts the theme. She said they also started working on how to make their own inj ura, the f latbread traditionally made with tef f grain, sorghum and water, which is used both as plate, utensil

and accompaniment. R ed Sea’s inj ura is currently not gluten f ree, Mohammed said, because they are still working on finding a way to make it with Alabama’s humidity and mineral-filled water, but she said they hope to figure it out soon. “ hat is our next step,” she said. Mohammed takes care of the E thiopian f ood and Teyeb, who is f rom Saudi Arabia, specializ es in traditional Mediterranean f are. The most popular dishes are the vegetable

combination and the lamb tips, which Mohammed said show the range of ﬂavors and spices, but are not too hot and spicy. Overall, Mohammed said the restaurant has been well-received by the community. “We are so so happy and so lucky,” she said. “ People, they are very supportive.” R ed Sea E thiopian is located at 22 Green Springs Highway. or more inf ormation visit redseaethio mediterranean.com.

The Homewood Star

A16 • June 2018

Chamber

‘The standard has been set’ USGA championship manager discusses U.S. Women’s Open in Birmingham By LEX I COON J ohn C oppins is no stranger to the U.S. G olf Association, having worked with it in many capacities since 2 0 0 9 . He’s no stranger to the Southeast, either, having grown up in Florida. So when the U.S. W omen’s Open brought him down to Alabama, he wasn’t disappointed. “Having spent ﬁve winters in the beautif ul state of Pennsylvania, the opportunity to come back to the Southeast where f olks have their priorities in order as it relates to pro f ootball versus college f ootball [ was welcome] ,” he said during the Homewood C hamber of C ommerce luncheon on May 1 5. C oppins, who is serving as the championship manager f or the U.S. W omen’s Open, moved to Birmingham in September 2 0 1 6 in order to start preparing f or the event, which will host some of the best golf ers in the world. While it’s the ﬁrst U.S. W omen’s Open to be held in

Birmingham, it’s the f ourth USG A championship to be held in the city in the last 1 0 years, C oppins said. “ There are plenty of cities — much, much, much larger than Birmingham — that cannot state that claim,” he said, thanking everything the community has done to support “ the biggest championship in women’s golf .” The U.S. W omen’s Open will run May 31 – J une 3 at Shoal C reek and is open to any f emale golf er with a handicap index of 2 .4 or less, professional or amateur. his year’s ﬁeld has 1 56 competitors, one of whom is University of Alabama golf er E mma Talley. Talley — whose home club is Shoal Creek — qualiﬁed for the .S. W omen’s Open in early May. “ It’s not j ust the prof essional golf ers, it’s golf ers like E mma whose dreams are realiz ed as prof essional golf ers q ualif ying f or this championship at their home court,” C oppins said.

John Coppins with USGA spoke at the Homewood Chamber of Commerce luncheon on May 15 about the U.S. Women's Open coming to Birmingham. Photo by Lexi Coon.

The course, which is billed at par 7 2 , will cover approx imately 6 ,7 0 0 yards. The course itself was created by J ack N icklaus and opened in 1 9 7 7 , although renovations were completed about a year and a half ago. C oppins said all putting surf aces and bunkers were “ drastically changed.” Shoal C reek has hosted two previous USG A championships, as well as the 1 9 8 4 and 1 9 9 0 PG A championships. “ This golf course is no stranger to maj or competitions; it’s no stranger to the world’s best golf ers,” C oppins said. C oppins said USG A ex pects this event to bring about 1 0 0 ,0 0 0

spectators over six days, both f rom the Southeast and the world, and to generate about $ 2 5 million in revenue f or the area. He said that Birmingham has provided record-breaking support f or the event. “ Birmingham businesses and the corporate community turned out unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” he said. “ The standard has been set here moving f orward.” He hopes the city and community will continue to support both the event and the athletes, too. The players and viewers at home can sense when there is a small crowd, he said, and encouraged those who are able to volunteer or attend

to do so, even if there isn’t a direct team tie. “ I think that’s the last thing lef t, is to turn out in large crowd numbers and show these golf ers that Birmingham cares about them and supports them,” C oppins said. Fox will be broadcasting the entirety of the event with no commercials, C oppins said, so viewers could theoretically “ start watching Thursday and watch the entire championships Thursday to Sunday.” To ﬁnd out more about the .S. Women’s Open or to volunteer or to purchase tickets, visit usga.org and click on U.S. W omen’s Open under the C hampionships tab.

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • A17

Homewood Police lieutenant graduates from FBI Academy By SYDNEY CROMWELL L t. E ric Hampton has nearly 30 years of police ex perience, including 1 5 years in Homewood. This spring, he achieved something very few officers accomplish traveling the Y ellow Brick R oad. The Y ellow Brick R oad is the nickname f or a six -mile obstacle course at the FBI Training Academy in Q uantico, irginia. It’s the final challenge for police officers, military members and federal civilian employees f rom around the world who complete the FBI N ational Academy ( N A) . Hampton, who is the HPD commander f or investigations, crime scenes and internal af f airs, attended the academy f rom J anuary to March 2 0 1 8 . He described it as “ the highest level of training that you can get anywhere on the earth.” Attendees typically have to wait five years or more to be part of a class, but Hampton said f ormer C hief J im R oberson, also an academy graduate, and current C hief Tim R oss helped make it possible f or him to attend only a year and a half af ter submitting his application. “ I f eel very f ortunate and blessed that I was able to get it done,” Hampton said. “ Most people in law enf orcement would love to go to the FBI N A.” The FBI N ational Academy is very much like a college ex perience, Hampton said. He lived in a dorm with a roommate and attended classes from a.m. to 5 p.m. He wrote papers and had both daily and weekly physical training that was “ very, very much physical.” Hampton said officers in the academy could take courses geared toward completing degrees, as well. Hampton was part of a class of 2 2 3 men and women f rom 48 states and 1 8 countries, including Israel, Ukraine,

Hong K ong and Belgium. He said discussing issues and trends in police work with people f rom dif f erent perspectives was a valuable part of the ex perience. The topics covered while Hampton was at the N ational Academy included ex ecutive leadership, officer wellbeing, cyber crimes, artificial intelligence, investigation and negotiation. He said they also got to meet and talk with officers and police chief s who had been on the scene f or events that made national headlines, such as mass shootings and officer-involved shootings. Two areas that particularly interested Hampton were interacting with people on the autism spectrum and preventing post-traumatic stress disorder in officers. Hampton said those are both areas that Homewood and all police departments can improve training and responses, as officers don’t always seek help when they need it after a difficult case. “ Y ou’ve heard of it, you know about it. … W e are real good about reacting to the incident, to the episode, to the crisis,” Hampton said of police officer culture. “ W e don’t do the best j ob in helping or protecting and serving those who serve.” Hampton said he intends to bring what he learned in those two areas, as well as other training, back to the Homewood Police Department to teach other officers. That is part of the goal of the N ational Academy, he said, to better police departments across the U.S. “ They want you to af f ect the change when you go back,” Hampton said. E ven with 30 years under his belt, Hampton said he had a lot to learn f rom the N ational Academy that can help him grow his career in the f uture. “ It was absolutely a lif etime ex perience f or me,” he said. “ I put everything that I had in it.”

Homewood Police Lt. Eric Hampton holds the Yellow Brick he received as part of his graduation from the FBI National Academy in March. Photo courtesy of Eric Hampton.

The Homewood Star

A18 • June 2018

father’s day gift guide

For the

SMILER Free Teeth Whitening for Life $150 New patient special: Come in for an initial exam, necessary X-rays and a cleaning to join our whitening program. Shades Creek Dental 1045 Broadway Park, Suite 101 417-2750

For the

OUTDOORSMAN Alabama hats $28 Homewood Antiques 930 Oxmoor Road 414-9945

For the

PROUD ALABAMIAN Locally Established T-shirt $21 A cool gift for Dad, this super-soft T-shirt celebrates the year Alabama became a state. Alabama Goods 2933 18th St. S. 803-3900

For the

SWEET TOOTH The Baking Essentials Cookie Fix Cookie Dough, $16 for 15 frozen dough balls; Brownie Batter, $18 per quart; Lodge skillet, $11.25. Cookie Fix 2854 18th St. S. 582-2623

For the

COOL DAD Barton Perriera “Bunker” sunglasses $470 A cool update on a classic frame shape. Shown in tortoise, gradient with olive tone. JJ Eyes 2814 18th St. S. 703-8596

For the

SNAPPY DRESSER Michael Ryan Southern Gentleman Sterling Silver and Enamel Cuff Links $250 Designed and handcrafted in Birmingham. Additional colors available.

For the

HOST Door Knockers Starting at $55 Brandino Brass 2824 Central Ave. 978-8900

For the

SEASON TICKET HOLDER Premium Stadium Seat $50 Fully customizable.

Bromberg & Co. 2800 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook; 871-3276

Mountain Brook Sporting Goods 66 Church St., Mountain Brook 637-6641

For the

DAD ON THE GO Beretta hybrid briefcase/ backpack in camo $499 Caliber 2822 Central Ave. 917-5800

For the

DAD WHO GETS BETTER WITH AGE Coolsculpting Battle the “dad bod.” Coolsculpting gently freezes away fat cells without surgery. Many packages to choose from.

Skin Wellness Center of Alabama 1920 Huntington Road 871-7332

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • A19

Events

Vendors at the West Homewood Farmers Market in 2017. The event is held on Tuesday nights in the summer in the parking lot of Shades Valley Community Church. Photo courtesy of West Homewood Farmers Market.

West Homewood Farmers Market returns June 5 By J ESSE CH A MBERS

of six f ood trucks, including C antina, Saw’s BBQ and Farmers Market Old Town Piz z a. About three The W est Homewood Farmers Market was started in of the trucks will be at the • WHERE: Shades Val2 0 1 1 by a small study group market on any given Tuesley Community Church at Shades V alley C ommunity day, according to R oss, and as • HOURS: Tuesdays, C hurch that wanted to be many as 1 0 local f arms will 5–8 p.m. good stewards of G od’s cresell produce. • WEB: westhomewood. ation, help local f armers and There will be some com craf ters and build community. up-and-coming musical acts, And those goals seem to including the L amont L andhave been met. ers Band, which plays openThe market, now one of the ing night, J une 5. The band city’s most popular summer events, will be recently taped an appearance on Fox TV ’s back f or its eighth season each Tuesday f rom “ Showtime at the Apollo.” R obert Abernathy, 5– 8 p.m. f rom J une 5 through Aug. 7 . playing Aug. 1 , has been nominated as AlaThere will be the usual mix of prepared bama Male C ountry Artist of the Y ear. f ood, f resh produce, arts and craf ts, live enterOn Aug. 7 , the W est Homewood Farmers tainment and kids activities. The market will Market will partner with the police department be held in the parking lot at SV C C , which is to present Homewood N ight Out. located at 1 6 0 Ox moor R oad, according to For more inf ormation, including an interacMarket Manager K enyon R oss. tive vendor map and a list of musical acts, go There will be about 6 0 vendors and a total to westhomewood.com.

V ulcan to celebrate 1 14 years By ERI CA T ECH O This month, thousands are expe cted to stop by Birmingham’s iron man and celebrate 1 14 years of V ulcan. At the V ulcan Birthday Bash on J une 3, community members are invited to V ulcan Park and Museum to celebrate with kid’s activities, a virtual reality game room f rom G ameStop, a climbing wall with ountain High utﬁtters, f ace painting, clowns and a special rendition of “ Happy Birthday” sung by Mayor R andall Woodﬁn and irmingham City Council President V alerie Abbott, according to public relations director K ara K ennedy. The day is about celebrating the history and symbolism of V ulcan. “ For 1 14 years, V ulcan has stood as the unif ying symbol that stands high on R ed Mountain connecting downtown Birmingham and connecting the people of Birmingham,” K ennedy said, adding that people can also see the new K iwanis C entennial Park and K iwanis V ulcan Trail during the celebration. In past years, the birthday bash has drawn between 1 ,50 0 and 3,0 0 0 visitors, K ennedy said. At last year’s celebration, V ulcan received a $5,00 birthday present to go toward the park. W hile there will not be any big reveals at this year’s event, K ennedy said there will be something new. However, as of press time, she was not able to reveal what that was. For more inf ormation about this year’s V ulcan Birthday Bash, go to visitvulcan.com.

Vulcan will be celebrating 114 years on June 3. Photo by Alyx Chandler.

Vulcan Birthday Bash • • • •

WHERE: Vulcan Park & Museum HOURS: June 3, noon to 4 p.m. TICKETS: Free to attend WEB: visitvulcan.com

The Homewood Star

A20 • June 2018 Garage sale at Shades Valley Lutheran Church in 2017. The annual sale raises money to fund a summer youth mission trip. Photo courtesy of Shades Valley Lutheran Church.

Shades Valley Lutheran Church garage sale to help fund youth mission trip By JE SSE CH A MBERS

Orleans and attending the E L C A N ational Y outh G athGarage Sale Shades V alley L utheran ering in Houston. C hurch, f or the 1 6 th year, The sale includes house• WHERE: SVLC fellowwill host a garage sale to wares, clothes, toys, appliship hall help send a youth group on ances, books, tools, f urniture • HOURS: June 8 and 9, a summer mission trip. and craf t items, according to 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sale will take place Peters. • CALL: 871-3512 in the SV L C f ellowship The youth enj oy work• WEB: shadesvalley hall on Friday, J une 8 , and ing together to hold the sale lutheran.org Saturday, J une 9 , 8 a.m. to and take pride in the work 2 p.m., according to event it takes to raise their trip spokesperson C arrie Peters. money, according to Peters. The church is located at 720 “ The kids also enj oy learnShades C reek Parkway. The sale is conducted ing how to serve others on their annual trips,” by high school youth groups at two churches, Peters said. Shades V alley L utheran and Shepherd of the The sale has become a popular event, Hills L utheran. according to Peters. “ There’s always a line “ A f ew years ago, the senior high kids bef ore the doors even open,” she said. started meeting together f or a j oint Bible study Unsold items are donated to other local every week and traveling together f or the trip, charities. so they also started working the sale together,” The church is accepting donations f or the Peters said. sale until J une 3. The groups will travel J une 2 3– J uly 1 , For details, call 8713512 or go to shades doing service work at C amp R estore in N ew valleylutheran.org.

Kids enjoying the Vacation Bible School held outdoors in June 2017 at Patriot Park in Homewood by Christ Fellowship Church. This year the event will take place at Central Park. Photo courtesy of Christ Fellowship Church.

Christ Fellowship Church mixes faith and fun in Vacation Bible School at Central Park By J ESSE CH A MBERS

also Bible stories and testimony — Adams said. And Vacation C hrist Fellowship C hurch all kids in the community Bible School will continue one of its traare welcome, not j ust C FC ditions by hosting V acation regulars. • WHERE: Central Park Bible School outdoors. But “ It’s been a lot of f un over • HOURS: June 4–7, 6–8 there’s a change of venue this the past several years to see p.m. summer. a lot of the same kids come • CALL: 538-2325 Due to construction at out and tell us how much f un • WEB: cfcbirmingham. Patriot Park, the church will they have doing recreation org host V BS at C entral Park, with ‘ Mr. N ick’ — associate J une 4– 7 , 6 – 8 p.m., accordpastor N ick Murray — or ing to R yan Adams, C FC doing craf ts, or hearing the associate pastor. gospel f rom somebody in our C hildren ages 3– 1 0 are encouraged to attend, church,” Adams said. “ W e hope that this honors and admission is f ree. C FC doesn’t have a per- the L ord, blesses children in our church and manent building and holds its Sunday services community and bears f ruit in their lives.” in R osewood Hall, so it has held V BS at Patriot Putting on V BS is a “ church-wide ef f ort,” Park every year since 2 0 1 4. according to Adams. “ W hile we’ll miss being in W est Home“ W e have a lot of wonderf ul volunteers who wood, we’re ex cited about having it at C entral are great with kids and passionate about J esus,” Park,” Adams said. he said. The f ormat will be the usual mix of f un and For details, call 538 -2 32 5, visit cf cbirmingham. f aith — with craf ts, recreation and snacks, but org or go to Facebook @ cf cbirmingham.

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • A21

Community

Homewood High School graduate Ale ilson is part of the recent cohort of erea College’s Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG) Program. Photo courtesy of Alex Wilson.

Homewood graduate joins Berea College Entrepreneurship Institute This summer, Homewood High School graduate and Berea C ollege f reshman Alex W ilson will be working to create economic change in Appalachia as a member of Berea C ollege’s E ntrepreneurship f or the Public G ood ( E PG ) Program. Berea C ollege is a small school in the mountains of eastern K entucky that strives to provide private education to low-income students f rom Appalachia and around the world by of f ering every student a no-tuition promise scholarship. The E PG program f unctions to revitaliz e rural communities of Appalachia through entrepreneurship and

eq uips students to be a change-maker in their own lives. E ach year, the program chooses 2 0 f reshmen to participate in the E PG ex perience over a two-year period. W ilson will be participating in a rigorous venture that will give students the opportunity to practice and implement social entrepreneurship in and out of the classroom. he ﬁrst summer will be spent in an intensive six -week, hands-on curriculum designed to instill six core-learning principles. W ilson is pursuing a double maj or in sociology and business administration at Berea C ollege. – Submitted by Alex Wilson.

Safia ahhan a fourth grader at Shades Cahaba lementary won first place for grades 3 in a uried art show at Homewood Public ibrary. Photo courtesy of Shawn Barakat.

Shades Cahaba Elementary student wins first place in juried art show Saf ia Dahhan, a student at Shades C ahaba E lementary, won ﬁrst place for grades - out of all the J ef f erson C ounty entries f or a j uried art show at Homewood Public L ibrary. During Youth Art onth, Saﬁa

won ﬁrst place in the YA contest at Shades C ahaba f or f ourth grade f or her display of Fortnite, a popular video game, made with yams. Her art was put on display f or viewing and sale at the library. – Submitted by Shawn Barakat.

The Homewood Star

A22 • June 2018

Wildﬂower preserve opens to public Left: Volunteers from Protective Life clean up the Wildwood ild ower Preserve on April 17 to prepare for its public opening. Below: The Wildwood ild ower Preserve is home to several salamander species, including this young slimy salamander. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL The Freshwater L and Trust has opened 50 acres of property in Forest Brook to the public, f or those interested in spotting salamanders or watching wildflowers bloom. The W ildwood W ildf lower Preserve, located at the end of Forest Brook C ircle, opened to public access on April 29. he land was originally acq uired by the L and Trust in 2 0 0 1 , C ommunications Director Mary Beth Brown said, and opened as the E l Paso W ildflower Preserve in 2 12 for appointments and private tours. he property includes a 1.6-mile loop trail with benches and bridges, so visitors can walk and enj oy tree coverage and an array of spring wildflowers. he reshwater Land rust manages about 6, acres of undeveloped land, including a f orest preserve near Homewood High School, but the W ildwood preserve is one of a few they’ve opened to the public. “ Y ou can be in such a beautif ul, dappled-sunlight, wooded area close to a really urban environment,” rown said. “ ecause it’s so beautif ul, because this preserve has managed to maintain it and take care of it really well, it is a good candidate f or public access.” Stewardship Director J ef f rey Drummond noted a number of native flowers visitors can find in the preserve, such as phlox, geraniums, trout lilies, wood sorrel and ack-in-the-pulpit. “ Y ou get a really nice diversity of plants, especially around those [ Shades C reek] tributaries,” Drummond said. “Pretty much anything relatively common or somewhat uncommon in this area is f ound on this property.” It’s also home to wildlif e including marble, slimy and spotted salamanders, which will live near the Shades C reek tributaries and migrate to the wetlands on the property to breed each year. “ The salamanders that are the f ocus of the

Homewood Salamander Festival, the spotted salamanders, they breed in that pond,” Drummond said. In addition to the life in the wildﬂower preserve, Brown said the property is also important to the L and Trust’s goal of clean waterways, as it ﬁlters runoff from nearby Interstate 6 before it can reach Shades Creek. To prepare f or public access, Brown said the L and Trust created a parking lot on the property in March, cleaned up some of the invasive plant species and planted some new ones. his included an April 1 7 work day with volunteers from Protective Life Insurance.

“ The f act that we’re here managing it, opening it to people to be able to enj oy it, helps preserve it and get people to care,” Drummond said. “It kind of offers them a quick place to go, to get away and recharge.” A public hike on April 29 ofﬁcially opened the preserve, and Brown said it is accessible from dawn to dusk. In the f uture, Drummond said he would like to add a trail to the wetlands f or people to see that ecosystem, and Brown said they want to be part of a larger system of trails. “ This eventually will hook up to the Shades Creek Greenway,” rown said. “ hat’s a

connection we really want to help push forward.” Learn more about the Wildwood Wildﬂower Preserve and the work of the land trust at freshwaterlandtrust.org.

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The Homewood Star

A24 • June 2018 Left: Derek and Vanessa Champigny with their daughters, Genevieve and Vivenne, in front of their historic home on Peerless Avenue. Bottom left: The Champigny family decided to reuse wood from a former horse stall behind their house to build a bar in their kitchen. Bottom center: The Champigny family added dormers to the second story of their historic home to add more roof height and light. They have focused on keeping furnishings in their home that match the time period of the house, including a clawfoot tub. Bottom right: The Champigny family’s Peerless Avenue historic home includes an added bedroom that features original window casements. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

HISTORIC HOMES

CONTINUED from page A1 resident Derek C hampigny said of the work he has put into restoring the look of his home. It’s about “ knowing it’ll look the way it should.” Derek C hampigny and his wif e, V anessa, knew their home would take a lot of work to restore when they bought it f rom their nex t door neighbors in 2 . heir first renovations in the home included replacing the 1 9 8 0 s style kitchen — including its blue plastic counters — and fixing up an original bathroom where the floor was sagging under a clawf oot tub. The home also had a metal shed — a f ormer horse stall — in the backyard and a dark, low-ceilinged upper story that V anessa C hampigny ref erred to as the “bat cave.”

“ It needed lots of work,” Derek C hampigny said. “ It did. My goodness,” V anessa C hampigny agreed. As they redid the house — which included adding a dormer and additional roof height to the second story — the C hampigny f amily drew on their love for historic homes to make the house look similar to how it might have looked when it was built in 192 . This included keeping the window casements and the clawf oot tub, as well as spending the ex tra time to seek out ﬁxtures, hardware and tiling that ﬁt the look of the house. “ The way we like to do things is [ that] we like the authentic look. So we’re not really keen on making it look modern,” Derek C hampigny said. “ Because we want to keep it authentic, we tend to run over the budget to make things a certain way.”

They also f ound ways to reuse parts of the home’s history, including turning a window f rame into a bathroom medicine cabinet door and reﬁnishing the wood f rom the backyard shed to serve as a new bar and table for the home’s kitchen. ne of their favorite parts of the home is the wide f ront porch, where they can swing and watch daughters Genevieve and ivienne play or talk to neighbors. The C hampigny f amily’s house is registered with the J ef f erson C ounty Historical C ommission and, in looking up inf ormation about the house, V anessa C hampigny said they connected with one of its earliest residents and f ound a picture of his mother standing on the same f ront porch. Amy W right’s Ardsley Place home is not on the historic register, but she shares the C hampigny f amily’s

respect for the past in preserving her own home. Wright has lived in Homewood 18 years and moved to Ardsley Place with her husband Miles and sons Murphy and Sam f our years ago. She said she would never consider living in a new home because they can’t match the character and timeless style of her home, nearing its 9 5th birthday. “ I don’t think you can replicate that in any way,” W right said. Previous owners have added on to the house, including a taller ceiling in the f ront room and a narrow staircase leading up to the upper story, but much of it, such as the plaster walls and windows, are original. W right said they have mostly only made cosmetic changes. “ The thing about houses is being able to see beyond what they look like,” W right said. “ It’s j ust got the

eft uilt in 1 6 the right family’s Ardsley Place home is not on the county’s historic register but includes many original features. ight original hardwood oors in their kitchen during a remodel. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

best bones. It’s a great house.” The only ex ception is the kitchen, which the W rights decided to renovate. However, she said she intentionally steered away f rom modern design. When they uncovered the original hardwood ﬂoors in the renovation, which had been damaged by time, they decided to keep and repaint them blue rather than putting down new ﬂoors. The house comes with some challenges in day-to-day lif e, including that most windows won’t open and it’s almost impossible to drive a nail into the plaster walls, “ but it’s nothing that would ever make it so that I would change my mind,” she said. C orey and Andrea Tyree’s home on Lucerne oulevard is one of the newest additions to the historic register, having received their placard this spring. C orey Tyree said the research

right family uncovered and repainted the

TheHomewoodStar.com and documentation process to be added to the historic register helped them understand what the house originally looked like and connect with some of its past owners. “ N ow we know the story of the house,” he said. This included learning about multiple owners within the same f amily during the G reat Depression as well as clearing up the age of the house, which the Tyrees had been told was built in 1 9 38 but was actually constructed around 1 9 2 9 . The Tyrees, who moved to Homewood in 2 0 1 5, f ound out that the carriage house, driveway and much of the first story — from the front porch to the arched doorways and fireplace — are original. The roof was raised af ter a tree f ell on it in the 1 9 9 0 s, adding more space f or the newer upstairs rooms. The roof also lost a distinctive f eature that C orey Tyree would like to put back: a gargoyle on one end of the house. “ That seems like something that should be brought back,” he said. The Tyrees’ goal is a consistent look throughout, including small details like stripping layers of paint of f of one of the original doors and spending ex tra time to hunt down glass door handles instead of newer brass ones. “ W e talked about replacing them. It would j ust be easier to make a new door,” Andrea Tyree said. “ I would like f or this home to look as close to as it originally did.” It also includes challenging proj ects like making old doors and windows energy efficient. he yrees said they are considering larger restoration proj ects, such as adding dormers and replacing the asphalt roof with more authentic materials. V anessa C hampigny described restoring a historic house as “ not f or the f aint of heart,” but it’s important to her and her husband to stay “ true to the house.” “ G etting it right is important to me,” C orey Tyree said.

June 2018 • A25

op left Corey and Andrea yree pose outside of their residence in Homewood. he couple have recently had their 1 home officially recognized as a historic home by the Jefferson County Historical Commission. op right he fireplace and chimney are both original to the house. Bottom left: The 1929 Homewood historic home has maintained much of its original build over the years. Photos by Sarah Finnegan. Bottom right: A historical photograph shows the Abernathy-Cawthon House in its original build. Photo courtesy of Corey and Andrea Tyree.

The Homewood Star

A26 • June 2018

he Homewood ire epartment has been e periencing difficulty navigating the streets of Homewood due to an increase of illegally parked cars on the streets. he fire department encourages residents to make use of their driveways and be aware of fire lanes and laws restricting vehicles from being within 30 feet of an intersection or parking ad acent to each other across the street. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

PARKING

Share the road

CONTINUED from page A1 Homewood’s largest fire engine is ust over 9 feet wide, or 1 feet inches with the doors open. Garrett said the engines need roughly 18 feet of roadway to safely travel roads during emergency calls, without having to slow down to avoid hitting cars in tight spaces. he fire engines also require about a 28-foot radius to successfully turn at an intersection. “ ur streets aren’t wide enough to have two cars on either side,” Garrett said. “So if you put two cars on either side, now you’re down to about 1 feet, maybe.” hat means many Homewood roads cannot have cars parked on both sides and still have 18 feet of clearance. Greg Cobb in the city’s uilding, Engineering and oning Department said some roads, like ayfair Drive and Devon Drive, are only 18-19 feet wide in total. “Anybody’s house on this street catches fire, we cannot get to it,” Garrett said while reviewing photos of parking situations in Homewood. “ his is really dangerous. I mean, it’s going to burn to the ground because if we pull up with our sirens blaring a block away and we can’t get to the house, what are we going to do ” “ hey don’t reali e how much they’re putting these houses at risk or in eopardy by blocking the street. ecause we have to be within 1 feet by code — that’s how long our hand lines are — to get in and fight fire,” he continued. When they run into these problems, Garrett said firefighters will try to plan alternate routes or have a second engine come from another direction. However, if there’s only one way to access a dead end street, they have to start finding vehicle owners and getting them to relocate, or attempt to drive through carefully if they think they can fit. “So even if we’re not completely blocked, where our average response time of minutes might turn into if I’ve got to squee e through and not hit anybody’s car,” he said. “ hank God it hasn’t happened on a fire, that I know of,” Garrett added. Garrett said it makes sense that most everyday drivers don’t reali e ust how much space an engine needs. he fire department has been using new, orange car tags and social media efforts to let people know about multiple safety violations that regularly happen. Parking in driveways or on one side of the street can help fire engines keep response times quick, and Garrett said drivers should also consider staggering their parking if they must be on opposite sides of the road, so an engine could weave between vehicles. City codes also require a minimum of feet of distance between any car parked on the street and intersection stop signs, as well as feet of distance from fire hydrants. his allows engines to take the wide turns that they need and access hydrants quickly when they arrive.

Leave at least 18 feet of roadway open Park on the same side of the street as other cars, or stagger vehicles rather than side by side It is illegal to park in a fire lane at any time (even if the vehicle is running) It is illegal to park within 30 feet of an intersection or 3 feet of a fire hydrant

RESTRICTED STREETS

“We can’t make the turns. We have to have the whole intersection to turn those fire trucks,” Garrett said. he fine for violating those ordinances is 1 per offense. Garrett said he and fellow inspector Lt. ark Shannon have begun more rigorous enforcement of these ordinances, as well as the prohibition of parking in a fire lane at any time. “ here’s two 1 parking tickets in the city of Homewood. ne is parking in a fire lane or blocking fire department access or devices, and the other is parking in a handicapped space when you’re not supposed to. All other parking violations are 2 ,” Garrett said. Homewood ire Department is often in a literal tight spot since many of the roads were laid out when Homewood was a smaller city and had fewer cars to worry about. “It’s ust the nature of our city,” Garrett said. hese narrow streets range across the city, from Yorkshire, Windsor and Devon drives in Hollywood to Clermont Drive, Irving oad, ecca Avenue and Stuart Street near Homewood iddle School. Garrett described eese Street as a “nightmare right now” and also noted Parkside Circle and East and West Glenwood Drive as other trouble spots, though he said there were many other roads with this problem. Elaine Powell, a 16-year resident of West Glenwood, said on-street parking is a daily occurrence on her street. It can be difficult to drive even in a regular vehicle, she said, particularly during events or when cars are parked

near the apartments on East Glenwood and block the road, she said. “It is very difficult to drive down the street unless cars put two tires on the sidewalk, which most people know to do,” fiveyear West Glenwood resident Andrea Snyder said. “It would be difficult for a fire truck to navigate if there were two cars parked across from each other on both sides. However, it is very rare that this happens.” Powell also said she has seen fire engines having issues on her street, including having to drive in reverse to exit due to space issues. hese problems get compounded when residents hold birthday parties, yard sales or other events that can clog up the street. “I love yard sales but they cause a traffic nightmare,” Garrett said. he Homewood ire Department responded to roughly , calls in 2 1 , and Garrett said about 8 percent of those calls are related to medical calls. So far, he said the department has not had its response to a house fire delayed by parking on narrow streets, but residents’ awareness of where they park can prevent that from happening in the future. he idea of being only a couple blocks away from a fire and losing minutes of response time is something that Garrett doesn’t ever want to become a reality. “We’ve got to sit there with our sirens blaring until they all run out of the house, find their keys and move their cars. And it’s going to be gridlock. he house is burning and it’s gonna be a nightmare,” Garrett said.

The following streets have restricted parking rules according to City Code Section 19-21.1(b): Kensington Road’s north curb between the boundaries of Overton Park, after sundown Mayfair Drive’s south curb between the boundaries of Overton Park, after sundown Mecca Avenue from Edgeview Avenue to Valley Avenue and Mecca’s east curb from Oxmoor Road to Irving Road Oxmoor Road: No more than two hours in designated spaces between the intersections of Evergreen Street and St. Charles Street, within city limits No parking on north boundary from Peerless Avenue to St. Charles Street, except on Sunday No more than 15 minutes in designated on-street parking spaces in the Edgewood Business District between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday 18th Street: No more than two-hour parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, between the intersections of Oxmoor Road and 28th Avenue S. No parking from the southern boundary line of the alley parallel to 29th Avenue S. and 28th Avenue S. for a distance of 55 feet southbound, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday 19th Street between 28th Avenue and 29th Avenue 29th Avenue: No more than two hours parking on the north side between 18th Street and 19th Street, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday No more than 30 minutes parking in the two designated onstreet spaces on the north side of the road, near the intersection with 19th Street

TheHomewoodStar.com

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SECTION

B JUNE 2018

Opinion B5 School House B5 Sports B11 Real Estate B15 Metro Roundup B16 Calendar B18

Learning from each other Brother-sister duo Alvin and Aiya Finch support one another on and off the field By CH RI S MEG G I NSON Brother and sister Alvin and Aiya Finch have supported each other, and their team, f or a combined 1 1 AHSAA team state championships with the Homewood High School track and ﬁeld and cross-country programs, and they’re still going. “ It’s f ascinating watching them,” said their mother, V eleka Finch. “ I love watching every race Alvin runs and every j ump Aiya attempts. It never gets old, and I’m always amaz ed at what they can do and how G od has gif ted them to be able to reach some of the goals that they’ve reached.” Both Aiya, a j unior, and Alvin, a senior, began running in the Homewood school system f our seasons ago in middle school af ter being introduced to track and ﬁeld through Bobby Humphrey’s Speed C ity Summer Track C lub. W hile the siblings, who are less than two years apart in age, began as sprinters, time revealed Alvin’s strong suit was distance and Aiya’s strength was in the j umps. Af ter the 2018 outdoor track and

field season, Aiya had six team track and field state championships four outdoor and two indoor) and three individual state titles, winning both the long j ump and triple j ump at the 2 0 1 8 Indoor State C hampionships and the long j ump at the Outdoor State C hampionships. Alvin has put up similar accomplishments as he has come into his own as a distance runner. Since he began running the f astest on his f amily’s morning 2-mile runs at Lakeshore Trail, Alvin has developed as a distance runner. In his f our seasons at Homewood, he has been on three state championship cross-country teams and one indoor track and field state championship team as a distance runner. He added an outdoor track and field title recently, as the Homewood programs swept the C lass 6 A Outdoor State C hampionships in early May. He earned All-State cross-country honors the last two seasons and finished fourth in the 2 -meter run at the 2 0 1 8 AHSAA Indoor State C hampionships — all of which have helped earn him a distance running spot this coming fall at irmingham-Southern

Siblings Aiya, left, and Alvin Finch pose together at the AHSAA 6A-7A Sectional meet on April 28. Alvin, a senior, plans on attending Birmingham-Southern College in the fall. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

C ollege, where he plans to study math, computer science and piano. “ It’s been something I’ve had to work hard f or,” Alvin said. “ It hasn’t always been easy at ﬁrst, but as I worked f or it, I f elt better about my accomplishment and f elt like those

f our championships have been really awesome f or me.” Alvin is also on the autism spectrum, which he and his f amily believe has paired well with running. “ Y es, he’s had to overcome a lot, but I think there’s certain ways

Alvin is wired that are right in line with what he’s doing,” said J ames Finch, his f ather. “ It takes an amaz ing amount of dedication to be a successf ul distance runner, and Alvin is very

See FINCH | page B10

B2 â&#x20AC;¢ June 2018

The Homewood Star

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June 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ B3

The Homewood Star

B4 • June 2018

Homewood resident celebrates 100 years By A LYX CH A NDLER Seventy-two years ago, longtime Homewood resident Ann R ogers said all she could see when she opened her f ront door were doz ens of roaming cows. “ W here I live now, this was the country, f armland. A man down the street had a cornﬁeld, and after I moved here in 1 9 46 , there was a dairy farm house ﬁlled with dairy cows,” she said. “ It was so amusing to me at the time.” Back then, she said, 1 9 th Ave. was j ust a dirt and cobblestone road where the city of Birmingham sent a water truck over once a week to water down the dusty roads. There was only a country store and a “ little old gas station,” the Sterrett Avenue resident said, and a f avorite lake of hers, the since dried up E dgewood L ake, where Samf ord University now sits. Ann R ogers, whose 1 0 0 th birthday was on April 30 , said that most people don’t believe she’s a centenarian. “I don’t feel like I’m 1 ,” she laughed. “ I’m a very active person, I do most anything I want to.” E ven as she developed arthritis at 94 years old, it still hasn’t slowed her down. “ I don’t ask anyone to do anything I can possibly do myself,” she said. “ I drive my car, buy my groceries, I take care of myself and everything in my house.” It was only recently that she hired a gardener to help her take care of her

lawn and tend to her always well-kept flower beds and plants. Although it’s sad to give up caring f or her yearly tomatoes and flower garden, she said she is j ust thanking G od every day that she can still take care of herself . “ I mean, she’s always been independent,” said ohn ogers, the one of her two sons who is still living. He added that she was widowed early in her lif e. “ She took real good care of us, and she’s always taken real good care of herself all these years. As you can see, she’s going to be 1 0 0 , and she’s still living ust fine on her own.” She has been living in Homewood f or the last 7 2 years, and was born “an Alabama girl,” she said, in lount C ounty and graduated f rom Hayden High School. Af ter that, she moved into the city of Birmingham, where she worked in the Piz itz Building doing cosmetology and hair styling. “ It was wonderf ul working there, Birmingham was such a great city, all the shopping, the lights at C hristmas,” Ann ogers said. “ Working there] was a dream, it’s hard f or me to believe now.” Bef ore she moved to Birmingham permanently in 1 9 46 , Ann R ogers lived all over the U.S., including San Diego, C alif ornia, which she said she loved most out of all places — all, that is, besides Alabama. “ Homewood is the greatest place to live in,” Ann ogers said, “especially now with all the schools and churches. It’s the greatest place f or f amilies to live in. I wouldn’t live anywhere else

Left: Ann Rogers is pictured in front of her Southside apartment at age 23. Photo courtesy of Ann Rogers. Below: Ann Rogers, who celebrated her 100th birthday this year, has spent most of her life in Homewood. Photo by Alyx Chandler.

but here.” ohn ogers said his mom grew up in the country with no electricity and no running water. Ann R ogers said she had to walk miles to get her education. “ The kids now don’t know how lucky they are that they got their cars — a 1 0 0 years ago we had to walk everywhere,” she laughed. She said that she’s been going to Trinity United Methodist C hurch f or about 6 0 years and used to be in charge of the ladies Bible study class. N ow, she said, she’s the only one lef t out of the 1 0 0 people in the class. She also said she loves ﬁshing on lakes and deep sea ﬁshing, even though she isn’t able to do it anymore. “ She taught me to be independent, to be resilient, to take the blows that lif e gives you and get back up and keep going,” ohn ogers said, adding that she’s the strongest woman he knows. Ann R ogers said now her f amily consists of her son, her daughter-inlaw and grandchildren. Once a week,

she said, ohn ogers comes over to check on her. Being 1 0 0 years old doesn’t bother her, Ann R ogers said. “ I’ve traveled and done all the

f un things and been all around this planet,” Ann ogers said. “ he most wonderf ul thing in the world is being on this beautif ul earth and being here with my son and family.”

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • B5

Opinion School House Ordinary Days By Lauren Denton

‘You have to cling to the truth’ I overheard the most amaz ing thing at deep down, I know that I can do all the readTarget the other day. I was in the toy secing and researching and hand-wringing and tion with my daughters, looking f or birthday praying, and it’s still going to be out of my hands. presents f or a variety of f riends, when I heard someone in the nex t aisle giving an earnest It’s a heaviness that sometimes settles on pep talk to someone on the phone. my shoulders, and I can’t shake it. “ Someone I heard this woman say, “ Y ou have to cling is going to tell her she can’t sit with them.” to the truth.” And she didn’t j ust toss the “ Someone is going to make her f eel like words out as a casual sound bite — she was she’s not wanted.” “ She’s going to realiz e her f ervent and sincere; she believed what she f riends were invited and she wasn’t.” “ She’s was saying. I leaned my head around the end going to ask me why they were laughing Denton of the aisle and saw a woman around my age at her.” pushing a f ull grocery cart, trying hard to keep her toddler And the scariest part f or me — I f ear I won’t know how f rom slipping down her hip, and somehow managing to to handle it. I won’t know the right words; I won’t have point her f riend on the other end of the phone toward the right verses; my mind will be a blank slate instead of J esus. She kept that phone j ammed to her ear and spouted overflowing with whatever will soothe their hurts. Life encouragement: “ Y ou have to trust in Him and hold onto will hurt them, I want to protect them, but I won’t always that hope that he put you here f or a good reason… ” be able to. There is a lot about parenthood that is beautif ul As she rounded the corner toward the diapers, her voice and thrilling and ex q uisite, but this is the heartbreaking, f aded, but a big part of me wanted to f ollow behind her painf ul part. I can’t make the bad stuf f go away. and soak up her words. I needed that encouragement too So I return to that stranger in Target, the one who was because I’ve been f eeling of f lately. My daughters like to f orce-f eeding truth to her f riend on the phone. I have to use the word wonky, which definitely applies sometimes, cling to the truth — that the G od of heaven and earth is but these days I think it’s more weary. in my girls, that he will shelter them in the shadow of his As I write this, it’s late April and the end of this school wings and that the same is true f or me: He’s in me, He’ll year is within sight. As usual, I’m f ull-steam ahead toward shelter me and He of f ers me a hope to cling to when I have summer and all of its warmth, sunshine and laz y af ternothing else firm. He will speak through me to my girls, noons ( remind me of this in August when we’re all melt- of f ering a peace and security that I, as a simple mom, ing) but I don’t think my weariness is coming f rom usual cannot promise them. end-of -school f atigue. I think it’s a little deeper. Lastly, you never know who will overhear you in I had a great conversation recently with a new f riend Target. To that mystery woman charging down the aisle who filled me in on some of the goings-on at the middle with a f ull cart and 30 pounds on your hip — thank you. and high school — nothing terribly bad, probably j ust Y ou c an reac h me by email me at L auren@ L aurenK par f or the course f or tweens and teenagers, but I haven’t been able to get out of my head the idea that this huge D enton.c om, v isit my website, L aurenK D enton.c om, or tidal wave of worldliness ( I don’t know what else to call find me on Instagram @LaurenKDentonBooks, Twitter it) is racing toward my tender daughters. I read books @LaurenKDenton, or on Facebook. My novels,”The that talk about parenting in the age of social media, how Hideaway” and “Hurricane Season,” are out now and to raise kind children and teaching girls to be brave, but available wherever books are sold.

Campbell Brabston, left, and Eric Hepp earned the highest possible score on their ACTs. Photos courtesy of Campbell Brabston, Eric Hepp.

Two HHS students earn perfect ACT scores By SYDNEY CROMWELL Homewood High School senior E ric Hepp and j unior C ampbell Brabston are among less than 1 percent of students in the nation. The pair both earned the highest possible score — 36 — on their AC Ts. It’s a f eat that roughly twothirds of a percent of test-taking students achieve each year. Brabston, 1 6 , said this was his ﬁrst time taking the AC — though with such a score f or his f irst attempt, there’s hardly a need f or a second. He said he had f ocused more on studying f or the PSAT, another standardiz ed test held j ust a f ew weeks bef orehand, than f or the AC T. “ I was happily surprised because I expe cted to have to take it at least one more time to improve my score to what I wanted it to be,” he said. Brabston said he is planning to go

to college but has not yet decided what to study. Hepp’s perf ect score came on his f ourth attempt at the AC T. He said he made multiple attempts at the exa m due to “ personal striving” to achieve a better score and f or better ﬁnancial aid possibilities in college. “ That did pay of f ,” Hepp said. For his previous AC T ex ams, Hepp said he had taken preparatory classes. This time he studied and practiced solo and said the score was “ a culmination of the three tests bef ore and all the practice that led up to it.” Hepp, who has committed to University of Alabama and intends to study math, said he f ound out about his test results during his physics class. “ I do not remember the last 2 0 minutes of that class, I can tell you that,” Hepp said. “ It was really surprising but it was a huge relief .”

The Homewood Star

B6 • June 2018 The Bill Crawford Educational Foundation Scholarship winners. Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.

6 Homewood seniors awarded Rotary scholarships

The 2018 recipients of the Rotary Club of Shades Valley teacher appreciation awards. Photo courtesy of Rotary Club of Shades Valley.

he ill Crawford Educational oundation of the Homewood R otary C lub recently awarded scholarships totaling $ 2 4,0 0 0 to six 2 0 1 8 graduates of Homewood High School. he recipients are Annie An, Elise anish, uliana c ullan, Lei l orres, Amy rinh and ameron Young.

Rotary Club presents teacher appreciation awards

This year’s recipients were introduced to club members by education f oundation chairman L awrence C orley at a R otary meeting at Homewood Public Library. Each spoke of their high school ex perience and f uture plans. – Submitted by H omewood C ity Sc hools.

Emma Rodgers won first place in the third grade division of the Alabama Public Television Young Writers Contest. Photo courtesy of Margaret Rodgers.

Amy archino, Homewood High School Teacher Honoree aria Wilson, ohn Carroll Catholic High School Teacher Honoree Gary Weatherly, ountain rook High School Teacher Honoree Peggy Huckabaa, Shades alley High School Teacher Honoree – Submitted by R otary C lub of Shades V alley.

Shades Cahaba class creates winning McWane exhibit

Edgewood third-grader wins writing contest E mma R odgers ex hibited E dgewood E lementary School E x cellence recently as the ﬁrst place winner in the third grade division of the Alabama Public elevision Young Writers Contest. he Alabama Public elevision Young Writers Awards is a writing contest open to students f rom kindergarten to third grade in the state of Alabama. Emma’s book,

E ach year, the R otary C lub of Shades V alley gives an appreciation award to teachers of schools represented in its service area. Honorees are selected by the school’s administration f or their distinguished service to the students in their respective schools. R C SV ranks education as one of its top priorities and supports the teachers and students in the area. C ongratulations to the 2018 recipients f or a j ob well done:

“ Sincerely Santa,” earned her a trophy and other pri es at the Alabama ook estival in ontgomery in April. As a ﬁrst grader, Emma was awarded ﬁrst place for her book “Abbie and the ngrowing lower.” As a kindergartener, she was awarded third place f or her book “ The L onely L adybug amily.” – Submitted by H omewood C ity Sc hools.

enny Phillips’ third grade class at Shades C ahaba E lementary School won ﬁrst place in the Celebrate Science competition at cWane Science Center. hey competed with other 3rd-5th grade classes throughout the state to design an ex hibit prototype. The students worked together this school year to create a real prototype that could sit alongside cWane’s collection of engaging, hands-on ex hibits. The class designed the Hubble Space Telescope and won $ 1 ,50 0 f or their classroom. – Submitted by H omewood C ity Sc hools.

Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • B7

Homewood High School cadet corps passed the AFJROTC Inspection with 14 Exceeds Standards and 4 Meets Standards grades. Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.

Homewood High School R OTC receives high marks in inspection Homewood C ity Schools congratulates C adet C olonel Sarahi Aguilera and the entire Homewood High School cadet corps on passing the AFJ R OTC Inspection with 1 4 E x ceeds Standards and 4 Meets Standards grades. This program is under the leadership of C ol. Michael Morgan and Master Sgt. V incent Simmons. The AFJ R OTC was inspected by C hief Master Sgt. ( retired) Bruce K enny f rom the headq uarters at the Holme C enter, located at Max well Air Force Base in Montgomery. The unit was graded on many f actors, including the cadets’ ability to run the program, maintain all unif orm and eq uipment inventories, dress and appearance, attitudes, ability to prove that they have ownership of the program and demonstrate “ service bef ore self .”

Instructors were evaluated on their classroom instruction and ability to f acilitate corps activities. The Homewood High School AFJ R OTC unit was praised by K enny as being very close to one of the top in the nation and participates in numerous events spanning throughout J ef f erson C ounty and the surrounding area. Additionally, Aguilera, commander of the AFJ R OTC C adet C orps, was the recipient of a national award, the American V eterans N ational Award f or outstanding leadership and academic grades in a J R OTC program. This award is announced f rom AMV E TS N ational Headq uarters in W ashington D.C ., and recogniz es the achievements of AFJ R OTC cadets and f osters increased morale. – Submitted by H omewood C ity Sc hools.

The Homewood Star

B8 • June 2018

Summer construction timeline at Homewood schools Plans for Homewood High School include a new addition on the north side of the building, rearrangement of interior facilities and new traffic patterns for pickup and drop-off of students. Rendering courtesy of Hoar Program Management.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL C lasses are out and construction crews are in at Homewood’s schools this summer. The ex pansion and improvement proj ect that Homewood City Schools first presented to the public in fall 2 16 will finally see dirt being moved over the summer, with work continuing into next school year and fall 2 19. he proj ect — which includes additions and interior improvements at all five schools, plus work on the schools’ H AC system and high school track surface — is being funded by the City of Homewood as part of a $1 10 m illion bond. The bond will also pay f or a new public safety headquarters on agby Drive, field renovations and additions at W est Homewood Park, a new pool at Patriot Park and potentially new sidewalks with any money lef t over. The council approved a one-cent sales tax increase in late 2016 t o of f set the additional debt. Hoar Program anagement, which the school system hired to oversee the construction process, has broken up the improvements into multiple pro ects. HCS spokesperson errick Wilson said the first of two packages of elementary school work, the structural steel f or Homewood High School and the renovation package for Homewood iddle School were all bid in April, while the demolition of the HHS fine arts building and field house was bid out in ay. HP senior program manager ommy Alf ano told C ity C ouncil members in April that the addition and interior work at HHS will be bid out in J une and September, respectively, while the remainder of the work at the elementary schools will go up for bid in ctober. Additionally, he said the company will attempt to complete work on Homewood High’s cafeteria and Bailey Theatre over the summer so kids’ schedules won’t be impacted. Here’s the work to ex pect at the schools over the summer: Sc h ol s ys t e m au t om at e d H V A C c on t r o l s ys t e m : Work began in April to install a new server system, sof tware and controls at all

five schools and the central office. It is expected to be complete by ctober 2 19. Whitaker R awson are the architects and Alabama C ontrols, Inc. is the contractor. Wa l d r o p St a d i u m t r a c k r e s u r f a c i n g : The track and its base will be removed and replaced, with a new sprint lane and surf ace as well as drainage work. Construction began in ay and the sub surface is slated to be installed in August 2 18, with the track surface date not yet announced. Holcomb N orton Partners are the architects and C oston G eneral C ontractors, Inc. were selected as contractors for the pro ect. El e m e n t ar y s c h ol s s e c u r e e n t r y ve s t i b u l e s : Goodwyn ills Cawood and Duncan hompson Construction were selected to add security f eatures to the entries of all three Homewood elementary schools. This work will take place through August 2 18. H o m e w o o d Mi d d l e Sc h o o l a d d i t i o n s : Six classrooms will be added at the school — two per grade — and additional office space

and a secure entry will also be constructed. This work is scheduled to be complete in August 2 18, and Goodwyn ills Cawood were selected as proj ect architects. Homewood High School field house and ar t s b u i l d i n g d e m ol i t i on : This work will take place form une to August 2 18, with Goodwyn ills Cawood serving as architects. According to documents posted on the Homewood C ity Schools website, work at Homewood iddle School will continue through summer 2 19 to add a new multi-purpose room, make locker room modifications and relocate existing wrestling, cheer, choral and band rooms to new locations. Work will also continue through fall 2 19 at Homewood High School to build an addition on the north side with a new secure entry, 1 classrooms, athletics and fine arts pavilions and interior modifications for different uses and better hallway traffic flow. ehicle traffic flow will also be changed once construction work is

complete to separate student parking and parent pickup and drop-of f lines. The remainder of the work on the elementary schools, which include new classrooms and rearranged interior space for classrooms and caf eterias, is scheduled to last f rom J anuary to fall 2 19. W ilson noted that these schedules are estimates, sub ect to change. Since much of the construction work will overlap with the 2 18-19 and part of the 2 192 0 school years, W ilson said the school system will be working with construction ﬁrms as they are hired to minimiz e the overlap between students and active work sites. This will include perimeter fencing, signage, background checks f or site workers and analysis of entry points f or students that might expose them to construction areas. L earn more about the plans f or Homewood’s schools under the “ Facilities” tab at homewood. k12.a l.us.

TheHomewoodStar.com

Annie An

June 2018 • B9

Hunter Callaway

Camille DiCarlo

Mason Greer

Jada Tubbs

Meet Homewood’s 2018 graduates By SYDNEY CROMWELL This May, 2 9 3 Homewood High School seniors received their diplomas and turned their tassels. The graduating class’s G PA and AC T score averages, as well as scholarship dollars, were not available as of the Homewood Star’s press date. C heck thehomewoodstar.com f or updates at the end of the school year. Homewood’s 2 0 1 8 graduates are moving on to college and the workforce. eet ﬁve Patriots planning a bright f uture:

ANNIE AN

V a le d ic to r ia n Ex t r a c u r r i c u l a r s : Student G overnment Association, Peer Helpers Tutoring chair and f ree tutoring program, Tutor Time f ounder, V arsity L acrosse Team captain, Debate Team co-president, Patriot Pride Ambassador, Spanish C lub, K ey C lub, piano teacher, C hildren’s and UAB

Hospital volunteer, C omprehensive C ancer C enter N euro-Oncology R esearch intern and shadowee. P l a n s a f t e r g r a d u a t i o n : I plan to attend the University of V irginia to study biochemistry and eventually attend medical school to impact healthcare at home and abroad. I have always loved medicine and my ex periences spent volunteering inside a hospital have only confirmed that. As a J ef f erson Foundation Scholar at UV A, I hope to be challenged academically and j ust as a person these nex t f our years. Wh a t a r e yo u l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o : I hope to find a field I am interested in, be pushed outside of my comf ort z one and make the most out of my undergraduate ex perience academically and socially, making lif elong f riends along the way.

HUNTER CALLAWAY

Ex t r a c u r r i c u l a r s : Patriot Pride President, R obotics Team C aptain,

Math Team P la n s a fte r g r a d u a tio n : Davidson C ollege in N orth C arolina. Af ter college, I’m planning to j oin the Peace C orps or attempt to work f or the State Department. Wh a t a r e yo u l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o : Independence and making a name f or myself .

CAMILLE DICARLO

Ex t r a c u r r i c u l a r s : E x ecutive Student G overnment Association, Patriot Pride Ambassador, Spanish C lub, Peer Helpers P l a n s a f t e r g r a d u a t i o n : I will be attending Auburn University, maj oring in electrical engineering. I chose Auburn because it isn’t too f ar away f rom home and I’ve watched my older siblings love their time at Auburn. I’m studying electrical engineering because I f ell in love with calculus during my senior year and I have also really enj oyed physics, so I knew that I wanted to enter Auburn as

an engineering maj or. I chose electrical because if I stick with engineering throughout college, I can specializ e in technology, which is something that I am really interested in. Wh a t a r e yo u l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o : I am so ex cited to meet new people at Auburn and get involved with the student programs. I’m looking f orward to taking new classes in my maj or and I hope that, at Auburn, I ﬁnd the ﬁeld that I’m meant to be in, whether it’s engineering, medicine or business.

MASON GREER

Ex t r a c u r r i c u l a r s : Homewood Band, Show C hoir - The N etwork, Homewood Theatre Department, R iverchase Baptist C hurch P la n s a fte r g r a d u a tio n : I plan to attend R einhardt University in N orth G eorgia as a musical theatre maj or. E ver since I was a child, theatre has been my passion, so I’m going to pursue that passion f or as

long as I can. Wh a t a r e yo u l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o : I’m looking f orward to growing in my singing career and being my own responsible self .

JADA TUBBS

P la n s a fte r g r a d u a tio n : Attending the University of Montevallo, maj oring in mass communications. I chose to attend the University of Montevallo because I’d heard such good things about it f rom many dif f erent people. G oing out of state wasn’t really an option f or me because of out-of -state tuition, but I think Montevallo is perf ect f or me. It’s not a huge university so I won’t get lost in the crowd. It’s also j ust close enough to home to come back if I ever needed to. Wh a t I a m l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o : I’m looking f orward to gaining a new f reedom that I’ve never had and getting to meet new people and make new f riends.

The Homewood Star

B10 • June 2018

Above: Alvin Finch competes in the 3200 meter run during the AHSAA 6A-7A Sectional meet on April 28, placing fourth with a time of 9:59.39. Right: Aiya Finch competes in the long jump during the AHSAA 6A-7A Sectional meet, placing second with a distance of 17-2 feet. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

FINCH

CONTINUED from page B1 regimented and has always been on a schedule. In that way, it’s a part of his wiring, but it’s made him a good man, tough and a grinder on the track and in the classroom.” Aiya, who set a personal record of 1 8 f eet, 5 inches to win the outdoor state title in the long j ump and holds a triple j ump PR of 37 -6 .5, hopes to continue to improve her distances and q ualif y f or the N ew Balance N ationals Outdoor this J une in N orth C arolina and increase her college expos ure to N C AA Division I programs.

“I am conﬁdent she will accomplish that goal,” said Homewood head coach Tom E sslinger. “ Her grades and test scores are outstanding, and she has that rare ability to f ocus that will help her be successf ul at everything she attempts.” Alvin and Aiya said they learn f rom each other as siblings and teammates. “ Alvin has helped me because I look to how he works so hard f or his cross-country and distance running. The distance runners put the most hours in f or their events, I think, and I try to be like Alvin and go work out outside of practice so I can get better,” Aiya said. E sslinger recogniz es this in Alvin

beyond helping to motivate his sister. “ Alvin has such a contagious positive energy about him, and we consider him one of our strongest leaders. He is always f riendly, enthusiastic and no one is more dedicated or determined than he is,” E sslinger said. W hile Alvin is there to provide a “ you can do it” word of encouragement, he says he learns f rom his sister’s f ocus, even though Aiya specializ es in j umps. “ W hen I see how she j umps, what she does with it is she thinks through her steps and that trains me to think through my steps when warming up f or my events in distance races, do my stretches and reﬂect and slowly

stride up,” Alvin said. E sslinger says Aiya’s work ethic not only sets an ex ample f or Alvin but f or the rest of the team. “ Aiya is ex tremely committed, dedicated and determined to getting the most out of her ability. She puts in ex tra work and really tries to do all of the little things right,” E sslinger said. “She deﬁnitely leads by example on our team, and she is very coachable.”

Aiya said beyond her doing anything the coach asks of her, she tries to encourage her teammates. “ I always try my best to encourage my teammates and do my j ob so I can be successf ul,” Aiya said. “ I really like it if other people encourage me if I’m not doing well in my perf ormances. It makes me f eel good, so I want to make my teammates f eel good about themselves also.”

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • B11

Sports

Patriots cap off successful tennis season By K YLE P A RMLEY The Homewood High School boys and girls tennis teams each craf ted their own underdog story and f ound their way to the C lass 6 A state tournament in Montgomery, April 2 3-2 4. he girls finished third overall with a pair of individual state championships, while the boys finished 1 1 th. The girls team was coached by rimson evis, a Homewood alum and former volleyball player who completed her first season as the Patriots’ head volleyball coach in the f all. The sport was a new ex perience f or her. “ It was interesting because it was a new sport I hadn’t played bef ore or been around,” evis said. “With that came a big learning curve for me but also f or them, because they had a new coach.” Luckily for evis, she took over a team that certainly had potential, as the Lady Patriots finished fourth at the state tournament in 2 0 1 7 . aggie White was part of the o. 1 doubles team in 2 0 1 7 that won the state title, along with being a finalist in the o. 1 singles bracket. She accomplished that as a f reshman. This spring, in her sophomore campaign, she pulled of f the clean sweep, winning the o. 1 singles bracket and teaming up with Macken ie arrell to win o. 1 doubles. “We all know how good aggie

he Homewood High School girls tennis team finished third at the state tournament held April 3 in Montgomery. Maggie hite and Macken ie arrell took home state championships for the ady Patriots. Photo courtesy of Krimson Revis.

White is,” evis said. “ or ackenz ie Farrell to get a state championship her senior year, we were all crying.” Farrell and Hannah C rocker were

the two seniors on the girls team this spring. Paige Wildt advanced to the semiﬁnals in the o. singles bracket and teamed up with Sophie Theos in

o. 2 doubles to reach the semiﬁnals as well. “ hey have such a close bond because they’re only a year apart, but really good friends,” evis said

of Wildt and heos. “Paige has an undeniable hunger to win. She is very competitive. You can see that on the court. That helped Sophie.” Emma Wildman, eed efferies, L ucille Shef f er and L iz a Ponder also played f or the girls team at state. The boys team, on the other hand, pulled of f q uite the f eat j ust to get to the state tournament. The Patriots had not won a match against any other team all season but managed an upset of Shades V alley in the section tournament to ﬁnish as the runner-up and q ualif y f or state. “ hey had great improvements and great matches, they ust never had a W fall into place,” evis said. “ hey have a really young team. We j ust had to stay with them.” ohn Andress at o. singles and the o. doubles team of Harrison L owery and Archie Mills won a match at the state tournament, to accumulate ﬁve points for the Patriots. Will yan, Cooper c ae and Michael Hardin also played f or the Homewood boys at state. evis, Eddie Crocker and ohn Beaube helped coach the tennis teams this season, and evis said she would continue to coach the sport “as long as they’ll have me.” “ I think we all ended up on a positive note,” she said. “If we can get the younger kids attached and buying into the program, we should hopef ully be competing f or a state championship in the nex t f ew years.”

B12 â&#x20AC;˘ June 2018

The Homewood Star

SNAPSHOTS: HOMEWOOD TRACK AND FIELD

Top left: Alex Brooks competes in pole vault during the AHSAA Class 6A-7A Sectional meet on April 28. Brooks cleared 11 feet to place first. Top right: Jasmine riffin competes in the 100 meter hurdles. riffin placed first with a time of 14.33 seconds. Above left: Celie Jackson competes in the 1600 meter run. Jackson placed first with a time of 5:30.73. Above right: Will Stone leads the 1600 meter run. Stone finished first with a time of 4:26.74. Left: Christian Hill competes in the triple jump. Hill placed first with a distance of 372.5 feet. Far left: Tobias Thomas competes in shot put. Thomas placed first with a best throw of 45-2.5 feet. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ B13

The Homewood Star

B14 • June 2018

Successf ul Y ear 1 f or L ee Hall, Patriots By K YLE P A RMLEY The Homewood High School baseball team saw one of the most successf ul seasons in school history come to an end on April 2 7 , as the Patriots were swept by N o. 2 C ullman in the Class 6A quarterfinals. “ I thought we ran into two really good pitchers and I thought we ran into a better team than us,” said Homewood head coach L ee Hall f ollowing the game. “ W e didn’t play ex tremely well in G ame 1 . W e gave them 1 0 f reebies — six hit-by-pitches and f our walks — and when you do that to a really good team, they’re going to make you pay f or it.” he earcats used a five-run third inning in G ame 1 to pull away in an 8 -1 victory. A f ourR BI perf ormance f rom C ullman’s G rayson Taylor in G ame 2 gave W ill Morrison the cushion he needed in a 6 -1 win. In the first game, Weston orton yanked a home run down the left field line in the first inning to give C ullman an early 1 -0 lead. But Homewood got that run back in the bottom of the second. E van L emak led of f the inning with a double, was sacrificed to third base and scored on a two-out bunt single f rom J ake Miller. ut Cullman broke the tie with a five-run third inning and the Patriots never threatened again. For the Patriots, starting pitcher J ustin Perreault went five innings, allowing seven runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out three. Meyer W olnek and Ben G alloway each pitched an inning in relief . In the second game, Taylor drove in f our runs and scored on an error to account f or the first five runs of the game. Cullman tacked on a final run in the fourth on a Cooper eck homer. J osh Hall scored on a wild pitch in the f ourth inning to give the Patriots their lone run. Hunter K eim got the start on the mound f or the Patriots and went three innings, allowing j ust the damage f rom Taylor’s bat. Teel

Justin Perreault pitches during a Class 6A uarterfinal playoff game between Cullman and Homewood on May School. Photo by Layton Dudley.

hurled the remaining f our innings, with the Beck homer being the only hit he surrendered. Homewood concluded the season with 2 9 wins, tying a school record set in 2 0 1 3. he quarterfinal appearance was the Patriots’ sixth in school history and first since that 2 1 season. The Patriots boasted a roster of 1 2 seniors, a group that Hall said “ will always be ex tremely special to us.” Sam Dantone, J B E ast, Ben G alloway, J osh Hall, W ill Hall, K eim, L emak, W esley McC alley, Miller, Teel, R eid W alker and Wolnek completed their final seasons wearing a Homewood j ersey.

“ This isn’t the most talented group that’s ever come through Homewood, but it’s the closest knit group that’s ever come through,” said Hall, who concluded his ﬁrst season as coach. “ [ Pitching] coach [ K eith] Brown can testif y to that because he’s been here 2 0 years. The reason we had the success we had this year is because they love one another, they sold out to the team.” J osh Hall stole f our bases against C ullman, which was enough to break his own single-season record. He ﬁnished the year with 82 stolen bases, one more than his previous state record of 8 1 , which he set as a sophomore at

at Homewood High

R andolph. The Ole Miss signee wrapped up his high school career with 2 2 4 career stolen bases, a national record. Homewood reached the quarterfinals after sweeps of inor and Gardendale in the first two rounds of the playof f s. Against Minor, the Patriots outscored the Tigers 31 -3 over the two games. In the G ardendale series, Homewood won G ame 1 , 2 -1 , in ex tra innings, but opened the floodgates to win Game 2, 12-2. The Patriots earned the Area 1 0 title this season by posting a perf ect 6 -0 mark, notching sweeps over Shades V alley, Parker and R amsay.

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ B15

Homewood Real Estate Listings

1510 Oxmoor Road

MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

815901

35209

1510 Oxmoor Road

New

$755,000

815351

35209

429 Woodland Drive

New

$599,900

815231

35209

302 Lucerne Blvd.

New

$799,000

815041

35209

807 Forest Drive

New

$499,900

814053

35209

120 Gillon Drive

New

$334,900

816410

35209

303 Broadway St.

New

$399,900

816407

35209

1416 Clermont Drive

New

$324,900

816302

35209

1841 Saulter Road

New

$299,000

816286

35209

119 Windsor Drive

New

$699,780

815996

35209

204 Bonita Drive

New

$719,900

815803

35209

1517 Beckham Drive

New

$318,000

814025

35209

5 Pamona Ave.

New

$879,000

815587

35209

1098 Saulter Road

New

$379,500

815490

35209

1084 Sherbrooke Drive

New

$299,900

815624

35209

703 Belmont Road

New

$415,000

814869

35209

801 Forest Drive

New

$1,800,000

815454

35209

918 Irving Road

New

$529,900

814856

35209

1014 Palmetto St.

New

$599,900

813372

35043

940 Broadway St.

New

$699,900

815474

35043

234 Crest Drive

New

$489,900

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on May 11. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

5 Pamona Ave.

The Homewood Star

B16 • June 2018

Metro Roundup 280 CORRIDOR

Junior roller derby team comes to Magic City By A LYX CH A NDLER Birmingham’s adult roller derby league, the Tragic C ity R ollers, started in 2 0 0 5. N ow, there’s a chance f or younger derby f anatics to j oin in the f un. The Tragic C ity Trouble Makers, a j unior roller derby league open to girls between 7 and 1 8 years old, kicked of f earlier this year. Brought to For Tragic C ity Trouyou by our ble Maker Brianna Parmsister paper: ley, known in the rink as R idin Derby, playing f or a roller derby team has been has been on her radar ever 280living.com since she watched her ﬁrst bout. “ As soon as my mom mentioned it to me, I was ready and I wanted to go play,” said Parmley, who is 1 5 years old and attends C helsea High School. “ W e actually got skates that week.” Tragic C ity Trouble Maker Head C oach R achel Fallin, who also goes by R oad R ach, said parents and girls have been asking f or a j unior league f or years, and she’s thrilled to be chosen to coach it. Tragic C ity L eague President Heather Meadows, also known as C law and Order, was the one who got the j unior league going. So f ar, the j unior league is made up of around 45 girls in the J ef f erson C ounty area. Since February, the Tragic C ity Trouble Makers have practiced at 2 8 0 Skates f or an hour every W ednesday night, with players learning how to start and stop, and then advancing at dif f erent paces. As of April, Fallin said the league has been a hit in Birmingham, and community members have been showing support by reaching out to of f er the girls sponsorships. “ R oller derby is really a great sport f or kids because anyone can do it. W e take them even if they don’t know how to skate, they’ve never

Left: Members of the Trouble Makers, the junior roller derby league in Birmingham, work on their speed during a practice April 4 at Skates 280. Below: Brianna Parmley poses at the edge of the rink before practice. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

been an athlete,” Fallin said. R oller derby is a contact sport where two teams of five face each other in the rink. Each team has f our blockers, who try to keep the opposing team f rom scoring, and one j ammer, who aims to score a point by making it around the rink. Players can use their hips and shoulders to block people f rom scoring, but it is against official rules to get more rough than that. Even though the ragic City rouble akers are hoping to have their first bout with another j unior league in August, Fallin said they’re going to have to wait and see how much they’ve progressed. “Everyone is on different levels right now. There’s people trying to get good at skating, and there’s people who are trying to perf ect skating

DEGREES OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES SYMPTOMS

VESTAVIA HILLS

Staying safe this summer: As heat rises, so does need for caution By EMI LY F EA T H ERST ON As spring transitions into summer and the days turn warmer, estavia Hills ﬁrst responders hope all V estavia Hills residents, but especially senior citiz ens, will pay attention to their health and saf ety. Brought to According to the you by our C enters f or Disease sister paper: C ontrol, on average more than 60 people a year succumb to a heat-related illness, vestavia even though it is usuvoice.com ally preventable. V estavia Hills Fire Department C apt. R yan Farrell said older adults are more susceptible to the heat and humidity Alabama ex periences each summer because of age and certain medications. “ That can af f ect your body’s ability to deal with the heat,” he said. There are varying levels of heat-related illness, including heat cramps, heat ex haustion and ultimately heat stroke. Dehydration is the most common concern, Farrell said, and f olks should increase their ﬂuid intake regardless of whether they feel thirsty.

backwards and doing all the tricks,” Parmley said. ne of the ﬁrst things allin and assistant head coach Bethany Snow ex plained was that although roller derby is an aggressive sport, Fallin said, “ it’s not a sport where you bring your aggression to the tracks.” R ather, it’s a f ull contact sport with rules j ust like in any sport with physical contact, she said. Practices f or the j unior leagues are run the same way as they are f or the adult league, Fallin said, with the team eventually scrimmaging each other. The Tragic C ity Trouble Makers are hoping to have their ﬁrst bout with another unior league in August. Email uniors tragiccity rollers.com to get involved.

Symptoms of heat-related illness can be minor at ﬁrst, arrell said, and many will try to “ push through” and keep working in the yard or ex ercising in the heat, when in reality those ex periencing any symptoms should seek shelter as soon as possible in a cool place. Those who think they might be suf f ering f rom heat ex haustion should seek shelter, loosen clothing, place cool cloths on the neck and sip water slowly while monitoring f or symptoms of heat stroke. The C DC and Farrell warn that anyone ex periencing shortness of breath, ex treme diz z iness, nausea or heart palpitations should seek medical help immediately. Af ter calling 9 1 1 , those ex periencing heat stroke symptoms should not be given anything to drink, as this might cause vomiting, but a cool cloth should be placed on the back of the neck and behind the knees until help arrives. Farrell said the summer months are also more active f or other saf ety concerns, particularly f alls both outside and inside the house. Seniors should make sure tripping haz ards are minimiz ed and appropriate handrails are in place, especially if the individual has balance concerns, he said. When in doubt, he said, give ﬁrst responders a call.

There are varying levels of heat-related illness, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion and ultimately heat stroke:

HEAT STROKE HEAT EXHAUSTION HEAT CRAMPS

Heavy or excessive sweating, especially during exercise Pain or muscle spasms

Excessive sweating Cold or clammy skin; paleness Fast, weak pulse Minor nausea or vomiting Muscle cramps Tiredness or weakness Dizziness and headache Fainting

Body temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher Sudden ceasing of perspiration Hot, dry or red skin Fast, strong pulse Severe headache Dizziness Nausea or vomiting Confusion; memory loss Losing consciousness or fainting

TheHomewoodStar.com

June 2018 • B17

QUICK HITS

Highlands Bar & Grill, chef win Beard Awards BIRMINGHAM – Birmingham’s growing reputation as a foodie paradise got another big boost on May 7 when The James Beard Foundation announced its Restaurant and Chef Awards for 2018 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Brought to Highlands Bar & you by our Grill in Five Points sister paper: South was named Outstanding Restaurant and Dolester Miles, the restaurant’s pastry chef, won the ironcity.ink award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. This was the 10th year in a row that Highlands – known for its classic French technique and fresh ingredients – was a final no inee for est resta rants and the third year in a row that Miles had been nominated. The Beard Awards, which have been given since 1990, are thought to be the highest honor for food and beverage professionals in the United States.

Wing Ding 2018 to beneﬁt H and FF VESTAVIA HILLS – Leadership Vestavia Hills is once again inviting folks out for the city’s annual wing-cooking showdown as Wing Ding returns for another year. This year’s Wing Ding is set for Saturday, June 2 on the lawn at City Hall and ill enefit and the ysti i rosis Foundation. While spots in the competition are

open to a limited number of sponsors and usually sell out, Steur invited everyone to come out for the event and help determine the Peovestavia ple’s Choice award voice.com for the best wings. Admission to the event is $5 per person, and children under 10 years of age can enter for free. According to LVH, last year the event saw more than 3,000 guests and raised over $12,000. For more information about the event, including sponsorship options for local businesses and groups, visit leadership vestaviahills.com. Brought to you by our sister paper:

ocal schools named among top in state BIRMINGHAM METRO – U.S. News & World Report recently named several local high schools among the top in the state in its recent rankings. Mountain Brook High School placed second in the state, beaten only by Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School in Montgomery. Homewood High School placed third, followed by ak o ntain igh hool in fifth pla e Vestavia Hills High School in sixth place and Hewitt-Trussville High School in seventh place. Ramsay High School in downtown Birmingham ranked as the 12th best high school in Alabama, and Spain Park High School ranked 14th. Chelsea High School landed at 19th on the list, while Hoover High School was ranked 26th. The 2018 rankings are based on data from the 2015-16 school year.

The Homewood Star

B18 • June 2018

Calendar Homewood Events June 1: Community Grief Support Fundraiser. 6-10 p.m. Homewood Senior Center. Local band Total Assets will perform a benefit concert. Tickets $50 each. Visit communitygrief support.org. June 9: OLS Flag Retirement Ceremony. Drop-off noon to 6 p.m., retirement ceremony 6:30 p.m. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church parking deck. The OLS Knights of Columbus chapter

will collect U.S. flags to be retired in a patriotic ceremony with local Boy Scouts. The public is invited to attend, and a limited number of replacement flags will be for sale. June 12: An Evening with Jon Meacham. 5:30 p.m. Alabama Booksmith. Signing “The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels.” Visit alabamabooksmith.com.

June 13: Caleb Johnson. 5 p.m. Alabama Booksmith. Signing “Treeborne.” Visit alabamabook smith.com. June 19: Homewood Chamber March Membership Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. The Club. Visit homewoodchamber.com. June 21: Spencer Wise. 5 p.m. Alabama Booksmith. Signing “The Emperor of Shoes.”

Homewood Public Library Events Through July 31: Reading Rocks Beanstack Summer Reading. Visit homewood. beanstack.org to sign up for our Reading Rocks summer reading program. Pick up your summer reading bag at the Homewood Library. Starting June 3, earn prizes for reading 100, 300, 500 and 1,000 pages. Read at least 50 pages each week to enter our weekly drawing and get a weekly coupon. June 2: Shark Tank Jr. 2-3 p.m. Round Auditorium. Do you have an idea for a product or a service? Bring a piece of paper with the name, brief description, and drawn picture of your idea. Everyone will share their ideas and get feedback from local business owners on ways to work on the ideas all summer long. For rising K-fifth grades.

June 5: Water Play Day. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Library Parking Lot. Wear a bathing suit, bring a towel and don’t forget to wear your sunscreen. Enjoy water slides, water games and watermelon. June 5: Tween Rocket Stomps. 3-3:45 p.m. Round Auditorium. Learn how to make rockets using everyday household items. Online registration required. Open to rising fourth- through seventh-graders. June 4 and 19: Girls Who Code. 4-5:30 p.m. Room 110 (Lower Level). National club geared towards empowering girls in computer science fields. Open to girls in rising fourth grade and up. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops.

June 3: College Counts. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Kids will learn all about career possibilities while adults enjoy an informational session with a College Counts representative.

June 6: LEGO Workshop. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. This special hour-long LEGO Workshop will feature multiple LEGO challenges. For rising K through fifth-graders.

June 4: Beginning Ukulele Jam. 6-7:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Learn simple songs with the Birmingham Ukulele Society.

Thursdays: Summer Storytime. 10:30-11 a.m. Round Auditorium. Featuring stories, songs, dancing and more. Best suited for preschoolers but

all ages are welcome. June 7: Family Flix. 6-8 p.m. Large Auditorium. Join us for a fun family friendly movie on the big screen. Snacks and drinks will be provided. June 8: Move & Groove Storytime. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Large Auditorium. Interactive storytime filled with dance, yoga and fun. All ages. June 9: ‘60s & ‘70s Beach Party. 10:3011:15 a.m. Round Auditorium. Hang(ten) with us for gnarly crafts, far out games and tubular snacks while groovin’ on some funky tunes. June 9: Tween Camp Half Blood. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Calling all Percy Jackson fans. See if you and your demigod friends can survive the legendary Camp Half-Blood. Open to rising fourth- through seventh-graders. Online registration required. June 10: Special Siblings. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Room 110 (Lower Level).

TheHomewoodStar.com June 11: Kid Karaoke. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. An all-ages karaoke jam featuring family-friendly songs. June 11: Knight Chess Tournament. 5:30-7 p.m. Large Auditorium. Monthly chess tournament where you will learn strategy and fun. June 12: Alabama Wildlife Animal Show. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Large Auditorium. Alabama Wildlife brings some animal friends to teach about the wonderful creatures in our backyards. June 12: Tween Engineer It Yourself. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. Love to design, construct or build? See what cool things you can create. Open to rising fourth- through seventh-graders. No registration required and all supplies provided. June 14: Chopped Junior. 6-8 p.m. Large Auditorium. Register your family team for our second ever Chopped Junior competition. June 15: Bob Tedrow Music Show. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Large Auditorium. Join us for some sing-alongs with Homewood’s own Bob Tedrow of Homewood Musical Instrument Company. June 16: Bob Tedrow Music Show. 10:30-11 a.m. Round Auditorium. This special musical storytime is for babies (birth to one year) and their caregivers. June 18-20: Coding Workshop. 1:30-2:30 p.m. (rising grades K-2), 3-4 p.m. (rising grades 3-6). Room 102 (Lower Level). This special three-day coding class will immerse kids in the art of robot building. Registration required.

June 2018 • B19 June 5 and 19: Teen Hogwarts Academy. Take a Hogwarts class from Charms to the Defense against the Dark Arts and learn all you need to be an amazing wizard. Registration required. June 6: Teen Anime Club. 3-4 p.m. Large Auditorium. Discuss and watch anime. June 7: Teen Taste Testers. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. Try to recognize your favorite snack based on just the taste. Registration required. June 10: Special Siblings. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Room 110 (Lower Level). Share ideas, experiences and the ever-changing needs of having a special needs sibling. Ages 5-18. June 11: Animal Allies. 4-5 p.m. Room 102 (Lower Level). Help us raise the community’s awareness on animal-welfare issues. June 11: Knight Chess Tournament. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. A monthly chess tournament where you will learn strategy and fun. June 12: Tween Engineer It Yourself! 3-4 p.m. in the Round Auditorium. Love to design, construct, or build? See what cool things you can create. Open to rising fourth- through seventh-graders. June 12: Teen Hamilton Throwdown. 6 p.m. Large Auditorium. Test your trivia knowledge, finish the lyrics, and ust showcase how much you love Hamilton. Registration required. June 13: Teen Flower Crowns. 3-4 p.m. Room 101 (Lower Level). Design and create your own uni ue flower crown. egistration re uired.

June 19: Bubble Pop Rock & Roll Soda Shop. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Large Auditorium. Ms. Kit is back with another fantastic bubble show full of music and fun.

June 18: Teen Galaxy Fashion. 3-4 p.m. Large Auditorium. Turn a spacesuit into a piece of fashion fit for a runway. All supplies pro ided. egistration required.

June 21: Midsummer Celebration. 6-6:45 p.m. Large Auditorium. Celebrate the summer solstice with us with crafts and snacks.

June 19: Teen Hungry Hungry Hippos Live. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. See your favorite childhood game transformed into a life-size competition. Registration required.

June 22: Dance Discovery with Alabama Ballet. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Large Auditorium. Learn ballet steps, explore storytelling through dance and watch a performance by professionals. June 25: Dance Party. 3-4 p.m. in the Round Auditorium. An afternoon of music and dancing fun. June 25: Tween Coders. 4-5 p.m. Room 102 (Lower Level). Join us to learn the basics of computer coding. Open to fourth- through 12th-graders. No registration required, but participants are encouraged to bring their laptops. June 26: Gene Cordova’s Musical Zoo Revue. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Large Auditorium. Gene is in tune and out of control with Tater the Gater, Sydney the Shark, Lil Rex and Conrad the Cow. June 26: Library Flix. 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Large Auditorium. June 27: Zine Workshop. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. Learn the art of making zines. Registration re uired. ising K through fifth-graders. June 28: Family Flix. 6-8 p.m. Large Auditorium. Join us for a fun family friendly movie on the big screen. Snacks and drinks will be provided. June 29: Birmingham Zoo Animal Show. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Large Auditorium. Local creatures from the Birmingham Zoo visit the library. TEENS June 1: Teen Donut Decorating Summer Kickoff. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. Celebrate National Donut Day by decorating your own tasty donut. Rising sixth- through 12th-graders. Registration required. June 4: Teen Stuffed Animal Taxidermy. 3-4 p.m. Room 101 (Lower Level). See what a simple stuffed animal can be transformed into. All supplies provided. June 4: Beginning Ukulele Jam. 6-7:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Join us to learn simple songs with the Birmingham Ukulele Society. June 5 and 19: Girls Who Code. 4-5:30 p.m. Room 102 (Lower Level). Clube for girls interested in computer science fields. pen to girls in rising fourth grade and up. No registration required, but participants are encouraged to bring their laptops.

June 20: Teen Bath Bombs. 3-4 p.m. Room 110 (Lower Level). Learn how easy it is to create your very own bath bombs. All supplies included. Registration required. June 24: Teen Henna Tattoo Art. 3-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. Teens will learn how to create henna designs and receive a temporary henna tattoo. Registration required. June 25: Tween/Teen Coders. 4-5 p.m. Room 102 (Lower Level). Learn the basics of computer coding. No registration required, but participants are encouraged to bring their laptops. June 26: Library Flix. 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Large Auditorium. June 28: Teen Glitter Glass Art. 3-4 p.m. Room 101 (Lower Level). Join us for a crafty Thursday as Homewood’s own Do-It-Yourself Crafts shows us how to make art with glitter and glass! Artwork will not be ready immediately after the event, but within two wee s. articipants will be notified when their artwork is ready to be picked up from the Homewood Public Library. All supplies provided. Online registration required at homewoodpubliclibrary.org. ADULTS June 1: How to Build a Better Garden – Bicentennial Edition: History of Lane Park. 1-2 p.m. Round Auditorium. Join Jason Kirby, archivist for the Library at Birmingham Botanical ardens, as he discusses the history of Lane ar . Fridays: OLLI Presents American & European Film Classics. 2-5 p.m. Large Auditorium. Join us each Friday to watch a classic film. After the films, professionals will participate in discussions of the films. une iti en Kane, une Fahrenheit , une The icycle Thief and une Touch of il. June 2: AARP Smart Driver Course with Joe Ross. 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Room 102 (Lower Level). The AARP Smart Driver Course, offered by AA ri er Safety, is the nation s first and largest refresher course designed specifically for older dri ers. Registration required. Members $15, non-members $20. To register, call Joe Ross at 823-7067. June 5: Not Your Mama’s Book Club – Edgar Cayce: Modern Seer. 2-4 p.m. in the Boardroom. Read a book or an article, listen to a

podcast or an interview or watch a documentary and then discuss. June 7: Personal & Career Strength Test, Resume Rehabilitation. 5-6:30 p.m. omputer Training Lab Lower Le el . mployment Readiness Bootcamp with Tina Thornton. Classes are free, but seating is limited. Registration required. June 11 and 18: Library Yoga. From 10-11 a.m. Large Auditorium. Free yoga classes at the library. All le els of fitness welcome. o registration required, but bring your own mat. June 12: Oxmoor Page Turner’s Book Club. - p.m. oardroom. iscussing leanor liphant s ompletely Fine by ail oneyman. June 13: First Step Wednesdays: Get the Most Out of Your iPad and iPhone. - p.m. in the Large Auditorium. Apple certified trainers for Alabama Tech- ase answer your uestions on how best to use your Apple device.

become insured, and how to file a claim. June 19: Homewood Senior Center Book Club. 1-2:30 p.m. Homewood Senior enter. iscussing The oston irl by Anita Diamant. June 20: Niki Sepsas Presents Black Gold Highway: The Alaska Pipeline. 1-2 p.m. Round Auditorium. Hear the story of the construction of Alaska’s 800-mile oil pipeline through one of the most hostile environments on earth, and how it has impacted the lives of the people of Alaska. June 21: New Age Online Application Drill, Interview Performance Training. 5-6:30 p.m. Computer Training Lab (Lower Le el . mployment eadiness ootcamp with Tina Thornton. Classes are free, but seating is limited. Registration required. June 26: Library Flix. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Large Auditorium.

June 14: Bizart Presents Business 101 for Artists. 6:30-8 p.m. in Room 102 (Lower Level). Join us for this one of a kind workshop for artists who want to learn how to run their business better. Learn to price and market your work to its ma imum benefit. For more information contact bizart.al@gmail.com.

June 26: Dixie’s Pet Loss Support Group. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Room 106 (Lower Level). Grief/loss group is sponsored by the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. Participation in the workshop is free; however, reservations are requested since space is limited. Contact Randy Hicks, GBHS volunteer coordinator, at 542-7111.

June 16: Intro to Android Smartphones: Beginner Workshop. 10-11:30 a.m. and - p.m. Large Auditorium. plore the capabilities of Android smartphones and learn about texting, photos and apps. Register by calling 866-591-8105 or online at aarp.cvent.com/tekbirm.

June 27: The Better Than Therapy Book Club. 2-3:30 p.m. Boardroom. Discussing The hild by Fiona arton.

June 16: Beyond the Basics – Android Smartphones: Intermediate Workshop. Noon to 1 p.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. If you’ve mastered the basics and want to elevate your smartphone know how, this intermediate workshop is for you and includes maps, voice dictation and photos. Register by calling 866-591-8105 or online at aarp.cvent.com/tekbirm. June 19: The ABC’s of Medicare. Noon to 1 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. Room 116 (Lower Level). Karen aiflich will answer all your uestions about how edicare benefits are currently computed, how to

June 27: iProduct Master Class: Deep Dive Into the Settings for iPads & iPhones. 2:30-4 p.m. Large Auditorium. Class with Apple ertified trainers for Alabama Tech- ase gi e a deep dive into the settings for iOS devices. Learn how to get the most out of your devices by utilizing each group of settings, including: iCloud, Control Center, mail settings, Bluetooth, cellular and WiFi, battery, and much more. June 30: AARP Smart Driver Course. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Room 102 (Lower Level). The AA Smart ri er ourse is the nation s first and largest refresher course designed specifically for older drivers. AARP members $15, non-members $20. To register, call Joe Ross at 823-7067.