Homewood Star February 2023

Miss Sims’ Garden embarks on capital improvement plan

By NEAL EMBRY

Now under the management of a new nonprofit, Miss Sims' Garden will soon receive multiple upgrades as part of a capital improvement plan.

The garden’s manager, Amy Weis, said the nonprofit was created last year in order to protect the legacy of the garden’s founder, Catherine Anville Sims, as well as allow the garden to be used as a botanical park for public enjoyment and education.

When Weis took over in July 2018, it didn’t take long before she knew more needed to be done at the garden. In October 2018, she began creating a capital improvement plan. The need to have a master plan was part of the reason Weis was brought on as the first full-time manager of the garden, she previously told The Homewood Star.

“It wasn’t really working before. There’s only so much you can accomplish pulling weeds and mowing and weed eating and

By NEAL EMBRY

Lamnyak Lazaro Siria had never seen clean water before last year.

The Maasai warrior said about three days a week, while the men herded cattle and protected them from lions and other predators, the women in his Tanzanian village would walk 18 to 25 kilometers to bring back water for everyone. However, as the water was shared with elephants and other wildlife, it was filthy.

Still, it was all the village had.

That is until a chance encounter with a Homewood couple at the gallery near Mount Kilimanjaro where Siria works changed his life and the lives of thousands of other villagers forever.

CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN

Last July, Anne-Marie Touliatos, with The International Ministry of Jesus, climbed

From left: Lindsay Hugghins, Lynn Luckianow, David Lorberbaum, Miss Sims’ Garden caretaker Amy Weis, City Engineer Cale Smith and Jimmy Honeycutt at Miss Sims’ Garden in Homewood. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Anne-Marie Touliatos smiles with some of the villagers she met in Tanzania. Photo courtesy of Anne-Marie Touliatos.

Physician-driven, patient-centered kidney care

There have been amazing scientific medical advances in medicine in recent years – a non-smoking acquaintance in his 40’s was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer several years ago, and instead of a life expectancy of 6 months or so, he is living very comfortably taking a pill specifically designed for his cancer, for which he had a genetic predisposition. These incredible and transformative breakthroughs have been seen in many fields of medicine, but unfortunately, advancements in treatment for patients with kidney disease have lagged behind.

Due to the cost and complexity of care of patients with kidney disease, however, one area of innovation for which kidney disease care is becoming a proving ground is care delivery. Patients with chronic kidney disease are generally very medically complex, with higher rates of heart disease, cancer, and even gastrointestinal bleeding than the general population. They have significant care coordination needs focused on preventing worsening of kidney disease, preparation for kidney transplant, and unfortunately preparation for dialysis when appropriate. All of these facets of care require extensive and iterative education; there are many appointments required with various specialists at many different facilities (for which patients require something as simple as transportation); patients with kidney disease often require very extensive and complex medication regimens. Well-intentioned and hard-working nephrologists cannot provide all of this support alone, and deficiencies in support and care lead to worse outcomes for patients, increased hospitalizations, and significantly greater cost to the healthcare system as a whole.

CMS and private insurance companies are acutely aware of these problems. As a result of a combination of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the Executive Order Advancing American Kidney Health of 2019, in addition to a change in eligibility for Medicare Advantage plans for patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), we now have an opportunity to partner with both CMS and private insurers to make radical changes to our care delivery models in an effort to increase support, education, and care for patients with kidney disease – and doing so will almost assuredly lower costs.

The phrase being used for these changes in care delivery is “Value-Based Care.” There are a number of healthcare companies attempting to provide some of these services via care management systems run primarily by nurses and other support staff, often remotely, and rarely in partnership with a patient’s physician. In our case, I prefer a phrase that is less catchy but more accurate: “Physician-driven, patient-centered care.” It is physician driven because nephrologists will be taking responsibility and financial risk for every facet of their patients’ care. It is patient-centered because every medical decision we make in partnership with our patients will be guided only by what is best for those individual patients. Now, I would like to think that all of us as physicians have always made decisions for patients based only on what is best for them – but in a

fee-for-service system, we must all recognize that distorted incentives exist that affect how patients are cared for.

Along with 16 other practices nationwide, our practice has partnered with Evergreen Nephrology to provide physician-driven patient-centered care to our patients in need. Over the next several years, we expect to provide these expanded services to a majority of our ESKD and advanced CKD patients. We will be doing home visits, providing mental health support services where needed, addressing transportation limitations, education and patient engagement, food insecurity, early support and education for transplant services, medication review and education, just to name a few facets of care we will provide. Using data analytics and other advancements in information technology, we will be accessing all of a patient’s available electronic health information and leveraging that access and predictive modeling to identify and intervene on the highest-risk patients to make their lives better. We will be heavily focused on disease prevention and stabilization to reduce the number of patients who are forced to start dialysis or undergo transplantation; for those who worsen despite our best efforts, we will be helping to coordinate kidney transplantation when possible – hopefully before a patient ever needs dialysis if possible. For those who are forced to start dialysis, we will be highly focused on Home Dialysis modalities which have equivalent outcomes to standard in-center dialysis, but much better quality of life scores at a lower overall cost.

It is a very exciting time in nephrology as a result of these care delivery innovations. Our programs begin for a relatively small number of patients on 1/1/23, and we hope to increase those numbers dramatically over the next several years. I feel certain that our efforts will yield better, happier, and healthier lives for our patients, and I can’t wait to see to see the results.

Thomas Watson, M.D. is Board-Certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Born in Lexington, KY, he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Chemistry from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Watson received his medical education in Atlanta at Emory University where he was president of his graduating class. He continued his training in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Cornell University in New York, NY, where he was also honored to serve as assistant chief medical resident.

His interests include chronic kidney disease treatment and prevention, hypertension, electrolyte abnormalities, acute renal failure, and interventional nephrology—for which he is certified by the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology. He performs procedures at the Nephrology Vascular Lab. He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the Renal Physicians Association, and the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology.

Thomas H. Watson, M.D.

Editor’s Note

Every so often, a great story comes from out of seemingly nowhere. Such was the case with one of this month’s cover stories, featuring The International Ministry of Jesus, a Homewood-based ministry that is building wells in Tanzania.

After receiving an email from Anne-Marie Touliatos with the ministry, I spoke with her and heard how she and her husband met a young Maasai warrior named Lamnyak while visiting Tanzania. Lamnyak then told her how his village had no water and that the women in the village walked a long way each day to get dirty water, sharing it with livestock and elephants.

Months later, Touliatos celebrated when clean water was found underneath a village church, allowing a

By Neal Embry

someone halfway across the world, who, despite having no formal education, spoke not only perfectly clear English, but several other languages, I’m told.

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This story is one you don’t want to miss. We also have an update on a capital plan to improve Miss Sims’ Garden, along with stories featuring former Samford professor Barbara Sloan on her new theater book.

I hope you enjoy this month’s paper, and as always, thank you for reading!

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Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Anne-Marie if she could put me in touch with Lamnyak. A few minutes later, I was on the phone with

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A mural of the Homewood High School Patriot Band by Shawn Fitzwater is seen on the side of Bryant Bank in downtown Homewood. Photo by Erin Nelson.

City considering switch in drug screen provider

By NEAL EMBRY

Homewood city leaders are discussing whether to make a switch in providers of drug screens and possibly worker’s compensation services.

Harold Parker, who has been overseeing the city’s drug screens for decades, told the city’s finance committee that he’s unhappy with the services being provided by Ascension St. Vincent’s, whose occupational health clinic services the city as well as 13 other municipalities.

Parker said long wait times are keeping employees from getting back to work, along with other issues. Parker and other city officials said a majority of the problems with St. Vincent’s lies with their drug screenings, not their work in providing worker’s compensation services, such as physicals.

The city pays $10 per drug test and an additional $35 to the clinic’s lab per test, City Clerk Melody Salter said.

Mike Smith, director of clinical operations at St. Vincent’s, said the clinic operates a freestanding emergency room for employees, and as such, employees coming in for a drug test likely won’t be a priority if someone comes in with a medical emergency.

Employees might also be kept longer if they struggle to produce a specimen for the drug test, Smith said. Once an employee is sent for a drug test, they cannot leave.

The average wait time in 2022 was 37 minutes, said Kim Starling, director of staffing for employer solutions at St. Vincent’s.

Starling said a nationwide plastics shortage is impacting every provider of drug screens when it comes to collection cups. Parker, she said, was made aware of this shortage.

When problems do arise, Starling said the

company has owned up to it and explained it to the city. Out of somewhere between 200 and 300 drug screens provided to the city, Starling said St. Vincent’s only identified five that had what she described as “inappropriate” wait times.

Parker said he’s worried about the city being involved in a lawsuit if an employee

feels they’ve been harmed by St. Vincent’s practices. He said he was not satisfied with the explanations St. Vincent’s offered to the committee.

Finance committee chair Walter Jones, who did not return calls for comment, wasn’t satisfied, either.

“This is worse than I thought,” Jones told

Starling and Smith at a Dec. 19 meeting. At a Jan. 3 committee meeting, Jones said the wait times were “unacceptable.”

“The credibility of our drug program is at stake,” Parker said.

Starling said she’s proud of the work the company’s employees do.

“We’re very, very proud of our programs, and I think we do an exceptional job,” Starling said.

Starling also told the city there are other options for drug screening, such as Walgreens, if they want to separate that from St. Vincent’s other services for the city.

Fire Marshal Brandon Broadhead, the department’s liaison with the company for worker’s compensation purposes, is urging the city to not part ways with St. Vincent’s.

“I don’t have any complaints,” Broadhead said.

The company has gotten firefighters back to work faster, Broadhead said, and any small mishaps that have occurred have been addressed.

City Council President Alex Wyatt said the path forward is yet to be determined. More conversations will be held, but the option of separating drug screening from worker’s compensation services might not be as simple as it sounds.

“Often, the two are related,” Wyatt said.

In addition, providers are making money off of both and any splitting of services could impact rates.

Wyatt remains unconvinced of St. Vincent’s explanations. The data shown by St. Vincent’s doesn’t match anecdotal evidence provided by department heads and Parker, he said.

The issue will remain on the finance committee’s agenda until further notice, Wyatt said.

The Ascension St. Vincent's Occupational Health Clinic in Homewood. Photo by Neal Embry.

In times of need: Homewood Fire Department Foundation seeks to help city’s firefighters

By NEAL EMBRY

In early 2022, Homewood Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Broadhead realized the city needed a tax-free organization to assist the city’s firefighters during times of need.

While firefighters’ pay and benefits are taken care of through the city’s general budgeting process, a nonprofit, such as what the city’s police officers have through the Homewood Police Foundation, helps provide non-budgeted needs, most notably funds to help cover expenses and time off in the case of injury, something that can arise more often for first responders.

In March 2022, the Homewood Fire Department Foundation was awarded nonprofit status to allow them to raise funds for firefighters, Broadhead said. The board consists of Broadhead, Brian Jarmon, Alexander Glover, Rusty Hughes, Cary Cherry, Jimmy Long and Brady Wilson.

The main fundraiser at the moment is the First Responders 5K, the proceeds of which are split between the nonprofit foundations for

both the police and fire departments.

The foundation is working on offering and expanding a scholarship in memory of late Homewood Fire Chief John Bresnan, Broadhead said. There are also plans for a firefighter ball, a time to not only give back to firefighters, but to their spouses as well, he said.

“My wife has made as many sacrifices as I have,” Broadhead said.

Due to the large amount of money needed to assist firefighters in times of need, a nonprofit is necessary. There aren’t many ways to hold the money for those needs or for largescale events like a firefighter’s ball, Broadhead said. The city government is restricted on what it can spend money on.

While there is not a firm target goal yet, Broadhead said the foundation is likely to want at least $100,000 in the bank. The last First Responders 5K raised a little less than $50,000, he said.

Those wanting to get involved can send donations to the Homewood Fire Department Foundation at City Hall, located at 2850 19th Street South.

Mayor’s Minute

By Patrick McClusky

I hope that everyone’s 2023 has started off well, and that you haven’t been too affected by the frigid weather that comes in these first few months of the year. The dreary and cold weather can be disheartening, but spring is just around the corner, and I can tell you that I am as excited as you are for when it arrives!

From a city perspective, we are anticipating several projects on the horizon which will be greatly beneficial for our residents once they are completed. The Mecca Avenue sidewalk gives Edgewood residents a safer walking route to both Edgewood Elementary School and Homewood Middle School. This is a long awaited project that will immediately help in the needs of those residents.

The Delcris Drive sidewalk project in Forrest Brook is going to provide a much needed walking space for hundreds of residents in that part of West Homewood and will eventually connect all the way through that neighborhood.

I am most excited about the completion of the 18th Street west side project.

Downtown has never looked better, and I receive compliments from many people outside of Homewood who tell me that it’s such a great space, and how much they enjoy coming into the downtown and seeing how active that area is.

The College Avenue stormwater project is completed as well, and I am so grateful to Homewood City Schools and the administrators at Edgewood for their patience and fortitude as we navigated through that timely and disruptive project.

As we get closer to spring and people start to get outside more and more, I want to say thank you to all of our Homewood Street Department employees. Our medians, corridors and main walkways look great, and I know that our citizens and visitors appreciate your hard work in keeping them clean and safe!

Homewood fire medic Hampton Vinoski receives a holiday gift card from Jimmy Long, a board member with the Homewood Fire Department Foundation, at Fire Station No. 1 in Homewood on Dec. 14

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Compassionate Crossings

New business offers in-home euthanasia service for pets

By JON ANDERSON

When Lane and Kathryn Hagan found out this fall that their 15-year-old cat, Stella, didn’t have much time to live, they made the difficult decision to put her down.

Stella had beaten cancer in 2020 but had gotten sick again and was going downhill fast. The Hagans decided they didn’t want to put Stella through the trauma of a trip to the vet clinic, so they took advantage of a new business that provides euthanasia services at pets’ homes.

They called Dr. Lindsay Floyd of Compassionate Crossings in Hoover, who came out to the Hagans’ Mountain Brook home the same evening and gave Stella a peaceful transition into death in the comfort of her own home.

Lane Hagan said they wanted Stella’s final moments to be easy, and they also wanted their kids — ages 8, 6 and 5 — to be there to say goodbye.

Going through it at home was easier for everyone, Lane said. “You don’t want to go out and have an emotional experience in front of other people if you don’t have to,” he said.

Lloyd was professional and compassionate and talked to the children in a way they could understand what was happening, he said.

“It was a very pleasant experience,” Lane said. “We would definitely recommend her to anybody going through the same situation.”

Floyd, who grew up in Hoover and moved back to Bluff Park in 2012, works as an associate veterinarian at the Lincoln Veterinarian Clinic in Talladega County. She started her Compassionate Crossings business in October as a side business to help meet a need for both pet owners and vet clinics, she said.

Putting a pet to sleep is an incredibly intense time for most pet owners, and many people like the idea of letting their pet transition into death in a calm, quiet, comfortable environment to which the pet is accustomed, instead of taking their pet to an unfamiliar office with a lot of strangers and unfamiliar animals around, Floyd said.

Also, it’s difficult to get some animals to a vet’s office, she said. Cats usually are terrified of vet clinics, and some dogs are heavy, aggressive or nonmobile, she said. Sometimes, pet owners who are disabled have difficulty getting out, she said.

Floyd said she also isn’t trying to compete with vet clinics but instead provide a service for them as well. She only makes her appointments after hours (usually 6-10 p.m.) or on weekends or holidays, all times most vet clinics are closed, she said.

Also, providing in-home euthanasia service is

Business Business Happenings

NOW OPEN

Ramey Harrell, CLU is now a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones. Previously, he worked with Protective Life in a variety of positions.

205-414-0851, edwardjones.com

RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS

Little Professor in Homewood announced their forthcoming move from their current 18th Street location to the old Nadeau location at 2834 18th St. S., across from the Valley Hotel. Owners Jonathan and Meredith

not really a moneymaker for vets, she said. And with manpower shortages, it’s hard for vets to make time to leave the office, she said.

When she opened in October, Floyd sent letters to vet clinics in communities south of Birmingham, letting them know she was available to help, and vets surprisingly have been the source of most of her referrals, she said.

She had about 25 clients in her first two months, which was more than she expected, she said. Compassionate Crossings, while based in Hoover, also is licensed to do business in Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and other parts of Jefferson and Shelby counties, she said. As her business grows, she hopes to extend her reach into other communities, she said.

Compassionate Crossings does not provide any medical, surgical or hospice services — only euthanasia and body aftercare services, she said.

Floyd graduated from Hoover High School in 1999, got her doctorate in veterinary medicine

from Auburn University in 2007, completed an internship in medicine and surgery in North Carolina and then practiced for four years in South Carolina before moving back to Hoover in 2012. She has two dogs and two cats.

Hope Ausley of Cahaba Heights said she and her husband, Francis, also found Compassionate Crossings to be a big help when their 16-year-old cat, Simon, was nearing the end of his life this fall. Simon hated getting anywhere near a car and would not have liked the trip to the vet’s office, she said.

Floyd came to their home about 10 p.m. one night and was absolutely wonderful, Ausley said. She didn’t rush the process at all.

“We were able to hold Simon, have him in his heating pad and blanket,” Ausley said. “We sat in his favorite chair by the fireplace.”

It was better by far than having Simon get agitated about getting into a car and going to a veterinarian’s office, she said. “It was a real blessing.”

For more information, go to compassionatecrossings.com.

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

allowing the store to expand. The new store will include an outdoor patio, an all-new interior with a library-style mezzanine level with seating and quiet reading alcoves. There will also be an improved kids area, coffee bar and wider event space.

205-870-7461, littleprofessorhomewood.com

After 24 years of operation, Homewood Gourmet has outgrown its 28th Avenue South location and will be moving to 2705 18th Place S. in early spring of this year. At approximately 1,500 square feet, it will be larger and closer to some great walkable shopping. It will feature an expanded frozen food section as well as a grab-andgo section, making to-go orders more convenient than

ever before. Additionally, there will be more parking available for customers.

205-871-1620, homewoodgourmet.com

ANNIVERSARIES

For 25 years Vista Engineering has been providing materials consulting, research and design services. In 1998, Raymond Thompson retired from teaching in UAB’s School of Engineering to embark on a new endeavor using his expertise to help the private sector. Since opening, the company has served over 500 customers. 205-307-6550, vistaeng.com

Left: Ross Scruggs and Dr. Lindsay Floyd sit on their patio swing with Jack, center, the couple’s 12-year-old dog, and Dave, a 6-year-old sphynx cat, at their home. Above: Compassionate Crossings, an athome end-of-life pet service, offers families a variety of options of remembrance for their pet through pet cremation packages. Photos by Erin Nelson.

Homewood Pediatric

Homewood Pediatric Dentistry owner and pediatric dentist Dr. Caitlin Reaves is passionate about forming positive, long-term relationships with patients and their families.

“When kids and their parents know and trust their dentist, they feel comfortable discussing problems or hurdles that are interfering with good oral hygiene or nutrition,” Dr. Reaves says. “This information is crucial to developing a treatment plan that will work best for a child, but also long-term, good oral health habits that a family can successfully incorporate into their daily lives.”

Her goal at Homewood Pediatric Dentistry, which she opened in March 2022, is to provide a dental home where children can grow from birth to high school graduation with excellent routine, preventative and emergency dental care.

The office was designed to feel comfortable, fun and engaging for children with TVs on the ceilings, books and toys in the lobby and seating for parents in the treatment rooms.

While the office is new, the team members are not new to their respective roles, each with more than 10 years of experience.

“Everyone here loves children, and pediatric dentistry is our avenue to be able to work with them,” Dr. Reaves says. “We see the child first and then the teeth.” They try to establish a rapport with each patient so they can understand and respect the child’s individual personality, medical history and current oral health status, then tailor their approach to that child.

They also work to encourage children to care about their own dental health in ageappropriate steps at each visit.

“Kids are so moldable and fun,” Dr. Reaves says. “If I can help them learn how to make good decisions on their own, then we have a better chance to get good long-term outcomes.”

When asked what makes her good at working with kids, Dr. Reaves attributes it to her personality. “I enjoy interacting with children. If I were not a dentist, I would be a teacher,” she says. “I am sincere and compassionate, and I think that all comes across to both parents and kids. We don’t rush through appointments so the child can have a positive experience and parents can have the information they need to feel confident about their child’s oral health.”

Dr. Reaves grew up in Auburn and graduated from the UAB School of Dentistry in 2012. She worked for the Indian Health Service on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona for two years as a general dentist gaining extensive experience in public health, emergency dentistry, trauma dentistry, oral surgery and endodontics.

“I treated patients of all ages and all stages of oral disease,” Dr. Reaves says. “Because we had patients’ entire dental records, I was able to see how dental treatment that was done on patients as children turned out decades later. I have carried that public health experience and the importance of lifetime perspective for patient care with me since then.”

Dr. Reaves went on to complete a pediatric dentistry residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2016. During that time, she trained in dental care for special needs patients, the assessment and treatment of growth and development problems, different types of sedation and hospital-based dental treatment with patients

under general anesthesia.

Dr. Reaves stayed in South Carolina for more than four years in a large pediatric dental private practice and served on the board for the South Carolina Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

In the fall of 2020, Dr. Reaves decided it was time to open her own small, patientoriented office and combine the best wisdom from her public health and private practice experiences.

Homewood is a coming home for Dr. Reaves and her husband, who met in a downtown Homewood shop in 2010. While there have been many changes to Homewood since then, it still provides the community she desired for her practice.

“I don’t want to be a dentist who does not know my patients and their families,” she says. “I don’t think you get good outcomes that way, but also that’s no fun. I want to see families in the grocery store and at the ballpark where kids run up and show me their loose tooth.

“A lot of healthcare and medicine now feels like a separate world, very corporate, not personal and rushed. I believe young families are searching for something different.

“I could not have opened a solo practice any earlier in my career nor would I have wanted to. Each of the pieces along the way have helped shape me into the provider I am today, and added tools to my toolbox.”

Homewood Pediatric Dentistry emphasizes preventive services such as nutritional education, age appropriate oral hygiene habits and technique recommendations, fluoride application, and sealant placement. They offer a wide range of children’s dental services, including exams, cleanings, radiographs,

fillings, white crowns, silver crowns, extractions and space maintainers. When necessary they also offer sedation options including: nitrous oxide (laughing gas), in-office IV sedation with a board-certified medical anesthesiologist and dental treatment under general anesthesia at Children’s of Alabama Hospital. If a patient needs another type of specialty care — such as braces, root canal or wisdom teeth removal — her office will coordinate with the appropriate specialist so the patient receives the best care possible.

Dr. Reaves is also passionate about raising community awareness regarding the importance of dental health to a child’s overall health — a connection that she says is not properly appreciated in the United States.

“Cavities, or tooth decay, is the most common chronic childhood health problem in the U.S.,” she says. “Chronic pain has been shown to affect brain development, and dental pain causes problems with behavior, sleep, eating, speech and learning. It is hard to make good grades if you have a toothache preventing you from concentrating in class. It is hard to get proper sleep with a toothache keeping you awake.”

According to the American Academy of

Pediatric Dentistry, the best time to start taking your child to the dentist is by their 1st birthday. While not many teeth are present at this visit, there can be cavities or pre-cavities starting even this young, and early intervention allows for more conservative treatment options. The first visits also give parents opportunities to learn and ask questions.

“We, as a society, think of oral hygiene as being intuitive, but it is truly the most complex daily self-care skill we perform. Teaching that skill to a child is quite challenging.”

She also notes that cavities affect all kids, but she has noticed a large uptick in significant decay for children whose parents work in careers at risk for “high caregiver fatigue” including doctors, nurses and teachers.

Dr. Reaves is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She is also a winner of the Pugh Award, which is an elite recognition given only to pediatric dentists who score in the top 3% on the written board exam.

Passionate about community outreach and the importance of oral health education, she has taught parent workshops at preschools and lectured to the UAB pediatric medicine residents about pediatric oral health. She is happy to present at any local school, PTO or business that wants their members to learn more about pediatric oral health.

Over the years, Dr. Reaves and her husband would periodically talk about Homewood and what it would be like to return. They are grateful that those conversations have now turned into reality for them and their young children: Henry, 5; Lucy, 3; and their “surcee baby,” who is due soon.

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Community

Former Samford professor releases book

By NEAL EMBRY

Former Samford University theater professor Barbara Sloan has recently released a book, “Theatre is My Life!”

The book is meant to be read daily, with each of the 366 entries featuring quotes or passages from plays, along with Sloan’s thoughts.

Sloan, a Vestavia Hills resident, said she loves day books and has read one every year for the past 12 years. She realized, however, that one did not exist for theater lovers, so she wrote it herself.

“It’s somewhat spiritual in nature,” Sloan said of the book.

Much like day books involving scripture or inspirational words, theater, too, can be “holy,” Sloan said. While it takes place in the present as the viewer sees the play unfold before them, plays can transport the viewer to different times and places, introducing them to people they might otherwise not meet, Sloan said.

Readers of the book will get some theater history, some personal memoir, some philosophy and more as they interact with the different play quotes and writings, Sloan said.

Many of the writings came from Sloan’s extensive theater calendar, which she uses to track the days plays debuted, the births and deaths of famous playwrights and more. Putting the book together involved a good bit of research, she said.

“It really made my memory a lot stronger,” Sloan said.

Sloan’s path to theater started while she was a student at the University of Montevallo. She earned a degree in English but was a part of multiple productions, beginning with “Of Thee I Sing.” Sloan also served as a College Night

leader, helping produce a play entirely written, composed and performed by students, along with overseeing other parts of the university’s intracampus competition.

Sloan fell in love with theater and spent her career designing costumes, building sets and more.

“It probably really saved me,” Sloan said. “If I had stayed just being a writer, I would have been isolated.”

Theater brings people together, Sloan said, across many differences.

“I think it’s the camaraderie,” Sloan said. “If you’re working in theater, you’re an honored individual.”

From 1976 to 2001, Sloan taught at Samford, teaching others the joy of theater, hoping to inspire that love for them. One of her favorite classes to teach was outside the theater major, teaching theater appreciation, which included many non-majors.

Being a costume designer also provided her with a different perspective, one she was able to pass on to students.

“As a costume designer, you have to walk in the shoes of every single character,” Sloan said. “You honor the playwright and the playwright’s vision.”

Sloan said when she reads a play, she’s looking for clues as to what a character might wear,

things that other readers and performers might not pick up on. Anything that might reveal a character’s personality should also come across in what they wear, she said.

Sloan has also worked at American Village, creating costumes and training interpreters as the village’s creative director. She has also served as the executive director of the Seasoned Performers, the state of Alabama’s only senior adult theater group.

She also still volunteers locally at different theaters and is currently working on finishing a children’s book on theater etiquette.

“Theatre is My Life!” can be purchased on Amazon.

Have a community announcement? Email Neal Embry at nembry@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.

Barbara Sloan, author of “Theatre is my Life!”, sits in the Harrison Theatre at Samford University on Dec. 19. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Homewood Rotary hosting St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser

On Saturday, March 4, Homewood Rotary Club will host its 2023 St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser. Guests will enjoy a buffet dinner including tastes of Ireland, a cash bar with a signature cocktail and live music from Celtic band Hooley. A collection of silent auction items will be available for bid, followed by a live auction. Homewood resident and real estate professional Johnny Montgomery will serve as guest “Honorary Leprechaun” auctioneer for this year’s event, encouraging bids in support of the club’s scholarship fund.

Proceeds from the evening benefit The Bill Crawford Education Foundation of

Homewood Rotary Club, a 501(c)3 organization which has been providing scholarships to Homewood High School seniors since 1984. More than $220,000 has been awarded to more than 145 students since the program inception.

The evening’s festivities take place at the Valley Hotel, beginning at 5:30 p.m. and concluding around 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and are available on Eventbrite.com [search for 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Event]. Corporate event sponsorships are available via email to jmkyle55@gmail.com.

– Submitted by Homewood Rotary Club.

On March 4, the Homewood Rotary will host its 2023 St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser at the Valley Hotel. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Schoolhouse

JCCHS student receives national recognition

John Carroll Catholic High School senior, Stanley Stoutamire, has been awarded one of two delegate positions for the United States Senate Youth Program for 2023.

The USSYP brings the highest-level officials from each branch of government together with an outstanding group of high school students. Student delegates will be immersed in Washington Week activities throughout the week of March 4-11. Delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials of the departments of State and

Defense, and directors of federal agencies, as well as participate in a meeting with a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and possibly the president of the United States. Additionally, each session with elected officials includes an in-depth question and answer period.

In addition to attending the Washington Week public service and leadership program, Stoutamire will be receiving a $10,000 college scholarship.

– Submitted by John Carroll Catholic High School.

Homewood Middle School counselor receives state award

Homewood Middle School counselor Anna Grace Baldwin has received the Alabama Counseling Association’s 2022 Dr. Ervin “Chip” L. Wood Distinguished Professional Service Award.

This award is given to honor and recognize

outstanding service at the local, state and national level that reflects a significant contribution to the professional concerns of the Alabama Counseling Association and to stimulate future service for the well-being of the counseling profession.

– Submitted by Homewood City Schools.

Homewood Middle School counselor Anna Grace Baldwin has received the Alabama Counseling Association’s 2022 Dr. Ervin Chip” L. Wood Distinguished Professional Service Award. Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.

John Carroll Catholic High School senior Stanley Stoutamire has been awarded one of two delegate positions for the United States Senate Youth Program for 2023. Photo courtesy of John Carroll Catholic High School.

Homewood Parks & Recreation

Classes & Activities

Central Barre

Tuesdays 6:15am & Saturdays 8:15am

at Homewood Community Center

Central Barre is a small group fitness class incorporating barre, core, cardio, balance, strength training and stretch to give you a complete workout in 55 minutes. We use a variety of small equipment such as weights, resistance bands, balls and sliding discs to increase variety and provide real results.

Email ellyngagnon@gmail.com for more information

Belly Dancing

Class Fee: $50 per session

Contact Nuriyah: nuriyahraqs@gmail.com

Learn the ancient art of belly dance with Aziza’s School of Middle Eastern Dance. Each session is 4 weeks long at the Homewood Community Center.

Dance Trance

Tuesday & Thursday 5:45pm-6:45pm

Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 9:30am-10:30am

Homewood Community Center

Dance Trance is a high-cardio, high-energy dance fitness experience that leaves participants soaking wet! It is a non-stop workout that feels more like a party than an exercise class. www.dancetrancefitness.com

Fun For All Line

Dancing

Beginner and Beyond Beginner line dance instruction encompassing a variety of music genres, e.g., pop, country and R&B. You will learn line dance terminology, line dance steps, and, of course, line dances to specific music.

Homewood Community Center - Studio 2 Tuesdays 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM $5.00 per person per visit For more information contact funforalllinedancing@gmail.com

North Star Martial Arts

North Star Martial Arts primary focus is to make a life lasting impact on our students, and their families. Classes range from beginners to adults. For detailed class listings and times please visit the park’s website or www.northstarma.com.

205-966-4244 • info@northstarma.com

Bench Aerobics Step & Line Dance

Tuesday: 4:15pm – 5:15pm (Step Aerobics) Thursday: 4:15pm – 5:15pm (Cardio Line Dance)

All classes in Fitness Studio 2 @ Homewood Community Center

Cost: Classes are FREE (with donations) For more information contact Rosa at 205-253-9344 or benchaerobics@bellsouth.net

Royce Head Personal Training

Affordable personal training available to members in the Fitness Center at the Homewood Community Center. Workouts are fast, fun, safe, and effective and each person is started with a program to fit their fitness level. Call Royce for more information: (205) 945-1665

YoLimber

Vinyasa yoga classes in an energetic environment using upbeat music at Homewood Community Center. All levels welcome. Friday: 8:00am-9:00am - Basics Class Friday: 9:30am-10:30am - Regular Class Contact Marla: 205-223-8564 • mac@yolimber.com

Confi.Dance

Confi.Dance is a dance class in a small group setting to teach you the secrets of looking good on the dance floor and having more fun than you thought possible. Class Meets: Wednesday 3:00pm – 4:00pm at Homewood Community Center For more information: Jackie Tally jgtally@aol.com

Fast Track Line Dance

We learn the current and classic intermediate-advanced line dances.  This class is not for beginners. Fitness Studio 2 @ Homewood Community Center. Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm Jackie Tally jgtally@aol.com (or) Helen Woods aquafool@aol.com

FIT4MOM

FIT4MOM Birmingham provides fitness classes and a network of local moms to support every stage of motherhood. From pregnancy, through postpartum and beyond, we serve our community by offering our fitness and wellness programs to help keep moms strong in body, mind and spirit. View our website for Membership Plans, Passes and Schedule. https://birmingham.fit4mom.com/

Senior Center

Intro to Line Dancing

This class is for those who have never done line dancing. We will start from scratch!!! See you there!

Be sure to contact the Senior Center (205-332-6500) to sign up, so that Jackie will how many to expect.

Wednesdays, 9:30 – 10:15am

Instructor: Jackie Tally

DanceFit

DanceFit’s is easy-to-mimic dance moves with enough repetitions so that participants have time to “catch on.” Includes linear traveling moves, occasional turns, and arm movements so it does have a light cardio element.

Thursdays, 1:30pm

Instructor: Galina Waites

Tai Chi

45minutes will be dedicated to the simpler-yet-effective Tai Chi for Arthritis & Fall Prevention while the last 15 minutes will offer a more challenging level of Tai Chi. This class is easy on the joints, helps to calm/focus the mind, and is great for developing better balance.

Mondays, 1:30pm

Instructor: Galina Waites

This morning, I took our dog Ruby on our daily walk up and down the streets around our house. I try to do it every day, but of course, there are days when I have errands or plans or it’s too wet or cold, but if I can swing it, I take her. If I don’t, she’ll lie by the front door for hours, reminding me with occasional heavy sighs that I’ve forsaken her. I don’t handle the guilt very well, so I try my best to leash her up and take her out.

It rained for a few hours earlier this morning, but it stopped just before we set out. Because we’re in winter, it’s not humid and steamy as it would have been in the summer. Instead, it’s cool and damp, with water dripping off every surface and pooling in every crack and crevice. I’ve realized lately that by walking close to the same time every day, I’ve become accustomed to many of nature’s rhythms and routines in this little corner of the world. Today, as we set out on our walk, the low-hanging clouds both muffle and amplify the sounds around us, and the recent rain has every nook and cranny teeming with life. I walk slowly and carefully, and we take it all in.

A hawk circles high overhead, its wings open as it coasts on breezes I don’t feel here on the ground. As usual, a few angry blue jays dart around in the air below it, screaming out warnings to stay away from their nest high in the pine tree across the street. Up the road, a neighbor has a tree in the

corner of her yard that’s always full of birds. In the spring, it holds nests with eggs, but today, it’s alive with the fluttering of wings as little birds hop from branch to branch, chirping and calling in a language I can’t understand. Nearby, there’s a powerline strung between two houses. Last week I spotted a lone owl sitting on the line, his head swiveling slowly side to side. I look today, but I don’t see him. Maybe he doesn’t like to get his feathers wet.

There’s a large house down the street with an open garage. Friends who live nearby say bats rush out of the garage every night at 8:00 in the warm months, a massive cloud of black sweeping into the sky in search of a nightly mosquito meal. We’ve never seen this bat parade, but I’m determined to catch it one day. A few streets away, we pass one of my and my kids’ favorite sights, a koi pond built into a terraced yard with a trickling spring. We love looking at the beautiful orange and white koi that swim among the rocks and ivy. One day as we passed by, the owner came outside and asked if I was inter ested in having fish of my own. He said he’d woken up a few days before to a bunch of koi babies swimming around, an unexpected addition to his pond. Today, I pass by with out stopping to check and see if he’s found a

home for the surprise additions. As we walk, our feet quiet on the wet leaves in the road, dogs amble or race to the very limits of their front yard electric fences to investigate Ruby, the curlyheaded, skittish dog walking by. Ruby pulls on the leash to keep as far away from the dogs as she can, but when she sees a squirrel dart across the road, she’s intrigued. Not enough to run after it, but I see her ears prick up and her nose wiggle. When we make the turn out of the neighborhood and onto a busier street, I’m delighted to find it free of cars. The only non-nature sounds I hear are someone hammering a few streets away and the low roar of the interstate, but that’s so commonplace it fades into the background. When it’s quiet like this, I like to imagine what this part of Homewood might have been like 100 years ago, or even more, when there were no leaf blowers or loud lawn mowers, no commercial airplanes soaring overhead, no cars or trucks disturbing the peace. I wonder which of the trees we pass under has been here the longest.

As we turn back onto our street, I notice

it still has a particular beauty. Its branches are stark, blown clean of all leaves, and in their place are thousands of water droplets. They are pearls strung up and down the length of each branch, waiting for the sun to come out and burn them away.

We’re two houses away from our own now, and Ruby pauses and looks back at me. Lately I’ve been letting her off her leash a little ways away from our house so she can run back home. It’s a small thing, but she loves it. I reach down and unclip the leash and she takes off, bounding through our neighbor’s grass and over a low wall on the side of our yard. As we approach our front door, the tiny brown chipmunk that lives in our bushes darts across the path and into a hole on the side of the front walk. Ruby jumps up against our front door, leaving two wet paw prints on the sun-faded wood. I unlock and we go inside, and as I put away the leash, I’m already looking forward to our next walk. Maybe tomorrow we’ll see the owl.

When I’m not writing about my family and our various shenanigans, I write novels and go to the grocery store. My novels are found in stores, online, and locally at Little

Deborah Sema, D DMD, MS · Andrew Havron,

Lauren Denton

Denton

We were newlyweds, living in a grungy apartment.

Each morning, I would wake before her. I would pass my morning hours writing poetry on a yellow legal pad, sipping coffee.

Mostly, I’d write the kinds of god-awful things you’d expect newlyweds to write. I’m talking painfully corny stuff. I’d leave these poems on slips of paper scattered throughout our apartment for her to find.

One such poem read:

Together, the two of us, In thought, and deed, and breath, and heart, Shall never be lacerated apart.

Gag me with number-two pencil. “Lacerated?” What kind of a dork uses that word? In fact, I’m not certain this verb works in this particular case.

LACERATE [verb: las-uhreyt] lac·er·at·ed, lac·er·at·ing 1. to tear; mangle; rip. Example: Hey dude, that poem you wrote really freakin’ lacerated.

My wife saved all my crummy poems in a shoebox, and today they reside in a storage closet.

Anyway, when we first married, we lived in an apartment that smelled like dead squirrels. I am not being figurative. I mean our apartment actually had a nest of decomposing squirrels in the attic above our master bedroom.

The place was tiny, and about as ugly

Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich

For my Valentine

as homemade soap. The tenant before us had painted the walls black and greenish-gray. Sherwin Williams officially titled this color “Seasick Granite.”

When we moved in, we made the place our own. We painted the walls brown and khaki. We bought a used coffee table and some scented candles.

My friend, Chubbs, found an old console television on the side of the road. I was lucky enough to claim the TV before the garbage man came.

The thing was heavier than a dead preacher, but we got it up the stairs. Chubbs, however, would suffer from severe disc degenerative problems for the rest of his life.

Our building sat across the street from a Waffle House, a Chick-fil-A and an ice cream shop. And this is why we gained nearly fifty pounds within our first year of marriage.

We never went to the movies because we didn’t have the money. We ate Hamburger Helper without hamburger sometimes.

We saved our cash for a new window unit AC — our air conditioner was on the fritz. The thing would only work on days of the week beginning with “R.”

On weekends, every weekend, we ate donuts. It was our simple ritual, and I loved it. Krispy Kreme was only a stone’s throw from us, and when the hot-and-ready

light would glow, by God, we were there.

Over donuts, we would talk for hours about nothing. Heavy doses of sugar can do things to the human mind. It can make a person honest.

She told me all her stories. I told her mine. You can do a lot of soul-searching over crullers.

My professional life was non-existent, I took whatever jobs I could get. I spent days crawling rooflines, swinging a hammer, or operating a commercial lawn mower. She worked as a preschool teacher at church, or in a kitchen.

For extra income, I played piano at a Baptist church on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, Wednesday nights, Thursday night choir practices and Saturday night prayer meetings.

We learned things about each other. We learned important things.

We learned how to argue in the middle of a Winn-Dixie, and how to attend two Thanksgivings in one day. How to share a sunset, seated on the hood of a truck. How to read in bed with a flimsy battery-powered book light.

We learned how to travel together with paper maps. And after years of practice, we finally learned how to make a bed together without me getting murdered. We learned how to hold each other when loved ones die. We learned how to sit together — me reading a magazine, her

playing a crossword puzzle.

We learned how to wring our hands in hospital waiting rooms. We learned how bury dogs with a shovel and a burial sheet. We learned how to make a life together.

A lot has changed since those days, but I still wake early in the mornings to write. I don’t use a legal pad anymore, I use a laptop.

This morning, however, I did not write. Instead, I sifted through our storage closet. I found things. An old coffee-tin sewing kit, some scented candles, love poems and the picture of a young man and his new wife in their first apartment.

In the picture, the place had ugly gray walls, but that’s the only ugly thing about this photo.

He’s holding her. She’s holding him. They are young. Their skin is smooth. I wish I could tell you how much I love these two people in the picture.

I wish you could see their faces, and their punch-drunk smiles. You can tell they belong together by looking at them. You simply know that their names should never be said apart.

It’s as though nothing bad in this life can ever touch them. As though the two of them, in thought, and deed, and breath, and heart, shall never be lacerated apart. I suppose that word is growing on me. Happy Valentine’s Day, Jamie.

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

Dietrich

SIMS

blowing. You need to actually have a plan or just maintenance isn’t enough,” Weis said. “It was always limited to what the caretakers could do in their spare time, nights and weekends.”

Much of the work focuses on landscaping and pathways. The existing pathways will be slimmed down to make it easier to navigate and ADA accessible, Weis said. An additional bathroom, the replacing of the garden shed, a new greenhouse and additional parking are also part of the plan, along with stormwater improvements, which Weis said will be “extensive.”

The stormwater improvements will hopefully “be the example of best practice in stormwater management for the city,” she said.

“In addition to the conspicuous new main pathway through the garden and a general greening up of the garden, you will notice dry creek beds, rain gardens, rain cisterns and bioswales; all things to slow down and retain as much of the run-off on the property as possible,” Weis said.

City Engineer Cale Smith said he hopes Miss Sims' Garden can be an example for the rest of the city. It’s a timely improvement, as the city of Homewood awaits the results of a stormwater study that will help outline future improvement plans.

There’s no reason those improvements can’t look good, too, Weis said.

“People … will see beautification features that are functional,” she said.

Homewood doesn’t have many shaded parks; the improvements at the garden will help create at least one, Weis said. Eventually, she said, she wants to make improvements to the house and make it more of an event space. Having the house available for events gives Weis a back-up in the case of bad weather, she said. While she currently lives at the home, she hopes to eventually sell it and move out.

In addition to those changes, Weis said she plans to restore the garden’s plants, using a 1996 inventory that shows which plants were present at the time, the “peak of her garden.”

“The list includes not only what, but where, and in some instances who gave her the

plants,” Weis said. “For example, we have trillium from Miss Bridges of the Pink House fame, a boxwood from Mount Vernon and a pink rose from Ouita Fritshi. I will use that to reestablish the glory of the garden from Catherine’s time.”

David Lorberbaum, who sits on the garden’s board and works as a landscape architect, said under Weis’s leadership, there is a consistency with the plans, an adherence to Sims’ vision, something that was missing under prior caretakers.

Sims was a “very generous woman” who knew her home could be a positive space for the community to come and enjoy, said former neighbor Lynn Luckianow. Each year, Sims, affectionately known as the “Plant Lady,” would hold a plant sale. And if you visited her home, she’d make sure you left with plants or seeds.

The garden is a way to honor her legacy, Weis said. The board is now working on a capital fundraising plan. The cost to run the garden is about $30,000 per year, and while

most of that can be raised through fundraising, Weis said the garden has not had to dip into fundraising money because the Homewood City Council has provided those operating costs since 2018.

Five years ago, the estimated cost of the landscaping was about $425,000, Weis said. The city has given the garden $91,000 to help with the project. But costs have risen with the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues and inflation.

“Seeing what the city has been going through with getting bids for stormwater work, we are not too optimistic that we are going to fare any better with our bid process,” Weis said.

She sent bids out in July 2022, but it took until late in the year before two companies agreed to submit bids, the details of which were not known by press time. Those bids were only for phase one, not the entire plan. Phase one will focus on parking, improving the roadway, stormwater improvements and the reworking of the garden’s event space,

which has become increasingly popular. Since Weis took over in 2018, visitation is up more than 1,000%, she said.

Improving the event space will make it easier to host a variety of functions, Weis said. Someone reached out recently wanting to have a wedding reception at the garden, but it was too small as it is, she said. The phase one changes will alleviate some of those issues, Weis said.

As of December 2022, the garden had raised about $200,000 for the project, Weis said.

But even if the total amount is not raised right away, she said the plan allows the garden to pursue improvements as the money does come in.

“We can start with phase one and at least have a significant improvement if we are unable to have a seamless project,” she said.

Weis has also spent time during her time at the garden raising funds and writing grant applications, in addition to facilitating events like the Pumpkin and Mum Sale and photos with Santa Claus during the holiday season.

“The majority of visitors are families and the majority of events we host are centered on children, families, youth and school groups,” Weis said. “Think birthday parties, boy and girl scout troops and homeschool groups. Last year we hosted the entire Hall-Kent kindergarten class for a pumpkin patch field trip. We have also catered to a lot of adult interests, such as beekeeping demonstrations, several flower arranging classes, jazz and coffee in the garden, cocktails in the garden, garden clubs, etc.”

Weis previously told The Homewood Star she wanted the garden to look like a magazine cover, like a destination seen in Southern Living or Better Homes and Garden.

“I still do, but it has to be as functional as it will be pretty,” she said. “This plan was really born out of necessity — necessity to fully realize Miss Sims’ legacy wish, yes of course — but also necessity to remediate stormwater from all the burgeoning, now realized, development uphill.”

To donate, visit gofund.me/b5e32fed or search Venmo charity accounts for sims-garden. There are also opportunities to sponsor, and prospective sponsors can email simsgarden@homewoodal.net.

WELLS

Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania along with her husband, two of their children, her brother and his family. Following their climb, they were able to take safari trips for a couple of days.

When the chance came for a third safari, the family chose to go shopping at a gallery nearby instead. While shopping, they met Lamnyak Siria, an employee at the gallery assigned to help the family.

Learning that Siria was a Maasai warrior, they began talking more with him and learned about the daily struggle to get even dirty water, Touliatos said. Siria told the couple the water they drank was shared with cows and elephants.

The couple shared their faith with Siria and prayed for him and exchanged emails so they could keep in touch. Despite having very little formal education, Siria is fluent in English.

After leaving Tanzania, Touliatos made sure videos and photos of the village got to her ministry. They worked to get a professional out to the site to figure out if there was any water in the area.

While the geologist worked, members of two churches in the area gathered together and prayed for water. They walked around for hours, praying and searching and drilling, but no water was found.

The geologist went down 160 meters but found no water. Twenty meters further down, it was still dry.

The geologist went back to one of the churches and told those operating the drill to move it to the side of the church. The machine overheated, but after getting it working, they let it drill all night.

At 6 a.m. on a Sunday, underneath the same church villagers had prayed at the day before, water sprayed out from under the ground, clean and clear. It was a miracle.

“We’ve never seen clear water,” Siria said. “The water is now for them.”

The water is “like life,” Siria said, but villagers never thought they could have it.

“Now, we are saying, ‘Glory to God,’” Siria said.

The villagers are now able to stay in one place and build a life instead of traveling around so often, he said.

“Now the lifestyle of the Maasai can change,” Siria said.

After the well was built, villagers began building homes around it while others began selling their wares. Water has formed a community, Touliatos said.

“Water is the new currency of the world,” she said.

Touliatos and others from the ministry attended a dedication of the well and were

able to share the “Jesus” film with villagers, she said. It allowed them to give an answer to Siria, who told Touliatos in the gallery that the villagers did not know where they would go when they died and they “hope someone will tell us.”

Touliatos said the ministry plans to build three more wells in other communities nearby, freeing the women to do something else with their lives.

The well can serve between 2,000 and 3.000 people and work is ongoing to build a fence around it to protect it from animals that try to use it themselves.

The money for the fence is about $10,000, Touliatos said.

The group also plans to build a well this

year in a village named Kati-Kati, which is 29 kilometers from any water source, Touliatos said.

Being able to help the village was a divine directive, she said.

“It’s God’s Spirit who speaks in your heart who tells you what to do,” she said. “It was a unique circumstance.”

The mission also fit seamlessly into one of the ministry’s themes, “united in Christ.” In Christ, she said, people are “not black or white, male or female.”

“God sees us all equally,” Touliatos said.

The villagers are very happy, Siria said, and recognize that God is behind it.

“God has allowed them to come and do [this] for us,” Siria said.

Amy Weis spreads mulch in a bed of asparagus in the Grow More, Give More kitchen garden at Miss Sims’ Garden in Homewood on Jan. 11 Photo by Erin Nelson.

Left: Anne-Marie Touliatos, right, stands with Lamnyak Siria, left, and Charles Loleku of the African Inland Mission, center, near the well in their Tanzanian village. Right: Clean water fills into a bucket in a Maasai village. Photos courtesy of Anne-Marie Touliatos

healthy new

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are also welcome.

Patients never have to leave UAB Callahan Eye’s care — or Alabama — for the treatment they need to see the future more clearly.

Delivering high-quality skincare, cosmetic care at 2 ‘family-friendly’ locations

GUNN DERMATOLOGY

An accredited, board-certified dermatologist with 15 years of experience, Dr. Holly Gunn opened her own practice — Gunn Dermatology — in Crestline Village in August 2020.

Dr. Gunn has sought to create a friendly, neighborhood facility serving all ages, people and skin types, and she says that caring for her patients is very gratifying.

“The best feeling in the world for me is feeling like I’m helping people,” she says. “When people come to me with a problem that I know how to fix or improve, it brings me so much joy. It’s one of the best parts of life.”

Since Gunn Dermatology opened, Dr. Gunn has become known for her one-on-one consultations in which she creates personalized cosmetic treatment plans that allow each patient to achieve his or her healthiest, strongest skin.

In fact, things have gone so well that Dr. Gunn opened a second location of her practice in November at the new, expanded Lane Parke in Mountain Brook Village.

“We had a beautiful grand

opening soiree with a red carpet, champagne and the best crew of our closest friends, family and patients,” Dr. Gunn says. “It was absolutely magical to see it all come to life.”

Dr. Gunn and her staff have received positive feedback regarding the new facility. Patients say they love the new location describing it as beautiful, open, inviting and therapeutic.

“It’s a little getaway in the middle of Mountain Brook. It’s so luxurious and filled with happiness right when you step in the door,” Gunn’s staff says. “It’s fun to see people’s faces when they walk in.”

Gunn Dermatology offers pediatric, medical, surgical, cosmetic and aesthetic services. Gunn and her staff help patients with all types of skin issues, such as acne, scarring, rashes and infections, as well as wrinkles, sun spots and other signs of aging.

Dr. Gunn is also passionate about skin cancer prevention and has published articles in dermatology and psychology journals drawing on her extensive research and experience in dermatologic diseases.

Gunn Dermatology offers most of the same services at the new location as it does in Crestline, but the practice has added more.

“We are now offering cryotherapy, infrared sauna sessions and spray tans,” Dr. Gunn says. “We strive to be a full-service wellness center to serve our current patients and members. We are also now offering non-surgical, safe and effective treatment to basal cell and skin cancers.”

Dr. Gunn says that it has been rewarding to watch her practice grow.

“It's been scary and takes time from my family, but I love what I do and I love that we had the need to grow to fulfill a commu-

nity need,” she says.

The practice now has 23 employees at the Crestline and Lane Parke locations and is continuing to hire, Dr. Gunn says.

Gunn Dermatology continues to set a high standard for patient care and service.

“Through our most cut-

ting-edge technologies and individualized approach, we are able to consistently deliver high-quality skincare,” Dr. Gunn says.

At both locations, Dr. Gunn and her staff seek to provide what she calls “not just good medical care, but great medical care, in a luxurious environment.”

Meet Jaquavion ‘Qua’ Johnson

CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

Jaquavion “Qua” Johnson was born in September 2006. As a doctor was checking on the infants in the local hospital nursery, his attention quickly turned to Qua as he was turning blue. He was stabilized then airlifted to Children’s of Alabama. Doctors there determined he had a congenital heart defect called tricuspid atresia, a surprise to mom Marquitta Rivers.

“No one had a clue he was sick at birth,” Marquitta said.

At five days old, Qua had the first of a series of open-heart surgeries that are customary for his diagnosis. Tricuspid atresia happens when the heart’s tricuspid valve does not develop, therefore blood can’t flow from the heart’s right atrium (upper receiving chamber) to the right ventricle (lower pumping chamber) as it should. Marquitta recalls her “tough cookie” of a son riding around the hospital at age 2-1/2 in a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, recovering quickly after his last surgery.

He played a variety of sports throughout childhood, but when Qua reached middle school, mom Marquitta noticed her son just wasn’t himself. “He is my child, and I knew something was wrong.”

In early March 2021, a series of visits to his hometown pediatrician, emergency departments and cardiologists provided some clues. Marquitta came home one afternoon to find him crying. “Mom, I can hardly breathe,” he said. She booked an appointment with his pediatrician for the following day, but by that evening, Qua’s symptoms worsened, and Marquitta took him to an emergency department in Columbus, Georgia, a 45-minute ride from home. They did a CT scan, an X-ray and EKG. He needed oxygen. “That’s when I knew something was wrong.”

The pediatrician urged Qua and Marquitta to return to Columbus where many of the previous tests were repeated. Still without answers, they drove back home, when that evening, Marquitta noticed a missed call on her cell phone. It was from a cardiologist at the Columbus hospital. In his voicemail, he explained that Qua’s case caught his eye. As Marquitta listened to the message, Qua was lethargic on the sofa. The doctor advised them to go back to the hospital so that Qua could have an echocardiogram.

By the next morning, Qua’s bloodwork

journey to mend his The

Qua was born with tricuspid atresia that required a series of open heart surgeries as an infant. But as a teen, his health took a dramatic turn. Qua’s pediatrician and cardiologist recognized something wasn’t right with his heart and sent him to Children’s of Alabama. Our team was standing by when he arrived by helicopter, and within two weeks he received a new heart. He rebounded quickly and was back at home a few weeks later, thanks to the expert heart team here at Children’s of Alabama.

► WHERE: 1600 7th Ave. S., Birmingham, AL 35233

► CALL: 205-638-9100

► WEB: childrensal.org

and tests indicated that he needed more than just tests. “The doctors said they didn’t understand how Qua was up and walking around. Something wasn’t right with his heart,” Marquitta said. The doctors requested that Qua be transported to Children’s of Alabama for evaluation and treatment. She went back home long enough to gather up essentials for what she thought would be a few days in Birmingham and began the three-hour drive as Qua was flown to Children’s.

His heart wasn’t pumping well. The medications weren’t helping. All that was left was a heart transplant. “He was worried and scared about the idea of a heart transplant,” Marquitta said. “I needed him to know exactly what was going on. I didn’t sugarcoat it, didn’t want him to be worried. He had a big smile on his face once he realized a new heart would give him a better life.”

He joined the transplant list April 3, 2021. While many patients wait months or even years for a new heart, Qua’s critical condition helped the team at Children’s of Alabama find a heart for him less than two weeks later. Before Marquitta told Qua, she went to the gift shop and bought some heart-shaped balloons. When she got back to Qua’s room, he had his back to the door. When he turned around, she said to him, “Qua, are you ready for your life to start? You’re getting your new heart today.”

Marquitta got updates from the transplant team over the next eight hours. By the time she saw him in recovery, he was connected to multiple IVs and machines. “He looked at me as if to ask if all was OK. He grabbed my hand and nodded his head to tell me he was OK. Then he did the same with his dad. And then he went back to sleep,” Marquitta recalled. And just one month later, Qua was discharged ready to take on life with his new, healthy heart.

“I don’t know what the good Lord has in store for him, but I know it’s something,” Marquitta said.

Learn more at ChildrensAL.org/heart

Medicare doesn’t have to be stressful — let Medicare Advisors of Alabama help

MEDICARE ADVISORS OF ALABAMA

Q: Who is Medicare Advisors of Alabama?

A: We are a locally owned insurance agency that specializes in helping Alabamians better understand Medicare.

Medicare is overwhelming, but once someone with patience and knowledge teaches you the questions to ask and then guides you through the process, the whole thing becomes much less stressful. That’s what we provide: a stressfree Medicare experience.

Q: What does your service cost?

A: Our service is absolutely free. We’re only paid by insurance companies if we help you enroll in a plan. Our reputation has been built on word of mouth and living the Golden Rule. Let us prove it to you.

Q: Why does someone need a broker/adviser?

A: There are so many advertisements and plans available that it’s becoming almost impossible to sort everything out on your own. A good broker will help you see the positives and negatives of the plans and will work to find the best solution for their client and not the insurance company.

► WHERE: 2116 Columbiana Road, Birmingham

► CALL: 205-704-9020

► WEB: medicareadvisors ofalabama.org

Q: When does someone need to help me with Medicare?

A: If you’re turning 65 years of age, you have a seven-month window to enroll in Medicare. It’s also when our team can really help you understand your options. However, if you are still working, you may not want or need to enroll. Deciding when to enroll and what to enroll in are our two most asked questions, and our team can help you make an informed decision.

Q: What if I keep working past age 65?

A: Many people think they’ll face penalties if they don’t sign up for Medicare at 65. That can be true, but not always. You can postpone enrollment beyond age 65 if you or your spouse are still working and you have health insurance under an employer plan.

Q: The Annual Enrollment Period ended Dec. 7. Is it too late to make changes?

A: There are several different enrollment periods throughout the year. One overlooked enrollment period (Open Enrollment Period) runs from Jan. 1 through March 31. This period is for a person who needs to change their Medicare Advantage Plan or someone on a Medicare Advantage Plan but would like to return to Original Medicare. There are also many Special Enrollment Periods (SEP) throughout the year as well.

Q: Where can I get help with Medicare?

A: You can schedule a consultation with someone on our team. We can talk over the phone, meet virtually via Zoom, in-person at our local office, at your home, your business or even out at a coffee shop.

Once a month we teach a class called “Prepare for Medicare” at our local office. We have lots of fun, and it’s very educational. No specific products are discussed, but it’s a great way to learn the basics of Medicare and get your questions answered.

Eric Smith

Fentanyl Overdoses in Jefferson County

As a public health professional working in overdose prevention tasked with writing an article about fentanyl overdose, I would like to ask you to walk through a visualization exercise. I would like you to close your eyes and imagine someone you think would be at risk of an overdose. What do they look like? How old are they? How are they dressed? Where are they? What environment are they in? What type of people or things are around them? Where are you in relation to them, close by or far away?

Now, I want you to wipe that image clean completely. In place of that image, I want you to imagine your grandmother suffering chronic back pain from years of hard work. She has prescribed pain medication but does not have enough to get her through an entire month and borrows pain medications from others. Imagine your teenager who is very active on a popular social media app and is approached through that app with an offer to purchase an anxiety medication. It will be conveniently delivered to their home as you order a pizza or takeout. Imagine your college student in the campus library studying for finals with friends, and someone offers them medication for attention deficit disorder to help them stay awake to study. Imagine your 25-year-old sibling, a young professional, attending a party where cocaine is available. Imagine your long-time neighbor, your favorite high school teacher, yourself, or anyone else you admire or care about instead. An accidental fentanyl overdose can happen to anyone from any community, socioeconomic status, age, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender who ingests a drug obtained outside of a pharmacy or healthcare provider’s office.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid available in prescription and illicitly manufactured forms. It is highly potent at tiny doses – fifty times more powerful than heroin and one hundred times more potent than morphine. An amount as small as a few grains of table salt can cause a fatal overdose. The risk of overdose from illicitly manufactured fentanyl is growing in our community. Jefferson County fentanyl overdose deaths were up 233% between 2019 and 2021, rising from 95 to 316. In 2022, through September, we have already lost 230 individuals in Jefferson County to a fentanyl overdose. Overdose is killing our friends, family members, and neighbors full of promise and ability to make a lifetime of positive contributions to our world.

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is in the heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine supply in Jefferson County, and users of those substances are at high risk of a fentanyl overdose. There are even reports of fentanyl contamination of the marijuana supply. Most people do not realize that illicitly manufactured fentanyl is also in counterfeit pills that are indistinguishable from legitimate prescription medications. Today’s overdose crisis is not the overdose crisis of five years ago when overdoses mainly occurred in injection drug users. Fentanyl overdoses are now happening in unsuspecting individuals who believe they are purchasing or borrowing legitimate prescription medications. Instead, they receive counterfeit medicines contaminated with fatal doses of illicitly manufactured fentanyl.

We must raise awareness about this public health crisis. Parents should discuss overdose risks with their middle-school, high school, and college students. Every household must be familiar with naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal drug) and have it available in their home.

There is hope for those using substances and resources available to guide these conversations. Parents may find resources on the Addiction Prevention Coalition website at apcbham.org, or the DEA One Pill Can Kill website at www.dea.gov/onepill. Free naloxone and fentanyl test strips are available to anyone in the State of Alabama and may be obtained through the Jefferson County Department of Health website

at www.jcdh.org/naloxone. Alabama’s 24/7 substance use helpline, answered by individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, can be reached at 1-844-307-1760. Those in Birmingham and the surrounding areas can contact the Recovery Resource Center at 205-4583377. A treatment locator can be found on the Connect Alabama app at https://mh.alabama.gov/ connect-alabama-app/ or on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website at www.findtreatment.gov.

The Jefferson County Department of Health staff cares about you and your family. Our mission is for everyone in Jefferson County to live a long and healthy life. We are available to spread awareness by speaking to community groups, being present at community events, and working alongside you to reduce overdoses in your community. Our overdose prevention and response team can be reached at 205-930-1065 or naloxonetraining@jcdh.org. Let’s all work together to END OVERDOSE!

Sexual Health Clinic Services Have Expanded

The Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) Specialty Clinic is excited to announce multiple expansions to our existing services. The JCDH Sexual Health Clinic now offers services at our Central Health Center (1400 6th Ave South, Birmingham AL, 35202), our Eastern Health Center (601 West Blvd Roebuck, Birmingham, AL 35233), and our Western Health Center (631 Bessemer Super Hwy., Midfield, AL 35228).

The JCDH Sexual Health Clinic has also launched self-scheduling options for our Fast Track Visits. Fast Track Visits are intended for persons who wish to have comprehensive sexual health testing if they do not currently have any symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection. The self-scheduling portal can be found at www.jcdh.org under the “Self-Scheduling” tab.

The JCDH Specialty Clinic also offers the following services: Adult Vaccinations Clinic, Hepatitis C Treatment Clinic, PrEP and PEP Clinics (for HIV prevention), and Travel Clinic.

Events

Jazz Cat Ball set for this month

By NEAL EMBRY

The 12th annual Greater Birmingham Humane Society’s Jazz Cat Ball is set for Feb. 4 from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Stephanie Salvago, director of marketing for the humane society, said the event is the largest fundraiser for the organization, and patrons can participate in the silent auction either in-person or online.

While in-person seating is sold out, guests can still sign up to go on a waitlist if a spot opens up. Anyone can participate virtually, with an auction link posted at gbhs.org/jcb23 just before the silent auction begins.

At the event, which is being held at the downtown Sheraton Hotel, there will be a casino and other games, along with live music provided by the band Revel Radio. Auction items include

trips and other great gifts, she said.

The black-tie affair helps save lives at the humane society, Salvago said. More than $600,000 was raised last year.

That money goes toward spay and neuter and adoptions, along with allowing the society to respond to emergency situations, since they are the emergency response team for animal-related crises in the greater Birmingham area, Salvago said.

The event also assists the society’s externship program for fourth-year students from both Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Tuskegee University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

The honorees of this year’s event are Jody and Betty Saiia, who are board members and are “great animal advocates,” and Sheri Falk of NBC 13 will emcee, Salvago said.

As a woman, you have unique care needs, ones that will change over time. To you, healthcare is personal. So is the way Ascension St. Vincent’s cares for you. We provide:

• Nurse navigators to help plan your birth

• Lactation consultation — prenatal and after birth

•

• Birth Suites tours

• Weighted feeds for breastfed babies

• Our classes include Spinning Babies and other topics related to pregnancy and baby’s first year. We offer in-person, private, e-learning and virtual options.

Call

Guests pose for a picture at the 2022 Greater Birmingham Humane Society's Jazz Cat Ball, the largest fundraiser for GBHS. Photo courtesy of Greater Birmingham Humane Society.

Patriots getting contributions from everyone

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Homewood High School boys basketball team hovered around the .500 mark for much of the season’s first month.

With a young squad, the performance was a bit uneven: brilliant at times, frustrating at others.

But by the middle of December, the Patriots appeared to catch fire, ripping off eight wins in nine games. That stretch included wins over the likes of Guntersville, Briarwood and Hartselle, as well as three area wins.

The only loss in that time was to a powerful Vestavia Hills team in the final of the Metro Tournament.

Homewood head coach Tim Shepler said he expected this sort of start to the season and is glad to see his players fight through the early adversity.

“Experience tells me these are the pains of growing with a young team,” he said.

Shepler said his team is full of players who possess high character and a willingness to stick with the plan, even when it’s not easy. That allowed the Patriots to use some of those early struggles as learning opportunities.

One thing that makes this iteration of Homewood basketball unique is that there is no go-to scorer on the team, at least not up to this point.

As of mid-January, eight players had led the team in scoring in at least one game.

Carter Vail, Will Pope, Canon Armstead, Jake Stephens, David Stone, Kiran McCool, Jeremiah Gary and Latham Binkley have all led the Patriots in scoring. That is a rarity, and also acts as a double-edged sword.

On one hand, it makes the Patriots tough to prepare for. Opponents cannot choose to shut down one player with hopes of disrupting the team’s rhythm. But on the other hand, the question of who Homewood can rely on in key

situations to score doesn’t always have an easy answer.

“They bought into the idea that it can be somebody else every night,” Shepler said. “Don’t think you have to be the guy and don’t think you can’t be the guy. Let’s just go out there and play.”

Anyone that has watched Homewood play over the season knows Shepler prioritizes the defensive end of the court. He believes his unit has bought into a defense-first mentality.

“Our focus is always if we guard first, the offense will take care of itself,” he said.

Shepler also commended the team’s five seniors for taking on a “humble attitude.”

“They’ve said whatever it takes, and that’s important to support our younger guys,” Shepler said.

As of press time, Homewood was unbeaten through the first half of area play, as the Patriots compete against Parker, Minor and Jackson-Olin. The Patriots host Carver-Birmingham on

Homewood’s Canon Armstead (12) shoots a layup guarded by Calera’s Jayden Robinson (22) in a game against the Eagles at Homewood High School on Monday, Nov. 28.

Feb. 2 to wrap up the regular season, with postseason play set to begin the following week.

“We’d love to host the area [tournament], but we’ve got to take it one game at a time. Our seniors have done a good job of steadying. They’ve been bought into what we’re doing,” Shepler said.

Should the Patriots advance past the area tournament, the Class 6A sub-regional round would precede the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State in mid-February.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

State baseball, softball finals to remain in Oxford, Jacksonville

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced in early December an agreement to keep the state baseball and softball championships in the same place for at least the next five years.

The AHSAA’s agreement with the city of Oxford and Jacksonville State University will keep the baseball and softball championships in Calhoun County through 2027, with the same setup that was used for the first time in 2022.

Oxford’s Choccolocco Park hosted the state softball tournament for the first time in 2021 and returned in 2022 to complete a two-year contract, after the tournament was held at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park since its inception in 1986.

Moving the softball tournament to Oxford has allowed the state tournament finals in all seven AHSAA classifications to be held at the Signature Field, a stadium designed specifically for softball.

Baseball’s state final series for each of the seven classifications was previously held in

Montgomery, but a scheduling conflict forced the state to relocate those championships last spring.

That led to holding the first game of each classification’s final series at Choccolocco Park, with the second and third games the following day at Jacksonville State University’s Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

“We are excited to have our state championships in both sports locked in for the next five years and hopefully for many years to come,” said Alvin Briggs, AHSAA executive director. “Our experience with softball at Choccolocco

Park and baseball last spring at Choccolocco Park and JSU was incredible. We had packed crowds for most of our games. Both sites provided real championship experiences and lifelong memories for our teams, schools and communities that traveled to attend.”

Choccolocco Park in Oxford has signature fields for baseball and softball, in addition to a multi-field complex that is utilized for the softball tournament games leading up to each classification’s championship game. The park has hosted many regional and national events throughout the last several years.

Metro South middle school football players of year named

By KYLE PARMLEY

The 2022 Metro South Players of the Year were recently announced, recognizing players across the area for standout seasons. In seventh grade, Hewitt-Trussville Middle School and coach Terry Gillespie defeated Berry in the championship game. In eighth grade, Berry Middle and coach Matt Bowden knocked off Pizitz to win the title. Here are the players named among the best in the Metro South.

From Berry: Seventh graders Nicolas McKissic, Wyatt Baty, J.D. Thompson and Anderson Walker; eighth graders CJ Cowley, Evan Taylor, Houston Holmes and Connor Greb.

From Bragg: Seventh graders Urijah Casey, Mark Moody, Chauncey Goodwin and Cohen Corbell; eighth graders Jude Wright, Michael Shelly, Josh Bailey and Reece Kelly.

From Bumpus: Seventh graders Aiden Callins, Kamryn Foster, Mario Gibbs and Paxton Weatherly; eighth graders Judson Harris, Darion Moseley, Anquan Allen and Andrew Renfroe.

From Chelsea: Seventh graders Noah Lee, Travion Spell, Hudson Picklesimer and Riaden Sanchez; eighth graders Briston Hardy, Israel Rodriguez, Jaiden Balint and Christian Madrid.

From Clay-Chalkville: Seventh graders Christian Bennett Richardson, Markell Stephens, Trey Kennedy and Elijah Menyweather; eighth graders Carson Kimbrough, Josh Ivy, Tavaris Powell and Riley Cornutt.

From Helena: Seventh graders Maddox Johnson, Brayden Jackson, Judorien Sanders and Barack Djalo; eighth graders Jacoby Studmire, Johnathan Roberto,

Cole Davis and Reid Lucas.

From Hewitt-Trussville: Seventh graders Chris Davis, Tyler Wilson, Antonio Wynn and Braxton Wallace; eighth graders Harrison Malone, Riley O’Neill, Jayden Berry and Cason Cornwell.

From Homewood: Seventh graders Timothy Roshell, Quincy McGhee, Reid Goldstein and Marcus McGee; eighth graders Jack Myers, Davis Lee, Bryon Long and Landon Pettus.

From Liberty Park: Seventh graders Braxton Hunt, Powell Curry, Clayton Cox and Nick Smith; eighth graders Zachary Laws, Charles Taaffe, Luke Stubbs and Jackson Deal.

From Mountain Brook: Seventh graders Jack DeMedicis, Ryder McMakin, Gray Anderson and Joshua Holloway; eighth graders Luke Waldrop, Miller Crumpton, Graham Smith and Oliver Browning.

From Oak Mountain: Seventh graders Cooper Campbell, Clayton Cherry, Eli Ervin and Keenan Wolf; eighth graders Luke Kelly, James McCallister, Baroc Willis and William Yoder.

From Pizitz: Seventh graders Hudson Mote, Ethan Taylor, Daniel Holmes and Cooper Cherry; eighth graders Noah Boylan, Jackson Martin, Price LaMaster and Nic Williams.

From Simmons: Seventh graders Jamal Jones, Jordon Ward, Knox Tyson and Jack Thomason; eighth graders Jovon Pulliam, Joe Johnson, Ashtyn King and Matthew Threatt.

From Thompson: Seventh graders Boomer Larson, Maleek Billingsley, Dominic Pitts and Mehkii Billingsley; eighth graders Trent McCorvey, Kevin Davis, Cam Pritchett and Ashton Smith.

Handful of Patriots named all-state

BY KYLE PARMLEY

Coming off a strong season, several Homewood High School football players were honored by the Alabama Sports Writers Association for standout 2022 seasons. Four Patriots players made the Class 6A all-state team, with another being named honorable mention.

Homewood quarterback Woods Ray and Jackson Parris were each named to the first team after spearheading the Patriots’ lethal offensive attack. Ray made the team as an athlete, an accurate description for his play throughout the season. Ray totaled 38 touchdowns, with 27 of them coming through the air and 11 on the ground. He finished with 2,677 passing yards and 812 rushing yards.

Parris was Ray’s favorite target all season, as he caught 80 passes for 1,288 yards and 13 touchdowns. One

of the duo’s most explosive games was in the 57-56 overtime loss to eventual Class 6A champion Saraland in the quarterfinals. Ray totaled seven touchdowns on the evening, with three of them being thrown to Parris.

Offensive lineman Jaxon Brooks and linebacker Talton Thomas were recognized as second-teamers. Brooks consistently graded over 90% throughout the season and only allowed a single sack. Thomas was a force on the Patriots defense all season, totaling 130 tackles and registering 16 tackles for loss. He also tallied 4.5 sacks.

Parker Sansing had an outstanding season at cornerback, covering the top opposing receiver each week. He found himself on the honorable mention list as a result of his efforts. Sansing racked up 90 tackles on the year, with 61 of them solo stops. He intercepted a pair of passes and finished with 5.5 tackles for loss.

The AHSAA state softball tournament will remain in Oxford through 2027. Right: The AHSAA state baseball finals will remain at Jacksonville State University. Photos by Kyle Parmley.

The seventh grade Metro South players of the year. Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson.

Homewood wide receiver Jackson Parris (5) catches a pass during a game against Jasper at Jasper High School on Oct. 28. Photo by Jeff Johnsey.

HILLS METHODIST CHURCH

Top: Emerson Schneider was silver medalist in the 500 Free and bronze medalist in the 200 Free for 1A – 5A swimming at the AHSAA State Swimming and Diving meet in Auburn.

Bottom: Michael Helton won the state championship in 1A – 5A for diving at the AHSAA State Swimming and Diving meet in Auburn.

Photos courtesy of Alyssa Weisberg.

Cavs compete at state meet

The John Carroll Catholic High School swimming and diving team competed at the state meet in Auburn in early December.

For the Cavs, Michael Helton won the state championship in Class 1A-5A diving for the second straight year. Emerson Schneider was a silver medalist, placing second in the

500-yard freestyle. She also finished third in the 200 freestyle.

The 4x400-yard freestyle relay team of Ren Elder, Adeline Jehu, Katie Marie Everett and Schneider swam a season-best time and finished 12th.

– Submitted by Alyssa Weisberg, JCCHS.

Mills signs to play softball at CACC

John Carroll Catholic High School senior Gracie Mills recently signed to play softball at Central Alabama Community College in Alexander City. Mills

is a three-sport athlete at John Carroll, playing on the softball, basketball and flag football teams.

– Submitted by John Carroll Catholic High School.

VESTAVIA

Gracie Mills signed with Central Alabama Community College to play softball. Photo courtesy of John Carroll Catholic High School.

BASEBALL

Feb. 16: vs. Minor. 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 20: vs. Oneonta. 3 p.m.

Feb. 21: vs. Ramsay. 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 25: Doubleheader vs. Pleasant Grove, Minor. Pleasant Grove High School. 11 a.m.

Feb. 28: vs. Briarwood. 4 p.m.

BASKETBALL

Feb. 2: Girls vs. Talladega. 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 2: Boys vs. Carver-Birmingham. 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 4-11: Area tournaments. TBD.

Feb. 15-23: Regional tournaments. TBD.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

Feb. 4: State meet. Birmingham CrossPlex.

SOCCER

Feb. 3-4: vs. Vestavia Hills Boys at Lakeshore Shootout. 7 p.m.

Feb. 7: vs. Minor. Girls at 5 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

Feb. 8: @ Jackson-Olin. Girls at 4:30 p.m., boys at 6 p.m.

Feb. 13: vs. Jackson-Olin. Girls at 4:30 p.m., boys at 6 p.m.

Feb. 14: Girls vs. Hoover. 6 p.m.

Feb. 15: Boys vs. Pinson Valley. 5 p.m.

Feb. 16: Girls @ Hewitt-Trussville. 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 17-18: vs. McGill-Toolen Girls at Lakeshore Shootout. 7 p.m.

Feb. 21: vs. Oak Mountain. Boys at 5 p.m., girls at 7 p.m.

Feb. 24: Girls @ Chelsea. 5 p.m.

Feb. 27: Girls vs. Southside-Gadsden. 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 28: Girls vs. Briarwood. 6 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Feb. 17-18: Red & Blue Classic. Liberty Park.

Feb. 21: vs. Clay-Chalkville. 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 23: vs. Pelham. 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 24-25: Kick Off Classic. Homewood High School.

Metro Roundup

MOUNTAIN BROOK

Making everyone feel ‘welcomed’

By CANDICE N. HALE

Crestline resident Cristina Casanova Might has created a lifestyle brand for people with special needs.

Might, an industrial designer, initially began her brand to design a functional and beautiful environment tailored to fit her son Buddy’s special needs. While Buddy is a huge impetus in Might starting her business, Welcomed Co., he is not the only motivation.

Through years of advocating for grants and public policy for Buddy, Might realized as a mother it was the lifestyle branded things she designed that made him happy. They were both functional and practical, like the fish tank in his bedroom, so he could move around with ease and enjoy his fish.

“Designs for those with different abilities only require small adjustments,” Might said. “We have to start considering being proactive and conserving their independence. Buddy showed me that he’s still loveable and capable of being a whole human. With better products, there’s still hope and it’s not the end of the world. In our society, everybody faces these challenges of growing older, needing accessible products and wanting to feel beautiful.”

“My hope is that any parent that has a child with a disability won’t have to worry if their

child can fit through the front door of their best friend’s house,” she said.

In 2017, Might and her family moved to Birmingham, and she said the Mountain Brook community welcomed them with open arms. Buddy, 13, was born with physical differences and special needs. At the time of the family’s move, his peers saw him and accepted him like others hadn’t before.

“They saw Buddy as a boy and didn’t just see his differences,” his mother said. “Southern hospitality is not just a myth; it can be very real.”

While embracing Buddy and the family, the community also saw the beautiful and appealing designs Might was creating for her son and

would make requests for their children and other loved ones. As an industrial designer, Might does not scale and focuses more on improving the appeal for clients.

Unfortunately, in 2020, the Might family experienced a tragedy and lost Buddy. But the mission to fight for her son’s causes — inclusion, equal rights and representation — still remains. One way to continue forward for Might is to create beautiful, accessible products that anybody would be comfortable using that destigmatizes different abilities.

Might’s 11-year-old daughter Victoria helped her mother not only to brainstorm names for the company she would build in honor of Buddy,

but also assisted with creating and building the designs if she was afraid to start alone.

Victoria said, “I can help you make the business more welcoming to all people.”

“Nobody is born being able to walk or talk. People are born with different abilities — like neurodivergent or psychiatric ones,” Might said. “We must be more welcoming of those types of individuals and their needs.”

Through Might and her daughter’s conversations they came up with the name Welcomed Co. to represent a business where beautiful, inclusive products could be accessible.

“The goal is to reframe southern hospitality and help people find products that are more accessible in their everyday lives,” Might said.

Hospitality at its core is about an individual feeling special, so Welcomed Co. wants to provide that through its products..

Currently, most shower chairs, hospital beds, commode chairs, ramps, IV poles or medicine storage have a clinical look to them. Might believes that with beautiful options, people won’t feel embarrassed and will likely comply with usage.

“You want to look good and stylish — they enable people to be seen and not to be seen simply for their challenges and differences,” Might said. “They don’t have to be stigmatized for their depression or anxiety. Just because your abilities change doesn’t mean that your sense of style, autonomy or self-worth should.”

Might’s first line of products will launch this month, and she invites the community to be a part of the products she offers. For more information, visit welcomed.co.

Cristina Might, a Mountain Brook resident and founder of the Welcomed Co., a lifestyle brand for accessibility and inclusivity, at her desk at Hardware Park in downtown Birmingham. Photo by Erin Nelson.

VESTAVIA HILLS

By NEAL EMBRY

City hosting Mardi Gras party, Dogwood Festival starting this month

Those looking to celebrate Mardi Gras won’t have to travel outside of Vestavia Hills.

On Feb. 18, the city will host a progressive dinner beginning at 4 p.m., taking guests through different Cahaba Heights restaurants and ending with the after party at Cajun Steamer.

Guests have multiple ways to participate in the dinner. They can pedal their way, purchasing seats on one of two pedal carts, each of which comes with a driver and seats 14 people. The carts will be decorated for Mardi Gras and also come equipped with a Bluetooth speaker to play music. Guests can bring their own beverages.

Trolleys will also be available. Guests can purchase a ticket for one of 30 seats on a trolley bus and leave the driving to someone else. A self-guided tour is also available.

Tickets for the dinner can be purchased at bit. ly/dogwood_fest.

At Cajun Steamer, an after party will include the Admiral Phunk Brass Band, an indoor and outdoor bar, food and Mardi Gras giveaways. Jenna Hosemann, marketing and branding manager for the restaurant, said there will be Fat Tuesday drink specials, crawfish and more. It will be a true celebration of Mardi Gras, a “big party where everyone is welcome,” Hosemann said.

After the Feb. 18 celebration, Hosemann said the celebration will continue at Cajun Steamer through Fat Tuesday, set for Feb. 21.

Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley said the city wanted to have a parade, but due to the need for further planning, that will tentatively take place next February. Still, the event is an effort by the city to reach more visitors

and give residents something fun to do within city limits.

“We want them [residents] to think of Vestavia Hills as the destination,” McCulley said.

The event is a lead-in to the state’s longest-running Dogwood Festival, held each year in Vestavia Hills. Beginning with the 2022 iteration, the city rebranded the festival to bring in other already-happening events and provide opportunities for residents to enjoy something in every part of Vestavia.

Events include the Dogwood Dink pickleball tournament, Wing Ding and more. Last year’s festival was very popular, with close to 25 events, McCulley said.

“We knew we needed to grow and hope to have more brand recognition,” she said.

The Dogwood Dink guarantees participants

at least three games of pickleball, according to the city’s website. It also makes use of the city’s new Civic Center, McCulley said.

Early bird registration for Vestavia Hills residents will be available through Feb. 1; registration will then open to the public through Tuesday, Feb. 14. Registration will be online at vhrecreation.activityreg.com/ selectactivity_t2.wcs.

For those looking to give back, the Superhero Fun Run, a fun run for children, will benefit the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at UAB Hospital’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. The event will be held March 4 at 8 a.m. at Buddy Anderson Field. Superheroes will come to run, walk or maybe even skip alongside children, according to the city’s website. Students in first through fifth grades are eligible to participate, with a cost of

$20 per person, including a T-shirt. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. Register no later than Feb. 21 at go.uab.edu/vhhsrise.

On March 10, the spring sports kick-off and a free concert will be held at Wald Park, beginning at 5 p.m. There will be music, food, games, a parade and crafts, along with a performance.

The signature event of the festival is the annual Dogwood luncheon, set for April 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Vestavia Country Club. The event will feature a silent auction and special guest speaker Heidi Elnora, an Alabama-based female entrepreneur..

On April 8, the fourth annual “Battle of the Bands,” featuring bands composed of area middle and high school students, will return to the Rocky Ridge Entertainment District from 5-9 p.m. Prize money is awarded to the winning bands, and guests can enjoy food and beverages from nearby restaurants and browse retail shops, all within walking distance. Bands perform three- to four-song sets and winners will be announced at the conclusion of the event.

On April 21, a family-friendly concert will be held at Wald Park beginning at 7 p.m. All ages are welcome to the event, sponsored by the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest.

The next day, Wing Ding, the annual wings competition, will take place at City Hall from 4 to 7 p.m. Visitors will “enjoy great chicken wings, live music and a children’s area full of games and activities,” according to the city’s website. Tickets are $10 at the gate, $8 in advance and $5 at the gate with a donation to the Leadership Vestavia Hills Hunger Project. Children 10 years old and younger are free.

Heights Hangout will return to The Heights Village on April 30 from 2 to 7 p.m. Visitors can enjoy live music, a kid’s zone, pop-up shops, sponsor booths and more. Tickets are $10 at the gate and proceeds benefit the ongoing beautification of Cahaba Heights through the Cahaba Heights Merchants Association.

For a full list of events, visit vhal.org/ community/dogwood-festival.

Children move through a bounce house during the Vestavia Hills Spring Sports Celebration event, part of this year’s Dogwood Festival, held at Wald Park in March 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Calendar Homewood Public Library

ADULT

Feb. 1: Staff Movie Picks: “Elvis.” 2:30-5:30 p.m. Board Room. This epic drama explores the life and music of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated eyes of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. This movie is rated PG-13.

Feb. 1: Read It & Eat Book Club: “Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot.” 6:30-8 p.m. Urban Cookhouse. Join us at Urban Cookhouse in Homewood as we discuss “Hood Feminism” by Mikki Kendall, a non-fiction book discussing the application of intersectionality to feminist thought and how current feminist movements have failed to serve and assist more than one type of woman.

Feb. 3: They Fell in Love Making the Movie Brown Bag Lunch and Trivia, “Possessed” (1931). Noon-2 p.m. Large auditorium. An ambitious factory girl (Joan Crawford) meets a handsome, wealthy lawyer (Clark Gable), but he wants her for a mistress, not a wife. These two stars fell hard for each other during filming and embarked on the affair that “nearly burnt down Hollywood.” The affair lasted on and off for the next 30 years. Join us to witness the smoldering chemistry clearly flying off the screen!

Feb. 4: Murder in the Magic City. 6-9 p.m. Large Auditorium. The 20th annual Murder in the Magic City will feature several of our previous guests of honor. Tickets are $40. All of the relevant information can be found at mmcmysteryconference.com.

Feb. 9: Homewood Library History and Paranormal Present. 6:30-8 p.m. Large Auditorium. Jason Kirby, “certified house healer” and owner of Elysium House Healing, LLC, will discuss his findings on the history of the Homewood Public Library as well as the community of Homewood. He will discuss past owners who never left, as well as those who lingered because of an emotional tie to the land, the building or the institution. He will explore the history of the land and the community. It is a reveal you don’t want to miss!

Feb. 11: Adult Coffee & Crafts — Valentine Origami. 2-4 p.m. Large Auditorium. Adults, learn a new hobby or spruce up your crafting skills! We meet on the second Saturday of each month to enjoy local coffee and teas, as well as a new craft project each month! This month, our project will be making Valentine Origami. Bring your ideas and your creative spirit, and we will provide everything else! This class is free, but there is limited seating. Register online at homewood publiclibrary.org.

Feb. 14: Seasonal Stories with Sid Burgess — Zora Neale Hurston & Maya Angelou. 1-2 p.m. Round Auditorium. Join us for an hour-long adult “storytime” of classic short stories with Sid Burgess. This is Black History Month and our stories come from two outstanding African-American writers, both women. The first is by Alabama native (Notasulga, 1891) Zora Neale Hurston, whom Alice Walker describes as a “genius of the South.” The second is from the pen of Maya Angelou, the memoirist, popular poet and civil rights activist.

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Dinner Theatre, “Elvis People.” 6:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. South City Theatre presents “Elvis People”

by Doug Grissom. With the iconic mythology of Elvis as a backdrop, “Elvis People” is a funny and touching journey through the decades that examines the King's impact on American culture through the eyes of the disparate people he affected throughout and beyond his life. Elvis, as a character, does not appear in the play, but his spirit infuses the play as it explores the profound impact that the performer has had on millions of people and on the culture of America. There will be a buffet starting at 6:30 p.m., and the show follows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 for the buffet and show. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Purchase your tickets before February 15 online at the Adult Services Desk or at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Feb. 24: Science Experiment Cocktails. 6:30-8 p.m. Large Auditorium. The best cocktails involve the right blending of ingredients in the right order — just like some of your favorite science experiments! Ages 21 and up. Tickets are $15 and include two adult beverages and light refreshments. Tickets can be purchased at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

CHILDREN

Wednesdays: Barks and Books. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. K-5th grade. Spend an afternoon with our friends from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society by reading or just hanging out with some friendly pups!

Feb. 4: Little Prints. 2-3 p.m. Room 109. Show off your creativity with different printmaking techniques that are enjoyable and relaxing for the whole family.

Feb. 6: Homeschool Hour: Know it All! 11 a.m.-noon. Round Auditorium. K-5th grade. Learn from local organizations what exciting and educational programs they offer for children. This month, we are honored to have the Negro Southern League Museum share their amazing history with baseball.

Feb. 9: American Sign Language for Kids. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. K-5th grade. Learn basic American sign language with our friends from the Alabama Institute of the Deaf and Blind, which includes fun games and activities perfect for all ages.

Feb. 11: Breakfast Club. 9:30-11 a.m. Round Auditorium. Come by for some yummy cereal and entertaining activities to wake you up on a Saturday morning!

Feb. 13: Build It! 3:30-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. K-5th grade. Join us for an afternoon of building with our friends from the Magic City LEGO Users Group!

Feb. 15: Creation Station. 3:30-4 p.m. Room 109. K-5th grade. Join us as we learn about cool and fascinating experiments, challenges and crafts inspired by STEAM. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Feb. 16: Upcycling Crafternoon. 3:30-4 p.m. Round Auditorium. K-5th grade. We’re going green with a monthly upcycling crafting program for kids! We’ll be re-purposing the things we usually throw away in fun ways and expressing our creativity as well! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Feb. 23: Bake & Make. 6-6:30 p.m. Zoom. If you enjoy baking and making scrumptious creations, join us for this fun Zoom program! Families will pick up their baking kits at the children’s desk in preparation for the event (baking kits may include items containing gluten, dairy, nut and egg products). Sign-up to reserve a sweet spot and have your aprons ready! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

TEEN

Feb. 1-28: Six-Word Story Contest for Teens. Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway placed a bet that he could write a story in just six words. If the legend is true, he won with “For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn.” Now it is your turn! The Homewood Public Library is challenging any 6th-12th grader in Jefferson County to write a story with just six words. Students can submit two original six-word stories via the library’s website. If submitting two stories, please submit them one at a time. Our judges will read each story and determine first-, second- and third-place winners. Winners will be announced in March.

Feb. 1: Grown-ish — Bare Essential Cooking. 4-6 p.m. Large Auditorium. A program series designed to equip teens with life skills for adulthood. This month, teens will learn about the bare essentials for cooking a tasty and budget-friendly meal. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Feb. 2 and 16: Teen Theatre Thursdays. 4-5 p.m. Round Auditorium. This bi-monthly program will focus on teaching the performing arts to aspiring teen thespians with assistance from the Red Mountain Theatre. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org. Feb. 4: Teen De-Stress Fest. 2-3:30 p.m. Room 116. Need a break from exams, homework and responsibility? Enjoy an afternoon of coziness, friendship and chill vibes. Snacks and low-stress activities will be provided. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Feb. 5 and 26: Teen Dungeons and Dragons. 3-5 p.m. Room 102. Love D&D? Join the teen department and play this classic tabletop RPG with other teens. All levels are welcome. Register for each session online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Feb. 6 and 20: GirlSpring — Empowerment for Girls. 5-6 p.m. Room 109. Empowered girls make history! Girls in 7th-11th grade, join GirlSpring meetings here at the Homewood Library to learn about meaningful topics, make like-minded friends, and become empowered. You have the power to change the world, join these meetings to make your mark on the world! Refreshments provided.

Feb. 14: Love Thyself — Teen Spa Night. 4-6 p.m. Large auditorium. On the day of love, show thyself some love by spending an evening pampering and relaxing. Join us for a DIY spa experience making bath bombs, salt or sugar scrubs and lip masks. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Feb. 22: Teen Eats: Halo-Halo Bar. 4-5 p.m. Large auditorium. Learn about Filipino culture and enjoy a popular Filipino treat, Halo-Halo, a shaved ice dessert. Register online at homewoodpublic library.org.

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OUR TREE CREWS ARE WORKING TO KEEP THE DEPENDABILITY YOU

EXPECT.

At Alabama Power, we work hard to provide the dependable service our customers expect and deserve. We give 100% to achieve 99.98% dependability. That means regularly inspecting and trimming trees as a way of preventing potential outages.

About 45% of outages experienced by Alabama Power customers are due to trees and plant life. We use technology and data analytics to help identify areas in need of tree trimming to protect the electrical system.

Overgrown branches can brush against power lines and cause outages. They also make power lines more accessible to wildlife.

Keeping you aware of upcoming work is a priority to us. Scan the QR code to see the neighborhoods tree crews will be working in.

If you have any questions, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and request to speak with a member of our utility tree care team.

To learn more about how we safely maintain our system or for recommendations on planting the right trees in the right place, visit AlabamaPower.com/trees.