280 Living October 2015 by Starnes Media

280 Living

October 2015 | Volume 9 | Issue 2

neighborly news & entertainment

To fund a

park

Fall football

State budget to affect Oak Mountain improvements Catch up with your local teams’ wins and losses on the Friday night ﬁeld.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

See page C2

Home inspiration

Many park visitors called their legislators and attended a rally to express their opposition to state budget proposals, which have included taking money away from the state parks division to cover other deﬁcits. Most state park funding comes from user fees. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Find tips and tricks on caring for your home and garden in this month’s special advertising section.

See page B8

INSIDE Sponsors ............. A4 280 News ............ A6 Business...........A8 Community.........A15 Events...............A18

Faith..............A28 Schoolhouse.......B5 Home Guide........B8 Sports ..................C2 Calendar .............C13

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See PARK | page A30

Transition from Trinity By SYDNEY CROMWELL

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

While legislators in Montgomery were trying to fix a $200 million budget deficit, Greg Lein was asking his employees to figure out the exact minimum amount of money they would need to keep the parks running. As director of the state parks division of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Lein said he had not anticipated being faced with park closures across the state. However, the state legislature’s budget discussions for the 2016 fiscal year had included potential transfers of millions of dollars from DCNR’s budget to the general fund to cover other state expenses. Since fiscal year 2012, Lein said, the state has transferred a collective $27 million from the DCNR budget to the general fund to help alleviate other budget shortfalls. The park system and conservation departments have been operating on less and forced to downsize programs and cancel projects and renovations across the state.

The ambulances that transport patients and equipment to the new Grandview Medical Center will look very similar to a presidential motorcade. On Oct. 10, a “package” of four ambulances, a moving truck and two police cars will leave Trinity every 15 minutes, making their way to their new home.

It’s a routine the hospital has practiced for more than a year to get just right, testing everything from nurses’ familiarity with the ambulances to the route that will cause the least trafﬁc problems. It will take more than 30 ambulances to complete. Chief Nursing Ofﬁcer

See GRANDVIEW | page A31

The hybrid operating room is one of several services at Grandview Medical Center. Photo by Frank Couch.

King Acura Alabama Acura Dealers

1687 Montgomery Hwy Hoover, al 35216 (205) 979-8888

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October 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ A3

A4 • October 2015

280 Living

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Meet our new staff Cameron Tipton Cameron Tipton, a Birmingham native, recently returned after graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in journalism. During her time in Tuscaloosa, she volunteered at The Crimson White and interned at The Tuscaloosa News. For two weeks during her final semester, she took her love of storytelling to England and Wales while working on a travel magazine called Alpine Living. With her experiences in tow, she is excited to be back home and to join the team at Starnes Publishing. She is ready to help tell the stories of her hometown.

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Jon Anderson Jon Anderson has 23 years of professional experience in reporting, writing, editing and management. He worked for The Birmingham News for all 23 years (including the last three years as a part of the Alabama Media Group, which publishes the AL.com website and The Birmingham News). Since graduating from the University of Alabama in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Jon has covered a variety of subjects, including business, legislative and municipal elections, Shelby County and Hoover. From 2006 to 2012, he oversaw reporting teams in Hoover and western Jefferson County. In 2012, The Birmingham News reorganized as part of a new company called the Alabama Media Group. Many jobs were eliminated, but Jon went back to reporting in Hoover. He did that for the past three years and is excited to continue coverage of Hoover and other Over the Mountain areas for Starnes Publishing.

I try to avoid having favorite stories when I write, because I don’t want to give one undue attention over another. Sometimes, though, you can’t help but find that person or subject that’s just more interesting or more fun. That was the case with interviewing Bobby Joe Seales, the man on the cover of our B section this month. Bobby Joe is just brimming with knowledge about Shelby County, so much more than I could possibly fit into the article I wrote. Any part of the county that I mentioned, he could recall an anecdote about its founding or early years. We walked through the County Museum and Archives together and he could give the backstory on every artifact that caught my eye. In many cases, he had Publisher: Creative Director: Managing Editor: Managing Editor: Sports Editor: Staff Writers: Community Reporter: Editorial Assistant: Copy Editor: Graphic Design Assistant: Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution:

Contributing Writers:

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Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Sydney Cromwell Madoline Markham David Knox Erica Techo Roy L. Williams Jon Anderson Cameron Tipton Louisa Jeffries Andrew Anderson Matthew Allen Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith Kari Kampakis Rick Watson Leah Ingram Eagle Marienne Thomas Ogle Steve Irvine Rachel Burchfield Frank Couch Sam Chandler 280 Living LLC

placed the items in their display cases himself. Our October edition includes plenty of events for you to attend, as well as a home and garden guide if you’ve got the itch to spruce up your home. Sometime before the month is over, though, I’d encourage you to carve out an afternoon to visit the museum and archives. Take a tour and see if Bobby Joe is around to play the museum organ and tell you a story from the county’s history. Since Halloween is coming up, he might even have a good ghost story to share.

neighborly news & entertainment

Contact Information: 280 Living PO Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@280living.com

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

Published by : Starnes Publishing LLC

For advertising contact: dan@280living.com

Legals: 280 Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior

permission is prohibited. 280 Living is designed to inform the 280 community of area school, family and community events. Information in 280 Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of 280 Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

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NAPA Auto Parts (B2) Narrows Family Eyecare (A29) New Castle Mortgage (A22) Outdoor Living Areas (A31) Pak Mail (A9) Pastry Art (C5)

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Asbury United Methodist (A5)

Plain Jane Children & Gift Shop (C8)

Azia Medical Spa (C4)

Planet Fitness (C3)

Baptist Health Center Chelsea (C6)

Preserve Paints (B22)

Batts’ Chimney Services (B16)

Rehaba (A10)

Beaumont Pharmacy (A17)

Revitalize at Greystone (A13)

Bedzzz Express (C15)

Road Runner Moving (C15)

Bellini’s (B4)

Rosegate Design (B11)

Bin There Dump That (B18) Birmingham Speech & Hearing (C2) Birmingham Zoo (B4) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (C11) Cabinetry Refinishing (A1) Cahaba Glass (C8) California Closets (C5) Cash World Pawn (C14) Chiropractic Today (C10) Classic Gardens (B16) Cornerstone Insurance (A6) Danberry at Inverness (A3)

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Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell

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The Insurance Place (C7)

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Encore Rehabilitation (C15)

The Melting Pot (A22)

ERA King Real Estate (A24)

The Neighborhood Plumber (C8)

Expedia CruisShipCenters (A7)

The Tile Cleaner LLC. (B21)

EZ Roof & EZ Restoration (B10)

Therapy South Greystone (A20)

Fancy Fur- Paws & Claws (A28)

Tom Williams BMW (B7)

Gardner Landscaping (B9)

Total Beauty & Skin Dermatology (A18)

Grandview Medical Center (A2)

UAB Comprehensive Stroke (B3)

Great Smiles Orthodontics (C13)

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Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders (A12)

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Greystone Antiques (B22)

Victory NAPA (A13)

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Healthy Smiles of Birmingham (A6)

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A6 • October 2015

280 Living

280 News Fire chief introduces newest firefighter By ERICA TECHO New Chelsea firefighter Bert Seitz was introduced at Tuesday’s Chelsea City Council meeting. Seitz has been with City of Chelsea Fire & Rescue for one and a half years, starting off as a volunteer. In that time, Seitz has received 17 fire certifications and is working on his paramedic training. “Bert has taken these career goals and is moving forward,” said Chief Wayne Shirley. “Not only is he working hard to achieve those career goals, but he’s also most of the time OK to be around.” Seitz received his badge at the meeting, becoming an official part of Chelsea Fire & Rescue. “I appreciate the opportunity, and I’ll do

everything I can to help the city,” Seitz said. Mayor Earl Niven said he also hopes to help Seitz, reminding him to rely on his team. “You’re not going to do it by yourself,” Niven said. “It’s a team work, just like the Marines and just like the football team, whether you’re Ohio State or not.” Shirley also announced an initiative in conjunction with the Red Cross that will help install smoke detectors where they’re needed. The Red Cross is providing the smoke detectors and some volunteers to install them. The program won’t cost Chelsea Fire & Rescue money, Shirley said. There will be a sign-up sheet for a smoke detector at National Night Out on Oct. 6. “There’s way too many fire fatalities in our state, and we’re working to do something about it,” Shirley said.

Chelsea Fire Chief Wayne Shirley gives Chelsea’s newest firefighter, Bert Seitz, his badge. Photo by Erica Techo.

Chelsea City Council accepts sports complex bids By ERICA TECHO Chelsea City Council accepted a bid for $1.13 million for Phase I of the Chelsea Sports Complex at its Sept. 15 meeting. The bid covers construction of the three baseball fields, batting cages, a 222-spot parking lot and a walking trail around the park. The council also accepted an alternate bid in the amount of $11,500 for a decorative fence at

the front of the park. During pre-council, council members discussed the possibility of delaying some aspects of the project in order to put off the expense, such as leaving the walking trail or part of the parking lot unpaved until a later date. Niven said he suggested the cutbacks so that the city would not have to borrow any money to complete the project. The city is accruing around $64,000 a month from a one-cent sales tax

increase that was instated in August 2014, Niven said, which could help pay for the decreased bid cost and the delayed projects down the road. Niven said the council did not need to decide how much money would be borrowed at this council meeting, and the council only needed to make a decision on accepting the whole bid or parts. The council decided to accept the Phase I bid with the contract as is rather than delay

any projects. A $348,000 bid for lighting and electrical in Phase I of the sports complex was also accepted from Titan Electric. City engineer Frank Spencer said the ballpark should be open by May 1, 2016. Phase II planning will likely take place in the second half of 2016.

280Living.com

October 2015 • A7

The never-ending sidewalk

The Inverness Greenway project includes a 2.8-mile sidewalk connecting Hoover Fire Department Station 7 to the Inverness Nature Park. Photo by Erica Techo.

By ERICA TECHO Planning for the Inverness Greenway kicked off in Spring 2008. Seven years and several tweaks later, and it has not gone to bid. “This is the never-ending project,” Shelby County development services manager Chad Scroggins said. In the time since its inception, there have been several engineering revisions to the 2.7mile greenway. “The differences have just been little, minor changes in the alignment of the sidewalk,” Scroggins said. Scroggins said they will get engineering tweaks out of the way before the project goes to ALDOT for approval. The greenway will connect the Hoover Fire Department Station 7 on Valleydale Road to the Inverness Nature Park with a sidewalk along Inverness Center Parkway. The sidewalk will be seven to 10 feet wide, and it will become a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail once it reaches the nature park. The next step is obtaining construction easements from property owners along the greenway’s path. These easements allow

construction workers to enter the first few feet of a person or business’ property while working on the trail. Hoover assistant executive director Tim Westhoven said around 50 percent of easements have been acquired and there is no overall timetable for construction. “We won’t be able to finalize a timeline until the construction easements are gained,” Scroggins said. The Shelby County Commission entered an agreement regarding the greenway with ALDOT in August. The agreement included approval to potentially close Inverness Center Parkway if needed, but Scroggins said there is little chance a road closure will be necessary. “Even the agreement says it [road closure] won’t be necessary. You’ve just got to have that box checked,” Scroggins said. The sidewalk is functionally done, he said, and it continues to move forward. Any utilities that might need to move have been identified, and the waiting game will continue as construction easements are sought. “Once the construction easements are granted, it will be able to go for bid,” Scroggins said.

Commission begins 2016 budget discussion By ERICA TECHO The Shelby County Commission held a work session to discuss the budget for fiscal year 2016. No action was taken on the budget, but the commission reviewed requests from the Sheriff’s Office and highway department. If current costs and expenditures hold, County Manager Alex Dudchock said the Sheriff’s Office will be over budget by around $316,000 by the end of the fiscal year. The Sheriff was not in office during the whole fiscal year, and Dudchock said he is taking steps – such as not filling vacancies – in order to combat the budget shortfall. “He will be practicing due diligence in 2016 and moving forward,” Dudchock said. The deficit can be covered by crude savings in county operating budgets, Dudchock said. He recommended the commission make an amendment to allow that coverage. County Engineer Randy Cole also discussed the highway department’s budget. Among his funding requests is money to rebuild the bridge

inspection truck, which allows workers to go under bridges. The truck is 20 years old, and it will cost up to $300,000 to rebuild. Buying a new truck, however, would cost around $700,000. “We’re mandated by the federal highway administration to do those inspections, so we’re going to see if we can’t use federal funds for the 80 percent,” Cole said. Cole requested a total of $9.3 million for funding. The commission also discussed the benefit of the gasoline tax fund. The projected grand total for that fund is $10.9 million, some of which Cole said will carry over and some will fund highway projects instead of waiting until the next fiscal year. “The best thing about all of this is, the manner by which you have been budgeting has allowed him [Cole] a very healthy gasoline, highway-specific fund reserve. He’s sitting ready to implement a bunch of projects,” Dudchock said. The 2016 budget must be passed by Oct. 1. Visit 280living.com for updates on the county budget.

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280Living.com

Now Open Sprout and Pour cold-pressed juicery has opened its second Birmingham-area location at The Summit, 310 Summit Blvd. This follows their ﬁrst location in Homewood. 490-6993, sproutandpour.com

Pieology is now open at The Summit, 325 Summit Blvd. 262-3022, pieology.com

Coming Soon Trader Joe’s is opening at The Summit on Oct. 2. It is located between Belk and Barnes & Noble at 214 Summit Blvd. traderjoes.com

The Sewing Room, 1040 Inverness Corners, is now owned by Greg and Melia Manning. 980-1112, patsyssewingroom.net

News and Accomplishments Lee & Melazzo Dentistry has rebranded its practice as Caldwell Crossings Dentistry, 4516 Valleydale Road. The practice is owned by Drs. Frank Melazzo and Ernest Lee. 991-5343, ccdsmiles.com PharmaPoint, 2 Perimeter Park S., Suite 300E, has been named to the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States, ranked at No. 967. 795-8800, pharmapointrx.com

American Family Care, 3700 Cahaba Beach Road, has been named to the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States, ranked at No. 1,298. 403-8902, americanfamilycare.com

ARC Realty, 5291 Valleydale Road, has hired Megan Twitty Kincaid, Kim Dunham, Karen Shadinger and Angel Torres as residential Realtors. 969-8910, arcrealtyco.com

Jim Harrison, a registered financial advisor, has joined Reliance Financial Group. Its corporate office is located at 1400 Urban Center Drive, Suite 475, and a second office is located at 1100 Corporate Drive. 397-2450, rfgadvisory.com Renasant Bank, with locations at 107 Inverness Corners, 16863 Highway 280 in Chelsea and 16623 Highway 280 in Chelsea, has hired Bill Keller as SVP and manager of commercial lending for its Shelby County market. 991-2825, renasantbank.com RealtySouth’s Inverness office, 109 Inverness Plaza, welcomed Lee Ann Dasher and Lewis Holmes as new agents. 991-6565, realtysouth.com

Narrows Family Eye Care has welcomed Dr. Rena Lewis to its practice. Dr. Lewis has more than 29 years of experience in pediatric optometry. She is now seeing new patients on Wednesdays. 980-4530, narrowsfec.com

Business news Anniversaries

to share?

The Onin Group, 1 Perimeter Park S., Suite 450 N., has been named to the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States, ranked at No. 2,310. 1-866-581-6646, oningroup.com

Hirings and Promotions

Mountain High Outﬁtters, 127 Summit Blvd., has been named to the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States, ranked at No. 4,585. 967-7607, mountainhighoutﬁtters.com

New Ownership

of fastest-growing companies in the United States, ranked at No. 4,457. 314-6600, teklinks.com

TekLinks, 201 Summit Parkway, has been named to the 2015 Inc. 5000 list

Zeekee Interactive, an Internet marketing ﬁrm located at 100 Grandview Place, celebrated its 12th anniversary on August 20. 977-2296, zeekeeinteractive.com

The Sewing Room, 1040 Inverness Corners, is celebrating its fourth anniversary. 980-1112, patsyssewingroom.net

Coming Soon

Business news Expansion

to share? If you are in a brick and mortar business along the 280 corridor and want to share your event with the community, let us know.

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Not a thing scary about it... If you are in a brick and mortar business along the 280 corridor to We’ve got and a want treat for you share your event with the community, let us know.

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A10 • October 2015

Greystone Country Club opens new fitness center

Assistant director Todd Makofski tries out one of the new cardio machines.

Fitness director Christy Thompson and assistant director Todd Makofski stand inside the newly-opened fitness center at Greystone Golf and Country Club. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Members of Greystone Golf and Country Club are now exercising in a round-the-clock fitness center that’s more than three times the size of their old facility. On Sept. 21, the club opened its 4,000-square-foot fitness center inside the Founders clubhouse. The center features a nutrition area, 21 cardio machines with Internet and cable access, strength machines

and free weights facing a view of the driving range. Fitness director Christy Thompson said the machines are top of the line and several feature virtual running or biking courses on their screens. There is also the Synrgy360, a circular machine with different exercise functions. Assistant director Todd Makofski said the Synrgy360 will enable the center to offer “multi-station functional training.” The biggest change is the addition of a

The lobby of the fitness area has a nutrition area with food and drinks to help members fuel up for their workouts.

1,000-square-foot group fitness center, where Thompson said they will offer about 40 classes per week. The fitness staff has developed a specialized fitness program for golfers and tennis players focusing on power, mobility and endurance. These classes were not an option in the former facility, and Thompson is excited about the options for the 1,500 members of the club. “They’re looking forward to having more variety,” Thompson said prior to the opening.

Since many of the club’s members are young families and teenagers, Makofski said the new center will allow them more options for youth fitness. “We’re very excited to offer a lot more functional and sports-based training for our youth,” he said. For more information, contact the fitness center at 986-5139 or the club’s front desk at 980-5200.

October 2015 • A11

280Living.com

New salon made for hangouts and haircuts

The most important thing my Mom did was care. Now she deserves the same. “Summers at the beach. Planning my wedding. Every day of my life, my mother showed how much she cared. Now she deserves the same from me. That’s why we chose Somerby for my Mom. Somerby provides help with the activities of daily living, and all the comforts and care she needs to live as independently as possible. Now our time together is all quality time — and Mom still has that spark in her eye.” At Somerby, we inspire and nurture successful aging among our residents each day in a warm and caring environment with an emphasis on wellness.

200 One Nineteen Boulevard, Hoover, AL 35242 www.SomerbyatStVincents.com

Independent Living | Assisted Living Memory Care | Respite Care

(above) The Sandrettos designed their salon on their own and spent three months creating it. (right) Rock and Brittany Sandretto have started Salon 43 One after 10 years of planning for it. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Brittany Sandretto wanted to have her own hair salon for 10 years. It never seemed like the right time until her husband, Rock, told her to stop talking about her vision and make it happen. “It’s just always been a dream of mine,” Brittany said. “I’ve just never had the courage to step out.” Salon 43 One, located at 5291 Valleydale Road in Inverness, is the product of the nudge Brittany needed. After 10 years of waiting, the salon came together quickly. The Sandrettos found their location almost immediately and spent three months designing and building their salon on their own. They opened their doors on Sept. 1. “We finally just decided to take a leap of faith,” Brittany said. Brittany brings 13 years of hair styling experience to the business. She started working at a salon at 15 years old, and most recently worked at Salon Allure in Lee Branch. Rock was a coal miner for six years, but quit his job to help Brittany run the business. It’s a big career shift, but he’s excited for it and wants to learn to be a barber. Salon 43 One has what Rock described as a “hipster-ish” design that he thinks will make both male and female customers feel comfortable. They are starting out with three stylists but plan to grow to six. There are already six workstations ready to be put to use.

Salon 43 One 5291 Valleydale Road 968-1620 salon43one.com “It’s got its own unique atmosphere,” he said. “There’s nothing really around here that’s going to compare to it.” The salon offers all hair services, including haircuts, styling and multiple color treatments. They chose to stock Oribe hair products, and Brittany said they will be the only salon in the 280 area to offer this upscale brand. “It was expensive to buy into, but it was nice,” she said. So far, friends and people who have heard about the salon have responded positively. Most importantly, the Sandrettos don’t want Salon 43 One to be a place where clients feel they have to rush in and out. Rock said he envisions the salon as “a cool hangout place” for customers to chat and grab a cup of coffee while they get a haircut. After 13 years in the business, Brittany knows the people who sit down in Salon 43 One’s chairs aren’t just clients – they’re “your people.” “I want them to feel like this is their place, too,” Brittany said. To learn more, visit salon43one.com.

Don’t miss our Autumn Special: $1,000 off first three months’ rent. Need more information? Call (888) 214-6487 today. Somerby StVincents Mom - 280 Living 4C HalfPgV.indd 1

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A12 • October 2015

280 Living

South Boutique opens Lee Branch location By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE When Anna Spruiell opened South Boutique in Trussville in 2013, she just wanted to be able to survive and pay bills. She had no idea she would be successful enough to open her second location in Lee Branch this fall. After graduating from the University of Alabama in 2009, Spruiell moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where she worked in a boutique for three years. She came close to buying it but decided to move back home. Her parents tried to get her to go back to school, but she had different plans. “I knew I could run a store and enjoyed it, but I wanted to do it on my own, and not work for someone else,” said Spruiell, now 28. “I decided to open South in Trussville because of new construction going up and there were not many stores in that area. When choosing a name, Spruiell was looking for a name that would tell her story. After doing the research, she couldn’t believe the name South wasn’t already taken. “I was born and raised in [the] South, lived in South Carolina. I just put ‘Boutique’ on it so people will know what we are,” she said. Others in the industry told her that boutiques aren’t very profitable in their first year, if ever. However, that wasn’t the case with South. “Within the first month, I had paid back everything I had taken out and already made a profit,” she said. Once the store was up and running, Spruiell used Instagram to showcase their inventory. Spruiell largely credits social media for the success of her business in the first year. “It was a surprise, to be honest,” she said. “When we got followers from all over the country on Instagram, I decided that’s how we were going to market our business. We posted items every single day and were selling out of things

The new Lee Branch location of South Boutique is planned to look similar to the Trussville one, shown here, but with more square footage. Photo courtesy of Theresa Manry.

within 24 hours. If we didn’t have Instagram, we wouldn’t be in business.” The Lee Branch location of South Boutique is much larger than the Trussville store at 3,600 square feet. The new space will include a place to shoot photos and also warehouse space. Spruiell started out with clothing, then added gifts, accessories, bags and even a signature South candle that she intended to sell in-store only. The candles became a huge hit, and they are now sold in over 250 stores across the country. She contracts her mom, along with five to seven employees, to do the entire process of making and shipping the candles in a space near her hometown of Boaz. South now features three candles — Gunpowder, Antebellum and Sweet Tea — that have their own Instagram account, @thesouthcandle.

Spruiell believes if the store was named anything else, it might not have been so successful. “People want to have anything with South on it,” she said. Spruiell said she has a wide variety of customers and describes them as the best. “They’ve been with us from the very beginning,” she said. “They’ve become like family. We see some of them three to five times a week.” The store’s shopping bags are gray and feature the South logo. A special touch is added by tying a piece of cotton with twine. “We stopped doing it and had to bring it back because our customers missed it,” Spruiell said. South will be relaunching a new and improved website soon to better serve their online customers. They will also add a wedding registry as well. “A third store could happen,” she said. “I

Anna Spruiell looks at clothes in her Trussville location of South Boutique. Photo courtesy of Theresa Manry.

would like to do one every two years. My next goal is to have one out of state. If I don’t franchise, I’ve been toying with the idea of doing more small stores around the South, and also doing North, East and West stores in the future.” South Boutique 701 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 109 968-1777 shopsouthboutique.com Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

280Living.com

October 2015 • A13

Commonly uncommon By ERICA TECHO Liam Robbins has the most common genetic disorder you’ve never heard of. At 6 months old, Liam was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that causes tumors on nerve endings. The disease affects each individual differently, however, and at 9 years old, Liam remains tumor-free. Liam’s mother, Nikki, said he is just like any other kid. He goes to school, plays with his two younger brothers and enjoys video games and cartoons on Saturdays. “He’s just a fun-loving kid — very joyful, always smiling,” Robbins said. Although he was diagnosed young, Robbins said it was difficult to know what the future would hold. “Because it is so different for each individual, we didn’t really know what his case would look like,” she said. When Liam entered preschool, Robbins said they noticed a difference in his social interactions. In kindergarten, his work was affected by ADHD and learning differences, two common symptoms of NF1. While these led to a few issues at first, Liam has since transferred to a school for kids with learning differences and has blossomed, Robbins said. “He has actually made friends for the first time in his life,” Robbins said. “He’s just really become more social since he went there. Being at a school that is for kids with learning disabilities, he feels more confident.” Liam’s teacher also helps the

students with visual and cognitive therapy as well as auditory processing, which he would not be able to get at a mainstream school. The ability to diagnose NF early helps with treatment and management of the disease, said Dr. Ashley Cannon, genetic counselor and instructor in the UAB Department of Genetics. “We are now able to diagnose people much younger, and the people who have milder features are now able to be diagnosed,” Cannon said. “Now doctors are more aware of it and will refer patients more often.” Although there is no cure for NF, Cannon said it is important to track the disease’s development in individuals. NF1 affects about 1 in 3,000 people worldwide, and it can develop differently in each case. There is no cure or treatment that can reverse or prevent complications, so most treatment is focused on early detection. “We can’t predict who is going to develop what,” Cannon said. “It’s important for people to be followed closely.” Most people develop symptoms before they are 10 years old, but some symptoms do not appear until puberty. While Liam is tumor free at this time, there is a chance he will encounter future complications. “It’s still a possibility, but you can’t worry about what’s going to happen in the future,” Robbins said. While the NF community is growing and working to raise awareness, Robbins said there is still a need for more research. Birmingham is a hub for a clinical trial network, Cannon said, and there is a large NF population

The Robbins family, Nikki, Bill, Gabe (bottom left), Colin and Liam, at Veterans Park. Photo by Erica Techo.

in the area. Dr. Bruce Korf, an internationally recognized authority on NF, works as a co-principal investigator at UAB’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center. Having a leading researcher in the area is a comfort to families coping with NF, Robbins said. The NF community is also larger than she initially expected, Robbins said. Three members of their church have NF and offer support as they learn more about the disease. One member is in his 20s and was diagnosed when he was a child. At that time, Robbins said, doctors did not know as much about NF.

“When we were kids, no one really knew what the disease was, doctors didn’t really know what was going on,” Robbins said. “So he said it’s good that Liam has that support and has somebody that can tell him what to expect, and we both have somebody there that’s like him and with him.” Even though NF is statistically common, knowledge about the disease is not. Informing the community about NF is one of the first steps toward more research for a cure. “I really hope people can maybe be able to recognize it more and be able to get diagnosed and get help early on,” Robbins said. “There’s not a cure

for the disease, obviously, but that’s why we want to spread the word — so people will contribute to the foundation and try to find a cure for it.” One event geared toward raising awareness and support is the Alabama NF Walk. The walk is in its second year, and it will take place Oct. 18 at Veterans Park in Hoover. Robbins said the event brings together friends and family of those with NF and builds the NF community. “A lot of people have come out to support Liam, and that just means the world to us,” Robbins said.

280 Living

A14 • October 2015

No Nut Moms plan allergy awareness events By ROY L. WILLIAMS For Amanda Shook, the beginning of each school year causes her stress level to go up. Both of her daughters, Naomi, 10, and Lucy, 8, suffer from food allergies. Naomi was just 6 months old when her parents found out she was allergic to nuts and, later, eggs. When Shook had Lucy two years later, she soon discovered her young daughter was allergic to dairy products, including milk and cheese. “Food allergies were not a choice, we didn’t ask for it, but we’ve learned to cope with it,” said Shook, an Oak Mountain area resident. Shook said a local support group called No Nut Moms has helped her handle her daughters’ food allergies much better. “I learned I was not alone,” Shook said. “I have other friends in the No Nut Moms group I can call on for advice and lean on.” No Nut Moms was founded by Lisa Rutter of Rochester, Mich. in 2011 after she discovered her then 3-year-old son was allergic to nuts. The group now has 50 chapters across the nation, including Birmingham, according to its website, nonutsmomsgroup.weebly.com. Shook joined the Birmingham chapter, led by Amy Roux, in 2013 after reading an article about it in 280 Living. Severe food allergies can be life-threatening. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, food allergens can cause an allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which can lead to constricted airways in the lungs, severe lowering of blood pressure, shock and suffocation by swelling of the throat. Around 15 million Americans suffer from some type of food allergies. The FDA estimates that allergic reactions to food results in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations

While more than

160 Foods can cause

allergic reactions in people with food allergies, these

eight foods account for

90 percent

of food allergic reactions:

Angela, Naomi, Kevin and Lucy Shook ice allergen-free cupcakes in the kitchen of their home. Photo by Frank Couch.

and 150 deaths per year. When Lucy and Naomi were younger, Shook said she felt more stressed out even though she took extra precautions. Sending them to school is easier now that both girls are old enough to know how to avoid foods and activities that might cause reactions. “We’ve told the girls that life sometimes is not fair,” Shook said. “They know how to keep themselves safe. They’re not able to participate with the other kids in class parties. I feel bad sometimes when the girls come home and tell what the kids had. Thank God I found out about Indie Candy [a business that sells non-allergen candies and sweets online].” Naomi said she and her younger sister have learned to stay safe.

“It’s not as complicated anymore,” Naomi said. “Once you get used to it, then it’s not a problem.” Shook said No Nut Moms will participate in several activities in October to raise awareness about food allergies. The Birmingham chapter will host a fundraiser at Pump It Up Pelham on Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. It includes an open jump event and a portion of the proceeds will go to the FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) Walk. No Nuts Moms will also have a food-free Halloween party sponsored by the FARE Walk group, though the date has not yet been determined. In addition, members will participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project, painting and distributing teal pumpkins to be displayed around

Milk, Eggs, Fish (including bass, flounder, cod), Crustacean Shellfish (crabs, lobster, shrimp), Tree Nuts (almonds walnuts, pecans) Peanuts, Wheat, Soybeans Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

the area to raise awareness. Halloween can be a difficult time for kids with food allergies, as their reactions limit their ability to trick or treat and eat some sweets. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the FARE Walk for Food Allergy will take place beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham. Benefitting Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), the walk offers family activities while advancing food allergy research, education and awareness. For more information, contact Andi Chaney, regional coordinator of the FARE Southeast Office at (404) 990-3556 or email achaney@ foodallergy.org. Learn more about No Nut Moms of Birmingham by finding them on Facebook.

October 2015 • A15

280Living.com

Community Deputies wait tables and raise money

Deputy Debbie Sumrall talks with Hoover PD officer Steve Young at Tip a Cop on Friday, Aug. 14. Photo by Erica Techo.

By ERICA TECHO Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped by California Pizza Kitchen in August to help raise money for the Alabama Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics. Deputy Debbie Sumrall said California Pizza Kitchen, located at the Riverchase Galleria, approached them about hosting a Tip a Cop event, where officers wait tables and collect donations for LETR. It was the first time the Torch Run worked with California Pizza Kitchen, and Sumrall said she is excited for the potential. California Pizza Kitchen general manager Daniel Meek said the restaurant works to get involved in the community through these events. “I think when we do a lot of these events, it

really shows that the community comes first,” Meek said. The Torch Run takes place in 35 nations and all 50 states in the U.S., helping more than 14,000 Alabama athletes participate at the local, state, national and international level. The goal of LETR is to bring awareness and support to the Special Olympics. “We’re called the Torch Run because we started carrying the ‘Flame of Hope’ to the games,” Sumrall said. Several athletes also attended the event, helping tell people about the Special Olympics. Officers from several police departments, including Birmingham PD, Hoover PD and Homewood PD, also participated in the event. All donations, as well as money made through T-shirt sales outside the restaurant, went to benefit LETR.

Oak Mountain alumnus turned entrepreneur

Cole Kinchler is a 2012 OMHS graduate. Photo courtesy of Cole Kinchler.

Cole Kinchler graduated Oak Mountain High School in 2012 and is now the COO of the company SimplyProse. SimplyProse offers a collaboration space for writers, copy editors, literary agents and publishing houses. Users are able to receive critiques on their work and connect to literary professionals. Kinchler is now a student at Auburn University and has entered SimplyProse in several startup competitions. The company finished in second at Auburn’s Tiger Cage startup competition, where Shark Tank judge and As Seen On TV founder Kevin Harrington was a judge. The company also won a $40,000 prize through

the statewide competition Alabama Launchpad. SimplyProse also represented Auburn at the SEC Symposium Entrepreneurial Pitch Competition in September. They were also invited to participate at Tech Crunch Disrupt, a large startup conference in Silicon Valley. Kincheler works with Jake Wright, CEO of SimplyProse and fellow Auburn student. Their company is incubated out of Round House, a space in Opelika, Alabama that helps foster startup companies. For more information about the company, visit simplyprose.com. -Submitted by Cole Kinchler

280 Living

A16 • October 2015

Chirps and Chips marks most successful year

Sheriff to participate in breast cancer campaign

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego is fundraising throughout October for breast cancer research as part of the Real Men Wear Pink campaign. Photo by Keith McCoy.

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE AWC Board Vice President Richard Esposito celebrates winning with Pam and David Allen. Photo courtesy of Doug Adair.

Now in its fourth year, Chirps and Chips continues to grow in popularity and is an important annual fundraising event for the Alabama Wildlife Center, hosted by Raptor Force – the Junior Board of AWC. More than 300 people attended this year’s Chirps and Chips at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and enjoyed casino-style gaming, live music, food and beverages from local sponsors and a silent auction featuring entertainment packages, original art, vacation packages and sports packages. Joe Piper, Inc. was the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included American Printing Company, ArchitectureWorks, PowerSouth,

Sovereign CPA Group LLC, Cahaba Beach Dog Park and Woodlawn Ice. “Chirps and Chips 2015 was the most successful in the history of this fun and exciting event,” said Alabama Wildlife Center Executive Director Doug Adair. “AWC is very grateful to our incredible sponsors, all of the dedicated members of Raptor Force, and all of the wonderful volunteers who worked so hard to make this event a success.” The money raised at Chirps and Chips goes toward the work of the AWC to rehabilitate and release injured native birds across Alabama. -Submitted by Doug Adair

The local chapter of the American Cancer Society is kicking off a fundraising campaign with local men leading the charge. During the “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign, 26 select men from the Birmingham area have been nominated to serve as the “Pink Men” of Birmingham during breast cancer awareness month. Each participant will promote breast cancer education and early detection with messaging provided by the American Cancer Society. There is also a fundraising component in which the men will compete against each other, raising as much funds as possible (a minimum of $2,500) for the American Cancer Society. The participant who raises the most funds will be named the “Birmingham’s Pink Man of the Year.”

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego knows that cancer impacts every family at some point and breast cancer is among the most common. This is why he decided to be a face of the campaign. “By participating and raising funds for research, I hope to raise awareness in Shelby County and maybe someone will get the screening that is so important to catch this disease early,” he said. Samaniego said it is personally important to him to find treatment and cure options for breast cancer, as he has a sister-in-law and friends who have survived the disease. To raise money, Samaniego will be asking other local government and state elected officials for a commitment toward funding breast cancer research. He will also be accepting donations through a web site created by the American Cancer Society.

280Living.com

October 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ A17

A18 • October 2015

280 Living

National Night Out to showcase crime prevention

National Night Out Chelsea Walmart Oct. 6 from 5-7 p.m.

Sheriff’s deputies show the public their crime-fighting equipment. Photos by staff.

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will host their annual National Night Out on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Walmart in Chelsea. The event, which began in 1984, is an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. It will feature information booths and giveaways in a family-friendly atmosphere. Members of the tactical units will

be doing show-and-tell, and patrol officers will also be on hand. Visitors can also take a look at some of the department’s vehicles. “Weather permitting, we will have our new sheriff’s office helicopter there,” said Deputy Debbie Sumrall, who handles community outreach for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. “They will land it in the parking lot and people can get an up-close look at it.” The Chelsea Fire Department played a big role in last year’s event

and will do so again this year. “They will have a lot of interactive and educational activities for the public and kids,” Sumrall said. “They will have Hero the Fire Dog and Sparky their robot there, as well.” In addition to giving installation training for car seats, the Chelsea Fire Department will be debuting a new program at this year’s National Night Out. In partnership with the American Red Cross, the Fire Department is going to launch its smoke detector installation program that night.

“People can sign up at National Night Out, and they will come out to your house and install a smoke detector for you, completely free of charge,” Sumrall said. Other agencies committed to participate at National Night Out are Owen’s House, U.S. Army Recruiting Station, Safe House, Chelsea Citizens on Patrol, the FOX6 Storm Team, Legal Services, Big Brothers/ Big Sisters and Shelby County Drug Free Coalition. “All these organizations will have

handouts and materials to give to adults and children,” Sumrall said. “That’s their purpose, to raise awareness and let the public know what resources they have to help.” National Night Out is free and open to the public, and will take place from 5-7pm. Walmart will provide food and drinks. Other Shelby County locations for National Night Out include Alabaster and Montevallo. For updates on the event, check the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

280Living.com

October 2015 • A19

Let the music play Chelsea Day raises funds for marching band Chelsea Day Oct. 3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m Chelsea City Hall chelseaband.weebly.com

Chelsea High School marching band students practice during summer band camp. Photos courtesy of Jennifer Wilkinson.

By SARAH WALLER The Chelsea High School marching band faces a problem. As more students join, its need for new equipment and uniforms increases. “This is a good problem to have,” Dane Lawley, Chelsea’s band director, laughed. Lawley would know. Now in his 38th year as band director for Chelsea High School, he

remembers his first year when the band only had 12 members. Today, the band marches 186 students, including auxiliary groups like color guard, dance team and four majorettes. To help purchase new equipment and uniforms, the band created Chelsea Day, a community event featuring music, kids’ inflatables and local craft and food vendors. “It’s our main fundraiser for the year,” said

Jon Curren, the vice president for the band boosters. “We call it a celebration of the arts.” This year, Chelsea Day is on Saturday, Oct. 3. The band will be there in full force, as they play all day with small breaks between sets. “The kids all love it. They get sunburned all day and have a good time,” Lawley said. The band has prepared a large selection of music to play throughout the day, about 30 to 40 songs. And they are sure to perform the music from this year’s marching program, a collection of songs by Michael Buble. A stage will also be set up for listeners to enjoy music from the middle school band as well as local choirs and dance teams. Lawley recalled the first Chelsea Day, then called Band-a-thon, which was a fundraiser in the Walmart parking lot where the band would play all day for donations as shoppers came and went. One year the band decided they wanted the event to have more of a community focus. So when Chelsea’s City Hall was completed, they moved the event to its lawn and invited everyone to join. “Events like this are good for the community, and it shows them what we have accomplished and how we are growing,” Curren said. The event is free to the public, but there will

be many ways for visitors to donate to the band, including a silent auction throughout the day. Lawley said he couldn’t be more proud of his band students and the amount of work they have put into this season, from the four weeks spent at band camp this summer to every football game and band competition throughout the year. “Band kids are always the cream of the crop,” he said. Anyone interested in being a vendor at Chelsea Day can contact Jon Curren at chelseahighband2012@gmail.com.

A20 • October 2015

280 Living

Fashion and charity come together Key to the Cure Pink Party Thursday, Oct. 15 5-8 p.m.; Fashion Show begins at 7 p.m. Saks Fifth Avenue, The Summit Tickets: $50, includes a $15 Saks gift card

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE October is breast cancer awareness month, and the St. Vincent’s Foundation will once again host its annual “Key to the Cure” Pink Party. Scott Goggins, corporate and community relations manager for the St. Vincent’s Foundation, said the event is a night to celebrate cancer survivors. “This is a national campaign done by Saks Fifth Avenue stores all around the country,” he said. “It’s a great way to raise awareness, and the proceeds benefit the women’s cancer services and programs at St. Vincent’s Bruno Cancer Center.” Saks Fifth Avenue at The Summit will be hosting current and former cancer patients who have been treated at St. Vincent’s. They will be the models in the fashion show that takes place at 7 p.m. Goggins said the experience is a treat for cancer patients. “They love it,” Goggins said. “They get to Saks and pick out clothes and have a dress fitting.” One of those former patients is Michelle McMullen. Diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2007, the now 44-year-old is cancer-free and said it means a lot to her to give back and make a difference to this cause. “It’s a fun event, but it’s also philanthropy for

Last year’s Key to the Cure Pink Party committee included Ardith McMicken, Marian Phillips, Karen Lakanen, Michelle McMullen and Ashley Brook. Photo courtesy of Scott Goggins.

breast cancer awareness,” McMullen said. “It’s more than a fun gathering. It’s a way to serve and a way to give back, and a way to help us help others and make a difference.” McMullen has been involved in many aspects of the event, from selling tickets and modeling to being on the committee. “I am a breast cancer survivor, and the money goes back to the Bruno Cancer Center. I give where I received,” she said. Guests at the Pink Party can enjoy hors d’oeuvres, live music, makeup consultations by Saks,

health education stations and breast health information. There will also be door prize drawings, which will include a stay at a beachfront condo at Perdido Key. This year’s sponsors include Pastry Art Bake Shoppe, Good People Brewing Company, CocaCola, Shindigs Catering, Catering by Ambrosia and Edgar’s Bakery. The entire week of the Pink Party, a percentage of sales at Saks will go toward the cause. During Saks Fifth Avenue’s charity shopping weekend, 2 percent of participating vendor sales

and 100 percent of the proceeds from the Key to the Cure signature T-shirts will be donated to the Bruno Cancer Center. McMullen said her purpose now is to help reach out to other cancer patients, which in turn helps her. “I believe life is a gift. Live every day to the fullest,” she said. “I’m grateful to share my experience to inspire others and give back.” Tickets are available at stvhs.com/pinkparty or by phone at 838-6151, or they can be purchased the night of the event.

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280Living.com

October 2015 • A21

Local churches hosting fall festivals

Costumes, candy, music and inﬂatables are part of the yearly trunk or treat at Double Oak Community Church. Photo courtesy of Double Oak Community Church.

By ERICA TECHO Fall is in the air, leaves are on the ground and Halloween is just around the corner. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate the crisp weather with some family fun, make sure to note down these community fall festivals and Halloween events.  Liberty Crossings United Methodist Church is holding a trunk or treat on Oct. 21 from 5:30-7 p.m. There will also be a chili cook-off. It’s open to the whole family and costs $5. Liberty Crossings UMC is located at 5125 Sicard Hollow Road. Call 951-7707.  Morningstar United Methodist Church is holding Boo-Palooza on Oct. 24 in the parking lot of Tractor Supply Co. at 119 Atchison Drive. Call 678-2572.  Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church is holding a trunk or treat after its 10:30 a.m. Mass on Oct. 25. Middle school youth parents will decorate their cars, and people can trunk or treat for around 30 minutes. The church is located at 7340 Cahaba Valley Road. Call 980-1810.  Our Savior Lutheran Church is holding Oktoberfest on Oct. 25 from noon-4 p.m. There will be food, games, a corn hole tournament, inﬂatables and German music. The



event is free. Our Savior Lutheran Church is located at 1074 Dunnavant Valley Road. Call 677-8642. Double Oak Community Church is holding a trunk or treat on Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. There will be inflatables and snacks at the free event. Double Oak Community Church is located at 1140 Olmsted Street. Call 995-9752. Chelsea Creek Community Church is holding a trunk or treat on Oct. 25 from 3-5 p.m. The event is free and includes decorated cars, candy, inflatables, hot dogs and face painting. It will be held at the Chelsea Park subdivision green space. Call 678-2406. Meadow Brook Baptist Church is holding a fall festival on Oct. 25 from 4-7 p.m. There will be carnival games, inflatables, contests, candy, popcorn, snow cones, face painting, personalized jewelry, a trunk or treat event and a hot dog supper. The event is free. Meadow Brook Baptist Church is located at 4984 Meadow Brook Road. Call 980-2120. The Connection Chelsea Campus is holding Sweets n Treats on Oct. 31 from 2-5 p.m. It’s free to attend, and there will be inflatables, food, games and music. The Connection is located at 4176 Highway 39 in Chelsea. For more information, call 678-9565.

Meet feathered friends at Owl-O-Ween

Guests at the Alabama Wildlife Center’s 2014 Owl-O-Ween meet Coosa, a barred owl that lives at the center. Photo courtesy of Doug Adair.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Decorate a cookie shaped like an owl, then meet one in real life at this year’s Owl-O-Ween. Owl-O-Ween is put on by the Alabama Wildlife Center and is free with paid park admission. This year, it will be Saturday, Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the AWC’s headquarters in Oak Mountain State Park. Children and adults can see the birds of prey that the AWC keeps to educate visitors, as well as the live raptor show. The center’s education

birds include a barred owl, a great horned owl, a Mississippi kite and an American kestrel. A Eurasian eagle owl, the largest owl species in the world, will also be on display. Other activities will include face painting, games, crafts, cookie decorating and story time. There will be a “creepy crawly” table for guests who want more Halloween-themed fun, and there will be plenty of candy. Donations to the AWC are accepted. Learn more about Owl-O-Ween and the AWC at awrc.org.

A22 • October 2015

Run/Walk Guide

280 Living By SAM CHANDLER

If you want to run, jog or walk for a good cause this month, mark your calendar for these October events.

(above) Runners celebrate with colored powder at the Blue White Color Dash. Photo courtesy of Dawn Reeves. (right) Walkers support suicide prevention at the 2014 Out of the Darkness Walk. Photo by Dana Roberts.

10k Ruck Challenge

Run for Down Syndrome

(National Veterans Day in Birmingham 3rd Annual Family 5k Fun Run / Walk and 10k Veteran’s Challenge)

When: Oct. 31 at 8 a.m. (5k/10k), 9:30 a.m. (1 mile) Where: Oak Mountain State Park Website: downsyndromealabama.org

When: Oct. 10 at 8 a.m. Where: Veterans Park Website: active.com

Southeastern Trails Runs and Down Syndrome Alabama will be hosting the “Boo Run Run” Alabama Down Syndrome Trail Race at Oak Mountain State Park on Saturday, Oct. 31. The race winds along the Lake Trail to Rattle Snake Ridge and returns to the start/ﬁnish line at Cedar Pavilion. Proceeds from the event beneﬁt Down Syndrome Alabama. There will be a post-celebration featuring food, beverages, live entertainment and a costume contest for both runners and kids. Registration fees are $10 (mile), $35 (5k) and $40 (10k).

The National Veterans Day Foundation in Birmingham will host its third annual Family 5k Fun Run and 10k Ruck Challenge on Oct. 10 at Veterans Park. All proceeds from the event will be donated to veteran charities. The ruck challenge is for individuals or teams, and each participant must wear a ruck in the form of a weighted backpack or vest. Men’s rucks will weigh 40 pounds, and women’s will weigh 25 pounds. The three top military teams and the top civilian team participating in the ruck challenge will have the opportunity to donate varying percentages of the proceeds to a veterans’ charity of their choice. Registration fees are $25 for the 5k fun run/10k individual ruck, and $100 for the team ruck challenge. T-shirts and prize bags are guaranteed for the ﬁrst 200 entrants.

Blue White Color Dash When: Oct. 17 at 7 a.m. (registration), 8:30 a.m. (5k) Where: Chelsea Middle School Website: chmsathleticbooster.org The Chelsea Middle School Athletic Booster Club will host the third edition of the Blue White Color Dash, an untimed, mob-style 5k fun run, on Saturday, Oct. 17. Participants are invited to walk, jog or run while being showered with an array of colored powder. Proceeds from this event support Chelsea Middle School’s 14 athletic programs. Advanced registration costs $25 for students 18 & under and $35 for adults. Pre-registrants signed up by Oct. 3 are guaranteed a race T-shirt. Race day registration will also be available beginning at 7 a.m. and will cost $35 for students 18 & under and $40 for adults. Teams of six or more can pre-register at a discounted price.

10th Annual Out of the Darkness Walk When: Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. (check-in/registration), 2:30 p.m. (walk) Where: Heardmont Park Website: afsp.donordrive.com/event/Birmingham The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host its annual Birmingham Out of the Darkness Walk on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m. As Alabama’s largest Out of the Darkness Walk, the event serves as an AFSP fundraiser and seeks to shine a light on mental health and suicide. Last year’s walk raised $180,000 for the AFSP, which goes toward funding research, education and other awareness initiatives. The paved walking route will accommodate wheelchairs and strollers. Leashed pets are also welcome to accompany their owners on the walk. Mental health non-proﬁt groups will be there to inform people about community resources available to them. There will also be a survivor area where people can honor and commemorate loved ones lost to suicide. There is no registration fee to walk.

280Living.com

October 2015 • A23

Hoover/Shelby Art Association plans fall show

Herb Patterson prepares his artwork for the Hoover/Shelby Art Association Fall Show. Photo courtesy of Herb Patterson.

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Hoover/Shelby Art Association is changing things up this year for their fall show. Instead of a one-day show in Chelsea, the artists will have a month long display at the Shelby County Arts Center in Columbiana. “We have been having our show in Chelsea for the last three years,” said Association President Edna Sealey. “This year, we decided to have it somewhere else.” With an opening reception scheduled for Oct. 9, the exhibit will run until Nov. 9. Artist Herb Patterson of Hoover is in his third year with the Hoover/Shelby Art Association. In his first show in the spring of 2014, his mobiles won first prize in the craft section. Patterson said he likes the idea of a longer exhibit. He said it’s also great that the gallery employees take care of the sales for them. “I think it’s a good opportunity for us,” he

said. “When you do a one-day show, it’s kind of intense with putting up the tent and artwork and getting everything there and displaying it and taking it down. This will be a lot less work, and each artist can have four or five pieces on display and for sale.” Patterson specializes in hanging mobiles and has been making them for about five years. He uses items like prisms and glass in his creations. He has a unique way to display them at the SCAC. “I made a wire suspension that comes out from the wall so the mobiles can twirl and move, but take up a small amount of wall space,” he said. “They are made in the (Alexander) Calder style. I picked up on that and loved putting them together. I’m a physics and math major and was looking for an artistic outlet.” For more information, visit hoovershelbyart. com.

Shop, Save & Share enters 10th year

Shoppers kick off Shop, Save and Share at the Summit. Photo courtesy of Alice Jackson.

By JON ANDERSON The Junior League of Birmingham is gearing up for its 10th annual Shop, Save and Share fundraiser that allows people to buy a 20 percent off shopping pass to more than 500 businesses in the Birmingham metro area. The discount card can be obtained with a $40 donation to the Junior League of Birmingham and used at 554 stores between Oct. 21 and Nov. 1, said Emily Cotney, chairwoman of the fundraiser. A shopping guide that lists all the participating retailers, restaurants and service providers is provided with the discount card, along with a description of the businesses, their locations and any exclusions from the discount. Money raised from the sale of the cards will help support more than 30 service projects of the Junior League, which works to improve the lives of women and children.

Last year’s Shop, Save and Share event was the most successful ever, with about 2,500 discount cards sold and more than $100,000 raised, Cotney said. “We hope to keep up the momentum and make it even greater this year,” she said. People can purchase the card online and see a list of participating businesses at shopsaveandshare.net. The cards also are available for purchase at select participating retailers. They also will be sold at a Shop, Save and Share kickoff party at The Summit shopping center on Oct. 21. The party is scheduled to occur from 6 to 9 p.m. in one of the parking lots at The Summit and will include hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, music and outdoor shopping, Cotney said. To learn more about the Junior League of Birmingham and its service projects, visit the group’s website at jlbonline.com.

A24 • October 2015

280 Living

Inverness Kiwanis pecan sale starting in October

St. Mark Flea Market brings good deals

Shoppers browse through the flea market at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. Photo courtesy of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church.

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Inverness at their Sept. 3 meeting. Photo by Erica Techo.

By ERICA TECHO The holidays aren’t here yet, but the Kiwanis Club of Inverness is starting its yearly pecan sale this month. “We get a jump on it – we try to beat the crowd,” said member Eric Swindle. The Club sells 1-pound pecan bags for $10 to raise money for the charities it donates to each year. With 24 bags in a case and a purchase of around 30 cases, Swindle said the group could raise about $1,600 in this year’s sale. The members pick up their bags on a volunteer basis and sell as many as they can. “There’s such a demand because they’re high-quality pecans,” Swindle said. With more cases ordered this year, Swindle said

the club should raise a few hundred dollars more than it has in previous years. The club’s goal is to use that money to help those who might not have many supporters. Donations can range from $50 for a local Boy Scout troop or mission trip to a few hundred dollars for a larger organization. One of the main organizations the club helps is the Sheriff’s Boys Ranch in St. Clair County, which is geared toward helping care for neglected, abused or homeless children. In the past, the Kiwanis Club helped pay for the car insurance of older kids at the ranch and support for school supplies. To purchase pecans, contact Eric Swindle at 992-5423 or x2eriswin@southernco.com, or contact Sabrina Young at 992-6100 or scyoung@ southernco.com.

By JON ANDERSON St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus Chapter 13446 have scheduled their 10th annual flea market for Oct. 17. The community can participate in a giant garage sale at the church at 7340 Cahaba Valley Road. People can reserve space to sell items in the parking lot, as long as they agree to donate 25 percent of the money they receive to the church, said Tom Heberlein, flea market coordinator for the Knights of Columbus. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. and goes to about noon. Participants who reserve a spot will get a table and two parking spaces, Heberlein said. The flea market in recent years typically has drawn 20 to 30 vendors. The Knights of Columbus are accepting advance donations of items people want to

discard without selling at the market. Items already donated this year include furniture, clothing, DVD players, Blu-Ray players, books, a lawn mower, edger, weed trimmer, outdoor equipment and pots and pans, said Stephen Stack, president of the Knights of Columbus local chapter. Money raised from the flea market has been used to sponsor seminary students and help pay for events and other church expenses, Stack said. In recent years, the flea market has raised about $2,000 a year, Heberlein said. The flea market got started as a way to help people whose neighborhood associations prohibit garage sales to get rid of unneeded items, Heberlein said. To register, email StMarkFleaMkt@ aol.com. To donate items, send an email to KofC13446@aol.com to make arrangements.

280Living.com

October 2015 • A25

Healing from betrayal By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Melody and Tray Lovvorn know how to turn something bad into something good. For the past seven years, they have been helping couples try to save their marriages after infidelity. In 2002, the Lovvorns’ marriage of 11 years came to an end when Melody found out about her husband’s addiction to pornography and sex. After six years apart, they remarried in 2008 and began using their experience to help others. The couple began Route 1520 to minister to couples in crisis and help those struggling with sexual brokenness, pornography and sexual addiction They started their first recovery group for men in 2009 and added a women’s recovery group for spouses in 2010. “We have a large network in this area. Our message is one of grace, hope and healing. We spent so many years hiding and projecting an image, that when we understood grace, it freed us to be authentic and loved as we are. We didn’t have to hide anymore,” Tray said. As the Lovvorns grew on their journey, their organization grew as well. They expanded their ministry in 2012 to include a non-profit organization, Undone Redone. After being guests on a podcast on James Spann’s Big Brains Media Network, Tray and

Melody were approached about doing one of their own. In Februrary 2013, they started a weekly podcast using the same name. The couple records their weekly podcast from the downstairs of their home in Messy Boots Studio. They look at the brokenness and messiness of life with guests that include authors and counselors. Their subjects range from marriage and sex to parenting, kids and digital safety. “We looked at a map in iTunes, and our podcasts have been downloaded in 90 different countries,” Tray said. “Our ministry is through redeeming technology being used as a tool for good.” Melody recently released an online resource for women discovering betrayal called Life Beyond Betrayal. It is the collection of wisdom and understanding from her own experience, as well as years of conversations with other women in the same situations. “I’m using my story and resources that I didn’t have at that time to help others,” Melody said. When the Ashley Madison hacks happened in August, Melody couldn’t believe the timing. She was less than two weeks away from launching Life Beyond Betrayal. The couple also purchased ashleymadisonhelp.com to assist those seeking hope and help

“I want them to feel like this is their place, too.”

Tray and Melody Lovvorn took their own story of marital betrayal and used it to help others through a ministry and podcast series. Photo courtesy of Melody Lovvorn.

after the hack. “We have resources for the betrayed partner, the cheater and friends of both,” Melody said. “The Ashley Madison story will quickly fade due to our current 24-hour news cycle, but for women (and men) across the country, this struggle will still remain very real.” Life Beyond Betrayal is a 30-day online course designed for use from the convenience of a computer, tablet or phone. Users will receive specific, timely and relevant instruction on exactly what to do next. Melody will guide them through their emotions so

they don’t get stuck or sidetracked. “It is designed so she [the user] can go through this and I’m walking with her every day,” Melody said. “The course has an audio topic, music and videos and homework with worksheets. She can get the help she needs if no one knows, or if everyone knows.” The Lovvorns also spend a lot of time doing pastoral care, working with churches and their staff. They also have several speaking engagements lined up and are prepping for conferences on healthy sexuality and digital safety.

Members of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church, the Lovvorns live in Brook Highland and have four children, ages 15 to 20. Two attend Samford University and two attend Oak Mountain High School. “God brings beauty out of the ashes,” Melody said. “We never thought we’d be here. We are so glad we have been through a really messy story and can use it to help other people, not because we have to, but because we want to.” For more information, visit undoneredone.com or lifebeyondbetrayal. com.

A26 • October 2015

280 Living

Chamber Greater Shelby Chamber recognizes health care professionals By ERICA TECHO The Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce recognized exceptional health care professionals at its luncheon on Aug. 26. This is the first presentation of the Healthcare Professional of the Year award, which the Chamber’s Health Services Work Group created to recognize those who keep the workforce healthy. “We had one simple goal in mind, and that was to recognize individuals in the health care community in the greater Shelby County area who serve our community every day,” said Matthew Allen, chair of the Health Services Work Group and marketing manager for 280 Living. Allen said the work group was looking for candidates who were dedicated to their field and to helping others, who were accomplished and outstanding in their goals and who had achieved outstanding status among their peers. “I am pleased to say everybody being recognized today went above and beyond meeting those criteria,” Allen said. Eleven health care professionals from varying fields received the award. Rep. April Weaver also received the Healthcare Advocate of the Year award for her work on the Gabe Griffin Right to Try Act, which was signed into law in June. The legislation allows terminally ill patients the opportunity to try medication that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved. Zelia Baugh of Baptist Health System also spoke at the chamber luncheon, discussing habits that might hamper productivity. “I’m here to talk today about the fallacy of multitasking,” Baugh said. While many people believe they are able to

October Preview This month, the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce will host a “State of the County” luncheon. County Manager Alex Dudchock will recap the county’s progress in 2015 and give a preview of 2016. The luncheon is on Oct. 28 and networking starts at 11 a.m., with the program to begin at 11:30 a.m. To register, contact the chamber at info@shelbychamber.org or 663-4542.

Healthcare Professional of the Year recipients

The 2015 Healthcare Professional of the Year award recipients at the August Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Photo by Erica Techo.

accomplish more by multitasking, Baugh said that is not true. Rather than allow simultaneous focus on multiple tasks, Baugh said your brain must switch between those tasks, leading to a loss in time and productivity. “When you have multiple employees and multiple leaders in the organization who think they’re really adept at multitasking, research from the University of London has shown there is a 40 percent drop in productivity,” Baugh said. Baugh also said individuals who think they’re better at multitasking tend to have higher stress levels and burnout. To combat the negative affects of multitasking, Baugh suggested turning off mobile notiﬁcations and turning off email alerts on your computer. “When any of those ping, we stress when we

cannot immediately respond to the notification being sent,” she said. “You can feel it in your body, some of you.” By minimizing the number of notifications received, it becomes easier to stay focused on a task. Even if an email alert seems minor, Baugh said it causes you to refocus on the email, which means refocusing again on the former task. Baugh also said minimizing these distractions allows for more productive workflow and communication. “I think that’s what we’re missing in society,” Baugh said. “We’ve become so used to technology that it actually has created walls and barriers between us and a coworker or a boss or whatever, because it’s easier to send an email than it is to talk sometimes.”

 Dietary Health – Donna Sibley, dietician with St. Vincent’s One Nineteen  Health Administration – Stephanie Holderby, executive director at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen  Home Health – Donald Perrin, home health clinical manager with Amedisys Home Health of Birmingham  Nursing – Jan Cibulski, head nurse for Shelby County Schools  Obstetrics – Dr. Rupa Goolsby, OB/GYN with St. Vincent’s Health  Optometry – Dr. Jessica Palmer, optometrist with Narrows Family Eye Care  Orthopedic Medicine – Dr. Mike Patterson, orthopedic surgeon with Lemak Health  Palliative Care – Michele Carter, coordinator of supportive and palliative care with Shelby Baptist Medical Center  Physical Therapy – Russ Hyde, director of physical therapy with Shelby Baptist Medical Center  Psychiatry – Shanan Sims, director of psychiatry with Shelby Baptist Medical Center  Sports Medicine – Dr. James Sedlis, primary care sports medicine physician with Lemak Health  Healthcare Advocate of the Year – Rep. April Weaver

280Living.com

Grandview COO talks about patient care

Chris Stewart discusses Alabama football at the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce September luncheon. Photo by Erica Techo.

By ERICA TECHO

medical records and customizable menus and exercise requirements. “This is something we’re extremely excited Members of the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce received an update on Grandview about,” Mason said. “Whatever we can get our staff and our teams passionate about to use is Medical Center at the September luncheon. Grandview COO Drew Mason discussed a better communication tool.” The new facility cost $280 million and the plan for patient care at Grandview Medical Center, as well as the transition between includes a one-million-square-foot hospital, a 220,000-square-foot medical office building Trinity Medical Center and the new campus. “We know that bright and shiny is going and a 1.25 million-square-foot parking deck. “We’ve got plenty to wear off,” Mason of infrastructure in this said. “We know that “Certainly in our role and facility,” Mason said. all these structural in our field, we no doubt “We will be focused things are going to go away and it’s going to sometimes get desensi- on cardiac service, we have six cath labs [caucome down to exactly what we focus on tized to these issues. This terization laboratories] every single day, and is our reminder to folks and two EP [electrolabs, which that’s the patient expethat we’ve tried to make physiology] is a huge amount of rience and the bedside this emotional connection infrastructure.” experience.” The hospital’s posiMason said there has back to our employees, tion on U.S. 280, Mason been a large emphasis and ourselves and others said, is a benefit to the on patient care during who have shared emohospital and its patients. training and employee “You all have been town hall meetings. tional experiences.” benefiting and really He played a video that - Drew Mason seeing and feeling and has been used with really being a part of employees to emphasize the message “Walk in their shoes.” The that growth engine for years now, but we video showed the different struggles doctors, believe five of those key zip codes in the state nurses, families and patients could go through. really sit approximate to where we are,” he “Certainly in our role and in our field, we said. Mason said he looks forward to the facility no doubt sometimes get desensitized to these issues,” Mason said. “This is our reminder to not being as quiet as it has been the past few folks that we’ve tried to make this emotional weeks. He said he hopes the facility won’t be connection back to our employees, and our- silent or empty for 50 or more years. “We look forward to 10/10. This is 29 days selves and others who have shared emotional away, and we are sweating out every minute of experiences.” In connection to patient care, Mason it,” Mason said. “It’s exciting, it is huge, it is explained the bedside interface that will be everything we’ve been working on for so long. used by Grandview. The system is UpCare by I’d be remiss if I didn’t say this community ACESO, and Mason said it offers an electronic and Shelby County has been unbelievably supinterface to provide informational material, portive of us doing this for a very long time.”

Preview of South Shelby County Luncheon The South Shelby Chamber’s October luncheon will be Thursday, Oct. 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Chamber Director April Stone said the speaker will be Neeysa Biddle, the new CEO of St. Vincent’s Health System. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen is completing an expansion project later this year. The luncheon will be at Columbiana United Methodist Church, 200 North Main St. in Columbiana. This month’s spotlight will be on the town of Vincent. Catering will be provided by Wooden Spoon and Mr. Harry’s Chickin De-Lux. The cost is $12 per person and no reservation is required. Visit southshelbychamber.com for more details.

October 2015 • A27

280Living.com

Grandview COO talks about patient care

Chris Stewart discusses Alabama football at the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce September luncheon. Photo by Erica Techo.

October 2015 • A27

A28 • October 2015

280 Living

Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

Raising a brave child “A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.” - Unknown I believe it’s fair to say most parents want to raise brave children. We want them brave in doing what’s right. Brave in chasing their dreams. Brave in saying “no” when necessary. Brave in facing their fears. But the thing about bravery is there’s a lot of psychology involved. There are fears that mess with our psyche — and subsequently hold us back, shut us down or make us want to retreat. So if we really want brave children, we need to think about these fears. We need to remember ourselves at their age and consider what did or didn’t build our courage. There are many fears that can prey on a child’s mind, such as fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being different and fear of embarrassment. But if you ask me, the most overwhelming fear for a child is the fear of losing your parents’ approval. Because deep down, we all crave our parents’ acceptance. We desperately want their affirmation. No matter how old we get or how much success we achieve, we never outgrow the need to hear our parents say the five words that sound like music to our ears: “I am proud of you.” Now, I’ve been blessed with parents who say this often and with conviction. Even as a young girl, I knew they meant it. Of the many things

they did to draw this shy child out of her shell, what made the biggest impact was celebrating my efforts above results. As long as I gave my absolute best and took on healthy risks, they were happy. The expectations ended there. To this day, I can picture my parents’ faces the second I saw them after trying out for something. Even I didn’t win, they beamed at the sight of me. They grinned and held their arms out to embrace me as if I had won. Because in their eyes, I was a winner. I’d won not because of the final score, but because I’d pushed myself beyond my comfort zone, challenged myself and gained experience that would benefit me a lifetime. In these moments, I learned to be brave again. I came to understand how losing wasn’t the end of my story, but rather part of my story. Encouragement at the right time and from the right people is huge confidence boost. It can be just the thing a sensitive psyche needs. My parents’ reactions to my self-perceived “failures” made me willing to try again. Win or lose, they loved me the same, and that brought me comfort. Had they reacted differently or shown even a trace of disappointment, I would have hesitated to challenge myself the next time. Internal fears would have gotten the best of me. This is why I feel so sorry for kids whose parents take a different approach than mine. Some parents live so vicariously through their children their emotions swing with the outcome. When the child does well, they’re up. When the child

does poorly, they’re down. The message this sends to kids is that they’re lovable when they win, less lovable when they don’t. Quite frankly, I find it crazy to live in a world where parents scream at little league games, storm off after bad plays and pull sneaky moves to gain competitive advantages. Kids today are more stressed, anxious and depressed than ever before, and can we blame them? Imagine living up to the insane expectations set by many adults. Imagine giving your absolute best — and being told it isn’t good enough. I’m all for excellence, and I love to win. But with the world already telling our kids they’re only as good as their last performance, they don’t need added pressure at home. What they need is love they can count on because it’s steady, and parents who are proud regardless of the outcome. Is it great if our child gets the lead in the school play? Of course. But the real victory comes when they audition on stage, overcoming jitters to read a script in front of judges. Is it awesome when our child’s team wins a championship? Absolutely. But the real victory comes when they grow closer as a team and rise to the challenge of a high-stakes game. Are we proud when our child wins the school essay contest? Definitely. But the real victory comes when they find their voice, realize it matters and use it to impact others. Raising a brave child starts with being an encouraging parent. It means celebrating efforts above results. After years of coaching

third-grade basketball, my brother has noticed that whenever players make a good or bad play — such as score a goal or miss a shot — they immediately look at the stands. They’re searching for their parents’ reaction. The way a parent reacts carries so much weight. For better or for worse, our kids internalize it all. Growing up my dad always said, “Do your very best, Kari, and leave the results to God.” Knowing I didn’t have to control any outcome brought me peace. And now that I’m a mom, I try to pass on that peace. I encourage my kids to take healthy risks, put themselves out there and face their fears. I remind them that as long as they give 110 percent, they’ve done all they can do. I love seeing how my girls change after a brave experience. I’ve noticed them sit up taller in my car, exhale with relief and smile because they’re proud of themselves. And if that’s all they get from the experience, that’s enough for me because what these moments reveal is that being brave wasn’t as bad as they feared, and when it comes time to be brave again, they’re a lot more likely to be game. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham mom of four girls, columnist, speaker and blogger for The Huffington Post. Her first book, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@ karikampakis.com.

280Living.com

October 2015 • A29

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A30 • October 2015

280 Living

PARK

CONTINUED from page A1 “Enough is enough,” he said at an Aug. 27 press conference. In the current fiscal year, DCNR’s budget is $157.6 million. Prior to the special sessions, the governor had requested a $146 million budget for the department in 2016. Lein wants funding to remain level with the current year. The state parks division’s budget was close to $40 million this year, Lein said. About 75 percent of that comes from guest revenue. Proposed transfers ranged from $3 million to $18 million, enough to make Lein and others fear the temporary closure of some or all state parks. Local government officials and park users held a rally at Oak Mountain State Park on Sept. 12 to encourage residents and park guests to contact their legislators and request level DCNR funding. At the time of the rally, the most recent House proposal had planned to take about $3 million from the DCNR budget, much of it from the parks division. Lein noted that with the previous budget proposals, the Senate had made increases to the transfers from DCNR. Prior to a Senate budget session on Sept. 16, however, District 16 Senator Jabo Waggoner seemed confident that the funds taken from DCNR would decrease and the general fund deficit would be resolved in another way. “In my opinion the state parks will end up being level funded,” Waggoner said. “Right now it is our plan to level funds for the state parks programs, and that would keep the parks open and hopefully flourishing.” After that special session, Waggoner turned out to be right. The Senate had decided to transfer only $1 million from the DCNR budget,

(Left) Each dot on this Oak Mountain State Park map represents a future improvement project. (Above) Scottie Jackson of the Alabama Wildlife Center readies a hawk for release during a rally against park funding cuts. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

making it more likely that OMSP and other state parks will stay open through the year. This version of the state budget was passed on to Governor Robert Bentley for approval. This is good news for guests of OMSP and parks statewide. An overall lack of funds on the state level, however, will have an impact on Shelby County’s ongoing master planning process for Oak Mountain. County Chief Development Officer Chad Scroggins said the draft of the master plan was finished in mid-September and is currently being edited and reviewed. The draft is a massive binder filled with pages of potential projects, each corresponding to one of hundreds of numbered sites on the park map. The projects range from fixing cracked concrete around a post to building a handicap-accessible fishing pier.

Once the master plan is complete, it will be used to prioritize completion of those projects. The county has pledged $3.1 million over the next several years to the completion of these projects, and County Manager Alex Dudchock has asked the state parks division to pledge around $2.7 million in funds. Even a $1 million cutback to the DCNR budget, Scroggins said, will almost certainly slow down their pace of improvements. With hundreds of projects, fulfilling the entire master plan is an endeavor that will take years. Scroggins said the county is not letting the state budget discussion impact the planning process. Its effect will be seen once a list of priorities is made and action begins. “From the county’s aspect, it has not caused us to have any pause or delay,” Scroggins said of the state budget. “We’re going to continue with

our planning because we don’t know what that end result is going to be.” One other OMSP project, however, is being halted due to unrelated funding difficulties. In September, the Shelby County Commission agreed to suspend study and research for the proposed lodge and conference center in the park. Scroggins said that the county had studied financing options for the development and found that beyond daily operating costs, the lodge and conference center would require additional pledged funding in order to borrow money and otherwise operate. This would require an investment on the state level, and Scroggins said that the DCNR is not in a good position to provide that funding, regardless of current budget discussions. Without the state’s help, Shelby County would need to provide this

investment, either from county lodging taxes or a general obligation debt from the commission. Dudchock wanted the lodge development to support itself through its own lodging taxes and generated revenue, and he said he couldn’t justify using other projects’ money for that purpose. “When they asked for some additional collateral that could expose our other projects like at University of Montevallo, the infrastructure improvements that we’re doing at Oak Mountain and other lodging tax projects, it is not a project that would warrant having any exposure on our other lodging tax initiatives,” Dudchock said. “We can’t let that one hotel and conference center project [and] the financial needs for it impact these other projects, because these other projects are just as important,” Scroggins agreed. When the commission suspended the project, Dudchock also recommended changes to the lodge plans once the state and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is able to provide funding in the future. He suggested reconsidering the entrance, which is currently located on Terrace Drive. The entrance is impractical, Dudchock said, due to the area’s day use and the road conditions. He also requested infrastructure actions to accommodate vehicle, pedestrian and bike traffic be considered. The amount the state would need to provide for the lodge’s investment is still undetermined. The project is not off the table entirely, but the county will not be spending money on environmental studies or other site research until they can partner with the state. “It’s in a suspended mode… until it’s got the backing of the state,” Scroggins said. “That’s likely years down the line.”

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October 2015 • A31

280Living.com GRANDVIEW

CONTINUED from page A1 Andy Romine said the goal is to have Grandview full of patients and completely operational by late afternoon on Oct. 10. Trinity will remain operational until the last patient is moved. “Our primary goal is to keep our patients safe above all else, and that will dictate our timeline,” Romine said. The move day comes at the end of a $280 million investment from the current Trinity Medical Center. The Grandview campus includes a 1 million-square-foot medical center, a multistory physicians’ office building and a 1.25 million-squarefoot parking deck, which CEO Keith Granger said may be the largest in the state. He expects to serve between 200 and 250 people every day immediately after the doors open and quickly grow to 350. The community and future staff got their first glimpse of the facility in September. Inside, the hospital’s services included: labor and delivery rooms with private units for babies in intensive care; a floor devoted to surgery, with 32 operating rooms and a hybrid OR for multiple heart procedures; and an ICU with private rooms and technology for constant vitals monitoring. There will not be new services at Grandview compared to Trinity, but Granger said to expect “greater depth” of those services in the form of more staff and new technology. Grandview also has a Level III trauma center with its own parking deck and helipad to provide access to 24/7 emergency care. Granger said the department is designed to have quick access to diagnostics and equipment for heart problems, so treatment can begin within 90 minutes. He said the overall wait time for emergency patients will be kept between 17 and 30 minutes. “Time is everything,” Chief Operating Officer Drew Mason said. He noted that Grandview’s full treatment capabilities will make it appealing to residents in need of emergency care. ALDOT has been at work for months near Grandview’s 280 entrance, public information officer Linda Crockett said, to expand 280 and build two left turn lanes for westbound drivers to enter Grandview’s campus and three left turn lanes for drivers to exit the campus back onto the highway. Nearby, ALDOT is also working on another auxiliary lane project at I-459’s northbound exit and entrance ramps. Crockett said the turn lane work has been done in conjunction with Grandview’s construction progress. Granger said that except for some finishing work, he expects the turn lane project to be complete by the time the hospital opens. Grandview will hold a grand opening ceremony on Oct. 2. Grandview Medical Center is located at 3690 Grandview Parkway and its main phone number will be 971-1000. Visit grandviewhealth.com.

Medical Director Dr. Jim McLester, Administrative Director Conrad Brown and Nursing Director Bryan Westbrook stand in front of the future Brookwood freestanding emergency department. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

St. Vincent’s One Nineteen campus administrator Stephanie Holderby and Brasﬁeld & Gorrie project manager Jason Lee at the expansion site. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

What to know about the new medical centers on U.S. 280 Brookwood Freestanding Emergency Department A month after Grandview begins operation, north Shelby County will gain a second location for emergency services. The Brookwood freestanding emergency department (FED) is working toward a late November opening at the corner of 280 and 119. “I’m impressed with it because I was with it from the very beginning when it was just moving dirt,” Administrative Director Conrad Brown said. The FED will have 12 private patient rooms, behavioral care facilities, a pharmacy and diagnostic imaging equipment. There will be an ambulance on site 24/7 and a helipad to transport patients around the area. The convenience to county residents is what Medical Director Dr. Jim McLester

believes will set the FED apart. “The level of care that we can provide with doctors here, present, 24/7 … is far above and beyond what anybody offers before you get to Grandview,” McLester said. Emergency patients will also be taken directly to a room for treatment when they arrive. Brown called it a “onestop shop concept.” Around 50 employees have been hired and are undergoing orientation and preparing their equipment. A road-widening project is also underway to add more lanes to Highway 119, and Brown said a third entrance will be added near the Fish Market Restaurant. At a September luncheon for the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, Brookwood CEO Chuck Stark said he anticipates a Nov. 30 opening. Brown said they expect about 50 patients per day initially, with that number increasing over time.

St. Vincent’s One Nineteen expansion Just in time for Christmas, St. Vincent’s One Nineteen will ﬁnish its 40,000-squarefoot expansion, right next door to the new FED. Stephanie Holderby, the vice president of operations and One Nineteen’s campus administrator, said the expansion is on track for an early December grand opening. The building will include an outpatient surgery center, urgent care and second-story physician ofﬁces. Physicians are currently being recruited, and Holderby said they’re being chosen to bring brand-new specialties or enhance existing ones at the campus. “We’re looking at things that we don’t offer now or that aren’t necessarily already in the market,” Holderby said. The urgent care center will be open from 3 to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 12 hours a day

on weekends. Holderby said it’s for patients who need immediate treatment but the injury or illness is not grave enough to go to an emergency department. The outpatient surgery center will have four operating rooms that can function for a variety of procedures. Holderby said the center is designed for efficiency and includes a private corridor to connect doctors and patients to other services on campus. One Nineteen emphasizes holistic care, Holderby said, and continuous care across specialties is what she thinks will bring in new patients. Currently, One Nineteen receives around 2,200 visitors a day across its fitness center, spa, physicians’ offices and other services. Holderby expects that number will increase by about 275 patients each day after the expansion. “We can all get a vast majority of our needs met here and we may take different avenues in order to meet that,” Holderby said.

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280 Living neighborly news & entertainment

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Food B4 School House B5 Fall Home Guide B8

OCTOBER 2015

Writing Shelby County’s history Museum director retiring after 16 years By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Shelby County Museum and Archives Director Bobby Joe Seales holds a Civil War-era mining pick that was recovered, along with coal carts, in an abandoned Shelby County coal mine. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

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When Bobby Joe Seales was handed the keys to the Shelby County Museum and Archives, he was just supposed to keep it running while the caretakers went on vacation. Instead, he became the museum’s director for 16 years. Seales said he came into the role by chance. While researching his family genealogy at the archives in 1999, he befriended caretakers Earl and Maydine Evans. He gave back the museum’s keys after the Evans’ vacation and expected to return to his research, but Maydine became very ill and the Evans decided to step back from their role. At the next meeting of the Shelby County Historical Society, Seales was nominated for president. He won and then stepped into the position of director of the museum and archives. It was the first time the museum, built inside Columbiana’s original courthouse, had an official director.

It was the first time Seales, who had retired from an internal auditing and credit management career, had worked for a museum or archive. The job was a natural fit, though. His wife, Diane, said their early dates were spent looking at files in the Birmingham Public Library or visiting area cemeteries. “[He] never took me out to dinner, never took me to a movie,” she laughed. The Seales have a long history in Shelby County, too. Bobby Joe is a lifelong Alabaster resident, from a family that settled in Alabama before its statehood, and Diane was part of the last graduating class of Alabama College before it changed its name to University of Montevallo. They live in the Thompson Place, one of the oldest estates in the county, which Diane inherited. “Our roots are deep here,” Seales said. Those who have visited the museum recently would not recognize it from 1999,

See HISTORY | page B7

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October 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ B3

B4 • October 2015

280 Living

Greystone’s new executive chef promises food with finesse By SARAH WALLER On the top of each of his menus, chef Andre Halston writes the same phrase, “Food with finesse for a passionate palate.” This mantra has served him well in his culinary career, spanning more than 40 years and featuring a clientele list that includes former President Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and the late musician B.B. King. Now, Halston is bringing this mantra to his new role as Greystone Golf and Country Club’s executive chef. “I’ve always thought Greystone was a five-diamond experience,” Halston said. “It’s one of those environments where you can come and get spoiled. And you can get spoiled whether you’re playing golf, dining or working out. These things are great qualities that appeal to me as a chef.” Halston’s experience has taken him across the country, cooking at unique locations like Camp David and serving the military at Guantanamo Bay. Most recently, he worked in Michigan at the Detroit Athletic Club. Last year, Halston and his wife decided to move to Birmingham to live closer to family. They ended up building a house just up the street from his son and daughter-in-law, who also has family living nearby. Halston said this “big family feel” was everything he needed to make the transition to the South, and they have no plans to leave anytime soon. “This is my last job,” he said. “I’m going to retire here.” When Greystone hired a new general manager, they also hired Halston to reinvent the dining experience. With his extensive resume,

New Greystone Country Club executive chef Andre Halston prepares dishes for the club’s diners. He was brought in as part of larger improvements to the club’s amenities. Photo courtesy of Greystone Golf and Country Club.

including several years working for Ritz Carlton hotels as well as time spent as a corporate chef for Champps Restaurants and Salamander Resorts, Halston hopes to not only enhance the

quality of the food, but also the entire dining experience. “I am one to analyze and look at the whole piece – from the club’s culture to the food we

are currently doing. And I’m one to have the understanding that we can’t run, so let’s just walk quickly,” Halston said. “I always want to be thinking about how to make things better, to make the experience above and beyond.” Halston will be operating all of Greystone’s kitchens, serving the dining rooms at the Legacy and Founders Clubs and planning the menus for all weddings and special events. His philosophy for cooking is simple. “I’m not a preservative fan,” he said. “I want to do it fresh. I want to do it from scratch.” From salad dressings to dripping sauces, everything is made daily. He even prepares his own seasoned salt for the French fries. Halston said he doesn’t mind taking the extra time to achieve the best end result. “Even when it has taken us hours and hours to create a dish, I’ll put it on a plate, and in five minutes, it will be demolished. That’s okay. As long as I get to have an impact on people through food and through a cultural experience, I’m happy with it,” he said. Halston focuses on the experience of every Greystone member, including its youngest. “Greystone stands for families, because without them, this is not going to work. It’s not about doing things just for golfers. There are so many ways in which families are using the club every day, and we’re all about creating great family experiences,” he said. And if diners find a meal that they simply love, Halston said he would love to share his recipes. “I don’t mind sharing any recipe because there is nothing more flattering than someone replicating something you do,” he said.

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October 2015 • B5

280Living.com

School House MLES students celebrate coin drive with slime

Students at Mt Laurel got to “slime” their SRO as a reward for raising $22,000 in a coin drive. Photo courtesy of Mt Laurel Elementary.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL On Aug. 24, the students of Mt Laurel Elementary got to tape their principal and vice principal to the school ﬂagpoles and “slime” their school resource ofﬁcer. It was a reward for raising almost twice their fundraising goal in a summer coin drive. Principal Celita Deem said the school decided to do a coin drive instead of bake sales or gift wrap sales. They set a goal of $12,000 to raise over the summer for new technology, student materials and teacher

training. After a series of fundraising activities on the first week of school, the students had raised over $22,000. “They did fantastic,” Deem said. “This is probably the best fundraiser we’ve ever done.” In return, on Monday morning Deem and Assistant Principal Tina Neighbors were taped to flagpoles for more than an hour, with their feet dangling above the ground. Students covered Deputy Carnell Buford, the school resource officer, in green slime in the gym, and one student also won an iPad mini.

Superintendent Randy Fuller finalist for Superintendent of the Year By ERICA TECHO Shelby County Schools Superintendent Randy Fuller is one of nine finalists for the Alabama/Classworks 2016 Superintendent of the Year award. The award is sponsored by The School of Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) and Classworks, a company that offers an online instruction and assessment program for classrooms. Nominations were submitted by region, and Fuller was selected as the finalist for District 5. “Mr. Fuller has a tremendous vision for instruction to meet the needs of our students,” said Shelby County Board of Education member Jane Hampton. “He is a people person who quietly strives to hire the best and brightest to achieve this vision.” In his 38 years as an educator in Alabama, Fuller has been a teacher, coach, administrative assistant, assistant principal, principal and superintendent. He was hired by Shelby County Schools in 1998, serving as Oak Mountain High School’s principal for eight years. He was elected superintendent in 2006 and is serving his third term in office. During his time as superintendent, Fuller has been recognized with the University of Montevallo Kermit A. Johnson Outstanding

Superintendent Award, the Alabama School Communicators Association’s Superintendent of the Year Award and the Marbury Technology Innovation Award. The nine superintendent of the year ﬁnalists will be recognized at the SSA Fall Conference luncheon on Oct. 12, where the winner will also be announced. Criteria for the statewide winner includes career achievements and success in progressing public education.

B6 • October 2015

Reaching reluctant readers

280 Living

By SAM CHANDLER Contrary to the stereotypes often associated with those who work in libraries, Ashley Grainger did not always love reading. She was not the type of kid who spent the daily recess period absorbed in a puzzlingly thick book, nor was she the teenager who waited outside the local bookstore in anticipation of the newest release. In fact, Chelsea Middle School’s media specialist and tech coordinator went much of her life without experiencing the thrill of the written word. That’s until she was introduced, as a graduate student at the University of West Alabama, to Stephenie Meyer’s highly acclaimed vampire romance novel, Twilight. “It was the dorkiest book ever,” Grainger said, “but that grabbed me, and from there on I’ve loved it.” Helping the students of CHMS discover and develop that same passion for reading is the chief goal of Reaching the Reluctants, Grainger’s new program targeting students who struggle to read at grade level. “They’re my struggling readers that really have no passion for it, and I thought if I could get that one book in their hand, whether it be the hardcover book or the digital, they would find that passion,” Grainger said. To help Grainger accomplish her mission, the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation issued her one of 41 teacher mini-grants allotted for the 2015-2016 school year, awarding her $978.82. With the grant money, Grainger purchased 60 new books for the school’s media center, 30 hardcover and 30 digital, ranging in genre from graphic novels to biographies. Included in the purchased collection are books on Alabama and Auburn football, along with biographies on diverse superstars, such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and recording artist Katy Perry.

Ashley Grainger holds some of the books she purchased for the Chelsea Middle School library as part of Reaching the Reluctants, her new reading program funded by the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation. Photo by Sam Chandler.

“The grant purchased the books that I was hoping would catch their eye,” Grainger said. To promote reading growth, Grainger also bought series of fiction books that she believes will help bridge the gap between the introductory graphic novels and grade-level texts. “It was kind of a two-step process,” Grainger said, “catching their eye with the nonfiction books and letting them enjoy that, and then teasing them with the fiction books that were just a little bit harder, and then gradually moving them up to their grade level where they should be at.” Appealing to today’s tech-savvy students, all texts can be accessed electronically via computers, tablets and smartphones on the school’s

cataloging website, Destiny Quest. “It extends the reach greatly, which is very nice, and I’m so thankful for it,” Grainger said. Grainger first conceived the idea for Reaching the Reluctants when the buzz surrounding Divergent, the first installation in author Veronica Roth’s riveting science-fiction trilogy, reached an all-time peak. Making its big-screen debut in March 2014, the movie sparked debates among fans concerning which of the five “factions” they would join in the book’s post-apocalyptic world: Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, Abnegation or Candor. Instead, the story brought to Grainger’s mind a sixth faction, one comprised of students she

saw roaming the halls of CHMS every day: the Reluctants. “I thought this would be a good play on that,” Grainger said. “We would call them the Reluctants because they’re reluctant to read.” But Grainger is set on changing that, hoping to ignite a lifelong passion for reading that will carry students to new academic heights. “I hate to see my kiddos not find that book that really sparks that fire for them for reading, because it does them so well throughout life to love to read,” Grainger said. “They gain more knowledge, and with that’s more power.”

280Living.com

October 2015 • B7

Retirement Ceremony Nov. 1, 2 p.m. Shelby County Museum and Archives 1854 N. Main St., Columbiana New historical society officers will begin their terms, and Bobby Joe Seales will dedicate to the museum a reproduction oil painting of Isaac Shelby, the county’s namesake. Open to the public As part of his duties at the Shelby County Museum and Archives, Bobby Joe Seales sometimes plays the museum’s pump organ for visitors. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

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HISTORY

CONTINUED from page B1 Seales said. There were few display cases with no organization and few permanent items. There were no digital or microfilm copies of records, and the courthouse windows didn’t have protective film or even blinds to shield fragile antiques. Seales said the Evans had worked hard on the museum, but it had a long way to go. “The museum was nothing. I mean it was there and that was it,” Seales said. Over the next 16 years, Seales said he slowly worked to build the museum into the destination for county records and history that it is today.

He expanded its collections, digitized records and newspapers and collected records from surrounding counties. At the same time, the historical society grew from less than 200 members to over 900. “People started paying attention to the museum as well as the archives,” Seales said. The Shelby County Museum now holds everything from coal carts abandoned in a Confederate mine during the Civil War to the bell from the first locomotive in the county to a football jersey from the early years of Thompson High School. There are newspapers and court, marriage and death records from before Alabama became a state. Different displays

include clothes, toys, pictures, tools and Native American artifacts dating back to the late 1700s. “I watch after all this stuff as if it’s my very own,” Seales said. “Every piece that’s in those display cases, I put them there myself.” After so long on the job, Seales has an expansive knowledge of the history of Shelby County, from the former wagon trail that became Cahaba Valley Road to area cemeteries and Native American burial grounds. Seales has helped other communities, including Gardendale, set up historical societies and regularly speaks about history to groups around the county. He said his favorite part of the job is helping people uncover the lost history of their

families or towns. “You’d be surprised at the information you can find from people doing genealogy,” Seales said. Throughout 16 years of work, Seales said it was his passion for the people and places in Shelby County that made him love being at the museum. In October, Alabaster is recognizing him with a proclamation and key to the city. “I never dreamed I’d get to do stuff like this,” Seales said. “[People] have just been great to me here. Everywhere in Shelby County, everywhere I go.” However, Seales has decided that this will be his last month on the job. On Nov. 1, he will retire from the

director position and will not seek re-election as the historical society’s president. He said he’s accomplished his goal of improving the museum and leaving it in good financial shape for the future. “I just think it’s time for somebody else to come in with new ideas,” he said. He will be replaced by new director Jennifer Maier and new president Dr. Fred Olive. Seales said he is impressed with both of them and excited to see what they do. He will still serve on the museum’s board for several more years. “It’s going to take both of them working together,” Seales said of his successors. “I feel so assured these are the right choices to fill my shoes.” There will be a formal ceremony on Nov. 1 to end Seales’ term and welcome the new faces. At this event, Seales will dedicate a reproduction oil painting of Isaac Shelby, the county’s namesake, which he has donated to the museum. After that, he’ll be staying busy. His next project is a pictorial history of Alabaster, to publish in 2017. Seales is on the planning committee for the state’s bicentennial celebration, which will include events from 2017 to 2019. He also plans to publish a second version of his family history and write history books of Pelham in 2018 and Columbiana in 2019. One of Seales’ favorite phrases is “history never written is soon forgotten.” He hopes his legacy at the museum and archives will be the way he preserved and increased the county’s written history. “My passion is for all the county, not just a particular district or city or town… I try to educate myself on all parts,” Seales said. “I hope what I’ve done, they’re pleased with it.”

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Home Guide Special Advertising Section

ctober is the time to take on a project or two. Whether you are looking to redesign a room, revamp your summer garden or prepare your home for winter, we’ve got you covered. Browse through our fall home guide for advice, tips and resources for every aspect of home improvement.

Home Cleaning

Waste Removal

Chimney Se

Interior Design

INDEX

B8 • October 2015

Landscaping

Arch. Hardware.......B23 Alabama Brick........B20 Batts’ Chimney........B16 Ben Franklin.............B17 Bin There..................B18 Classic Gardens.......B16 Decorating Dens......B15

rvices

Home Furnishing

DSLD Land...............B14 EZ Roof.....................B10 Gardner Landscape..B9 Hanna’s Garden.......B18 Greystone Antique B22 Jane Claire................B9 Mantooth.................B23

Preserve Paints......B22 Rosegate Design......B11 Skelton’s Air............B20 The Tile Cleaner.......B21 Urban Home.............B12 Window Decor..........B19

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Fall

Home Guide

October 2015 • B9

Special Advertising Section

Jane Claire Designs Drapery Studio

Exceptional landscaping at reasonable prices Gardner Landscaping is a full-service lawn, landscape and hardscape company that also offers lawn service maintenance to its customers. The company has served the Over the Mountain area since 2006 and prides itself on responding to your needs quickly and making sure you are a satisfied customer. Their garden center, Gardner Nurseries, is conveniently located by the Riverchase Galleria. Gardner Nurseries stocks a wide variety of plants, flowers, trees, stone and hardscape materials. In addition to bagged materials, they carry bulk materials such as: pine mulch, top soil, soil conditioner, mason/ playground sand, 8910 gravel, 57 gravel, 78 pea gravel, oversize pea gravel and Wrip Wrap. Gardner Nurseries can load these materials in your truck or trailer or they can deliver these materials for you. Its retail garden center has the

feel of a mom and pop store yet provides you with the large material selection of a large garden center. Furthermore, Gardner Landscaping has a sister company called Advanced Turf Care that specializes in turf weed control and fertilization as well as ornamental tree and shrub maintenance. They will look at a customer’s lawn and landscape and offer professional suggestions. Gardner Landscaping wants to be your one-stop source for all of your landscaping, lawn and hardscape needs and looks forward to having an opportunity to be your company of choice. For more information, call 823-3168 or 401-3347 or visit GardnerLandscapingLLC. com.

For more than 20 years, Jane Claire Designs has provided expertise in window treatments, bedding, home furnishings, hardware, shades, shutters and blinds. Their showroom (located at Shops of Colonnade on U.S. 280) features over 50 pairs of custom draperies ready for installation. Owners Claire Williams and Jane Eades, along with Maria Wood and Debbie Hazelwood, can make the experience of purchasing room décor an easy process. Four design tips they suggest are: 1. Create a room that is beautiful and FUNCTIONAL. 2. Use fewer accessories but make them BIGGER & BOLDER. 3. Add something vintage or antique to give the room CHARACTER.

4. Surround the room with “things” you LOVE. Jane Claire Designs / DRAPERY STUDIO can help create a room that fits your lifestyle and personal taste while following your budget. They also specialize in vacation homes — from the beaches to the mountains to the lakes. The DRAPERY STUDIO is pleased to be the exclusive dealer in Birmingham for Sid Dickens Memory Blocks. Ad special: FREE 1 Hour IN-HOME consultation (within 30 mile radius) through October. Call 969-5575 for details. Visit janeclairedesigns.com for more design ideas.

Fall Home Guide

B10 • October 2015

280 Living

Special Advertising Section

What to know about roofing We asked roofing specialist Gerry Rotter of EZ Roof what homeowners should be aware of regarding roofs.

solutions for your individual project. Also, ask about warranties. What extended warranties can you provide? What is your labor warranty?

Q A

What advice would you give to someone thinking about replacing his/her roof? Talk to a professional. Find someone who is fully licensed and insured, with experience and a good reputation. Always use a company that is rated A+ with the Better Business Bureau. Remember, if you have any warranty issues that arise, you want a company that will be around, that you can find years down the road. Look up the address of the business using Google Earth. Choose a company with a brick-and-mortar business, not one operating out of a basement. Find reviews and ask for references. The biggest thing – ask questions. Your roofing contractor should be knowledgeable about products and

What are some signs that you need a new roof? One sign is if you notice your shingles are curled, cracked or missing, or you find shingles on the ground. Age is also a big factor. If your roof is at least 20 years old, you may need a new roof. Are your neighbors getting new roofs? Homes built around the same time period and in the same location will experience the same types of weather conditions and natural wear. Did your neighborhood experience a hail storm or high winds? You may have damage that is covered under your homeowner’s insurance. When in doubt, call a professional roofer to give you a free consultation. A roofing professional can tell

you how much life is left in your roof, if there is storm damage worthy of a filing a claim, and what action is recommended. Be careful though. There are groups that I refer to as “storm chasers” that just go after insurance claims and encourage you to file a claim, whether there is one or not! This can increase your rates. Make sure you are talking to someone that has your best interest in mind.

Q A

Why should a homeowner choose EZ Roof as his/her roofing contractor? EZ Roof is locally owned and operated and has been in business for over 10 years. We are fully licensed and insured, and have worker’s compensation and general liability. EZ Roof has an office and showroom located at the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road. You can visit us in person and view real samples of

the products we use. You can always put a face to the name. EZ Roof has a full-time staff, which means we do not subcontract out our roofing jobs. You will always be getting someone reliable, professional and experienced on your job. We also make payment easy. We do not collect anything up front, but rather upon completion and satisfaction of the job. Financing is also offered to help with the upfront expense of a new roof. We pride ourselves on our reputation and treating our customers like we would our own family members. I encourage you to look us up and read our reviews. EZ Roof is top rated on professional roofing sites, has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has an A rating with Angie’s List. For more information on EZ Roof, call 968-1034 or visit ez-roofer.com.

280Living.com

Fall

Home Guide

October 2015 • B11

Special Advertising Section

How to use patterns, prints and color schemes Redesigning or decorating? Rosegate Design has you covered. Opened in 1999 by interior designer Nancy Norris, Rosegate Design is known for its friendly, creative and enthusiastic staff, which has included partner Abby Leib since 2013. Rosegate offers comprehensive outside design services and a turnkey workroom for custom window treatments, bedding, upholstery and pillows. There’s an on-site design center stocked with designer fabrics and samples. It’s the perfect resource for designers, decorators and those wanting a beautiful home. To lend some professional advice for those who want a fresh, trendy new look, Norris lent some guidance. What advice can you offer for beginning the process of redesigning a room? Do your homework. I always have clients look through magazines to get an idea of their style. We also have a valuable website and a Pinterest page that can help clients get ideas. I do like to sit down with clients and find out what their lifestyle is along with how they like a room to function. I like to find out if they have kids, pets or any kind of special needs. What are the latest trends in color themes? Trends and colors are definitely going lighter colors on walls and fabrics, using lots of linens or linen-like fabrics. Soft greys and neutrals are trending, as well as mixing lots of natural textures and woods including washed and painted woods. Bold emerald green used with corals and rich turquoise makes a statement. With so many patterns and prints, what advice can you give to balancing colors in a room? Usually do the big pieces in solid fabrics, and then mix the patterns on pillows, ottomans and window treatments. A rule of thumb is use large

patterns with medium and small patterns. What prints are popular right now? Ikat, geometric and large-scale patterns. How do you pair the perfect furnishings with window fabrics? Select furniture style and the window treatment style, and then select the fabrics that will look best on each. They need to complement each other. Everything can’t be the dominant piece or so-called focal point. If the furniture

is bold, go easy on the window treatment and vise versa.

patterns and textures on pillows to give you great style without being committed forever.

What are some great brands for trendy furniture that’s easy on your wallet? We carry a few wonderful lines that are affordable including Four Seasons, Dovetail and Furniture Classics.

How can interior design consultants help? We can make sure that the client is purchasing the correct size furniture as well as using scale and proportion in the total design of the project. We have resources that can give them a personal custom look to their space.

What advice can you give on using pillows and bedding to tie a room together? In the neutral world we live in, you can use

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B12 • October 2015

Fall Home Guide

280 Living

Special Advertising Section

Telling the story of your home By TAMMY HEINSS Fall is the perfect season for gathering. As the air starts to chill we ready our homes for friends and family to gather around our table and in our kitchen for hearty soups and warm conversation. The clinking of glasses and dishware offer a sweet reminder that fun is in the house. Memories are being made. Dreams are being shared. This time of year we look forward to lounging around the family room with a sometimes rowdy crowd to scream, yell and cheer for our favorite football team - the enthusiasm moving us like musical chairs throughout the night. With cooler temperatures the fire pit is once again enjoyed, and we are drawn to it for roasting marshmallows and simply sitting under the stars wrapped in our favorite throw with nothing to do but soak in the time. The rhythm of routine is relished and slowing our pace is welcomed. Tailgating before and after a football game, whether it’s high school or college, becomes like a watering hole for humans. We come for camaraderie and refreshment, leave to watch our

favorite football team and then return to celebrate our victories or mourn our losses. Only later, sometimes much later, we sink deep into our bed, welcomed by dreamy quilts and comforters for a restful night’s sleep we are yearning for. By themselves, the table and chairs with dishes, the sofa and throws and bedding are just furniture and dishes and pretty things. When placed together in your home, they begin to tell the story of your life by what happens around them. At Urban, we offer furnishings with a story.... your story. The story of your home. A discussion around the dining table can spur a dream into action or just provide a retreat of understanding after a long day. Relationships are built and bonded under the ambient lighting and then memories are made around the sofa, chairs and coffee table watching a well-worn movie. The building and beauty of your life starts in your home, and we at Urban want to be a part of that. We offer all the furnishings to enhance your journey or just get you started in this crazy adventure called life. Sofas and chairs in every shape and fabric to personalize for you and to express

your personality are in ample supply. Our expanded bedding department will entice you to a treat of luxurious fabrics from a simple throw to a complete outfitting of your bed with most of them being machine washable. Our lighting is to die for. The selection of styles and the scope of our offerings is something to see. Choosing light fixtures that will work best in your home is no small task, and we look forward to the opportunity of showing you what we have. Lighting makes such a difference in the ambience of our homes. Isn’t that what it’s all about anyway? Creating the atmosphere where gatherings are warm and relationships can flourish? After all, it’s not just a sofa or a chair, or a throw, or just bedding and lighting. It’s home. All the furnishings that give us comfort only take shape when the memories of life happen around them. And that’s what makes a home. That’s what makes your story. Here’s to a beautiful fall and furnishings with a story...yours! For more information on Urban Home Market, call 980-4663 or visit urbanhomemarket.com.

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Fall

Home Guide

Special Advertising Section

October 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ B13

Fall Home Guide

B14 • October 2015

280 Living

Special Advertising Section

Design your dream landscape

David H. Sharp

DSLD Land Management is a full-service design/build landscape contractor firm. We are a family-owned and operated company that strives to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients. During our initial consultation all on-site factors are considered from function to form, with special emphasis given to economy and value added work. DSLD Land Management, Inc. opened its doors in 1983. Today DSLD has built an excellent reputation in landscape construction as a prominent design/build company that services central Alabama. Over the past 30 years DSLD has been recognized and featured multiple times in publications such as Southern Living Magazine and Builder’s Architect Magazine. DSLD welcomes projects of any scope and size and stands ready to serve our clients with a full staff of

Megan A. McNair

J. Cole Sharp

licensed and degreed designers, a fulltime administrative assistant, and one of the most experienced field service teams in the business.

The team David H. Sharp

Pursing his lifelong interest in horticulture and business, coupled with a background in drainage and soil erosion, David Sharp was inspired to create the ideal landscape construction company specializing in residential design and installation. This inspiration is now DSLD Land Management, a full service design/ build landscape contractor firm founded in 1983. David studied Geotechnical Engineering at the Ohio State University. While a student at OSU David was offered and accepted a scholarship to

Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration. Soon after graduating David became interested in applying his background in Geotechnical Engineering and Business Administration to a new course of study in Ornamental Horticulture. Over the years David has been a speaker at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Public Library’s Lecture Series, and at various garden clubs throughout the Birmingham area. In addition to learning from the environment around him, David has developed a more thorough understanding of various cultural landscape design applications from his travels throughout Europe and Asia visiting gardens and landscapes in over 20 countries.

David firmly believes in the value of family. Not only does he enjoy his family, but also works to improve the lives of families with at-risk children. David sits on several national boards of directors where he volunteers on behalf of foster and adopted children across the country.

Megan A. McNair

Megan McNair is DSLD’s newest team member serving as a Landscape Designer. She is a graduate of Auburn University with a degree in Landscape Horticulture with an emphasis in Landscape Design. While obtaining her degree from Auburn University, Megan was able to develop a strong foundation in landscape design. She has advanced training and specializes in software such as Dynascape and ProLandscape. Megan looks forward to continuing

her career with DSLD Land Management and creating spaces that reflect the lifestyle, purpose and attitude of our projects as well as injecting it with her personal flair.

J. Cole Sharp

Growing up alongside his father, Cole Sharp learned the family business from the ground up. Cole attended Jefferson State Community College, where he studied Computer Information Systems Technology and Mathematics. In addition to his major courses, he took Horticulture courses to enhance his knowledge of the family business. Today Cole is fully engaged in the day-to-day operations of DSLD; from sales to installation as well as providing technical support. For more information on DSLD Land Management, call 437-1012 or visit dsldlandmgmt.com.

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Fall

Home Guide

October 2015 • B15

Special Advertising Section

Take it outside

As our patios and porches are becoming more sophisticated and refined, today’s homeowners are driven to find peaceful sanctuaries as a prescription for their stressful lives. Outdoor spaces can also be an extension of your home, providing you with additional living space. Creating your perfect outdoor space will be the result of the successful combination of many design elements – landscaping, stonework, carpentry, furnishings, lighting and accessories. Careful pre-planning will be the key to the creation of your personal sanctuary, so begin with creating your personal “wish list.” You may be amazed at how long this list might become! Thinking about incorporating your year round needs. Do you frequently entertain outdoors? Do you spend time outdoors in the evenings simply relaxing? Is outdoor grilling a year round requirement for you? Do you enjoy planning simple family meals outdoors?

Once you’ve assessed your needs, then planning your outdoor space becomes much easier. Think about incorporating these simple ideas: 1. Comfortable furniture. This should be most important element in your design. Today’s outdoor furnishings have been manufactured to withstand all that Mother Nature can bestow. The age of folding, vinyl-strapped furniture is definitely over. Many furniture pieces of today look similar to indoor furniture, but have been constructed and designed to stand up to all the outdoor elements. A comfortable outdoor sofa or swing can be the perfect place for a Sunday afternoon nap! 2. Fabulous fabrics. The biggest name in outdoor fabrics today is Sunbrella. This collection of fabrics is colorful, design-oriented, and totally durable. Sunbrella features gorgeous fabrics manufactured to resist fading from ultraviolet rays, mildewing from damp conditions, and

odor absorption. It is just the ultimate outdoor upholstery or drapery fabric that will be used and enjoyed by your family for years. And of course, Sunbrella Fabrics are carried by Decorating Den Interiors. 3. Let there be light. Be sure to consider incorporating various types of lighting in your outdoor space design, just as you would inside your home. Landscape lighting, overhead lighting, ceiling fans, sconces and decorative side table lighting are all great ideas. Develop a creative lighting plan to help you create a space with increased ambiance and functionality. An outdoor fireplace or a firepit can be another great source for ambient lighting…and heat! 4. Don’t forget the draperies. Beautiful window treatments aren’t just for the indoors anymore. With the outdoor fabrics mentioned above, you can add softness and privacy to your outdoor oasis. From full draperies to pillows to

canopies, the sky’s the limit for your outdoor space! As with your indoor spaces, you want to create an outdoor space that is perfect for you and your family’s needs. Planning is the most important step in creating your outdoor oasis, and this may be a good time to call in a professional to help. A decorator can guide you through the steps and help you select the best products to make your room the perfect place for you to make lasting family memories. At Decorating Den Interiors, we have access to over a dozen outdoor furnishings, accessory and fabric vendors that can help you make your outdoor space the room of your dreams, with your ideas, your style and your budget. Call today for your complementary consultation! For more information, visit laurapurvis.decoratingdens.com or call 620-1945.

B16 • October 2015

Fall Home Guide

280 Living

Special Advertising Section

Fall is for planting

A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be

“Fall is for planting” is a recurring theme in the garden center/nursery industry. Fall planting is encouraged for many reasons. First, it’s cooler, putting less stress on plants as they go into the ground. It’s also much easier on the person planting the plants. As ground and air temperatures drop and day length shortens, plants are triggered to stop the growth of leaves and begin to put on new root growth. Whether you’re planting trees or shrubs, an abundance of new root growth occurs during fall, winter and early spring. So by planting now, plants are better rooted come summer time. Keep in mind that fall is typically our driest season, so new plants must be watered. Also,

I like to tell people you must baby plants for two years to get them established before they can tolerate any neglect. I also often surprise people when telling them they can plant any time of the year. So if you want to plant in the dead heat of summer, it’s okay. You just have to remember to water. Do you want to know when I do all my personal planting? It’s usually when we aren’t busy — and that would be January. Again, it really doesn’t matter. Do it when it is convenient for you. But don’t be surprised if you see articles this fall in the gardening magazines that fall is for planting! For more tips on planting, gardening and other related topics, visit classicgardens.com.

It’s what we do... Complete Landscaping Installation

Retaining Walls • Pathways • Patios Trees and shrubs • Sod • Irrigation Fertilization & Weed Control of Lawns

We’ve got you covered! (205) 854-8001 • classicgardens.com

When the weather gets frightful, your fireplace can be delightful. Batts’ Chimney Services is a local family-owned and operated, full-service chimney company. Area residents have been relying on Batts’ for its professionalism and knowledge to handle their entire chimney needs for more than 36 years. “Our goal is to provide the highest quality work at a reasonable price,” owner Phillip Batts said. To ensure your chimney is in tiptop shape, the experts at Batts’ Chimney Services have answered some of the most important questions concerning the safety and upkeep of your fireplace. How often should I have my chimney cleaned? The National Fire Protection Association Standard 211 says, “Chimneys, fireplaces and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits and correct

clearances. Cleaning, maintenance and repairs shall be done if necessary.” My fireplace has an odor. What can I do? A good cleaning will help, and during this process Batts’ can determine if there are other contributing factors that need to be addressed. I have water leaking into my fireplace and water stains on the ceiling and wall. Can your company fix my problem? We will conduct a thorough inspection to determine where the water is coming from and help in the prevention of further leaks. Sometimes the problem is not chimney-related. A roof problem can show up at the chimney and deceive us. To learn more about Batts’ Chimney Services, visit battschimneyservices.com or call 956-8207. Visit csia.org/Homeowner-Resources/index.aspx for more FAQs on chimney service.

Fall

280Living.com

Home Guide

October 2015 • B17

Special Advertising Section

Money saving plumbing, heating and air tips Your typical household headaches — be it water heater failure, bursting pipes or a breakdown in heating and air — can be tackled with one phone call to Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating. Dan Stomoff, vice president, said, “We have been servicing the community for over 100 years. We started as Evans Services in 1901 and have been keeping the area cool and comfortable ever since. Though we have changed our name to Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating, we are still building on our decades of experience.“

The companies pride themselves on an extensive list of guarantees to their customer, including, but not limited to: • On-time technicians and plumbers • 100% satisfaction • No overtime rates — EVER • Friendly, courteous and skilled professionals Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating have helpful tips and tricks to help you save money.

Don’t let money drip away • For leaky faucets and showerheads, make sure your washers and gaskets are tight. Replace them if they are worn with newer, water efficient options. • The most common cause of a leaking toilet is often the inexpensive, rubber flapper. Check for wear and replace if needed. • Inspect your irrigation system and garden hoses. The spigot where the hose is attached to your home is a common area for leaks.

Change filters regularly Most HVAC filters are disposable and should be replaced every month. Reusable filters that are designed to be cleaned with a vacuum or garden hose can be cleaned even more frequently to maximize their effectiveness. If you’re running your air conditioner with a clogged filter, you’re forcing your system to work harder, which wastes energy. It also accelerates wear on your HVAC fan and other components, which costs you more in system maintenance. For more information, call 205-533-7992.

At One Hour® We Offer the Following Services:

At Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® We Offer the Following Services:

 Residential & Commercial  Repairs & Replacements  Duct Cleaning

  

 Indoor Air Quality  Maintenance Agreements

Sewer & Drain Cleaning Garbage Disposals Water Heaters

 

Water Conditioning Leaks and Repairs

No Overtime or After Hours Fees EVER! Standard rates 24/7 including holidays & weekends because heating and air conditioning AND plumbing problems are an inconvenience no matter WHEN they happen.

$50 OFF

www.onehourbirmingham.com www.benfranklinplumberbirmingham.com

ANY REPAIR

CALL TODAY! 205-533-7992

Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Some restrictions, taxes and fees may apply. Expires 12/31/15.

Drug Tested, Background-Checked Employees • StraightForward Pricing® • Fully Licensed and Insured BF Lic. # 00639 / OH Lic. # 15022

Fall Home Guide

B18 • October 2015

280 Living

Special Advertising Section

How to plant a fall container garden Tips and ideas from Lorraine Fincher, sales manager over annuals, perennials and seasonal color at Hanna’s Garden Shop }} Think outside the flower box. Pansies, violas and mums are popular fall and winter annuals, but consider expanding your plant palette to include snapdragons, dianthus, ornamental kale, Swiss chard or mustard greens. All of these will last throughout a typical Alabama winter. You can also add acorus grass for green color all year. }} Mix it up. In addition to your flowers, try adding in greenery for a backdrop in your container. Ornamental grasses such as carex or juncus complement any annual or perennial bloom, as do evergreens such as false cypress, boxwood and arbor vitae. Your summertime marigolds and petunias can also remain in your containers until the first frost of the season. }} Add pumpkins. Arrange a set of

ornamental pumpkins around your containers. Hanna’s sells a variety of sizes and textures in greens, whites, yellows and classic oranges. Be careful not to water your pumpkins when you water your flowers, though, so they don’t rot prematurely. }} Vary container sizes. Instead of planting one large container, try placing plants throughout three different-sized containers in one location. Each can feature plants of the same color or complementary colors. Hanna’s sells ceramic and concrete containers in a variety of sizes and colors. Hanna’s Garden Shop, located at 5485 U.S. 280 E. across from the Lee Branch Shopping Center, offers not just flowers but also trees, shrubs, fertilizers and gardening accessories, as well as the expertise of its staff. For more information call 991-2939, visit hannasgardenshop.com or email support@hannasgardenshop.com.

Clean up with a residential-friendly dumpster company After 25 years of working in the corporate world as a facilities manager, Scott Klesius opened Bin There Dump That in May of this year. The company provides residential-friendly dumpsters for homeowners and commercial contractors, roofers and property managers. Located in Pelham, Klesius and his team can provide dumpster service throughout the entire Birmingham metro area. Perfect for renovation and household cleanout projects, the company offers: `` Clean bins `` Professional, uniformed drivers `` Prompt deliveries `` 2 x 8 boards under bins to protect your driveway `` Sweeping of the area after pickup `` Smaller trucks that fit in tight spaces. `` Four dumpster sizes to match your project FAQs What can I put into my bin? Anything except hazardous waste, biomedical waste, oil, gas, biomedical waste or tires. Can I put paint cans into my dumpster

rental? Yes, if the paint is dried. For water-based paints, add cat litter or paint dryer packets from your hardware store. Can we put electronic equipment and appliances in the bin? All electronics and appliances including refrigerators can go into the bin. Do you take concrete, stone or soil? Yes, our 4-yard bin is specifically designed for them. What size dumpster is right for our project? We have four sizes: 4-yard, 10-yard, 14-yard and 20-yard. Please see our website or call, and we can discuss and make suggestions about your project. Is it easy to put stuff into the bin? Yes, all of our bins have back double doors, making loading much easier. For more information on Bin There Dump That, call 406-5850 or visit dumpsterrentalsbirmingham.com.

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Fall

Home Guide

October 2015 • B19

Special Advertising Section

What to know about window décor With more than 15 years experience and a degree in interior design, Pam Mitchell is pleased to offer all the answers to your home design needs at Window Décor Home Store. Mitchell, who is also a window fashion certified professional (WFCP), and her staff of professional design consultants specialize in custom made interior and exterior shutters, blinds, shades and draperies. A large selection of hardware and fabrics is available, and the staff will work with you to find the solution for the look, privacy and light control you desire. The store, located in the Lee Branch Shopping Center at 1401 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 109, features a beautiful and customer-friendly showroom that allows visitors to easily see, touch and operate all of our window treatment displays. You’ll find home décor items in the store as well as access to thousands of options in all product lines. Window Décor Home Store is the only Hunter Douglas Gallery in Birmingham and makes available the company’s vast array of window treatments, including customer favorites such as Duette Honeycomb Shades, Silhouette Solar Screen Roller Shades, Pirouette and Luminette Privacy Sheers, and hundreds of choices for color, texture, fabric and function. The store serves the entire Birmingham area, but because they are independently owned and operated, its distinctive services are all provided with the understanding, knowledge and flair of the local preferences and design styles. Mitchell shared a few tips and trends about window treatments. What are the latest trends in window treatment styles? Our brilliant new wireless operating system gives you the power to control and schedule your Hunter Douglas window treatments from your smartphone, tablet or a remote control.

What’s my first step when considering new window solutions? We recommend you visit our showroom first to become familiar with the wide selections and possibilities. Then, a designer will meet with you in your own home to help finalize your window treatment selections, ensuring that everything you order perfectly complements your home décor and meets your functional needs.

Why do we do the measuring? With many window treatments, exact and knowledgeable measuring and installation are critical, especially for inside mount situations and especially with hard, fitted products such as shutters. A measuring job done inaccurately can cost you a great deal of money if treatments don’t fit correctly. For the best performance and ease of use, we also take into consideration things such

as how often you will operate them, whether you have children and pets, and what furniture might be placed in front of the windows. For more information, visit alabamawindowdecor.com.

B20 • October 2015

Fall Home Guide

280 Living

Special Advertising Section

Custom solutions for heating and air conditioning needs

The newest location of Skelton’s Heating and Air Conditioning at 5551 U.S. Highway 280 has brought the company a steady increase in business, something for which owner Brian Skelton said he’s very thankful. “We want our new and existing customers to know how much we appreciate their patronage, and we’re pleased to be able to better serve even more of Birmingham with the convenience of our newest store,” he said. Formed in 2002 in Childersburg, Skelton’s has grown to include 17 employees and has recently increased its service vehicle fleet to 15, making its coverage of the metro Birmingham area even faster and more efficient. The company, which consistently strives for same-day service, specializes in quick and quality installation, replacement and HVAC repairs for residential and light commercial businesses. Skelton’s technicians are “comfort

specialists,” a title earned through an elite training program for HVAC specialists. They are also trained in Nexia programming to set up home unit controls through customers’ computers and smartphones. Fall is the time of year to have your heating systems serviced. By calling Skelton’s, you can learn about their preventive maintenance agreements and can get an additional 10 percent off on parts repaired. Also, for a limited time, Skelton’s customers can receive up to $1,000 in trade-in allowances on approved equipment. Let Skelton’s be your heating, cooling and refrigeration company of choice. For questions or to schedule a service appointment, call their offices at 991-5878. For emergencies after hours, call (256) 6262678. Visit skeltonsair.com for additional information.

Trends in brick and stone

When it comes to your home or building project, Alabama Brick is the expert for exteriors, fireplaces, patios and more. The local family-owned business has been serving Alabama for more than 40 years. Alabama Brick’s Brick Studio location in Hoover is the perfect environment in which to plan your next project. Katherine Higgins, Alabama Brick’s in-house designer, loves assisting her clients in choosing the perfect products to help to create their overall vision while meeting their needs and budget. What trends have you seen in home construction and renovations? Outdoor fireplaces and kitchen areas are continuing to grow in popularity. You are adding living space and resale value to your home, as well as a place to create new memories with family and friends. Alabama Brick has a variety of fireplace and kitchen cabinet options, including DIY kits. Fall is the perfect

time to make your backyard the family fun destination. Thin Brick for kitchen backsplashes, mudroom floors, and accent walls continue to be a trend. Thin brick gives you the look of a full size brick, adding authentic character and timeless distinction to your space that only brick can achieve. The 1970s moss rock fireplaces are being updated with new manufactured stone veneer. Manufactured stone veneer gives you the real look and feel of rock with less weight and cost. Whether your style is modern and sleek or old world and rugged, there’s a style of stone that will be perfect in your home and gives you the freedom to customize and create the look that fits you. For more information on Alabama Brick, call 408-4284 (Hoover location) or visit alabamabrick.com.

Fall

280Living.com

Home Guide

October 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ B21

Special Advertising Section

Keeping tile and grout clean

A new business venture by the owners of Andy OnCall, The Tile Cleaner offers professional tile-cleaning services. To keep tile and grout in the home clean on your own, The Tile Cleaner has some tips.

consistency of toothpaste when applied, and it never dries quite as hard as grout. It comes in either small tubes or in the form of long cartridge inserts that load into metal caulking guns.

Grout and caulk The grout around your tiles, and possibly around your tub and sink, is a mortar-like compound of water, sand and cement. It dries quickly and becomes rock-hard. It usually comes in white, but it can be stained almost any color. The other stuff that looks like grout and can even go over grout to seal out moisture is called caulk, or caulking compound. It has the

Replacing grout While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re cleaning tile grout, take a careful look to assess how it is holding up. If you see a lot of cracks and missing pieces, it might be time to replace it. It is better to do it now, before liquids seep through and starts rotting out whatever is underneath the tile. Repairing it is actually pretty easy. You only need a few inexpensive tools to remove the old stuff yourself. Grout remover

kits can be found online and at most hardware stores. Once you have gotten out all the loose old stuff, you can begin replacing the grout, tamping it in with your finger. If you have to cover large areas, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommended to first mix the grout with latex additive to make it more waterproof. Cleaning tile and grout Most common household cleaners will not damage ceramic and porcelain tile. It would take a very caustic chemical to mar the finish on a hard fired, glazed tile. The grout between the tiles, on the other hand, is directly affected by what chemicals you use to clean

the floor. Use the wrong cleaner, and you could set yourself up for a big maintenance headache right from the start. For years, common household cleaners such as vinegar, bleach and ammonia have been used to maintain ceramic and porcelain tile grout. In fact, many professionals actually recommend using vinegar every time you mop. Vinegar, a mild acid, works great to eliminate streaks, but it also tends to open the pores of your grout, making it even more absorbent. When this happens, even regular mopping will make your grout look worse. The more you mop, the darker the grout becomes as it continually

absorbs dirt and spills. You know how your grout darkens when you mop the floor, and then slowly dries back up lighter? Every time that happens, any dirt in your mop water just found its way into your grout joints, slowly ruining the look of the room and permanently changing your grout color. For older tile work that has seen better days or to save your back and wallet some pain, hire a professional for a thorough and fast job. For more information on The Tile Cleaner, LLC, call 291-2005 or visit birminghamtilecleaner.com.

Fall Home Guide

B22 • October 2015

280 Living

Special Advertising Section

Discover distinctive décor and gifts

Greystone Marketplace, located in the heart of Greystone on U.S. Highway 280, is known as Alabama’s most unique store. Great design, quality furnishings and a variety of merchandise are what you find when you walk in Greystone Marketplace. With 25,000 square feet and 70 vendors, Greystone Marketplace offers a wide range of unique, new, vintage and antique furniture. The store is filled with a large selection of lamps, chandeliers, mirrors and artwork. The store offers a wide range of new furniture styles. From chic and modern to comfy urban casualness and the time-tested traditional, there is plenty to choose from, with professionally decorated vignettes to help customers visualize their room. Vendors scour auction houses, estate sales and flea markets to find the largest selection of mid-century, vintage, one-of-a-kind items. Whether decorating a bookcase, adding interest to a coffee table or looking for the perfect

bauble for a vanity, Greystone Marketplace has a great selection of accessories. It also offers a unique selection of casual chic clothing, fashion-forward sterling silver, costume and religious jewelry and handmade necklaces, earrings and bracelets made from vintage treasures, creating one-of-kind pieces of wearable art. Among the store’s many gifts, customers will find a luxurious line of infant clothing and baby gifts. The shop offers free gift-wrapping for any item. Greystone Marketplace also has an in-house floral designer whose floral creations enhance any room. Find out for yourself why Alabama’s discerning shoppers choose Greystone Marketplace for distinctive interiors and truly unique upscale for less. For more information on Greystone Marketplace, call 995-4773 or visit greystonemarketplace280.com.

Fall is Here! 5%

Sales Tax

DISTINCTIVE INTERIORS

Alabama’s Most Unique Store 5475 Highway 280 - Phone 205-995-4773 www.GreystoneMarketplace280.com

Expert tips for choosing paint

Geoff Milham has 28 years of experience working with Benjamin Moore paint. As the manager of Preserve Paints, his knowledge and studies in art appreciation enable him to assist customers. Milham answered some questions about the business and tips for those needing to paint. How did Preserve Paints get its start? The owner of Preserve Paints had previously owned and operated a Benjamin Moore retail store in Montgomery. Through other business opportunities, the owner has been a resident of Birmingham for the last nine years. After seeing the need for a paint store with quality products and excellent customer service, Preserve Paints opened to help maintain these needs and supply quality Benjamin Moore products. What are some tips for people when choosing paint for their home? Match the type of paint to the particular area or needs. For example, if you are painting a high-traffic area, choose a paint with some

degree of gloss. It does not get as dirty and is washable. An example of this type of paint can have a matte, eggshell or pearl finish. Do you have any tips for people when painting? Choose quality Benjamin Moore products to make the job easier and get the best results. Also, let the professionals at Preserve Paint help you choose the right product for the right job. What services or necessary other products besides paint can people get at Preserve Paints? Preserve Paints offers custom color matching for interior and exterior paint, stain and caulk. We carry a large selection of sundries such as paintbrushes, rollers, pans, sandpaper and painter tape. We also have pressure washers for sale and rent. For more information, call 558-1585.

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An entrepreneur’s story

While fishing with my wife’s grandfather one day, he asked me what I was going to do for a living. I was not sure, and this was the wrong answer to him. He said, “Son, if you’re not going to school, then pick a trade and learn it inside and out, and then surround yourself with smarter people and own the dang thing.” I was 19 at the time, and by the time I was 30, I had done just that. I have dedicated my whole work life, which is pushing 30 years now, to the ups and downs of the decorative hardware industry. For the last six years, with

Fall

the downturn of the economy, I’ve operated alone inside of Architectural Heritage by Pepper Place and have come to love the “less is more” business plan. If you are building or remodeling, please call for a designated time to walk through your plans, and let me help put together a door, cabinet and bath hardware package that fits your budget and style. My name is Jeff Seabolt, and I look forward to the opportunity of working with you. For more information, visit ahardwareman.com.

Home Guide

October 2015 • B23

Special Advertising Section

Make your space a reflection of you

At Mantooth Interiors, Lynette Mantooth has drawn upon years of experience to assemble one of the most impressive collections of fine home furnishings available in the Southeast. This luxury home interior design showroom has deep relationships with the most respected and innovative manufacturers in the business, which is key in sourcing the inspired pieces Lynette and her design staff use to craft unique solutions for their customers. The collection includes a comprehensive catalog of upholstery, fine case goods, lighting, accessories, custom window treatments and the best in beds, bedding and linens. But the real difference that Mantooth Interiors delivers is in the way the experienced design staff listens and works with their clients to

bring the customer’s vision to life. It’s also a family business, with Lynette working together with her husband, Larry Mantooth, as true partners. Lynette summed up what people can expect working with her and her design team this way: “The starting point for your home doesn’t have to be what’s trendy. And it also doesn’t need to be what’s been done time and time again. We approach design knowing that by spending time with you, we can help make your home a reflection of you. It’s really about starting a conversation that can transform the way you live.” For more information on Mantooth Interiors, call 879-5474 or visit mantoothinteriors.com.

280 Living neighborly news & entertainment

SECTION

OCTOBER 2015

Sports C2 Real Estate C12 Calendar C13

A garden for the soul After her cancer diagnosis, Brenda Mellen and her husband, Matt, became the leaders of a project to create a park in their neighborhood. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

“[The park] was probably the best thing to happen because it occupied my time.”

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE and SYDNEY CROMWELL Becoming involved in the creation of her subdivision’s park was Brenda Mellen’s “saving grace” during her battle with breast cancer. “It kept me upbeat. It kept me happy,” she said.

After Mellen’s mammogram came back clear in the fall of 2010, four months later, she found a lump in her left breast. At age 51, the Chelsea resident had no doubt what it was. “One night I was lying in bed and felt it,” Mellen said. “I knew what it was right away. I called the doctor and got an appointment, and sure enough, that’s what it was.” Mellen, who owns Chelsea Party Center,

Are you at your wit’s end trying to get

was diagnosed with early onset breast cancer in February 2011. It was aggressive and needed to be taken care of immediately. She began chemo shortly thereafter and had weekly treatments for six months. She completed her treatment in November and had

See GARDEN | page C11

RID OF BELLY FAT?

C2 • October 2015

280 Living

Sports

A time to take the lead By STEVE IRVINE Dodging, darting and running away is what Spain Park High School running back Wade Streeter attempts to do while on the field. Doing the same thing, at least when facing his past mistakes, is not part of his off-the-field plan. Ask the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Streeter today about his younger days and he quickly tells you that athletic success at Berry Middle School and his early days at Spain Park gave him “the big head.” He’ll look you in the eye and admit he neglected his teammates and his studies. What he won’t do is attempt to hide from his decisions. “I’m a firm believer in people go through things for a reason,” Streeter said. “Every challenge, everything you go through, you learn something from it, if you allow yourself to.” It’s not difficult to pinpoint the moment – the early morning hours of Dec. 2, 2013 – and the reason that Streeter made the change. His grandfather, Walter Gary, died that morning. “I loved him so much and know he loved me,” Streeter said. “When he passed away, I knew it was time to make a change. I knew it would make him proud to see me doing the right things, see me putting God first and see me get my grades right and be a leader on and off the field.” Gary was a fixture at his grandson’s games, and he wasn’t hard to spot. He was the one yelling ‘Get away Rabbit’ every time Streeter broke into the open – which was often. He was often the first to reach Streeter after games. “To see his smile after the game was the most important thing,” Streeter said. “I loved to make him happy.” It was that love that prompted Streeter to change his ways in the classroom and with his teammates. Spain Park head coach Shawn

Raney, who took over the program in 2013, said his current standout running back’s grades “went from Ds and Cs to As and Bs.” He eventually became someone that Raney could build not only his offense, but also his entire team, around. “He’s an unbelievable kid,” Raney said. However, Streeter still had to wait his turn to lead the way on the varsity. For the most part, he sat and learned from watching former standout running back Otis Harris during the 2013 season. “When you wait behind good backs like that, you’re not just waiting, you’re learning and being humbled,” Streeter said. “You’re just so ready to hit the field yourself.” Before he did that, at least for a regular season game, he had another experience in his growth as a person. It came during preseason practice when Streeter stood in front of his teammates and told his story. He talked about his grandfather. He talked about his mistakes and about growing up. Most of all, he became a leader. “When you get to a certain point in life, where you worked so hard, arriving here at 6 o’clock in the morning, just so you can be that guy next year,” Streeter said. “You realize there is a time to get up and take the lead. When the time came, I couldn’t hold back anymore.” He also had another role – Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader – when he left that day. “After I shared that story, our FCA leader, Coach (John) Hardin, came to me and said he believed God was calling me to lead our FCA,” Streeter said. “I took it as a challenge and really dug deep into it. I was all in from day one.” On the field, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a breakout varsity season. He had 195 yards and four touchdowns in the marathon loss to Hewitt-Trussville and cracked 100-yard barrier three more times. He rushed for 189 yards

Running back Wade Streeter (4) makes a play against the Hueytown Gophers. Spain Park beat the Gophers 31-0 in August. Photo by Ted Melton.

in a win over Vestavia Hills. Off the field, he grasped the leadership role, especially helping young players mature. “Back in the day, I’d probably be doing it with them,” Streeter said. “Now, I find myself trying to help them out, telling them what I’ve been through and how it hurt me. It’s allowed me to be a better voice among the team.” This year probably won’t mark the end of his

football career. He’s already received an offer from Miles College, where his father, Wade, is a former head coach, and also has interest from Jacksonville State and Alabama State. His focus right now, though, is helping the Jaguars return to the playoffs. He also has a clear focus on how he wants to be remembered at Spain Park. “I want my legacy to be ‘He put God first in everything he did,’” Streeter said.

October 2015 • C3

280Living.com

Stidfole, Eagles eye new heights By SAM CHANDLER

As someone driven by the desire to be the best, that’s just how he likes it. When lightning strikes at the Montevallo Early Bird Twi“There’s a lot of pressure, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth light Classic on Aug. 28 delayed the start of Cole Stidfole’s it,” Stidfole said. “I knew I just needed to train a lot harder 2015 cross-country season by two weeks, the Oak Mountain this season if I still wanted to be on the top because I know junior did not waver. there’s guys training to beat me this season.” Instead, he struck back. To supplement his work ethic and ensure a premier Fresh off his first career state title, in the 3,200 meters podium position at the state meet, Stidfole has developed (9:34.03) at last spring’s 7A state outdoor track meet, Stid- a precise attentiveness to detail. Whether it’s maintaining fole unleashed a monstrous season-opening performance at proper form during drills and strides, or paying special the Chickasaw Trails Invitational on Sept. 12, clocking a attention to his diet and sleep schedule, Stidfole is devoted state-leading and personal-best time to doing things the right way. of 15:49.81. “He’s really learned how to work hard “I was just trying to run the best and smart,” Dudley said. “He’s learned I knew I just needed what it takes to be successful and he’s race that I could,” Stidfole said. “I was surprised I did so well at the first really so driven now, and that’s kind of to train a lot harder race.” increased on a year-by-year basis.” this season if I still Although the performance surAlthough Stidfole aspires to claim passed his own expectations, Stidanother individual state title, his season wanted to be on the top fole’s stellar start to the season agenda extends far beyond singular sucbecause I know there’s cess. After the Oak Mountain boys team should come as no surprise. Since his signature victory last spring, a guys training to beat narrowly missed qualifying for the state 2-second triumph over Hoover’s meet last year, finishing three points me this season. Tommy McDonough, Stidfole has behind Hewitt-Trussville for the third trained relentlessly. Determined to and final qualifying spot from 7A-3, the increase his strength and endurance, he consistently logged Eagles are on a quest for redemption. 50-mile weeks throughout the summer, persevering through “That one hurt, but looking back on it, I think it’s someAlabama’s draining combination of heat and humidity. thing that’s going to make us better as a team, and it was a “He takes summer training very seriously,” Oak Moun- good learning experience for us,” Dudley said. tain coach Kyle Dudley said. “He understands those Behind Stidfole, and a solid two-three combo in junior summer miles are what are going to win him those races in Caleb Van Geffen and senior Sean Drummond, Oak MounOctober and November.” tain looks poised to grab one of the coveted state-qualifying In addition to recognizing the direct correlation between a spots. quality summer and postseason success, Stidfole has found But that’s not their only goal. When the Eagles toe the training motivation in his fierce competition. McDonough line at Oakville’s Indian Mounds Park for the AHSAA State and Auburn’s Paul Barlow, the 2014 state cross-country Cross Country Championships on Nov. 14, they want to champion who Stidfole considers his chief rival, will both make their presence felt. challenge the Oak Mountain star throughout the season for “We want to go out there and we want to be champi7A supremacy. But following his 3,200-meter victory and ons,” Dudley said. “We know that’s a very big goal, and remarkable early-season success, Stidfole is keenly aware it’s going to be very hard work, but that’s something we’re that he’s the one with a target on his back. committed to.”

“

Oak Mountain runner Cole Stidfole is hoping to grab the state individual cross-country title for the second time. Photo by Sam Chandler.

”

C4 • October 2015

280 Living

Tough-luck lions look to break through Game 1, 8/28

CHELSEA 21, BRIARWOOD CHRISTIAN 16 At Chelsea, the Lions rallied from behind but could not hold on in the season-opening game of the football season. The Hornets jumped out to a 9-0 lead at halftime on the strength of a trick play. A lightning delay postponed halftime for roughly an hour. A Briarwood drive ended with Josh Brower’s 25-yard field goal to cut the margin to 9-3. But Chelsea answered with Matt Marquet’s 30-yard run to push the lead back to 15-3. The Lions rallied to briefly hold a 16-15 lead. A two-point try failed. Getting the ball back with under three minutes left, Chelsea’s Marquet drove the Hornets back down the field, and then connected with Ben Praytor for a 45-yard TD pass with 56 seconds left for a 21-16 lead and the win.

Game 2, 9/3

JACKSON-OLIN 26, BRIARWOOD CHRISTIAN 20 The Lions opened Class 6A, Region 5 play with a second consecutive heartbreaking loss. Jackson-Olin scored first on a 22-yard touchdown run by Jonathan McIntosh but the Lions answered with a Josh Brower field goal and a short run by Sam Sherrod to take a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter. By halftime, the Mustangs had a 20-10 lead. Briarwood’s defense scored next when Sherrod recovered a poor pitchout in the end zone to cut the lead to 20-17 with Brower’s extra point. The Lions put together another drive to tie the game at 20. But the Mustangs retook the lead when Angelo Brown took a handoff and burst through the middle of the Lions defense for a 73-yard touchdown run. The PAT failed, leaving J-O ahead 26-20. Briarwood got the ball back and mounted a drive inside the Mustangs’ 10, but on fourth-andgoal from the 16, William Gray was sacked and lost the ball, sealing the Mustangs’ win.

Briarwood Christian quarterback William Gray scrambles against Homewood. Photo by Scott Butler.

Game 3, 9/11

HOMEWOOD 27, BRIARWOOD 0 Homewood and Briarwood Christian renewed their rivalry at Lions Pride Stadium on another rainy night.

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The Patriots proved to be too much on either side of the ball, scoring on two touchdowns by Derrick Underwood, a run by Carson Griffis and a fumble return for a score by Antarious Mitchell. The Lions defense stopped the Patriots on

occasion, but the Briarwood offense managed just 73 yard of total offense and six first downs as Class 6A’s ninth-ranked team improved to 3-1, 2-0 in the region. Briarwood fell to 0-3, 0-2 in the region.

October 2015 • C5

280Living.com

Spain Park Football Recap

Spain Park’s Will Greene (88) celebrates a touchdown against Hueytown with Jaguar teammates Will Mullins (50) and David Kimani (64). Photo by Ted Melton.

Season opens with triple-overtime loss Game 1, 8/21

AUSTIN 38, SPAIN PARK 35 (3 OTs) Despite a strong performance by a pair of fleet-footed running backs, a powerful offensive line and a courageous quarterback, the Spain Park Jaguars suffered a heartbreaking season-opening loss to the Austin Black Bears at Decatur’s Ogle Stadium. Austin secured the victory on kicker Ivan Torres’ 18-yard field goal in triple overtime. “I thought both teams played their tails off, that’s all you can ask,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said. “We’ve just got to become better football players and do what we’re supposed to do, but I’m proud of them.” In the loss, Jags’ senior Joey Beatty made a sensational debut in his first career start under center, throwing for nearly 250 yards and two touchdowns. Beatty demonstrated quick decision-making ability, along with accuracy and arm strength. “He’s not going to make many mistakes, and he’ll come up with some plays for us,” Raney said. “I think he’ll continue to get better because he’s a good worker and a good kid.” Spain Park trailed Austin 14-7 at the half, but continually battled back through the third and fourth quarters, tying the game at 28-28 with less than 10 minutes to play. A series of scoreless drives by each team in the waning minutes pushed the game to overtime. In the third overtime period, Austin blocked kicker Crosby Gray’s 23-yard field goal attempt, opening up the door for Torres’ redemptive boot. “Coming out of camp, you don’t know exactly where you’re at, so now we’ve got some stuff to build on, and we’ll get better,” Raney said.

Game 2, 8/28

SPAIN PARK 31, HUEYTOWN 0 Coming off a stinging triple-overtime loss to Austin High School in its season-opening contest, Spain Park entered the home-opener against Hueytown craving a victory. “Last week we made too many mistakes to win,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said. “Some of the stuff that they’ve been coached to do, they didn’t do it.” Highlighting the importance of a strong work ethic and short memory, the Spain Park team that took the field on Friday night in no way resembled the Jags of just one week ago. Showcasing a relentless defense, unstoppable offense and energized special teams, Spain Park dominated every aspect of the game, cruising to a shutout victory. “I was proud of the way we played and the

way we acted,” Raney said. “I think they took some ownership in it this week.” Spain Park came out of the gate firing, quickly jumping out to a 21-0 lead through one quarter of play. By halftime, the Jags led 31-0. Running backs Larry Wooden and Wade Streeter each ran for a touchdown. Quarterback Joey Beatty threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Will Greene before adding six more points on a quarterback sneak. The Jags’ special teams looked sharp, as kicker Tyler Sumpter recorded six touchbacks and Crosby Gray converted four extra points while also booting a 33-yard field goal through the uprights to close the first half. “That was another area I thought we got beat on last week and again we challenged the kids, and I thought they responded well,” Raney said. “We worked on it hard, and I think it showed up tonight.”

Game 3, 9/4

SPAIN PARK 15, THOMPSON 14 Spain Park kicker Crosby Gray laced a 39-yard field goal through the uprights with 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter, propelling the Jags to a gritty road victory over Thompson (2-1) in the first week of region play. “To get a win like this, especially on the road, it’s a blessing. I can’t even put it in words,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said. “We’ve got a lot of grit, and that’ll win you a lot of games, just to be able to continue to fight like they do.” Gray’s 39-yard game-winner was his fifth field goal of the night, having already connected on kicks from 31, 39, 44 and 22 yards. “Crosby stepped up. I had full confidence in him. He’s done it his whole career,” Raney said. The Jags trailed 14-12 entering the fourth quarter, and the Spain Park defense battled relentlessly to prevent the Warriors from extending their lead. On the night, Spain Park held Thompson to 250 yards of total offense, with just 26 of those coming through the air. The 12-play, game-winning drive began at the Spain Park 24-yard line and included a remarkable tip-drill catch by wide receiver Thomas Jordan and a critical fourth-down conversion by running back Wade Streeter. Although Gray had missed a 35-yard field goal earlier in the fourth quarter, he remained confident and focused when he attempted the winning kick. “I just kept on thinking follow through straight,” Gray said. He did, and the Jags followed him to victory.

C6 • October 2015

280 Living

Hornets off to 3-0 start Game 1, 8/28

CHELSEA 21, BRIARWOOD CHRISTIAN 16 At Briarwood, the Hornets built a lead, fell behind and then stung quickly with a long TD pass in the final minute to top their Shelby County rivals for the second consecutive year in the season-opening game for both schools. After a scoreless opening quarter, the Hornets caught a break when Justin Painter’s punt was fumbled around midfield. Coach Chris Elmore went into his bag of tricks and came up with a halfback pass from A.J. Jones to Jay Vickers for a long TD strike. Chelsea went for two but failed, leaving the score 6-0. A lightning delay postponed halftime for roughly an hour, and when the game resumed, Briarwood managed a drive that resulted in Josh Brower’s 25-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, Zalon Reynolds’ return and a Briarwood late-hit penalty set the Hornets up in good field position quickly before Matt Marquet ran one in from 30 yards out to extend the Chelsea lead to 15-3. Briarwood stitched together a drive that gave the Lions a 16-15 lead. But Marquet moved his team into Briarwood territory and found senior receiver Ben Praytor behind the Lions defense for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 56 seconds remaining. Senior defensive back Calen Russell picked off a Lions pass to seal the win.

Game 2, 9/3

CHELSEA 43, SOUTHSIDE-GADSDEN 10 The Hornets hit the road and after falling behind early, punished Southside over the final three quarters to improve to 2-0. It was AJ Jones’ night to play in the pay dirt. Down 10-0 in the second quarter, junior quarterback Matt Marquet found Jones for a 21-yard touchdown pass to cut it to 10-7. Later in the quarter, Jones took a punt 82 yards for a touchdown run to give Chelsea the lead at 13-10.

Chelsea’s Zalon Reynolds cuts through the Valley defense. Photo by Cari Dean.

Jones kept rolling, scoring on a 20-yard run and a 4-yard run in the third quarter. Marquet found Jay Vickers late in the quarter for a 30-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 33-10. In the final stanza, Tyler Thomas added a field goal and Austin Stallworth added a late touchdown. Marquet was 7-of-11 passing for 86 yards and two TDs. Besides Jones’ big scoring game, Zalon Reynolds rushed for 92 yards.

Game 3, 9/11

CHELSEA 48, VALLEY 3 Chelsea welcomed the Valley Rams from Fairfax to begin Class 6A, Region 3 play, and then chased them home with a rout to improve to 3-0, 1-0 in region play. The Hornets’ offensive and defensive units each had their moments. The defense held the Rams on an early goal-line stand and forced five turnovers. The offense piled up almost 300 yards rushing.

Matt Marquet threw for a touchdown and ran for two, AJ Jones rushed for three touchdowns and Zalon Reynolds ran for one. The Hornets built a 34-3 halftime lead and cruised home. Jones finished with 11 carries for 151 yards. Reynolds racked up with 82 yards on seven carries. Marquet had 134 total yards. Coach Chris Elmore’s team has started off 2015 as it did in 2014. The Hornets are 3-0 and went 5-0 last season before hitting the toughest stretch of the season and missing the playoffs.

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October 2015 • C7

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Eagles struggle in early going Game 1, 8/28

HILLCREST 31, OAK MOUNTAIN 0 With head coach Cris Bell serving a suspension and some key players also missing, the Oak Mountain Eagles were stunned by Class 6A Hillcrest of Tuscaloosa at Heardmont Park. Quarterback Warren Shader did not play, and the Class 7A, Region 3 runner-up team of 2014 was down 21-0 at halftime. Even with a full complement of players, Hillcrest’s Brian Robinson would have been hard to handle. Robinson, a standout junior running back, rushed, received and threw for touchdowns. It was a tough night for the Eagles defense, which allowed 357 yards of total offense. It might have been of some solace to know that Robinson would rush for a state record 447 yards the next week in a 41-40 loss to Class 6A’s No. 1 team, Clay-Chalkville. The Eagles couldn’t score, either. Coleman Reeves managed 88 yards rushing and Wyatt Legas was 4-for-9 passing for 31 yards.

Game 2, 9/4

VESTAVIA HILLS 35, OAK MOUNTAIN 26 Oak Mountain rebounded from the opening loss with a strong effort, but fell shy against the Vestavia Hills Rebels on Buddy Anderson Field in the Class 7A, Region 3 opener for both teams. Trailing 28-13 at the half, Oak Mountain drove to the Rebels 5-yard line on the first drive of the second half, but Vestavia’s Reid Adams forced a fumble that teammate Nate Lewis recovered. The Eagles (0-2, 0-1) had clawed back into the game early in the second quarter after falling behind 14-0, and looked poised to start a second rally after being down 28-13 at the half. Oak Mountain opened the second half with a drive that covered 71 yards on nine plays, eight of them runs. “I thought we had them on the ropes, we did

Oak Mountain’s Coleman Reeves blasts into the end zone for a touchdown against Hoover. Photo by Barry Clemmons.

have them on the ropes, and we wanted to keep pressing. But it’s one of those things that happens,” Oak Mountain coach Cris Bell said. The Rebels sprinted to a 14-0 lead halfway through the first quarter on their first two drives, capping them with scoring runs of 3 yards by Minor and 6 yards by Chatwood, who finished with 59 yards on eight carries The Eagles rallied with the next two scores to pull within 14-13. The two teams battled the remainder of the game, but the Rebels took the win. “It was close,” said Shader, who rushed for 108 yards and two scores and completed six of 12 passes for 76 yards. “But we turned the ball over in the red zone, it happens.

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“It always sucks going 0-1, it always sucks losing, but it’s football.”

Game 3, 9/11

HOOVER 17, OAK MOUNTAIN 14 Warren Shader’s last-gasp Hail Mary pass was picked off by Hoover linebacker Jeremiah Moon about 10 yards short of the end zone, allowing the Bucs to walk away with a narrow victory over the Eagles on a rainy night at Heardmont Park. It was the second consecutive week that a region opponent went toe-to-toe with the Bucs (4-0 overall, 2-0 Class 7A Region 3). Hard-luck Oak Mountain dropped to 0-3, 0-2.

But Oak Mountain looked more like the team that was ranked in the Class 7A rankings before the season. The Eagles’ physical running game piled up 244 yards with senior Coleman Reeves gaining 144 of those yards on 24 carries. They also didn’t make it easy for a Hoover offense that continued to hurt itself at times with penalties. “A lot of credit goes to Oak Mountain,” said Hoover head coach Josh Niblett. “They did an unbelievable job.” But, once again, it wasn’t enough to keep Hoover from extending its in-state winning streak to 42 games and extending the Bucs record to 13-0 against Oak Mountain.

C8 • October 2015

Spooky sweets

280 Living

Get creative with your Halloween goodies By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Kasey Leath taught herself to bake and decorate cupcakes, cookies, cakes and other treats. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

It doesn’t take a sweet tooth to be a good baker. Inverness resident Kasey Leath doesn’t bake to enjoy her own sweet treats; she prefers watching cupcakes disappear off the plate at a friend’s party. A radiography student at Jefferson State Community College, Leath taught herself to bake as a creative outlet. “I find a great deal of pleasure baking for other people,” Leath said. With the help of online videos, Leath learned to bake everything from cupcakes and cookies to cheesecake and Danish pastries in her own kitchen. With a fair share of flour explosions and bad recipes under her belt, Leath prefers to stick to tried and true recipes rather than experimenting. One of her favorite recipe books is The Big Book of Cupcakes by Jan Moon, the owner of Dreamcakes Bakery in Homewood and the Dreamcakes food truck. “Baking is basically chemistry cooking. You have to do everything right,” Leath said. “Everything in baking is done in measurements for a precise reason.” The recipes may stay the same, but Leath gets to have fun with the decorations. She has created everything from Christmas tree cakes to LEGO birthday

in Fall is with

cupcakes. Holidays are her favorite baking occasion because she can have a theme for her baked goods. Leath said she could someday imagine making a part-time business out of baking for other people, but right now she just enjoys it as a hobby. “I think if I did it for a living, though, I’d get tired of it. So for me, it’s almost like work is work and pleasure is pleasure,” Leath said. About the recipe Leath got the idea for these Halloween-themed cupcakes when she saw candy knives in the baking aisle of the grocery store. She likes that the cupcakes are a lighthearted take on her favorite holiday. “Have fun with it. They’re not serious cupcakes,” she said. Leath prefers pumpkin cupcakes as the base because they fit the season, and she said they go great with coffee. “I think people who don’t like pumpkin spice are just weird,” Leath said. The cream cheese frosting is adapted from a friend’s recipe to make it light and fluffy. Candy knives are made by Wilton, a popular baking company, and Leath said they can be purchased in major grocery stores or online.

280Living.com

October 2015 • C9

RECIPE Instructions 1. Bake pumpkin or other flavor cupcakes and allow them to cool completely before frosting. 2. Frost with Cream Cheese Icing using a spoon. Make the icing mostly flat so you can easily add the red icing later. Allow the icing to set. 3. Take a spoonful of Fake Blood Frosting and put a dollop on each cupcake. Allow it to sit for a minute. The frosting will naturally spread out slightly. 4. Pick up the cupcake and tilt it to one side, gently tapping the cupcake with one finger. This will make the frosting spread and “drip” over the edge. 5. Use your spoon to spread the frosting in irregular shapes until it looks like fake blood. Allow the frosting to harden. 6. Take a candy knife and press it into the cupcake so that it stays in place but part of the blade and handle are still visible. 7. Keep the cupcakes cool so the frosting retains its shape until serving.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 ounces cream cheese 1/2 cup butter 3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream Combine ingredients and mix on high for two minutes. Frosting should be able to hold its shape. If too thick, use half ‘n half to thin.

RECIPE

Fake Blood Frosting

3 egg whites 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Red gel food coloring Mix ingredients together until frosting holds its shape, but will still drip off a spoon onto cupcakes. If the mixture is too wet, add more powdered sugar. Add food coloring once the desired consistency is reached. Use gel food coloring to create a brighter color in the frosting than liquid. Leath said gel coloring can be bought in baking and craft stores.

280 Living

C10 • October 2015

Your Health Today By Dr. Irma Leon Palmer

ometimes, the most well-intentioned New Years resolutions can fade into oblivion before Wal-Mart has even pulled out the Valentine’s candy. We are now in October and where do you find yourself? Did you just internally sigh in familiar disappoint? Here’s the good news: good decisions and habits don’t only start in January. They can start with every new sunrise. No matter how small a good decision, it is still good. Most resolutions revolve around health: losing lingering pesky pounds, eating cleaner and exercising more often. The secret to motivation has very little to do with external factors and much more to do with a chosen lifestyle based off an unyielding mindset. It can be summed up in what we call ‘The three D’s of the Grand E’. This ‘E’ stands for effort; a word our culture has learned to avoid and almost not recognize. With technology and constant sensory-stimulation, life is constantly adapting and being improved to shave off minutes here and there in the name of an easier, faster and more ‘convenient’ life. But is this really helping us?

We are slowly required to exert less and less effort throughout the day to cook, be entertained, travel, make purchases, etc. We can shop online for everything from cars to groceries delivered straight to your door. Life requires less and less effort with each advancement in technology. However, is ‘easier’ always ‘better’? An effortless lifestyle can easily lead to apathy. Current disease statistics, despite medical advancements, should be evidence enough that an easier life isn’t always a better one. The first step of change will always require effort on your part, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you will see your goals as a reality and not just an unattainable dream. Your effort may be getting out of bed ten minutes earlier to stretch, and effort for me may be running five extra miles before breakfast. We are all in different places in our journey towards true wellness, and that is okay! Now for the three D’s of the ‘Grand E’. Drive, Determination and Desire are three parts of one whole that are essential for your growth. Desire is step one of lasting change. You

The Grand E can want to be lean and fit, run a marathon, sleep eight hours a night or be a limber as an Olympic gymnast, but what is the foundation of those goals? Dig deep and think, “How is my life limited by not accomplishing my goals?” Your desire may be to play on the floor with your grandkids without pain. You may want to be able to eat without stomach pain and bloating. You may dream of a full day without headaches or migraines. These are deeper motives that will fuel real change. Gain your life back! Determination is the focus that is injected into that deeper desire, bringing it to life. The word determination literally means “resoluteness”. A resolute mindset is not easily swayed by the first sign of temptation or an easier path. Find your desire, and fix your eyes ahead. If you accomplish 30% of your goal, it is 30% more than zero! Drive puts your Determined Desire into motion. Remember, drive implies movement, not speed. You cannot move forward in any area of life while looking in the rearview mirror. Just keep moving forward! Have you tried losing weight in the past and failed? Have you filled your

refrigerator with fruits and veggies and good intentions on Monday, only to end up in a drive-thru on Friday? Haven’t we all? Two steps forward and one step back is still forward motion. Be prepared for struggle, resistance, detox and cravings for a past lifestyle. October is a great time to take inventory of your goals. Do not berate yourself for missed deadlines but celebrate your desire for change. Harness that and press forward. Every good decision is good, no matter how small it is. Set one or two attainable goals and stick to them until they become your new default system. Commit to getting in bed thirty minutes earlier or eat a small salad before your dinner at least five days a week. Don’t set yourself up for failure with a page full of mile high goals. Remember, Zechariah 4:10 encourages us “do not despise small beginnings”. Even the most successful people started with small steps as well. Join us on October 19th for our wellness workshop. Give us a call or email ahead to save your seat. Making health goals affordable is our plan for your 2016!

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October 2015 • C11

GARDEN

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Dogwood Creek Park has become a popular place for neighborhood families to hang out. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

companies in clearing and replanting the area. “I said, ‘Why don’t we do it now? How hard can it be?” Mellen remembered. “It turns out, keeping up with Mother Nature is hard.” The neighborhood is limited in what they can do without a permit. There are also more ideas to improve Dogwood Creek Park than funds to make it happen. “The most challenging thing we have is that everybody has such great ideas,” Mellen said. While there’s a team of around eight people who take the lead on planning and constructing the park, she said it has become a popular spot for nearby families to enjoy and for

neighborhood events. In keeping her mind off her diagnosis, Mellen uncovered a hidden gem for Yellowleaf Ridge. “I think the neighborhood was surprised this was even down here,” Mellen said. Beyond her park, facing cancer also made Mellen decide she wanted to do something fun on the job. “I thought, if this is the only time I have left, I don’t want to spend it sad. That’s when I decided to start a business. We could do parties and have fun,” she said. Mellen, a business consultant by trade, had been collecting party items for about 30 years

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surgery in January 2012. Mellen said she was lucky — she was never sick and didn’t burn from the radiation treatments, which she had daily for three months. Eighteen months later, in the summer of 2013, she had reconstructive surgery. As she went through treatment, Mellen also found herself at home more frequently. At the time, she traveled a lot and knew few of her neighbors in Yellowleaf Ridge Estates, though she was part of the homeowner’s association. There was a large, undeveloped lot in the neighborhood, and the idea to turn it into a park took root in her mind. Rather than stew over her illness, Mellen now had research and planning to do. “When I got sick, it forced me to stop,” she said. “[The park] was probably the best thing to happen because it occupied my time.” Mellen, her husband, Matt, and a few other neighbors began creating Dogwood Creek Park in May 2013, shortly before her reconstructive surgery. The lot now has picnic tables and benches, a playground, a short hiking loop and small camping spot. Dogwood Creek intersects the property, and Mellen has planted a variety of flowers and trees, including dogwoods, around the area. It’s a place that Mellen knows like the back of her hand. As she walks the trail, she points out landmark trees and bends in the creek, each with names. Many spots have a story behind them, like the large boulder a neighbor uncovered while clearing out brush or the rutted trail that Mellen is convinced is the remnant of a logging wagon trail. Creating the park was not without its challenges. The lot is located in a flood plain, so heavy rains will submerge the area and sometimes pick up the park benches or weaken plant roots. When summer heat limits Mellen’s ability to work, native plants quickly spring up again. Since Mellen said she and Matt love the outdoors but only “tinker” in gardening, they have gotten help from professional arborists and tree

and always wanted to have a party rental company. She said when she got sick, she had a lot of time to think about what she wanted to do with her life. “During the time I had to wait for the reconstructive surgery, and even after I had it, I was ready to go back out and find a job. That’s when this came about. I entertain and do a lot of fundraisers, so I thought I could work out of my house with what I had,” she said. “This was a true shoestring startup.” That’s how Chelsea Party Center began. Mellen began doing parties for friends, and word of mouth spread quickly. Her website and Facebook page also drew prospective customers. Mellen continues to do her consulting work and uses that money to feed into her business to bring in items that customers request. Available items are listed on her website, and she also takes appointments for people to see her products in person. But most often, she goes to them. Mellen has been doing small home weddings; recently her largest was for 120 people. She also assists in coordinating caterers and other vendors needed for events. “I’ve had someone call to say, ‘I want a party on this day, for this many people. Make it happen,’” Mellen said. In addition to rental items, such as tables, chairs, plates, flatware and serving items, she has recently added a 10x20 tent and two bouncy houses. Chelsea Party Center specializes in business events, snack bars, birthday parties, weddings and more. Mellen has been in remission for three-and-ahalf years and is enjoying her life and new business. She has annual checkups and knows her life could change in a moment, so she is making the most of it. “I think my life is better now. I’ve always had a good life and always had fun,” Mellen said. “After this happened, it ended up making everything even better, because I was able to stop running across the country working constantly. Now I know everybody in my neighborhood. I’m able to make others’ parties better with the stuff I bring. That’s fun. It’s not work. It ended up working out for me. I beat cancer.”

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280 Living

C12 • October 2015

280

Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

728845

35242

217 Highland View Drive

New

$975,000

728868

35242

5549 Parkview Circle

New

$429,000

728759

35242

136 Austin Circle

New

$474,000

728753

35242

5564 Surrey Lane

New

$199,900

728722

35242

633 Springbank Terrace

New

$625,000

728703

35242

2921 Macalpine Circle

New

$239,000

728632

35242

1134 Greymoor Road

New

$785,000

728608

35242

5209 Logan Drive

New

$189,900

728588

35242

4820 Caldwell Mill Road

New

$374,900

728490

35242

4025 Cross Grove Circle

New

$224,900

728398

35242

301 Reach Court

New

$149,000

728508

35242

349 Highland Park Drive

New

$435,000

728389

35242

1267 Eagle Park Road

New

$364,900

728386

35243

1543 Wingfield Court

New

$610,000

728376

35243

324 Woodward Court

New

$749,900

728361

35243

1045 Norman Way

New

$309,000

728319

35243

4782 Liberty Park Lane #858

New

$244,900

728812

35043

160 Wisteria Drive

New

$229,900

726420

728766

412 Polo Trace

New

$169,900

728532

35043

261 Chesser Plantation Lane

New

$199,900

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on Sept. 14. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

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217 Highland View Drive

349 Highland Park Drive

October 2015 • C13

280Living.com

Calendar 280 Community Events Thursday nights through Dec. 10: GriefShare. 7-8:45 p.m. Faith Presbyterian Church (Room A103), 4601 Valleydale Road. Trained facilitators who have experienced grief just like you will guide you through one of life’s most difficult experiences and provide you with the tools to move forward. $20 registration fee. Visit griefshare.org/ groups/58606 Oct. 1: Introduction to Business Golf for Men - Part 1. 6-7:30 p.m. Innovation Depot’s Executive Conference Room, 1500 First Avenue North, Downtown Birmingham. A 90- minute workshop for anyone beginning to learn the basic fundamentals of golf, and how it can be used to enhance business and personal relationships. Visit sistergolf.com Oct. 1: South Shelby Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. Columbiana First United Methodist Church, 200 Main Street, Columbiana. Visit southshelbychamber.com. Oct. 2: Chelsea Day. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Chelsea City Hall. Vendors will be selling products with some proceeds going to the Chelsea High School Band. Contact chelseahighband@gmail.com. Oct. 7: Ambassadors Meeting. 11:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. Visit business.shelbychamber.org. Oct. 7: Small Business Work Group. 4 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. Visit business.shelbychamber.org.

Oct. 8: South Shelby Chamber “Mayor’s Invitational” Golf Tournament. Timberline Golf Course, 300 Timberline Trail, Calera. 8 a.m. Visit southshelbychamber.com. Oct. 8 & 22: Drinks on the Links. 5:30 p.m. Highland Park Golf Course, 3300 Highland Avenue South. Sister Golf Happy Hour featuring 90 minutes of hands-on golf instruction. Oct. 9-31: Shelby/Hoover Art Show. Shelby County Arts Center, 104 Mildred Street, Columbiana. Opening reception Oct. 9. Visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com. Oct. 10: 10k Ruck Challenge. 8 a.m. Veterans Park. Participants can register for the 10k Ruck Challenge as an individual or as a team comprised of four or more people, each wearing a weighted backpack during the race. Registration fees are $25 for the 5k fun run/10k individual ruck, and $100 for the team ruck challenge. Visit active.com. Oct. 10: Sports Cars at the Summit. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Summit. Participants can enter their European and classic sports cars into competitions hosted by the Birmingham Motoring Club. Benefits Camp Smile-a-Mile. Visit birminghambmc.org.

Street South, Alabaster. Visit business.shelbychamber. org. Oct. 13: Making Friends With Money: Help for Navigating Life’s Crossroads. 6 p.m. North Shelby Library meeting room. Visit northshelbylibrary.org. Oct. 14: South Shelby Chamber Morning Mixer. 8:30 a.m. Sammy’s Antiques and Consignment. 9829 North Main Street, Wilsonville. Visit southshelbychamber.com. Oct. 15: Key to the Cure Pink Party. 5-8 p.m. Saks Fifth Avenue. Presented by St. Vincent’s Foundation featuring hors d’oeuvres, live music and a fashion show. Tickets $40. Call 205-838-6151 or visit stvhs.com/pinkparty. Oct. 17: Blue White Color Dash. 7 a.m. (registration), 8:30 a.m. (5k). Chelsea Middle School. Participants are invited to walk, jog or run while being showered with an array of colored powder. Proceeds support Chelsea Middle School’s athletic programs. Advanced registration: $25 (students), $35 (adults). Race day registration: $35 (students), $40 (adults). Visit chmsathleticbooster.org.

Oct. 13: Entrepreneur & Small Business Mentorship Program. 8 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. Visit business.shelbychamber.org.

Oct. 21-Nov. 1: 280-corridor stores participating in Shop Save & Share. Purchase a card with a $40 donation and receive a 20 percent discount at several 280-corridor stores. Visit shopsaveandshare.net for more information.

Oct. 13: Education Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Shelby County Instructional Services Center, 601 First

Oct. 22: Governmental Affairs Work Group: Sain Associates, Two Perimeter Park, Suite

500. 8:30 a.m. Visit shelbychamber.org. Oct. 23: 18 For A Team - Charity Golf Classic. 8:30 a.m. Robert Trent Jones at Oxmoor Valley. Visit 18forateam.mjharris.com. Oct. 31: Run for Down Syndrome. 8 a.m. (5k/10k), 9:30 a.m. (1 mile). Oak Mountain State Park. There will be a post-race celebration featuring food, beverages, live entertainment and a costume contest for both runners and kids. Registration fees are $10 (mile), $35 (5k) and $40 (10k). Visit downsyndromealabama.org

Save the Date Nov. 1: 10th Annual Out of the Darkness Walk. Check-in/ Registration (1 p.m.), Walk (2:30 p.m.), Heardmont Park. Participants are asked to raise money for suicide prevention prior to the race and until Dec. 31. Visit afsp.donordrive.com/event/ Birmingham. Nov. 14: Run Away From Domestic Violence Race. 7:30 a.m. (Registration), 9 a.m. (5k), 9:15 a.m. (1-Mile Fun Run). 221 Kings Home Drive, Chelsea. The event will feature a competitive 5k race and a 1-mile fun run. Registration fees are $35 for all 5k participants, $25 for 1-mile participants 13 & older and $10 for participants 12 and under. Visit runsignup.com.

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280 Living

Calendar North Shelby Library Kids Mondays- Toddler Tales. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs, finger plays and crafts make up a lively 30-minute program. Ages 19-36 months. Visit northshelbylibrary.org. Tuesdays- Baby Tales. 9:30 a.m. Stories and music provide interaction for the babies and time for caregivers to talk and share with each other. Birth to 18 months. Visit northshelbylibrary.com. Wednesdays- Family Story Time with Mr. Mac. Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28. 10:45 a.m. Visit northshelbylibrary.com

Thursdays- PJ Storytime. Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. 6:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Wear pajamas, enjoy milk and cookies and bedtime stories. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

northshelbylibrary.org.

Fridays-Open Gaming. Oct. 2, 9, 16, 22, 30. 3:30 p.m. Teen Department. Participants must have a parent permission slip on file to attend. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Oct. 13: Pete the Cat Book Club. 4 p.m. Meeting room. Stories, games, groovy crafts, and snacks. All ages welcome. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Oct. 3 Lego Club. 10 a.m. Children’s department. Visit northshelbylibrary.org. Oct. 10: Star Wars Reads Day. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Children’s Department. Make a Star Wars craft and check out a Star Wars book on your way out. Visit

Chelsea Library Wednesdays- The Tot Spot. Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28. 10:30 a.m. A 30-minute storytime for Preschoolers. We read, sing, dance and sometimes craft. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com. Fridays- BYOC- Bring your own crochet (craft). Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. 10 a.m. Audio/Reading room. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com. Oct. 10: Lego Club. 9:30 a.m. For ages 5 and up. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com. Oct. 21: Lego Free Play. 2 p.m. Kid’s space. Drop in and build with Legos. Visit chelsealibraryonline.com.

Oct. 14: Newbery Pie Book Club. 1 p.m. Meeting room. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Adults

Oct. 16: 7 Pumpkin Painting Workshop. 4 p.m. BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin). We’ll provide the paint. Registration is required. All Ages Welcome with a caregiver welcome. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Oct. 15: NSL Book Club. 10:30 a.m. Meeting room. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Oct. 1 Ballet Women’s Committee Extravaganza: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Alabama Ballet, 2726 1st Ave. South. Tickets include hors d’oeuvres, beverages, live music and a performance by the Alabama Ballet along with a silent auction and raffle. Visit balletwomen.com.

org/antiques.

Oct. 1-3: 43rd Annual Greek Festival. 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Downtown Birmingham. Featuring food, music, jewelry, art and more. Free admission. Visit bhamgreekfestival.com.

Oct. 8: Girls on the Run Evening of Empowerment. 5:30 p.m. Clubhouse at Highlands, 2908 Highland Ave. South. Featuring cocktails, appetizers and meetand-greet with Women Who Inspire. Visit girlsontherunbham.org

Oct. 1-4: Antiques in the Gardens. Thursday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens.

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Oct. 29: ‘Tween Halloween Party. 6 p.m. Meeting room. Ages 8-13. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Area Events

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Oct. 12: Anime Night. 6 p.m. Teen Department. For 6th-12th grade. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Oct. 21: Homeschool Hangout with Jim Jones. 1 p.m. Jim Jones of Alabama Childhood Food Solutions share with our homeschoolers about opportunities and ways to volunteer, and help other children. Meeting room. Visit northshelbylibrary.org.

Oct. 6: Birmingham Financial Planning Expo. Hoover Public Library. Educational workshops and meetings with financial planners.

Oct. 10: Walk to End Alzheimer’s. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Railroad Park. Visit act.alz.org.

October 2015 • C15

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Calendar Area Events (continued)

Birmingham Botanical Gardens will host its Fall Plant Sale Oct. 17-18.

Oct. 11: Cahaba River Fry-Down. Noon4 p.m., Railroad Park. Food, beer, music and fun to benefit the Cahaba River Society. $20 donation for adults, 12 and under free. Visit frydown.com Oct. 14: 57th Linly Heflin Annual Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show. 11:30 a.m. doors, Noon luncheon. Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Ballroom. Visit linlyheflin.org/fashion-show/. Oct. 17: 12th Annual Holy Apostles Denim & Diamonds Dinner and Auction. 5:30 p.m. Harley Davidson Event Room, Pelham. Tickets $30, $225 table of eight. Contact Mickey Bunn 886-2769.

Oct. 17-18: Fall Plant Sale. Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-4 p.m. Blount Plaza, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens.org. Oct. 21- Nov. 1: Shop Save & Share. Use a card for up to 20 percent discount at select stores. Beneﬁts the Junior League of Birmingham. $40. Visit shopsaveandshare.net. Oct. 31: Fare Walk for Food Allergy. 8:30 a.m. Railroad Park, 1600 1st Ave. South. Visit foodallergywalk.org. Nov. 1: 10th Annual Out of the Darkness Walk. 2:30 p.m. Heardmont Park. Registration at 1 p.m. Visit afsp.org.

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