Vestavia Voice September 2015

Volume 3 | Issue 5 | September 2015

Consignment guide

Back to life

This year, consignment sale season features two-day events at several area churches. Read details inside.

Community page A18

Lucky strike

After a successful season as an emerging sport last year, bowling strikes this school year as an official high school sport.

Sports page B20

INSIDE Sponsors .............A4 City .......................A6 Business ..............A8 Community .........A11

School House.......B6 Summer Fun.........B8 Sports ..................B16 Calendar .............B22

Family’s charity supports youngest victims of cancer

By SYDNEY CROMWELL As they sat with their 16-month-old son in the cancer unit at Children’s of Alabama, Andy and Jan Thrower thought it was strange that nurses kept pushing them to meet other families in the unit.

Anderson Thrower is now a healthy 8-year-old after completing treatment for leukemia. His family started aTeam Ministries to help other pediatric cancer patients. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

“I’m sitting here focusing on my child and I didn’t realize at that time there’s such a community with the parents that have a child with cancer,” Jan said. “There’s really nobody else that really understands what you’ve gone through. And so I think there’s kind of a bond even though you may not know them, you

know what they’ve experienced.”

Their journey to Children’s started on Christmas Eve 2008, when Anderson developed a limp two weeks after a healthy 16-month checkup. By New Year’s, his stomach was

See CANCER | page A22

The road to Altadena

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City to decide on new park development this month

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

By SYDNEY CROMWELL A park can be a beautiful thing for a city, but homeowners near the former Altadena Valley Golf and Country Club have been concerned about the extra traffic a park on the site could bring. As the city moves toward its decision date on annexing the property, city On Sept. 28, the City Council will vote on whether to annex and rezone the Altadena property. Photo by Keith McCoy.

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September 2015 • A3

A4 • September 2015

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About Us Photo of the Month

Please Support our Sponsors

Children enjoyed the ‘Wipeout’ inflatable at the Back 2 School Bash in Cahaba Heights in August. Photo by Katie Turpen.

Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell Is it fall yet? Seriously, I can’t take this heat much longer.

Last year, I spent my first summer in Alabama.

Having lived most of my life in Tennessee, it never crossed my mind that there could be a significant heat difference between two neighboring states. It took one afternoon on a lawnmower to prove how wrong I was and make me retreat back to the air conditioning.

I know autumn is just around the corner, it’s just a matter of waiting it out. While I’ll be spending my time in the cool indoors and waiting for the first yellow leaf, I do hope this issue encourages to get out in your community – with a bottle of water and sunscreen, if needed.

Follow the lead of young Caroline Hawkins and start a

Publisher: Creative Director: Managing Editor: Managing Editor: Sports Editor: Staff Writers: Community Reporter: Editorial Assistant: Copy Editor: Contributing Writer: Graphic Designer: Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution:

Interns:

Published by:

Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Sydney Cromwell Madoline Markham David Knox Katie Turpen Erica Techo Roy L. Williams Madison Miller Louisa Jeffries Rebecca Walden Emily VanderMey Matthew Allen Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith Jordan Hays Chris Griesedieck Olivia Burton Vestavia Voice LLC

lemonade stand to support ovarian cancer research. Learn more about the possible future of the Altadena Park and, while we wait for it to become reality, go enjoy the parks we already have. Get to know the Birmingham Hammers and then give soccer a try. You might be on the team next year.

We live in a beautiful city, regardless of the humidity level. Make sure you’re enjoying it.

Contact Information: Vestavia Voice #3 Office Park Circle, Suite 316 Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 dan@vestaviavoice.com

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

For advertising contact: dan@vestaviavoice.com

Legals: Vestavia Voice is published monthly. Reproduction

or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Vestavia Voice is designed to inform the Vestavia community of area school, family and community events. Information in the Vestavia Voice is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of the Vestavia Voice. 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.

Please recycle this paper

30 A Realty (B7) A Little Something (A16) Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (B22) Alabama Goods (B10) Alabama Outdoors (B1) Alabama Partners for Clean Air (B11) Alabama Power (B5) Anytime Fitness - Vestavia (B16) ARC Realty (B9) Bahama Bucks (A16) Barganier & LeCroy Dentistry (B15) Bedzzz Express (A5) Bin There Dump That (A10) Birmingham Botanical Gardens (A14) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (B16) Bistro V (B10) Brad Clement Realty South (A23) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (A10) Bruster’s Real Ice Cream (A18) Cabinetry Refinishing & Restoration (A1) Cajun Seafood House (B14) California Closets (B21) Chickadee (A13) Classic Gardens (B6) Conour Insurance Inc. (B8) ERA King Real Estate Homewood (B11) Eye Do (B6) Eye See Optical (B14) Fancy Goods Variety (B12) Gardner Landscaping (A6) Hollywood Pools Outdoor Finishings & Spas (A14) Homewood Toy & Hobby (A13) Issis & Sons (B17) JJ Eyes (B23) Klinglers Cafe & Catering (A22) Korduroy Krocodile (A16) L.V. Berry Inc. (B18) Manda Luccasen, Re/MAX Southern Homes (B20) Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware (B2) Morningside at Riverchase (A2) Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese (B7) Noble Bank (B13) Over the Mountain Glass (A22) Pappas’ Grill (B12) Planet Fitness (B2) RealtySouth Marketing (A11) Red Mountain Theatre Company (B19) Red Pearl Restaurant (B18) Remax Southern Homes - Becky Hicks (A17) Renaissance Consignment and Marketplace (A3) Resolute Running Training Center (A12) Road Runner Moving (B6) Rocky Ridge Learning Center (A17) Rosalie Pribbenow, ARC Realty (A2) Royal Automotive (A24) Russian Ballet (A15) Samford University Center for Science and Religion (B19) Sarver Orthodontics (A6) Spring Valley School (A20) Stephanie Steinmetz DDS (B12) The Altamont School (A21) The Maids (A1) The Ridge Eat & Drink (B8) The UPS Store - Cahaba Heights (A18) Therapy South Vestavia (A19) Tom Williams BMW (A7) Total Beauty and Skin Dermatology (A8) Treeline Expeditions, LLC (B3) UAB Center for Exercise Medicine (A23) Uptown Nail Spa (B15) Urban Home Market (B24) Vestavia Sunoco and Tire Express (A9) Vitalogy Wellness Center (B21) Weigh To Wellness (A19) Whale of a Sale (B8)

September 2015 • A5

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(Progressive Financing)

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Vestavia Voice

City Mayor’s Minute

By Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza As we head into fall, I’d like to update you on several exciting things happening in our City.

On Tuesday Oct. 13, we invite the public to join us in celebrating the grand opening of our new City Hall at 1032 Montgomery Highway.

The event will begin at 4 p.m. We will have the Alabama Symphony Orchestra along with several different musical groups from Vestavia Hills City Schools performing.

There will be inflatables for children as well as hamburgers and hot dogs provided by the Alabama Gas Company.

Also that evening at the new City Hall, we will be having our National Night Out, presented by the Vestavia Hills Police and Fire Departments.

This will be an excellent opportunity for these departments to show off their new facilities and their equipment and services to the community.

From a financial standpoint, the City continues to show good returns in all areas. As of the end of July, we are on target with our revenue projections. Business licenses, franchise fees, ad valorem, and sales tax are coming in exactly at our projections or above. As always, please support and shop Vestavia Hills

businesses whenever you can.

In other financial news, we are in the early stages of our budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year. City Manager Jeff Downes will be meeting with all departments, prioritizing requests and preparing to submit the City’s budget for City Council review in September.

Finally, all of our construction projects in the City are on target.

The new Sprouts Farmers Market is scheduled to open in early 2016.

The construction of America’s First Federal Credit Union on U.3. 31 is moving along and the Zaxby’s in Cahaba Heights is nearing completion. It’s encouraging to see these projects that were once just on drawing boards come to life in our City.

As always, if we may be of service, please let us know. We are here to serve you, and we appreciate that privilege.

Your Mayor,

Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza

Council discusses ADA ramp at Library, improvements to Liberty Park softball fields

By KATIE TURPEN During a July meeting, the City Council accepted a bid for construction of an ADA ramp at the Library in the Forest. The ramp will extend around the exterior of the library and connect to the amphitheater.

Richard Sprouse Construction Inc. had the lowest bid for the project with an amount of $124,625. The project will come from the city’s budget, along with an additional $60,000 allocation from Fund 13, which is made up of donations authorized by the Library Board of Trustees. Work began on the project in late August and is expected to last eight to 10 weeks.

The City Council also approved a resolution requesting additional funding for improvements at the adult softball fields at Liberty Park. Above average rainfall and erosion have negatively affected the fields.

Specialty Turf Supply quoted a price not to exceed $49,000 to complete the improvements at $9,800 per field.

“The idea is to have the fields prepared for baseball

City ceremony to remember Sept. 11 events

By MADOLINE MARKHAM Vestavia Hills is joining with the cities of Homewood and Mountain Brook to hold their annual Patriot Day Celebration. The three cities alternate hosting the annual event, and this year it will be held at plaza in front of the Homewood City Hall at 2850 19th St. S. The ceremony will begin at 8 a.m.

“The purpose is to take a moment out of our busy days to remember what happened on that day that changed all our lives,” Homewood Police Deputy Chief Bob Copus said. “It should be a very meaningful

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season next spring,” City Manager Jeff Downes said.

In other news, the council: } Entered into an agreement with Hardin Grace Investments, LLC, Phillips and Todd Holdings, LLC And G. Fred Acton, James Acton and Anne A. Reardon for sanitary sewer improvements to properties along a portion of Dolly Ridge Road. } Approved an alcohol license for Iz Cafe located at 2514 Rocky Ridge Road. } Approved the addition of an additional air conditioning unit at the Library in the Forest. } Approved construction of four single-family residences at 3786 and 3790 Poe Drive, David Horton and Overton Investments, owners; Jason Kessler, representing. } Approved annexation and rezoning of 3400 Kettering Lane; Lot 16, Ridgedell Park; Natan and Lindsey Shar, owners. } Approved annexation and rezoning of 3405 Sagewood Lane; Donald and April Winningham, owners.

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ceremony.”

Army Captain Christopher Tanner will be the keynote speaker for the ceremony. Tanner has served in Iraq and Afghanistan and now serves as an assistant professor of military science at UAB. A Birmingham native, he attended the United States Military Academy.

Also during the ceremony the Homewood High School show choir will also perform, the Homewood Fire Department will conduct a bell ceremony, doves will be released and a bag piper will play “Amazing Grace.”

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VestaviaVoice.com

Council discusses annexations, Library Board appointment

By KATIE TURPEN During an August meeting, the city council approved the annexation of two properties into Vestavia Hills. One property is located at 2437 Rocky Ridge Road in Buckhead and is owned

by Michael and Caroline Allen. The other property is located at 3609 Settlers Lane in Westbrook Estates and owned by Joseph D. West.

Mayor Butch Zaragoza encourages residents to be aware of proper rezoning procedures. Property owners must make an application for the rezoning of their property. The Planning and Zoning Commission, city planner and Vestavia Hills City Council all must review the application. For more about this process, visit vhal.org.

In other news, the City Council appointed Kym Prewitt to fill the unexpired 14-month term of Rebecca Walden on the Vestavia Hills Library Board.

Prewitt served on the Board of Education for five years and was appointed president in May

2014. She is a lifelong resident of Vestavia Hills and graduated from Vestavia Hills High School.

She attended Auburn University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She then taught English at VHHS before becoming involved in the community by serving as vice president of the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation, president of the Vestavia Hills PTA and PTO Councils, board member of Leadership Vestavia Hills, and co-chairman of Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills.

Other city council business included: }} City Manger’s Report: Jeff Downes gave the council an update on city projects including the Cahaba Heights road project, which was slightly behind schedule due to weather. Furthermore, Downes stated that July was the best month that city had seen in 10 years in terms of business permits and contracts. }} Approval of an alcohol license for Samurai Japan Restaurant, 700 Montgomery Highway. }} Authorization of an agreement with Jefferson

During the Aug. 10 meeting, the city council approved the annexation of two properties into Vestavia Hills. Photo by Katie Turpen.

County for sanitary sewer repairs within ALDOT right-of-way at the new City Hall.

The Vestavia Hills City Council meets the

second and fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

City finalizes sale agreement with Chick-fil-A on current city hall property

By KATIE TURPEN

Once the city vacates the current city hall property in October, Chick-fil-A will move forward with construction rapidly. Photo by Katie Turpen.

During a July council meeting, the city entered into the final stages of a sale agreement with Chick-fil-A that included reducing the original sale price due to access improvements on the rear of the property. The fast food restaurant will be located in the current City Hall space at 513 Montgomery Highway and is expected to open sometime during 2016.

“We understand that with the success of a Chick-fil-A, comes challenges,” said City

Manager Jeff Downes. “The restaurant will bring traffic that will affect neighbors and businesses.”

The sales cost will be reduced to $1,280,595.

Downes said improvements include retaining walls and creating a rear access that would reroute traffic to Tyson Road.

Chick-fil-A would not begin construction until after completion of the new City Hall.

Downes said the city hopes to vacate the current City Hall property by Oct. 3 and the restaurant will move forward with construction rapidly.

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New Ownership Back Yard Burgers, 1428 Montgomery Highway, has been sold. Franchisee owners Stewart and Phillip Cox, brothers who have owned the location for more than 20 years, sold the store back to the chain’s parent company.

979-1292, backyardburgers.com

1

Jewels by Rose, 619 Montgomery Highway, has changed ownership.

Rose Goldner has passed the business to her daughter, Donna Jowers. In addition, Alan Thompson, the store’s long-standing jeweler, has opened his own repair shop, Alan’s Express Jewelry Repair, inside the shop.

979-5611, jewelsbyrose.net

2

News and Accomplishments Twist Technology, 3168 Pipe Line 3 Road, has developed a new audio product for multifamily units called Lucy, allowing audio systems in apartments and other multifamily units to be wirelessly controlled.

588-4288, twisttechllc.com Dr. Stephanie Steinmetz Pediatric Dentistry, 521 Montgomery Highway, Suite 125, has been named OpenCare’s 2015 Patient Choice winner for pediatric dentists in the Vestavia Hills area.

OpenCare is a web-based service that helps connect patients with healthcare providers.

822-4284, steinmetzpediatricdentistry.

4

Hirings and Promotions ARC Realty, 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200, has hired Laurance Washington and Brandy Bradford as Realtors.

969-8910, arcrealtyco.com

5

Poythress, Hughett & Mathews, a CPA firm at 2100 Providence Park, Suite 100, has hired Jeff Fabian as a certified public accountant. Fabian will be

6

specializing in accounting and bookkeeping, auditing, business and individual tax preparation, tax and management consulting, fraud investigation, litigation support and business valuation.

995-2720, cpabhm.com Adventure Travel, 1000 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, has hired Alene Gamel as a new associate manager. A native of Los Angeles, Gamel has been a travel agent for 18 years and has worked as a wedding planner.

380-5500, adventuretravel.com

7

Anniversaries

1456 Montgomery Hwy 31 Vestavia Hills

823-1213 823-1261

Pet Vet Animal Hospital, 2021 Kentucky Ave., celebrated its 16th anniversary on Aug. 2.

824-2077, alpetvet.com

8

Birmingham Bake & Cook Company moved into its new location in Cahaba Heights one year ago last month. Its current address is 3112 Heights Village.

980-3661, bakeandcookco.com

9

Altadenta Dental, 2100 Devereux Circle, owned by Dr. Trey Rosdick, is celebrating its seventh anniversary in September.

967-8330, altadenadentistry.com

10

Cahaba Fitness, 3161 Cahaba Heights Road, celebrates its 10 year anniversary this month. Cahaba Fitness is a personal training facility started by Brian Burns in 2005.

968-5100, cahabafitness.com

11

Lowest Gas Prices in Town

New Ownership Anytime Fitness, 1360 Montgomery Highway, is holding a grand reopening on Sept. 10 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. A ribbon cutting will be held at noon. Morgan Smith is the new owner of the business.

822-5955

12

Businesses with this symbol are not located on the map

Business news

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We do All type of Auto Repairs Email dan@vestaviavoice.com

A10 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Chamber

Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington and his Chief of Staff Othell Phillips.

Councilman George Pierce, Councilman Jim Sharp and City Manager Jeff Downes.

Photos courtesy of Deloye Burrell/Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Reinventing public education State superintendent addresses crowd during August luncheon

By KATIE TURPEN During the August Chamber of Commerce luncheon, State Superintendent Tommy Bice addressed the crowd on rethinking the future of public education in Alabama.

Bice described the Vestavia Hills school system as the “North Star” of Alabama education.

“Vestavia Hills is the epitome of what public education should look like,” Bice said. “If you don’t know that, I’ll take you on a few tours.”

Bice shared some staggering education statistics.

He said last year, in the state of Alabama, 64 percent of lunches served in public schools were free.

“Many of our public school children are living

in poverty,” Bice said. “The children in Wilcox County deserve the same opportunities as the children in Vestavia Hills.”

Bice said one of the first things he did after assuming his position was travel across Alabama visiting colleges and asking departments one question: “What is missing in Alabama high school graduates when you get them?”

He found a common response was a lack of intellectual curiosity.

“What we’ve done in public education over the years is relentlessly work to get students to pass a test, but we’ve done little to get them to think,” he said, adding the focus should be shifted to getting children “college and career

ready.”

Bice tries to leave Montgomery once a week to visit a school somewhere in the state. He does not let the school know he is coming.

He shared one memory of visiting fifth-graders at a rural school near the Mississippi state line. He found these students creating computer code that programmed robots, as well as transforming their classroom into a cityscape.

“Our kids are just as smart as we expect them to be,” he said.

He also emphasized that technology can’t replace a good teacher and instructors in the state deserve better recognition and more resources to be creative.

“We’ve been so test score driven that we haven’t given teachers the safe space they need to try something new,” he said.

In summary, Bice described learning as something that should be “messy, loud and involved” within a collaborative environment.

“Every child should have a choice when they graduate to rise out of poverty and make a living,” Bice said.

The luncheon was sponsored by Spectrum Reach. The Chamber’s monthly luncheon series will reconvene on Wednesday, Sept. 9 with the State of the City Address.

VestaviaVoice.com

September 2015 • A11

Community Trees planted along Little Shades Creek

In early August, two red buds, one curly willow, and one pear tree were planted along the sidewalk near the gazebo along Little Shades Creek. Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills Government.

By KATIE TURPEN In early August, two red buds, one curly willow, and one pear tree were planted along the sidewalk near the gazebo along Little Shades Creek. The efforts were made possible by Alabama Power and Andy’s Creekside Nursery.

The planting is part of larger restoration efforts occurring along Little Shades Creek in Vestavia Hills. Over two planting days in late March, Francesca Gross, urban conservation associate with the Alabama field office of The

Nature Conservancy, led the volunteer effort, which was organized to provide a natural anchor along the banks of the creek.

The planting days brought out more than two dozen volunteers in an effort to stabilize the erosion that has plagued the area since the early 2000s. Many trees were donated by the Alabama Forestry Commission.

For more information about the Little Shades Creek Restoration Project, contact Kellie Johnston atwarriorcwp@hotmail.com or Francesca Gross at Francesca.gross@tnc.org.

Grand prize winner chosen for reading contest

Maddie Crawford was selected as the Grand Prize winner of the Library in the Forest Summer Fun Reading Contest. Crawford won a bike from Bike Link in Hoover. Photo courtesy of Library in the Forest.

Resident named a top retirement plan advisor The National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) recently named investment advisor Jim McCormick of PMD Advisory, Inc. to its list of Young Guns: 2015 Top Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40. McCormick is one of only two Alabamians awarded the honor this year.

Award recipients were selected in nationwide peer-review voting by more than 10,000 members of NAPA firm partners. PMD Advisory, Inc. provides fiduciary services to corporate retirement plans. The National Association of Plan Advisors is part of the American Retirement Association.

“We help people prepare for 20 years worth of days off,” said McCormick, who points to the link between a company’s employee benefits package and its ability to attract and retain top talent.

-Submitted by Melanie McCraney

PMD advisor Jim McCormick

A12 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

IMPACT Counseling receives grant from Verizon’s HopeLine

Local boy scouts repair flag holders on highway median

Representatives from several Alabama nonprofit organizations, including Vestavia’s IMPACT Family Counseling, hold their grant checks from Verizon’s HopeLine. Photo courtesy of Verizon Wireless.

In July, Verizon and the Birmingham Barons hosted a HopeLine drive at Barons game where IMPACT Family Counseling, located in Vestavia Hills, received a grant check for $1,500.

Verizon presented grants to several Alabama nonprofit organizations that work to prevent domestic violence issues by promoting healthy relationships. IMPACT provides outpatient counseling and a variety of other services such as mentoring, relationship education,

family strengthening and anger management.

Hopeline from Verizon collects accessories and no-longer-used cell phones from any carrier and in any condition to be recycled or sold and donate the proceeds in the form of cash grants and pre-paid wireless phones to advocacy groups for use by survivors. Fans were asked to donate their used devices at the game.

-Submitted by Lynne Lowe

Boy Scout Troop 4 of Vestavia Hills Methodist Church recently installed and repaired 23 flag holders on Highway 31. 850 pounds of concrete was used and the work group was escorted by Vestavia Hills Police Officer Alex Prine. Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills Police Department.

Alabama Grocers Association celebrates 25 years The Alabama Grocers Association, an organization that supports the growth and success of the food industry in Alabama, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Their offices are located on Vestavia Parkway.

“We are proud to look back at a quarter century of achievement and see how the organization has

matured into one of the industry’s most effective advocates for its members,” said President Ellie Taylor.

In 1991, one year after the association was formed, the Alabama Grocers Education Foundation was established. The foundation recognizes and aids students who are related to Alabama’s

food industry by virtue of their parent’s employment or their own part-time employment by firms that are members of the Alabama Grocers Association. This year, the foundation received more than 250 applicants and awarded more than 80 scholarships. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships.

Resolute Running

The Alabama Grocers Association also offers services and resources to members by providing tools to stay in compliance with state and federal laws, connecting them to companies to help their businesses grow and guiding them on relevant industry topics.

For more, visit alabamagrocers.org.

September 2015 • A13

VestaviaVoice.com

Photos by Katie Turpen.

Back to School event kicks off new year

The Back 2 School in the Hills event returned for its second year on Aug. 14. The free festival took place at Oliver Square and drew an estimated crowd of nearly 1000 visitors.

“It’s just celebrating heading back to school.

School is just such a huge importance in our city,” event coordinator Lisa Christopher said.

Christopher said the community excitement of last year prompted the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce to bring Back 2 School back this year.

The event featured rides, inflatables and games

for children and adults. In addition, local business vendors provided food and other giveaways. A DJ provided music for the event and the family-friendly movie Home was played at dusk.

Families gathered together on blankets and lawn chairs as they waited for the movie to begin.

A popular feature of the event was a “Wipeout” inflatable.

“We had a great turnout, and we’re grateful the weather was beautiful,” said Chamber of Commerce President Karen Odle.

A14 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Vestavia Hills celebrates more than 10,000 tag renewals at City Hall

By KATIE TURPEN Vestavia Hills serves as a model for cities across Alabama.

On Aug. 13, the mayors of Vestavia Hills, Clay and Irondale gathered at Vestavia Hills City Hall to discuss the success of the tag renewal process in each of their respective cities. Senator Jabo Waggoner and Paul DeMarco, who sponsored the legislation to enable the service, were also present for the event.

Governor Bentley signed a law in February 2014 allowing any city in Jefferson County to take part in motor vehicle registration, including the issuance of license plates.

“Jefferson County has 600,000 people renewing each year and only three locations,” DeMarco said.

“Add seven or eight cities, and all of a sudden that becomes 10 locations.”

On April 1, 2014, Vestavia Hills became the pilot city for this program, and the cities of Irondale and Clay followed suit. Since the program began, Vestavia Hills has completed more than 10,800 of these transactions at City Hall, averaging about 35 a day.

“The money we are receiving is not a revenue generator. It is paid for the service,” Vestavia Hills Mayor Butch Zaragoza said. “The whole point of this process to provide a service to our citizens, not to make money.”

The mayors of Irondale and Clay said they were also pleased with the success of the program and the average wait times for tag renewals was three minutes.

On Aug. 13, the mayors of Vestavia Hills, Clay and Irondale gathered at Vestavia Hills City Hall to discuss the success of the tag renewal process in each of their respective cities. Photo by Katie Turpen.

“This has been a tremendous success,” said DeMarco. “I think you’ll start to see other cities doing this as well.”

Jefferson County is currently the only county with the legislative authority to issue tag renewals.

“This couldn’t be done without

legislative authority,” DeMarco said.

“There is the possibility of doing boat tags in the future if the cities see that as a benefit to their citizens.”

DeMarco also stated there is the possibility of the cities having driver’s license kiosks.

“As technology progresses, this is

something you may eventually see,” DeMarco said.

Zaragoza commended Ingenuity, a Shelby County company that is providing technical services for the program. He said the city has trained several additional people to be able to handle the transactions if the need

grows.

“When you look at 10,800 citizens being able to come here, you’ve got some happy faces coming in and out of City Hall,” Zaragoza said. “Any convenience for our citizens we can provide we want to do it. “

September 2015 • A15

VestaviaVoice.com

Embracing the unexpected

Morgan and Hugh Cheek are pictured with their twin girls, Ally Ruth and Bailey Grace, who have been diagnosed with an unknown genetic disorder. Photo courtesy of Morgan Cheek.

Vestavia mother shares inspirational story in new book

By KATIE TURPEN When Vestavia couple Morgan and Hugh Cheek heard the news they were having twins, they knew their lives were forever changed.

“I was hit with the stark reality, maybe more firmly than ever before, that my life was not my own and our plans are not God’s plans,” said Morgan. “I was scared.”

Morgan and Hugh, college sweethearts, married in 2011. Hugh was in medical school at the time and Morgan was a social worker at a therapeutic day care, Children’s Place Inc., where she worked with families who had special needs.

Ally Ruth and Bailey Grace were born to the couple in April 2013. Due to low blood sugar and a low temperature, the girls were taken to the NICU. However, the nurses assured the couple the babies were the healthiest they had seen in the unit in a long time and they would be OK. Several months later, Morgan and Hugh, along with family members and doctors, noticed that something was different about the girls and that they were behind their peers in development.

In February 2013, the couple’s neurologist informed the couple that something was very wrong. Today, the girls’ condition is still unknown.

“An MRI and a hundred or so normal blood tests later, we have been given the diagnosis of ‘unknown genetic disorder,’” said Morgan.

“Our girls are still not sitting, but our hearts are so full of the joy they continue to bring us every day.”

Throughout these difficult times, Morgan wrote about her journey in an online blog.

As time went on, many people encouraged Morgan to write a book about her experience.

On Milk and Honey: How God’s Goodness Shows Up in Unexpected Places, tells the story of the girls’ first years and was released in July.

Morgan hopes anyone going through a struggle can relate to the lessons in the book.

“The vision is for people to see the good in suffering,” said Morgan. “Whether you are a parent of children with special needs or any challenge you are walking through.”

The book is titled after a Bible verse Morgan felt spoke to her. At the end of each chapter, there is a section for lessons learned. Morgan emphasizes she wrote this book as a helpful tool for others rather than something for herself.

“So many parents with special needs are such caregivers,” said Morgan. “My goal is to reach people and encourage them. The journey is challenging and parts of it are just outright painful, but it is also absolutely rewarding.”

Morgan said she started this process with no major expectations and has been overwhelmed with positive responses. She plans on continuing to update her online blog with stories from her journey.

For her, there is only one real indicator of the book’s success.

“If just one person is encouraged in their journey, then that’s enough,” she said.

On Milk and Honey is available on Amazon.

Morgan is available to speak at Bible studies, small groups, women’s events and conferences.

For more, visit hishandshisfeethisheart.com.

A16 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Help the Hills presents program on marijuana use

By KATIE TURPEN What if your child came home one day and told you some of their friends at school had started experimenting with pot?

It is these questions and more that were addressed on Tuesday, Aug. 18 when Help the Hills presented “Marijuana: Hashing Out Fact From Fiction” with Dr. Shannon Murphy.

The event took place from 6-7:30 p.m. in Tyson Hall at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.

Topics included use among teens, recreations verses medical use and the physiological impact of marijuana use.

“We are on the cusp of great change when it comes to preventing drug use in our children,” Murphy said. “I speak to you through a pediatric lens and also as an advocate for families, parents and communities.”

Murphy, Homewood resident and mother of three, is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (AAP) and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Practice Advisory Committee for Adolescent Substance Use and is regional coordinator of the Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).

She was selected by the AAP to work on a national committee to develop a toolkit for physicians to aid in the identification, intervention and referral of adolescents at risk for mental health and substance abuse issues. SAM is a team of mental health and public health officials, doctors, treatment providers, prevention specialists, teachers, law enforcement, and community members working to educate the public on the health issues and safety concerns associated with marijuana.

Murphy began her talk by going over the

Dr. Shannon Murphy speaks to the crowd about marijuana use during a Help the Hills event. Photos by Katie Turpen.

basics of marijuana. Marijuana is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa.

The main psychoactive chemical in marijuana is

delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The plan contains about 400 chemicals and affects the brain, heart and lungs. It can impair cognition, memory, attention, emotions and

sensory input.

Murphy emphasized that it is a myth that marijuana is harmless and not addictive. She expressed that tolerance and risky behavior

September 2015 • A17

VestaviaVoice.com

Tips for talking to your teens Dr. Shannon Murphy says that perceived harm, availability and social norms are the key factors that drive adolescent drug use. Murphy shares advice for parents looking to talk to their children about drug use.

1 2 3 4

Talk to your children early and often.

Look for teachable moments such as when driving to school, making dinner or watching television.

Base drug related messages on facts and talk about the drug related messages in the media.

Make sure your child knows your rules on drug use and be sure to set clear expectations.

Role play real life situations that children may face concerning drug use.

Dr. Shannon Murphy is the regional coordinator of the Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).

begins at a young age, which is why teens need as much information as possible to make informed decisions.

“Using marijuana at a young age on a regular basis has great potential to create neuronal change later on in life,” Murphy said. “Legal does not equal safe. We need to tell our children that.”

Murphy spent a great deal of time during her

presentation discussing the legalization of marijuana and its effects on communities. Marijuana is currently legal in Colorado, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Washington D.C. Other topics of Murphy’s presentation included the deadly combination of combining alcohol and pot, the possibility of a contact high and marijuana as a medicine.

“If kids start asking questions, parents need

to speak strongly and tell them the message has not changed. Marijuana use is still addictive and harmful, and its use has serious consequences,” Murphy said.

Help the Hills, an initiative of Leadership Vestavia Hills, was formed in an effort to foster open dialogue with parents, educators and community leaders about drug and alcohol use among youth. The organization hopes to provide

information, tips, and strategies to help parents have mature conversations with their children about these topics. This event was the first Help the Hills event of the 2015-2016 school year.

For more about Help the Hills, visit leadershipvestaviahills.com. For more information on Murphy’s presentation, visit drugabuse.gov or learnaboutsam.org.

A18 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Fall consignment sale roundup

The 2015-2016 Whale of a Sale Committee: Jenny Ballentine, Laura Senn, Melisa Eatman, Jennifer Tidwell, Christy Curry, Becky Reamey, Laura Leigh Etheridge, Marie Gammill, Dawn Fizer, Erika Ponder, Liz Terrell and Melissa Pierce. Photo courtesy of Laura Leigh Etheridge.

The Whale of a Sale at VHUMC benefits Vestavia Day School. Photo by Katie Turpen.

By KATIE TURPEN Looking for stylish clothes, popular toys, high quality books, baby gear and kids’ room décor, all at discounted prices? The Vestavia Hills area will feature three sales this fall.

This year, consignment sale season features two-day events at Mountaintop Community Church, Vestavia Hills United Methodist and Liberty Crossings UMC. To help map out your fall consignment sale shopping, we’ve listed details about each sale.

Market on the Mountain Where: Mountaintop Community Church 225 Centerdrive Drive When: Friday, Sept. 25, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. with select items 25 percent off. marketonthemountain.com

Whale of a Sale

Butterflies and Bowties

Where: Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church

Where: Liberty Crossings United Methodist Church

When: Thursday, Sept. 10, 5-9 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, 9-2 p.m., (1-2 p.m., most items 50 percent off).

When: Friday, Sept. 11, 8 a.m.- 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, 8 a.m.- Noon

thewhaleofasale.com

Mylc.org/consignment Did you know that we can service all indoor/outdoor advertising needs?

Printing and Business Services Signs Banners Posters Notary Foamboard Blue prints Mailboxes Greeting cards Passport photos School Projects Shipping Supplies

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September 2015 • A19

VestaviaVoice.com

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A20 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Birmingham

Private School Guide Special Advertising Section

Spring Valley School

A19

The Altamont School

Spring Valley School

Spring Valley School is an independent, nonsectarian school for students in grades 2-12 who struggle with dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other learning differences. It is the only school in central Alabama devoted to impacting the lives of children with learning disabilities, and it serves children from all over the Birmingham area and beyond.

Founded in 2000 by parents seeking better educational opportunities for their children, the school is a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. The school recognizes that the learning processes of these students differ from that of their peers and that each student possesses unique academic needs. As a result, the school offers a multi-sensory (visual, auditory and tactile), language-based instructional program presented in small classes (between five and nine students).

Core beliefs include – (1) A successful student sets academic goals and monitors progress in achieving them. (2) Students excel when they are actively involved in the learning process.

(3) Students thrive when high expectations are coupled with opportunities to achieve academic

Key Facts Grades 2-12 605 Hagood Street Birmingham, AL 35213 423-8660 springvalleyschool.org success. (4) The curriculum must incorporate a variety of teaching strategies to accommodate various learning styles. (5) Students become good citizens by contributing to their community through leadership and service.

Spring Valley School is accredited through SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). To learn more or to discuss admission, contact their administrative assistant at 423-8660 to set up an interview with the executive director and a tour of the school.

A20

VestaviaVoice.com

Private School Guide Special Advertising Section

September 2015 • A21

The Altamont School

Altamont is more than a school where talented, smart individuals gather together to learn. It is a community of caring, like-minded leaders who come together with the common goal to inspire, educate and encourage one another to reach their full potential.

At Altamont, we are preparing students to be good citizens; educating compassionate, curious, students; committed to producing well-rounded students; a rigorous school with strong core values; a family. We will encourage and support our students’ interests; graduate mature, enlightened students who are prepared for their life and career; prepare the next generation to be critical thinkers; do everything in our power to see your child succeed. We do this because we care; we believe in unending possibilities; we’re small, passionate, and competitive; we believe in truth, knowledge and honor.

Each day at Altamont, we strive every day to improve the fabric of society by graduating

compassionate, educated individuals capable of independent thinking and innovative ideas. That is never more important than in today’s changing and fast-paced world. Preparing students for the world requires both balance and breadth, and this is where Altamont’s faculty stands out. No matter a student’s passion or strength, each one is nurtured and allowed to grow, mature and learn in a caring environment. We are confident that our students are articulate, passionate, and ethically aware young people who will make a difference in the world, hold themselves to a higher standard and lead trustworthy lives.

Altamont is a small family with socio-economic, ethnic and religious diversity, and our Honor Code is essential to the fulfillment of our mission. The school has an intensive college preparatory academic program with a personalized college search program, including an annual college tour. The school also offers many opportunities for children to develop multiple talents by

participating in arts, foreign language, leadership programs, community service, clubs, class projects, science competitions and sports — all at the same time. We seek highly motivated students who crave greater breadth and challenge in all areas of school life. The school awards approximately $1,000,000 in merit and need-based scholarships each year in order to attract the best, brightest and most diverse student body.

Altamont’s main campus is located on 28 acres on the crest of Red Mountain just south of downtown Birmingham. The main school building houses 40 classrooms, two science wings, a fine arts center, a student center, an art gallery and sculpture garden, a computer lab, a 14,000volume library and special studios for chorus, art, photography and orchestra. The athletic facilities include two gymnasiums with basketball and volleyball courts and a weight room. The main campus offers six tennis courts, a soccer field, and a track. A second campus provides another

Key Facts Grades 5-12 4801 Altamont Road South Birmingham, AL 35222 879-2006 altamontschool.org

gymnasium as well as soccer, baseball and softball fields.

Please join us for one of our Open Houses to learn more about our school, our students, our mission and what sets us apart.

A22 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

CANCER

CONTINUED from page A1 distended and he could not climb into a chair. A doctor diagnosed Anderson with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

With Anderson undergoing treatment for leukemia, the Throwers built friendships with other families in the unit. They also partnered with a local bank to buy computers for every cancer patient room. It was the precursor to aTeam Ministries, which they founded in December 2009 to help other families cope with pediatric cancer.

“Initially, you’re overwhelmed. What we’ve found as a ministry is the first six weeks, the first nine weeks, you’re really just getting your bearings on what they’re telling you about your child. You don’t really think about other things,” Andy said.

Six years later, aTeam has grown into a nonprofit providing emotional, spiritual and financial support for dozens of families. Their help ranges from something small, like a personal care bag or family tickets to a football game, to financial grants or a temporary apartment while a child is undergoing treatment. In July they had their sixth annual Champions of Chemo lake party, celebrating children who have completed treatment, and in August they held a “Bold 4 Gold” rally as an early kickoff to September’s Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.

Andy said aTeam is often able to provide support when a patient’s extended family cannot.

“A lot of times, we have found that families have a large support system in the first nine to 12 weeks, but there becomes a period of time when that support system fades,” Andy said. “They have to get back to life, too. That’s where we feel our ministry tries to step in.”

After watching their daughter Avery handle her younger brother’s diagnosis and treatment, the Throwers also make sure that aTeam takes care of siblings, too.

“It’s important to also try to remember that siblings are just as much impacted, or more, than the actual patient. They may not get chemotherapy, they may not get the medicine that’s prescribed, but they’re at the appointment, they’re

Andy and Jan Thrower started aTeam Ministries after their son, Anderson, was diagnosed with leukemia at 16 months old. The whole family, including daughter Avery, continues to support other families dealing with pediatric cancer. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

at the hospital. They’re sacrificing a lot, too,” Andy said.

Anderson entered remission and stopped treatment in 2012, when he was five years old. He doesn’t remember much about the experience, though he recalls being scared of “going to the lab and getting poked.” After three years of life revolving around hospital visits and blood tests, it was difficult for the Throwers to relate to other parents they knew.

“It’s not their fault, it’s not our fault, it’s nobody’s fault,” Andy said. “But there’s a

difference there and sometimes plugging back in — you’ve been separated, you’ve been in isolation to some degree for a period of time — it’s somewhat hard and when you do plug back in, there’s a difference.”

Now, the Throwers agree that they mostly do “have the normalcy back.” Anderson is a student at Vestavia Hills Elementary West and enjoys baseball and swimming. He goes to the doctor every six months for checkups, but his chances of a relapse shrink with every year. He also isn’t showing long-term side effects.

“Other than meanness,” joked Avery, now a student at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central.

At a recent career day, Avery said she wanted to work for aTeam when she grows up. It’s a big part of the Throwers’ lives even now, as Andy and Jan want to use their own experience to make other families’ paths easier. They also know they’re lucky to have a life that returned to normal.

“We’re thankful and just enjoy the day a little bit more than most people because there’s a different perspective on the day,” Andy said.

September 2015 • A23

VestaviaVoice.com ALTADENA

CONTINUED from page A1 officials are working on a solution so the development won’t make Acton Road a parking lot.

On Sept. 28, the City Council will vote on whether to annex and rezone the Altadena property, currently in Jefferson County. If approved, plans will move forward to build a park, neighborhood and commercial lots.

Keith Development, which owns the property, will gift around 60 acres to the city for the park.

The residential portion of the development includes 66 homes on the north side of the property on a private, gated street. David Keith of Keith Development said the plans for the neighborhood are relatively settled and if the council moves forward with the annexation and rezoning, he wants to start land development and construction in the first quarter of 2016.

Once this process begins, he estimated the first house will be built between nine and 12 months later.

Keith has also proposed two commercial lots facing Acton Road. There are no plans to build anything on the lots at this time, but it could be home to retail or other development in the future.

The city’s proposal for the park includes around 19 acres of passive use, such as walking trails, picnic and green spaces, a playground, dog park, disc golf, a canoe launch into the Cahaba River and a possible fishing pond. The rest of the acreage will be dedicated to active use — currently, the proposal shows six athletic fields divided between baseball, football and soccer.

The fields are located in the property’s flood plain. City Manager Jeff Downes said the city knew about the possibility of flooding when they began planning, but due diligence

Current plans for the park include athletic fields, walking trails, a canoe launch and picnic areas, among other amenities. Rendering courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills.

revealed the site floods at least once a year, much more frequently than expected. Due to this, the city can’t build concession stands, press boxes or other structures besides basic bathrooms designed to withstand water and be easily cleaned. The athletic fields will be used for practice, not competitions.

Traffic has been a top priority for residents near the closed golf course, as the initial master plan places the sole access point onto Lakeland Trail, a residential street off of Acton Road.

Traffic engineer John Anthony said that after a study of Acton Road and Veterans Park in Alabaster, which is similar in size and amenities to Altadena, he believes retiming the lights on Acton Road and installing a traffic signal and turn lanes at the Lakeland Trail intersection would do a lot to counteract the additional traffic.

“With these adjustments, we can make this work,” Anthony said.

Peak traffic times after the development is complete would be weekday

afternoons between 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday morning to mid-afternoon, he said.

At a planning and zoning commission meeting on Aug. 13, the City Council chambers were filled to capacity and many people got up to question the wisdom of adding a large park and possible retail stores to the area. Their concerns included current traffic jams on Acton as well as the S-curve in the road near Lakeland, which has low visibility and regular car wrecks.

Residents also questioned the traffic study’s accuracy, as Anthony had not included possible effects of future commercial development. Acton Road homeowners said they already spent about five minutes daily trying to get out of their driveways without adding more vehicles.

Many spoke in favor of using part of the property to straighten out the S-curve. Planning commission member Bill Visintainer said that in his opinion, a commercial

development is not viable without straightening Acton Road.

The Lakeland Trail access point is still on the table, but Downes is hoping that all these problems will not need to be addressed. He is currently working with property owners on the west end of the Altadena property about building an entry road on that end instead. Downes said they have been initially positive toward the idea, which he and Anthony agreed was the “premium solution.” It would take cars off of Lakeland Trail and be closer to I-459, also removing them from the Acton S-curve.

“Our goal would be to pursue this with the highest degree of enthusiasm,” Downes said.

After the Aug. 13 meeting, Downes said the city is actively working toward a final agreement on the west access point, but it will require engineering and cost studies to determine the feasibility. If the Lakeland Trail access point remains in use, Downes said long-term solutions could include

cutting off through access on the road or straightening Acton.

Light, sound and environmental pollution were also concerns for residents.

Downes said many of the pine trees on the property will remain there and the park will use the same directional lighting as Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights fields, which will direct the light away from homes. There will be tree buffers between 60 and 100 feet wide between the park and homes.

The Cahaba River Society has requested that the developers avoid placing fill dirt anywhere within the property’s flood plain and use best practices for runoff management to avoid polluting the river. David Stovall of Engineering Design Group, which represented Keith Development at the planning meeting, said there will be about three acres in the flood plain that will have fill dirt, but otherwise they will try to adhere closely to the River Society’s standards.

The practice fields will have underground systems to hold runoff water and let it slowly seep into the ground.

The planning and zoning commission voted in favor of annexing and rezoning the Altadena property, with the condition that developers strive for the River Society’s standards. The developers will also have to come back before the commission to get approval for placing a gas station, fast food restaurant, service station or home improvement center on the commercial lots.

The decision now rests with the City Council. If they approve the annexation and rezoning, Downes said the city’s goal is to have the passive area of the park open in 2017, with other phases of construction following as the budget allows. Since no construction planning has been done yet, he added there are “a lot of ifs, ands or buts” at this time.

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Participants receive supervised exercise training 3 days per week for 14 weeks with certified trainers in the UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, and free assessments of health and functional status, body composition, and fitness.

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WELCOME BACK, LARRY! Please join us in welcoming Larry Ketchum back to the Royal Family. Larry has returned to Birmingham and is our new Royal VW Sales Manager.

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Where you’re always treated like royalty!

SECTION

B

School House B6 Sports B16 Real Estate B21 Calendar B22

SEPTEMBER 2015

Lemonade for

Emme

Community rallies around VHEW student diagnosed with brain tumor

By KATIE TURPEN When Vestavia resident Aimee Nichols’ 8-year-old daughter Emme became sick on a May vacation, it didn’t seem too out of the ordinary.

She complained of a headache, stomach problems and neck pain. Thinking it was strep throat or mono, they took her to the pediatrician and were told it was viral and could last about a week. Five days later, Emme was still complaining of a headache. Back at the doctor’s office, she tested positive for strep throat.

“It was like she was getting better, then she would regress,” Aimee said.

In early June, on the way to Vacation Bible School, Aimee realized something was wrong when Emme was acting out of character and irritable. Their pediatrician sent the family to

the Children’s Hospital ER for a meningitis test.

After meeting with several doctors and nurses, the family found themselves sitting in the ER hearing about something worse than strep throat or meningitis.

“That night is when our lives forever changed,” Aimee said. “We were told that Emme had a brain tumor that was cancerous.”

As time started to blur for the Nichols family, they were notified that Emme would have surgery to remove the tumor. Aimee said her emotions were unexplainable.

Surgery day was 11 hours long and involved two surgeries and two rounds of anesthesia.

Aimee said a friend started a prayer vigil that lasted from 5 a.m.- 5 p.m. that day with three people praying each hour.

“It was a day we will never forget,” Aimee said. “A day that was full of fear and peace, a

In June, neighbors of the Nichols family held a lemonade stand that raised $800 for Emme, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Photos courtesy of Aimee Nichols.

day full of love and friendship.”

During this time, the Nichols’ neighbors held a lemonade stand that raised $800 for the family.

VHEW Principal Kim Hauser and Librarian Carla Johnson stopped by the stand. Friends also sold purple bows for people to attach to their mailboxes in honor of Emme and created a “take a meal” website as well as a CaringBridge site for the family.

“They made sure our other two children were

cared for and had what they needed,” Aimee said.

On June 15, the family found out that Emme’s tumor was benign and she would not need chemotherapy. Today, the doctor’s appointments continue as Emme starts a new school year. She is thankful for the Vestavia Hills community and the endless support that has flooded in for Emme.

“Vestavia is a great place to live that rallies when someone is in need,” Aimee said.

B2 • September PF Only A Dumbbell_10x7.5 2015 - Starnes-Bham FIN_Layout 1

Vestavia Voice

8/13/15 11:34 AM Page 1

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September 2015 • B3

VestaviaVoice.com

Outdoors - Active - Unplugged 205-999-8878 • treeline-expeditions.com Spring Break 2016 Sea Kayaking in the Bahamas March 26 to April 2 9th grade to adults

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After-School Adventures Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia area schools 3:30-6:00 Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 4th and 5th grades Thursdays: 2nd and 3rd grades Sample activities: kayaking on the Cahaba River, hiking at Ruffner Mountain, Red Mountain Park Adventure Area, outdoor skills, team building games, outdoor crafts

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” - Neale Donald Walsch We look forward to seeing you on the trails and water! - Bill and Suzanne Andrews

B4 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

PTO presidents

Meet this year’s

Debbie Castleberry Vestavia Hills High School My husband, Stephen, and I are the proud parents of three boys and I am also a very proud VHHS alum.

We have a new principal and 2,000 students.

Cindy Cherry Pizitz Middle School I am married to Greg Cherry and we have four boys in the Vestavia school system this year. In addition to my involvement with the Pizitz PTO, I have also been an active part of the PTOs at both West and Central Elementary Schools.

We have a beautiful concession stand in the process of being built as well as a brand-new press box. We have a totally new registration process and we will soon have a new look to our Rebel mascot. We are moving from two annual fundraisers to one brand-new one. We will have a new format for our newsletter and more information on our website than ever before.

In response to registration going completely online, we moved our supply sale online. Parents have an opportunity to purchase supplies during registration and those supplies are waiting on their student the first day of school. Also, during each Open House and at home sporting events, students can shop a large selection of Pizitz logo T-shirts, socks, water bottles, lunch boxes and car magnets at an on-site spirit shop.

Suzanne Perino Liberty Park Middle School Three years ago, my husband and I moved to Vestavia Hills from Long Island, New York. We have two children at VHHS and one child at LPMS.

I am married to Jonathan Nelson and we have two children. We have lived in Vestavia for 13 years.

We are excited about the upcoming school year at Central this year. The school has a new

Makerspace and Robotics program that the PTO has helped fund. We also have two new 3-D printers that will help support student projects. An exciting new change is that the school has given the computer lab a facelift. The new name is

Jennifer Lynch Vestavia Hills Elementary West My husband, Russ, and I have two girls, Sara Kate and Ella. We moved to Vestavia eight years ago because of the excellent school system.

West has three awesome fundraising events

We also have lots of new topics and speakers for our Parent Awareness meetings.

While our sense of pride and community starts early in our elementary schools, it peaks at the high school. There are amazing opportunities everywhere you look from athletics, band and choir to academic groups like We the People, Debate and Scholars Bowl.

And as always, we will continue to assist the faculty in honoring the veterans from our community during our Living History Day. Pizitz is special to our students because you feel like part of the Pizitz family when you walk through the front door. The PTO is very excited to welcome our newest family member this year, our new Principal Meredith Hanson.

This year, LPMS PTO will host Enrichment/Career Day on March 23. On this day, our students have the opportunity to meet with a variety of professionals from our community and learn about their prospective careers. If you are passionate about your career and want to share a little bit about it with our students, please email

Christy Nelson Vestavia Hills Elementary Central

BY KATIE TURPEN

us at libertyparkpto@gmail.com.

LPMS PTO is extremely fortunate to have the love and support of its community. Families are always happy to volunteer their time and resources. Their generosity of time and talent is what makes LPMS special.

“Central Park” and there will be new curriculum to excite and motivate students to be creative thinkers. Lastly, the PTO assisted in the funding of a new pavilion at the lower playground.

Central is special because there is truly a family feeling within the faculty, staff and administration. The students are able to learn in a safe, nurturing and caring environment. We also have the involvement and support of so many parents.

that are happening this year. Our “Gifts and Gift Wrap” fundraiser kicks off in September (9/9-9/30). We have a new vendor, so we are looking forward to much more than just gift wrap this year. The kids’ favorite event of the year is Carnival. This year’s theme is “Under the Big Top,” and it will be held Thursday, October 22, 4-7 p.m . The parents’ favorite event is our

Auction, “Bids and Bites.” Auction is a parents’ night out occasion that will be held Friday, February 5, 6-9 p.m.

West is special for so many reasons: the familylike atmosphere, the collaboration among the administration, teachers, and parents working toward the same goal of preparing our kids for future success in all areas.

Merryl Cooper Vestavia Hills Elementary East My husband, Jason, and I have three children, Camille, Emily and Taylor. I am a 1990 graduate of VHHS and an active member of Vestavia Hills Baptist Church.

One of my favorite special events sponsored

by the PTO is the collaborative effort between Caring and Sharing Week — where students bring snack items to donate — and Santa Shop Day where the students then pack the items donated to make snack packs for children in the Birmingham area. The service project supports

Kathy Henderson Liberty Park Elementary School I grew up in the Decatur School System but married a Birmingham native, which brought us back here. We have an 11-year-old son and a 9-year-old girl and have lived in Liberty Park for

over 11 years.

We are especially excited about a new project that will be funded with our fall fundraiser, a STEM Innovation Lab, which will include projects utilizing unique tools such as conductive paints, sewing machines, computer design, 3-D printing, recyclables and snap circuits. It’s a great opportunity for students to use their creativity, exercise their team-building skills, and really

Jenny Lysinger Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights I have two boys who attend Cahaba Heights Elementary and play for Vestavia Hills Soccer Club.

The PTO is looking forward to our 2nd Annual Art Show in the spring called “Taste

East’s Core Values of Kindness, Responsibility, Honesty, and Service.

Faculty, staff and administrators at East seem to truly love their job and believe in the promise of children. It’s that spirit that builds a strong sense of community for families.

of the Heights.” VHECH families come and view their children’s art work beautifully displayed throughout the school while enjoying yummy samples from our local restaurants.

Academically, our teachers have worked

push their problem-solving abilities.

Several things make VHELP special: our family-friendly location, engaged parents, forward-thinking principal, always helpful staff, but most importantly our teachers. Even if we offer the highest level of technology or equipment in the school, nothing can engage, interest or love a student like a great teacher.

together this summer to produce a school-wide enrichment challenge called “Mind Boggling Mission,” which will incorporate thinking skills, math, science and technology.

VHECH is blessed to have a local community that supports our school! We still have a smalltown community feel and that is what makes us special and unique!

APSA-1006_2.pdf 1 8/18/15 VestaviaVoice.com

11:29 AM

September 2015 • B5

A PUBLIC NOTICE FROM ALABAMA POWER

TREE CREWS WORKING IN VESTAVIA THROUGH EARLY 2016 Alabama Power crews are working in several Vestavia neighborhoods, removing trees and other vegetation that threaten the safety and reliability of our electrical system.

As part of this process, Alabama Power goes to great lengths to talk with individual property owners. Company representatives are going door to door, leaving notices at locations where work is needed.

If you have any questions before crews come by your home, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and ask for someone in the Vegetation Management Group to contact you. Or you can email us at apcvm@southernco.com. Work in Vestavia and nearby areas is expected to continue through early 2016.

Also, you can go online to alpwr.co/vm for more information about these safety and reliability measures, as well as resources for property owners who would like recommendations about planting the right tree in the right place.

Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your business.

Vegetation Management Group 205-257-2155 | apcvm@southernco.com

Š 2015 Alabama Power Company.

B6 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

School House Teacher of the year focused on ‘Leading by Learning’ The summertime gives students an opportunity to take a break from the daily grind of the classroom. But for Alabama Teacher of the Year Jennifer Brown, learning doesn’t stop when the school year ends.

Brown, a Vestavia Hills High School science teacher, took part this summer in more than a dozen professional development opportunities from Montgomery to Washington, D.C. She delivered a keynote address at a middle school summit, presented to teachers at a reading and writing conference, and even moderated a statewide Twitter chat on education.

Brown says the nonstop schedule gave her the opportunity to learn from her colleagues and grow as a teacher.

“It’s been so much fun sharing with teachers,” Brown said.

“I love it because I get new ideas. I’ve learned so much from every session I’ve been in. Ut is our duty as educators to share with other educators.

Times are changing and our students are changing, so we have to learn new strategies every year. That’s the only way we’re going to grow.”

One of the strategies Brown and a group of her colleagues developed last year was

Jennifer Brown, a Vestavia Hills High School science teacher, took part this summer in more than a dozen professional development opportunities from Montgomery to Washington.

Photo courtesy of Whit McGhee.

“instructional rounds,” in which teachers visit each others’ classrooms to observe and collaborate. Brown said the concept is similar to doctors’ rounds in a hospital. She hopes to grow the project fulltime in the coming year as an instructional coach at Vestavia Hills High School.

“We’re calling it ‘Leading

by Learning,’ because we’re leaders in our classroom and we’re learners, too. I’ve already had teachers approach me about new things they want to implement in their classrooms this year, and now I’m going to get to help them

with that,” she said.

Brown will continue traveling and speaking statewide throughout the coming months.

She’ll keep on learning, too, as she works this fall to earn the distinction of being a National Board Certified Teacher.

“A teacher has the opportunity to impact the life of every student who walks through his or her classroom door,” she said. “If we expect to make a lasting, positive impact, we have to make an effort to be better than we were the day before, just as we expect our students to do.”

-Submitted by Whit McGhee

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September 2015 • B7

VestaviaVoice.com

LPMS teacher selected for International Program As a child, Linda Rummell dreamed of traveling to interesting places around the world.

So when her youngest son left the nest after graduating in May from Vestavia Hills High School, the Gifted Specialist and sixth-grade English Language Arts teacher from Liberty Park Middle School decided it was time for an adventure.

“On a whim, I filled out this application with no idea what would happen,” she said.

Her application put her in the running to become a fellow in the U.S. Department of State’s Teachers for Global Classrooms Program. In June, Rummell learned she was one of the 82 teachers accepted into the program from around the United States.

“I had almost forgotten about it, then I got this letter in the mail that said I had been accepted. I was shocked,” she said.

The State Department program provides yearlong professional development for middle and high school teachers aimed at globalizing American classrooms. She will attend a professional global symposium in Washington D.C. Then in the spring, Rummell will travel abroad for a field learning experience.

On her return, she will collaborate with other fellows to develop a curriculum focused on global competency, technology integration, and cross-cultural communication.

“I don’t know yet where I’m going,” she said, “but I’m excited about it. I’m a lifelong learner, and I’m going to love taking what I learn back to my students.”

As part of the program Rummell will

LPMS teacher Linda Rummell was recently selected as a U.S. Department of State’s Teachers for Global Classrooms Program. Photo courtesy of Whit McGhee.

continue teaching at LPMS, sharing the experiences of her new adventure along the way.

“My hope is, if there are any students interested in traveling and learning abroad, I can show them that they can do it. We’re all one big world, we’re all human, and we can learn a lot from each other,” she said.

Once she becomes a fellow, she will have an opportunity to apply for U.S. State Department grants to help globalize her classroom.

-Submitted by Whit McGhee

Vestavia teachers recognized for excellence in technical education

Vestavia Hills Career Tech students last year earned more Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications than any other school in the state. The teachers behind the program were recognized in July at the Alabama Career and Technical Education Conference. Pictured: Lauren Miller, Pam Hickman, Morgan Palmer and Deana Goodwine. Not pictured: Kris Thomas. Photo courtesy of Whit McGhee/VHCS.

B8 • August 2015

Vestavia Voice

Summer FUN

Photo Contest

WINNERS

A curious one searches for shells. Photo by Frances Mayhall.

Find more great photos by visiting VestaviaVoice.com

Sarah Cate Bratton reads the Vestavia Voice to Cinderella. Photo by Holly Bratton.

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September 2015 • B9

CONTEST RUNNERS UP

Chace Belcher says, “Put the lime in the coconut.” Photo by Michelle J. Belcher.

Maya Maples plants seeds. Photo by Kwoya Maples.

Exploring Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Photo by Charissa Hanson.

Michael Belcher with his crab castles. Photo by Michelle J. Belcher.

A little summer reading in front of the lighthouse on Hunting Island, South Carolina. Laura Ellen Hayes (11) and Parker Hayes (9) enjoy the Vestavia Voice. Submitted

by Rachael Hayes.

Love

B10 • September 2015

and

war

By KATIE TURPEN Mary Whatley could not get the picture of Gus the dog out of her mind.

Gus belonged to her father, and the image of the two of them can be seen in a World War II photo that Whatley treasures.

It is that image that graces the front cover of the Vestavia resident’s new book titled Daddy’s War: Letters from the Commander of the 425th Dump Truck Company, World War II, Italy.

The book is composed of letters between Whatley’s mother and father during the pre-war and war years of World War II. She began writing the book in April 2008, and copies were officially printed this past May. Whatley found the letters in a cedar chest and said she almost couldn’t read them at first because she was too sad. She went through each of the letters with a magnifying glass, which had been written on special paper and then transferred to microfilm.

“One amazing thing is that my father wrote to my mother every day, sometimes two or three times a day,” she said.

Whatley almost titled the book, “Why didn’t we ask?” She encourages everyone to sit down with their grandparents and learn about them while they are still alive to tell their stories.

“I wanted to preserve what I could for my son and daughter,” Whatley said. “If you don’t ask, you’ll never

Mary Whatley looks over one of her father’s V-Mails he sent to her mother during World War II. The letters are the basis for Whatley’s book. Photo by Katie Turpen.

know.”

Her son, Walter, wrote the book’s forward.

“Some authors write to educate or entertain the intended audience.

I don’t think that is the case with this book,” he wrote. “Whether she

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states it explicitly or not, my mother wrote this book for therapy, her own therapy.”

When she set out to turn the letters into her book, Whatley told herself she would simply let her father’s letters tell the story. Her father had a sense

of humor and many wise lines such as, “Kindness and affection is one of the things the Army has not been able to dehydrate.” Through reading the letters, Whatley is quite certain of one thing.

“My father loved that dog and he

Vestavia Voice

loved my mother,” she said.

Whatley describes a moment during the process that brought her to tears.

When searching on the Internet for people who could have known her father, she located the supply sergeant for the 425th Engineer Dump Truck Company, 91- year-old Gilliam Smith, in Chicago.

“Our first telephone conversation was in September 2011, and we had incredible, informative, heartwarming conversations over a period of several months,” Whatley said. “Then in June 2013 I receive a note from his daughter saying that he had died in May after a short illness. He was willing to tell me things about Daddy and the 425th that I could never have known otherwise.”

Whatley and her husband have a son and daughter and three grandchildren and enjoy spending time at their Lake Martin home. Whatley retired from reaching at the collegiate level after 29 years. After retirement, she worked for a travel agency and then a law firm.

Whatley hopes the book gives readers a greater appreciation of veterans and their families.

“No history book can make you feel a war,” Whatley writes. “I was most fortunate that my father wrote letters that survived the years and now I have a treasure.”

Email Whatley at mmpwau65@ gmail.com.

September 2015 • B11

VestaviaVoice.com

The night that changed

everything Kelly Garner’s memoir now available on Amazon

By KATIE TURPEN It’s a story Kelly Garner will never stop telling.

On January 28, 2014, snow created an icy gridlock on the roads across Birmingham.

After the storm hit, Garner went to work helping stranded motorists near the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market shopping center on U.S. 31.

He did not make it home that night.

His Panorama Drive neighbors formed a search team. They eventually spotted him at the bottom of a 40-foot-deep ravine near the Library in the Forest the following morning. With the help of the Vestavia Hills Fire Department, Garner was carried out of the ravine.

His injuries were extensive and doctors described his recovery as miraculous. As Garner gained strength, he used his recovery to his

advantage. In October, Garner ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. In November, he ran the Vulcan Run 10K in downtown Birmingham. February’s Mercedes Half-Marathon marked his biggest achievement to date.

Over the past year, Garner has also received multiple recognitions. Garner was invited to be the surprise guest at the UAB Trauma Symposium in November. In March, he was voted

by Vestavia Voice readers as the Community Member of the Year. Then, in June, Garner was recognized at the State House by Governor Robert Bentley in Montgomery for his heroic efforts.

Garner’s new book, The Night That Changed Our Lives: The Devil Pushed Me In a Pit but God Pulled Me Out, details his near-fatal experience, and the inspiration and encouragement

In March, Garner was voted by Vestavia Voice readers as the Community Member of the Year. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.

that has surfaced as a result. Published by WestBowPress, the book was released on Amazon on July 31.

“I have worked on this thoroughly and hope my hard work will pay off,” Garner said.

A Hoover resident drew the front cover image. The book contains pictures from Garner’s snowstorm accident as well as from another car wreck several years ago, where he was also nearly pronounced dead.

Garner appreciated the chance to reflect on his journey and look through the photos.

“It’s really prompted me to stop and take a closer look at everything,” Garner said.

Despite everything that has happened to him, Garner said he and his family’s lives have been enriched from the experience.

“The devil pushed me in the pit, but God pulled me out,” Garner said. “I encourage everyone to live well, laugh often and love much with whatever you do.”

The book is $28.95 for a hardcover copy and $11.95 for paperback copy. To purchase the book, visit amazon.com.

www.ERAKing.com

Vestavia Voice

B12 • September 2015

Making a stand Local resident starts lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research

By KATIE TURPEN September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and local organization Hope for Autumn Foundation is teaming up with the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation for the “Make a Stand” campaign to creatively support the cause.

During July and August, individuals and groups signed up to receive a kit to host lemonade stands as fundraisers. Each kit contained two gallons of Milo’s lemonade, cups and a paper banner. Prizes will be given to the three stands with the highest fundraising totals, as well as the stand with the best banner design. Milo’s Tea, The Whole Scoop and Red Mountain Park have supported the project.

“This idea came from a young girl in Vestavia who hosts an annual lemonade stand in her neighborhood to raise money for our organization,” said Mary Anne King, Laura Crandall

Brown Foundation executive director. “We thought it was a wonderful idea, a fun activity for the whole family and something that enables children to make a difference in a tangible way.”

That young Vestavia Hills girl was Caroline, daughter of Gina Hawkins.

“It is fun to have a lemonade stand. It is important because it helps people feel better,” said Caroline.

Gina wanted her daughter to recognize at a young age the importance of giving back.

“As a family, we started having lemonade stands when Caroline was 4,” Gina said. “We did it to instill in her the importance of helping others.”

Gina became involved in the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation because she believed in the cause and she used to babysit Laura, the organization’s namesake. For the past three years, Caroline has helped with registration for the Head

Get Fancy

Vestavia student Caroline Hawkins organized a lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research. Photo courtesy of Mary Anne King.

Over Teal 5K, held every year at the Hoover Preserve.

“It has become a fun tradition for a great cause. We believe in this cause,” Gina said. “A good friend of ours recently lost her mother to this illness, so it is important to us to be part of this. We are very proud of Caroline and her friends Kathleen Gardner and Catey Rose

Callahan, all fifth-graders at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central, for raising more than $800 at two lemonade stands.”

For more about The Hope for Autumn Foundation, visit hopeforautumnfoundation.org. For more about the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation, visit thinkoflaura.org.

September 2015 • B13

VestaviaVoice.com

A YouTube star on the rise

By DANNI ZHOU Meredith Edwards loves talking about fashion and beauty. What sets the recent Vestavia Hills High School graduate apart, however, is that over 50,000 YouTube subscribers are tuning in to what she has to say.

Edwards launched her YouTube channel “southernbelle606” about two years ago. The channel focuses on fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

Initially, she knew a few friends who had YouTube channels and was introduced to the idea of starting her own.

“I wanted to make my first video for a while,” Edwards said. “I was really nervous to post the first one.”

Her decision turned out to be far from a mistake.

“At first when I saw that I had five subscribers, I was already pretty excited. Then before I knew it, the number began to grow. I didn’t expect to have so many subscribers so quickly,” Edwards said.

Edwards credits her popularity to her videos’ focus points in capturing middle school, high school and college girls’ attentions. Particularly for younger girls just beginning to experiment with make-up and deciding their likes and dislikes in fashion, Edwards provides insight in her videos to guide them in the best way to approach a natural or, at times, bold look.

The routine of a video is rather simple: each video ranges from five to ten minutes and concentrates on a specific theme. The themes stem from Edwards’ own ideas; however, she also takes into account suggestions and requests from subscribers.

“After I plan out an idea, I decide on the best location to film the video,” Edwards said. “Then I basically just set up the camera, film, edit and upload.”

In a recent video, for example, Edwards shared her high school advice. She narrowed

VHHS graduate Meredith Edwards has built an online following through her YouTube videos about fashion and lifestyle. Photo courtesy of Meredith Edwards.

her recommendations into a list of “10 Things I Wish I Knew Before High School.” Edwards personally edits and uploads each taping.

Additionally, close friends and family members at times are invited to make an appearance in the videos.

“I want to feature my brother in one sometime soon,” Edwards said. “I think he’s wanted to be

in one for a while.”

She plans to continue her YouTube channel as she starts her freshman year at Belmont University in Nashville. She’s considering majoring in communication or business, specifically in marketing.

“Everything will still be the same after I go to college,” she said. “The only difference will be

how my fashion changes as I grow older.”

Her YouTube show also plays a role in Edwards’ future career plans.

“For a career, I mainly want to be more involved in the fashion and business aspect of what I am currently doing, but I’m also planning to continue my involvement in filming and video-making,” Edwards said.

B14 • September 2015

Gardening for generations

Vestavia Voice

By MADISON MILLER When Lee Higginbotham decided to join the Vestavia Hills Men’s Garden Club, he knew he would be gaining a chance to learn something new. As a chief operating manager with Advanced Mower, he already had an interest in gardening, and he looked forward to using his skills to give back to the community.

“When I joined it was to learn, and what it involved was two things: fellowship with people I didn’t know and involvement with the community, giving back,” Higginbotham said.

“That’s probably a huge part of it for a lot of people. We do really have some very talented people that are members.”

Giving back is a tradition prevalent throughout the history of the club, which was formed in 1986 by Henderson Walker. Its members were mostly retired residents who wanted to create a place where they could practice, develop and enjoy an interest in gardening together.

They decided on a patch of land across from the Lutheran Church of Vestavia Hills. The spot sits near the exit of the city while traveling north on Highway 31 and near the entrance of the city while traveling south. With a high traffic volume, the group knew that they could help the city’s presentation with their garden.

“Entering the city, you’ve got the beautiful Sibyl Temple across from us,” Higginbotham said.

The garden has received numerous awards from the Birmingham Beautification Board and is a popular spot for prom, bridal and family photos.

“You’ll be surprised at the number of people that drive by and say, ‘Hey, it looks great,’” Higginbotham said.

The current members spend as much

Club members Lee Higginbotham, Brian Schmidtke, Johnny Wood, Ken Lundberg and Malcolm McLeod stand near the flag at the garden they help maintain on Highway 31. Photo by Madison Miller.

time as possible in the garden, and many of them are master gardeners. The club credits one member, Henry Chilton, who passed away in 2014, with much of the growth that the club has seen since its beginning.

“He was instrumental,”

Higginbotham said. “He literally worked up here several hours every day for about 20 years.”

Today, the club has approximately 25 members from Vestavia Hills and surrounding areas. They meet September through May in the conference room

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of the Chamber of Commerce. Meetings often feature guest speakers, and the club organizes several community events throughout the year.

“We’re kind of in a growth stage where we have some younger members getting involved along with our senior

members,” Higginbotham said.

The club accepts new members at any time and has recently added female club members to the group.

To learn more about the Vestavia Hills Men’s Garden Club, visit vhmgc. com.

September 2015 • B15

VestaviaVoice.com

Q & A with

Jill Billions Featured artist at Artists Incorporated

By KATIE TURPEN Artists Incorporated Art Gallery, located in the “Little Red Barn” on Morgan Drive in Vestavia Hills, displays work from more than 50 local artists. On the first Friday of each month, the public is invited to a Featured Artist reception to enjoy refreshments and meet the artists. This month’s featured artist is Jill Billions.

Q A

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m in love with and an active member of my church, Church of the Highlands. I’m a wife to an exceptional husband, Dr. Bryan Billions, a

mother to four great kids and “Momma B” to many more. I am from Michigan originally but have lived in Birmingham since 1988. That was when I moved here with my two children to go to college and medical school.

After marrying again in the fourth year of medical school and having two more children during residency, I practiced internal medicine for about five years. I then switched to addiction medicine and was practicing at UAB until caring for my mother with Alzheimer’s, my oldest daughter with cerebral palsy, and the rest of the kids and life was a little much. I stopped working at UAB almost two years ago.

Artist Jill Billions is pictured with one of her abstract landscapes. Photo courtesy of Jill Billions.

Q A

Describe what type of art you do.

I worked as an artist in high school. When my oldest son went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I got the bug again and began painting. My work is primarily abstract landscapes. However, I also like the female form. I work in acrylic and mixed media.

Q A

Where does your inspiration come from?

As an introvert, painting is my meditative and energizing time.

Inspiration comes from nature, music, spirituality and seeing people overcome adversity. I can grab a beautiful moment, feeling or experience and hold on to it, enjoying it for a very long time by painting with it in mind.

That’s what I love.

What is the greatest compliment you have ever received about your work?

I’m humbled and grateful that people have wanted to take my art home and keep it. The best thing that happened was when I reluctantly sent

Q A

a painting to Atlanta on “approval” and told the woman that if her husband liked it they could make a donation to St. Anne’s Home, a halfway house for women where I serve on the board and was teaching gardening. We needed money for yard supplies. We never discussed price. I got a check that was $3 more than what we needed to relandscape the entire backyard of St. Anne’s! That was more of a gift from God than a compliment though.

A portion of all sales of my work goes to St. Anne’s Home.

B16 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Sports Vestavia Hills Soccer Club sends eight teams to regionals Eight of the 12 representatives from Vestavia Hills Soccer Club recently competed at Southern Regionals in Little Rock, Arkansas.

VHSC calls their boys’ teams the Steamers, and the state champions are the Steamers 01 Black (U14), Steamers 99 Black (U16), Steamers 98 Black (U17) and Steamers 97 Black (U18). Club Director of Soccer Luke Whittle coaches the 01s, and Boys Director of Coaching Pete Lianos

coaches the 99s and 98s. The club’s Executive Director Rocky Harmon coaches the 97s.

The girls’ teams are called the Attack, and they too have four representatives: Attack 02 Black (U13), Attack 01 Black (U14), Attack 00 Black (U15) and Attack 99 Black (U16). Whittle coaches the 99s, while AJ Adcock, girls director of coaching, coaches 13, 14 and 15.

The club had a solid showing, winning

Members of the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club recently competed at regionals. Photo courtesy of Rocky Harmon.

its share of games and tying a few others. Both the U13 and U14 girls beat the state champions of Mississippi and Arkansas respectively. The U16 boys team, the Steamers 99 Black, beat the state champions of

Texas to advance to the quarterfinal showing, where they lost to South Carolina champions CESA 3-2.

-Submitted by Rocky Harmon

Rebel Baseball Club team wins championship The Rebel Baseball Club, comprised of Vestavia seventh-graders, recently won the 2015 Grand Slam World Series 13-U division in Panama City Beach, Florida.

The Rebels went undefeated through six games beating teams from Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana and Tennessee. Through the series, the Rebel sluggers averaged

9.5 runs per game while defensively only allowed an average of three runs per game.

The World Series Championship completed a very successful 42-17 in the 2015 season. The Rebels are coached by Martin Maners, Larry Merrill and Greg Sawyer.

Front row: Carter Zulanas, Reece Crenshaw, Peyton Walraven and Mason Maners. Back row: Bennett Whisenhunt, Jake Eggleston, Cole Johnston, Chandler Merrill, Eli Sawyer, Graham Duncan and Wilson Owen. Photo courtesy of Allison Maners.

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September 2015 • B17

VestaviaVoice.com

Minor league memories

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE When Larry “Andy” Andersen signed a baseball contract with the Yankees organization in the fall of 1947, the article in the New York Post overshadowed the signing of another draftee named Whitey Ford.

“Before we signed, I was a bigger prospect than him,” the Cahaba Heights resident said jokingly. “But he went on to the major leagues.”

A New York native, Andersen was offered full athletic scholarships to Florida, Holy Cross and Manhattan colleges when he graduated high school. However, he couldn’t turn down the lure of the big leagues.

Signing a contract at age 19 instead of going to college remains one of Andersen’s biggest regrets.

Looking back, he realizes how much he could have improved his game in college and may have made it all the way to the major leagues.

In February 1948, Andersen headed to Florida for spring training. When he arrived, he saw just how many other talented players were out there.

Playing at the catcher position, Andersen said he could throw a ball through a car wash and make it come out dry.

“You don’t know how good you have to be to play professionally,” Andersen said. “You have to be very, very good. Better than anyone in your town and six towns around you. You’ve got to be special if you’re going to play pro ball.”

Andersen would spend the next 11 years playing in the minor leagues before his career ended in 1958.

Part of that time was spent serving in the military. In joining the Marine Corps, Andersen said it wasn’t until he began training at Paris Island that he realized what he had done. He continued to play on baseball teams at Camp LeJeune and Camp Pendleton. All the military branches had teams with major league players on them.

“All services are big on athletics,” he said. “We were recruiting Marines in every city we went to.

Larry Andersen was drafted by the Yankees and had a minor league baseball career, including playing on military teams. Photo courtesy of Larry Andersen.

It’s publicity. Sports in the military was awesome.”

Andersen spent his eight months of service in Korea. He drove a truck and remembers having mortars shot at him.

“I was in combat for eight months, 250 days, and was never scared,” he said. “When you’re 22, you’re invincible.”

Andersen has memories of playing against major leaguers including Harry Aganis, Art Houtteman, Sam Calderone and Bob Skinner.

While playing for Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, he was hit in the eye by a pitch from Johnny Antonelli, a left-handed pitcher who later played for the New York and San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians. Anderson would lose that

Now living in Cahaba Heights, Larry Anderson is working on a book about his experiences in baseball and the military. Photo courtesy of Patricia Rice.

eye to glaucoma 51 years later.

After the armistice was signed in August 1953, Andersen had to stay until December. He arrived back in California on the same boat on which he left: the General Hays. After receiving his discharge on January 8, 1954, Anderson and two buddies were going to take a several week road trip across the country, but his father told him to get home in a week or not to bother coming back.

“One of my other greatest regrets in life is what would’ve happened if I’d gone on that trip,” Andersen said. “But I wasn’t going to disobey my dad, even at 24 years old.”

In late February of 1954, Andersen drove to

Ocala, Florida to join up with the Birmingham Barons at spring training. Several months later, he was sold to Montgomery where he caught 111 games and hit .262.

After leaving the world of baseball, Anderson worked in insurance until his retirement in 1995.

Andersen and his wife Faye were married for 59 years. They had four children and seven grandchildren. Faye passed away in September 2013 from colon cancer.

These days, Anderson enjoys driving his 17-year-old Lincoln around Cahaba Heights while listening to the “Paul Finebaum Show.”

Anderson said he is also working on a book about his life.

B18 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

In the heat of the moment, keep your kids safe

By DAVID KNOX It may be late August or early September, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the intense heat is gone. And as football kicks off into high gear, there’s not just the heat to keep an eye on. There is the risk of injuries, including concussions.

Those are just a couple of points Dr. Chris Carter makes. Carter, a Vestavia Hills resident who specializes in sports medicine at the newly opened Brookwood Grand River Clinic, believes the Alabama High School Athletic Association has instituted some good rules to help combat heat-related illnesses and concussions.

“The Alabama High School Athletic Association came out this year with new guidelines,” Carter said. “The first two days of practice are helmet only, helps kids get used to the heat and acclimatize. The next two days they can have their shoulder pads. So Day 3, they’re limited to 90 minutes, Day 4 goes up to 120 minutes. After that they can go full gear. … So that’s good for preventing heat injury and stroke.”

Week 2 allows alternating days of full-speed contact practice, not to exceed a combined total of 120 minutes of full-speed contact is allowed.

In addition, one intra-squad scrimmage is allowed.

During Week 3, alternating days of full-speed practice, not to exceed 120 minutes of full contact is allowed. One interscholastic scrimmage

or contest is allowed in Week 3.

During Week 4 through the end of the season, a total of 90 minutes of full-speed contact practice per week is allowed.

Besides serving the Brookwood Grand River facility, which is owned by Lemak Orthopedics, Carter is team physician for Miles College, Briarwood Soccer Club and Leeds High School.

“Hydration is also something I talk a lot about,” Carter said. “You’ve got to prehydrate, hydrate during the activity and then hydrate afterward. About prehydration, I tell people drink enough to where your urine is a pale yellowish to clear color. While you’re doing that activity, during that first hour, water is good, but after you hit over an hour of activity that’s when you need to use your sports drinks, Gatorade, PowerAde, to get your electrolytes.

“After the activity, same thing about restoring your electrolytes. One thing some people use the guideline of drinking a pint for every pound that you’ve lost. So weigh before and after to get an idea what their fluid detriment is and rehydrate based on that.”

The AHSAA guideline of no consecutive days of full-speed contact is designed to prevent the cumulative effect of slight concussions. Coaches and trainers and medical staff members who are on the field during games, like Carter, are much more attuned to concussions than ever before.

All coaches now are required to go through

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Hard hits are a part of football, but the AHSAA has instituted new rules to increase safety.

Parents should watch for signs after their child suffers a concussion. Photo by Keith McCoy.

concussion training.

But parents should still watch out for things that might see in their concussed child, Carter said.

“Headaches, of course, but changes in emotions, changes in sleep patterns, difficulty concentrating, blurry vision, having a tough time in school … these are some of the things parents need to watch for.”

But Carter points out that there are even more common injuries that athletes and their parents sometimes overlook.

“The most common stuff in kids is overuse injuries,” Carter said. “We recommend for parents to have their children take one day off per week to prevent overuse and then three months per year. Like for baseball pitchers, we recommend not doing year round pitching. Cross train, pick another sport. Football here, soccer there.

That way you give different parts of your body enough time to rest.”

Specialization has been the order of the day.

Players quit other sports because they feel like

their best bet at a scholarship or pro ball is to focus year round.

“The problem is you focus on it year round, now you’re getting fatigued, now your mechanics are off,” Carter said. “You’re more likely to get an injury if you’re compensating for a week shoulder now you’re putting more stress on your elbow, you could get a UCL tear, got to have Tommy John surgery.

“Whether they take a rest completely, use that time to train or pick up some other sport, that’s what we’re really trying to impress on kids.”

Cheerleaders and gymnasts aren’t immune either, especially to potentially serious growthplate injuries. “Constant overhead flips can result in ‘gymnast wrist.’ Premature closure of growth plates then the other bone in the wrist might grow at a longer pace.”

Coaches are trained to watch for this stuff, but parents need to also be aware.

“Pain is a real good indicator that you need to get it checked out,” Carter said.

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September 2015 • B19

VestaviaVoice.com

Hammers gain support in first exhibition season

By CHRIS GRIESEDIECK Birminghamians had a vast array of sporting and entertainment possibilities on June 13.

Garth Brooks had two shows at the BJCC. The Birmingham Barons had their first home Saturday night game since school had let out. And Deontay Wilder was at Bartow Arena defending his heavyweight boxing title, the first heavyweight championship bout in the state’s history.

All of those events sold out.

Meanwhile, despite thunderstorms and those other attractions, 450 fans decided to attend an exhibition soccer match.

When you think about that, it’s pretty remarkable.

The upstart Birmingham Hammers, a Vestavia-based soccer team, have had a good start at the gate. The 450 fans on June 13 was actually the smallest crowd of the season, topped by 1,250 for opening night. All told, the Hammers averaged 750 fans for six dates.

Morgan Copes, the team’s president, couldn’t be more pleased.

“Social media has been our best friend in terms of marketing and getting people to hear about us,” Copes said. “It’s only a matter of time before professional soccer comes to Birmingham.”

Now that the organization has gotten its name out there, Copes thinks the Hammers can increase attendance

The Hammers ended their inaugural exhibition season with 4-5-0 (W-L-T) record. Photo courtesy of Len Louis.

for next year.

“It’s about getting people to come out and support this team and organization like fans supported the Barons, who are a respected brand and are already well-established in the city,” he said.

Fans were able to purchase season passes and, according to Copes, these were a success.

“Several of our fans said they really liked the flexibility because they could always bring friends and purchase more entries if they needed them,” he

said. “It turned out to be a great idea from our staff and it is something we feel like we will continue next season as well.”

The team even had its own band of supporters, the Magic City Brigade, which was founded in 2014.

“The Brigade supported the Hammers for the purpose of showing Birmingham there is a soccer team worthy of notice,” said Brigade President Forrest Collins. “Having a supporters group helped unify support and create an atmosphere for every game.”

Members of the Brigade tailgated an hour before home matches.

At tailgates, a fan would see Hammer fans coming together to get ready for game time while enjoying corn hole, occasional grilling, and hanging out.

“The tailgates were very successful this season, as they added more and more support through each game,” said Collins. “Tailgates are open for anyone, for any age to gain the most support for the Hammers.”

Six of this season’s nine exhibition games were played at Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex [here] in Vestavia.

Currently, some of the players also play soccer on various college teams.

With a diverse mix of foreigners and Americans, the Hammers’ roster consists of players’ ages ranging from 19 to 34.

The Hammers ended their first season 4-5-0 (W-L-T) with a +25 goal differential. All four of those victories came at home.

“Having the first inaugural season with the Hammers has been a dream come true, and with no where else but up to go, the Hammers have a bright future ahead of them,” said Collins.

B20 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Bowling gets rolling as prep championship sport

By DAVID KNOX After a successful season as an emerging sport last year, bowling strikes this school year as an official high school sport.

Bowling is the newest championship sport offered by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, beginning with this school year. The state championship tournament is scheduled for Jan. 29-30, 2016, at Oak Mountain Lanes in Pelham. Two regionals will be at Tuscaloosa and Foley.

“We are extremely excited about adding bowling to our list of winter state championship sports offered to our member schools,” AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese said. “The sport was offered last season as an emerging sport under jurisdiction for our member schools.

The growth of the sport in such a short time has been outstanding.”

A total of 43 schools fielded bowling teams last season. Already that number has grown to about 80 schools based on school sports declarations received for this season, said Denise Ainsworth, the AHSAA assistant director responsible for the sport of bowling.

“We think that number will grow even larger before the season gets underway,” she said. “I think once they give out the blue trophies this

A Vestavia Hills bowler practices before last season’s inaugural emerging season. Bqwling becomes a championship sport this year. Photo by Keith McCoy.

year, the number of schools will skyrocket. It’s going to be the fastest growing sport in Alabama.”

Among the schools already declared for this season are Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Spain Park, Oak Mountain, Mountain Brook and Chelsea.

Todd Evans will coach the Vestavia Hills boys team and Debra Broome

returns as the girls coach. The Rebels will compete in Region 5 along with Mountain Brook and Huffman, Ramsay, Altamont, Sulligent, South Lamar, Northridge, Paul Bryant and Central-Tuscaloosa.

Schools participated in regular-season play only last school year.

Ainsworth said the format for

the 2015-16 inaugural season will include two regional bowling tournaments at the Gulf Bowl in Foley and Leland Lanes in Tuscaloosa with qualifiers advancing to the state tournament at Oak Mountain Lanes.

The South Regional at Foley will be Jan. 20-21, and the North Regional at Tuscaloosa is set for Jan. 21-22.

The sport will include a championship for girls and for boys in a combined Class 1A-7A. Schools fielding only a coed team will compete in the boys’ division.

The first day allowed for practice is Oct. 5 with the first date for a contest set for Oct. 26. Varsity teams will be limited to 18 dates and five regular season tournaments. Middle and junior high school teams will be allowed a maximum 12 regular-season play dates and two regular-season tournaments.

“Bowling is a sport that includes a segment of our student population that may not be competing in other sports,” Ainsworth said. “It also is a sport that is attracting teachers who may not be currently coaching a sport.”

Bowling was offered by the AHSAA as a championship sport for girls from 1972-77 along with badminton and archery. However, all three were discontinued after the 1977 season. It is the first championship sport added by the AHSAA since slow-pitch softball began its conversion to fast-pitch softball in 1995. Boys and girls soccer was added in 1991.

The AHSAA currently offers 24 championship sports, including cheerleading, with 12 for boys and 12 for girls. Cheerleading is a sports activity endorsed by the AHSAA with the state championships being administered by an outside source. With the addition of bowling, that brings the total to 26.

September 2015 • B21

VestaviaVoice.com

Vestavia Hills Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

726334

35216

2106 Hulsey Place

New

$419,900

726434

35216

205 Vesclub Drive

New

$360,000

726232

35216

3045 Cove Drive South

New

$649,900

72603

35216

1784 Old Creek Trail

New

$334,900

725847

35216

444 Sunset Drive

New

$479,000

725653

35216

2201 Montreat Circle, #C

New

$79,900

725812

35216

2209 Montreat Circle, #C

New

$95,000

725802

35216

1791 Vestaview Lane

New

$220,000

725255

35216

1304 Round Hill Road

New

$275,000

724933

35216

2595 Crosswood Way

New

$439,000

724837

35216

1341 Branchwater Lane

New

$609,000

724748

35216

2728 Southview Drive

New

$300,000

725845

35216

429 Glenwood Road

New

$795,000

724526

35216

3238 Wisteria Drive

New

$299,900

724440

35216

2705 Vestavia Forest Place

New

$409,000

724364

35216

1820 Nottingham Drive

New

$235,000

724281

35216

1026 Vestavia Manor Drive

New

$185,000

724202

35216

1469 Panorama Drive, #14

New

$729,900

723917

35216

1344 Turnham Lane

New

$383,500

723884

35216

816 Comer Circle

New

$399,000

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on August 17.

Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

2106 Hulsey Place

429 Glenwood Road

B22 • September 2015

Vestavia Voice

Calendar Community Events Sept. 3: Vestavia Hills High School vs. Tuscaloosa County Volleyball. 5 p.m. VHHS. Sept. 3: Vestavia Hills High School vs. Chelsea Volleyball. 7 p.m. VHHS. Sept. 4: First Friday Reception.

5:30-8:30 p.m. Artists Incorporated. Visit artistsincorporated.com.

Sept. 4: Vestavia Hills High School vs. Oak Mountain Football Game. 7 p.m. VHHS. Sept. 9: ROI Professional Networking. 7:30-8:30 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, 1975 Merryvale Road. Visit business.vestaviahills.org.

Sept. 9: Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Vestavia Country Club. Visit vestaviahills.org.

Sept. 11: Vestavia Hills High School vs. Hewitt Trussville Football Game.

7 p.m. VHHS. Sept. 11: Patriot Day Ceremony. 8 a.m. Homewood City Hall.

Sept. 10-11: Whale of a Sale. Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Visit the thewhaleofasale.com Sept. 11-12: Butterflies and Bowties. Liberty Crossings United

Library in the Forest Events 1221 Montgomery Highway, 978-0155 vestavialibrary.org

Methodist Church. Visit mylc.org/consignment.

Sept. 15: Business Development Committee Meeting. 8-9 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, 1975 Merryvale Road. Visit business.vestaviahills.org.

Sept. 17: Medicare and Managing Health Care Experiences in Retirement, Education Workshop.

5:45-7:30 p.m. The New Merkle House, 4405 Dolly Ridge Road. Register at meldfinanical. com or call 967-4200.

Sept. 18: Vestavia Hills High School vs. Mountain Brook Football Game.

Mountain Brook High School.

Sept 24: Ribbon Cutting: Holmes Feline Clinic. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. 2409 Acton Road, Suite 109. Door prizes and light refreshments will be served.

Sept. 25: Vestavia Hills High School vs. Oxford Football Game. 7 p.m.

VHHS. Sept. 25-26: Market on the Mountain. Mountaintop Community Church. Visit marketonthemountain.com Sept. 30: Mobility Central-Coffee & Connections. 8:30-9:30 a.m.

400 Old Towne Road. RSVP to donna@ mobilitycentralinc.com.

Adults

Thursdays: Sunrise Rotary Club. 6 a.m.

Sept. 3: OLLI Bonus Program: The Amazing Amazon with Dr. Richard Ryel. 1:30 p.m. Community Room.

Sept. 8: Ms. Olivia’s Evening Reads. 6 p.m. Historical Room.

Sept. 10: Cahaba Heights Book Group at the Pita Stop. 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 11: Upcycle City: Makers in the Forest. 7 p.m. Community Room.

Sept. 16: Lunch Bunch Book Group: The Silent Wife. 12 p.m. Historical Room.

Sept. 17: OLLI Bonus Program; Storytelling with Bruce Walker. 1:30 p.m. Community Room.

Sept. 18: Adult Trivia Night: Josh Whedon Universe. 7 p.m. Community Room.

Sept. 24: Friends of the Library Presents. 10 a.m. Community Room.

Sept. 30: Literary Libations Book Group. 7 p.m. Cahaba Brewing Company.

Teens

Fridays: Open Gaming. 4 p.m. Enjoy games on the Wii, Wii U and Xbox 360.

Community Room.

Sept, 2, 9, 23, 30: Teen Writing Group.

4 p.m. Teens can build writing skills and provide feedback. Historical Room.

Sept. 8: Maze Runner Fandom Night.

4 p.m. Community Room.

Sept 15: Otaku Time. 4 p.m. Historical Room.

Sept. 16: Studio 1221: Coastermania.

4 p.m. Treehouse.

Sept. 22: Anime Movie Night. 4 p.m.

Anime night is back in full force. Community Room.

Sept. 25: Super Smash Bros Tournament. 4 p.m. Community Room.

Kids

Tuesdays: Together with Twos. 9:30 and 10: 30 a.m. Storytime for children 24 to 36 months. Community Room.

Tuesdays: PJ Storytime. 6:30 p.m.

Children’s Program Room.

September 2015 • B23

VestaviaVoice.com

Calendar Library Events (continued)

Wednesday: Story Friends. 10:30 a.m.

Storytime for preschoolers 5 years and under and their caregivers. Children’s Program Room.

Sept. 3, 17, 24: Book Babies. 10 a.m.

Storytime for children birth to 18 months and a caregiver. Treehouse.

Sept 10. Preschool Pals: 10:30 a.m.

Community Room.

Sept. 15: Family Night. 6 p.m. Community Room.

Vestavia Hills City Events Sept. 10: Planning & Zoning Commission. 6-7 p.m. Council Chambers, 513 Montgomery Highway. Call 978-0184.

7 a.m.- 8:30 a.m. Vestavia Hill Civic Center. Call 978-0166.

Sept. 12: Helping Hands in the Hills.

Vestavia Hills Day of Service. Call 823-5011.

Sept. 17: Board of Zoning Adjustment.

6-7 p.m. Council Chambers, 513 Montgomery Highway. Call 978-0184.

Sept. 14: City Council Meeting. 5-7 p.m.

Vestavia Hills Municipal Center, 513 Montgomery Highway. Call 978-0131.

Sept. 17: Friends of the Library. 10-11 a.m. Community Room, Library in the Forest. Call 978-0155.

Sept 14: Senior Citizen Luncheon.

11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Dogwood Rom, Vestavia Hills Civic Center.

Sept. 28: City Council Meeting. 5-7 p.m.

Vestavia Hills Municipal Center, 513 Montgomery Highway. Call 978-0131.

Sept. 15: Parks & Recreation Board.

Area Events Sept. 1: Chris Brown: One Hell of Nite Tour. Oak Mountain Ampitheatre. Visit theoakmountainamphitheater.com.

Sept. 3: Birmingham Art Crawl. 5-9 p.m.

Downtown Birmingham. Visit birminghamartcrawl. com.

and binge eating disorder. Visit nedawalk.org.

Sept. 19: Monkey C Monkey Run. 8 a.m.

5K, 9 a.m. F aun Run. Homewood Central Park. The run benefits Camp Smile-A-Mile’s programs for children with cancer. Visit campsam.org.

Sept. 3: Lady Antebellum Wheels Up Tour. Oak Mountain Ampitheatre. Visit theoakmountainamphitheater.com.

Sept. 20: Trucks by the Tracks. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Railroad Park. Live music, food trucks, beverages and more. $5 adults, free for children 12 and younger. Visit railroadpark.org.

Sept. 7: Labor Day Celebration and Moon Pie Eatin’ Contest. Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. Visit tannehill.org.

Sept. 20: Ariana Grande. 7:30 p.m.

Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Legacy Arena.

Visit bjcc.org.

Sept. 11: Dinnertainment benefitting The Exceptional Foundation. The Country Club of Birmingham. Visit exceptionalfoundation.org

Sept. 20: Vulcan Aftertunes: Langhorne Slim & The Law. 3 p.m. opening act, 4 p.m. headliner. Vulcan Park & Museum. $15 adults, $8 members and children 5-12, free for children 4 and younger. Visit visitvulcan.com.

Sept. 11-Oct. 4: Big Fish. 7:30 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Red Mountain Theatre Company Cabaret Theatre.

Tickets start at $30. Visit redmountaintheatre.org.

Sept. 16: Lecture: Spiritual Moderns: Twentieth-Century American Artists and Issues of Religion. 6:30 p.m.

Birmingham Museum of Art. Visit artsbma.org.

Sept. 17: Van Halen. Oak Mountain Ampitheatre. Visit theoakmountainamphitheater. com.

Sept. 19: Dash of the Dead Zombie 5K. Warehouse 31, Pelham. Visit warehouse31.com.

Sept. 18: Jeanne Robertson. 7:30 p.m.

The Alabama Theatre. Family-friendly comedy. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

Sept. 17-19: St. George Middle Eastern Food Festival. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saint George Melkite Catholic Church. Visit saintgeorgeonline.com.

Sept. 19: National Eating Disorders Walk. Avondale Park. 9 a.m. check-in, 11 a.m. walk. The first annual event seeks to raise awareness and funding to battle anorexia, bulimia

Sept. 20: U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team vs. Australia. 1:30 p.m.

Legion Field. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Sept. 24: For Better or Worse. 7 p.m.

A gospel stage play by Tyesha Brown. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

Sept. 24: The Art of Hope: Speaking the Unspoken. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Avondale Brewing Company. Event by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Junior Board for local artists to express the effects of mental illness.

Visit afspartofhope.com.

Sept. 25: Russian Grand Ballet Presents Swan Lake. The Alabama Theatre.

7 p.m. $15-55. Swan Lake, based on Russian folklore and German legend, follows a heroic young prince as he works to free the beautiful swan maiden from an evil spell. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Sept. 26: Boulevard Blast 5K. 9 a.m. 5K, 9:30 a.m. Fun Run/Walk. 3136 Norwood Blvd.

Benefitting the Norwood Resource Center. Register at active.com.