Vestavia Voice vol 1 iss 11 March 2014

VestaviaVoice.com

March 2014

•1

Volume 1 | Issue 11 | March 2014

Signing Day 2014

An ending in sight

Six VHHS athletes signed scholarships on National Signing Day. Read details inside.

Sports page 23

WHO’S WHO

o f V E S TAV I A H I L L S These neighbors make you smile, teach you to push yourselves harder, mold your children to live with conviction and give because they want to. See Who’s Who of Vestavia Hills inside.

Special page 12

Outdoor projects

Sizable expansions are planned for local parks. See what’s in store.

City page 6

INSIDE

Community .......4 City .....................6 Business ............8 Food ...................18

School House....20 Sports ................23 Calendar ........... 25

Progress on new City Hall offers a glimpse at U.S. 31’s future

By GREG HEYMAN and JEFF THOMPSON No one ever said it would happen quickly.

Although two leaders critical to launching the redevelopment project for U.S. 31 are no longer attached, progress on a code to govern development on the

corridor has continued under new guidance. And, while it was difficult for residents to see tangible results in 2013, proof of the plan’s existence is beginning to circulate.

Notably, designs for the new Vestavia Hills City Hall have been revealed.

“Our goal is to break ground in March, begin construction in

May and be in it by August 2015,” Mayor Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza said of the new facility, which administration is considering a launch point for the highway’s new identity through Vestavia Hills.

The new City Hall, which will be constructed on the former Food World and Joe’s Ranch House site on U.S. 31, will be approximately

Chickens Urban chicken keeping sparks local debate

facebook.com/vestaviavoice

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Birmingham, AL Permit #656

By KATIE TURPEN

See CHICKENS | page 25

60,000 square feet and will rest on 3.6 acres. Its main components include a City Council chamber and courtroom that each seat 120 people and offices to comfortably house city departments.

While exciting, it’s just the beginning.

See CITY HALL | page 24

School tax vote this month

in the Hills

Vestavia Hills has fielded calls about chickens for years.

Rebecca Leavings, Vestavia Hills city clerk, said she often hears from residents who want to know what restrictions the city has in place regarding keeping chickens in their yards.

In order to legally own chickens, a resident

A rendering of the new City Hall facility, slated for completion August 2015.

Image courtesy of City of Vestavia Hills.

A group of residents recently created a Facebook group called Vestavia Hills CLUCK (Citizens for Legalization of Urban Chicken Keeping).

YOU’RE THINKING SPRING CLEAN.

On March 11, a special election will be held in the City of Vestavia Hills allowing residents to decide what portion of their future property taxes are used for local schools.

Currently, $2.56 on every $100 of taxable property is being levied for use in the public schools by the Vestavia Hills Board of Education. Voters will determine whether $1.05 of the $2.56 will continue indefinitely. In a 1990 election, the public voted to continue levying the tax through October 2017. At the request of the Board of Education, the Council proposes to continue to levy the tax annually beginning in

See TAX | page 24 Proudly keeping homes cleaner and healthier since 1987

871-9338 www.MAIDS.com

We think that AT EVERY CLEAN. Referred for a reason.

2 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

About Us Please Support our Sponsors

Photo of the Month

A Little Something (8) Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (19) Alabama Outdoors (7)

William and Ben Drumm sledding down Longview Drive during the first of two major snow events that blanketed Vestavia Hills this winter. Photo courtesy of Megan Drumm.

ARC Realty (24) Bariatrics of Alabama (21) Bedzzz Express (3) Birmingham Botanical Gardens (17) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (18) Bistro V (18) Case Remodeling (12)

Editor’s Note By Rebecca Walden Our Sunday school question why they ended up class recently completed in such messy circumstances a study of The Five Love in the first place. How easy it Languages of Children, would be to swoop in, “volwritten by Gary D. Chapunteer” for a few hours, pat man and Ross Campbell. myself on the back for “acts In our final week, we disof service” well done and cussed acts of service. then go back to my comfortParticularly on the cusp able house with nary a second of the Lenten season, I thought of it all. found it a fitting lesson.

My friend who served in More so than at any this ministry did so for the Walden other point in the Chrisright reasons. She has a tian liturgical calendar, this period — humble heart, and whether she knows it these 40 days — beckon us to self-audit, or not, she is a living, breathing example to rid ourselves of the excess that so per- in my life of what Christian love ought vasively takes hold and prevents us from to look like. giving acts of service much thought.

But I am seldom one to rush toward As I listened to my peers in Sunday these types of do-gooder assignments. school that day, discussing the merits of And it’s not for lack of opportunity. acts of service in the context of young The trouble for me is that I can never parenthood, I sat there quietly thinking seem to get past the sticking point that to myself, “Stuff is not stature.” is the hypocrisy of human nature. You Some of the other mothers were shar- know what I mean. ing their experiences serving meals and All too often, it seems we are willengaging in fellowship with those using ing to help others when it suits us, or in our church as a temporary source of shel- extreme circumstances, when they are ter. In one poignant example, a little boy really down on their luck. But turn the ran up to a friend of mine, who had been tables a little bit, and when all seems on there to serve dinner, and asked her if she par, we have a tendency to feel indignant was sleeping at the church, too. or even jealous, treating our brothers and There went that little voice in my head sisters in Christ as fierce competitors. again. “Stuff is not stature.”

But for the grace of God our famiHere was a child who did not even lies are not the ones seeking shelter at have a stable place to lay down his head a church. If we were, how might that each night. How easy it would be to impact us? How much of our identity, judge his caregivers, to self-righteously our stature, is tied to our stuff?

If the answer makes you a little uneasy, as it did for me, you’re onto something.

It’s not that fear of losing what makes our lives safe and secure should motivate us to serve. Rather, it’s embracing the kind of unfathomable love represented by the events of Lent.

Stature, the kind that matters to me anyway, is made up of the intangibles: the kinds of character attributes most of us admire but that few of us exhibit to a degree of perfection.

If service helps us to coax those traits out of our personalities a bit more, and with any degree of regularity, all the better.

Even if the kids are small and it’s a bit inconvenient to take them along.

Even if it’s a school night and we might not make our usual bedtimes. Even if it means I won’t be able to squeeze in a workout that day. Even if it cuts into the money I had earmarked for yet another “want” in my life. Even if it makes me uncomfortable.

When opportunity arises (and it always does), I will start stepping up instead of stepping away.

I will seek the only stature worth having — a servant’s heart.

Blessings,

Classic Gardens (10) Cottontails Village (15) Dermatology & Skin Care Center of Birmingham (27) Fi-Plan Partners (14) Fred Smith Group (15) Hearlab (10) Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall (8, 25) Jack Williams Campaign (7) Kim Mangham-Barelare SouthStar Properties (6) Klinglers Cafe & Catering (25) Merle Norman - Vestavia (27) Mitchell’s Place (20) Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware (15) My Sisters Closet (11) O Advertising / Issis & Sons (22) Pappas’ Grill (19) Philly Connection (22) RealtySouth Marketing (9) Remax Southern Homes - Becky Hicks (13) Royal Automotive (28) Sarver Orthodontics (13)

Publisher : Executive Editor : Creative Director : Editor : Managing Editor : Staff Writer : Advertising Manager : Sales and Distribution : Copy Editor: Contributing Writer: Interns : Published by :

Dan Starnes Jeff Thompson Keith McCoy Rebecca Walden Madoline Markham Katie Turpen Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Michelle Salem Haynes Louisa Jeffries Amy Jason Emily VanderMey Lauren Moriarty Vestavia Voice LLC

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: Rebecca@vestaviavoice.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

Silver Lining Consignment Boutique (17) Southern Trophy Properties (5) T. Waynes BBQ Smokehouse (19) The Blue Willow (12) The Maids (1) Tutoring Club Cahaba Heights (20) UAB Health System Marketing (16) Vision Gymnastics (11) Vitalogy Wellness Center (4) Wolf Camera (1) YMCA of Greater Birmingham (23)

VestaviaVoice.com

March 2014 • 3

Through March 9th

Throug March 9th

4 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

Community Author Willy Claflin to visit Library in the Forest The Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest is proud to host author, singer and storyteller Willy Claflin on March 4 at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at the library.

Willy is a favorite at the National Storytelling Festival and at regional festivals across the country. He tells original and traditional stories, and is the speaking-mouth-person for Maynard Moose. Willy sings his own songs, plus hundreds of eerie ballads from the British Isles and Appalachia (and a lot of blues and rock ’n’ roll). Willy also has many award-winning recordings. He is the co-author (along with Maynard Moose) of three award-winning children’s books: The Uglified Ducky, Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs and The Bully Goat Grim. A fourth tale, The Little Moose Who Couldn’t Go To Sleep, is scheduled for publication this year.

Willy will be performing some of

his Maynard Moose tales, as well as other traditional and original tales. He can probably be coerced into performing songs on his guitar as well. Willy grew up in New Hampshire, where he taught school for many years before becoming a professional performer.

He currently lives in San Francisco.

The Library in the Forest is fortunate to be hosting Willy Claflin and that is due in large part to the efforts of the People Affecting Library Success organization. This fundraising and volunteer group of parents love the library and their community, and they raise money to fund programs like this author visit.

“The PALS organization has wanted the library to host a children’s author visit for some time.

When April Moon, the children’s department head, approached us about financing this author’s visit, we were happy to say yes,” said PALS president Anna McClendon.

Moon has seen Willy and Maynard perform many times at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn., and she knows the community will fall in love with his hilarious storytelling style.

“Not only are we getting Willy for our evening performance here at the library, but we were fortunate to be able to schedule him for two school visits that day as well. Our Vestavia children will have several opportunities to be entertained by him, and I am so happy we can bring him here,” Moon said.

Everyone is invited to attend the concert. Books will be on sale, and Willy and Maynard are available to sign them after the performance. Light refreshments will be served. Please call the children’s department at 9780158 or visit vestavialibrary.org. For more about Willy and Maynard, visit willyclaflin.com.

-Submitted by April Moon

Children’s author Willy Claflin will perform at Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest on Mar. 4. Photo courtesy of Willy Claflin.

Church hosts Mother’s Day Out program The Mother’s Day Out program at the Lutheran Church of Vestavia Hills (LCVH) has a long history of caring for the children of the Vestavia Hills community in a loving, Christian environment. The program, begun in 1987 by member Janet Tyssee, has been a blessing to the Vestavia Hills

community for more than 27 years.

Offering morning care for babies and children ages 6 weeks through 4 years of age, the program added a baby class this year ensuring that the youngest “students” receive the undivided attention needed.

Cindy Michael, the Tiny Tots

teacher, has been with the church’s Mother’s Day Out since the beginning. Michael has seen the program grow and continue in excellence over the years. The current director, Rose Phillips, has been with the program for the past seven years and is a church member of LCVH. Phillips is also one

of the teachers for the preschool class and continues to provide the loving environment in which the children thrive.

Kim Blackenburg of Vestavia said, “The MDO program has been great for my 3-year-old son. They provide a safe learning environment with lots

of individual attention, and he has thrived.”

Other Mother’s Day Out teachers include Amanda Nuss, Margaret Hall, Angie Null and Kena Wells. For more information about the program, contact Rose Phillips at 823-1883.

March 2014 • 5

VestaviaVoice.com

City Mayor’s Minute

By Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza Despite the weather, the Chamber’s February luncheon brought out more than 250 members to hear Jeff Downes speak about major initiatives underway in our City.

For those who could not attend and by way of a recap, I’d like to broadly cover those plans in this month’s Mayor’s Minute column.

The first project we unveiled concerns the southern gateway into Vestavia Hills. As you know, the northern entrance to our City features the iconic Sybil Temple, and the Men’s Garden Club corner, which always look beautiful. By contrast, the southern entrance into the City needs some improvement.

To that end, we’ve been working with Goodwin, Mills & Cawood to come up with some type of design for the space; in particular, we want this area to make a clean and inviting impression as motorists drive into the City of Vestavia Hills. Right now, the City’s Sunrise Rotary Club maintains the area, which began under the vision of Fred McCrory. I anticipate the Sunrise Rotary group will continue to look after the redesigned area, which we expect to move toward as we enter the fall season.

During Jeff’s presentation at the February Chamber luncheon, he also shared an update with regard to Patchwork Farms and the development happening there. As many of you will recall, Jeff organized a planning charette back in December – many of our citizens participated, and I thank you for that. Out of that planning exercise, in fact by the Friday afternoon following the event, we actually had a preliminary drawing of what the Patchwork Farms area could look like.

In total, we have 46.3 acres to work with, and this includes both City owned property and property owned by the School Board.

The City has retained Daniel Corporation to serve as our master planner through this effort. Our priorities are to develop the area with retail, commercial, and institutional space, with perhaps even some residential space. Of course, we won’t know the firm details of all of that until we start putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The timeframe for such is within 24 months of the agreement being finalized with Daniel Corporation.

Lastly, everything is moving forward with the new City Hall. We hope we can start demolition of the Food World and Joe’s Ranch House property by the end of March.

We should be able to start construction around the middle of May and be finished by August 2015. City Hall will encompass two separate buildings; one will house City Hall and the other will house our Police Department and Court. Respectively, the spaces are 29,000 and 28,000 square feet. The campus also will include a lot of green space, for the purposes of hosting various city events like Holidays in the Hills, Wing Ding, I Love America Day, and similar events.

Our vision is for this to be a town square where people can come and congregate.

In the coming months, there will be many more initiatives and updates to share. This is indeed an exciting time for our City, and I look forward to sharing in its progress with you.

Mayor Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza

Judge David Proctor to speak at Chamber luncheon The Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce has selected Federal District Judge David Proctor as the speaker for the March luncheon. Judge Proctor will deliver a perspective on the current state of the federal district court challenges, as well as offer guidance on the most prevalent employer legal matters.

Judge Proctor brings a broad and deep perspective of the legal system within which businesses and employers operate in the community, having practiced employment law from 1987 to 2003. In September 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Dave Proctor as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama in Birmingham. He was nominated by the President in May 2003, sponsored by Jeff Sessions and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate thereafter.

Judge Proctor is a member of the Alabama State Bar, the Birmingham Bar Association, the Federal Judges Association and most recently in 2013, elected to the Alabama Law Foundation Fellows Program, honoring lawyers who have been members of the bar at least ten years and who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to their profession and to their community.

He is an active member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church where he has served as an elder and chairman of the Briarwood Christian School Board. Judge Proctor has a heart for the community of Vestavia Hills where

he and his wife Teresa have raised their three children.

The luncheon will be held Tuesday, March 11 from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Vestavia Country Club. Reservations must be received by 4 p.m. the Friday before the luncheon and the cost is $18. Late reservations cost $25. For more, visit vestaviahills.org.

6 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

A greener future

Dramatic expansions planned for local park facilities

By KATIE TURPEN Parks and Recreation Foundation Executive Director Leigh Belcher lit up as she looked across the 40-acre stretch of land designated for the future Sicard Hollow community park.

Dirt mounds and bulldozers

sprawled across the former coalmining site, but Belcher envisioned a green space bringing an entire community together.

“This allows us to use unusable space,” Belcher said. “There is really nothing like it anywhere in the area. It’s going to be a great thing for Vestavia.”

From a dog park to fitness trails,

Parks and Recreation Foundation Executive Director Leigh Belcher stands in front of the future Sicard Hollow community park set on approximately 40 acres of former coal mining land. Construction is set for completion by the end of 2015. Photo by Katie Turpen.

the Parks and Recreation Foundation, along with the City of Vestavia Hills and the Parks and Recreation Board, has recently introduced a three-part plan, the Partners in Healthy Living campaign. The goal of the campaign is to make use of the city’s green spaces while offering varying degrees of fitness options to residents.

Over the next two years, development will occur at Sicard Hollow athletic fields and McCallum Park.

Additionally, Sicard Hollow community park will be constructed beside the current athletic complex.

“We want to be able to offer recreational opportunities to people of all ages,” Belcher said.

Part one involves further developing the Sicard Hollow athletic complex on Sicard Hollow Road, which was built in 2011. The complex consists of a concession stand, bleachers and four full-size fields made of synthetic turf that host football, soccer, lacrosse and other events. Belcher said the foundation is in the process of

March 2014 • 7

VestaviaVoice.com

This map shows the expansion to the Sicard Hollow athletic complex and new community park, which will include an amphitheater, fitness trail, children’s playground, fenced dog park, splash park, disc golf course, picnic pavilion and acres of green space. Image courtesy of the Parks and Recreation Foundation.

EXISTING SOFTBALL COMPLEX

EXISTING YOUTH BASEBALL COMPLEX FIELD #1

120 YDS X 80 YDS

FIELD #2

120 YDS X 80 YDS

PARKING PARKING

PLAY GROUND ESS TRAIL

SPLASH PARK

FITN

FIELD #4

120 YDS X 80 YDS

AMPHITHEATER

DOG PARK

FIELD #3

120 YDS X 80 YDS

12 HOLE DISC GOLF

PICNIC SHELTERS/FITNESS STATIONS

getting each of the fields named by a donor. Further development includes the construction of additional parking spaces.

Former mayor Charles “Scotty” A. McCallum has always envisioned this site producing great things for the community.

“The fields project has been a top community priority for years and I’m so glad to see it nearly complete,” McCallum said.

Located directly beside the athletic complex is a former coal mining site and the home of the

future Sicard Hollow community park. The park will include an amphitheater for concerts, and 1.5 miles of a crushed stone fitness trail will offer residents various workout stations. Pets will be free to roam in a fenced-in dog park. Children will be able to enjoy a playground and a splash park. Additional amenities include a disc golf course and a large picnic pavilion.

With oversight of the federal government, the state is currently in the process of restoring the mining land for a cost totaling $750,000.

Belcher said Liberty Park residents will be able to benefit from the proximity near the Sicard Hollow development.

“Liberty Park has been a great partner in all of this,” Belcher said.

“I think they will enjoy having something so close to them.”

The final development phase of the campaign focuses on McCallum Park, which was named after McCallum. The development plan includes the creation of two bridges across Little Shades Creek and a greenway that will provide a

three-mile loop, ideal for residents to use to walk or run.. Belcher hopes that high school students will be able to walk from the school through the surrounding neighborhoods. She said that high school athletes could benefit form the greenway as well.

“Particularly for those who enjoy running and walking and live in the vicinity of the high school and Rocky Ridge Road, this is a very exciting project,” said City Council President Steve Ammons.

The total cost for the threepart project is approximately $7.6

million. The city has donated more than half this amount, and the community needs to raise approximately $2.5 million. Belcher said the mine reclamation is expected to be complete by the end of 2014 and all developments should be complete by the end of 2015.

“We really want to create awareness,” Belcher said. “This is something the city truly needs.”

For more information or to find out how to get involved, please contact Belcher at 527-8788 or visit vhprf.org.

8 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

Ov er

to n

Rd

Vestavia Hills 18 Street S.

Business Happenings Rosedale Dr

280

28 Ave S th

31

r Rd

oo Oxm

e Av ey

er Ov epe

nd

enc eD

r

Overton Rd

149

sH ng pri

nS ee Gr

ore

esh Lak

Dr

459 3

ck

Rd

Ro

est s Cr

yR

149

65

de Sha

Cahaba Heights Rd

d

y

La ke R

w Pk re

280

ho

Bl

ue

L

e Av rd

31

fo Al

1 yS

459 Rd Ridge

6

Rocky

on tg o

d

m

er y

Hw

aR bian

m Colu

65

7

5

M

W

es ak

4

id

ge

Rd

d

wy

or R

o Oxm

Rd

Liberty Pkwy

Ind

ll Va

n to

2

VestaviaVoice.com

Relocations and Renovations Moe’s Original BBQ, currently located at 2501 Rocky Ridge Road, is moving across the street to the former Leonardo’s building at 2520 Rocky Ridge Road.

822-2773. moesoriginalbbq.com.

1

eMeals, a company that creates weekly meal plans and emails them to customers once each week, has moved into its new office at 2105 Devereaux Circle, Suite 201. emeals.com.

2

News and Accomplishments Tutoring Club, 3106 Heights Village in Cahaba Heights, is now open on Sundays from 3-6 p.m. Those interested in their tutoring services should call the business to register.

968-5151. tutoringclub.com/cahabaheightsal.

3

Hirings and Promotions ARC Realty, 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200, has hired Leslie Terrell and Blake Shultz as Realtors.

657-4570. arcrealtyco.com.

4

Culotta, Scroggins, Hendricks & Gillespie, P.C., 3049 Massey Road, has promoted Tena Diliberto from senior manager to director.

871-1210. cshgcpa.com.

5

Closings 6

Cameras Brookwood, 1425 Montgomery Highway, Suite 85, has closed after more than 36 years in business.

7

The Wine Cellar, 1080 Montgomery Highway, has closed.

Business news

to share?

Now Open Coming Soon

Relocation Expansion Anniversary

If you are in a brick and mortar business in Vestavia Hills and want to share your event with the community, let us know.

Email dan@vestaviavoice.com

March 2014 • 9

10 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

From the storm, a community hero

By KATIE TURPEN From the Jan. 28 snowstorm came heroes, one of which was 48-year-old Vestavia resident Kelly Garner. When the icy roads turned into a gridlock, Garner began helping stranded motorists near the Walmart Neighborhood Market shopping center on U.S. 31.

Garner’s oldest sister, Charlotte Garner Carter, said that Garner has been a Type 1 diabetic since he was 9 years old. He becomes confused, disoriented and repeats his words when he becomes stressed and his blood glucose levels drop.

“Kelly had spent the whole day assisting motorists and, knowing him, he did not tend to himself first,” Carter said. “When he called home at 7 p.m. and said he was headed home, his 15-year-old-son Tyler said Dad’s sugar must be low because he was repeating the same sentence over and over, and told them that he was leaving the Walmart Market.”

Garner did not make it home that Tuesday evening and local residents began a search.

Garner’s Panorama Drive neighbors, Steve and Sheila Bendall, Mike Schofner, John Ellis and Mark Thompson formed Garner’s rescue team.

It was Schofner who spotted Garner first at the bottom of a 40-foot-deep ravine near the Library in the Forest. He yelled out to Garner asking if it was him, and Garner opened his eyes. Schofner immediately called for help, and Bendall slid down the ravine while his wife, Sheila, went to find blankets.

With the help of the Vestavia Hills Fire Department, they were able to carry Garner out of the ravine.

“It was a team effort in carefully moving him from that forest of trees, large rocks and hilly terrain,” Carter said. “They got him to Vestavia resident Charlie Vines’ [all-terrain vehicle] and got him the rest of the way out to Highway 31 where the ambulance with snow chains waited to take him to the ER.” Carter said it is assumed that since Garner lives on Panorama Drive he cut across the highway and headed through the trails near Vestavia Hills Elementary School Central and the Library in the Forest.

“Since the sidewalk was covered in snow and ice, and since there are not any guardrails between the sidewalk and that 40-foot drop, we assume he fell because of many factors,” Carter said.

On Friday, Jan. 31, Garner underwent surgery on his thoracic spine at UAB. “It was rebuilt with rods and screws using pieces of his other vertebra,” Carter said. “After the three-hour surgery, the surgeon said that considering the amount of damage to his vertebra it was nothing short of a miracle that he did not have complete spinal cord damage. So for that, we are certainly grateful.”

Garner’s injuries included the broken T8 vertebra, bleeding on the brain, five broken ribs on the left and two on the right, and broken bones in his foot. On Feb. 7 he was moved from intensive

Former Crimson Tide and professional football player Bobby Humphrey brought Garner a football signed by Alabama football head coach Nick Saban and others.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Garner Carter.

care unit to the step-down unit and from there he will be moved to Spain Rehabilitation Center for a minimum of two weeks to learn to walk and fine tune his motor skills.

Garner received surprise visits from professional football players Antonio Langham and Bobby Humphrey, who formerly played for the Crimson Tide.

“Langham heard about his story and wanted to come up and ‘shake the hand of my hero Kelly Garner,’” Carter said. “It was very touching.”

Humphrey brought Garner an autographed

football signed by himself, University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, Jay Barker and Humphrey’s son, Marlon Humphrey.

Garner and his wife, Melissa, have two children, Tyler and Mitchell. Garner is the youngest of five children and has a twin sister, Shelly. To donate or help the Garner family during this time, give to the Kelly Garner Benefit Fund set up at Regions Bank at 1900 University Blvd.

March 2014 • 11

VestaviaVoice.com

Celebrating the life of Paul Meyers Family members gearing up for 2nd annual Paul Meyers Memorial Golf Tournament

By REBECCA WALDEN On March 31, 2012, the 40th annual Andrew Jackson Half Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier, started out like any other. Race registrants filed in, signed up and made their way to the starting line.

Nurse Johnna Beurelein found herself keeping pace with a fellow she’d registered right behind earlier that morning. She noticed she was running unusually fast that day, impressed that she could keep up with this clearly accomplished runner.

Though they’d never met, Beurelein remembered his name from registration – Paul Meyers.

When 33-year-old Meyers, a Vestavia native, collapsed mid-race, Beurelein rushed to his side.

She took him to nearby Regional Hospital, where Meyers, having succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest, was pronounced dead on arrival.

For those who knew Meyers, a compassionate public defender in Jackson, Tennessee, news of his death was unfathomable, especially for one of his closest friends, Todd Wood, who ran the race with Meyers and crossed the finish line before learning Meyers was gone.

“Paul’s genuine interest in positively impacting his family, friends and others was always evident and drew people to him,” Wood said recently. “My wife and I feel so fortunate that Paul was part of our lives. We cherish our time with him.”

Several years before Meyer’s untimely death, Meyers had lost his father due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. At that time, he and his three siblings, Laura Ann Meyers Daly, a digital photography teacher at VHHS, Margie Meyers Davidson, a Vestavia stay-at-home mom of one, and Vestavia resident Julia Meyers, an account executive with the American Cancer Society, aggressively investigated all traces of the disease

Celebrating the life of one of their best friends and the Vestavia resident for whom the tournament is named are some of Paul Meyers’ closest lifelong friends, including Matthew Michael, Jonathan Gordon, Michael Wade, Roy Ennis, Todd Wood, David Dutton, Jeff Gentry and Lyndsey Mooney. Photo courtesy of Julia Meyers.

in their genetic history. They sought out screenings and thought they were managing their risks effectively.

“It was a total shock,” said Julia. “Paul was very healthy, and very religious about going to the gym and watching what he ate. To see

someone who is strong, young and athletic, just the epitome of good health, die from a heart attack while running a half marathon – it was just unbelievable.”

In the aftermath of Meyers’ death, his family stayed in close contact with Beurelein, who just

two months later was fundraising with an annual 5K run in Jackson, Tennessee, and decided to convince her team to rename the race as the Paul Meyers Run for Haiti.

See MEYERS | next page

12 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

Meyers from page 11

WHO’S WHO o f V E S TAV I A H I L L S

Every morning men and women wake with a hope of building something better in the space around them, and Vestavia Voice is offering the community a chance to say, “thank you” to them.

Paul Meyers with sisters Laura Ann, Margie and Julia at a November 2008 party. Photo courtesy of Julia Meyers.

“This woman had been so amazing for our family,” said Julia. “In turn, we wanted to do something to honor Paul’s memory and to raise money for her mission team.”

The result came a year later as the first annual Paul Meyers Memorial Golf Tournament. Beurelein’s Haitian medical missions team was designated as beneficiary. Last year’s inaugural event, a late-afternoon mix of traditional and glow-in-the-dark golf, with dinner and band party entertainment at Highlands Golf Course, sold out and generated $17,000 in proceeds.

After a successful tournament in 2013, the Meyers sisters created the Paul Meyers Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports three core priorities: to provide medical treatment to severely underprivileged people; to provide safety and rehabilitation to victims of human trafficking, a passion that aligns closely with much of what Meyers saw in his work as a public defender; and to educate the general public on the importance of early and continual screening for heart disease.

“Paul had a huge heart for the underprivileged, especially children,” said Margie. “As a

public defender in Jackson, he often represented people who had no means to pay for legal representation. When he saw how different their lives were, it impacted him so much.”

To that end, Meyers became a frequent visitor to the Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar, Tennessee. He soon realized that there was a ward for mentally ill children who had been cast from their homes with little hope of returning to society. For several years he worked to make sure these forgotten children had a special Christmas.

“He had a real heart for all of that,” said Julia.

“So we feel really good about supporting the Haiti medical missions work through Johnna – it’s the kind of work Paul really would have rallied behind. The $17,000 we raised last year was huge for a small organization like theirs – it allowed them to take another mission trip to the area.”

On April 5, the sisters, along with their mother, Gayle, will host the 2nd Annual Paul Meyers Memorial Golf Tournament. For more information or to register, visit paulmeyersmemorialgolftournament.com/#.

Over the coming months, the pages that follow will highlight members of our community whose impact is so wide that hundreds chose them to be featured, likely because they had been touched personally. These neighbors make you smile, teach you to push yourselves harder, mold your children to live with conviction and give because they want to.

They, and the dozens of others nominated who aren’t featured on these pages, are reason to celebrate. Their faces and stories remind us of all the people in Vestavia Hills who make us proud to call it home.

Photography by Alec Dixon and Brian Wallace.

To see more of Dixon’s work, visit

alecdixoncreative.com.

VestaviaVoice.com

WHO’S WHO o f V E S TAV I A H I L L S

Best Teacher Racheal Luccasen Racheal is a fourth grade teacher and the 2013-14 Teacher of the Year at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central.

“It is evident in her classroom environment that she recognizes students’ needs in terms of their social, emotional and academic well-being. She motivates and encourages her students through generous use of praise.”- VHEC Principal Marian Humphries & Assistant Prinicipal Kellie Wigley

March 2014 • 13

14 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

WHO’S WHO o f V E S TAV I A H I L L S

Most Likely to Lend a Helping Hand Lindy Walker Lindy volunteers at both Pizitz Middle School and Vestavia Hills High School and she is also involved at Shades Mountain Baptist Church.

“Lindy serves as an excellent example of a devoted wife and mother of three who constantly serves others through her wonderful attitude, her commitment to the Vestavia schools and community, and she always has a smile and pleasant word to share when you see her. Her name instantly popped up in my head when I read this category.” –Ashley Moss

March 2014 • 15

VestaviaVoice.com

WHO’S WHO o f V E S TAV I A H I L L S

Most Musical Kate Donaldson Kate is a music educator at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central.

“Mrs. Donaldson has touched the lives of thousands of students in Vestavia Hills City Schools. She has the ability to make every student feel that they are an important contributing member of the music program. She has a gentle and delightful sense of humor and promotes a positive learning environment. She is highly successful in creating a classroom environment allowing students to develop a lifelong love for music.” – VHEC Principal Marian Humphries & Assistant Prinicipal Kellie Wigley

16 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

WHO’S WHO o f V E S TAV I A H I L L S

Ms. Vestavia Hills Kym Prewitt “Kym Prewitt is one of our community servants that lives out her passion for Vestavia Hills in every arena; she is simply extraordinary in every way and most deserving of the Ms. Vestavia honor. As featured in Family Circle Magazine for starting the non-profit Children’s Literacy Guild, I think one of her peers put it best: ‘Kym has a true talent and passion for service. If you need a job done, she’s the one to call.’

It is a privilege to be the community benefactor of Kym’s tireless efforts, but a far greater privilege to call her a friend or now, Ms. Vestavia.”

-Friend of Kym Prewitt

March 2014 • 17

VestaviaVoice.com

Answering the call Vestavian Adam Pierce named chairman for Alabama chapter of Ducks Unlimited

By REBECCA WALDEN Though he was a freshman at Auburn before he ever tried the sport of duck hunting, Adam Pierce quickly fell in love with the hobby and took to it like, well, a duck to water.

“When a buddy of mine first contacted me and said he was starting an Auburn chapter for Ducks Unlimited, I knew little more about the group than their logo,” said Pierce.

One fundraising event later, which garnered $30,000 for the chapter, he was hooked. Upon graduation, Pierce moved back to Vestavia Hills, where he took on a series of successive board leadership roles with the Birmingham chapter.

Pierce’s latest post will commence on March 8, when he will be installed as the incoming state chair for the Alabama chapter of Ducks Unlimited during the group’s state convention in Huntsville. In this capacity, Pierce will oversee all volunteer efforts within the Alabama chapter.

Beyond his love of the sport, Pierce said his affiliation with Ducks Unlimited supports a twofold purpose.

“I’ve really gravitated to the organization’s focus on conservation,” he said. “Sure, I enjoy hunting, but more than that, I like being in the outdoors. This year I hunted a good bit, but I didn’t shoot much at all. I just enjoyed getting out there. Groups like Ducks Unlimited and other conservation groups help make that experience possible.”

Pierce, a vice president and branch manager with First Partners Bank, said he has also enjoyed engaging area high school students with the chapter’s activities and fostering the life skills their involvement allows.

“It’s wonderful to see the skills these kids can acquire,” said Pierce, describing the efforts of Vestavia Hills High School’s Hunting and Fishing Club fundraisers. The group hosted Ducks Unlimited events in 2011 and 2013, and a 2014 event is in the early planning stages.

“These are really smart kids, but most 16- to 18-year-olds haven’t had a reason to come across some the basic business skills they learn through exercises as simple as setting an event ticket price,” Pierce said. “Instead of just randomly saying, ‘$25 a ticket sounds good,’ we’re breaking that down and having them think through event planning costs, facility charge, meal costs, silent auction markups and overall profit margin.”

Vestavia was the first high school in the state to host a Ducks Unlimited event, and Homewood, Hoover and Mountain Brook high schools have followed Vestavia’s lead, tapping Pierce to meet with them about establishing high school chapters for Ducks Unlimited.

In Pierce, these high schools have a proven mentor. Under his leadership, the Birmingham chapter earned the distinction of the President’s 100 list in 2008, which requires chapters to meet a minimum fundraising level of $50,000. The group maintained that status in consecutive years until 2013,

Ford and Adam Pierce on a recent hunting trip in Coosa County.

On March 8, Adam Pierce will be installed as the incoming statewide chair for the Alabama chapter of Ducks Unlimited. Photo courtesy of Adam Pierce.

when they made the Diamond list, with a minimum fundraising level of $75,000.

“Though there are a lot of hunters here in the Birmingham area, there is no duck hunting anywhere around here,” said Pierce. “We have to drive at least to Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro,

Huntsville or along the rivers. For me, it’s always been a priority that despite not being in a closely concentrated hunting area, we have a successful chapter.”

To learn more about the Birmingham area Ducks Unlimited chapter, visit ducks.org/alabama.

18 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

Restaurant Showcase

Cahaba Heights Rd Summit Blvd

lly R

idg eR

d

Pump House Rd

Do

280

459

578-2553 4133 White Oak Drive Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. alabamabiscuit.com

La ke R

d

Alabama Biscuit Company

Read past Restaurant Showcases at VestaviaVoice.com

These aren’t your grandmother’s biscuits. Fortified with locally milled spelt grain and mixed with Wright Dairy milk, Alabama Biscuit Company is making biscuits for a new generation. While traditional Southern buttermilk style, they are boosted with a largely local and healthier ingredient list.

The company began when local resident Jonathan Burch and his family decided to cook with a focus on healthy, natural food. With four kids, the Burches learned to be resourceful.

“We had to figure out creative ways to make nutritional goals with a limited budget,” Burch said.

Burch was pleased to discover his biscuits were often requested by family and friends. Today, the Alabama Biscuit Company brings them to Vestavia residents.

Customers are greeted by a friendly interior and the smell of baking biscuits. Since opening in June, the Cahaba Heights area eatery has become a neighborhood breakfast hub. The walls are lined with boards from a neighborhood fence in Rocky Ridge where Burch fondly remembers kicking soccer balls as a child.

A custom-designed marble slab table from Sylacauga anchors the center of

Bl ue

By LAUREN MORIARTY

The Honey, Pecan and Goat Cheese Biscuit pairs tangy goat cheese with sweet honey and hearty roasted pecans. Photo by Lauren Moriarty.

the room. Handmade pillows dot the windowsills, and smaller tables invite patrons to sit and stay awhile.

Popular menu items include a house-made Almond Butter Biscuit with maple butter and roasted pecans.

Burch drizzles honey on a smeared pile of rich goat cheese sprinkled with roasted pecans to create the Honey, Pecan and Goat Cheese Biscuit.

Simple breakfast items such as oatmeal and muffins are also available for sale. Savory options include Cuban and Turkey Biscuits. A children’s menu features options adopted from the main menu. Burch adds frequent surprises to the constantly evolving menu, such as whipped local cream with fresh berries dolloped on a biscuit. “We’re trying to create flavors

Owner Jonathan Burch salvaged fence boards rich with childhood memories to use in his bakery. Photo by Lauren Moriarty.

that remind customers of something they’ve had. It’s comfort food but not diabetes food,” he said.

Alabama Biscuit Company features an extensive breakfast drink menu with options such as Wright’s milk, cappuccino and a blueberry spiced latté. Dallas, Alabama Biscuit Company’s espresso expert, whips up a variety of frothy drinks, and the

coffee itself comes from local company Octane.

The menu may include traditional favorites like a Ham and Cheese Biscuit, but the items have been freshened up with local ingredients and a healthier approach.

“We try to keep it as clean, fresh and local as possible,” Burch said.

March 2014 • 19

VestaviaVoice.com

Business Spotlight

Read past Business Spotlights at VestaviaVoice.com

idg eR

Cahaba Heights Rd

459

ak eR

d

280

Summit Blvd

yR Do ll

Chickadee

d

Pump House Rd

Bl

For Kate Hartman, the ideal neighborhood shop spans generations through an eclectic mix of gifts, accessories and antiques.

And that’s exactly what she set out to accomplish when she opened Chickadee with her mother-in-law in September 2011. Operating under the slogan, “Where Birmingham finds its little touch of Southern class,” Hartman and her team have established themselves in Birmingham’s gift and antique market.

“We wanted to focus on both style and price point,” Hartman said. “So everyone can find something they love here.”

Located in a service station-turnedretail building on Cahaba Heights Road, Chickadee offers a diverse mix of furniture, jewelry, pottery, antiques, books and more. Handmade, regional and local items line the shelves and tables. Gift-wrapping is offered, as well as the opportunity for customers to buy something they can’t find in the store.

“If you don’t see it on the floor, we can special-order it for you,” Hartman said.

Brides can walk in to Chickadee and register for everything in the store, particularly selections that fall out of

ue L

By KATIE TURPEN

Chickadee Manager Blakely Oberneder, Owner Kate Hartman and Assistant Manager Kelly Petro. Photo courtesy of Kate Hartman.

the normal assemblage of towels and plates that fill a bride’s list.

“We want them to know there is more to register for out there than just china,” said Hartman. “You can register for neat lamps and other items you wouldn’t normally think about.”

Other common Chickadee

customers are first-time homebuyers looking to add an extra touch to an already decorated room or to completely start from scratch. Chickadee offers a design service where employees travel to a customer’s home and help them design the ideal space.

Hartman said having that personal

connection with the customers has been a favorite part of working at Chickadee.

“I really do love all our customers because I just know so much about some of them,” Hartman said. “There was one woman I did a design service for, and I mean, I saw her in her

969-3138 3138 Cahaba Heights Road Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. chickadeebirmingham.com

pajamas. I think that’s something.”

Hartman and her employees make it a point to be active in the community, participating in events such as the Cahaba Crawl and also hosting book signings and a special “Made in the South” event.

The ladies of Chickadee do not let the holidays pass unnoticed. In October, the store hosted a “Chick or Treat” event offering 25 percent off a purchase for any customer bringing in a donation to Children’s Harbor, an organization serving children with chronic illnesses. In December, the store offered monogrammed ornaments, and for Valentine’s Day, a display of fun books and other gifts.

Chickadee makes it a rarity for a customer to leave uninspired.

And as the city looks to improve the look and feel of the Cahaba Heights area, Hartman looks forward to more sidewalks and also welcoming more businesses as neighbors.

She hopes Chickadee will continue to be a vibrant, familiar presence in the community.

“We really want to cross-promote other stores around us,” Hartman said.

“This is such a great area. I’m excited to see it grow and develop.”

For more, visit chickadeebirmingham.com.

20 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

School House Pizitz Middle School students earn All-State Band Honors

DeFore represents district for Alabama Teacher of the Year

The Pizitz Middle School Symphonic Band. Photo courtesy of Kim Bain.

The Pizitz Symphonic Band was selected to perform at the College Band Directors National Association Conference at the University of North Florida in Feb. The band is one of just two middle school bands selected from the United States to perform at this regional conference.

Additionally, nine Pizitz band students were awarded a seat in the All-State Honors Band during the All-State Band competition at Hoover High School in January.

Making the All-State Band is the highest

award a middle school band student can receive.

Area music educators judge the competition.

Students selected were Zachary Chou, Turner Hamilton, Robert Smith, McKinley Owens, Kunai Tiwari, Christofer Miller, Grayton Hodge, Lauren Nelson and Andrew Pahos.

Also during this competition, 31 Pizitz band students placed in the District Honor Band.

District Honor Band students are Yasha Kulkarni, Zachary Chou, Jenny Coe, Morgan Prater, Rohith Vuribindi, Yihon Zhong, Maggie

Hargrove, Hunter Jones, Turner Hamilton, Stephen Michaels, Richard Fu, Sam Henderson, Robert Smith, Nelson Mills, Owen Porter, Meredith Grantham, McKinley Owens, Sean Rainer, Josh Mather, Luke McBrayer, Robbie Strong, Joseph Harper, Kunal Tiwari, Alex Freeburg, Christofer Miller, Grayton Hodge, Emmett Fernekes, Krishnana Raju, Walter Zhang, Lauren Nelson and Andrew Pahos.

—Submitted by Catherine Horton, Pizitz Middle School

lab during the chemistry unit to watch phase changes and determined a mystery mixture while applying their knowledge of chemistry basics.

Meredith DeFore, secondary exceptional education teacher at Pizitz Middle School, has been nominated to represent the district for the Alabama Teacher of the Year. Being a role model for teachers, she was nominated by her peers for this prestigious award. DeFore has been teaching for 15 years at Pizitz and is a nurturing and supportive teacher to all students and fellow colleagues.

“It is my goal to make a positive impact on each of my students’ lives and help them become lifelong learners,” DeFore said.

She believes that all students have unique learning styles and it is her goal to help them achieve their full potential. During these 15 years, she has become National Board Certified, earned a master’s degree in collaborative teaching and has her school psychometrist certification.

--Submitted by Catherine Horton, Pizitz Middle School

—Submitted by Catherine Horton, Pizitz Middle School

Eighth-grade science class calculates paper airplane speeds Physical science is not just reading the textbook and learning the formulas to learn the principles of physics and chemistry; it takes on another dimension when building and conducting experiments to apply those principles of physics and chemistry.

At Pizitz Middle School, Mrs. Gurosky’s

physical science class recently designed and constructed paper airplanes to calculate the speed of the planes using measurements of distance and time. Each class determined which plane design achieved highest speed after all trials had been completed.

Earlier in the year students used the science

Smart Kid.

Smart Parent.

Enroll now for summer programs Experience the Tutoring Club difference. Our individualized programs focus on the areas where your child is struggling, resulting in more learning in less time at a higher academic level. Guaranteed.

STUDY SKILLS ACT/SAT PREP MATH • READING • WRITING

Smart Call.

Cahaba Heights 968-5151 Inverness 981-7155

March 2014 • 21

VestaviaVoice.com

Carr named Vestavia Hills Elementary East Teacher of the Year Parents describe her as “creative,” “innovative,” “challenging” and “truly outstanding,” and second-grade teacher Elizabeth Carr has been named the Vestavia Hills Elementary East Teacher of the Year.

Carr serves in many capacities within the school beyond her everyday teaching duties.

She is a member of a district committee to educate and guide teachers in implementing the State College and Career Readiness Standards, has presented workshops at multiple district level technology conferences on topics such as “Using Garage Band to Promote Fluency Lessons,” podcasting, and Promethean Board training, and serves as a technology trainer, assisting colleagues in completing daily technology requirements.

Principal Mark Richardson said Carr’s influence within her grade has been positive. “When Elizabeth came to East several years ago, she brought a wonderful idea for classroom management that promoted not only excellent behavior, but also effective learning about communities. All of the second-grade classes adopted this approach that includes electing leaders, having classroom jobs and incorporating a token economy. It has been a great success.”

This community model culminates three times during the year with a “Market Day” where students promote and sell goods and services using classroom currency. Aside from social studies concepts, students hone many other skills as part of this model, including math and writing.

Reading coach Lee Carol Meads said, “The students love Market Day. They get excited about both selling and shopping as a reward for their hard work in their classroom community. It also reinforces many skills, such as counting money,

Central students are Earth Savers

Through their involvement in the Earth Savers Recycling Club, Central students are putting environmental stewardship into practice. Photo courtesy of Jeanette DeMoss.

Vestavia Hills Elementary Central encourages students to become leaders within the school by joining the Earth Savers Recycling Club. These students are recycling role models to their fellow classmates, and their job is to demonstrate proper ways to recycle

Vestavia Hills Elementary East’s Teacher of the Year is Elizabeth Carr. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Carr.

making change, goods versus services, supply and demand and responsibility.”

Carr’s leadership has been outstanding during her time at East and throughout her career, Assistant Principal Cindy Echols said.

“I have had the privilege to work with Ms. Carr at East and at my previous school. She has always been such a positive presence among her colleagues. She has great ideas, is innovative and quickly earns the love and respect of her students, their parents and her peers. She is an excellent choice for teacher of the year.”

---Submitted by Mark Richardson.

everyday materials. As an Earth Saver, the students are responsible for the recycling bin in their classroom. Also, the Earth Savers attend monthly meetings to enrich their knowledge about promoting recycling at school and in their community.

LPMS students perform with Samford Honor Band Several Liberty Park Middle School students were selected for the annual Samford Honor Band held Jan. 9-11. To participate, students received a recommendation from LPMS band director Jody Bryant. For the audition, students played five major scales and arpeggios, played a prepared piece and had to sight read. The Samford Middle School Honor Band was segmented into Red and Blue bands.

Blue Band: Lily Hwang, secondchair clarinet; Bess Gordon, fifth-chair French horn

Red Band: Chandler Clemmons, secondchair trumpet; Kaitlyn Munger, ninth-chair trumpet; Jonathan Wyatt, first-chair trombone; Rachel Brooks, sixth-chair clarinet; Junseo Hwang, second-chair oboe; Nate Gordon, fourth-chair baritone.

In addition, four students were selected to participate in the District Honor Band. In April, they will perform a concert at Homewood High School.

District Honor Band: Lily Hwang, clarinet; Alison Levine, clarinet; Bess Gordon, French horn; Andrew Perino, percussion.

22 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

Acting out loud

Vestavia resident’s acting academy helps children build confidence

By KATIE TURPEN For Liberty Park resident Meg Deusner, Vestavia Hills may seem like an unlikely place to put down roots.

At the ripe age of 10, she starred in a professional production of Annie. She went on to become an acting coach in Los Angeles and has also spent time perfecting her craft in New York City and Europe.

However, three years ago, she and her husband moved to Vestavia Hills to have their first child, and Deusner has not looked back.

“Life is really easy here,” Deusner said. “To raise a family, it’s a great place to be.”

In addition to starting her family, Deusner has found her niche in reaching local children through the fine arts.

She opened Acting Out Academy with a mission to provide performance art education to children who want and need it.

“I started out with just two kids,” Deusner said. “Now, I teach about 150 kids a year.”

Combining her degree in child development and elementary education with her passion for acting, Deusner said her acting classes and camps are filling a need for fine arts.

“When funding is tight in education, performance art is the first thing to get cut,” Deusner said. “I’m trying to reach as many of these kids as I can.”

Deusner teaches several different types of classes. Her after-school program is designed to teach kids about

Meg Deusner leads warm-up exercises as part of her Acting Out Academy after-school program, held at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Photo

by Katie Turpen.

communication and confidence through various exercises and games.

“It’s not just about teaching them acting,” Deusner said. “It’s about teaching them to be charismatic.

It’s about teaching them how to have confidence and get a job.”

Deusner has helped children overcome speech impediments and stutters. She recalls having one girl who started as extremely shy. However, the child experienced a transformation through her acting classes. Deusner said the student’s guidance counselor was in tears watching the student in a performance.

“I enjoy helping these children come out of their

shells,” Deusner said. “But no kid has to get up unless they want to. It’s about having fun.”

Deusner also holds more advanced classes to help children who have expressed interest in honing their acting skills. Deusner uses her countrywide connections to help children get agents and will film their auditions at her house in Liberty Park. She has even helped children land auditions for major networks such as Nickelodeon.

“The regular classes are for kids who have really shown interest,” Deusner said. “If the parents are committed and the kids want to do it, it can be a great thing.”

In addition to the classes, Deusner hosts a

weeklong movie camp in the summer. During the week, the children write, cast and create a short film and then see their movie at a red carpet premiere held at a local theater.

Deusner said she never wants money to be a problem and will provide scholarships to students who need it. Although it has been a transition moving from Los Angeles to Vestavia Hills, Deusner now feels at home. Her next step is to acquire grant money to be able to travel to different schools and hold her after-school programs.

“We’re creating a new generation of mainstream media,” Deusner said. “I love what I do.”

For more, visit actingoutacademy.com.

March 2014 • 23

VestaviaVoice.com

Signing Day 2014 VHHS seniors sign with major universities

VHHS seniors Mac Macoy and Peyton Price both signed track and field scholarships. Macoy will attend the University of Florida and Price will attend The University of Alabama. Photo by Katie Turpen.

By KATIE TURPEN

VHHS seniors Kyle Sitzler, Tristan Tahmaseh, Dalton Campbell and Ryan Childers all signed football scholarships on National Signing Day. They are pictured with their families. Photo by Katie Turpen.

Six Vestavia Hills High School seniors signed with major universities during the National Signing Day Ceremony on Feb. 5.

“We are extremely proud of these young men and their families,” VHHS Athletic Director Buddy Anderson said. “Each of these universities is getting class individuals.”

Tristan Tahmaseh, Kyle Sitzler, Dalton Campbell and Ryan Childers all signed football scholarships. Tahmaseh will play for Harvard University, Kyle Sitzler will play for Auburn University and Dalton Campbell and Ryan Childers will both play for Jacksonville State University.

Each of the players thanked

God, their family and their coaches during the ceremony.

“I have been playing with these guys since I was six years old,” Sitzler said. “I’m happy for them and happy to follow my dream of playing at Auburn.”

“I want to thank my coaches, my teammates and my scout team for helping me along the way get better and better,” Childers said.

Peyton Price and Mac Macoy both signed track and field scholarships. Price will attend The University of Alabama, and Macoy will attend the University of Florida.

“I think you will be hearing a lot about these two guys,” VHHS Track and Field Coach Brett Huber said.

24 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

CITY HALL from page 1

The plan to redevelop U.S. 31 was written in 2011 by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) and approved by the Vestavia Hills City Council in 2012.

It calls for redeveloping four areas of the corridor — Vestavia Plaza Shopping Center, Olde Towne Shopping Center, Park South Shopping Center and Patton Creek Crossing — to pedestrian-oriented communities.

In the coming months, the first steps in transforming the U.S. 31 corridor will begin: • A major landscaping project at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Interstate 65 in the next six months.

• Construction of a new City Hall in the next 12 to 18 months.

• Two possible major redevelopment efforts on private property in the next two years.

“Highway 31 has existed and grown over the years with very little planning,” City Manager Jeff Downes said. “Between I-65 and Shades Crest Road, it basically grew because there was a need to place retail along a corridor, but there wasn’t a master plan or end goal in mind.”

That need for consistency was the reason Vestavia Hills turned to the Atlanta-based firm Market Street to study the corridor, and later to RPCGB to come up with a new design. It’s also one of the reasons the city hired Fred Baughman as economic developer and Conrad Garrison as city planner.

Downes, a former deputy mayor for the city of Montgomery, started work in Vestavia Hills in July 2013. Shortly after, he released Baughman, reporting he wanted to repurpose the position.

Philip Amthor, RPCGB’s lead on the project when the plan was written, has since left the organization as

TAX

from page 1

Rendering of the new City Hall facility, set for completion August 2015. Photo courtesy of City of Vestavia Hills.

well, leaving only Garrison from the original team.

Since the council approved RPCGB’s plan — and its 15-year timeline — Garrison has been working on the next big piece of the puzzle, the form-based code. In the summer of 2013 he said he anticipated the code would require nine to 12 months to write. He currently projects it will be completed on schedule by this summer.

Form-based codes are one of three main strategies presented by RPCGB, and arguably the most important. They replace the city’s current land-use and zoning regulations and will “introduce the possibility for new uses, activities and building densities,” according to the plan.

“The idea is to create a quality environment with a tax base that will keep generating revenues for the city in the long term,” said Renato Ghizoni, a planner with the RPCGB. The code would offer a structure for future development on the corridor that’s both predictable and visionary. Ghizoni said it allows

for change by focusing on the type of development instead of the use, adding that it would be flexible for different land uses.

“Over time, these parcels of property along typical corridors tend to decline and die out,” Ghizoni added.

“From the city’s perspective, that leads to lower tax revenues. For residents, that means a lower quality of life.”

So together, Ghizoni and Garrison are focusing on a coordinated rollout of the comprehensive plan, which will include the form-based code.

“We want to make sure that we have everything tightened up and in line, so that there’s not a lot of unpredictability,” Garrison said. “Predictability is really the name of the game when it comes to development.”

The corridor is not hurting economically in comparison to some sections of the greater Birmingham area. “But they [Vestavia Hills] see that if they don’t do anything now, in 10 years it’s only going to get worse,” Ghizoni said.

Elsewhere, Downes is employing ideas he’s had success with in

the past.

His idea was to use the money allocated for an economic developer to assemble a collaborative, flexible team of residents and members of the city’s business community, including the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, current retailers and local real estate brokers.

“We have to be flexible, we have to be creative and we have to show the development community and the realty community that we’re in the game,” Downes said. “If there are hurdles to those businesses coming to Vestavia Hills, we will identify what those hurdles are and we’ll try to resolve them.”

Garrison said the process has not been hindered by the departures of Baughman and Amthor, adding that the city’s current retailers are “excellent,” but Vestavia Hills also sees more opportunity for success.

“What this ideally will do is bring a little more balance to the equation,” he said. “I don’t think Vestavia needs reinventing, but there could be some retail realignment based on our demographics.”

October 2018 with no time limit.

Voting locations are Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, Liberty Park Baptist Church, Town Village Vestavia Hills, Horizon Church, Mountaintop Community Church and Cahaba Heights Community and Senior Citizens Center.

Voting will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Absentee ballots are also available. For more information, visit vhal.org or call the City at 978-0100.

Karen Odle, president of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber is working alongside the city in its efforts to create a mix of old and new retailers.

“The city is working on recruiting new businesses, and we’re working to retain existing businesses,” Odle said.

Far from only increasing tax revenues and bringing a new look to the corridor, Ghizoni said implementing changes in the plans is also about the long-term health of Vestavia Hills.

“If nothing happens, given the slow recovery of the economy, it’s only going to remain the same or go into decline over time,” he said.

Downes said the plan is ambitious and will take years.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” he said. “This is a lifetime commitment to a certain style of development.”

March 2014 • 25

VestaviaVoice.com

CHICKENS from page 1

must live in an agriculture district. If a resident does not live in an agriculture district, Leavings said residents should examine their private residential covenants for animal restrictions.

If no restrictions are found, the resident can apply for conditional-use approval from the City.

Several residents are concerned about this process of legally keeping chickens. April Aaron-Brush has lived in the city nearly all her life and is part of a growing group of around 30 residents that formed a Facebook group titled Vestavia Hills CLUCK (Citizens for Legalization of Urban Chicken Keeping).

“Vestavia Hills CLUCK hopes to educate citizens on the benefits of urban chicken keeping,” Aaron-Brush said. “We do not feel that the current city ordinances address urban chicken keeping for the residents that live without covenant restrictions and for those that do not live on an agriculturally zoned property. We are asking the City Council to revisit our animal ordinances.”

Aaron-Brush said urban chicken keeping is on the rise across the country and the issue has come up in the surrounding suburbs such as Hoover, Homewood and Mountain Brook. She hopes Vestavia Hills will be the next to tackle the issue, and the misconceptions that often center on the distinction between commercial chicken production and having chickens as pets.

“The group is not asking for roosters or an absurd number of hens,” Aaron-Brush said. “Our hope is for our citizens to have the ability to own four to six hens which would be housed in our own backyards within our own property lines.”

Resident Chris Freeman said the current regulations

are not clear and thinks that having a small number of hens is not a cause for alarm.

“My general opinion is that a handful of hens would be much less of an issue than the city currently deals with regarding dogs,” Freeman said.

Not all Vestavia Hills residents feel chickens have a place in the city limits. Jim Pattillo has lived in Vestavia Hills since 2007 and said having a pet chicken as a child was messy and loud.

“Although I love animals and am highly in favor of domesticating certain types for pets, based on my personal experience as the owner of a pet chicken, I think the council would do a disservice to Vestavia residents as a whole by allowing chickens as pets in residential neighborhoods,” Pattillo said.

Jon Vickers is concerned about chickens carrying diseases such as salmonella and said they would create a nuisance.

“Having an ordinance allowing chickens is not worth the risk of even one of the children in this wonderful community falling ill over chickens,” Vickers said. “We are a family-oriented community, not a farm community.”

As the debate continues of whether chicken keeping has a place in Vestavia Hills, the council continues to research the idea. For now, Leavings urges citizens requesting urban chickens to examine their residential covenants to see if they are eligible for conditional use approval.

“Agricultural animals in a residential district represents a change in use and, to change that use, a property owner needs to go through the same process as anyone else who wishes to change the use of their property,” Leavings said. “The conditional use approval is the best way to proceed for any property owner who is not subject to restrictive covenants and wishes to house chickens.”

Keeping chickens inside city limits In December 2010, the City Council created “conditional use approval,” which would allow certain approved uses of urban chickens at the request of the property owner. Parameters include number of animals, coops and daily activities.

To apply for “conditional use approval,” the property owner is required to bring an application for conditional use, a copy of any restrictive covenant that might be against their property, a letter detailing the parameters

of the request, a survey of the property showing where the chicken coops will be located and pay a $100 application fee.

After this process is complete, a public hearing is held before the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Commission will then make a recommendation to the Council, which will hold another public hearing and determine whether to approve, amend or not approve the Ordinance.

Calendar Vestavia Hills Events Mondays: Vulcan Voices Toastmasters. 6-7:30 p.m. Upper level, Vestavia Board of Education. For more, call 529-6200.

March 3: Read Across America/Book Fair Week.

Vestavia Hills Elementary East.

March 5: VHHS Parent Awareness Program. Noon.

Board of Education.

March 5: Ash Wednesday Service at Southminster Presbyterian Church. 6:45 p.m., with fellowship supper at 6 p.m.

Reservations required. For more, call 822-1124.

March 7: First Friday Reception. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Artists Incorporated. Wine, food and live music. Featured artists include Mary White Sowell, Phyllis Gibson, Lynne McCain, Cary Baker, Pat Palmer and Larry Allen. Free. Call 979-8990 or visit artistsincorporated.com.

March 8: PromPalooza. 9 a.m.1 p.m. Collage Designer Consignment.

Collage is hosting the 3rd annual prom gown/charity event benefiting My Sister’s Closet at the YWCA. For more information, email cat@shopcollage. com.

March 9: World Friendship Day. 2-4 p.m. Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Hosted by the Friendship Force of Birmingham. Visit friendshipforce.org.

March 11: Liberty Park Middle School’s Dairy Queen Spirit Night. 5-8 p.m.

March 18: Art Show. Vestavia Hills Elementary - Cahaba Heights.

City Events March 10. Senior Citizens Luncheon. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Dogwood Room. Vestavia Hills Civic Center.

March 10: City Council. 5 p.m.

Council Chambers.

March 11: Chamber luncheon.

11:30 a.m-1 p.m. Vestavia Country Club. Call 823-5011 or visit vestaviahills.org.

March 13: Planning and Zoning Commission. 6-7 p.m.

Council Chambers. Call 978-0184.

March 18: Parks and Recreation Board. 7-8:30 a.m.

Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Call 9780166.

March 20: Board of Zoning Adjustment. 6-7 p.m. Council Chambers. Call 978-0184.

March 24: City Council. 5 p.m.

Council Chambers.

26 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice

Community Calendar Library in the Forest events Contact Eden Pfaff at epfaff@bham.lib.al.us or 978-4678 or visit vestavialibrary.org

Children/Teens Tuesdays: Together with Twos. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Storytime for children 24 months and under and a caregiver. This storytime is age-appropriate for toddlers with short stories, songs and lots of movement.

Wednesdays: Story Friends.

10:30 a.m. Storytime for preschoolers 5 years and under and a caregiver.

This storytime has longer stories, interspersed with songs and movement activities.

Wednesdays: Skit-storytime.

3:30 p.m. A story-based program for kindergarten and up with a mixture of stories, audience participation, crafts, songs and activities. An after-school snack and short cartoon round out the end of this 45-minute program. No toddlers for this program, please.

Thursdays: L.I.F.T. 9:30 a.m.

Come for social playtime in our Children’s Program room with our special play equipment. Stay as little or as long as you like. All preschool age children and caregivers welcome.

Mother Moose tales and other humorous stories. The program will start at 6 p.m., followed by refreshments and a “Meet & Greet” with the author. Please call 9780158 to register. All ages welcome.

March 5: Teen Advisory Board. 4:30 p.m. Make your voice known by helping the library decide what books, movies, music, and video games the Teen Department should buy and making short videos to promote the programs we offer. Snacks served.

March 8: Minecraft in the Forest. 1 p.m. In our second installment of Minecraft in the Forest, we will see who can create the most unique structure and have an epic PVP battle. Registration begins Feb. 24. To register, contact Daniel at 978-3683.

March 12: Writing Group.

4 p.m. Like to write? Looking for an audience with which to share your work? The Teen Department is offering a writing group where teens can build writing skills and provide feedback to one another. Snacks served.

Fridays: Open Gaming. 4 p.m.

Come to the library and enjoy awesome video games on the Wii and Xbox 360.

We will also have board games to play with fellow teens. Snacks served.

March 13: High Flying Fun. 10:30 a.m. It’s time for kites and flying contraptions! Join us as we make our own kites that will even fly indoors and hear stories and songs to match the theme. Please call to register. Ages 5 and under.

March 4: Author & Storyteller Willy Claflin. 6 p.m. Join Willy and his pal, Maynard Moose, for hilarious

March 18: Anime Night. 5:30 p.m. Join us for an evening of anime, where the audience decides what we

watch, and we have some great snacks to eat.

Adults

March 19: Studio 1221. 4 p.m.

Feeling a little lucky? Come to this month’s Studio 1221 and make a variety of St. Patrick’s Day crafts while eating some leprechaun-inspired foods.

March 1: Microsoft Word Part 2.

3:30 p.m.

March 24-28: Stay-cation Spring Break. 1-3 p.m. each day. Games, crafts, stories, outdoor activities, snacks — everything you could want for a good time. On Friday at 3 p.m., there will be an art reception for parents, showcasing all the art projects we completed during the camp. You must register for camp, and it will be limited to 75. Call 978-0158 to register beginning March 3. Grades 1-6.

March 25: Divergent Release Party. 5:30 p.m. In anticipation of the movie, come and celebrate all things Divergent by discovering the faction for which you are suited, eating Dauntlessthemed food, answering trivia questions and more.

March 26: Writing Group. 4 p.m. Come to this month’s second meeting of the Teen Writing Group to build writing skills and receive feedback on your work. Snacks served.

March 28: Mario Kart Tournament Friday. 4 p.m. Who will reign supreme in this battle royal of epic proportions? Come, dominate the competition, and fight to win a Gamestop gift card. Snacks served.

March 1: Microsoft Word Part 1.

12 p.m.

March 3: Resume 101. 4 p.m.

March 3: Basic training for Macintosh computers. 6 p.m.

March 5: Download free library books to your iPad, Kindle or Nook. Please call for an appointment time. Sign-up sheets are available at the front circulation desk, or you can register by calling 978-0164. Space is limited.

March 6: The Passions of Delacroix. 1:30-2:30 p.m. Birmingham Museum of Art Docent Judith Hand will speak about the museum’s exhibit of borrowed Delacroix works from American and European museums. A separate guided tour of the exhibition for OLLI members will be offered afterwards at the museum.

March 8: Music of The River: A Tribute to Mark Twain. 7 p.m. Join us for a special performance by local legend Bobby Horton. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the evening will begin with heavy appetizers and wine, followed by the performance. Bobby Horton has composed and performed music scores for Ken Burns, the A&E Network, and the National Park Service. Tickets are $25 or $35 after March 1. They are available at the main desk at the library or through PayPal.

March 13: Java Knit. 2 p.m. Love to knit or crochet? Want to learn how? Expert Jonnie Venglik will be on hand to help you with any problems that pop up, so drop in and enjoy the company of other crafters on second Thursdays. Bring your own “stitching stuff,” and we supply the java, tea and snacks.

March 19: Terri’s Afternoon Book Group. 2 p.m. A House in the Sky: A Memoir by Amanda Lindhout. A spectacularly dramatic memoir of a woman whose curiosity about the world led her from rural Canada to dangerous countries on every continent, and then into 15 months of harrowing captivity in Somalia — a story of courage, resilience and extraordinary grace.

March 20: Friends of the Library presents Joyce Cauthen & Bluegrass in Alabama. 10 a.m.

Alabama Humanities Speaker, musician and prolific author, Cauthen will discuss the history of bluegrass music in Alabama.

March 20: Religion in Ethiopia, Mary Michael Bowman. 1:30 p.m.

How did a romance between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon affect Ethiopian history? Why were multiple churches made out of living stone to establish a New Jerusalem? Is the Ark of the Covenant truly in Ethiopia? Our speaker toured Ethiopia with some of the first Peace Corps volunteers to be stationed there and will share her experience of the unusual religious sites and deep faith of Ethiopia.

March 2014 • 27

VestaviaVoice.com

Community Calendar Greater Birmingham area events

Feb. 22-May 18: Delacroix and a Matter of Finish. Birmingham Museum of Art. The first Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) exhibition in the U.S. in more than a decade features the work of the leader of the French Romantic Movement, who was often heralded as the “father of impressionism.” Call 254-2565 or visit artsbma.org.

March 1: Brenda Ladun Conquer Cancer Run. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. 5K walk/ run 8:00 a.m., 1-mile walk/run 9:00 a.m., awards ceremony and survivor celebration 9:45 a.m. Visit conquercancerrun.org.

March 2: Birmingham Boys Choir. 4 p.m.

Wright Center, Samford University. A collaborative concert with Traces of Blue, an a cappella jazz group that appeared on NBC’s “The Sing-Off.” Visit birminghamboyschoir.com.

March 2: Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra. 3 p.m. Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Visit alysstephens.org.

March 3-7: “Finish the Fight” Love-Love Magic City Challenge Tennis Tournament. A city-wide doubles-only tournament for ladies, levels 2.5-5.3, at facilities throughout Birmingham. Entrance fee is $50 per player. Proceeds support Robert E. Reed Gastrointestinal Oncology Research Foundation’s funding of GI cancer research.

Visit reedgifoundation.com/our-events or lovelovemagiccitychallenge.com.

March 7-9: Birmingham Ballet: Hansel and Gretel. March 7 at 7:30 p.m., March 8 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., March 9 at 2 p.m. BJCC. Tickets available through BJCC central ticket office. Visit birminghamballet.com or bjcc.org.

March 8: Spirit of Sochi. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Lakeshore Foundation, 4000 Ridgeway Drive. As a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site and

Paralympic Sport Club, Lakeshore is hosting the first U.S. community-wide celebration and viewing of the Paralympic Opening Ceremony broadcast. Traveling interactive tour featuring 12 winter sports, an Alabama Olympians and Paralympians autograph booth, cultural treats from Sochi, an exhibition of wheelchair rugby, food truck games and more. The Paralympic Opening Ceremony will also be broadcast on a large screen. Visit lakeshore.org.

March 8: Professional Bull Riders. 7:30 p.m. BJCC Arena. Featuring up-and-coming bull riders and riders not competing on the elite Built Ford Tough Series, participants compete in PBR-sanctioned events while earning money to qualify them for the BFTS and the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.

Call 1-800-745-3000 or visit bjcc.org.

March 8: ASO Wells Fargo Classical EDGE: Mohammad Fairouz. 7:30 p.m. Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Mohammed Fairouz will premiere his newest violin concerto along with violinist Rachel Barton Pine. Tickets $15-$35. Call 975-2787 or visit alysstephens.org.

March 8: Chili Cook-Off. 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Colonial Brookwood Village. This is the 10th annual Chili Cook-Off benefiting the Exceptional Foundation. $10 in advance, $15 at gate, 12 and under free. Visit exceptionalfoundation.org.

March 13: Gabriel Iglesias: Unity Through Laughter. 8 p.m. Alabama Theatre.

Tickets available through Ticketmaster. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

March 14: 2nd annual Shamrock Shindig. 6 p.m. Avondale Brewery. Tickets, $50 individual, $80 couple. For more, contact Jonathan Handey at jdhandey@gmail.com.

March 14-15: Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. March 14 at 6 p.m., March 15 at

Take us with you.

Award-winning community journalism on your mobile phone.

VestaviaVoice.com

11 a.m. and 3 p.m. BJCC. Mickey Mouse and friends perform live. Tickets available through Ticketmaster and BJCC central ticket office. Visit bjcc.org.

March 15: Rumpshaker 5K Run/Walk.

8 a.m. Sloss Furnaces. Raising awareness about colorectal cancer. Register at rumpshaker5k.com.

March 15: Elton John & His Band. 8 p.m.

BJCC. Tickets available through Ticketmaster and BJCC central ticket office. Visit bjcc.org.

March 16: UAB Department of Music presents: “Around the World in 80 Minutes: A Musical Extravaganza.” 4 p.m. Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Funds raised will support UAB Department of Music student scholarships and ensembles. Tickets are $48, $36 and $24. Student tickets are $10. Call 975-2787 or visit alysstephens.org.

March 16: Harlem Globetrotters “Fans Rule” Tour. 4 p.m. Pete Hanna Center, Samford University. Admission $22-$85. $20 additional for pre-show event beginning at 2:30 p.m. Call 1-800641-HOOP. March 19: The NotWedding Birmingham. 7-9 p.m. BridgeStreet Gallery and Loft. A bridal show in the form of a big, fake wedding allows brides to truly experience the vendors in action.

General admission $30, VIP admission $40. Visit thenotwedding.com.

March 20: Brian Regan. 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Alabama Theatre. Brian Regan presents his comedy show. Tickets are $39.75, available at livenation.com.

March 21: Ron White. 7:30-10 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Ron White presents his comedy show. For mature audiences only. Visit ticketmaster.com.

March 22: SEC Women’s Gymnastics

Championship. All-day event beginning at 8 a.m. BJCC. Visit gymnasticschamps.com.

March 22: Taj Mahal. 8 p.m. Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Taj Mahal, blues and world musician, will perform at ASC for the second time in his over 40-year career. Admission for section A is $62.50, section B is $53.50 and section C is $43.50. Visit alysstephens.org.

March 27-29: Joyce Meyer Ministries.

March 27 at 7 p.m., March 28 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., March 29 at 10 a.m. BJCC. Joyce Meyer Ministries is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing God’s love and the word of the Bible through media productions and live conferences. Admission is free and no registration required.

March 28: Diamonds and Denim Gala. 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Discovery Alabama Center at Watermark Place, 4500 Alabama Adventure Parkway, Bessemer.

Fundraiser to benefit the Birmingham area Tuskegee Alumni Scholarship Fund. $50 Gala ticket, $75 VIP Gala ticket, $500 table sponsorship includes 8 VIP Gala tickets. Call 425-4529.

March 28: Birmingham Barons vs. Chicago White Sox (Exhibition Game). 6 p.m.

Tickets $14-$28. Call 988-3200.

March 29: Red Diamond SuperPops!

Series. Rhapsody in Blue: The Best of Gershwin with Christopher Confessore. 8 p.m. Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center, Samford University. Maestro Chris Confessore leads the ASO in music by Gershwin.

Admission $24-$62. Call 975-2787.

March 29: Walk to End Lupus Now. 8-11 a.m. Veterans Park. Walk-up registration opens at 8 a.m. Walk begins at 10 a.m. Admission is free. Call 1-877-865-8787.

28 • March 2014

Vestavia Voice